Maid For Beckett Catching The Baseball Legend’s Heart novel Chapter 97

Chapter 97

-Andi-

I didn’t know where we were going. I didn’t ask either, and Beckett doesn’t seem to have any intentions of revealing our destination, so I just enjoyed the view. Beckett exited the highway, and the road slowly turned into a gravel path. Trees dotted each side of the dirt road, and we hadn’t seen any cars for about thirty minutes now. No signs of life either, but Beckett doesn’t seem to be worried about that, so I didn’t let it bother me either. In fact. I liked how there were no tall buildings inside, no traffic, and no people, just endless trees and sky above us, until I heard the water sloshing on the shore.

“We’re on the beach?” I finally asked, breaking the comfortable silence inside the car. He had rolled down the window the moment we exited the highway, and I understood why.

“Was it the right decision?” he asked coyly when he knew very well how much I enjoy the beach or seaside.

I played along and hummed, sounding dismissive. “Hmmm, it’s fine. I guess we don’t have any other options, right?”

Beckett chuckled and said, “You don’t have a choice ‘cause I’m not giving you any.”

Then, like a slow entrance to a movie scene, the beach house stood proudly and got bigger and bigger as we wheeled through the narrow private drive. It was tucked behind the tall palm trees and wrapped in a white wooden fence.

It was made of white stone, weathered wood, and wide glass walls that reflected the sun. The best part wasn’t the house itself; it was the deck that opened straight onto the sand. I couldn’t wait to jump into the water. Beckett had taken me to the seaside quite a few times now, but never to swim.

“This is…” I trailed off, words failing me. “So beautiful… peaceful,” I said with a sigh.

‘Relaxing,” Beckett added, watching my face. Then a wicked, slow smile stretched his lips. “I have you all to myself, Ms. Wilson. Are you scared?”

I giggled and narrowed my eyes at him. “You should be the one who’s scared. This story is so cliché, you know. A girl from the outskirts of town, a bachelor from a prestigious family, and a beautiful, isolated beach house are all pretty ingredients for a good murder mystery novel.”

Beckett blinked at me as he processed what I said.

You should be the one who’s scared, Mr. Baseball legend,” I teased.

He shook his head. “You have a very wild and vivid imagination, you know that?”

“Ha, ha,” I fake a murderous laugh. “I’m the psycho in this story.”

He chuckled. “Beautiful psycho.”

We both laughed at that. The sand was soft under the soles of my shoes, and I just realized I hadn’t brought clothes for the beach. All I had were my usual clothes. But that won’t stop me from jumping into the water. I would go naked if I had to.

The inside of the beach house was calming and warm. The big windows let in natural light, and the furniture was a mix of metals and woods. Even the kitchen looked like a cutout from a magazine, with uniform white appliances, and the cookware hanging from the walls was white.

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“Is this palace yours?” I asked as I took in every detail of the house.

“It’s Jace’s,” he explained as he took our bags inside. He carried his duffel bag and my backpack as if they weighed nothing. “It’s one of his places for rent.”

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“This is a really good investment,” I said as I followed Beckett through the hallway. There were three bedrooms in the house. and Beckett opened the first one, tossing his bag inside.

“This is me, and that’s you,” he pointed to the adjacent door.

I really appreciate that we are gonna be sleeping in different rooms. At least he wasn’t assuming something would happen between us, right? I should be glad, but why does that disappoint me more than relief?

“Got it,” I said and took my bag from him. When I opened the door to my room, I saw six shopping bags waiting on the bed. I turned to Beckett, my gaze questioning.

“I know you didn’t bring anything for the beach, so I asked Lila to buy some for you,” he explained.

“That’s really thoughtful, Beckett, thank you,” I said and tossed my bag onto the bed. “I’ll make lunch. Anything you want in particular?”

He stared down at me, his eyes scanning me from head to toe, as if his mind was somewhere else. He leaned on the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yes.”

“Uhmm…” I bounced on my heels. “What is it?”

I heard a low groan from him as he stood straight and shoved his hands into the pockets of his trousers. “Anything you make, I will eat. You know me,” he grinned, the twinkle in his eyes was back. “I have to send a few emails while you cook?”

“Okay,” I said and went to the kitchen, rubbing my hands together before opening the fridge.

It was packed. There was food there that would last two weeks for Mom, Caleb, and me. Fresh shrimp, thick salmon fillets, squid, mussels, and clams. And on the counter were lemons, herbs, garlic – everything that I might need to make the finest dish for my boss.

I laughed softly. “Did Jace buy the entire ocean?”

From the living room, Beckett answered without looking up from his laptop. “There’s no store for miles, so he made sure we wouldn’t starve.”

“Uh–huh,” I hummed and tied my hair up, and got to work. First on the menu was rice. I started with that, then prepared the other dishes while it cooked in the rice cooker. I made butter garlic shrimp, pan–seared salmon with crispy skin, calamari, and a simple salad.

Beckett stayed on the couch, answering emails, occasionally glancing up to comment or tease. We talked while I cooked and he worked about the drive, about the weather, about his practice. He asked about school and work.

“I’m fine,” I said automatically, preparing the dining table.

He didn’t answer right away.

When I looked up, his laptop was still open, but his eyes were on me.

“You’re not allowed to say those words again,” he warned.

“What?”

“You’ve been saying that for two weeks,” he said quietly. “And I had enough of it,” he sighed. “I’m not your enemy, Andi l’in your ally. You don’t have to hide from me.”

My hands stilled around the spoon I stared at the counter, the sincerity in his words hitting me right where I was vulnerable. Why am I even hiding things from him? We are partners in crime here, right? I wouldn’t be in this situation if it

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“I’m not fine.” I admitted. “The online classes are harder than I thought. And at Siobhan’s office. I hesitated. “They’re not exactly ecstatic to have a charity case like me. I heard someone in the ladies‘ room saying someone else deserved my spot more than I did.”

Beckett closed his laptop and stood. He crossed the room and stopped in front of me, close enough that I could feel his body heat embracing me.

“Do you give a shit about them?” he asked. “Because the Andi I knew didn’t give a shit when I made her life miserable.”

The memory of how he did that made me smile. “No… not really.”

“You shouldn’t,” he said. “They can say whatever they wanna say, but you’re staying. They can leave if they’re not happy, you

know.”

“They can…” I echoed, relieved that he wasn’t threatening to make Siobhan fire those girls who talked shit about me. This relationship is growing, and Beckett is acting like a real partner and not just my boss.

We ate together after that; the tension easing with every bite. When we finished. Beckett kissed my temple and went back to his emails, promising he wouldn’t be long.

That’s when I went to my room and finally opened the bags.

There were six outfits. Six for just a weekend trip?

I laughed out loud.

The first was a simple white bikini with matching low crochet pants. The second was a blue floral one–piece with matching shades. Very Lila. I could practically hear her voice explaining why it was “effortlessly hot but still tasteful.”

The third made me pause.

A yellow bikini. The fabric was soft, and the color wasn’t too glaring. It came with a matching crochet skirt and a light cover- up top. I could wear this, so I tried the bikini on first and stared at myself in the mirror. For once. I didn’t immediately look away and studied the woman standing in front of me. I have the right curves in all the right places now, and not just skin and bones anymore. The color made my skin glow, and when I let my hair down, I looked young and happy.

I was still studying my reflection when I heard a quiet sound behind me.

Beckett cleared his throat, and through the mirror, I saw him leaning onto the door frame with the same look he had when we came. He stared at my backside, slow and heated. I feel naked under his smoldering gaze, but I don’t move an inch. I just swallowed hard and met his gaze.

Neither of us spoke. The ocean hummed outside. The room felt suddenly smaller, and the temperature rose.

That gaze made me want to run away, but I didn’t… he was looking at me like I was the dessert he’d been trying very hard

not to touch.

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