Page 30 of Cups of You

Amber wasn’t just hurt by his words, she was pissed. She had turned down opportunities that she truly wanted all for the sake of Josiah’s plans and now she had little to show for it. She hadn’t even truly wanted to apply for the director position. Amber had been happy managing her library branch before letting herself be talked into punching higher and thinking executive level leadership.

Now here she was with no job, no boyfriend, and no idea where to go from here. Amber sighed and brought her thoughts back to the present. She tried to force a smile and straightened up from the counter as Benjamin’s hand fell away.

“Yeah, I guess so,” she replied finally.

Benjamin looked at her for a moment before nodding. “Why don’t you go settle at a table and I’ll bring you something to cheer you up.”

Amber didn’t even care to fight. “Yeah, I’ll do that.” With a last twist of her lips, she turned and found a table away from the other gentlemen. She didn’t want to spread her bad mood onto them.

Amber hadn’t been lying when she said she wasn’t coming back.

There was nothing to go back to.

Her job was gone.

She and Josiah didn’t even have a pet to fight over.

She could fight for the furniture and she definitely needed to get the rest of her clothing, but she didn’t want to run the risk of being anywhere near Josiah right now. She didn’t trust herself not to go with the nuclear option of trying to knock him on his ass regardless of their height and weight difference.

“Here you go.”

Benjamin set a large mug in front of Amber and her lips quirked up when she saw the foam heart drawn inside.

“Thank you.”

“He’s an idiot.” Amber looked up at him. That was the meanest thing she had ever heard him say about anyone.

“Wow,” she teased softly. “Tell me how you really feel.”

He chuckled. “Sorry. I know I don’t need to tell you this, but no one deserves to be cheated on.” Benjamin sighed and Amber suddenly wondered about his relationships. She knew he was divorced, but that was about it. She probably could have gotten the complete story by asking around, but she wasn’t about that gossip life.

“Are you speaking from experience?”

His eyes widened slightly before he shrugged. Amber immediately felt it was the wrong question to ask when the light didn’t quite meet his eyes. She wanted to take it back, but it was too late. The question was out there now.

“Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

Benjamin finally looked away and the warmth that had been slowly building went away too leaving Amber shivering slightly.

There were two broken hearts here she realized, and she wondered, for the first time, if his way of coping was by hiding behind a smile.

TEN

“Dad! What are you doing home so early?”

Benjamin trudged into the house his feet feeling almost too heavy to lift. It was probably fitting since everything else felt heavy, especially his heart.

Amber hadn’t stayed in the café long, the silence between them painfully awkward for the first time. Not even the push and pull of their first few conversations had felt so painful. Her question struck a chord with him though maybe not in the way she seemed to think. He knew he should have said something when she asked how he understood her pain.

The dinner they’d had changed something. Benjamin had found Amber interesting before then. If he was going to be honest with himself, he found her intriguing before she ever stepped foot into town thanks to her aunt’s stories.

Through Jackie’s memories, Benjamin had gotten a glimpse of the woman whose very presence called to something in him. He didn’t understand it, but he wanted to.

“Hey Bean.” Benjamin hugged Olivia and nodded to Randy and Sam unsurprised to see them in the living room. “Hey guys.”

Randy frowned at him. “Well hell, old man Roy was right. You do look like shit.”

“Randy,” Sam chastised.

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