Page 56 of Blame It On Midnight
Benton chomped on some chips. Barbecue. Not his favorite. He shrugged and glanced at his sister. “I like her.”
She snorted. “That’s all you got? You like her?”
He winced and glanced away. Even to him, the words sounded lame. Inadequate. They didn’t come close. “She’s…” He searched for the right things to say, but Benton wasn’t that guy. He didn’t use flowery prose, and grand gestures had never been this thing.
“Spit it out.” Scarlett grinned. “You can do it.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Let me help you then. What’s the first thing you think of when I say, Collins?”
“Are we keeping it clean?”
“It would be way more fun if we didn’t but I think we should.” She paused. “Definitely.”
Collins Lafferty. Skin. Lips. That sweet spot between her earlobe and neck. That hair he loved to tug on. “Soft,” he answered quietly. “Silk.”
“What else?”
“She likes to smile. Laughs at my jokes.”
“Even the bad ones?”
He nodded.
“Keep going.” Scarlett leaned closer.
“She’s spontaneous. Looks great in a pair of jeans.”
“Duh. She’s a freaking model.”
“Not afraid of hard work.”
“Right?” Scarlett nodded. “She’s slinging beer at the Sundowner.”
“She’s real good with Nora. Listens to her, you know? Not many folks take the time with a kid.”
“Do you think about her when she’s not around?”
He glanced at his sister. “Where are you headed with this?”
“Answer the question.” Scarlett was invested in his relationship with Collins. Shit. Full stop shit. He’d just used the word relationship.
“I can’t stop thinking about her,” he admitted, scratching the whiskers on his chin.
“And the sex?”
“I thought we were keeping this above board.”
“That was for me. I was just curious.” Scarlett grinned. “Sounds like you’ve met someone kind of special. I mean, you had that first night in Nashville, and it could have ended there, but didn’t.”
He looked at her sharply. How the hell did she know about their one-night stand?
“Mike Paul likes to talk.” Scarlett sat back. “The two of you have one hell of an attraction, and not everyone gets to enjoy that.”
“Sex isn’t everything.”
“No. But my point is, you shared something special, and she followed you here. From New York City, where stuff happens. She left a place like that to spend time in a town so small that we only have one bar. Not even a Piggly Wiggly. Just the Sanderson Market. If this were just surface stuff, just an attractive woman you enjoy sleeping with, you wouldn’t be on my porch, conflicted about things. Or maybe it’s simpler. You’re unsure because let’s face it, you’ve never had a real adult relationship. You and Daisy Mae were a train wreck from the start.”
