Beckett (Robinson Destruction #4) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,16

have up your sleeve that you think I need to know about?”

“Two days ago, your name was added to everything Beckett has. I have a car to use should I need to get around. Not a used one, but a brand new one. Like the one you have.” She told him she didn’t have a car. “You do now. And while I know you’re smart enough to realize when a good thing is right in your lap, I don’t want to have to remind you that before you met Beckett, we were not only not going to be able to live in the house we were in, but the town either. Allie, we were so close to the edge of losing everything, and some things that we didn’t have, that it’s a small wonder there was any food in the house.”

“I don’t like this.” He said he didn’t blame her one bit. She looked out the window again, and he didn’t say anything, waiting until she turned back to him. But she didn’t. Speaking to him without looking at him, she asked him to leave her alone for a little while. “I just need to think. It’s too much. All at once, this is too much for me. I need to be able to sort things out on my own for a little while.”

“All right. But I’ll be back later, all right?” She nodded, and he saw the tear roll down her cheek. Before he could tell her not to cry, she told him she was all right and that she needed some time to herself. “I love you, Allie. Very much so. I only did what I thought was best to keep you alive. You understand that, don’t you?”

“I do.” The smile she gave him when she turned didn’t reach her tear-filled eyes. “I’m going to be all right like you said. When you come back, I’ll be able to talk to you about what has happened. Right now, I just need to think.”

He left her then, using the cane that he’d been given in physical therapy. Allen had forgotten to tell her about that. But they had time. They had lots of time to talk now that she was better.

Allen found Beckett in his office on the telephone. Before he could walk out of the office again, Beckett waved him in. After he was seated, he looked around the big place. The man must have every book ever printed in this room alone. Beckett grinned at him when he was able to get off the phone.

“I have pissed off the last place I worked for. They thought I was going to tell them there was nothing to do but close the building down. I don’t know why they’d be eager to do that, but I’ve told them I won’t sign off on that sort of thing. How is she? As mad as we thought she’d be about being here?” Allen told him that he’d told her about being a tiger and how he’d put money in their accounts. “Is she gunning for me?”

“No. She told me she just wanted to think things over. That it was just a lot of things at once. I don’t know, but I think she’s really upset.” Beckett told him she was—he could feel it. “Should I go back up there and sit with her?”

“I’d not. If she asked for the time to think, she more than likely needs it. I know she’s been thrown a curveball in all this.” Allen told him that they all had. “Yes, I guess we have. By the way, Rogen said she might have a job for you. Something you can do while you’re healing. I don’t know what it might be, but if she says you can do it, then you can believe you’ll be able to. She also wants to talk to you about your injury.”

“I’ll tell her whatever she wants to know.” Beckett nodded and said she’d be over to get him soon. “I wish they’d let me drive wherever they want me. It seems like a lot of wasted time in everyone carting me around.”

“Rogen likes to pick people up so that she can grill them while she takes them places. Don’t tell her I said that. She’s been really cranky since she’s been in her last few weeks of pregnancy. My brother, Thatcher, has been hanging out here a little more to make sure he doesn’t stress her out too much. Rogen