Page 81 of Tight Ends & Tiaras
SIENNA
Ben’sback is ramrod straight as he maneuvers through the torrential thunderstorm that parted the skies a little while ago. By the time we got all of our stuff loaded in our SUV and Olly’s, we were soaked.
I shiver and reach over to the console. “Do you mind if I turn on the heat? I’m freezing.”
Ben jerks like he forgot I was in the passenger seat. “Yeah. Sure.”
After I flip on the heat, I check the backseat where Lily has conked out. I think the sound of the rain and the windshield wipers soothed her to sleep within a few minutes.
I turn to face Ben. “Do you want to talk about your conversation with your uncle?” I keep my voice low so we don’t wake the baby.
After Ben sequestered himself in the bedroom to talk to his uncle for almost half an hour, they agreed to meet up as soon as training camp allowed so they could discuss things in person, but Ben’s been in a bad mood since he got off that call.
“Not really.” His nostrils flare, but then he blows out a breath. “Tío Julio claims he didn’t know Lily was mine. That he only ever saw Janelle’s parents. That the last time he actually saw Janelle and the peanut, she was just, in his words, ‘an ugly, bald newborn.’” Ben shakes his head. “I don’t believe my kid was ever ugly. What the fuck?”
I hold back a chuckle because I doubt he’s in the mood to joke, but I love seeing how much he adores his daughter. “In your uncle’s defense, it is hard to tell what kids are going to look like when they’re fresh out of the oven.”
“Fresh outta the oven.” His lips tilt up, and he laughs. “You seem to have a way of making me feel better.”
I reach for his shoulder and smooth my hand up and down his arm. “You have the same effect on me, so I’m happy to return the favor.”
“God, sunshine, what would I do without you right now?”
His words make my heart pound. I need him too, but I don’t say the words. It’s frightening to need someone, and I can’t deny that I’m a little scared to want Ben in my life like this so soon in our relationship.
As much as I thought I needed Cal, we never spent any significant time together. He was always at practice, at games, with friends, at camps. I only got his leftovers. With Ben, even though we’re totally new and got together almost as a fluke, I feel like I matter to him in a way I never did to Cal.
The thought makes me grin as I stare out the window. We eventually make it back to Charming and wind through the quaint streets.
I love this town and its sometimes sleepy vibe. Everything looks so sweet and welcoming, from the adorable awnings above the restaurants along the main drag to the flowerbeds that decorate so many windows. This place is one of the reasons I’m so reluctant to move back to California.
But the smile drops off my face when we get back to my house, and we find the front door open.
Especially when Ben and I are the only two people who have the keys.
“Wait here.” Ben’s commanding voice stops me before I can unstrap my seatbelt.
“Don’t go in there—” I call out as his door slams shut. “By yourself.”
He pops open the trunk, rummages around in the back, and stomps up the front steps with a baseball bat slung over his shoulder.
I dig out my phone and call Olly. “Can you guys come over? We think someone broke into my house.”
The phone clicks, and I don’t need Olly’s confirmation to know he’s on his way. Not five seconds later, he and Johnny are charging out of their house and across the street. I point to my porch, and they race in.
I chew on my nail as I watch all of the lights flip on. A few minutes later, Ben jogs out, his face thunderous.
I hop out of the car. “What happened?”
“I’m so sorry.” He rakes his hands through his hair.
“Oh, my God, you’re freaking me out. What?”
He takes me into his arms. “Someone ransacked your room. All of your things are trashed.”
I jerk out of his arms and race into my house, surprised to find my living room in one piece.
That nice flatscreen sits unscathed.
