The Military Wife (A Heart of a Hero, #1)(50)

“He was Noah’s best friend. He was there when Noah was killed.”

“So, it’s complicated. Are you worried that your subconscious is substituting Bennett for Noah?”

She ran her hand through her hair, fisting the back. The two men were so different the thought hadn’t even been lurking in the shadows of her subconscious. “Well, I wasn’t, but now I am. Do you think I’m substituting?”

Her mother’s gesture was noncommittal. “He’s a very serious sort of man, isn’t he?”

“I suppose. He’s been through tough times.” Was her mom taking a dig at him? “But he can be funny, too. It’s just a dry sort of humor.”

“It wasn’t a criticism, dear.” Her mom peered over her glasses at Harper. “You can be rather serious yourself.”

Ben’s laughter peeled through the layers of confusion and uncertainty. Harper was on the cusp of huge changes, both terrifying and exciting. Part of her wanted to stay locked away in her safe gray house. It was comfortable. But was that fair to Ben? And to herself?

She picked up her martini and the beer and made her way back to the den. She stutter-stepped to a stop in the doorway. Bennett had a deck of cards and was performing a trick. Ben stood between his long legs, his hands on Bennett’s knees, their heads close.

Bennett fanned the cards out in his hand with a graceful dexterity that surprised her. The sight of them together hammered her heart. Underneath the pleasure of seeing the easy camaraderie between them was a morass of sadness. It should have been Noah mesmerizing Ben with card tricks.

“Is this the one?” Bennett pulled a card out of the middle and held it up for Ben to see.

“Yes!” More belly laughs from Ben followed. He ran over and grabbed the edge of her shirt to tug her over to Bennett. “He’s magic, Mama. Do her, Mr. Caldwell, do her.”

Naughty amusement twinkled in Bennet’s eyes, and she had to muffle laughter at Ben’s enthusiastic plea. The shared moment lowered her nerves from a boil to a simmer. She set the beer and martini down on the coffee table and fell to her knees next to Ben to put an arm around him. Bennett shuffled the cards like he was a professional Vegas dealer.

He fanned them out. “Pick one.”

Ben inched forward, pulling her with him until she was kneeling between Bennett’s long legs. She pulled a card out of his hands and hoped he didn’t notice the tremble of her fingers. The queen of hearts. Was the universe trying to give her a nudge?

“Memorize it and slip it back in.”

She returned it to a different spot. Ben’s attention wandered to Jack and he lay down next to the dog to rub his belly.

Bennett shuffled, his hands blunt instruments of beauty, and he shifted his knees closer as if caging her in. Her body buzzed with a different kind of high than alcohol.

“Is this your card?” He held up the queen of hearts. The intensity of his expression didn’t match what should have been a lighthearted card trick.

She nodded, took the card from him, and held it in both hands to keep herself from touching him. What if she inched forward and pulled him down to her? Confusion held her in place. Noah had been the first and only man she’d seriously dated, and despite having been married with a child, she felt her inexperience keenly.

Ben popped up next to her and plucked the card out of her hand. “Did he pick your card, Mama?”

The moment shattered and she rocked back on her heels, shoving the card toward Bennett. “He did. He is magic.”

She moved to sit on the opposite end of the couch from Bennett with her drink. Her mom had come in at some point and lounged in the armchair, sipping her martini. How much had she seen?

Not that there was anything to see. It was her imagination that was out of control. Thank goodness, her mom didn’t have access to that. Except her “cat that ate the canary” smile insinuated she could make a pretty good guess as to its direction.

Ben bounced onto the couch, choosing to sit close to Bennett. Ben chattered about his preschool and friends, all the while touching Bennett on the arm or leg. Was Ben starved for a male role model and attention? Did he miss Noah in an abstract but no less potent way than she did?

And what happened if Ben became too attached to Bennett? Danger clutched her stomach. Protecting Ben from hurt was her job, and she fought the urge to snatch Ben to her side.

“Harper tells me you two are working up a business plan for this coffee business.” Her mom’s calm voice was a welcome balm.

“That’s right. It’s a viable start-up with a built-in customer base. In a military town, people support their own. So, at the least, the shop should get lots of military traffic.” Bennett stroked his beard. “If we can find a good location.”

Nerves fizzed through her body. She was worried about finding an available space for a reasonable rent. But that’s not why she was nervous. She and Bennett would be alone for a good part of the weekend. The two of them had been in the middle of the woods for two days, but this was different even if she couldn’t pinpoint how.

“You’re going to stay with Allison?”

“That’s the plan.” Harper exchanged a glance with Bennett. Allison had invited them to spend the night, and Harper prayed they would find Darren improved. She wasn’t optimistic.

“Dinner will be ready as soon as I toast the bread. I hope you’re hungry, Bennett.” Her mom rose and retreated to the kitchen.