Page 12 of For the Love of Scott
“Tim, will you pull the tater nuggets from the oven?” Ma asks, bringing the crock of BBQ beef and a couple of bags of burger buns to the table. “Get the door, Ben. Your boyfriend’s here.”
“What?” asks Ben, gaze darting to the window.
“Will do, Ma,” says Tim, heading into the kitchen when the doorbell rings.
At the top of her lungs, Leah says, “Ben’s boyfriend’s here.”
Misty charges to the door. Ben scurries after her, but he isn’t fast enough. She pulls it open and says, “Are you Ben’s boyfriend?”
Laughter filters out from the kitchen and Ben’s stomach churns again. He sure hopes Scott isn’t that easily scared off.
Scott’s eyes saucer and his gaze snaps to Ben’s.
“Misty, go help Gamma.” He propels her out of the entry hall and back into the kitchen.
“God, I’m so sorry. I told them you were coming, and Leah had to exact a bit of revenge for all the crap I gave her in high school.” Ben pushes open the screen. “If you want to brave the lion’s den, they should’ve gotten most of it out of their systems by now, but if you want to bail, I completely understand.”
Scott’s expression is difficult to read with the Christmas lights providing most of the illumination.
“Scott, honey, get your behind in here,” calls Ma. “You two are letting out all my nice warm air.”
One dark eyebrow arches and Scott steps inside, a plastic grocery bag dangling from his wrist. “Yes, Mrs. Thompson,” he calls back. To Ben he says, “Have you got a whip and a chair handy?”
Ben laughs, takes Scott’s coat from him, and points him in the direction of the kitchen. He hears Scott’s fortifying breath and claps him gently on the shoulder as they round the corner into the kitchen.
“Stop,” hollers Leah.
Scott and Ben both freeze.
“Geeze, Leah,what?”
She points to a spot over their heads and Ben’s stomach sinks.Oh, hell.
Scott looks up. “Oh, uh...”
“Leah, leave the boys alone.”
“It’s not like I planned it, Ma,” she says, flashing a smart-ass grin. “We didn’t even know Scott was coming until ten minutes ago.”
“Fine,” says Ben. It isn’t like he doesn’t want to kiss Scott, because he does. Very much so. But he’d much rather have some privacy—not six pair of eyes on them. He leans forward and plants a quick peck on Scott’s scruffy cheek. “There. Satisfied?”
“For now,” she says with a wink.
Ben rolls his eyes. “Okay, so…Scott, the family. Family, this is Scott. Scott, you know Ma and Dad.”
Scott shakes hands with Dad and hands Ma the grocery bag.
“What’s this?” she asks, peering into the bag and then turning shining eyes up at Scott.
Scott shrugs. “A little birdie told me you had a hard time finding your favorite Christmas candy here in Ten Rigs. I was in Big Spring yesterday, and I hope that’s it.”
“It is, honey. Thank you.” She surges up and kisses his cheek. “This one’s a keeper, Ben.”
Ben’s face heats up, but he ignores it and proceeds with the introductions. “You remember Tim?”
From the other side of the bar, Tim lifts a hand. “Good to see you, man.”
Scott nods.
