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He watched me put my phone down. “Conspiring with my sister again?”
“I’ll never tell.” That was a lot safer than confessing to the texts I’d exchanged with Laurie and Debbie. I hit control-S to save my laptop work and closed the lid. I stretched my shoulders and wiggled my stiff fingers.
He rounded behind me and kneaded my shoulders as he placed a kiss on my head. The duo was like heat and ice at the same time. A crop of goose bumps washed over me as his magic hands relaxed me.
“You know what tonight is, right?” he asked.
I played dumb for the third time this week. “Pizza night?”
His snort was courteously short. “Family dinner. How about it?”
“I’ve got a lot still to do.” I pointed at my computer. “And I don’t do well with groups of strangers.” That was true, but also getting too close to the real reason I didn’t want to go with him.
Releasing his grip on my shoulders, he came around in front of me. “Marge and Pris will be there, and you’ve met Case and Jordan, and Waylon and Anna. It’s not like it’s a group of total strangers.”
“I’m behind on this project.” That was half right, because there was time pressure on this project if I wanted any chance of getting the job. “Maybe another time.” I had to go slow enough to not lose control.
“But I’d like to spend the evening with you,” he countered.
The sentiment was sweet, but I couldn’t give in. “Then stay here. You can give me massages while I work.”
He grimaced. “I can’t.”
I turned the guilt-trip tables on him and pushed the button. “Can’t or don’t want to?”
“I missed the last dinner because I was out of town, and I can’t miss this because I promised Mom I’d be there.”
“She’ll understand.” The idea of his massages while I worked was growing on me. “I could really use your help.”
He shook his head and sighed. “Family is everything, and a promise to a family member is sacred. It’s the Benson way. It’s a promise I have to keep.”
I nodded, appreciating his commitment to his mother and his family, but still, I wouldn’t allow myself to give in. “I understand. Have a nice dinner.”
“You have to come.”
“Have to?” My resolve to break the pattern intensified now that he’d moved from requesting to insisting. “I said no.” I kept my tone clipped, but with only half the frostiness I felt he deserved.Have to, my ass.
He leaned over to give me a quick kiss. “Don’t work too hard, Angel.”
The feel of his lips on mine had me wondering how bad it would be if I went along and started my pattern change tomorrow. Wasn’t flexibility the key to learning?
He broke away quickly. A few seconds later, he was gone.
The emptiness in the room was palpable.
Pulling my phone out, I sent the text, still unsure if I’d made the right choice.
ME: I decided to go with Debbie’s advice. I’ll have another chance to meet the family
I didn’t get enough chances to make Debbie feel good about interacting with Laurie and me, and she needed our support as much as anybody. She needed to feel that her input was valued.
* * *
Boone
As I pulledinto Mom and Dad’s drive, a knot formed in my stomach. I glanced at the empty passenger seat. I hadn’t pushed Angela hard enough to come tonight, and now I’d have to pay for that with various insinuations from my family. The had-to-work excuse was all I had.
I shut down the truck and tabled that thought as unhelpful. I’d made the choice, and now I had to live with it. As I mounted the stairs to the front door, Pris drove up, followed closely by Waylon’s truck.
