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“Obviously not,” I snarled. “My unreliable sister is nowhere to be found, my phone is at the bottom of the ocean, and I just noticed I have vomit on my shoe.”
“And on your pants.”
Of course I do.I glared at him, but I didn’t have the energy to put any fire behind it. “Thanks for the ride.”
I opened the door and kind of fell out rather than hopping down gracefully. Moments later, Bennett was by my side. He took hold of my elbow.
“Are you sure you want to get close to me? Who knows where else I might have vomit?” Tomorrow I would be embarrassed by that, but at the moment, I didn’t care. I just wanted to brush my teeth and get horizontal for at least eight hours.
“You’re still shaky,” he said. “I don’t want you to fall down the porch steps.”
My breath caught.He cares.Then I allowed reality to take the wheel. “Don’t worry,” I snapped. “I won’t sue your sister’s rental company if that happens.”
“And you say I’m impossible,” he said under his breath.
“I bet I’m not the only one who says that,” I shot back. I was being catty, but I didn’t care. Bennett had seen me at my worst, and he already wasn’t listening to me, so what else did I have to lose—my dignity? I was pretty sure that was gone the moment he pointed out the vomit.
He was silent for a beat before letting out a snort. “You got that right.”
I was glad that it was dark and my hair was in my face so that he couldn’t see my grin. If nothing else, Bennett was honest and straightforward, which I appreciated after having had to deal with lawyers for the past several years. If I was honest with myself, my firm in New York wasn’t a good fit for me, anyway. Yes, I’d wanted to make a lot of money so I’d never have to depend on someone else the way my mom always had, but I also had wanted to help people navigate the confusing legal system, not manipulate it to help the wealthy find loopholes and advantages.
I unlocked the front door and stepped inside. I expected him to retreat to his truck and go about his evening, but he strode inside and into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and peered inside.
What the hell? Forward much?I took off my coat and threw it over a kitchen stool. We still hadn’t made it to the grocery store and were subsisting on leftovers and takeout.
“Unless you want wine or hummus, you’re out of luck.” I peered around him. “I take that back. Just hummus.”Damn.My sister had apparently polished off the wine already.
He grunted, making me wonder if he’d regressed so much that he spoke caveman. He abruptly closed the fridge and spun, knocking into me. He grabbed my upper arms to steady me. “Shit, Claire. I’m sorry.”
Closing my eyes, I inhaled. He smelled good. Really good. He rubbed my arms, and I thought I heard him breathe my name. I wanted nothing more than to lean in to him, to let him hold me and erase some of the last few horrible hours. I’d never been wrapped intimately in Bennett’s arms, but something told me it would erase all other thoughts from my mind.
His fingertips brushed my hair, and I snapped out of it. Opening my eyes, I stepped back.
Of course he smelled good. For the past hour, I’d been breathing in the stench of vomit, so anything—anyone—would have smelled good in comparison. And after my rough time, I could use a hug, no matter who it came from. I didn’t need Bennett. I needed a hot shower and a good night’s sleep so I could put this day behind me.
“Thanks again for the ride,” I said pointedly.
“No problem.” As usual, the man did not take a hint. He simply stood there staring at me.
What does he want?Being so close to him was unnerving. I inched away.
“And please thank Wes for not arresting me,” I said. “I forgot to do that.”
“Sure.” He kept saying that, as if these things were a given. I couldn’t understand this man. One moment, he was treating me like a hostile enemy, and then the next…
It was best not to think about the other times. Even if I wasn’t here temporarily, I’d learned the hard way, from Reg, that men didn’t end up with women like me. I could either have a man or a career, and I’d chosen. That meant I needed to get a good night’s rest so I could strategize my next move.
“Good night,” I said. This time, I didn’t wait for him to take the hint and walked to the front door myself, opening it for him and gesturing that he should walk through it.
“Right.” He left without another word.
A strange feeling settled deep in my belly, and it wasn’t the remains of the motion sickness. It was disappointment.
Which was totally stupid. I would have been better off getting an Uber. Our time together in his truck had resulted in another pointless argument and more confused feelings. I’d never considered myself overly sentimental, but being back in CBX was dredging up forgotten feelings I’d never fully processed.
Perhaps I should call my former coworker and get the name of the therapist she always raved about. I probably couldn’t afford her, but it might be worth going further into debt to rid myself of these unwanted feelings.Nah.Being sick had made me weak, physically and emotionally. As soon as I felt better again, I’d be able to manage my emotions, like I always did.
After Bennett’s truck had disappeared down the street, I closed and locked the door then curled up on the sofa. While the evening had been disastrous for me personally, it had been a win professionally. Mr. Abernathy was at least considering the proposal, which was all I could ask for. Bennett might think Markham—and therefore me by extension—was nothing but a money-hungry corporation, but I did want what was best for the people in the Carolina Banks. While Phil did not have a connection to the residents like I did, he wasn’t a shady businessman who would knowingly ruin a community’s economy. He was a decent guy. Also, ruining the economy simply didn’t make good business sense.
