Page 62 of Plentywood
I wanted to burst out laughing, but I wasn’t sure if he was being serious. “Jennie Hayes? A clairvoyant?”
He gave me a quite serious return stare until he burst out laughing along with me. He raised his hand for me to stop laughing while he struggled to regain his composure. “I’msorry,” he choked. “I’m not laughing that this is Mark she was talking about. But Jennie came across as quite convincing.”
I gave him the same serious look. He stopped laughing, returning my stare as if he’d overstepped or simplysteppedin it. I couldn’t hold my laugh in, practically spitting. “Trust me. Setting me up with someone else sounds like something Mark would do.”
“No way I would do it. Even if Iwasdead,” he admitted. “If my husband looked like you, not a chance! And sorry about the being dead comment,” he added.
His direct comment caught me completely off guard. Not the part about if he was dead. I understood he wasn’t being insensitive on purpose. But it’d been a while since a man had thrown me a compliment. Instead of thanking him, or even delving deeper into his nice words, I fumbled my chance.
“We need gas,” I stated, checking the gauge again. “Skeeter’s is just ahead.”
“You’re nervous, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Is it that obvious?” I asked, wondering if he thought we were on a date. “Whatever this is,” I said, gesturing between us. “I haven’t done anything like it in over two years.”
“Is that why the calendar on your kitchen cabinet still read June, from two years ago?”
My heart seized when he mentioned the calendar. I’d felt good that I’d finally thrown it away, but I also felt guilty over my decision to start living again. “Mark died that month,” I whispered.
“I know, Hunt. I’m sorry too.”
“Are we on a date?” I blurted out, pulling into Skeeter’s gas station.
He hesitated before speaking. “We could be. You know, if you want it to be.”
I pulled next to a gas pump and put the Tahoe in Park. “At least to humor Jennie?”
“At least,” he agreed. “Plus, don’t forget Mark.”
I found myself gazing into Ben’s eyes. Eyes that had the ability to bring me to my knees. His eyes were exactly those of Mark’s and I began to wonder if perhaps little Miss Jennie Hayes knew what the fuck she was talking about.
Ben’s eyes widened as he looked past me. I turned to the window to find Charlie standing there. The Tahoe had heavily tinted windows for security, so seeing inside was difficult. I knew for a fact that Charlie hadn’t seen Ben.
I rolled the window down when Charlie tapped on it. “What’s with the window, stud? Hiding someone from….” Charlie froze and stopped talking for a second. “Me?” he finished, noticing my passenger.
“Hey, Charlie,” Ben greeted, seeming as cool as a cucumber.
“I need a fill-up, Skeet,” I said. “I’ll pay for this one in cash,” I added.
“Why?” he asked. “Personalbusiness?”
“Yeah. Sort of,” I agreed.
Charlie leaned into the SUV, basically talking right over the top of me. “Where you two going, doc?”
Ben looked at me, hesitation in his eyes. “Jay and Jennie’s,” I answered, protecting Ben from any discomfort he may be feeling.
“Those two lovebirds having another bar-b-que? I haven’t heard about a party,” he stated. “I musta pissed Jennie off. She’s never liked me all that much. Thinks I’m a fuck-up.”
“That’s not true,” I defended. “Jennie is not that way, Skeeter,” I corrected, wriggling uncomfortably in my seat.
“Yeah? You gonna stick with that?” he countered. “Whatever you say,sheriff,” he added, hostility in his voice. “We both know why she hates me.”
“Premium please,” I said, changing the subject.
“Right away,boss-man.” He did not immediately step away from the window. “So?” he asked, turning to me, inches from my face, and then to Ben. “What is this?”
“We’re being set up, Charlie,” Ben stated. “Jennie has a hunch about us two.”
