Page 89 of Resisting the Fall

When we climbed into Ben’s truck, I slid into the middle seat from his side while Carson went around.

“You want me to just take you home too?” Ben asked, shutting the door.

A wave of nerves rushed through me at the thought of more time with Ben tonight. “After such a long day, I assumed you’d be tired.”

Carson opened the door, pausing our conversation. Then he climbed in and reached for the seatbelt.

“Oh, the seatbelt doesn’t—” I started, but with a two-handed attempt and a little wiggling, the seatbelt extended. My eyes widened. “How did you do that? That seatbelt’s broken.”

Carson’s gaze drifted behind me to Ben. “Just… luck?”

I whipped my head around. “It’s not broken?”

“It is.” Ben didn’t even attempt to hide his amusement while he put the truck in gear and pulled it forward. “But there’s a trick to get it to work.”

“Why didn’t you show me the trick? I’ve been sitting in the middle seat every time we go somewhere.”

Carson leaned toward me in his seat, his voice lowered. “I think you answered your own question.”

My jaw dropped, but despite how hard I tried, I was soon full-out smiling. “I can’t believe you.” I knocked my knee into Ben’s leg, and his hand landed on it, as if to block a second assault. Then it stayed. The warmth of it against my chilled, bare skin sent a shock of pleasure through me. And when his thumb brushed across my knee, I had to remind myself to breathe.

I chanced a glance at Ben, and his eyes met mine, a question in them. Was I okay with this? With my heart racing, I nodded.

By the time we got back to my mom’s, Carson seemed suddenly hesitant to leave us alone. It probably didn’t help that just last night, I’d pleaded with him to act as our chaperone. He thanked Ben for the ride, then paused before closing the door. “I’ll see you inside?”

“Yeah, I’ll be in soon.”

He hesitated another moment, as if waiting for me to give him some sort of signal, but when I didn’t, he gave a nod and shut the door.

My stomach lifted in anticipation. “So…” I unbuckled and shifted toward Ben. My only regret with the change of position was that his hand came off my knee, and he set his elbow on the top of the seat behind me. “That was a… fun night.”

Ben’s fingers grazed my cheek, moving a strand of hair behind my ear. “Yeah. It was… fun.”

“What are you doing tomorrow?”

“That depends.”

My brow lowered. “On what?”

“On what you’re doing. That’s what I plan to do. I mean, we are still trying to get that seventy-two hours knocked out.”

I smiled. “True.”

“So, what are we doing?”

“Going to church? My mom’s playing the organ.”

“I’m in. And then?”

I shrugged. “I don’t really have any plans besides hanging out with my family.”

“Which I’m also good with.” He paused, his expression hesitant. “How would you feel about dinner at my parents’ house tomorrow evening? Liv and Tate will be there, and so will Jaxon and Landrie. And Luke, obviously.”

“Sounds fun,” I said before I thought about it too much. I’d now been to the Walkers’ house, and I’d spoken with Tom and Ann, as well as all three brothers, several times over the last two days. It had been so nice to reconnect. And, like Ben had said, if what we were doing was making our divorce less awkward for our families and for us, it was worth it.

Ben smiled. Then I smiled.

Why did I feel like a fifteen-year-old girl about to get my first kiss?