Page 45 of Wine Whiskey & Lipstick

Ben wouldn’t maintain eye contact. “I went for a ride like I always do.”

Lucas didn’t believe him for a second. Ben had always been a bad liar. “Youwerewith a woman! Virginia? She finally caught you?”

“Absofuckinlutely not.”

Lucas grinned as he slapped his hand on his thigh. “Damn, man. It’s about time. Who is she?”

Lucas has the wrong idea. Sort of.“Dude. I told you I just went for my regular morning ride.”

Lucas ignored him. “Was she at the barbecue?”

“Don’t you have anything better to do than to harass the shit out of me?”

“Nope. I have nothing to do, especially since we always give the employees the day off after the barbecue. I’ve got nothing but time. You might as well tell me who she is because I’m going to find out.”

Ben ran a hand over his face. Lucas was like a dog with a bone. He wasn’t going to let it go unless Ben gave him something. “Alright! I went for a ride with Dillyn.”

Lucas couldn’t possibly have heard him correctly. “You took who?”

“You heard me the first time, asshole.”

Lucas broke out in laughter. “Okay. You got me. Seriously. Who is she?”

Ben didn’t crack a smile.

Lucas’ smile froze. “You’re serious.” His eyebrows raised to his hairline. “Are you trying to tell me that you spent all nightandmorning with Dillyn?”

“Just the morning.”

“Dillyn Anderson,” Lucas repeated in disbelief.

Ben was over it. He tried to sidestep Lucas again, but his baby brother wasn’t having it. “You know that’s a bad idea.”

“Not that my love life is any of your business, but since you’re sticking your nose into it, why is Dillyn a bad idea?”

“For one, she’s now Selah’s boss and for two . . .” His voice softened. “It’s clear that Dillyn has some stuff going on, and I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Just like that, the heaviness Ben had managed to escape for the past several hours returned with a vengeance. Ben cleared his throat. “I appreciate your concern, but you don’t have to worry. Neither of us is interested in anything other than a friendship. Look . . . I’m tired. I’m going to hit the showers and grab a quick nap.” This time Ben was able to get past Lucas. His footsteps were heavy as he walked into the house.

Lucas could punch himself in the face. Ben may not have been happy, but he seemed to be something close to it, and he’d just ruined it.

Chapter 19

Ben lay in bed with his fingers linked behind his head, staring at the ceiling and thinking about Dillyn and Rylee. Should he even be thinking about Dillyn when his daughter’s birthday was tomorrow, and he wouldn’t get to spend it with her? Ben had surmised that the dull ache in his chest would never go away. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to resolve or absolve himself of the mistakes that let his wife and daughter down.How could I possibly be thinking about dating?

Ben’s head was a mess. Lucas had been somewhat right. Dillyn was a walking, talking emotional wreck too. At least one person in a relationship needed to be emotionally sound because he sure as hell wasn’t. Ben could tell that Dillyn’s hurt ran much deeper than just a divorce. Granted, he understood how devastating that could be, but Ben felt there was more. He’d only known Dillyn for a short while but couldn’t imagine her ex would be enough to break her.

Just admit it. You like her.“I like her,” he said aloud into the empty space of his bedroom. As much as Ben wanted to deny his attraction, he had to be honest, at least with himself. He was wholly into Dillyn and had been since the first time they’d met. Only then she was off-limits.Shouldn’t she still be off-limits?It was part of the reason the guilt with his family sat so heavy on his heart. She’d been on his mind the weekend everything went wrong in Ben’s life and why he felt so conflicted. There was no question that Dillyn was beautiful, but it extended well beyond the physical. There was a vulnerability about her she tried to hide that called to him. “Pursuing Dillyn is not sensible.” Ben figured if he said it aloud, it would register with his brain.

Ben couldn’t imagine opening his heart up, but when he was around Dillyn, that’s precisely what happened without any effort on his part.I’ve got to put a stop to this before it goes any further.Even if Ben wanted to pursue Dillyn, it wasn’t like she had shown the slightest bit of interest in him. Everything within him was saying no. Don’t do it. Stay away from her. Yet Ben couldn’t help but glance at his cell next to him. His heart accelerated just at the mere thought of calling her.

Shit.Ben’s desire to talk to Dillyn overrode his common sense. Just like it did at Frank’s when he pulled her into his arms to dance. Ben picked up the phone and dialed Dillyn’s number. It rang a few times before going to voice mail. “Hi, this is Dillyn. Leave a message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”Beep.

Ben sat up. “Hey, it’s me, Ben.” Nervously, he rubbed the back of his neck. “I enjoyed our ride this morning. Hope you enjoyed it too. Feel free to drop by anytime. Whisper would love it.” He disconnected the call. “I sounded like a young punk.”

“You’re just out of practice.” Lucas walked into Ben’s bedroom.

“So now we’re eavesdroppin’?”

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