It came as no surprise to Ben that over the next couple of days, Amelia kept her distance from him. Her responses to his texts had been brief and, to some degree, felt dismissive.
It was a bit discouraging, but at the same time, he understood. He knew she was scared of what her future held, and he didn’t blame her for that.
Ben just wished she understood that she didn’t have to carry her health concerns alone. He would be there for her, and he knew that his family would be too.
On Friday afternoon, he swung by the church as five o’clock neared. It was his hope that Amelia would be willing to hang out for a bit. Maybe have dinner together.
He’d spent the day making some arrangements in the off-chance that Amelia agreed to spend the evening with him. He was very much prepared for her to say no, and he wouldn’t pressure her if that was her response.
There were still three cars in the parking lot when he got there, one of which was Amelia’s. He parked next to it, then got out, leaving Luca in the SUV to wait for him.
He went around to the side door, then stepped into the cool silence of the hallway of the church.
Hearing the distant murmur of voices, Ben headed toward the office. When he got there, he found a man about his age speaking with Amelia.
Ben didn’t recognize him, but the smile on the man’s face as he talked to Amelia sent a swirl of jealousy through him. It was an unfamiliar feeling, and one he didn’t like very much.
As he stepped into the office, Amelia turned to face him. When she saw him, a smile bloomed across her face.
“Well, I guess I understand now,” the man said with a chuckle.
Ben looked at the guy. “What’s that?”
“I understand now why Amelia keeps turning me down,” he said.
Amelia gave a cough, and Ben glanced at her to see a flush of pink on her cheeks.
Focusing back on the stranger, Ben fixed him with a look. “You’ve asked Amelia out on a date?”
The guy grinned as he crossed his arms. “Only once a month for the past few months.”
“Once a month?” Ben said. “You’re not very persistent.”
“And you’ve asked her out more frequently?”
“We used to date in high school,” Ben said. “She’s already said yes to me.”
“Gentlemen?” the pastor said as he came out of his office. “Did I miss the memo about a meeting?”
“No, you didn’t,” Amelia said, getting up from her desk.
“Well, I’m going to head off,” the other man said, then gave Amelia a grin. “See you around.”
“How are you doing, Ben?” the pastor asked, holding out his hand. “It’s been nice having you around this summer.”
“I’m good,” Ben said. “And I’m really enjoying being here, spending more time with my family.”
“I’m sure your parents are happy to have you around. Your mom has frequently mentioned that she wished you lived here.”
“Yes. I hear that a lot from both of them.”
“Was there a reason you stopped by today?” the pastor asked, glancing at Amelia, then back at Ben.
“Yes, I stopped by to chat with Amelia.”
The pastor smiled at Amelia. “You’re a popular one today.”
“Seems that way,” Amelia agreed.
