“Again, why would that interest me?”
I’d done my level best to put Ben out of my mind. Considering we lived in the same town, I’d done a pretty good job of it.
I didn’t talk about him or search him up online. Kylie and Aunt Barb knew he was a pro rugby player, but I’d never given them his name. One day, Kateryna would want to know more about her biological dad, and I’d have to face that, but we weren’t there yet. Hopefully, I had a couple more years before I had to tell her the story of her origin that wouldn’t make her feel unwanted.
Because she was. Everyone who knew her fell for her. All the decisions I’d made in the last few years, she was the very best.
“Don’t play dumb, Mazzy,” she admonished. “Aren’t you curious about him? Is he still playing? Does he look good? Is helost in a sea of regret? Have the years been terribly, horrifically unkind to him? Does he have cauliflower ears and a smashed nose?”
“Kylie,” I snapped. “Cut it out. I don’t want to know anything about him.”
She had the decency to seem chagrined, but that didn’t stop her. “I’m just saying, wouldn’t it be nice to know he’d gotten ugly and sad since the last time you saw him?”
I shook my head. “There is no way for Ben to be ugly. I doubt he’s sad either.”
The moment she perked up, I realized my mistake. If I hadn’t been working so hardnotto think about him, I would have stopped myself before saying his name.
“Ben?”
“No.” I put up my hand. “Forget it. That’s a no-go situation, okay? Please just drop it.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “He deserves to know what a piece of shit he is.”
“He knows, Ky. He doesn’t care.”
That was the truth of it. If Ben had cared and regretted what he’d said to me, he could have found me. He could have razed heaven and earth to track me down. But I’d gotten lost, exactly as he’d told me to, and he’d walked away without looking back.
That had told me all I’d needed to know.
Ben Wells didn’t want to be a father. Not then. Not now.
Chapter Eight
Ben
Iranacrossthestreet with my nephew in my arms, bouncy style, to get him giggling. It didn’t take much to make Jonah giggle. A little shake, a little rattle, and the kid was raring to go. I didn’t know if all toddlers were like this or if my boy was something special.
My two best friends lived across the street from me. The fact that they were married to each other made my life easy, since they were always in the same place and I didn’t have to worry about tracking one or the other down when I wanted to hang out.
Sal swung the door open. “Were we expecting you?”
“Nope.” I picked up Jonah’s hand. “Say hi to Sal, Jo-Jo.”
“Hi, Sal,” he echoed.
Sal waved back. “Hello, Jonah. What brings you here?”
“I’m babysitting, and Jonah told me he wants to visit Benjamin.”
Sal raised a brow. “Did he? I wasn’t aware he was speaking that much already.” He addressed Jonah again. “Do you want to play with Benjamin?”
Jonah threw up his arms and squealed, “Doggy!”
“Yes, doggy,” Sal agreed. “He’s in the backyard with the kids. Come, come.”
Sal had three children: Lacey, Talon, and Scarlett. All of them were outside with his wife Bea’s dog, Benjamin, who wasnotnamed after me. I mean, Bea loved me, and I wouldn’t have put it past her to bestow me with such an honor. Unfortunately, the dog predated our acquaintance. There was always next time.
Jonah was as obsessed with the kids as he was the dog—and all of them were equally smitten with my nephew. Once I let him loose in their yard, he went tearing through the grass with glee.
