The funny thing was, Kelly was beautiful, but it was the least attractive thing about her. Ben had been with gorgeous women, and he hadn’t wanted to spend as much time with them as he did with her.
Another thing he wasn’t ready to spend too much time thinking about.
"Sounds familiar," Seth said with a chuckle. "Reminds me of someone else I know who never gives up once they set their mind to something."
“I just want to help her if I can.”
"The smart, determined ones are the kind you want to be careful about, son. They might change your whole life. For the better. Look at what your mom did for me."
His parents' relationship had always been the gold standard in his mind, solid, loving, and enduring. Seth and Presley Reilly were still deeply in love after all these years, still teasing and laughing together like they had all the time in the world.
"I like her, Dad," Ben admitted, the words coming easier in the darkness, with miles between them. "But the timing feels wrong. She's focused on this case, on getting justice for her friend. I don't want to complicate things for her."
"There's never a good time," Seth dismissed this concern with the casual authority of someone who'd seen enough of life to know better. "Life is short, son. Don't waste it. It's hard to find a good woman. When you do, don't blow the chance."
His father had always been like this. He cut through the noise to what really mattered. No hesitation, no second-guessing. Just clarity and conviction. It was what had made him an excellent sheriff and an even better father.
"And what happens if it doesn't work out?" Ben asked, voicing the fear that had been lurking in the back of his mind. "What if I mess things up?"
"At least you tried," Seth replied simply. "Just because you didn't have falling in love written on a to-do list doesn't make it bad."
"First of all, you sound like Chase," Ben protested. "He's always on my ass about lists. Second, I didn't say I'm falling in love."
The words hung in the night air, ringing false even to his own ears. Was he falling for Kelly? The thought sent a jolt of something like panic mixed with exhilaration through his chest.
"Son, you didn't have to," Seth replied, his gentle laugh rolling through the phone. "Now, let me go make a few calls for you. Hopefully, I'll have your answer quickly.”
"Thanks, Dad," Ben said, grateful for the change of subject. "I appreciate it."
"Anytime. Give your mother a call when you get a chance. She worries."
"I will," Ben promised. "Good night, Dad."
"Night, son."
The call ended, but Ben remained where he was, his father's words echoing in his mind. Just because he didn't have falling in love written on a to-do list didn’t make it bad.
Was he falling for Kelly? The idea should have terrified him. They'd known each other for such a short time. Her life was wrapped up in cold cases and her podcast.
His was... Shit, he didn’t know what he was if he was being honest. It was something he needed to figure out. There were a hundred logical reasons to keep his distance, to maintain the friendly, collegial relationship they'd established.
But logic had little to do with the way his heart raced when she smiled at him, or how he found himself watching her when she was lost in thought, memorizing the small furrow that appeared between her brows when she was concentrating.
When had that happened?
Sighing, Ben turned to put his phone on the charger, and nearly jumped out of his skin. Kelly was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, her slim figure silhouetted against the dim light from the living room. How long had she been there? What had she heard?
"I thought you were asleep."
She was wearing pajama shorts and an oversized t-shirt, her auburn hair loose around her shoulders. In the soft glow from the living room lights, she looked impossibly young andvulnerable, nothing like the determined investigator who had stood toe-to-toe with her dismissive family at brunch.
Absolutely adorable. Soft and rumpled. And oh so fucking beautiful. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest, reminding him that business wasn’t the only important thing in a person’s life.
It was all he could do not to walk across the kitchen and pull her into his arms, protecting her from disgruntled family and anything else that might go bump in the night.
Shit, he had it bad. Now what?
Chapter
