“Right,” I whispered against the clenching feeling in my chest. “Good friends.”
My dad appeared behind me suddenly. “Matthew Ferris,” he all but shouted. He stuck his hand in Ben’s face and exerted his lifetime of distinguished authority figure. “I hear you’re the one we have to thank for the driveway.”
Ben graciously shook my dad’s hand. “Ben Tyler. It’s nice to meet you, Matthew.”
“And what do you do for a living, Ben?”
“Really, dad?”Ben was never going to talk to me again after this morning. If he hadn’t thought of me as a head case before this moment, then he would have no choice but to now.
But Ben was apparently used to crazy people. He gave my dad a charming smile and said, “I’m a lawyer.”
That settled dad down some. But I still felt the need to explain, “Ben’s dad is going to retire in a few years, so Ben is transitioning to take over their firm.”
“Oh,” my dad muttered, unable to come up with a legitimate reason to hate Ben based on his occupation. “Well, that’s… good for you, son. I’ll just go find your mother now, Elizabeth, and see what she’s up to.”
“Good idea, Dad.”
“Nice to meet you, Ben.”My dad practically ran into the kitchen.
“Are your parents scouting me?” His earlier irritation had disappeared and been replaced with his usual amusement.
I shivered and looked toward the kitchen. “Somethinglikethat. I haven’t mentioned you before; I think they’re beyond curious.”
He let out a frustrated sigh that made me turn to meet his dark gaze. “Have I told you before that you can be aggravating?”
“Once or twice.”
“Will I see you at all this week?”
I shook my head and stared into my coffee, ignoring the sinking feeling in my stomach. “My parents are staying with me through NewYears.”
“Mmm,” he acknowledged. “I’d better get back to shoveling. And you should get out of this cold.”
I looked up and braved his warm gaze. “I’m going to miss wine night,” I whispered.
His eyes heated up and whatever tension had been left from our awkwardness earlier floated away.“Call or text me.I, at least, want to hear that you remembered to buy milk.”
My heart jumped in my chest. “Miss me that much?”
“Miss you more than that much.”
My lips parted in surprise, but as usual he left me to stare after him. He readjusted his scarf to cover his mouth and walked back to his shovel.
I hurried inside, suddenly aware of how cold I was. I carried my cooled coffee back to the kitchen and rinsed it out in the sink. I had just started a new cup when I felt my parents’ presence fill up the space behind me.
“He’s your neighbor?” My mother’s voice sounded incredibly suspicious.
I turned around to face the inquiry. What were they thinking about me? I immediately imagined the worst.
What kind of woman made friends with other men nine months after her husband died? What kind of woman flirted with another man nine months after her husband died?
I winced internally. Not a good woman. I knew that much.
“Yes, my neighbor. He moved in a few months ago. He’s been… honestly, he’s been great. The kids love him. He’s helped out so much. I just… he’s just a really nice guy.”
“He seems like a nice guy,” my mom admitted softly. “He also seems very interested in you.”
My dad looked between the two of us, carefully gaging our tension. His heavy arm wrapped around my shoulders and he pulled me into the sanctuary of his embrace. This was the safest place I knew of now that Grady was dead and I couldn’t help but feel small and childish wrapped in my daddy’s arms. But it was a good feeling. “He’d be crazy not to be interested in you.”
