Page 24 of What it Takes
“Sounds good.” He took the manila envelope Drew fished out of the pile.
“Sean will be expecting you to stop by. He’s mentioned it to Liz a few times.”
Ben’s first thought was how much he was going to enjoy kicking back and catching up with one of his oldest friends. Right on its heels, though, wasmore time with Laney. “Yeah, I’ll be around. Especially if there are s’mores.”
“I’ve been camping with this family. Trust me, there will be s’mores.”
When he left Drew, Ben walked back to the fire station and put the envelope on the passenger seat of his SUV so he wouldn’t forget about it. It wasn’t likely, if for no other reason than he couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone an hour without Laney crossing his mind, but he didn’t want to drop the ball.
Once Dave texted him to let him know he was back in town and available for calls, Ben went home to grab a quick bite to eat. That led to him helping his dad change the HVAC filters in the basement, so then he needed a shower. So maybe he didn’t exactlyneedone and it only meant extra clothes in the laundry hamper for the day, but he almost managed to convince himself it had nothing to do with Laney and the fact he’d probably be seeing her.
And the anticipation he felt was almost scary, he realized as he pulled out of his driveway. His plan had backfired and instead of the attraction he felt for her fading, he was even more anxious to see her.
If he was smart, he’d pull up to the lodge’s door, get Andy’s signature on the papers, and then drive away before he was tempted to do something stupid.
* * *
The Northern Star was as ready as it could be for tomorrow, and there was literally nothing left for Laney to do. After making sure Rosie didn’t need her for anything, she’d decided to go for a walk to clear her head. She’d begun walking a little bit each day, treating it like a form of meditation, and it was quickly becoming a favorite part of her routine.
With peace, quiet and plenty of area to explore, she got a chance to sort through her thoughts and just enjoy being by herself. Usually she went out a little earlier in the day so she could eat dinner before doing her evening chores. But there were no guests tonight, so she’d waited until it cooled off. It meant more bug spray, but less sweat.
But now her feeling of serenity was slipping because up ahead she could see a fence with a brightly colored mailbox she didn’t recognize.
Laney didn’t think she was lost, since she hadn’t turned off the road or taken any forks, but she should have paid a little more attention to what she was doing. She’d walked a lot further than she’d intended to and the sun was definitely getting lower in the sky. Not that she was afraid of the dark, but she’d rather not have to find her way back by the flashlight function on her phone. And she wasn’t sure she even had enough battery life to get there.
She was almost back to the path that cut from the main road through the woods to the ATV trail, which had an access into the back of the lodge’s property, when she heard a vehicle coming. It was still light out, but the sun was low enough so it would be a lot darker in the woods, so she’d decided to stick to the asphalt until she got to the main driveway. But for a second, she thought about ducking into the trees, anyway.
The vehicle passed her and at the moment she recognized it as Ben’s SUV, the brake lights lit up. After it stopped, the backup lights came on and, hugging the shoulder of the road, he backed the SUV to where she stood.
She crossed the street as he put the window down, unable to keep from smiling at the sight of his face. He hadn’t been around for a while, and she’d only thought about him a few dozen times. Per day.
“Hey, Laney. Nice night for a walk.”
“Yeah.” She was close enough to smell his aftershave through the open window, and to see the top of an aluminum can showing from a koozie in the cup holder. “I walked a little further than I meant to.”
“I’m on my way to see Andy. Want a ride?”
“No, thanks. It’s good exercise.”
“It’ll be getting dark soon. And you just said you didn’t mean to walk so far.”
“I’m okay, really. I only accept rides from sober drivers, but thanks.”
“Ouch.” His eyebrow shot up and he took his drink out of the cup holder. Then he slowly slid the foam koozie off, revealing a soda can. “You know what they say about assuming things, sweetheart.”
She felt her cheeks grow hot, and she wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or a reaction to the way he called her “sweetheart” in that low voice of his. She’d object to the term if he used it again, but for now she let it go. “Sorry. I’ve listened to too many country songs over the years, I guess. They’re always cruising down back roads with a cold one in the center console.”
“Yeah, I’m not really country song material.”
She didn’t agree, regardless of his beverage choices or lack of cowboy boots. “Can I change my mind about the ride?”
“Of course.”
She walked around the front of the SUV and, after he stuck an envelope that had been sitting there above his visor, she climbed into the passenger seat. It looked like any other huge, fancy four-by-four, except for the bags in the backseat. The back cargo area, though, she’d bet was a different story. Once she was buckled, he put the vehicle in Drive.
“I’m sorry I thought you were drinking and driving,” she said. “I have a way of putting my foot in my mouth when it comes to you.”
He glanced over at her, grinning, before turning back to the road. “If I’m on vacation or officially off the books for the night, I might have a couple of beers, but otherwise I rarely drink. Never when I might be driving. I’ve responded to too many of those calls to take a chance.”
