Sometimes, Benson wished he had a son. Not because he resented having the lovely daughter in front of him, but because if there was one thing he knew how to pass on to an aspiring mature male, it was a haughty respect for women.Any son of mine would have that drilled into his head from the moment he could perceive the world.A woman hadn’t just brought this hypothetical boy into the world… they had cared for him, taught him, doctored him, fed him, teased him, loved him…
There was nothing better than that, as attested whenever he looked at his daughter.
“What did he want?” she asked. “Do you think…?”
“I have no idea what he wanted. I regret telling you.”
“Daddy.”
“What? That was a long time ago.”
“Come on. You can’t go bringing up Uncle Liam without making a ton of memories explode in my head. He taught me how to handle pricks at school way better than you ever did.”
“He told you to kick them in the balls!”
“It’s served me well, Daddy. Authority’s never cared when I’m in trouble.”
Rolling his eyes, Benson experienced double the regret.I should never have brought him up.Liam was a volatile man who had embedded himself in Benson’s professional life…andhis personal life. When they had a falling out to rock the ages, Benson was as sour as when he separated from Sydney… and as sick as when he found out his ex-wife was already dating someone else.When any kind of relationship is over, it’s over.It was something he had become accustomed to in his life.
Which was why La Mariposa was supposed to be easy… he was never supposed to see those ladies again…
“You should call him back.” Like a damn therapist, Drew folded her hands on the table and wiggled her arms like she had any business giving him advice. “At least see what he wants. Maybe it’s something good!”
“See, this is how I know you’re still a kid. You have so much optimism about people’s intentions.”
“Well, I hope I don’t become a grumpy old curmudgeon anytime soon. Like you.”
“Did you just call meold?Me? The man who gives you a monthly spending allowance?”
She giggled again. Damnit. Always straight to his old-man heart.
Their entrees arrived. Benson welcomed the reprieve from a subject he should have never brought up.There’s someone else to think about, anyway.
Eden. The woman he desperately hoped would text him soon.
Chapter 3
Eden
As soon as she got home, Eden sank into her loveseat and got on her phone.
“You won’t believe what’s happened,”she texted Blair, whom she had been casually chatting with since getting back to the city.“And I don’t know what to do.”
It was Thursday, and Blair had mentioned going back to work on Friday. Would she even be able to answer right now?I’ve got to tell someone, and she’s the only one who could understand!
Eden watched her phone, but nothing. Irritated, she got up and paced in her living area, going through every moment of what had happened.Him. It’s him.Bryce. Benson. Whatever.
Was Liam gonna show up too?
She had a nervous trip to the bathroom, and upon returning to her loveseat, noticed her phone screen was lit up. It was Blair, asking what was wrong.
“I’ve accidentally met one of the guests! One of MY guests! He was the freaking financial advisor I saw at the firm today!”
Three dots appeared on the screen.
“Call me.”
Eden wasn’t sure she could say what had happened out loud. Then again, maybe it was for the best that she didn’t have to put her words into text without worrying about awful typos and accidentally activating emojis. Like an eggplant. She used that one a lot.
