Page 24 of Love Story

She pressed a hand to her chest, feigning offense.“I wasn’t matchmaking.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, bending to pick up another branch.“I don’t need your help to meet someone.”

“You’re twenty-nine, Sam; someone has to.And he’s thirty-eight and single.”

“Mom…”

“Fine, fine,” she said, but the smile tugging at her lips told me she wasn’t convinced.“Still, asking that cutie about the website wouldn’t hurt.It’s not matchmaking if it’s work.”

I rolled my eyes but didn’t argue.The truth was, she wasn’t wrong.We needed an online presence, and if Ben had the skills, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to ask.Not that I was about to admit that to her.

The grocery store had caught me off guard—Ben, standing there with those intense eyes, the kind of green you could drown in, and this vulnerable expression that made my chest ache.I’d never felt so off-balance, and now, thinking about finding an excuse to see him again, I felt… nervous… excited.That was new—this restless, jittery energy that had nothing to do with sap lines or tapping season.All I knew was I wanted to see him and find out more about the man who managed to look so lost.

“Maybe I’ll ask him,” I conceded, and thank God, Mom left it there.We worked in comfortable silence for a while after that, the sound of branches snapping and the occasional hum of the wind filling the space between us.Mom broke the quiet, mentioning how lucky we were to have savings to weather bad years, the land paid off, and the farm steady under our feet.I nodded, the weight of it all grounding me.My whole future was tied up here, and I was okay with that.More than okay—I was happy.

Even if my mom couldn’t help but call Ben a cutie.

And even though I was desperate to see him again.

I PARKED OUTSIDEthe library, the truck’s tires crunching over the snow-packed lot for my Friday catch-up with Conor, Haider, and Ryan, putting the world to rights and downing beer—well, not me; I was driving and would stick to soda, but the intent was there.I was eager to tell them about Mom’s matchmaking because they could reassure me that she was meddling, and that Ben wasn’t my type.

Only, as I stepped out into the crisp air, ready to head to Lucy’s Bar, I spotted Ben himself standing on the steps of the library, hands shoved deep into the pockets of a heavy coat.He turned toward me as I approached, his face lighting up for half a second before shifting into something more reserved.Awkwardness radiated from him as we both mumbled greetings.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hi,” he replied.

Small talk was not my thing, and I was about to comment on the weather because I was that desperate when Ben stepped closer, his boots catching on a patch of snow.

He slipped.

Without thinking, I grabbed him around the waist before he could hit the ground.His hands landed on my chest, steadying himself as I pulled him upright.

“Whoa,” I said, my voice lower than I intended.

For that split second, I held him tight and all my protective instincts rushed to the fore.He was bulky under all those layers, small but strong in a quiet way.

His face was inches from mine, his breath visible in the cold air.For a moment, it was just us, too close, the world blurring into the background.If I tilted my head a little—

I didn’t.I set him upright instead, feeling the faint tremble in his frame, as though he wasn’t sure he could trust himself to stand.But he did, and I let my hands drop away before I could forget to let go.

“You’ve saved me again,” Ben muttered, his face redder than the scarf around his neck.“I promise I’m not usually this clumsy.”

Before I could respond, Haider’s voice rang out, bright and unmistakable.“Hey, Ben!”

I turned to see Haider bounding up the steps, his energy as blinding as his sparkly winter coat—some iridescent thing in greens and silvers that only he could pull off without looking ridiculous.He glittered under the streetlamp, his curls bouncing with each step, a grin plastered across his face as if he’d won the lottery.

Haider made a beeline straight for him, threading his arm through Ben’s as if they’d been best friends for years.Ben was startled, his mouth opening, caught mid-breath as Haider leaned in with his trademark charm.

“Ben!It’s so good to see you!”Haider exclaimed, his voice warm and effusive, like running into Ben on the library steps was the highlight of his week.

Ben blinked, clearly caught off guard.“Uh… um.”

“Haider,” he finished.“I’ve heard all about you, Ben-from-Boston.”

“You have,” Ben said, meeting my gaze, panicked.

“Look how well we fit together,” Haider said, holding their linked arms aloft as if he were showing off a prize.His grin turned sly as he added, “Don’t you think we make the perfect pair?”

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