She turned her head and caught his lips in a tender kiss, smiling.
“If you say so, Benji. Thank you for that.”
“Are you crazy?” Laughter bubbled in his chest. He carefully pulled his hand out of her jeans and admired the liquid glistening on his fingertips. “You never have to thank me for that. It’s my pleasure.”
And truly, it was. He loved getting girls off, but he had a feeling he’d never want to touch anyone else ever again.
Only Laney, if she’d have him.
“Well, thank you anyway.” She said sheepishly, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck. “I think I really needed that.”
“I’m glad to be of service then.”
“Benji?”
He sucked a finger into his mouth and turned his eyes to meet hers, lifting an eyebrow. “Hm?”
“Do you think maybe…maybe you might want to be my date to Lydia’s wedding?”
He released his finger from between his lips with a loud pop and smirked. “Do you think there’s anyone else I’d rather take to that wedding?”
She blushed and dropped her gaze to her lap.
“No, I suppose not…”
“Definitely not.” He reached down and grabbed her hand, pulling it to his lips. As he kissed over each knuckle, he gave her his most charming grin. “Laney McIntosh, you are a superb human being and I would love to accompany you to your sister, slash my best friend’s, wedding.”
As they kissed again, he couldn’t help but look forward to that damn wedding.
Chapter 9
Laney
Monday was her least favorite day of the week. Maybe she disliked it so much because she was spoiled by two days of sleeping in, or maybe it was because she had to go back to a job she wasn’t happy with anymore.
She had always considered herself lucky for landing one of the only decent jobs in Prairie Town. It didn’t have much to offer aside from working at the hospital or the police department, so being selected—out of all the candidates—to work as a teller at their only bank, was a big deal. The money was good—better than other places in town—and she was blessed to receive the benefits, too.
Her parents had been so proud of her when she got hired on. It was one of the only things she felt she had done right by them. She didn’t want to let them down by letting her illness win. There were so many times when the voices in her head told her to give up. Giving up meant disappointing her parents.
She would never, ever do that again.
So she held her head up high and smiled at her customers as they came through. Greeting them as kindly as she could, asking how their day was going, and lying when asked the same thing.
“Have a wonderful day, Miss Laney.” Mr. Canada said as he tucked his wallet away and smiled at her. “Don’t go courtin’ too much, little lady.”
“I won’t.” She laughed, waving to him as he pushed open the double doors and stepped out into the sunny weather.
Summer was definitely in full swing. She couldn’t wait to be out in it, hopefully with Benji. Her mind was already reeling with ideas of things they could do together. A picnic, perhaps? Maybe a walk in the woods? Prairie Town was so beautiful in the summer and there was so much she wanted to show him, to share with him.
Did he feel the same way? Surely to God, he had to be on the same page, especially after that magical night they spent together in the backseat of his car.
Just thinking about it made her tingle.
Smiling to herself and sitting back down in front of her computer, she began putting in all the numbers for the day. Maybe this Monday would be the best one yet, somehow. If only she could stay focused on Benji.
The drama of the last few days had crossed her mind more than once though, in spite of her efforts. She still didn’t understand what was wrong with Jeb or why he was acting so funny. It really worried her. Jebson had never been the type to get so easily riled up and he was honestly acting like a man with a secret.
Secrets weren’t supposed to happen between them, and that hurt a little. Didn’t he trust her? If he was in trouble she wanted to help, but getting him to open up to her about it was an entirely different story.
And then there was Lydia. Poor, stressed-to-the-max Lydia. Laney knew how much the wedding meant to her sister and as her co-maid-of-honor, it was her duty to ensure things went as smoothly as possible.
But she was failing her, wasn’t she?
Plus Tula’s new bookstore was going to have its grand opening soon. She was excited for it because that meant Benji could finally get back to work like he wanted, but what would that mean for them?
What were they, exactly?
It was just a very hot make out session. She thought, tugging at the collar of her blouse. Very, very hot.
But oh, how her knees trembled and her skin heated up at the thought of Benji’s lips upon hers. She’d never been kissed like that by anyone before. He had done things to her that made her question the very meaning of life.
Was it possible she was falling for him?
The clock finally stuck 4:30 and she was more than ready to leave as she grabbed her purse and quickly exited the building. The sun was shining bright in the sky and the warmth of a beautiful day kissed her cheeks.
Closing her eyes and breathing in the sweet-smelling scent of honeysuckle, Laney smiled.
Maybe now the day will start getting better.
She turned her phone on as she soon as she got in the car and the familiar chime of her text tone went off immediately. Biting back a stupid smile, she slid her thumb over the screen and glanced at the name of the recipient.
Benji: Thinking of you. Call me when you get off work.
She was about to reply when another text message popped up and it was from a number she didn’t recognize. However, that was the least of her worries when she read the accompanying message.
I know the truth about your ‘sister’.
Her heart sank and she suddenly felt sick as she read the message again. And again.
This can’t be real.
But it was. The bold letters stared back at her, mocking her as she shoved the car door open and climbed out, immediately leaning over and gagging. But there was nothing to empty out of her stomach; she hadn’t had breakfast or lunch.
After receiving a message like that, she’d be lucky if she ever ate again.
I need to call Lydia.
But wasn’t that a terrible idea? Lydia was already dealing with enough without adding something like this onto her plate. As her co-maid-of-honor and as her sister, Laney knew she had to leave Lydia out of it. She had to protect her.
Clutching her phone between trembling fingers, she quickly dialed a number and put the phone to her ear. Sucking in deep breaths and releasing them as calmly as she could, she waited for the only person who could help to pick up.
“Hello?”
“Callum.” She sighed in relief. “Oh, thank God. We need to talk.”
----------
Benji
“So basically what I’d like for you to do is just smile pretty and help customers find whatever type of book they’re looking for.” Tula said as she led him down one aisle, and then another. “Most of these authors aren’t very well-known yet, but it’s now our mission in life to help spread some more light on them and their ridiculous talent. Understand?”
“Yep.” Benji watched the cheerful blonde as she lifted a hand and stroked the spine of a book while passing by it. It was easy to see how much she adored books—no wonder she started writing them. “And of course,”—she whirled around to stare at him—“there’s an entire section dedicated to my books. Be sure to let people know they are pre-signed. If they want something more personal then they’ll have to visit on days I’ve scheduled for meet and greets.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded, eyeing the stacks of books in the furthest corner of the store. Though he didn’t quite understand why she’d placed all of her books in the back, he supposed she’d
done it to give more attention to her ‘friendies’ as she called them; the independent novelists of the world. Apparently that was a huge thing nowadays.
“I want the store closed down by six o’clock every evening until I find someone else I trust enough to hire.”
Funny, he wasn’t sure how she trusted him so much. She barely knew him. He probably needed to thank Lydia for putting a good word in for him.
“And when you count down the register, drop the money off at my house or I’ll have Paul retrieve it on his way home from work. The timing should work out perfectly, at least for now.” Tula’s eyes sparkled as she smiled. “When the baby is born, we’ll probably have our hands full, but we’ll work something else out when we get to that bridge.”
Benji grinned. He was happy she was happy. Tula and her husband had been trying to adopt a baby for a while according to Lydia, and their time had finally come around. They were just waiting for the baby to be born now. A nice girl from Raleigh was due in September and she had selected them to be the parents of her child.
The kid would sure have a good upbringing—Benji was confident of that. Tula and her husband were hard working, good people and the fact she was a bestselling author didn’t hurt.
Carmen LaRoque was one of the most popular erotica romance authors in the world and her books were loved by thousands. He’d taken a look at one of the copies Lydia had. Good stuff in his opinion. And the best part? She even had a book that featured a trans man and he was the male escort everybody desired.
Benji could get on board with that, even though he truly only wanted to be desired by one woman.
Damn, he couldn’t wait to see Laney.
As Tula continued talking about this or that, showing him the newest releases and gasping at how pretty a particular cover was, he couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have an author as a parent.
He wondered what it would be like to have a decent parent, period.
Fuck them.
“So, Benny my boy, do you have any questions?”
Glancing up from the back of the book he’d absent-mindedly picked up, he thought about it for a second and shook his head. “Nope. I think I’m good.”
“Good.” She nodded, smiling cheerfully once more. “Then I guess we’re ready for the grand opening tomorrow. I hope everyone can come.”
“I’m sure they will. This is the most exciting thing to happen since I arrived.” He snickered, carefully putting the book back in its place.
“More exciting things will happen.” She promised. “Especially if I run for mayor. Just you wait and see.”
“Mayor?” His eyebrows shot upwards. “Lydia never mentioned that. Are you serious?”
“Oh, I’m serious.” She nodded matter-of-factly. “It’s time for things to change in this world, Benji. Winning a campaign in Prairie Town is just the beginning for people like us.”
“Us?”
“Oh, it’s so sweet how you act like you don’t know the truth about me.” She pinched his cheek and he scowled.
What was he, five?
“You know we’re the same, Benji. My voice is only so strong as an author, but imagine if I actually held a position in office. I could do things that would benefit us all.”
Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. What did she mean they were the same? Did he miss something?
The look of surprise on his face must have said it all because Tula tilted her head to the side, much like a cat, and stared at him.
“Lydia didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what, exactly?”
“Oh…I guess she didn’t. Hm.” She shrugged her shoulders and walked back to the counter, busying herself with straightening a few rows of signed bookmarks that had been graciously donated by authors from all over the world.
“What didn’t Lydia tell me, Tula?” He questioned, staying right on her heels.
“You know what I’m going to say, Benjamin. I think a part of you always knew. There’s a reason the state didn’t want to let me adopt a baby, handsome.”
“The state? I thought you were just waiting your turn…”
And then it clicked.
Holy shit.
“Whoa.” He said beneath his breath. “Tula, I…wow, really? Really?”
“Yes, really.” She laughed, glancing at him from over her shoulder. “Did you think I was just a really tall girl, honey? Were you really that oblivious?”
“N-no, I just…shit, I don’t know what I thought.” He admitted. “But I didn’t know you were trans. Not that it matters,” he added quickly. “I just…wow. Really?”
“It’s okay, honey. You’re so cute when you’re shocked. I can see why Lydia’s sister likes you so much.”
And just how the hell did she know about that? Did everyone in Prairie Town know?
“Don’t act so surprised. I’m a very observant creature, you know. I see the way you two act when you’re around one another. I may or may not have based a new couple in my book on you…”
“Really?”
“Honestly, Benji.” Resting one hand against the counter and the other against her hip, she shook her head laughing. “You think I wrote a book about a hottie trans man just for the hell of it?”
“I don’t know. Authors write what they want to, I suppose?”
“True, but I wrote that book because I wanted people to understand we come from all walks of life. I wanted to introduce a trans character to the world so he would be accepted, and I pray that it somehow helps those who read my work to accept us. I think it’s working.” Her eyes sparkled and the corners of her lips curled upwards again. “Just wait and see. We’re going to change the world, Ben.”
“Wow.” He slumped back against a bookshelf and dropped his gaze to the floor. Tula was possibly one of the most awesome people on Earth. No wonder Lydia admired her so greatly. She was trying to make a difference, a real difference. For everyone.
“Oh!” Her phone started ringing and she picked it up from the counter, smiling as she glanced at him. “That would be my husband calling. Why don’t you go ahead and take five? I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Sure.” He watched as she stepped outside and listened to the little bell chime above the door.
It was the perfect opportunity to text Laney again. She should have been off work already.
Just don’t seem too desperate. He thought as he wrote out a short greeting and hit send. Be normal. Chill.
But that was easier said than done when all he’d been able to think about since last night was her; her smile; her laugh; her smell; her kiss.
Damn. He couldn’t wait to see her.
Disappointment set in when she didn’t reply by the time Tula returned. A part of him wondered if he was coming off too strong—maybe he scared her away? He hoped not. That was the last thing he wanted to do.
They had a chance at something real, didn’t they?
He thought so.
“All right. Let’s get to work on rearranging a few aisles. Paul’s bringing over that shipment of Suanne Laqueur’s books—the ones I’ve been waiting on for forever? I need to make room for them.”
“Don’t know who that is or what she writes, but I’m at your disposal.” He chuckled dryly, glancing at his phone one more time before tucking it away.
He hoped Laney was okay. She usually responded pretty fast.
“You don’t know who she is? Well, of course you don’t. But we’re going to change that, aren’t we?” She pinched his cheek again and hurried past him. Tula was definitely a woman on a mission.
“Ow.” He mumbled, rubbing his cheek.
“Come along, Benny boy! So many books, so little time!”
Chapter 10
Laney
Wringing her hands together nervously as she paced back and forth in the bank parking lot, Laney waited impatiently for Callum’s Tahoe to come into view.
She called him while he was at work—the new construction company his father had recently opened,
where Jeb now worked, too—and he’d promised to get away from it as soon as he could.
At the moment she wasn’t sure if her heart would last long enough.
The sickening feeling had yet to go away and to make matters worse, Lydia had tried to call her not long after she hung up with Callum. She didn’t answer; she couldn’t hide something like this from her sister.
Maybe she should have called Jeb. Maybe she should have called their parents. But for some reason Callum was the first person to come to mind and she was grateful he was willing to help. He would know what to do, wouldn’t he? It was his father, after all, who had all the connections and knew how to take care of things like this.
But the biggest issue at hand was finding out who and why. Lydia was too kind for something like this to happen. Laney couldn’t think of anyone who would want to cause her grief.
Aside from Devin, of course, but he didn’t know who Lydia truly was.
And he never will, if I can help it.
Come hell or high water, she’d never let anyone hurt her sister like that.
They had taken such careful measures to ensure Lydia’s secret was kept hidden. Even her wedding invitations had been specially made, claiming that her parents were her aunt and uncle. It hurt them all to do it like that. Her mother protested the loudest, but Lydia made the final decision in the end. She wasn’t willing to risk their family being attacked by the bigots they knew existed in town.
Why did life have to be so damn unfair? Why couldn’t they just exist peacefully? Why couldn’t people like Benji just use the restroom or dressing room they wanted to?
All of those thoughts weren’t doing her a bit of good as she turned and headed back to her car, biting back a frustrated sob.
She felt so helpless.
What if the person who sent the anonymous threat followed through before they had a chance to stop them? What if the truth got out and Lydia had to run away?
Laney didn’t want that.
She hated the thought of losing her sister and what it would do to their family.
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