Page 65 of Because of You
“As much as I would love to keep doing exactly this until the end of time, I have to get back to work. But before we go, I actually have news, too.”
“Tell me.”
“I, um, talked to my dad today.”
Hallie gives me a shove until I’m sitting upright, and she follows me. “Ben! That’s really big news. Tell me everything.”
“I went over to my parents’ house after you left this morning since I knew my dad would be home. I told him everything. How I didn’t want to take the Stonegate deal. How I want the life that I have now. This bar. My friends and family. You.”
“Me?” She smirks at me.
“You, Hallie girl. You’re my girlfriend now. You just said so. That means you are a part of my life.” I reach out and twine my fingers with hers. “Hell, Hal, youaremy life.”
A blush spreads over her cheeks, and she looks down at our joined hands, a smile spreading over her face. “God, you can’t say stuff like that, or we’ll never get out of this room. Tell me the rest.” She tries to tug her hand away, but I hold tight.
“My dad was pretty offended that I thought he would feel some kind of way about me turning down the deal because of his big, successful business. He said he wants me to be happy. He said…” I trail off and try and get myself together because even replaying the next part makes the lump rise in my throat. Hallie’s hand tightens around mine. She doesn’t say anything, just waits for me to continue. “He said I’m a good man whoknows my own mind. And that if the deal doesn’t give me the life I want, then I should turn it down.”
Hallie leans forward and wraps her arms around me. My arms go around her waist. I bury my face in her hair and breathe in her cherry vanilla shampoo. Everything inside me settles. She is my fucking rock. The calm in all my storms.
“I’m so damn proud of you,” she whispers into my ear. “I won’t even say I told you so.”
I let her go, chuckling. “No need to worry about that; my mom already beat you to it.”
Hallie laughs, standing up from the couch and reaching out to pull me up after her.
“I mean it though, Ben. I’m so proud of you for making this choice. It can’t be easy turning down such a massive deal and so much money.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Hal. I’ve got you, which means it wasn’t hard at all.”
Hallie wraps her arms around my waist and lays her head on my chest. “Your dad is right. You are a good man, Benji. The best man I know.”
I drop a kiss on the top of her head, and she lets go, moving past me to open the office door. We walk through the bar, and I lead her outside to the street. I turn to her, propping one shoulder against the side of the bar.
“So, what do you have going on for the rest of the day?”
“I’m going to head home. Everyone thinks I’m at Callahan all day anyway. I need to get my head together to talk to the girls about my plan and hope that they see it the way I do. I need to, like, write a speech or something.”
“There’s no way they won’t. And you can practice that speech for me later tonight. I promised you a date, Hallie girl, and you are getting one.”
She grins at me. “Oh, I’m counting on it. Where are we going?”
I grab her face in both of my hands and kiss her nose. “It’s a surprise.”
“But what if I need to know what to wear?”
“Be casual.”
“That could mean all kinds of things. Is it outside? Inside? Are we walking? Are we…”
I cut her off with my mouth on hers. “Outside. There will be some walking. I’ll pick you up at five.”
“I hate surprises,” she grumbles.
I smirk at her. “I know.”
“Then why not just tell me?”
“It’s more fun this way.”
