Page 34 of Resisting the Fall

I glanced over my shoulder. “Carson says the same thing.” He and our mom both had blond hair and green eyes as well, but I would never complain about anyone calling her my carbon copy. “She can also be a stubborn little sass, just like her aunt.”

Ben chuckled, stepping ahead to get the truck door for me. “She has to be about the age you were when you forced your way onto that first fishing trip.”

“Your dad invited me.”

“Because you were waiting on the porch with Carson like a sad little puppy.”

I rolled my eyes, even though it was true. I’d heard Carson was going fishing, and I thought it was completely unfair to not be invited just because I was a girl. Thankfully, Tom Walker was as good as they come. “You’re just bitter that I still hold the Walker Family record for the largest trout.”

He tapped his fingers on the top of the door, considering me. “I caught a twenty-two-and-a-half-incher recently.”

“How disappointed were you when you measured it and realized it was an inch and a half too short?”

The corners of his mouth twitched. “I’d prefer not to say.”

Why did the thought of Ben still trying to beat my record make me giddy? “Keep trying.” I attempted to control my amusement with little success. “It only took you twenty years to get that close. Maybe in another twenty, you’ll get that close again.”

“You sure know how to make a guy hope.”

“And you sure know how to delay the inevitable. Let’s go or we’re going to be late.”

Ben took his sweet time walking around the front of the truck and climbing inside. “Where are we headed, anyway?”

“Main Street.” I reached for my seatbelt and gave it a tug, but it didn’t budge. I tried again with the same result. Nothing. “Does this seatbelt not work?”

“Sorry, I’ve been meaning to fix that.”

For a gal who had blurred lines regarding several laws, seatbelt wearing wasn’t one of those. I glanced at the middle seat.

“That one works,” he said, following my line of sight.

The way my whole body filled with anticipation at the thought of sitting there meant I should stay put. “That’s okay. We don’t have very far to go.”

He started the truck but didn’t put it in drive. “Is that what your mom would say?”

I returned his look with one of annoyance. He knew exactly what Nurse Sharon would say: a majority of accidents happen close to home. She’d reminded us both of the statistic a hundred times through the years. Reluctantly, I scooted to the middle seat, making sure no part of me touched Ben. I was apparently fine with minor PDA for the sake of my cause, but I knew my limits. It would be best if I kept as much distance as possible when we were alone. “Happy?” I said once I’d buckled.

“Content,” Ben answered, easing the truck forward.

“And yes,” I kept my gaze on the road, “Penny’s about the same age as I was when I moved to Autumn Ridge. I hope being here proves to be as good for her as it was for me.” The admission felt trivial, and yet a part of me instantly regretted saying it. I didn’t need the reminder of what this place meant to me. And I didn’t need Ben to be reminded either. Not that it likely mattered to him.

In my periphery, Ben’s gaze flicked to me. “I hope so too.”

To redirect the conversation away from Memory Lane, I switched on the radio. An ad was playing on the current station, so I turned the knob through several channels of static until Benson Boone’s voice echoed through the speakers. “I haven’t seen an AM/FM radio since… well, probably since I last rode in here.”

Ben patted the dashboard. “She’s a classic.”

“Do you mean a relic?”

Ben shook his head. “Says the woman who doesn’t own a car.”

“Having a car in New York City makes no sense.” It was much quicker and more convenient to just jump on the subway. And so much more affordable, as Ben well knew. “And when I need to come here, I can either take a train or borrow a car.”

“Speaking of, whose Mercedes did you borrow when you drove home last month?”

“A friend’s.” I knew the ambiguity would annoy him.

His gaze shifted to me, waiting for me to respond, but when I didn’t, he looked forward again. “Where are we headed?”