Page 96 of Resisting the Fall

He turned to face me, shoving his hands in his pockets, likely to combat the cold. “My mom felt awful about having to cancel dinner today, so she wanted me to invite you to lunch tomorrow. It would just be my parents and us, though.”

“We do need to eat a meal together.”

“We do.”

I pulled my blanket more snuggly around me, refusing to shiver. “As long as you’re up for it after the crazy day you had.” I’d been impressively patient, but now that we were alone, I needed to know what had delayed him.

He nodded, like he knew the question was coming. “I spent the day at the farm, helping change locks and making sure the farmhouse and surrounding structures were secure.”

My brow creased. “That’s oddly cryptic.”

Ben huffed a breathy laugh, but he looked undecided on whether he wanted to tell me whatever it was he wasn’t saying. “No one is supposed to know this, but Liv Rawlins has a stalker. The reason she’s staying at my parents’ is because Tate is her bodyguard.”

My mouth parted. I’d assume Ben was kidding, but his serious expression made it clear he wasn’t. “Okay. That’s not what I expected you’d say.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t, but it’s also nothing you need to worry about.”

I nodded. My friend Katie had had a stalker in New York. He’d left notes at her door, along with small presents and flowers. It was definitely unsettling, but she’d moved and that had thankfully been the end of it. Hopefully, with Liv being in Autumn Ridge, the same thing would happen. “And here I was thinking Tate and Liv had a thing for each other.”

Ben smiled. “They’re pretty convincing.”

We stood a moment in the quiet.

“So… tomorrow?” I resisted reaching out for Ben’s hand. Adequate circulation had never been my body’s main concern, so I didn’t need him to feel how cold my fingers already were. “Should we plan something else in addition to lunch? Because we’re never going to get those seventy-two hours at this rate.”

“Did you have something in mind?”

“Maybe you could give me a tour of your shop? I haven’t been there since Wally owned it, and I want to see all the changes you’ve made.”

Ben smiled the sweetest smile, which made me regret not asking before now. “That can definitely be arranged,” he said. “Maybe we could also do dinner once I’m off?”

“And go for a drive?”

“I’d like that.”

I bit at my lip, attempting to prevent my giddy smile from surfacing. “Me too.”

We stood there again, weirdly uncertain how to proceed.

Then Ben took a step back. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then?”

“Are you not going to kiss me?” I blurted like an idiot who forgot to take her brain off speaker phone.

Ben’s mouth quirked upward at the corners. “Did you want me to kiss you?”

I gave a small huff. “Not if you don’t want to.”

That was all it took. Ben was suddenly in front of me again, one hand sliding behind my neck and tilting my head back, the other slipping beneath the blanket and wrapping around my waist, pulling me toward him. Then his lips were on mine and mine were on his. And I was melting into him. His kiss was so familiar and achingly perfect, and I suddenly wondered how I’d gone this long without it. I wanted to weep at the thought. Instead, I sighed in contentment and simply soaked up every movement and sensation.

Eventually, our kiss slowed, then, regrettably, stopped.

With our foreheads pressed together and our chests rising and falling, I gave a knowing smile. “So, that just happened.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, it did. And I should probably head home to make sure that’s all that happens.”

Right. We didn’t need to have any regrets at the end of this. At least we were on the same page there.

“Besides”—he took hold of my hands, his calloused skin rough against mine—“your fingers are freezing. You should probably get back inside.”