left, so were almost done for the day,” Mel said, as she moved on to refilling the napkins.
Mel spent the next half hour helping everyone keep up with the line. The Stingrays won the game, 13–9. They served a small crowd of last-minute customers, and then they cleaned up. Mel went to the front to lock the windows over the counter. She pulled on the two wooden doors of the first window, but they wouldn’t close all the way. She struggled with them for a minute before big, strong hands came around her and pulled them into place.
She didn’t need to turn around to know it was Bennett.
His body wasn’t pressed up against hers, but he surrounded her nonetheless. His arms brushed hers, the tiny little hairs tickling her, and the warmth of his skin spread across her body like wildfire.
“Thank you,” she said softly. She still did not turn to look at him.
“No problem,” he said close to her ear. He did not pull back.
She took out her keys to lock up but she fumbled with them, her hands unusually unsteady.
“Here.” He took the keys from her.
When he finished he took a step back. Mel turned and looked up into his face. He was still wearing his baseball cap, and even though his eyes were shadowed, they still showed a fair amount of heat. Heat that was directed at her.
What the hell? “What are you doing, Bennett?” she asked.
“With what?” he asked, reaching up and pushing a piece of hair back from her face.
“Did you get the doors?” Stu called out.
Mel looked over as Stu rounded the side of the building. He stopped short when he saw how close to each other she and Bennett were standing. Stu’s ears turned red as his eyes narrowed on Bennett. “Everything okay?” he asked, trying to look menacing. “Is this guy bothering you?”
The tension bubbling up in Mel’s chest eased, and she had to stop herself from laughing. Was Stu trying to intimidate Bennett? Bennett’s forearms were thicker than Stu’s thighs. Bennett would crush the guy in a second. “Everything’s fine,” she said, stepping back from Bennett. “He was just helping me.”
“Do you need help with the other one?” Bennett asked, pointing to the other open window above the counter.
“I got it.” Stu pulled at the wooden doors but he struggled to close them. His feet slid in the dirt as he tried to get a grip.
“You sure?” Bennett asked. Mel knew he was trying not to crack a smile.
“Yes,” Stu said as he continued to strain against the door. “You’re help isn’t needed here.”
“All right then.” Bennett gave Mel one last look, his mouth quirking up a bit. “I’ll see you later.”
“Later,” she said, biting her lip to keep from laughing.
As Mel watched him walk away, she wondered if there was any man more complicated than Bennett Hart.
* * *
So the little guy had a crush on Mel. Okay, no big deal. Bennett could handle a little competition, not that it was a competition or anything. No, this wasn’t going to be a problem. Not at all.
Except the thought of Mel with any other man annoyed Bennett.
No, it made him angry.
He didn’t want her with anyone else. He wanted her with him. He’d gone over to talk to her. He needed to explain himself. Apologize for the other night. Tell her he’d made a mistake. That he’d been wrong to freak out.
Simple enough, right?
False. It wasn’t simple at all. He’d failed. Struck out.
And she’d even given him an opening. She’d asked what he was doing. Yeah, he’d wanted her to clarify, but he was pretty sure she was talking about the two of them. Or what would be the two of them. If there ever was a chance for the two of them.
Damn, he’d never been this confused in his life.
But right before they’d been able to talk, the sweaty little man had come up and interrupted. And so Bennett had chickened out.
But not because of the sweaty little man.
It was because he had no freaking clue what he was doing with Mel. So it was about damn time he
Mel spent the next half hour helping everyone keep up with the line. The Stingrays won the game, 13–9. They served a small crowd of last-minute customers, and then they cleaned up. Mel went to the front to lock the windows over the counter. She pulled on the two wooden doors of the first window, but they wouldn’t close all the way. She struggled with them for a minute before big, strong hands came around her and pulled them into place.
She didn’t need to turn around to know it was Bennett.
His body wasn’t pressed up against hers, but he surrounded her nonetheless. His arms brushed hers, the tiny little hairs tickling her, and the warmth of his skin spread across her body like wildfire.
“Thank you,” she said softly. She still did not turn to look at him.
“No problem,” he said close to her ear. He did not pull back.
She took out her keys to lock up but she fumbled with them, her hands unusually unsteady.
“Here.” He took the keys from her.
When he finished he took a step back. Mel turned and looked up into his face. He was still wearing his baseball cap, and even though his eyes were shadowed, they still showed a fair amount of heat. Heat that was directed at her.
What the hell? “What are you doing, Bennett?” she asked.
“With what?” he asked, reaching up and pushing a piece of hair back from her face.
“Did you get the doors?” Stu called out.
Mel looked over as Stu rounded the side of the building. He stopped short when he saw how close to each other she and Bennett were standing. Stu’s ears turned red as his eyes narrowed on Bennett. “Everything okay?” he asked, trying to look menacing. “Is this guy bothering you?”
The tension bubbling up in Mel’s chest eased, and she had to stop herself from laughing. Was Stu trying to intimidate Bennett? Bennett’s forearms were thicker than Stu’s thighs. Bennett would crush the guy in a second. “Everything’s fine,” she said, stepping back from Bennett. “He was just helping me.”
“Do you need help with the other one?” Bennett asked, pointing to the other open window above the counter.
“I got it.” Stu pulled at the wooden doors but he struggled to close them. His feet slid in the dirt as he tried to get a grip.
“You sure?” Bennett asked. Mel knew he was trying not to crack a smile.
“Yes,” Stu said as he continued to strain against the door. “You’re help isn’t needed here.”
“All right then.” Bennett gave Mel one last look, his mouth quirking up a bit. “I’ll see you later.”
“Later,” she said, biting her lip to keep from laughing.
As Mel watched him walk away, she wondered if there was any man more complicated than Bennett Hart.
* * *
So the little guy had a crush on Mel. Okay, no big deal. Bennett could handle a little competition, not that it was a competition or anything. No, this wasn’t going to be a problem. Not at all.
Except the thought of Mel with any other man annoyed Bennett.
No, it made him angry.
He didn’t want her with anyone else. He wanted her with him. He’d gone over to talk to her. He needed to explain himself. Apologize for the other night. Tell her he’d made a mistake. That he’d been wrong to freak out.
Simple enough, right?
False. It wasn’t simple at all. He’d failed. Struck out.
And she’d even given him an opening. She’d asked what he was doing. Yeah, he’d wanted her to clarify, but he was pretty sure she was talking about the two of them. Or what would be the two of them. If there ever was a chance for the two of them.
Damn, he’d never been this confused in his life.
But right before they’d been able to talk, the sweaty little man had come up and interrupted. And so Bennett had chickened out.
But not because of the sweaty little man.
It was because he had no freaking clue what he was doing with Mel. So it was about damn time he
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