Chapter 61
Mylie stood there, struck dumb. He was here . He was right here in front of her, his hands slid casually into his pants pockets, a crooked smile playing at his lips.
“What,” she managed to ask, “are you doing here?”
The man before her shrugged. “I live here.”
Mylie couldn’t breathe. “You what?”
Ben held out his hands. “Let’s play a game.”
Mylie stared at him. “What?”
Ben kept his hands extended, staring at her until she placed hers under his. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
Ben jerked his head toward his house and said, “I live here.”
“No, you don’t,” Mylie replied. She couldn’t make her brain work, couldn’t figure out if she was imagining what she was seeing.
“My turn,” Ben said. “Did you miss me?”
Mylie didn’t take her eyes off of his. “Yes,” she said. “What about your job?”
“My job is at Rockbridge Community College,” Ben replied. “Which reminds me, I need to call Melissa and thank her.”
“I don’t understand.”
Ben closed the distance between them. “I’m here,” he said. “I’m here, and I’m not leaving. Clay Creek is my home... you’re my home, Mylie.”
“I was coming to find you,” Mylie whispered as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
“You what?” Ben asked.
“I was coming to see you,” Mylie repeated. “I bought a plane ticket. I was packing when Stanley... I guess he knew it was
you.”
Ben released Mylie and reached down to pat the panting dog’s head. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Stan the Man.”
Mylie grinned. She didn’t know if she would ever stop grinning.
“You were coming to find me?” Ben asked her. “You bought a plane ticket?”
Mylie nodded. “I didn’t, I don’t, want to lose you.”
“It’ll be pretty hard to lose me in a town this small,” Ben quipped.
“You gave it up,” Mylie said. “For me? Your job? Your plans?”
“It doesn’t make sense without you,” Ben said. He leaned down and kissed her, his lips gentle. “Nothing makes sense without
you.”