Chapter 53 #2
Ben moaned audibly as he chewed his food. “Honestly, if I didn’t know any better, I might wonder what sort of chemical flavor enhancers you were spiking your food with to make it taste so good,” he said before loading his fork with another bite.
Melody felt a rush of warmth at his praise. She hadn’t made them dinner in order to receive it, but it still felt good when it came. “Honestly,” she explained, “it’s just fresh, whole food ingredients, prepared with time and some consideration of their unique flavor profiles.”
“And spices,” she thought to add. “Herbs and spices are our friends. They’re often what add that extra something.”
Ben leaned back in his chair as if he had all the time in the world.
“I could get used to nights like this, you know.” As he spoke, his warm, hazel eyes caressed hers from across the table.
“Good food. Good company. Time to sit back and enjoy the moment. I don’t think life gets much better than this. ”
“The light pollution makes it hard to see the stars, even on a good night,” he continued, “but this room still makes me feel closer to nature, which is something I often find myself craving after growing up on the farm.”
Melody canted her head in thought. “With your background, I imagine you might find even more comfort in nature than the average person,” she observed. “Spend enough time in nature and I could see how it would become part of the fabric of our very being.”
Ben smiled in a way that made her suspect she’d done a good job of describing his feelings on the matter.
“Oh,” Ben voiced, as if only now remembering a key detail. “I forgot to mention it, but you’ll find a fresh box of organic dark chocolate in the kitchen pantry with your name on it. You know, so that life can really be as good as it gets,” Ben teased with a flirty wink.
Melody couldn’t help but trill with happy laughter. “That does make life better. Thank you.”
“A full box, though?” she teased. “Even I can’t get through that in a day. I guess that means you’re thinking I might be back more than once or twice?”
Ben captured her gaze and answered with what she couldn’t help but feel was utmost sincerity. “It does,” he said simply. “I’m hoping you’ll be here a lot.”
She was just rising out of her seat to convey her appreciation with a kiss when her phone started beeping with incoming text messages.
“Oh jeez. Sorry about that,” Melody said as she reached into her pocket with every intention of silencing her phone.
She winced when more texts came in.
“Wow,” Ben said, “you might want to check that. By the sounds of it, it would seem someone is very eager to get in touch with you.”
“I’ll just make sure it’s nothing serious,” Melody explained as she pulled out her phone and glanced down at the screen.
Ben must have seen something in her expression because she could hear the concern in his voice when he asked, “Is everything okay?”
She could feel her brows pulling into a thoughtful frown. “I think so,” she said slowly. “It’s Nolan.”
“Nolan?” Ben asked, clearly not recognizing the name.
“Nolan Rogers,” she explained. “Captain Thom’s grandson.”
Ben furrowed his brows. “I don’t know how I feel about Captain Thom giving your number out to some strange man,” he admitted. “Even if he is his grandson.”
Melody hesitated for only the barest of seconds before answering. “He didn’t,” she said. “I don’t actually think Captain Thom has my personal number.”
Ben put his knife and fork down on his plate and gave her his full attention.
“How . . . ?” Ben’s voice trailed off before he’d fully voiced his comment, but his question was clear.
Melody bit down gently on her bottom lip. “Nolan swung by The Winchester a few weeks ago to see his grandpa,” she explained. “We exchanged numbers then.”
Ben appeared to be trying to keep his cool, but it was apparent he didn’t love what he was hearing. She could practically feel the discomfiture seeping into his body. His facial expression wasn’t thunderous, but despite his efforts, it had definitely become a little cloudy.
“It was the week you were in San Jose,” Melody was quick to explain. “Before our first date.”
Ben nodded his understanding. And was that relief she read in his faintly upturned lips?
Guilt and uncertainty churned in Melody’s gut. Should she tell him that she and Nolan had already gone out—albeit in a group setting—and she’d agreed to a second date, or was it irrelevant given that she was no longer planning to go?
“Are you still planning on going out with him?” Ben asked softly, but directly.
She could tell he was trying to keep his voice level, but he wasn’t fully achieving it.
Melody sent Ben a reassuring smile. “I’m not interested in dating anyone else. Her words were honest, but hedging. She may have agreed to a second date, but things were different now. Different enough that she was no longer planning on going.
Melody could see some of the tension release from Ben’s shoulders. Likewise, the muscles in his face visibly smoothed out. She hadn’t realized he’d been clenching his jaw until she saw it unhitch. And did he actually just roll his shoulders back?
“I’m not interested in dating Nolan, but I wouldn’t mind being his friend,” Melody admitted. “He seems like a really nice guy, and I can always do with making more quality friends.”
“Thank you for telling me,” he voiced. “I’ll return your honesty by saying that I don’t love the idea of you spending time with other men—especially those who might see you in a romantic light.
But that’s my issue to deal with, not yours.
” Ben looked down at his hands before returning his gaze to hers.
“I might not like it, but I do appreciate you being honest and up front with me. Thank you.”
Contrition weighed heavy in her stomach.
“You’re welcome?” Melody returned, wondering if he heard the question in her tone.
She wasn’t sure what else she could really say under the circumstances.
At least she could rest easy knowing she truly did plan on having a monogamous relationship with Ben.
She might not have been fully forthcoming about what had gone on with Nolan, but now that she and Ben had taken their relationship to the next level, she really did only want to pursue a friendship with Nolan.
Hopefully, that was something Nolan would be on board with. And that Ben could accept, too.
“Are we good?” Melody asked cautiously.
Something inside of her settled under the tender look Ben directed her way.
“We’re more than good, love. Come here,” he said as he stood up and pulled her unresisting body against his.
He looped an arm around her waist and used the other to brush the hair back from her face.
“It will take far more than another man being interested in you to scare me off. Okay?”
Melody loosed a deep breath and savored the feeling of simply being held. “Okay.”
From her current position in the circle of Ben’s embrace, it was hard to believe she could have ever considered dating another man. Nolan was a great guy, but there was just one problem: He wasn’t Ben.