Page 12 of Live Like There's No Tomorrow
“Okay. I’m sorry. I had to ask. Would you like me to leave now?”
He shook his head again, then cleared his throat. He needed to find his voice—and fast. “Of course not. I don’t want you to leave. We’re having dinner. We’ve got work to do. And more than that, we’re friends. And if … if I wasn’t still so messed up over Charlie, then you would stand a chance. Without a doubt.” The words surprised him as they came out. He’d been denying it to everyone, especially himself, ever since Angel had arrived. If he hadn’t been in love with Charlotte since he was ten years old, then yes, Angel was the kind of woman, if notthewoman he would fall for.
Angel squeezed his hand, making him realize she was still holding it. “Ben …” The way she smiled at him sent shivers through him. No woman had ever looked at him that way. Except Charlotte. “Thank you.”
He nodded and withdrew his hand, suddenly aware of Kenzie’s glare boring into him. She was standing behind the bar, hands on her hips looking as if she was about to explode. He shook his head, though what he was saying no to, he wasn’t sure. Was he telling Kenzie she had nothing to worry about? Was he telling Angel she didn’t need to thank him? Or was he telling himself that he was wrong? Angel didn’t stand a chance. How could she? His heart belonged to Charlotte. Always had. These past few months had been hard. Even harder than all the years before them. All that time he’d thought he’d lost Charlotte forever. The past few months had been a different kind of torture. He’d had hope, and at the same time hadn’t dared to hope.
He looked at Angel. She’d arrived and had somehow quietly become a part of his everyday life. She ran the lodge efficiently, she worked the same way he did. They talked a lot. He’d told her about Charlotte. She’d told him much about her own life.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He sighed. “Everything. Everyone’s giving me a hard time about our friendship. Everyone’s giving you the cold shoulder because you’re not Charlotte. I guess you’re just the wrong person at the wrong time and it doesn’t seem fair to you.”
She smiled. “Maybe the problem is that I’m the right person at the wrong time?”
Ben raised an eyebrow.
“From what you’ve told me, if I’d come along at any time in the last five years or so, everyone would have been happy to see us together. If I’d met you before you saw Charlotte again …” She let her words trail off, leaving him to fill in the blanks for himself.
In one respect, she was right. His friends would have been happy to see him meet someone he liked. On the other hand, it wasn’t what other people wanted for him that mattered. It was what his heart wanted, and his heart had only ever wanted Charlotte. He met Angel’s gaze. “There’s no point wondering what might have been. We have to deal with what is. I love Charlotte. I’m waiting for her. I like you, I’m not denying it, but I love her.”
Angel nodded sadly. “I know, and I’m sorry I brought this up. Sorry, and not sorry too. It’s a relief to be able to talk to you about it. I like you, I think that much has been obvious from the start. I can tell you like me too, at least a little bit. But,” she shrugged, “if it isn’t meant to be, it isn’t meant to be. So, let’s get back to work, shall we?” She reached into her purse and pulled out the laptop that she carried everywhere with her. “I want to talk you through the promotion schedule.”
“Great.” He was relieved to get back onto solid ground.
~ ~ ~
“What’s wrong with you tonight, lover?” Chase leaned on the bar looking concerned.
Kenzie smiled. “Nothing. I’m fine.”
“You don’t seem it. Every time I look over here you’re shooting daggers over at Ben and Angel.”
Kenzie scowled at him. “How is it that you remember her name? You never remember people’s names. What’s so special about her?”
Chase rolled his eyes and gave her a stern look. “Don’t Kenz. You’re pissed at her, because you don’t think Ben should be spending any time with her. You’re not pissed at me—so don’t take it out on me, okay?”
She sucked in a deep breath ready to snap at him, but he smiled his sexy smile and winked at her. She blew out an exasperated sigh. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry. I shouldn’t take it out on you, but you let me! You’re my safe place.”
The way he smiled, made her relax. Knowing that he loved her the way he did made her feel all soft and mushy inside. She shot a look over at Ben and Angel. “I just don’t like it. It’s not right.”
Chase sighed. “Only Ben can say what’s right for him and what isn’t. We’ve talked about this before.”
Kenzie nodded. “I know, but I’m too invested in him getting back together with Charlotte. I like her. Ben’s spent his whole life waiting for her. I can’t see their great love story get ruined now, not by some uppity bitch worming her way in!”
Chase laughed. “She’s not an uppity bitch.”
“Don’t you go defending her!” Kenzie glared at him, but he just laughed again.
“I’m not defending her. I’m defending Ben and defending reason. You’re only upset because you want him to be happy, right?”
She nodded.
“Well, don’t you think he’s the one who best knows what—and who—is going to make him happy?”
Kenzie shook her head. “Of course he is, but he’s known for years that it’s Charlotte.”
Chase shrugged. “I’m not going to spend all night arguing with you about it. I’ve got to get up on a stage in a minute. I only came for a quick kiss first.”
