Chapter Three #2
He nodded and withdrew his hand, suddenly aware of Kenzie’s glare boring into him.
She was standing behind the bar, hands on her hips looking as if she was about to explode.
He shook his head, though what he was saying no to, he wasn’t sure.
Was he telling Kenzie she had nothing to worry about?
Was he telling Angel she didn’t need to thank him?
Or was he telling himself that he was wrong?
Angel didn’t stand a chance. How could she?
His heart belonged to Charlotte. Always had.
These past few months had been hard. Even harder than all the years before them.
All that time he’d thought he’d lost Charlotte forever.
The past few months had been a different kind of torture.
He’d had hope, and at the same time hadn’t dared to hope.
He looked at Angel. She’d arrived and had somehow quietly become a part of his everyday life. She ran the lodge efficiently, she worked the same way he did. They talked a lot. He’d told her about Charlotte. She’d told him much about her own life.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He sighed. “Everything. Everyone’s giving me a hard time about our friendship. Everyone’s giving you the cold shoulder because you’re not Charlotte. I guess you’re just the wrong person at the wrong time and it doesn’t seem fair to you.”
She smiled. “Maybe the problem is that I’m the right person at the wrong time?”
Ben raised an eyebrow.
“From what you’ve told me, if I’d come along at any time in the last five years or so, everyone would have been happy to see us together. If I’d met you before you saw Charlotte again …” She let her words trail off, leaving him to fill in the blanks for himself.
In one respect, she was right. His friends would have been happy to see him meet someone he liked.
On the other hand, it wasn’t what other people wanted for him that mattered.
It was what his heart wanted, and his heart had only ever wanted Charlotte.
He met Angel’s gaze. “There’s no point wondering what might have been.
We have to deal with what is. I love Charlotte.
I’m waiting for her. I like you, I’m not denying it, but I love her. ”
Angel nodded sadly. “I know, and I’m sorry I brought this up.
Sorry, and not sorry too. It’s a relief to be able to talk to you about it.
I like you, I think that much has been obvious from the start.
I can tell you like me too, at least a little bit.
But,” she shrugged, “if it isn’t meant to be, it isn’t meant to be.
So, let’s get back to work, shall we?” She reached into her purse and pulled out the laptop that she carried everywhere with her.
“I want to talk you through the promotion schedule.”
“Great.” He was relieved to get back onto solid ground.
~ ~ ~
“What’s wrong with you tonight, lover?” Chase leaned on the bar looking concerned.
Kenzie smiled. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
“You don’t seem it. Every time I look over here you’re shooting daggers over at Ben and Angel.”
Kenzie scowled at him. “How is it that you remember her name? You never remember people’s names. What’s so special about her?”
Chase rolled his eyes and gave her a stern look. “Don’t Kenz. You’re pissed at her, because you don’t think Ben should be spending any time with her. You’re not pissed at me—so don’t take it out on me, okay?”
She sucked in a deep breath ready to snap at him, but he smiled his sexy smile and winked at her. She blew out an exasperated sigh. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry. I shouldn’t take it out on you, but you let me! You’re my safe place.”
The way he smiled, made her relax. Knowing that he loved her the way he did made her feel all soft and mushy inside. She shot a look over at Ben and Angel. “I just don’t like it. It’s not right.”
Chase sighed. “Only Ben can say what’s right for him and what isn’t. We’ve talked about this before.”
Kenzie nodded. “I know, but I’m too invested in him getting back together with Charlotte. I like her. Ben’s spent his whole life waiting for her. I can’t see their great love story get ruined now, not by some uppity bitch worming her way in!”
Chase laughed. “She’s not an uppity bitch.”
“Don’t you go defending her!” Kenzie glared at him, but he just laughed again.
“I’m not defending her. I’m defending Ben and defending reason. You’re only upset because you want him to be happy, right?”
She nodded.
“Well, don’t you think he’s the one who best knows what—and who—is going to make him happy?”
Kenzie shook her head. “Of course he is, but he’s known for years that it’s Charlotte.”
Chase shrugged. “I’m not going to spend all night arguing with you about it. I’ve got to get up on a stage in a minute. I only came for a quick kiss first.”
Kenzie leaned across the bar and pecked his lips. “Sorry.”
He touched her cheek. “Don’t be. I love that you care so much. I’ll see you when we break.”
As she watched him make his way back to the stage where Eddie was waiting to start their first set, Kenzie smiled to herself.
It was amazing to her that she did care so much.
When she’d first arrived at the lake, she’d been determined not to get attached to anyone.
She didn’t want to care about people—because when you cared it made it harder to walk away.
These days she couldn’t ever see herself leaving this place and she cared fiercely—about all her friends, and especially Ben who’d been so good to her in helping her find her feet.
~ ~ ~
By the time they’d eaten, and Angel had finally finished going through her promotion schedule, Ben was starting to feel claustrophobic.
He wanted to get out of the Boathouse and just go home.
Normally the restaurant itself felt like home, but tonight it felt as though it wasn’t his space anymore.
He couldn’t just be himself. Angel was with him, and everyone who even glanced their way seemed to have an opinion about it.
He stood up abruptly. “I need to get going.”
Angel looked at him in surprise. “Okay. Are you getting back to work?”
He shook his head. “I need to get home.”
She smiled. “Great.”
She didn’t think he was inviting her to come with him?
“I’ll come with you and pick up keys for the safe at the lodge. You hadn’t forgotten had you?”
Shit. He had. He’d rather drop them off to her tomorrow than have people see her go into his apartment with him now. But then that would mean he’d have to see her again tomorrow. And right now, an Angel-free day sounded like a very good thing. “Okay.”
Kenzie gave him a sour look as he made his way through the bar. A few of the guys gave him knowing smiles and winks as he passed them. Angel walked by his side with a smile on her face.
They walked across the parking lot and Angel started up the stairs to his apartment door ahead of him.
Ben pursed his lips and refused to let himself watch the way her rounded ass bounced before his eyes.
She stood aside when he reached the top to let him unlock the front door.
He didn’t want her to come in, but it seemed rude to say so. He sighed as she followed him inside.
“Let me grab the keys. I’ll be right back.” When he returned, she was standing by the kitchen counter.
“Thanks,” she said as he gave her the keys. Her hand brushed his and she looked up into his eyes.
Ben swallowed, hard.
“I don’t suppose you’d be interested in something casual, would you? Just while you wait to hear from Charlotte?”
Ben wasn’t sure he’d heard her right. He watched her lips curve up into a smile. Her tongue darted out to moisten them as she took a step toward him. He froze as she placed her hands on his shoulders. What was she doing?
She pressed her body against his and reached up to kiss his cheek.
Her arms slid up around his neck. His brain was still frozen but his body reacted automatically.
His arms slid around her waist and held her to him.
She was warm and soft and …. He came to his senses and let go of her, stepping back as though she’d stung him. “No!”
She gave him a sad smile. “I’m sorry.”
Ben stared at her. “No, I’m sorry. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. I’m not interested, Angel! You know that.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know that, Ben. If you really weren’t interested, why did you hold me that way?
Why did you even let me get that close to you?
” She raised an eyebrow. “I’m not trying to be a bitch.
I can’t quite believe I did that, but something tells me that you are interested, you want me, and I think we could be good together.
You’ve gotten so used to the fact that you love Charlotte, you’re waiting for Charlotte and you don’t want anyone else, that you’ve forgotten to ask yourself if it’s still true. ”
Ben stared at her. “It is true.”
She nodded. “Maybe, but don’t you think you should at least be sure?”
Ben shook his head. “I am sure. I’d like you to leave now.”
She looked upset. “I’m sorry.”
Ben blew out a sigh. “So am I. I think we should forget this ever happened.”
“Okay.” She held his gaze. “If we can.”
Ben showed her to the door and closed it firmly behind her. What the hell had just happened? He went to fix himself a drink, then remembered. Smoke had wanted to do a whiskey night tonight. He jumped at the sound of a knock on the door. Had Angel come back? He opened the door with shaking hands.
Smoke stood outside holding up a six pack in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other. “I wasn’t sure if you still wanted to talk to me tonight. For a while there it looked like you had other plans.”
Ben took the whiskey bottle from his hand. “Come on in. I think I need to talk more than ever now.”