“Actually, for you it’s an apology. But I figured you wouldn’t mind sharing.”
“Stop apologizing for that, Amy.” His voice was tight and held a warning.
She dropped her eyes and nodded. Ben didn’t seem to be holding a grudge, so she needed to let it go too.
“You’re not having any cake, Amy?” Hope asked as Amy settled in her seat.
“Um... I’m kind of full.” She’d eaten enough of this rich chocolate cake with Robert and Jake to last for months.
“I imagine she got her fill yesterday.” Ben gave her a sly grin as he took a bite of cake. His eyes closed in appreciation.
Amy’s cheeks burned. Ben’s parents exchanged amused glances across the table.
“So, did Robert tell you everything about my visit?” Amy kept her voice casual, pretending James and Hope weren’t there.
Ben’s eyes twinkled. He smiled, and that shy dimple appeared, causing Amy’s heart to stumble. “Enough to know he agrees with me. Now I know it’s not just me.”
The heat in Amy’s cheeks caused her eyes to burn. She resisted the urge to hide her face behind her hands. “Let me guess,” Amy said. “You talked to Jake too?”
His gaze held hers as he gave her a slow nod. “I agree. He’s not fat. But perfect? Really?” Then the amusement in his eyes bubbled out in a chuckle.
Amy’s pulse raced despite her humiliation. She loved Ben’s laugh. Too bad it was because she’d made a fool of herself. Again. She folded her arms on the table and dropped her head onto them with a groan.
“Is something wrong, dear?”
She raised her head and glanced at Hope, then she turned to James. They were enjoying her discomfort as much as Ben. Or maybe they were enjoying Ben’s amusement. Is this what he’d been like before tragedy struck his life?
She asked James, “Do they make a drug that can prevent people from saying stupid stuff they’ll regret?”
Ben and his parents chuckled.I’m glad I can provide such comic relief.
Ben put a hand to his chest. “Stupid, huh? I think I’m offended.”
She’d told him on more than one occasion he was good looking, and now he pretended to take offense because she regretted saying it aloud. He was enjoying this too much. She glared at him across the table. Then her eyes shifted to the cake in the center and an idea struck her.
A horrible idea.
A very unladylike idea, but once the idea struck, she couldn’t stop herself. She reached out and swiped a chunk of frosting off the cake with her middle finger. A shiver of anticipation rippled through her as she bent her finger, wrapped her thumb around it, and aimed at Ben’s smug face across the table. Releasing her finger with force, she let the frosting fly.
It hit Ben square in his dimple.
His eyes widened, Hope gasped, and James chuckled. She wasn’t sure who she surprised more—Ben, his parents, or herself.
She couldn’t believe she’d had the audacity to do that, let alone in front of his parents. A tense moment of silence settled over the room as Ben stared at her. Then he started laughing—a rich, full-bodied sound that made Amy tingle all over.
James and Hope joined in the laughter, and so did Amy. Hearing Ben’s laughter made her happy.
His eyes held hers, and she envisioned cleaning the frosting off for him. She licked her suddenly dry lips, willing the warmth in her abdomen not to travel to her cheeks. With his eyes never leaving hers, Ben wiped the frosting from his face and licked his finger. He smiled, but the wicked gleam in his eyes made her fear retaliation.
“Where did you learn that trick?” James asked.
Amy turned to James, grateful for the excuse to tear her gaze away from Ben’s. “When things were slow at the bar, the other waitresses and I used to have contests flipping peanuts into shot glasses at the opposite end of the bar.”
“I imagine you stayed pretty busy on Friday and Saturday nights though, didn’t you?” Ben said, biting back another smile. “Speaking of which, are you busy this weekend?”
Amy reached for the cake again, but he laughed and pulled it away.
“Okay, I’m done. I’m sorry.” He fought to control his laughter. “Except... do you need me to babysit?”
