Page 7 of Live Like There's No Tomorrow
Smoke shrugged and came in. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”
“Nothing. I’m just getting coffee for you.”
Smoke pursed his lips. “Yeah, right. It’s not as though you were getting your ass out of there when you saw Emma coming, or anything like that, is it?”
Ben smiled. “Nah, nothing of the kind.”
Smoke laughed. “I didn’t think so. Come on, what’s the deal with this Angel chick?”
“There is no deal!” Ben was aware that his voice sounded higher than it should.
Smoke gave him a skeptical look. “She’s hot.”
Ben frowned. “I wouldn’t let Laura hear you say that.”
“Laura thinks she’s hot too, she’s said so, and she wouldn’t mind me saying it, because she knows it’s just an objective observation. I only have eyes for Laura, so saying another woman is hot, is like saying that a painting is beautiful.” Smoke shrugged. “And besides, I haven’t been hanging out with this Angel chick and I haven’t been keeping her away from my friends.”
Ben frowned. “I haven’t been hanging out with her. I’ve been working with her.”
Smoke raised an eyebrow.
“She works for me, right? She’s managing the new lodge, remember? I have to spend time with her getting everything set up. And I haven’t been keeping her away from you guys.”
“Yes, you have.”
Ben sighed. “Okay, so maybe I have, but only because it seemed like everyone took an instant dislike to her. I didn’t want to subject her to the girls when they seem kind of hostile toward her.”
Smoke smirked. “Yeah, I always thought Emma was a little sweetie, but I don’t think I’d like to get on the wrong side of her. And Kenzie? Damn, I can’t blame you for not wanting to leave Angel alone with her. But the way everyone else feels about her and acts toward her isn’t really important. What matters is how you feel about her.”
Ben stared at him. “What do you mean?”
“Do you like her?”
Ben shook his head.
Smoke stared him down and waited.
Ben shrugged. “Of course I like her. She’s good people. She works hard. She knows what she’s doing. She’s more than capable and she has a lot of great ideas. She’s been in this business her whole life, she gets it. She gets me!”
Smoke nodded thoughtfully.
“What?”
“She gets you?”
Ben nodded. “Yeah. What’s wrong with that?”
“There’s nothing wrong with that. I think it’s great. She sounds perfect for you.”
Ben sucked in a deep breath. “On paper, she is.”
“But she’s not Charlotte.”
Ben shook his head.
“But Charlotte still hasn’t gotten in touch with you. She still isn’t ready to come back here and you’re wondering if she ever will be, right?”
Ben nodded.
