“And he wasn’t mad about it?”
“Not at all. Cole is easygoing. He’s my uncle, so I know him pretty well. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Thank you for asking him,” Jessi said, a smile briefly brightening her thin features. “I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
With a little wave, Jessi turned and headed for the doors. Amelia watched her go, wondering what her story was.
As she’d dealt with her own issues over the past couple of years, she’d become aware of how privileged her childhood had been. She might have had a stressful life, but it had been a stress she’d chosen and even welcomed.
But through it all, she’d had a supportive family. They might not have been wealthy in the way Ben’s family was, but there had always been food on the table, clean clothes, and a home full of love.
Jessi seemed to have the weight of the world on her shoulders, and Amelia felt for her. At least she was trying her best to still be a part of something she enjoyed.
Maybe the clinic was a bright spot in her life. Amelia glanced toward the door and spotted Ben talking with one of the teens.
And maybe it had become a bright spot in hers too.
The next day, her pain was marginally better. Enough so that she seriously considered accepting Ben’s invitation to hang out at the estate.
However, in the end, she declined. Again. This time it wasn’t so much her physical state but her mental one.
She was worried about getting too attached to Ben. About enjoying their time together too much.
He was offering friendship, and while that might be okay for the moment, she was already feeling the tug of desire for more.
She wouldn’t be doing herself any favors in her current situation if she allowed herself to fall in love with Ben, the man, as opposed to the love she still harbored for Benji, the teen.
He’d actually looked disappointed when she turned him down again, and for a moment, it had almost made her reconsider.
“Is there an evening this week that you might be available?”
“Available?” Amelia rubbed her arms. “For what?”
“I thought maybe we could go into Coeur d’Alene and catch a show at the theater?”
“The musical theater?” she asked.
“Yep. I checked and they have a show going on right now.”
“Which show?”
Ben’s brow furrowed. “I can’t remember the name. It had to do with stuff that happened in Newfoundland on 9-11.”
“A musical? About that time? That sounds like an odd mix.”
“Yeah, it does,” Ben agreed. “But I think it might still be good.”
“Why?”
“Why do I think it might still be good?”
“No.” Amelia shifted on her seat behind the table. “Why do you want to go to a musical? Are you bored or something?”
Ben’s expression turned thoughtful, and he leaned his shoulder against the wall, crossing his arms. “It’s not that I’m bored. It’s more that I’d like to… spend some time with you.”
Butterflies fluttered in Amelia’s stomach. She swallowed, then rubbed her hand on her arm. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
