Bentley (Hawthorne Brothers Book One)(12)

“You can feel free to say no, or that it’s too soon, but my cousin is getting married soon, in about two months, and she’s already wanting my RSVP and getting on me about it. I don’t have a date, and because things have been going well between us, I was wondering if you’d want to go with me. I know we aren’t like together or anything, and we’ve only been out a few times, but yeah, I just thought I’d ask,” he said.

The tension and nerves in my stomach immediately died as I smiled a bit, causing him to smile, as I looked at him and forgot to give him an answer. Did he just do what I thought he did? I thought so.

“Hello?” he asked playfully, waving his hand in front of my frozen face.

“Yes, I’ll go with you! I’d be honored to,” I said.

“Are you sure? My family will be there, and they’ll probably grill you a little on who you are and all that,” he said.

“That doesn’t bother me at all,” I said with a grin from ear to ear.

“Great, then I’ll figure out the meal selection and let you know,” he said before the appetizer came out.

I ordered the bacon cheeseburger with extra pickles, and he ordered a bleu cheese burger with bacon, as well as steak fries instead of regular ones. He said he liked them thick, and after that night with him, I had to say I did too.

“Have a lot to do tonight?” he asked, after we’d finished eating our meals and were just sitting around talking.

“Nope. I did all that I needed to do earlier. Pretty much just going home, I guess, and that’s it,” I said.

“Want to do something? I don’t feel like I’ve gotten enough time with you tonight,” he said.

“Yeah, what were you thinking?” I asked as I felt my cheeks getting warmer.

“Anything at all is fine by me. Maybe we could get some ice cream?” he asked.

“In this weather?” I asked.

“Yeah, why not? We’re not eating it outside or anything,” he said.

“Okay, then let’s go. I’m down,” I said.

Bentley left some bills on the table and picked up his coat as I got up and he helped me into mine. Why was this man such a mystery? He could be a savage in the bedroom, mysterious when talking, and at the same time such a gentleman, coming to my door, paying for dates, and helping me put on my coat. He was this mystery that I so badly wanted to solve.

The ice cream shop was empty, one of those where they have the mixing spoons and a slab of frost-covered granite that they mix it on. I rarely went to these, as the prices were a little high, but I guess they did taste really good—a lot better than the cheap places.

“What can I get you two tonight?” the worker asked from behind the counter.

“I’ll just take two scoops of chocolate in a waffle cone,” I said.

“Certainly, and you?” he asked, looking at Bentley.

“I’ll have the same, but with vanilla instead of chocolate,” he said.

“Not a chocolate boy?” I asked.

“It’s okay, but I love vanilla. Besides, we have kind of a yin-and-yang type of thing going on here,” he said.

“Does that mean that we, you know, have to be together?” I asked.

“Maybe it does. I guess it helps that we like each other,” he said.

“Oh, so you like me now?” I asked playfully.

“Now? I have since we met,” he said.

“Yeah?” I asked as butterflies coursed through my system. I could feel myself blushing. “Why’s that?”

“Because you’re not like other girls. I guess I just know,” he said.

“What’s your favorite thing about me?” I asked.

“Physical or not?” he asked.

“Both,” I replied.

“Physically it’s your smile. It can brighten up even a dark room. For not physical, how kind you are. I think that’s very important, to be kind and to be around people who are. I like that about you,” he said.

“Yeah?” I asked, a little shocked that he was being so open.

“Yeah,” he replied, before the man gave us our cones.

I grabbed mine and took a lick as a family came in and Bentley and I walked to a table near the corner. The kids were jumping up and down, trying to see the candy add-ins, as their parents said they could each have only one and they better make it count.

“You have something,” Bentley said, pointing to my face.

I rubbed it, I guess not getting it off, before he leaned in and put his lips against the tip of my nose and got the chocolate off. I laughed, almost snorting a little, though I thankfully saved myself from that embarrassment. The little girl looked at me, smiling, as I smiled back and she turned around to give the man her order.

“You like kids?” Bentley asked.

“Yeah, I do. I hope to have some one day if I’m lucky,” I said.

“I think you’d make a good mom,” he said.

“Why’s that?” I asked, biting off some ice cream.

“You’re kind, considerate, and I just think you’d get along great with kids. There will probably be a bunch of them at the wedding, you know,” he said.

“Then it looks like I just made a bunch of new friends,” I said.

“I know they’d love that,” he said, smiling.

After ice cream, Bentley and I drove aimlessly around the town, using it as an excuse not to take me back home, as neither of us wanted the night to end. By far, it was the best date I’d ever had, and it made me extremely hopeful about the other dates we were going to have in the future. I think my confidence was peaking after he said what he did tonight. I knew things were going to be different with him. I knew they were going to be good.





Chapter Eleven



Bentley



I was scared.

A little over a week had passed and during that time I saw Anna three times, which was more than I’d ever seen a girl before. It was just so easy with her, and that was what scared me half to death. I knew that I liked her, and that I liked being around her, but I had no idea just how much I did. Not only that, but Candice had contacted me yet again, and this time I felt like I should tell Anna, even though we weren’t in a relationship yet. I just felt deceitful, like I was holding something back, even though I knew it was a bad idea to say anything. Still, I had to say something. I didn’t want to start off a relationship with lies.

I knew I wanted to ask her soon, to be my girlfriend that is. I still wanted to withhold her from my family, even if we did start dating, but I guess that was normal. In fact, the only girlfriend of my adult life I introduced to my family was Candice, and see how that went. I guess I just didn’t want to rush things. I wanted to make sure she and I were going to work before getting my family involved and having them get attached to her. I thought it was smart, anyway.

“How many serpentine belts do we have?” my dad asked from the front room.

“Uh, I counted twelve yesterday, and we have two jobs today, so ten,” I said.

“Okay, I’ll put in an order for some more. They should be here the day after tomorrow, I think,” he said.

“I wanted to talk to you more about the expansion,” I said as he looked over paperwork.

“What about it?” he asked.

“I really want to go forward with it, like you wanted to. I found a location, I think,” I said.

“Really? Where?” he asked with an increased tone of excitement in his voice.

“You know that old place on Mulberry and Stevenson? It used to be that chain auto place a few years back,” I said.

“Yeah, I know about it. Has the bays and everything,” he said.

“Yeah, five, which is plenty enough. I think the inside is also big enough, maybe about the size here, if not a tiny bit bigger. I think it would be a good foray into all this, but not going over the top. It’s also on the other side of town just about, so it’ll help out people closer to those areas. Might free up some room here,” I said.

“Yeah, it just might work. Is the place for sale?” he asked.

“It’s for lease, I know. I saw the sign recently. Maybe you can call and see?” I asked.

“Yeah, I’ll call tomorrow when I get in. A lease would work just fine, and let us get a feel for the area and how business would go before buying an entire building. Good find, Bentley,” he said.

“Driveway looking good?” I asked.

“Yeah, still dry and without any snow, although your mother has been tracking it into the house when she brings the groceries in. I tell that woman not to wear her boots inside, but she doesn’t listen. She does things the way she wants to do them and doesn’t take any suggestions from anybody,” he said.

“And that’s why we love her,” I said, laughing.

“That may be why you love her, but she scares the crap out of me,” he said with a smile.

“You two still having that dinner soon? The anniversary, right?” I asked.

“Yeah, this Sunday. Are you bringing anyone?” he asked, and I knew he was probing to see if I was still with Anna.

“Nope, coming alone. Probably can’t stay the entire time, either,” I said.

“No lady friend to bring?” he asked.

“It’s not the right time. I want to make sure we’re together and everything is good before I introduce her to everyone,” I said.