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I glanced toward his parents, and he made a gruff sound, snapping my eyes back to him. “They don’t matter.”
“Benjamin,” his mom said, her voice a mere whisper.
He was unruffled when he turned his head. “This is my choice. Now you can make yours. If you want to be a part of our life, mine and Jess’s, and any grandkids you might have, then we are amenable to that.”
His mother’s eyes slid to me, pleading for me to stop this.
He made a noise, angling so he was in front of me, blocking me from their attempts. “But first you have to apologize to her. For the shit she heard you say all those years ago. For making her feel not good enough when, in reality, she’s better than all of us put together. And then you have to back up your sincere apology with actions. I’m telling you right now I won’t have it. I won’t have one ounce of anything but respect and acceptance toward her, so if you can’t do it, don’t bother coming around.”
I didn’t see their faces because Ben blocked them from view, but their silence was thick when he spun and swept me up in his arms, carrying me, my crutch, and his duffle to the door.
Clapping erupted from off to the side and was punctuated by a high-pitched whistle. I glanced over to see Ryan, Jamie, Wes, Max, Win, Lars, Rush, and Landry standing there in a row, delivering a standing ovation.
On the end right beside Landry was Coach, the whistle dangling out of his mouth as he, too, clapped.
“Nosy assholes,” Kruger called. “Glad you enjoyed the show.”
“Bro. That was a glitter bomb of glory.” Jamie congratulated him.
Despite the way my insides were popping and fizzling with nerves, I pushed my face into Ben’s shoulder and giggled.
His hand came up to cup the side of my head, holding it against him.
“Sometimes a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do,” he told our friendship audience.
He pushed through the glass doors leading outside. Wintry air swirled around us, fluttering my hair and brushing against my bare legs. People and vendors still milled around, and the sun was bright but low in the sky.
“Benji,” I said as he carried me toward his Audi.
“What?”
“You really didn’t need to do that,” I said. “But thank you.” I couldn’t even pretend it wasn’t everything I ever wanted to hear… except better.
His feet scuffed against the pavement when he stopped walking. I dropped my head back so I could look up at his handsome face.
“I meant every word,” he vowed. “Every single one.”
He was so sincere, so absolute, that doubting him was unimaginable.
35
Kruger
I loved the day after a swim meet because we got a late show and a light swim. Hell yes. It was even better today because there was a luscious woman in my bed. Tangled all up in my arms and legs. Hell yes times two.
I was so used to waking up before the sun that my version of sleeping in was still early. So imagine my surprise when I stretched and rolled and blinked open my eyes to find a set already staring.
“How do you expect me to ever go back to sleeping alone again?” I asked, voice still husky and slow.
Smiling, Jess ducked her head a bit into the pillow.
Finding her chin, I pushed her face back up. “You’re so pretty lying here in my bed.”
She tried to suppress a giggle, but I heard it anyway, and it played my heartstrings oh so good. “Technically, it’s Wes’s bed.”
It was a short song. “I just told you how pretty you look, and you tell me you’re in some other guy’s bed?” I shook my head. “Tomorrow morning, I’m gonna tell you about your bad breath, bedhead, and crusty eyes.”
She gasped, hand flying up to cover her mouth as her other hand rubbed at her eyes and hair. It was cute as hell the way she was all embarrassed and fighting with the blankets to try and get out of bed.
