Page 84 of Fighter
“Why do you think Amber did it?” Maverick asked as he surveyed some scratches on the cupboard doors.
“She's upset that we've taken my brother away. Says he owes her money. She probably came here looking for cash or something. Then trashed it to get her revenge. She and I haven't exactly gotten along,” I said quietly.
Bethany squeezed my arm, and her lack of judgment was a deep balm on my heart. “There are security cameras outside,” she said. “We'll get an eye on them soon. This may not even be her, but an isolated incident. It's not your fault.”
“Thanks, Bethany.”
The next hour came in a whirl. Ellie slipped back downstairs to run the shop, but Maverick and Ellie remained with me until Jayson had finished his report. By the time we'd cleaned up the glass on the floor and assessed the damages, with photos, for their insurance report, evening crept in.
Bethany paused in the doorway. “We need to go pick our son up,” she said, “but I'm still worried about you. Are you going to be okay here tonight?”
Amber at large didn't reassure me, but I nodded anyway. None of the windows had broken, Maverick had done a quick lock replacement downstairs while I filled paperwork out, and the town lay quiet outside. At her core, Amber was a coward. I'd be shocked if she came back when I was here. That didn't give me comfort at all, of course, but I couldn't let Bethany know that.
“I'll be fine. I'll keep everything locked.”
Her expression darkened further. “Maverick told me about you and Ben. I'm sorry. Men are total apes sometimes. I hope he comes around. This would have been the perfect time for him to step in.”
I sucked in a breath, but could only manage a little smile. That thought had occurred to me several times in the last couple of hours.
Bethany squeezed my hand.
“If you want to give up the lease, I understand. Mav said you put in your two-week notice at the Diner. We can find someone to take it if you just need to get out of here. Broken hearts sometimes trump contracts. There's wiggle room in the lease if you find someone to take it.”
“Thank you, I appreciate knowing that. And I might actually know someone that will take it.”
“Oh?”
“Dagny. She mentioned it to me today. She's been living at home with her Mom to save money but would . . . she'd like an out.”
Bethany illuminated. “I know Dagny. She just applied to work at the Frolicking Moose when Ellie leaves for college at the end of the summer. How perfect would that be? She's delightful. I'll drop by the Diner tomorrow and talk to her about both. Thanks Serafina. Just let us know what you decide and we'll support you however we can. And I'm sorry about all this.”
She wrapped me in a quick hug, and the warmth of another pair of arms only made me miss Benjamin more. How could he ever think I didn't need him? The safety of his arms. The security of just standing next to him. Was there a way to quantify the power of security? No.
But was that all he meant to me?
The immediate response didn't even surprise me. No. Not by half. He could be a file clerk with the strength of a puppy and the joy they both brought to my life would be more than enough. The brightness. The sense of stability and beingneeded. They were the only two people I'd ever wanted to stay for. To wait on and see the world with them.
Apes, Bethany had said.
I concurred.
29
Benjamin
Maverick:It is absolutely none of my business, but you need to get your ass over there right now.
Benjamin:Is she leaving?
Maverick:Just do it. Drop Ava off at our place. She can spend the night.
Benjamin:The night?
Maverick:Trust me.
My heart thudded in my chest as I steered the SUV back toward Pineville, the text conversation with Maverick still plodding through my mind. Ava and I had been busy at work with our plan to win Serafina back from my boneheaded ways for the last couple of hours, but we wouldn't be ready for another day or two. I'd intended on giving Serafina some space, but one look at Maverick's expression when I dropped Ava off and I knew something had gone terribly wrong. He hadn't said a word, but he hadn't needed to. I'd simply handed Ava's bag over, gave her a hug, and disappeared.
Twilight had long since settled, giving way to the dark shadows of night. Gentle illumination came from the top of the Frolicking Moose when I parked around the other side, in the empty lot for the salon. The less advance notice she had of my arrival, the less likely she'd ignore me.
