Page 169 of Champagne Nights

“I took a two-week leave of absence, but I have to work eight hours tomorrow, and my leave officially starts on Saturday. I was hoping you’d spend the day with Leah and me. I want to take her to the pier.”

“I’d love to spend the day with you two.”

I smiled as I kissed the top of her head.

Chapter Thirty

Ben

Since Leah would be staying with me for the next couple of weeks, I decided to take a leave of absence from work. I talked to my boss about it the day that Lindsey called me, and since I didn’t take any time off after Amy died, I was more than ready. My boss didn’t care since one of the other firefighters had returned from his leave. I didn’t need to worry about Leah today because she was going next door to bake cookies with Mrs. Birch all day. She really liked Leah, and the two of them could communicate. Mrs. Birch knew sign language because her brother was deaf. He had passed away several years ago in a bus accident.

It was six o’clock, and I headed to the Sunset Bar before going home. I texted Leah and asked her about dinner, and she said that she and Mrs. Birch had already eaten Chinese food and that she’d be home soon. I walked into the bar and took my seat. I was surprised that David wasn’t there.

“How are you doing, Ben?” Damian asked as he set my beer bottle down before me.

“I’m doing good— really good.”

“I can tell. She must be someone very special.” He smiled as he wiped the bar.

“She is.”

“Ah, your friend is here.” He gestured with his head.

I looked over at the door and saw David walk in. “Hey, buddy.” He grinned as he sat down.

“Hi, David. How was your Thanksgiving?”

“It was nice. How was yours with Paisley?”

I gave him an odd look because I never told him that I was spending Thanksgiving with Paisley. “How did you know that I spent Thanksgiving with her?”

“I didn’t. I just assumed you were going to since the two of you have been seeing each other.”

“You were right. We did spend it together, and it was great.”

“I’m happy to hear that.” He smiled. “So it sounds to me like you two are really getting close.”

“In some ways, I think we are. She told me that she had a panic attack yesterday morning when she woke up. It was her first Thanksgiving without her husband. I think she still has a lot of things to work out with his death.”

“I think you do, too, with Amy’s death,” he said with seriousness as he looked at me. “Have you cleaned out her things yet?”

I sat there in disbelief that he would even ask something like that. “No.”

“Has Paisley?”

“I have no clue. That’s not something we talk about. It’s private,” I spoke with an irritated tone.

“You will never be at peace or move on until you do those things. Getting rid of Amy’s things doesn’t mean you’re forgetting about her. It’s moving on, healing, and coming to terms with the fact that she’s gone. The only thing you want to hold on to is her memory, Ben.”

Who the fuck was he to sit here and say these things to me? “I gotta go. My sister is in town, and I need to get home to her,” I said as I threw some money on the counter and got up.

“I didn’t mean—” I heard him yell as I left the bar.

As I drove home, I was reeling with anger. Why was I so angry? Because everything he said was true, and I didn’t want to hear it? Just as I pulled up in the driveway, I saw Leah coming out of Mrs. Birch’s house, carrying a round tin. She walked over to the car and signed with one hand.

“Hi. How was your day?”

“Good. How was yours?” I signed.

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