Page 50 of Trial Run

“You’re so beautiful, it hurts my eyes. And I’m—”

“Ben,” she interrupted.

He took a shaky breath. “What.”

“Would you please kiss me hello?”

He stared at her for a moment, then his arm snagged around her waist, pulling her close. His mouth came down on hers, and in an instant, the connection was back, the feeling of rightness and safety. She looped her arms around his neck and poured that feeling into the kiss.

She eased her mouth away from him a minute later, keeping their faces a few inches apart.

“I feel better now. How about you?” she asked.

“Yes. Better.”

She stroked a hand down the side of his face, brushing over the smooth waves at his temple.

“I don’t want a restaurant or a fancy night out. I want to enjoy our time together. I’m happy when I’m with you.”

“Me too,” he said, his voice rough around the edges.

“Then let’s be happy.” She laced her fingers with his. “Come on, show me this gourmet dinner you had delivered.”

He had silver chafing dishes set up in the dining room, keeping the food hot. He’d arranged white china place settings on opposite sides of the square table. A pair of long tapered candles and a bouquet of roses completed the romantic setup.

“This is beautiful,” she said. “But there’s one problem.”

“What’s wrong?” Ben scanned the table as if something offensive might be lurking underneath it.

“I don’t want to sit across from you. Can we move my place so I’m sitting next to you?”

“Of course.”

They moved the place settings, and Ben uncovered the dishes to reveal braised short ribs and stuffed chicken, mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. A mixed fruit tart and a basket of bread sat in the center of the table, along with a pitcher of ice water and another bottle of wine, a chilled white.

“You thought of everything,” she said.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked. I hope this is close.”

“This is the nicest meal I’ve had in a long time, and I haven’t even tried it yet.”

Seated at the table, Nell hooked her ankle around Ben’s and ran a foot up the side of his calf. His eyes jerked up to meet hers and she gave him a wide smile. He was so reserved, it was fun to play around with him, to do things that shocked him a little bit.

They started eating, and he relaxed, telling her about his past few days at the clinic, and his recent outdoor running adventures. She told him about Amy finding out she’d been taking plants home to doctor them up, and he threw back his head and laughed.

He always listened to her so carefully, his dark eyes never leaving her face, which was probably why she found herself telling him about the job opportunity with Amy’s friend.

“I’m not qualified, but Amy said she’d give me a recommendation letter.”

“You should apply. You never know if they’d call you in for an interview.”

She chewed on her lip. “Maybe. But maybe it’s just one more thing I wouldn’t get, you know?”

“I know you’ve had a lot of disappointments. It takes courage to keep trying, after all that.”

“I might do it. I’m not sure.” She cleared her throat, eager for a subject change. “So. It’s the end of week one. Of the three-week period.”

“It is.”

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