Beck watched her go, feeling confused and frustrated. This probably wasn’t the time to admit it to himself but he couldn’t think of a woman who’d ever turned him down, ever. He also wasn’t trying to be big-headed but other gyms he’d worked out at had been ecstatic to have the walking billboard of a professional athlete choosing their gym. They had often gushed over him almost to the point of embarrassment. Eve had acted very… unimpressed. It was possible she had no clue who he was, which was fine. But… he wanted to impress her and to win her away from whoever her standing lunch date was. He was nowhere near as cute? Ouch.
He went to retrieve his bag from his locker and slowly walked out into a beautiful June morning. The trees were all green and full. Clear Creek was choked with late spring runoff. He walked the block down to the river and sat down on a bench to think, staring at the roaring water.
A standing lunch date? Cuter than him? She didn’t think he was as attractive as her date. That stunk. Who did she go to lunch with every day? A friend, a boyfriend, a … husband? Horror rushed through him. She was married. She hadn’t been wearing a ring but women often didn’t at the gym. It was the only thing that made sense. And he was cuter than Beck… much cuter.
He pushed a hand through his hair, sick to his stomach. She was married. Reaching down, he picked up a rock and hurled it at the rushing water. Of course she was married. There were enough smart men in Colorado to assure that a woman as perfect, sweet, and intriguing as Eve Jewel wouldn’t just be sitting around single, waiting for Beck to show up and convince her to date him.
There was one way to find out. Ripping out his phone, he Googled Eve Jewel. Some pictures of her came up and he withheld a sigh of longing. What was happening to him? Sadly there wasn’t much information, almost as if she worked to stay out of the spotlight. There were a lot of pictures, social media posts, and articles about her siblings. Caleb Jewel played lacrosse for the Denver Outlaws and had been framed for murder a year and a half ago. Joshua and Luke Jewel were both wealthy and in the spotlight a lot. Two of the female Jewel in-laws ownedCosette, a successful perfume company. Seth Jewel was an X-games star on dirt bikes and snowmobiles. Eve’s sister Rachel had been burned in an explosion and received a lot of attention about a year ago.
The only real information he could find on Eve was a few pictures of her with her siblings, a video of her telling off the media after Rachel had been injured, and a little clip from the local paper, the Golden Transcript, about her buying the Fitness Spot. So she owned the gym? Interesting. And very impressive. She seemed young to own a gym, which made it even more impressive. There was nothing about a husband and Jewel looked to be her maiden name. She and her siblings all shared the same brilliantly blue eyes. He started relaxing a little bit, at least he hadn’t gotten crazily invested in a married woman. Yet she could be engaged or dating someone seriously. What was a “standing lunch date” anyway?
His phone rang, distracting him from stewing over Eve. He stood and started to walk the mostly-shaded river trail, sliding his phone on. “Papa,” he greeted his grandfather.
“Beckett. My boy,” Papa’s voice boomed back. “Are you well?”
“Always, sir. And you?”
“I’m old, cranky, I hurt all over, and my doctors are ticking me off.” He grunted with disgust.
Beck held back a laugh, barely. Always the same with his grandpa. He was always real. Beck loved it. “Sorry to hear it, sir.”
“Don’t get old,” Papa warned.
“I’ll do my best, sir.” Beck chuckled.
“Don’t make fun of me,” Papa warned even more sternly. “Now I don’t have time to waste, so listen up.”
Beck always smiled when he said that. You’d think at eighty-eight Beck’s Papa would slow down, but he was still heavily involved in his various mortgage brokerages and he also liked to be well-informed on politicians so he could decide in his mind who was honest and doing their best for the people and then he’d throw insane amounts of money at them.
“You turn twenty-seven in August.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I want you settled down and married before your birthday.”
“Married?” Beck yelped and stopped walking, facing the river. “Excuse me, sir?” His grandfather had been opinionated through the years about Beck’s education and upbringing. He insisted on Beck not being spoiled, “growing up to be a Tanner”, and being a hard worker, but he’d never indicated that he wanted him married. His dad was an only child and so was Beck so there were a lot of expectations placed upon him, but not like this.
“You heard me, don’t act all shocked.”
“Well, sir, I wouldn’t mind getting married someday.” Eve’s face flashed through his mind. He’d been yanked in by her calm confidence. The peace that radiated from her really spoke to him, an anchor he could appreciate and was drawn to since losing his parents. “But why don’t we set a reasonable time frame? Thirty sounds like a good round number.” Didn’t all those silly movies about a man having to get married set thirty as the deadline? Maybe in three years and a couple of months, the right woman would stride across his path. Maybe Eve Jewel was that woman, but he wouldn’t know that in two and a half months. Marriage was a serious, huge commitment.
“No!” his grandfather shot back. “I’ve been praying hard to Grace and your parents and I feel all inspired. My angels have spoken. I’ll be dead soon and I want you settled and happy before I join your dad and mom and my Grace. Twenty-seven’s a good number, you’ve got over two months and some pretty determined angels on your side, do your part and get to work.”
Beck was shaking his head. He often felt his parents and grandmother’s spirits close by as well, but none of them would support Papa in this kind of craziness. Trying to force him to get married before his next birthday? Papa had never shown signs of dementia but apparently it was manifesting itself. “No, sir. I love you, Papa, but I’m not rushing into marriage to appease you.”
“If you don’t, I’ll give each of my companies to their respective CEOs.”
“Good, they probably deserve them anyway.”
“And,” Papa continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “I’ll donate all my individual properties, including the family homes, the jets, andallof my investments and savings to …”
Beck waited for Papa to say which cause those billions of dollars and assets would go to. Had Papa already researched a worthy cause? When he didn’t speak up, Beck felt a rush of hope. He wouldn’t receive the money for his own foundation, and it would stink to lose his family homes and all those memories, but he could still help many children.
“Papa,” he said earnestly. “I’ve done a lot of research on the best children’s charities that give close to a hundred percent to the children. Would you like me to send you the lists I’ve compiled?”
“No,” Papa’s voice was stern and unyielding. “I have a charity I’m going to give it to if you don’t get married. Save the Hyenas.”
“Save the Hyenas?” Beck asked incredulously. His dreams of helping dashed again. “Is that really a cause?”