came and removed their scorching pot of cheese, replaced it with a fragrant broth. He presented the plate of meats they’d ordered—shrimp, fillet, tuna, and rib eye. Though it was raw now, Jenna knew it'd be delicious once it was placed in the steamy, flavored broth.
After the instructions were explained—steaks cook for one to two minutes, tuna and shrimp for one—Ben skewered a square of fillet, two shrimp. “Any siblings?"
Jenna nodded, put her own choices on the forks, set them in the boiling liquid. “Alisha. Oil and water again.” She smiled sheepishly. “Common theme in my family. She’s blonde, bubbly, beautiful. I’m,” she glanced down at herself, puffed out a laugh, "not.”
Ben raised a suspicious brow. “Who told you that lie?”
“Hmm,” Jenna eyed him over the rim of her wine glass, “sweet again.”
She dipped a shrimp in the recommended sauce, tasted, approved. “I’ll admit I’m no Hunchback, but compared to Alisha I might as well have been. My parents favored her. The baby. The blonde, blue-eyed girl with curls. She’s sweet, sunny, the perfect picture for two people that value perception much more than reality.
“I had plenty of traits my parents appreciated, too—politeness, intelligence, ambitiousness—and plenty that made them bristle. I'm guessing that feisty, sarcastic, and outspoken, with an opinion to boot, weren’t on their list of favorites.”
As she sighed, waved it all away with a resigned laugh, Ben reached across the table, grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Sounds like you know yourself and your talents pretty well. I’d say that’s a big accomplishment in and of itself. Most people don’t have a clue who they are.”
She relaxed, smiled, enjoying the warmth of his hand over hers, loving the comfort and solidarity of the gesture. “I’m working on it. Still have a long way to go. And now that I’ve painted a quite pitiable picture of myself, what about you?” She grinned widely. “Just you and Joseph?”
At the mention of his brother’s name, Ben’s face changed. He cleared his throat, took a swallow of wine before answering.
“Just us. Though, like you, I’m not sure how much us there is right now.”
“Do you know where he is, Joseph?”
“I don’t. It’s a bit of a mystery to us all, to be honest. He, apparently, doesn’t want family, or help, to get through whatever he’s gotta get through. Not sure why you’d run and stay away from those who know and love you best. But I’m not him. Am I?”
Seeing a rise in temper for the first time since meeting him, Jenna kept herself busy with the spread of food as Ben took a knife, buttered bread. While she spooned potato wedges into the pot, Ben said, “He’s a good guy, going through a rough patch, my brother."
She looked in his eyes, that fascinating, sparkling green, and had the urge to throw her arms around him. Sure he didn’t need it, the big, burly man, but deep down, wouldn’t he appreciate it? He would know she cared.
And suddenly, all at once, she did care. So much. About Ben, about this night, and about those possibilities he promised.
She smiled at him, softly, sweetly, with understanding. “We’ve all been there at some time or other. You say he’s a good man. Heidi says the same. He'll come around.”
When he returned the smile—a slow, sexy curving of his lips—once again reached to envelope her hand with his, her belly did that flop again. Her heart began the now familiar flutter.
“If you say so, Doc.”
She yanked her hand from his, swatted. “Oh, stop.”
When the stocky waiter returned, asked if they needed anything else, Jenna rubbed her hands together, looked at Ben eagerly. “Know what I’m excited about?”
“What’s that?”
“The chocolate fondue. It can be sexy, if you’re in the right company.” She grinned giddily. "And finally, I’m here with the right company.”
Ben let out a rich laugh that layered atop her already full barrel of
After the instructions were explained—steaks cook for one to two minutes, tuna and shrimp for one—Ben skewered a square of fillet, two shrimp. “Any siblings?"
Jenna nodded, put her own choices on the forks, set them in the boiling liquid. “Alisha. Oil and water again.” She smiled sheepishly. “Common theme in my family. She’s blonde, bubbly, beautiful. I’m,” she glanced down at herself, puffed out a laugh, "not.”
Ben raised a suspicious brow. “Who told you that lie?”
“Hmm,” Jenna eyed him over the rim of her wine glass, “sweet again.”
She dipped a shrimp in the recommended sauce, tasted, approved. “I’ll admit I’m no Hunchback, but compared to Alisha I might as well have been. My parents favored her. The baby. The blonde, blue-eyed girl with curls. She’s sweet, sunny, the perfect picture for two people that value perception much more than reality.
“I had plenty of traits my parents appreciated, too—politeness, intelligence, ambitiousness—and plenty that made them bristle. I'm guessing that feisty, sarcastic, and outspoken, with an opinion to boot, weren’t on their list of favorites.”
As she sighed, waved it all away with a resigned laugh, Ben reached across the table, grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Sounds like you know yourself and your talents pretty well. I’d say that’s a big accomplishment in and of itself. Most people don’t have a clue who they are.”
She relaxed, smiled, enjoying the warmth of his hand over hers, loving the comfort and solidarity of the gesture. “I’m working on it. Still have a long way to go. And now that I’ve painted a quite pitiable picture of myself, what about you?” She grinned widely. “Just you and Joseph?”
At the mention of his brother’s name, Ben’s face changed. He cleared his throat, took a swallow of wine before answering.
“Just us. Though, like you, I’m not sure how much us there is right now.”
“Do you know where he is, Joseph?”
“I don’t. It’s a bit of a mystery to us all, to be honest. He, apparently, doesn’t want family, or help, to get through whatever he’s gotta get through. Not sure why you’d run and stay away from those who know and love you best. But I’m not him. Am I?”
Seeing a rise in temper for the first time since meeting him, Jenna kept herself busy with the spread of food as Ben took a knife, buttered bread. While she spooned potato wedges into the pot, Ben said, “He’s a good guy, going through a rough patch, my brother."
She looked in his eyes, that fascinating, sparkling green, and had the urge to throw her arms around him. Sure he didn’t need it, the big, burly man, but deep down, wouldn’t he appreciate it? He would know she cared.
And suddenly, all at once, she did care. So much. About Ben, about this night, and about those possibilities he promised.
She smiled at him, softly, sweetly, with understanding. “We’ve all been there at some time or other. You say he’s a good man. Heidi says the same. He'll come around.”
When he returned the smile—a slow, sexy curving of his lips—once again reached to envelope her hand with his, her belly did that flop again. Her heart began the now familiar flutter.
“If you say so, Doc.”
She yanked her hand from his, swatted. “Oh, stop.”
When the stocky waiter returned, asked if they needed anything else, Jenna rubbed her hands together, looked at Ben eagerly. “Know what I’m excited about?”
“What’s that?”
“The chocolate fondue. It can be sexy, if you’re in the right company.” She grinned giddily. "And finally, I’m here with the right company.”
Ben let out a rich laugh that layered atop her already full barrel of
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