Page 80 of Second Chance Wedding
Cole muttered a curse and shoved the Wrangler into gear. “Where to?”
ChapterEighteen
The restaurant was a popular one with an area in the back hosting karaoke until midnight. Ben had regained control of his emotions by the time they arrived, and now he looked nervous rather than upset.
They found a table in the back, and Cole was thankful for the darkened corner away from the flashing lights of the stage.
A waitress spotted them and made her way over to take their drink order while they looked over the menu. She eyed Cole like a sweet treat, but he pointedly ignored the woman smiling at him, commenting that she liked his tattoos and how she thought it was sweet that he’d brought his son out for the fun.
Cole was very aware of Ben watching him with a suspicious gaze.
“Do girls always look at you like that?”
A low huff left Cole’s chest. “What girl?”
Ben ignored the menu and focused on Cole.
“You really do like my mom, right? You’re not just gonna…hang around for a while and leave? Because that wouldn’t be cool.”
Cole gave the boy his full attention and shook his head. “I don’t plan on going anywhere, Ben. I’ve done my share of dating since your mom and I broke up, but…I don’t think I ever stopped loving her.”
“For real?”
Cole nodded, meaning it. “For real. She’s special. The timing wasn’t right back then. We were too young, and I can see now that we probably would’ve crashed and burned. Your mom was smart enough to pull the trigger so that didn’t happen. But I think things are different now.”
Apparently appeased, Ben nodded and shifted his attention to the crowd, his gaze searching every table.
Cole had performed his scan the moment they’d walked in, looking for any man around his age that resembled Ben. There were three possibilities, but only time would tell as Ben spotted them and mentally put an online photo with a face from the crowd. “Don’t take this as your hall pass, Ben. I’m still angry with you. You know how much I like your mom, and you know howpissedshe’s going to be at me when she finds out I couldn’t keep track of her son. But you did it anyway, and that’s not okay.”
Ben had the emotional maturity to wince at the words.
“I just— I knew I couldn’t ask her to bring me. And if she knew why I wanted to come, she’d never let me or she’d be sad because I wanted to. Since she’s gone, it seemed like the perfect time, you know?”
An older woman got up on stage, and music filled the restaurant along with fairly decent singing.
“Here are your drinks. Now what about food? Maybe an appetizer?” the waitress asked.
“What do you say? Want to split a sampler?” Cole asked.
Ben shrugged. “Sounds good.”
“All right, then. I’ll put your order in and get it right out to you,” the waitress said, smiling at Cole again before she walked away.
“I’ll pay since you brought me,” Ben said. “Mom gave me some cash before she left. I’m sorry I snuck out, but— Thanks again for not making me go home.”
“Don’t worry about the food, Ben. I’m just glad you finally told me the truth about why you wanted to come.” He leaned his elbows on the table to be closer and decided to get some more answers. “How long have you been stalking him online?”
“A while.”
“Ben.”
“A year or so? Ever since I found his name in Mom’s old jour—uh. Ever since I found his name.”
Cole stared at Ben and shook his head. “Her journal? Seriously, Ben?”
Ben glanced around, looking everywhere but at Cole.
“It wasn’t like I went looking for it. I was hunting for my old soccer ball in the garage when I found it. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t have read it if you were me.”
