at this assho--, uh--, oaf right now,” she said looking directly at Royce for the first time.
“Royce, meet my cousin Leann. Her sisters Mandy and Clarissa are around here somewhere.”
Royce picked up the bouquet of flowers he had laid on the counter and immediately crouched down to Leann’s level.
“Becki is mad at me because I said some stupid things earlier today. I’m trying to talk her into forgiving me,” he said with sad eyes. “I brought flowers hoping that would help, but I don’t seem to be doing very well. Do you have any ideas?” he asked quietly.
“Good luck with that,” Leann said with brutal honesty. “When Becki gets mad, she stays mad for days. One time, her other boyfriend, the one who was not kid-friendly,” Leann felt compelled to clarify, “didn’t--”
“That’s enough, Leann,” Becki quickly interrupted, putting an end to what was sure to be an embarrassing recounting of one of the many times she had been disappointed in the past.
“Go find your sisters and tell them dinner is almost ready,” Becki instructed, hoping to distract both Leann and Royce. It was hard to predict where that conversation might have gone.
“Just sayin…” Leann shouted over her shoulder as she ran toward the stairs.
“Brat! Whose side are you on anyway?” Becki protested.
Royce chuckled as he stood.
“Hm,” he said, glancing in the direction of stairs Leann had taken, “I think I’ll follow up on that a little later.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Becki threatened with narrowed eyes.
He didn’t utter another word as he began moving slowly toward Becki.
As he advanced, she retreated in a futile attempt to keep him from getting closer to her, or worse yet, touching her. She couldn’t think when he touched her, and she needed to think. She needed to keep her guard firmly in place.
Bump. She felt the kitchen counter at her back. “Royce,” she managed to croak through her suddenly paralyzed vocal chords.
He did not hesitate or slow his advance one iota. He continued to move steadily toward her not stopping until his body was plastered against hers from head to toe.
“I’m so very sorry, Becki,” he whispered looking deeply into her dark chocolate eyes. “I’m sorrier than you know.”
“I don’t think this is a good idea, Royce. I don’t think I can--”
“I was wrong,” he interjected without giving her a chance to continue with that train of thought. “Please forgive me.”
Becki felt moisture collect in her eyes, and then to her great horror, it began to stream down her cheeks.
Royce caught a tear with his thumb as he continued, “Let’s have dinner with your family and just enjoy the evening, no pressure. We can work the rest out later, ok?”
“Fine, dinner, that’s it; that’s all I’m willing to give right now,” Becki snapped, spinning away from him.
Royce watched her move away from him. Ok, this was not going to be easy, but it was probably more than he deserved. Three pairs of feet suddenly pounded down the stairs reminding him of a small cattle stampede. Leann had returned, and brought along reinforcements. Royce knew he had one shot to put the girls at ease and let them know that he was not a threat to Becki.
“Hi, Ladies,” he said, as he moved to take a seat at the table, strategically placing himself beside the flowers he had just put there. Flashing a sexy grin guaranteed to melt the heart of any woman or child, he said, “Sooo, tell me, what do you like to do for fun? “
Becki noticed his intentional staging and couldn’t help but admire his skill.
In no time at all, they were complimenting the beautiful flower arrangement he had brought with him, talking about his “awesome” car, and wrangling promises out of him to take them for a ride.
“Brownies are in the oven,” Becki said walking toward the group, “Let’s go out and see how dinner is moving along.”
Leann and Clarissa each put an arm around her, enveloping her in a group hug. Thankfully, she was feeling a little more calm and collected, but hugs were always good. Mandy had climbed on Royce’s lap and was currently explaining to him the typical body structure of a crustacean. Yes, she did love to talk!
Royce had won the girls over and in the process melted some of the frost around her heart. The girls were very important to her, like little sisters, and it was important for them to feel comfortable with whomever she would bring into their lives.
Mandy scooted off Royce’s lap