Page 50 of The Perfect Distraction

Blushing at the memory, Beth said, “We went to second base.”

Becca was quiet, which was highly unusual unless their call had been disconnected.

“Bec? Are you still there?”

“Um-hmm. I was just trying to remember what second base means.”

Beth laughed, chastising herself for her shyness. They were both adults, and this was her sister. There was literally nobody else she was closer to, especially since Christopher had dumped her.

“According to the Urban Dictionary, second base is touching each other without having intercourse.”

“You looked it up?” Beth said incredulously.

“I wanted to refresh my memory.”

“I hope you didn’t admit that to Colton.”

Beth went silent.

“Ohmigod. You told him?”

“I just wanted to be clear about how far I was willing to go.”

“Wow. So, how was it?”

Beth warmed at the memory of Colton’s mouth and hands on her.

“It was…great. Of course, it’s been a long time for me, so I might not be the best judge.”

“You’re not desperate, Beth. Don’t sell yourself short. Colton was the lucky one here.”

And just like that, Beth’s eyes welled up with tears. She didn’t know what she would have done without her sister these past several months. Nobody else buoyed her spirits as much as Becca.

“So far, everything sounds wonderful. So, why the ‘eh’?”

“We were…cleaning up…when Joey came home unexpectedly. We made it downstairs without getting caught, but things went south after that. Colton seemed tense and distant, almost like nothing had even happened between us.”

“Makes perfect sense to me,” Becca said.

“It does?”

“Yeah. Nobody wants to be kicked off second base by their kid!

“I don’t think that’s the reason. I started to ask him about his ex-wife, and that’s when he really shut down.”

“Kind of like the way you shut down when we bring up ‘he who shall not be named’?”

Beth sighed. “You’re probably right.”

“There’s no ‘probably.’ I am right.”

“So, what am I supposed to do about it?”

“There’s not much you can do. Colton might reveal more as you two keep rounding the bases, or he might not. But either way, does it really matter? You’re only going to be there for a couple of months.”

Someone might have accused Becca of being callous, but Beth knew better. Becca was just trying to save her from more heartache. If only Beth were as practical, but she’d always worn her heart on her sleeve, and now was no different. Even though she’d only known Colton and Joey for a few weeks, she was already becoming attached to them, and at the end of the summer, she’d have a hard time saying goodbye.

Just then, she heard Becca’s doorbell ring in the background.