Bennett (On the Line Book 2)(68)

“Well, when you put it that way . . .”

“Look, I was a prick,” he continued. “I kind of knew it then, and I completely know it now. I feel like it’s my job to be protective of you.”

“I know.”

“But the truth is, Bennett’s one of the best men I’ve ever known. He used to chase women, but hell, we all did. He was single and never promised any of them anything more than he was willing to give. And with you . . . he changed. He loves you and Charlie more than anything.”

“I love him, too.”

Liam looked at me hopefully. “So, will you go?”

I swallowed hard, trying to create a quick mental pro/con list. But I came up short on cons.

“You don’t think I’m like Mom, chasing him because I’d feel incomplete without a man?”

Liam cracked a big smile. “You’re nothing like Mom. And it’s not just any man we’re talking about here; it’s the one who’d take a bullet for you. He deserves all of you.”

Slowly, I nodded. “You’re right. Liam, you’re so right. Can you come to the lumberyard with me?”

“Right now?”

“Right now.”



My heart raced as soon as I saw Bennett. He was in the lumberyard parking lot lifting long boards onto a flatbed cart, his gray T-shirt soaked with sweat.

“There he is,” I said to Liam. “Wish me luck.”

“Whoa, wait a minute. What do I do with him?” He gestured at Charlie’s car seat.

“If he cries, get him out of his seat and rock him.”

Liam’s eyes doubled in size. “The f*ck? I can barely hold him when I’m sitting still and you put him in my arms. I don’t want to drop him or something.”

“Okay, so just push those two green things to unlatch the carrier from the car and walk him around the parking lot if he cries. I won’t be long.”

Liam nodded uncertainly. “Walk him around. Okay.”

I got out of the car and walked toward Bennett. When he stood and saw me, he pulled his brows together and gave me a lopsided grin.

“Hey, babe. You lookin’ for some wood?”

I laughed and gave him a suggestive waggle of my brows. “Maybe. You got any?”

“For you? Always.”

He pulled the bottom of his T-shirt up to wipe his face, and I caught a glimpse of his defined abs. Also sweaty. Damn, I was a lucky woman.

“So I heard you were offered a pretty amazing opportunity this morning,” I said.

He gave me a puzzled look. “Did Orion talk to you?”

“No. Liam did. He overheard your conversation.”

Bennett rolled his eyes. “Overheard, my ass. Fucker was eavesdropping.”

“That’s not the point. The point is Chicago.”

He looked to the side, seeming to focus on the horizon. “Yeah, I’m not going. And it’s the right decision. Don’t try to change my mind. I can’t be in two places at once, and I choose to be here with you and Charlie.”

“I know, and I love you for that. But I choose Chicago.”

“What?”

“I want to go with you. The fact that you’d give that up, just because I’m neurotic and afraid of commitment . . . well, that tells me I’ve got the best kind of man there is. And I want us to go and chase your dream . . . together.”

“Together?” His eyes brightened with hope. “You mean you’ll live with me?”

I took in a deep breath and let it out. “Yes. And if you still want to get engaged . . .”

“If?”

He reached into his pocket and took out a small, black box.

“Oh my God, are you serious?” I covered my mouth with my hands.

“I keep it on me all the time just in case you’re in a yes mood.” He got down on one knee and opened the box. “It’s not much, because as you know . . . I’m broke. But that appears to be changing soon, so we’ll get you a new one.”

I managed to focus on the delicate, plain white gold band through my tears. “We will not. This one is absolutely perfect.”

“Is that a yes?”

“It’s a hell yes.”

His eyes glistened as he took the ring from the box and slipped it onto my finger. He wrapped his arms around my waist as he stood, spinning me in a circle.

“When will you marry me?” he asked softly. “Soon?”

“The first moment you’ll have me,” I said, repeating the words he’d said to me in the delivery room.

“I love you, Charlotte.”

I kissed him and closed my eyes, tears spilling over. “I love you, too. All these years I’ve been lost, but I didn’t even know it until I found you.”

He squinted at something over my shoulder. “Is that Liam? With Charlie?”

My brother was jogging around my parked car, Charlie’s car seat carrier resting in his outstretched arms so he could look into his face. Liam was making every eyebrow-raised, open-mouthed expression of glee he could come up with in an effort to make his nephew stop crying.

“He looks frantic,” Bennett said, clearly amused.

“He thinks Charlie crying is a life-or-death situation.”

“So we should ask him to babysit more, then.”