Benson nodded, absorbing the weight of it. He hadn’t known Kyle had anything to do with shelters, but details were once again missing. He needed to know more.
He realized then that he’d been asking a lot without offering much in return. Kyle had opened up, little by little, and Benson hadn’t said a word about his own past. That didn’t sit right with him.
“You know,” Benson said, setting down his fork, “I haven’t told you anything about me. That’s not fair. You can ask me anything. I mean it.”
Kyle looked up, surprised. “Okay…Where do you live?”
“Petoskey in Michigan,” Benson said. “Big house on the lake. Too big, really. I basically live alone but Della, my niece, lives in the bungalow behind the house. She manages my home for me. Which means everything.”
He wasn’t sure this was a good thing to tell Kyle, but he didn’t want to lie about anything. Would he worry about being dumped in California and that Benson would return to Michigan? He didn’t know himself what he wanted to do in the long term; but whatever it was, it had to include Kyle.
Kyle raised an eyebrow. “What is Della like?”
“She’s the same age as you. Currently she’s in college and works for me. I wanted her to live in my house, but she wanted more privacy.”
“That sounds like a good set up.”
Benson nodded. “I work with my dad and my older brother, Logan. We run a family business—real estate, mostly. Lots of properties.”
Kyle nodded slowly. “So why aren’t you spending Christmas with them?”
Benson hesitated, then took a sip of water, letting the silence stretch just enough to feel honest. “My brother Logan and I had a fight. About raising rents. He didn’t care what it did to people with families, folks barely getting by. I couldn’t stand it. My dad tried to mediate, but it just made things worse. So, I left to think about the situation I was in.”
Kyle’s expression softened. “You left…like, just left?”
“Yeah,” Benson said. “Packed up some things, started driving. I’ve been delivering presents to shelters and people onthe street. I needed to do something that felt right. Something that reminded me who I am.”
Kyle looked down at his plate, then back up. “That’s…kind of amazing.”
Benson smiled, but it was faint. “It’s not heroic. It’s just me trying to figure out if I’m still the kind of person I want to be.”
The fire crackled behind them, and for a moment, neither spoke. The music drifted through the air like a lullaby.
Kyle leaned forward. “I think you’re a good man.”
Benson met his eyes, and something in his chest eased. Maybe this dinner wasn’t just about food or stories—it was about trust. And maybe, just maybe, they were both finding it.
Benson pushed a piece of grilled salmon around his plate, not starving anymore. Across from him, Kyle leaned back in his chair, sipping his Coke like he was trying to buy time before asking something big.
“So,” Kyle said, setting the glass down, “after we drop the presents in California…are you heading back to Michigan?” Kyle’s voice cracked, tearing up.
Benson looked up, fork paused mid-air. There it was. The question he’d been dodging in his own head for days. He gave a half-shrug, trying to play it cool. “I don’t know what will happen then. I mean….that’s my home.”
Kyle nodded slowly, eyes scanning Benson’s face as if he was trying to read between the lines. “Oh, I guess it is.”
“Yeah,” Benson said, setting the fork down. “The whole real estate circus. My name’s on the sign, so it’s hard to just…walk away for good, but I’m not sure what I want to do.”
Truth was, it wasn’t just about the business. It was about legacy. About being part of something bigger than himself. His dad still called him every morning to talk numbers, and his mom still made him prime rib when he closed a big deal. Michiganwasn’t just home—it was roots. But then there were so many problems with his brother Logan.
But Kyle? Kyle had that look in his eye. That California glint. He could already see himself in a sunlit studio apartment, living his dream that he was chasing. Benson didn’t want to clip Kyle’s wings, but damn, he didn’t want to watch him fly away either.
“Were you seriously thinking of staying out there?” Benson asked, keeping his tone light, like it was just small talk.
Kyle didn’t answer right away. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’ve been thinking about it. Starting fresh. New city, new chances.”
“Do you still want to stay with your cousin?”
Kyle’s silence was heavy with unspoken emotion, his face a mask of upset. What had he done? He didn’t express himself properly or sensitively.
