Page 31 of A Box of Wishes
Ben’s ears heated, but he couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “I staggered out of the way to the next corner and threw up. Still a good day, though. An excellent one, in fact.”
He took his empty mug to the sink and washed it. In the last three weeks, he’d spent plenty of time in Ryan’s coffeehouse and had enjoyed every minute. Was it selfish of him to want to claim Ryan’s off-work hours for himself, too? To want to know him even better?
“Ben, I… Maybe we could—”
Ben turned to face Ryan, whose eyes held an apology Ben couldn’t doubt. “Don’t worry about that date of ours,” he said, stepping closer. “We’ll find a better time for it in the new year. And meanwhile…” He ran his fingertips up the side of Ryan’s face and into the auburn waves. They were soft and smelled faintly of vanilla when Ben squished the long strands between his fingers. “I’ll trade some shifts, so I’ll be working on New Year’s Eve. That way, I can pop into your uncle’s pub and wish you a Happy New Year.”
Ryan hadn’t considered how much he would miss seeing Ben first thing in the morning and sharing a cup of tea in the quiet of the near empty coffeehouse. He’d even missed Morris wandering through the room, noting when a chair was out of place with a promptness that amazed Ryan. All day, he’d looked up whenever the bell over the door jangled, hoping to see Ben step through. Knowing that Ben was sleeping after working the night shift hadn’t stopped him waiting.
Ryan shifted the phone to his left hand so he could unlock his front door. The bike leathers and layers of thermal underclothes made him move like the Michelin man, but better clumsy than frozen to a brick.
“Did you change your shifts?” He wished he’d invited Ben to meet at the pub at midnight instead of letting him try to switch shifts. But that would have meant Ben spending New Year’s Eve by himself, and Ryan hadn’t wanted that either. Ben had spent far too much time alone already.
“Yep. I’m on night shift all week,” Ben said. “Going on at ten.”
“Are you up by five? In the afternoon, that is. Would you like to have dinner with me?”
Ben hesitated, and Ryan bit his lip. Ben didn’t like to be pushed. In his job, Ben had to make decisions under pressure. No wonder he preferred something a little more peaceful in his private life.
He unlocked his front door and stepped inside, switching on the light and closing the door behind him. His hallway wasn’t large and struggling out of his leathers while keeping the phone stuck to his ear required a level of dexterity that was difficult to find at nine o’clock at night.
“What are you doing to yourself?” came Ben’s voice from the phone.
“Trying to get my biking gear off without stopping to talk to you. I’ve waited all day to hear your voice. I’m not letting a recalcitrant zip get in the way.”
Ben laughed, and Ryan imagined his cheeks turning a little pink. He loved that expression almost as much as Ben’s sweet smile, or the way the skin drew into fine lines at the corners of his eyes.
“You were out?”
“Took pastries to my parents’ restaurant and then checked on my cousins.” As with many Irish families, the term cousins covered a multitude of sins. It wasn’t something he wanted to spring on his solitary detective all in one go, or as part of a telephone conversation. Better to ease him into the clan, one cousin at a time as he’d done on Christmas Day.
“You’re all set for tomorrow night, then? Still going to be at your uncle’s pub?”
“That’s the plan. I’ll close the cafe at lunchtime, then get some sleep before I head out. Don’t make that face,” he admonished, able to picture Ben’s appalled expression, even when he stayed silent. “My ma is coming in to help tomorrow morning. She’s bound to kick me out at ten.”
“Take care when you’re driving,” Ben said. “Keep in mind that some drivers may not be sober. And—”
“Ben, it’s fine. I’ll be careful. And I look forward to seeing you at midnight.” Ryan set the phone down and finished freeing himself from his leather riding gear. He wanted more time with Ben. Wanted more than just brushes of fingertips in passing or the sweet kiss Ben had given him in the kitchen after he’d nixed Ben’s third attempt at arranging a date for them.
He wanted Ben in his home, meeting his sister and cousin, but he’d heard the uncertainty in Ben’s voice and had forced himself to stop pushing. He would see Ben the following evening, when the church bells chimed in the New Year. And with a bit of luck, they would exchange a New Year’s kiss like everybody else around them.
Still thinking about Ben, Ryan stripped and showered before he fell into bed. He was exhausted. 4:00 a.m. and his wake-up call would come far too soon.
But instead of lulling him to sleep, the image of Ben kissing him as the clock struck midnight kept him awake for a long time.
Meetings
“I’ll be there in a while. I’ve finished my round and I’m heading to Rothcote next.” Ben pressed the phone closer to his ear so he wouldn’t miss Ryan’s words over the hubbub of voices. The crowd seemed to be having a fabulous time.
“Can’t wait to see you.”
“You saw me just this morning.” He’d dropped into the coffeehouse at the end of his shift, and the delighted smile on Ryan’s face when he came through the door had been worth the detour.
“Yeah. As surprises went, that one was epic. Did I mention how much I loved you doing that for me?” A shriek pierced the air as something shattered. “Oh, for heaven’s sake! I need to run. Drive carefully. Later.”
Ben held on to his smile as he dropped the phone into the cup holder. He could never have had this kind of conversation with Keith.
His ex had barely tolerated his working shifts. Had Ben dared to call him, only to drop the call the moment anything came up, Keith would have given him the silent treatment for the rest of the week. Having a prospective partner who didn’t just proclaim his support but expected the same consideration was refreshing.
