“Yeah. Otherwise, they might end up on the floor.”
So very carefully, he slid them off, like she was a bomb he was defusing, then placed them on the nightstand and stared at her a little more. Finally, he looked at me and grinned, but he didn’t seem like he had any plans of moving from that spot.
I tugged on the sleeve of his shirt. “Come on.”
With a sigh, he let me pull him out of the room, but once we were in the hall, I didn’t know what to do.
Ben frowned at me. “What’s wrong?”
“Um—” I rolled my lips over my teeth, unsure about revealing my helicopter mom tendencies. “Well, I’m a little worried about her waking up in a strange place while I’m all the way downstairs.”
“Oh.” His brow furrowed as he shoved his hand through the side of his hair. “That makes sense. Let’s hang out in my room. We’ll hear her when she wakes up.”
Ben’s bedroom was two doors down from Katty’s at the top of the stairs. Chances were, he was right; we’d hear her.Andif she got out of bed and decided to wander, she’d have to pass by us before she reached the staircase.
He ushered me into his room, flipping on the lights. “Sit, get comfortable. I’m gonna run down and get some snacks and drinks. Be right back.”
He was gone before I could react, leaving me standing in the middle of his bedroom. I made a small circle, taking it in. His room wasn’t huge, but in a historic house like this, I wouldn’t have expected it to be. He’d managed to fit a king-size bed framed by imposing four-posters that nearly reached the ceiling. There was a chunky dresser with a small television on top, twomatching nightstands, and a few framed pieces of art on the walls.
I felt strange making myself at home, and with nowhere to sit except his bed, I was right where he’d left me when he came back a couple minutes later, arms laden with water bottles and a tray of snacks.
“What are you doing, silly?” He nudged me toward the bed. “Sit down. Get comfortable. I checked again, and our girl looked like she was still down for the count. I have a feeling we’ll be here a while.”
With a sigh, I kicked my shoes off and circled the massive bed, having to vault myself onto its raised height. It wasn’t cute, and of course Ben had been watching with a crooked grin.
I huffed. “This bed was made for a giant.”
He patted his chest. “Giant. And you’re right. I wasn’t picturing a shorty trying to climb into it when I picked it out. Good thing is, when I watch Bea’s dog, he can’t get his big butt up here. He’s cool and all, but I’m not about sharing a bed with a dog. Not my style.”
I stared at him, my mouth parted. Was this man for real? “How do you have time for all this? Nate said you regularly babysit your nephew. Now you’re telling me you dog-sit too…”
He shrugged. “I make time for things that are important. For me, my friends and family always come first. They all know they’ve moved to the back of the line now. You and Katty are at the top of my list, and they’re cool with it. Then again, I wouldn’t be close with them if they were the kind of people who would begrudge me time with my daughter.”
While I was scrambling to keep up, he offered me a water bottle and set the tray between us, filled with muffins, sliced fruit, packaged protein bars, and veggies and hummus.
He dug in, ripping open a protein bar, while I remained stuck on how easy this seemed for him. When I really thought aboutit, though, it made sense. I had years of resentment I’d had to set aside in an instant, and as hard as I was trying, it was a slow process. Especially now, witnessing firsthand what could have been. The way Ben and his family would have been there for us in our toughest times. He would have shared the sleepless nights with me instead of my father being the one to relieve me. My father, who’d been sick far longer than any of us had realized.
Ben swallowed and looked over at me. “What’s going on in that mind of yours, Mazz?”
“A lot.” I smiled faintly. “Mostly, how much it sucks that you weren’t there from the beginning.”
“Yeah.” His eyes lowered to his hands. “Believe me, that’s been on my mind nonstop. I’ve spent a lot of time looking at the pictures you gave me, wishing I could step into them. It’s going to be hard to let go of, but I’m trying.”
“I am too,” I agreed. “All those years are so tangled with the grief of losing my father; it’s more difficult to let go.”
His forehead crumpled with sympathy. “Was he sick?”
I nodded. “Yes. He was so focused on taking care of me and Katty, he put off going to the doctor for too long. When he finally did…well, it was too late. He went through the treatment, but it kept spreading, then there was nothing else to be done. My aunt offered us a place with her, so we moved here. She took care of him during his final months. Without her…I don’t know how I would have done it.”
“I’m surprised she didn’t scare the cancer away.”
An unexpected laugh burst out of me. “If anyone could, it would be Aunt Barb.”
He reached across the bed and covered my hand with his. For a beat, I was back on the plane, my hand lost in the black hole of his. It was nice. The memories of those hours we spent together were no longer tainted, and I was pretty sure Ben Wells was exactly who I’d thought he was.
A goofy guy.
A generous person.
