Call You Mine (The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers #4) - Claudia Burgoa Page 0,22

phoned to give me a heads-up,” I answer. Uncle Jacob is his agent. His office gets a lot of calls and mail from Too Far from Grace’s fans. Other times, he receives calls from Beac’s mother.

He rolls his eyes. “There’s nothing the Deckers can’t keep to themselves, is there?” He shakes his head. “I didn’t want to tell you because it’s stupid, and you’re going to worry.”

“I am worried.” And angry, I don’t say.

Beacon sets his jaw. “She’s planning on writing a tell-all and wants to include me. I assume it’s to get some attention. I think she’s trying to use William’s death. I wonder if Pierce can figure out if there’s an NDA or something that would’ve stopped her from talking before.”

It’s crossed my mind to pay her a visit and demand that she leave Beacon alone. Before his father died, it was all about singing together to revive her career. I didn’t like that, but an autobiography, that’s extra fucked up.

“You can stop her, can’t you?”

“It’s your birthday, G,” he changes the conversation. “We’re supposed to party. Twenty-eight. Isn’t it scary that we’re close to thirty?”

“You would know,” I taunt him. I still have two years to go. His birthday isn’t until March of next year, though. And I love to give him a hard time. “You’re becoming an old man. Time to settle down.”

“Talking about settling, how’s the search for the one going?”

“Since I was visiting you often during the summer, I stopped. Maybe I’ll try to date during my assignment. Which will be weird because I’d have to use my fake identity.”

As we eat, I tell him about the place where I’m staying in Denver. It belongs to my cousin Tucker. He lived there for a few years and kept the place. I don’t tell him that I miss this—being able to fly wherever he’s at or having him drop by wherever I am at and hang out with him for a few days. If I do, he might just leave Baker’s Creek and say fuck it all.

When he brings the special cheesecake he made for me, he lights a candle.

“Make a wish,” he says.

“You make it for me.”

“It’s your birthday,” he reminds me.

“You gave me your wish on your birthday. This one is yours,” I insist.

The light of the candle illuminates his eyes. The effect makes them look strange. There seems to be a hunger inside—a fire burning. I shiver, imagining that maybe it’s for me, but shake the desire away. We’re friends. The best kind. This is our future together, and I’m happy with it.

I am, right?

Chapter Ten

Grace

“Tonight it’s just you and me, buddy,” I tell Mozart.

I should be at my grandparents’ house. The annual New Year’s Eve party started about an hour ago. All my family is there—including Mom and Dad. Being part of the Decker family has benefits. It also has obligations, like being at every family reunion. Today, I’m going to have to skip the festivities.

My grandparents aren’t going to be thrilled. Sorry, but I’m not in a mood to be chiming in the New Year when this one sucked so much. It’s going to be a lot of work to stamp a smile on my face while everyone else is genuinely happy. I wish I could be, but Beacon isn’t here. Richardson, the guy I dated up until yesterday, isn’t coming. There’s no one I can kiss or hug while ringing in the New Year.

This is one of those days where I wish Beacon wasn’t in Baker’s Creek. We have a routine. We spend the evening at my grandparents, leaving before midnight to receive the New Year at home. He gives me a lucky hug and leaves so he can be alone for an entire day in his house.

I hoped Richardson would be a good replacement, but no. He chose Stella instead of me.

Who is Stella? It seems as if he has not one, but five friends like me. Not exactly like me. According to him (please add a drum roll sound for effect), they aren’t uptight. The one time I don’t ask the guy what is wrong with me, he gives me a complete summary of why we’re not right for each other.

His explanation included the fact that he doesn’t believe in monogamy. A woman like me wouldn’t accept him. He didn’t even ask if I’d be okay with it. He just assumed. The rest, well, it’s all me. I’m frigid, afraid of intimacy, and I don’t even understand