CHAPTER FOUR
Benny’s knee was bouncing again, his gaze going back to his phone screen. It had been four whole days since Bethany Mayer had come crashing back into his life, and three whole days since she packed up her shit and disappeared again.
After her not so friendly ex banged down his door, she couldn’t get out of there quick enough.
Benny hadn’t even had a chance to get her new number before she was cramming everything into a cab and shouting out her thank yous and goodbyes.
He didn’t even know if she was still in town.
And if she was, whether she was sticking around or moving back to Denver.
“You ready to talk about it yet?” his friend Zach asked as he bounced down on the raggedy couch next to him.
No.
Benny was back on shift at the fire station. And his friends apparently wanted answers.
“I know where she’s staying,” Zach added, knowing full well that would get Benny’s attention.
“The ranch?” he was quick to ask. Zach and his brothers owned the Evans ranch, so if anyone was going to know if she checked in, he would.
“Nope, word is, she went straight from yours to Lucy’s.”
What? “Lucy? From the diner?”
Zach nodded in confirmation as Benny tried his hardest to think back.
Yes, Lucy had been in the same year as them in school, but he didn’t recall Bethany being anything more than acquaintances with her.
Not that there was anything wrong with Lucy, she was sweet and everything, but she was on the shy side which was the complete opposite of his NeNe.
Your NeNe?
Damnit. He was doing it again. Ever since their almost kiss, his brain kept conveniently forgetting Bethany wasn’t his anything anymore.
“So?” Zach prompted. “You gonna tell me what’s going on? How it just so happened the only woman you’ve ever loved ran out on her wedding day—and ended up back at your place?”
The only woman you’ve ever loved. Ouch.
It was the truth, but still, those words stung like a motherfucker.
“There’s nothing to tell.”
“Really?” Zach wasn’t exactly convinced. “Is that why you’re sitting here with a face like a slapped ass?”
“A face like a slapped ass?” Benny finally managed to crack a smile while he shook his head in disbelief at his friend. “Man, you spend way too much time with Cat.”
Zach simply chuckled, not even attempting to deny he’d stolen that line from his wife’s British best friend.
“Who’s got a face like a slapped ass?” Luke snuck up from behind them, quickly planting himself on the creaky wooden chair next to the couch.
“Who’d ya think?” Zach grinned. “He says there’s nothing to tell, despite his ex spending her wedding night in his bed.”
“He’s sitting right here.” Benny moaned. This was the problem with small towns and nosy-ass friends.
Never one to miss an opportunity to give him a hard time, Luke decided to pipe up next.
“According to Hunter, you were waxing all poetic to her. Talking about soulmates and some shit.” What the actual fuck?
“Dude!” Luke called out to the big man in question, who just so happened to be close by in the staff kitchen.
“What was it you said Benny was calling his ex when you went over—Nona?”
Kill me now.
Next thing he knew, Hunter was pulling up a rickety chair. “NeNe,” he grunted, a small smile tugging his traitorous lips as he offered Benny a chin lift.
He could shove his chin lift.
“Right.” Luke laughed. Bastard. “You two hook-up?”
Benny shot him a glare.
“Is that a, yes?” His friend’s dark brow raised with the question.
“I think it’s more of a go fuck yourself,” Zach gleefully chirped. His signature dimples on full display.
Luke’s smile widened, too. “I’ve got to hand it to you, man—convincing a woman to bail on her own wedding is a whole new level of fuckboy behavior.”
Benny rolled his eyes at that. “I didn’t convince Bethany to do anything, you asshole. She needed a lift and a place to crash. That’s it. End of story. Now, if you don’t mind, some of us have work to do.”
Benny rose from his seat despite having no work to do. They were between callouts, the trucks were clean, checks were complete, and their next training drill wasn’t until next week. But he needed an out. Fast.
“A lift? A place to crash? That’s the story you’re sticking with?
” Luke replied. All three men were now snickering.
“’Cause you should know... half the town thinks she left that man at the altar because she’s never gotten over you, and the other half thinks you stormed the church and practically kidnapped her because you never got over her. ”
“For the love of God.” Benny’s hand went behind his neck where his fingers dug into newly tightened muscles.
“You know, if you wanted to tell us what’s actually going on...” Zach started, “then as your loyal friends, we could set the record straight for you.”
With not much of a choice, Benny’s ass fell back into the weathered couch cushions. As much as he didn’t want to talk about Bethany, ever, he also didn’t want the likes of Mrs. Molly and Betsy-Jane banging down his door, either.
“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth. “I ran into her in the church yard, making a break for it. She needed a ride, so I gave her one. She was upset and freaking out and she had nowhere to go ‘cause everyone was gonna be pissed at her, so I took her to my place. It was the only option.”
“The only option?” Hunter had officially joined the conversation.
Benny nodded. It was the only option. Bethany hadn’t lived in Woodvalley Pines in ten years, any high school friends she’d had had moved away, that left her parents, the guy she just ditched at the altar and him.
And Lucy.
Fine. Lucy too, apparently. But for some reason, she hadn’t wanted to call her at the time.
“You know I run a ranch with guest cabins, right?” Zach unnecessarily reminded him.
“I think what he’s trying to say is...there were other options.” Luke leaned forward, an unusually serious expression hardening his face.
With all eyes on him, Benny suddenly felt pressured. “What do you want me to say?”
“Look man,” Zach’s dimples were gone. Instead, his brow was furrowed, and his blue eyes were pinning Benny with another serious stare. “You joined the team not long after you guys broke up. So, we know how hard you took it. We were also with you when you got that invite to her wedding.”
“Your point?” Benny was growing more and more impatient by the second.
“His point,” Hunter interrupted, “is that it’s okay to feel some kind of way. You loved her. You took the break-up hard. Now she’s back in town and suddenly single.”
Benny was standing again, completely over this conversation.
“If you guys think for one second, I’m trying to get back with Bethany Mayer, you couldn’t be more fucking wrong.
” His voice came out much louder than he intended but it was too late, and he was too angry to do anything about it.
“In case you’ve forgotten, I don’t do relationships.
You think I’m gonna start now—with messy shit like this?
Just ‘cause you fuckers are off playing house, doesn’t mean I want that, too. ”
Screw this. He was going to the bunks. He needed to calm the hell down. Alone. And maybe figure out why his palms were sweating, and why the hell his heart was beating so damn fast.
Don’t forget to also figure out why all you want to do right now is drive on over to Lucy’s so you can get another look at Bethany’s beautiful goddamn face.
Yes. He’ll get on that, too.
***
“Ma!” Benny hollered as the front door swung open. As usual, he battled through at least twenty pairs of shoes to reach the staircase, where he called out again. “Ma, you left the door open!”
“In here!” His mother’s muffled words came from the kitchen. Located at the back of the house, behind the stairs, he was met with more abandoned shoes as he made his way there.
“You left the door open again,” he repeated, stepping into the cheery yellow kitchen, overflowing with knick-knacks and inspirational wooden signs.
Amid the chaos, his petite, white-haired mother bustled around, trying to craft cookies in the sliver of counter space left.
He sighed, casting a glance back toward the front door.
“Anyone could walk in, Ma. Please lock it.”
Bright eyes locked onto him as she lifted her head, her familiar smile quickly spreading. “I knew you were coming over, so I opened it.” She shrugged. “Saves you time fumbling with all those keys you have.”
Benny scoffed. He had exactly three keys, one for his house, one for his parents’, and one for his car. Hardly enough to qualify as a janitor. But this was classic Mom, always looking for the smallest ways to make his life easier, whether he needed it or not.
Rounding the counter, his arm snaked around her shoulders as he placed a kiss on her head. “What ya making?”
After offering up his assistance, his mother went from talking cookies to launching into a full report on Auntie Jane’s neighbor’s son.
More classic Mom. Never one to turn down a good story, Benny settled in to hear all about Mark.
A man who apparently, he met once, though he had no memory of it.
He went on to hear all about how Mark went from a big job in the city to living in his parents’ basement.
Poor guy. The best part of the story was how Auntie Jane had spotted him on a dating app.
Benny had so many questions. The first being, what on earth was his very married auntie doing on a dating app.
Followed closely by what the hell kind of profile settings did she have on that app that she was being matched with thirty-year old men?
Sometimes it’s better not to know.
True. He did need to be able to sleep at night.
“Talking of people who are new in town.” His mother shot him a quick glance before turning her attention to the oven. “Are we going to talk about Bethany Mayer being back...and any of the many stories I’ve heard about her wedding day?”
Jesus. Benny dragged a hand down his face. “Many stories?”
So much for the two versions his friends recounted yesterday.
“Yes, Benjamin. Many.” His mother tried for a stern glare as she placed the cookie tray on the counter but didn’t quite pull it off. “Is it too much to ask that you give your mother a heads up before you storm the local church, declare your love for the bride and carry her off into the sunset?”
He couldn’t stop his eyes rolling if his life depended on it. “I think you know I didn’t storm the church, Ma, or do any of the unhinged things the town gossips are claiming I did.”
His mom’s eyebrow raised. “So, Bethany Mayer didn’t spend her wedding night at your house?”
Shit.
Okay. So, he was guilty of one unhinged action.
Just one?
Benny was starting to miss the days when his head didn’t talk back. No mocking. Commentating. Critiquing. Just quiet. Pure, beautiful, silence.
“Benjamin?”
“Yeah, uh,” he coughed, “I guess that part is kinda true.”
“Kinda?” He could tell his mother was trying not to smile. “So, are you going to tell me what happened of your own free will, or do I have to bribe you with cookies?”
He’d take the cookies. If he was going to admit what a dumbass he was out loud. To his mother. Then he needed compensation.