Page 32 of Everlasting Promises

“If you’re sure.” I nod. “All right, I’ll follow you home then.”

15

HOPE

We each climbinto our vehicles and drive home. It’s unnerving knowing a police officer is driving behind me. Keeping an eye on my speedometer, I stay a couple of miles under the speed limit and make sure I flick on my blinker well in advance. And where I would normally drive through a yellow light, I stop. When I pull into my driveway, my shoulders slump and I blow out a long breath, then stretch my neck from side to side to release the tension from my shoulders and neck—that was so stressful.

Ben pulls in behind me and climbs out of his car with a knowing grin. “You always that careful on the road?”

Heat flushes up through my cheeks—he knew what I was doing. “Of course.”

He nods slowly with a chuckle and a raised brow. “Sure.”He totally doesn’t believe me. Rex leaps out of the car and Ben engages the locks, and after Rex sniffs around our front yard, they both meet me and Evan at the front steps.

I unlock the front door and step inside with Evan, Ben, and Rex close behind. “Evan, can you please take a dining chair out to the back porch while I get my gear?” I still haven’t gotten around to buying chairs to match the outdoor table.

He heads to the kitchen and grabs a chair while Ben locks the front door behind us. Once I have everything set up on the back porch, I gesture for Ben to take a seat. “Evan, can you please fill one of the ice cream containers we have in the bottom of the pantry with water for Rex.”

“Okay, Mom.” He strolls back inside to look after Rex.

Once Ben’s seated, I run my fingers through his hair. It’s so soft. I love hair. I’ve loved it since I was a little girl and used my dolls as clients. There’s something soothing about the strands sliding through my fingers. “Do you want me to follow what you already have here, but make it shorter?”

He runs his fingers through the strands, colliding with mine, sending tingles fizzing along my skin. “Yeah, that’d be great.”

“Do you know how low you have the clippers on the sides? That’ll give me an idea of how much to take off,” I ask as I continue to run my fingers through the soft, dark brown strands. I can’t seem to stop myself.

Gosh, he smells great this close.

I shake my thoughts away. I should not be noticing how great he smells.

“Usually a two.”

I nod. “That looks about right.”

Evan brings Rex back outside and they play in the backyard, with Rex following Evan around like they’ve grown up together. Their bond blossomed fast, and I love seeing my boy so happy and carefree.

I fasten the cape around his neck, ensuring it covers his clothes, then grab my clippers, attach the number two guard,and collect my comb. “You have gorgeous, thick hair.” A lot of women would love to have this sort of thickness.

“Uh, thanks.” His strong, tanned hands rest over the top of the cape on his thighs, and I watch him curl his thick fingers to make fists, turning his knuckles white.

Starting at the bottom, I comb the hair into the clippers and work my way around the base of his hairline and upward until I reach his ears. Once I’m happy with that, I wet the longer strands left on top and exchange the clippers for scissors to blend the longer length with the shorter sides. I work my way around his head, ensuring I keep the length consistent, but getting longer as I get closer to the top.

Moving around to the front of his body, he opens his legs wider so I can slip in between them, my outer thighs touching his. When I glance down at his face, the muscles in his jaw clench, and I watch him swallow harshly. My pulse pounds in my veins as my blood rushes through my body, and his eyes seem to be locked at the base of my throat.

Can he see how fast my heart’s beating?

My response to him is a little embarrassing, and I know I’m blushing because of the heat in my cheeks. I’ve never experienced this type of reaction to a man other than Wyatt. I cut men’s hair all the time, and I’venever, not once, felt the flutter in my stomach like I do right now.

What the hell is happening to me?

Shame swiftly floods through me, drowning me in guilt and making my stomach sink like the Titanic.

I’m a married woman. I’m a married woman. I’m a married woman.

I chant the words over and over again to remind myself I shouldn’t be looking at Ben or reacting to his proximity. I made a promise to Wyatt, and I intend to keep it. Ben’s here because he’sEvan’s friend. I’m just doing him a favor to thank him for being so good to my son.

The son I had with Wyatt.

Wyatt, my husband.

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