Bennett (On the Line Book 2)(34)

“He’s cute as can be,” Mom said. “Tall. Over six feet. Very muscular. Dark brown hair and the nicest brown eyes. And his smile—”

“Mom,” I said, interrupting her. “I don’t want to talk about him now. I wasn’t ready for either of you to meet him, but you were here unexpectedly.”

“Will he be spending Christmas with us?”

“Great idea,” Liam said, arching his brows. “You should invite him over, Charlie. He and I can chat while I carve the turkey.”

“We’ll see.”

We definitely wouldn’t see. I wouldn’t be pressured into telling Liam about Bennett. His insistence only made me want to hold out longer.

“I just think it’s strange that you’re keeping him such a secret,” Liam said. “If he’s manning up like you say he is, he needs to meet your family.”

“You know what?” James said. “This is about the best chicken and noodles I’ve ever had.”

“Oh, thank you,” my mom said. “I’m looking forward to cooking for all of you while I’m here.”

“And how long might that be?” I asked.

She shrugged. “At least through Christmas. I’ll just share your bed.”

Great. There would truly be no escape.

I finished my dinner and feigned exhaustion, going to bed early. I needed time to process this day. Between Riley calling me a whore, apologizing, and apparently deciding he wanted to marry me, and my mom’s surprise visit, I was drained.

I climbed into bed, pulled the covers over my head and looked at my phone in the darkness.

Bennett: You know you taste like peanut M&M’s?

I smiled and wrote back.

Me: Sorry, they’re my bad habit.

Bennett: I thought I was your bad habit. ;)

Me: Well, I’ll admit you are habit-forming.

Bennett: As are you, gorgeous girl.

Me: I went to bed early to escape my family. What are you doing?

Bennett: Laundry. Have to put it all away so your brother doesn’t flip his Type A shit.

Me: I wish you didn’t have to leave tomorrow.

Bennett: Me too. I’ll be home Thursday night. I’ll come see you if your mom’s gone.

Me: She won’t be.

Bennett: Guess I won’t see you til the Friday morning dr. appt then.

Me: At the appt after this one, we get to find out if it’s a boy or a girl.

Bennett: I can’t wait.

Me: Me either. Guess I better try to sleep so my mom doesn’t find out I was blowing her off.

Bennett: Goodnight, Char. Dream about me.

Me: I just might. Goodnight.





Bennett

A kid sat next to me in the waiting room of Charlotte’s obstetrician’s office, his finger jammed up his nose. He kept digging around, pulling his finger out, glancing at it to see if he’d found anything, and then going back in. All while staring at me.

“Eli, don’t pick your nose,” his very pregnant mother said, looking at her phone.

The room was packed with women, babies, and a few men. An infant bundled up in a pink car seat carrier across from me made a cooing sound, and her mother stroked a finger across her chubby cheek and cooed back.

I’d totally be that dad. My dad had been hands-on, and I wanted to be the same way.

“Hey,” Charlotte said, unbuttoning her coat as she approached me. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, and I couldn’t resist standing up to kiss her.

“Hey,” I said. “How are you?”

“Pretty good. I’m gonna go check in.”

I sat back down and looked over at the kid next to me. He’d switched nostrils but was still staring at me.

We got called back before Charlotte was able to sit down by me. A nurse checked her weight and blood pressure, and then we were left alone to wait for the doctor.

“Ever done it in a doctor’s office?” I asked her, grinning.

“No, but I could use the stress relief right now.”

“What’s going on?”

She sighed deeply. “Just my mom. Michael cheated on her and went on a trip with his mistress. She’s agonizing over whether to leave him.”

“Why?”

“Exactly.” Charlotte waved her hands in the air for effect. “It’s a miracle I ended up with any sense of self-worth, because she has none. She says she’s worried about finding another man at her age. And when I tell her she doesn’t need a man, she looks at me like I just grew a second head.”

I was about to respond when she switched subjects.

“And then . . . then she had the nerve to tell me I needed to lock things down with you before I get much bigger with this pregnancy. Yeah, I have to wear elastic pants now. You think I don’t know I’m showing? And that I’ll end up waddling before this is over?”

“You’ll still be hot, babe.”

She scoffed and folded her arms across her chest. “Don’t patronize me.”

“I’m not.”

“Why does she think I need to lock you down? Like I can’t handle things without a big, strong man to do the heavy lifting?”

“Char—”

The door to the room opened and Dr. Lansing stepped in.