Me.That’s who.
Benconfirmed the club selection with a squeeze of my shoulder and a thumbs-up tothe furry-browed kid behind the counter.
CaterpillarBrows handed us two balls. “Okay, guys, have fun,” he said. “Tell Kaylee I saidhi.”
***
Andso, we played mini golf.
Honestly,I wouldn’t be the right person to describe a game of golf in proper golfterminology. I couldn’t even properly hold a golf club until Ben so expertlyshowed me how. But I will say that hedidkick my ass. Apparently thefewer the hits, the better, and Ben only told me this after I jumped up anddown with child-like glee when I saw how high my score was. At least he let medown gently. He could have really rubbed it in and made me feel like crap, butinstead he squeezed my shoulder, looked into my eyes, and told me that, no, Iwasn’t winning but I was still “doing great.”
Aliar, but a sweet one.
WhileI was busy losing miserably, I had learned a bit about Ben. Like that he was awidower, and Kaylee? His five-year-old daughter. Two little details I wish Ihad known about before venturing on a date with him. Maybe then I could havespared him the shocked look on my face, and the lingering discomfort that hungin the air long after the game had ended.
“So,you didn’t know about Kaylee, huh?” he asked, as he pulled a Tupperware out ofthe picnic basket, along with a couple paper plates and plastic utensils. “Ihope you like lemon chicken and rice. It really is incredible what you can dowith a crockpot.”
Iinhaled deeply as he opened the lid. “Real food sounds amazing, thank you.” Heraised an eyebrow in question. “My sister is the take-out queen.”
“Ah,right.Liz… Single working parent. I totally understand.” I had alsolearned that Ben was a new veterinarian at his father’s animal clinic with afull schedule. “Kay and I used to live on McDonald’s and Taco Bell until my Momgot me the crockpot. Now, it’s crockpot dinners every night. Crockpot meatloaf,crockpot stew, crockpot baked ziti …”
Hespooned chicken and rice out onto the plates, and as we set out to eat, herepeated, “You didn’t know about Kaylee.”
Itook a bite of chicken, closing my eyes to savor the lemony zest. “This issogood,” I groaned.
“Thanks,”he said with his dimpled smile, “but are you purposely avoiding thisconversation, or …”
Iplaced the plate in my lap and breathed out heavily. “No, I didn’t know thatyou have a daughter,” I said, avoiding his eyes by poking the rice around withmy plastic fork.
Thetruth was, I was downright annoyed that I hadn’t known. Mark certainly had, andI was sure Liz did as well. It would have been nice to be aware of that littlefactoid before considering him as my rebound. What if we really hit it off fora while, and then decided to break up? How could I break the heart of a littlegirl, especially if she was to the point of calling me Mama Holly or something?I wasn’t sure I was prepared to handle that kind of baggage when I alreadycarried too much of my own.
Asthough he read my mind, Ben shook his head. “Look, I’m not looking for anythingserious right now. I’m not going to be introducing you to my daughter anytimesoon.” I breathed a sigh of relief, and felt my cheeks flush at how obvious myapprehension had been. “Feel better?” he asked with a laugh.
“Much,”I said, and felt that he could be exactly what I needed.
Fora little while, at least.
Welaughed, and I admired the emerald twinkle in his eyes. We talked and teasedeach other, and lightly touched hands and arms, and as the night went on, Ifelt that all too familiar tension growing between us. The more thingsprogressed, the more I started to wonder if maybe I needed to slow things down.But it was hard to stop it, when he was so charming and nice to look at. Imean, the guy was a puppy and I wanted to take him home.
“Whattime is it?” I asked, glancing at the phone he had kept next to him in theevent his mother had an urgent need to call.
Hechecked the time as per my request, and with a shocked expression, he lookedsadly to me. “Late, and I have to rescue my mom soon, although Kay’s probablysleeping, or at least I hope she is.” He paused for a moment, our eyes meeting.There was a longing gaze, one that seemed to speak for itself. “But if sheissleeping, my mom wouldn’t mind if she stayed over ...”
OhGod, oh God, oh God.
Mystomach fluttered at the suggestive line, and I knew how my body wanted me torespond. It wanted me to go back to his place, strip it of all its clothes, andravage him until we both passed out in a pile of lust and sweat. Judging fromthe way he stared at me, passion churning in his eyes, I knew that was exactlywhat he wanted too. I mean, of course it was; he was the one who brought it up,and if I needed any more proof of what his thought process might have been, hesoon provided it by inching his face towards mine, staring into my eyes withevery move.
Ihelped close the space between us by thrusting my mouth toward his, and all atonce, our lips were acquainted. His were soft against mine and it didn’t takemany pecks before we escalated into a bundle of sexual rage; both of usreacting to a desire left untouched for too long. His hands were in my hairwhile mine fisted his jacket, and our tongues tangled, invading each other’smouths. His fingers traveled up and down my back, pulling at my shirt and everythingelse they could grab, and all I could wonder was how far away his placewas.
Andthen, as Ben’s hand was sliding its way up the front of my top, and I waspreparing myself to have sex with a new man on an old blanket, his cellphonechimed. With fatherly concern, he pulled away immediately without a moment’shesitation and checked the screen, leaving me to adjust my twisted sweater.
“OhGod,” he groaned as he turned to me. The fire in his eyes had beenextinguished and it was replaced with guilt. “I’m so sorry. Mom is asking whenI’m picking her up.”
Ishook my head and smiled. “Oh, don’t apologize. It’s fine.”
Bensmiled a little through his embarrassment and said, “Well, I guess it’s safe tosay I’d really like to see you again.”
“Good,because I’d really like to see you too.”
