at the intent expression on his face. It was just coffee, she chided herself and shrugged. “Why not?”
“So, how do you feel about living in such a small town?” Benjamin asked after they sat at a small table in the local coffee shop.
“I’m okay with it for now,” Vivian said. “I’m still telecommuting with my firm in Atlanta and will have to return for some major events. Eventually I’ll need to cut the ties. I’m actually kinda glad to get away from the big city.”
“Really?” he asked and took a long draw from his cup. “You didn’t like Atlanta?”
“I did and didn’t,” she said. “Who would love that traffic? At the same time, I loved the sense of history and culture. I was raised in Richmond, so of course I loved that city.”
“Why not go back to Richmond?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Oh, no. No. My mother lives there and that would be an invitation to...well...insanity, in the worst way.”
“That bad?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes. Well, she’s quite the perfectionist.” She took a breath. “But enough about me. I still can’t figure out why you didn’t go pro with football.”
“My mom was sick.”
“I heard about that. I’m sorry. But after that,” she said. “Couldn’t you have gone pro after that?”
“I had other obligations by then,” he said, his expression moody.
“Do you wish you had continued playing?”
He shrugged. “Depends on the day. Mostly not. It would have been physical torture. Why all the questions?”
She laughed. “My first opportunity. I barely got to talk with you when we were teens.”
He chuckled and seems to relax just a smidge. “Yeah, that’s true. Speaking of getting to know you, I’m glad you’re fixing the lodge, but I’m wondering if you decided to take on fixing Honeymoon Lodge out of obligation,” he said.
She thought about that for a moment, then shook her head. “No. Not for the most part. I think we’re not ready to let go of our memories and what we experienced here. It took the fire to bring back how important those memories are to us. At the same time, we want to make it better for those who are new visitors to the lodge. It’s tricky.”
“Yeah, I guess so. If you want it to be more than a fishing and hunting lodge,” he said.
“We do,” she said. “We think you can still enjoy the lake and the scenery even if you don’t hunt or fish.”
“Because you don’t like worms,” he added with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“Or crawdads,” she said. “The lake and the mountains are still beautiful. A walk along the lake will rejuvenate you,” she said.
“Even if you hate worms,” he said.
She glowered at him. “Yes. Even if you hate worms. Or cocky men who need to be taken down a notch.”
“You couldn’t be speaking of me,” he said.
“Of course not,” she lied.
He laughed loudly, and she really liked him for it.
“Viv, you have a lot more kick than I thought you would,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “Benjamin, how could you expect anything less from Jedediah Jackson’s daughter? My middle name is Monterey after the aircraft carrier. Eleven battle stars. My father was determined we wouldn’t be wussy women, and he was big on Navy history. Each of our middle names is from an aircraft carrier. As for me, I’ve tripped and fallen a few times, but I’ve gotten back up.”
Benjamin’s eyes widened. “Monterey,” he echoed. “I’m impressed. Does that mean I can call you Monty?”
“Only if you want me to clock you,” she said.
“I’m bigger than you are,” he said.
“I’ll catch you when you’re sleeping,” she returned.
“I can only hope,” he said. “If you catch me when I’m sleeping, that means you’ll be sleeping with me.”
A shiver rushed through her, all the way through her core. “Well, that’s not going to happen,” she said, because it couldn’t and shouldn’t. She might have been playing with the idea of flirting with Benjamin, but something inside her told her Benjamin was trouble for her. He appeared to be a pillar of the community and an all-around great guy, but for her, he could be big, big trouble. He could be a distraction to her and she wasn’t ready for that kind of distraction, especially now that she needed to focus on the lodge.
Benjamin walked her to her car. She took a deep breath and searched for her sanity. “Thanks for your help with the fixtures. And especially your recommendation for an electrician who can do speedy work,” she said.
“Glad I could help,” he said, leaning toward her.
She instinctively held her breath. “Thanks again,” she managed.
“Let’s get together again. Saturday,” he said. It wasn’t a question.
Vivian bit her lip and shook her head. “I don’t think that will work,” she said.
“Monday?” he asked.
Her lungs seemed to compress, and she shook her head again. “I’m not sure this is a good idea,” she managed.
“What’s not a good idea?” he asked.
“You and me,” she said.
“Maybe we could finally get to know each other,” he said, lowering his head.
He took her mouth in a kiss.
Vivian pulled back. “You have got to stop this,” she whispered and walked away, her body in complete chaos.
* * *
Vivian huddled with Temple and Jillian on the screened-in porch. Temple was glued her laptop and Jillian was trying a new yoga pose. “I ordered fixtures with the help of Benjamin,” Vivian announced.
“How did that happen?” Temple asked, clearly suspicious. “Did you arrange to meet him?”
“I did not,” Vivian said and wished her cheeks wouldn’t heat. “He was at the hardware store and I took advantage of his expertise. Should I not have asked for his advice?”
Temple met her gaze. “Of course not. But I must ask, is he as hunky as ever?”
“I’d like
