Page 37 of Hello Tease

I smiled at the message. It had been a long time since I had a girl friend who wasn’t my sister.

Larkin: Thank you! Lunch Monday?

Liv: Would love that! See you then. <3

The bell was broken on the front door, but three knocks announced Bennett’s arrival. I took a steadying breath as nerves swept over me. This was just a date. No pressure.

I picked up my purse before walking to the door. When I opened it, he stood with a bouquet of white carnations wrapped in plastic from the store.

He was so big and broad he took up most of my entryway door, but he didn’t scare me—more like a big teddy bear kind of guy.

He drew the hat from his head, showing a subtle tan line that proved how much time he spent working outside. “You look gorgeous,” he said earnestly, his southern accent strong.

I smiled at him and the flowers. “Thank you. Are those for me?”

He nodded.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten flowers,” I admitted as he handed me the bouquet. I held them gingerly and invited him in while I went to the small kitchen to pour water in a tall glass. I didn’t have any vases, or much of anything, really. At first, the sting of sadness took over my senses. I’d worked for eight years to build a life, a home with all the fixings, and then I’d left it all behind. Rebuilding would take time, I reminded myself.

I peeled away the paper, opened the flower feeding packet and poured it in the water. Then I clipped the stems and set the flowers in the glass. I made a point of putting them on the table, adjusting them so they had the best view from the living room. It took a lot to keep my eyes from watering.

Seth only got me flowers after he’d been away on business trips, and looking back, I had to wonder if he’d only done so because he felt guilty.

“Thank you,” I breathed to Bennett. He didn’t know it, but he was already helping me write over the sad story Seth had written in my life. And all it took was a set of grocery store carnations.

“You’re welcome,” he said with a grin. “Ready to go?”

I nodded, picking up my purse again and following him out the door. Like I promised to Knox, I left the door unlocked.

Bennett walked me to his truck, which looked like it had been freshly washed. He held the door open for me and even took my hand to help me up the step. He was such a gentleman, but I had to wonder why my body didn’t react the same way to his touch as it did to Knox’s. Was it just because I’d made Knox off-limits?

I put the thought aside as Bennett walked around the front of the truck and got in on his side. “Any preference on the radio station?” he asked as he put on his seatbelt.

“Whatever you like is fine,” I replied.

He twisted the dial, making country music play in the cab, loud enough for me to hear the lyrics but soft enough for us to talk.

“Tell me about yourself,” I said to him, fiddling with my hands in my lap. Some part of me missed my wedding ring, if only for something to spin around my finger.

Bennett glanced my way as he drove down the highway and told me all about him. He worked as a welder, doing jobs all around the county. His parents used to own the body shop before Hayes Madigan bought it a few years back and they retired. He had a dog named Boogie and set out food for cats in the neighborhood, but I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone that part.

And then he asked about me. Simple questions like where I went to nursing school and how I was liking Cottonwood Falls. The conversation was comfortable, not taking much effort to fill the silence. It was... nice.

By the time we got to the restaurant, I was feeling less nervous than I was before. Conversation flowed easily throughout the meal, talking about easy topics, never dipping below the surface to any difficult topics. He was a perfect gentleman, saying please and thank you to the waitress, and I even glanced at the receipt to see he left a decent tip.

My heart was in all sorts of knots because Bennett was agoodguy, but I wasn’t feeling... anything. What was wrong with me?

Did I only like men who would hurt me? Men I wasn’t supposed to have?

We drove back to my place, and he offered to walk me to the front door, but I shook my head. “Thank you for a lovely night, Bennett,” I said, putting a hand on his arm.

He nodded like he understood. “Had to shoot my shot,” he said with a crooked grin. “Let me open your door at least? It’s a ways down.”

I smiled, nodded, and waited for him to walk around the truck.

A deep ache, a longing, settled over me as I watched him through the windshield.

He was so nice.

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