Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
B ig Bend was like a great big hug that kept you close and didn’t let go. Collins had never felt so welcomed, anywhere, ever. Not even the first time she’d flown to Paris for work and had stayed in a quaint Bed & Breakfast outside the city run by an older couple, who barely spoke English, but smiled at everything she said and sent up fresh bread and wine, and pastries.
She’d been in town for a week now and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. The church picnic was held at the park on the other side of town, and the ride over from Duffer’s Place was filled with covert glances (between Benton and Collins) and sing-a-longs provided exclusively by little Nora.
The girl was an absolute gem. Open and happy with a smile that didn’t quit and a love of laughter that was adorable. It was obvious she was the apple of her daddy’s eye, and it was another thing that made Benton irresistible. There was something insanely attractive about a man strong enough to let a little slip of a girl wrap own his heart.
Once they parked and got out of the truck, Nora grabbed her hand, and Collins was happy to let the little girl lead her to the park. The were games being played on the grassy areas, as well as arts and crafts along the far side. Trees provided more than enough shade, and there was a large tent set up with tables, which made sitting easier for some of the older folks.
The three of them were greeted by nearly everyone they passed. Young. Old. And every age in between. Everyone knew everybody, it seemed, and most folks were genuine and nice. Collins only noticed a few covert glances or conversations hidden by a hand or a hat.
“Daddy, there’s Cameron and Ryan.” Nora broke free and ran over to a couple of girls, obviously twins, and a good amount of squealing ensued. Collins recognized the woman who stood nearby holding onto a toddler as Scarlett, Benton’s sister. The handsome man standing a few feet from them must be her husband, Taz. He was deep in conversation with none other than Mike Paul and Ivy, one of her brother’s best friends.
Collins smiled when she spied them. “Shall we?” she said, glancing at Benton. His eyes were ahead, focused intently on the group. For the first time, that little doubt weasel that sat on her shoulder poked at her, and she felt her confidence shrink. “Are you having second thoughts?” she asked softly, moving until she was directly in front of him.
He slowly met her gaze, his dark eyes glittering and intense. “No.” A pause. “You?”
She shook her head. “I probably should be, but I’m not. It’s all I’ve thought about since Thursday night.” She blushed, felt the heat stain her cheeks. “Well, that and some other things.”
He bent toward her, so close she could count his eyelashes if she were so inclined. “We should keep things PG, considering this is a church picnic and all.”
“If you insist,” she replied.
“Come on.” They walked beside each other. He was close enough that his hand swung by hers. Close enough for her to want to grab hold of that big, warm hand. Close enough for her to realize this was going to be a very, very, long day unless she somehow managed to keep her emotions in check.
Think about lambs and baby unicorns, she thought as they came up to Scarlett. Do not think about the hot man at your side.
“Hey, you,” Scarlett said with a smile.
Benton hugged his sister and stepped back. “I’m not sure that you’ve met, but this is my friend, Collins.”
“You must be special, Collins.” Scarlett chuckled. “Benton doesn’t have any friends.”
“Says you,” he replied, then offered his hand to Taz. The two men shook hands, and Taz winked at her.
“I think we met last Christmas,” Taz said. “But it’s good to see you again.”
“Likewise.”
Mike Paul and Ivy said their hellos. Ivy’s eyes were big and full of questions. She immediately tugged on Collins’ arm. “Hey, I want to show you something. Do you mind if I steal her for a minute?” The question was for Benton, though she didn’t bother to wait, and led Collins toward the French fry truck, which was out of earshot.
“Holy cow. You and Benton? I mean, Kip told me you were hanging around Big Bend and I wondered why, but he never gave a reason. He just said you needed some downtime and Big Bend was as good a place as any to relax. But then, you’re working at the Sundowner, which is crazy, am I right? Like, why would one of the world’s top models want to work at a bar? That’s what I wanted to know, and now I think I get it, but you have to spill. Where. How. When. Why?”
Ivy said all the words without taking a breath, and by the time she finished, she’d run out of air, and Collins barely heard them.
“Calm down,” Collins teased.
Ivy blew out a long breath and giggled. “I’m calm. Now spill.”
“Kip never said anything?”
Ivy shook her head.
Her brother was a vault. She wasn’t surprised. “I met Benton a few months back.”
“Where?” Ivy frowned. “You’ve only been to Big Bend once, and that was last Christmas.”
“Nashville.”
“Cal’s concert.” Ivy pushed up her glasses. “I don’t remember seeing you there.”
“I didn’t go to the concert, but I ran into Benton at a bar and…well, we had a night.”
Ivy’s eyes widened. “So you two…”
“Yes.”
Ivy glanced over Collins’ shoulder and then whispered. “So, how was he? I mean, I’ve heard things about him and you know, always wondered.” She giggled, clearly enjoying the thought of Benton and Collins together.
“Well, if the things you heard made it seem like he knows his way around a woman, then they’d be right.”
“Jesus. Don’t tell Mike Paul, but I had a crush on him when I was in high school.” She frowned. “Pretty sure every girl did. Cal was hot, though he was always like a brother to me, but not Benton.” Her eyes widened comically. “He was intense.”
“I don’t think he’s outgrown that phase.”
“And you two are…”
“We’re figuring it out.”
“I’m happy for you then.” Ivy hugged her. “He’s had a tough time lately, you know? He had an accident a few years ago and it took some time for his recovery, and now with all the custody stuff, well, it can’t be easy for him.”
Uncomfortable with the direction of their conversation, Collins said nothing.
“Speak of the devil,” Ivy murmured.
Collins turned and spied a woman standing next to Benton. His head was lowered, like he was listening intently to what she was saying. She was petite, with golden skin that looked great in a baby blue, strapless dress cut at mid-thigh. Her hair was long, blond, and curly, and her profile showed lovely bone structure.
The woman nodded, then glanced over to Nora, giving Collins a view of a very pretty face, with big eyes that matched her dress. Nora looked so much like her that there could be no mistake, and yet she found herself asking.
“Is that?”
“Yeah.” Ivy sighed. “Daisy Mae and Benton go way back, but a lot of it wasn’t good. She’s had some issues, but is working on fixing them.”
Collins’ heart took a tumble when Nora ran over to her mother and gave the woman a big hug. They looked like a family. An attractive, happy family.
She could hear Nora’s excited chatter, but wasn’t prepared for the girl to point her way. Daisy Mae glanced over to her and Ivy, and the woman’s face froze into a smile that was as frosty as a northern wind.
“Shit,” Ivy muttered. “Here comes the boyfriend. I think his name is Mason or Mark, or something like that.”
A man approached, holding two drinks. He handed one to Daisy Mae, then stood awkwardly off to the side.
“Complicated situation,” Ivy said.
“Yes.”
“Well, you’re a Lafferty, so I know you’re not afraid of anything. What say we go and meet Nora’s mother?”
Collins felt about as far away from being a Lafferty as the moon was from the sun. She was a confident woman. A person who was at ease walking the catwalk in front of thousands. And yet the sight of Benton and his ex, had her blood running cold and that damn doubt weasel was back, pinching her with sharp claws.
“Bent wouldn’t have brought you if he thought things would get ugly. And while I don’t know Daisy Mae all that well, she’s a nice girl. She has to be. She made Nora, didn’t she?”
Collins and Ivy walked back to the group. Scarlett, Taz, and Mike Paul had moved toward the picnic tables, probably to avoid any uncomfortable drama. Ivy said hello to Daisy Mae, squeezed Collins’ hand, and joined her husband.
“Hey,” Nora chirped happily, unaware of the uncomfortable silence. “This is daddy’s girlfriend, mommy. Her name is Collins and she looks like a princess.”
“I’m not…” Collins practically stumbled over her words. “I’m a friend, is all,” she managed to say while pasting a smile to her face.
“Oh, I know that sugar,” Daisy Mae responded, the smile on her face not coming anywhere near her eyes. “Benton doesn’t have time for anything more.”
Okay. So this is how it’s going to be.
“Can I go and play with Cam and Ryan?”
“Sure.” Benton and Daisy Mae responded at the same time.
The boyfriend smiled at Collins. “Hey, I’m Nick.” He was tall. Good looking. A city type who looked like a tourist.
“Nice to meet you,” Collins replied.
“I know this is going to sound weird, but aren’t you on the cover of Sports Illustrated?”
“Sweetie, I need some food. Let’s hit up the food trucks.” Daisy Mae stepped away from them, and Nick had no choice but to follow suit. He glanced back at Collins and gave a small wave.
“That boy doesn’t know what he’s got himself into.”
“Do you still love her?” Shocked to hear the question fall from her lips, Collins took a step back. What the hell was wrong with her? This was a church picnic for God’s sake. It was supposed to be chill and lovely and all the good things she’d been thinking of since Thursday night. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”
“It’s okay.” Benton slowly shook his head. “And to answer your question, no. She will always be a part of my life, no denying that, but love, that’s not what I feel for her.” He lowered his voice. “She means nothing to me romantically. If she did, I wouldn’t have asked you to come here with me. I’m not the guy who plays both sides of the fence.” A smile curved his beautiful mouth, and she instantly relaxed.
The smile was for her. All mine, she thought.
“Now, how about we go and get us a cold drink and some food?”
She nodded, too afraid to speak because she wasn’t sure what would come out of her mouth.
He held out his hand, and exactly one heartbeat later, she took it.