Next thing he knew, Hunter was pulling up a rickety chair.“NeNe,” he grunted, a small smile tugging his traitorous lips as he offered Benny a chin lift.
He could shove his chin lift.
“Right.”Luke laughed.Bastard.“You two hook-up?”
Benny shot him a glare.
“Is that a, yes?”His friend’s dark brow raised with the question.
“I think it’s more of ago fuck yourself,” Zach gleefully chirped.His signature dimples on full display.
Luke’s smile widened, too.“I’ve got to hand it to you, man—convincing a woman to bail on herown weddingis a whole new level of fuckboy behavior.”
Benny rolled his eyes at that.“I didn’t convince Bethany to do anything, you asshole.She needed a lift and a place to crash.That’s it.End of story.Now, if you don’t mind, some of us have work to do.”
Benny rose from his seat despite having no work to do.They were between callouts, the trucks were clean, checks were complete, and their next training drill wasn’t until next week.But he needed an out.Fast.
“A lift?A place to crash?That’s the story you’re sticking with?”Luke replied.All three men were now snickering.“’Cause you should know...half the town thinks she left that man at the altar because she’s never gotten over you, and the other half thinks you stormed the church and practicallykidnappedher because you never got over her.”
“For the love of God.”Benny’s hand went behind his neck where his fingers dug into newly tightened muscles.
“You know, if you wanted to tell us what’s actually going on...”Zach started, “then as your loyal friends, we could set the record straight for you.”
With not much of a choice, Benny’s ass fell back into the weathered couch cushions.As much as he didn’t want to talk about Bethany, ever, he also didn’t want the likes of Mrs.Molly and Betsy-Jane banging down his door, either.
“Fine,” he said through gritted teeth.“I ran into her in the church yard, making a break for it.She needed a ride, so I gave her one.She was upset and freaking out and she had nowhere to go ‘cause everyone was gonna be pissed at her, so I took her to my place.It was the only option.”
“The only option?”Hunter had officially joined the conversation.
Benny nodded.Itwasthe only option.Bethany hadn’t lived in Woodvalley Pines in ten years, any high school friends she’d had had moved away, that left her parents, the guy she just ditched at the altar and him.
And Lucy.
Fine.Lucy too, apparently.But for some reason, she hadn’t wanted to call her at the time.
“You know I run a ranch with guest cabins, right?”Zach unnecessarily reminded him.
“I think what he’s trying to say is...therewereother options.”Luke leaned forward, an unusually serious expression hardening his face.
With all eyes on him, Benny suddenly felt pressured.“What do you want me to say?”
“Look man,” Zach’s dimples were gone.Instead, his brow was furrowed, and his blue eyes were pinning Benny with another serious stare.“You joined the team not long after you guys broke up.So,we knowhow hard you took it.We were also with you when you got that invite to her wedding.”
“Your point?”Benny was growing more and more impatient by the second.
“His point,” Hunter interrupted, “is that it’s okay to feel some kind of way.You loved her.You took the break-up hard.Now she’s back in town and suddenly single.”
Benny was standing again, completely over this conversation.“If you guys think for one second, I’m trying to get back with Bethany Mayer, you couldn’t be more fucking wrong.”His voice came out much louder than he intended but it was too late, and he was too angry to do anything about it.“In case you’ve forgotten, I don’t do relationships.You think I’m gonna start now—with messy shit like this?Just ‘cause you fuckers are off playing house, doesn’t mean I want that, too.”
Screw this.He was going to the bunks.He needed to calm the hell down.Alone.And maybe figure out why his palms were sweating, and why the hell his heart was beating so damn fast.
Don’t forget to also figure out why all you want to do right now is drive on over to Lucy’s so you can get another look at Bethany’s beautiful goddamn face.
Yes.He’ll get on that, too.
***
“Ma!”Benny holleredas the front door swung open.As usual, he battled through at least twenty pairs of shoes to reach the staircase, where he called out again.“Ma, you left the door open!”
