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Though her cap hid her hair—her most remarkable feature—there was no mistaking those wide green eyes, that pert nose and lush mouth. Nor the faint half-moon scar on her chin, a product of an early encounter with the edge of a coffee table as a toddler, if he remembered correctly.
And he knew he did, because everything about Eden Rutherford was memorable.
And just to make absolutely certain he recognized her, a firestorm of heat blazed behind his zipper, the same blistering, thought-singeing wave that had always let him know he’d gotten too damned close to her. Need ripped through him so fast it tore the breath from his lungs, making him momentarily unable to speak. So much for keeping a low profile and keeping a distance, Bennett thought, feeling himself inexplicably lean toward her.
Eden.
“Hi,” he said for lack of anything better.
“Bennett,” she replied coolly, despite being obviously jolted at seeing him again. Her pulse fluttered wildly at the base of her delicate throat, and he discerned the slightest tremble in her smoky voice. God, how he’d missed her. “This is a fifty-five-mile-an-hour zone. You were traveling ten miles per hour over the limit.”
“I know,” Bennett admitted, considering her with equal parts joy and trepidation. Unable to help himself, he offered a smile. “Sorry about that.”
Rather than return his grin—much less acknowledge that they’d been infinitely more than mere passing acquaintances—she looked away and consulted her ticket pad. “Is there any particular reason you’re in such a rush?”
Was this an official question or was she fishing for information? Bennett wondered, foolishly hoping for the latter. Given the tone of her voice, there was really no way to tell. Odd, that, when he used to be able to read her so well. “Actually, I’m heading out to Golden Gate to pick up Grady.”
A concerned frown emerged between her brows, and the first hint of the real Eden appeared behind her official cop demeanor. “Oh? Is something wrong?”
“Physically? No,” he quickly assured her, then he checked his watch and winced. “At the moment, he’s probably packed up, sitting curbside on his luggage and pissed that I’m not there yet.”
“Packed up? Where’s he going?”
“Home,” Bennett told her. “He’s, er…” He paused, felt an uncomfortable smile tug at the corner of his mouth. “Let’s just say he’s no longer a welcome resident at the retirement home.”
Eden gasped, reluctantly intrigued, he could tell. “Eva kicked him out? I knew she’d threatened to in the past, but I can’t believe she actually went through with it.”
Bennett nodded grimly. “Believe it.”
“Why?”
“Oh, a combination of things,” Bennett said lightly, hoping to thaw her a little with humor. It had always worked in the past, after all, he thought, his gaze inexplicably drifting over the smooth line of her cheek. “Inciting revolts over the menu, gambling, not respecting the curfew.” He sighed, tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and stifled a grin. “But ultimately it was the womanizing that Eva couldn’t tolerate. She said it was unseemly.”
Eden didn’t smile, but her eyes twinkled. “I’d heard about that.”
From Kate, Bennett thought, remembering that Eden’s best friend was a nurse on staff at the retirement home. On the rare occasions their paths crossed, she never failed to send him a death-ray glare.
Eden frowned thoughtfully. “I didn’t think Grady was able to live alone anymore.”
“He’s not,” Bennett confirmed. His gaze tangled with hers and he shot her a distinctly uncomfortable smile. “I’ll be living with him.”
Blind panic—which made him feel like the biggest dick in the world—surfaced in that too-green gaze before she managed to blink it away. “O-oh?” she asked, clearing her throat. “What about your work? I’d heard you were doing quite well in Savannah.”
“I can work from here as easily as I can in Savannah,” Bennett said, pleased that she’d been keeping up with him. The only fly in the ointment of his recent success was that he hadn’t been able to share it with her. When it came to his woodworking, Eden had always been his biggest fan. “I’m keeping the store open there but will do the physical end of the job here.”
“From your grandfather’s?”
“Yeah,” Bennett confirmed. “I’m renovating the house and barn. The barn will be my shop.”
Eden waited for a line of cars to pass before speaking again. The blast of hot air tugged at a loose strand of hair hovering distractingly around her mouth. “Aunt Devi bought one of your rockers the last time she was in Savannah.”
He actually remembered Eden’s eccentric aunt coming in. Devi Darlaston, he thought. God, what a character. While Eden’s mom had always been cold and calculating, Devi had been a sweetheart, a grounding support for Eden. For whatever reason, she’d always reminded him of his grandfather. She’d chosen one of his favorite pieces, too—a rocker he’d crafted from oak, its back an intricate design of corkscrew willow branches.
“I hope she liked it,” Bennett said, hating himself for fishing for the compliment.
“She did.” Eden considered him for a moment, seemed to thaw just a bit. “It’s beautiful work, Bennett.”
The remark made a warm dart land in his chest and expand. He’d received countless praise for his work, and yet, for whatever reason, her opinion counted more than any other. Then again, it always had. “Thanks,” Bennett murmured, swallowing.
Eden released a small breath, inadvertently forcing his gaze back to her ripe mouth. Just looking at it brought back snapshots of kissing her, stuck on fast-forward.
The first time, at her locker, and she’d tasted like butterscotch candy.
At her back door—they’d broken apart guiltily when her mother had turned the porch light on.
Fire Lake, their first time, and he’d softly pressed his lips to hers—an apology for that brief flash of pain he’d seen in her gorgeous eyes as he’d carefully slid into her.
Heaven, Bennett thought now. The only time he’d ever felt right.
With his eyes Bennett traced the woefully familiar lines of her face—that hot mouth—and felt both his heart and his loins catch fire. Like a match to dry tinder, his entire body went up in flames, scorching him from the inside out. His fingers involuntarily tightened on the steering wheel, and he swore inwardly, praying for an instant downpour to put out the blaze. He watched Eden’s suddenly heavy gaze drop to his mouth and felt himself harden to the point of pain.
Motherfu—
He couldn’t do this, Bennett thought, setting his teeth against the tide of longing rising up inside him. Hadn’t he promised himself that he wouldn’t do this? He didn’t deserve her, and more importantly, he couldn’t hurt her again.
For both of their sakes he had to stay away from her. There was too much at stake. Grady needed him…and Eden needed him to leave her alone.
As if coming out of a trance, Eden blinked and an awkward smile caught the corner of her mouth. “Well, I don’t suppose I should write you a welcome-home ticket, so this time I’ll just give you a warning.”
Bennett’s lips edged into a grateful smile. “I appreciate it. Thanks.”
“See you around,” Eden said. Then, after a slight unsure pause, she turned and walked away.
That was exactly what he was afraid of, Bennett thought. He couldn’t afford to see her around. Because he’d do something stupid they’d both ultimately regret.
EVERY CELL IN HER BODY vibrating with nervous adrenaline, Eden slid back behind the wheel of her car and waited for her racing heart to slow. Her mouth was so dry it felt as if she’d eaten a pack of chalk. Her palms were numb, her fingers tingled…and yet her nipples were hard. She looked down, snorted miserably and shook her head.
This was what Bennett Wilder did to her. What he’d always been able to do to her.
Barely three minutes in his company and she was a wreck.
Jeez, God, did he have to be so damned handsome? Eden silently lamented. Was it too much to ask that he develop some sort of deformity or at the very least a serious skin problem since the last time she’d seen him? She let go a stuttering breath.
Evidently so, because he looked better than ever.
His dark, wavy hair was shorter than he’d worn it previously, and rather than keeping traditional sideburns, he’d trimmed his into the trendy edgy look she’d seen favored by hip urban professionals. If possible, they made him look even sexier. More dangerous. Hell, Eden thought with a miserable chuckle, he could have trimmed them into a fleur-de-lis pattern and he still would have looked like a badass.
Because that, in essence, was Bennett Wilder.
Eden sighed. And therein lay the attraction. Or at least some of it. Frankly, for her, there’d always been more to Bennett than his sex appeal. He was smart and interesting and talented and vulnerable. He had fix me written all over him and she’d tried to do just that three years ago and had gotten her heart filleted for her trouble.
Now that was not a mistake she’d be making again, Eden thought, glad that—other than that one little please-get-out-of-the-car-and-kiss-me moment when she’d been mesmerized by his mouth once again—she’d mostly kept her wits about her.
She waited for him to pull out into traffic, then dropped her head against the steering wheel and moaned with a combined cocktail of mortification, misery and self-disgust.
This was not good.
At least she hadn’t cried or ranted like a mad-woman, like the proverbial scorned lover. She’d kept her cool, kept it relatively professional—she hadn’t been able to resist asking about Grady or telling him that the rocker was beautiful. But ultimately she’d kept her head, which was nice considering it felt as if it had momentarily left her shoulders the instant she’d looked into those dark, brooding eyes. Eden knew he’d expected her to go off on him like a Roman candle, and there was something quite gratifying about the fact that she’d managed to surprise him.
Furthermore, the minute she’d found out that he was moving back here permanently, she really should have given him a heads-up on Artemis525. She’d started to but then had ultimately chickened out. How did one begin that conversation, anyway?
By the way, Bennett, after you broke my heart, me and some of your other exes started a Web site designed with the express purpose of maligning your character. One woman in particular seems to really hate you and wish you harm. Frankly she gives me the creeps, so you might want to watch your back. (Insert uneasy laugh.) Welcome home.
Ha. She didn’t think so.
Kate had volunteered to be the bearer of that news, not her. And as luck would have it, Kate was on duty and Bennett was on his way out to the retirement home. Talk about karma. Eden picked up her cell and dialed her friend, hoping that she’d be sitting at the nurses’ desk.
“Golden Gate, your home away from heaven,” Kate’s weary voice came across the line.
“Thank God,” Eden replied, relieved.
“Eden? What’s wrong?”
“You’re never going to believe who I just stopped.”
“Bennett?”
Eden gaped and felt her eyes widen. “How did you know?”
“Because Grady has been going around all day telling everyone that he’s moving out, that Bennett’s moving back and that Eva is a disciple of Satan.” She blew out a tired breath. “And not necessarily in that order. I had planned to call you, but as you can imagine, things have been crazy here. Grady’s friends threw him an impromptu going-home party, and somehow or other, several bottles of Southern Comfort were smuggled in. Drunk senior citizens, walkers and electric wheelchairs don’t mix, Eden,” she said darkly. “Believe me, it’s bad. Bad, bad, bad.”
Eden chuckled, imagining. “I’m sorry.”
“Let me guess. You’re calling me to give me the four-one-one on Bennett so that I can relay the four-one-one to him on Artemis525?”
Eden surveyed traffic, then aimed her car back onto the road. “You know me too well.”
“Coward,” Kate teased, rightly pegging her.
Yes, she was. And an ultimate fool, because seeing him again had energized her in a way that she hadn’t felt in a long, long time. One look into those old-soul eyes had knocked her so far into the hot zone again that she hadn’t been able to think straight, much less think cattily. She’d just been proud of herself for not completely losing it.
“We’ll need to call a meeting,” Eden told her, trying with difficulty to focus. And the first order of business would be what to do about the Web site. She didn’t want to shut it down, of course—and didn’t intend to—but keeping it up and running under BennettWilderSucks.com with him moving back to town felt…off to her. Had he softened her that much already? Eden wondered, analyzing her motives. Or, all things considered, was it the prudent move?
“How are we going to do that without tipping off the crazy chick?”
Good question, Eden thought. “I don’t know. Maybe call everyone?”
“That’s assuming this isn’t someone we see every day.”
Right again, but she simply couldn’t imagine that being the case. Then again, stranger things had happened. Many a murdering freak had appeared normal, right? “I guess that’s a chance we’ll just have to take. I’d still rather call than post it.”
“You aren’t afraid he’ll see it, are you?”
“No,” Eden told her with more force than was actually required. “I hope that he does.” And she did. He’d hurt her—hurt them all. If seeing their embittered musings and uncharitable thoughts made him a bit uncomfortable, then so be it. It was nothing less than he deserved. This would be a sentiment which would undoubtedly require many reminders, Eden thought grimly. She’d just seen him and already she could feel her grudge withering away. God help her if he apologized. Instead of game on it would be game over, and she knew it.
Kate chuckled with gleeful relish. “Oh, to be a fly on the wall.”
She wouldn’t mind finding a little wall for that one as well, Eden thought, her lips curling at the idea.
“You take care of getting everyone together and I’ll take care of bringing Bennett up to speed,” Kate said, practical as ever.
“Eight o’clock tonight at my house sound okay to you?”
“Sure.”
“Come early,” Eden told her. “And bring booze. Lots of booze.”
Knowing what was to come—the draining buzz and hoopla surrounding the return of Bennett Wilder—she was going to need some sort of alcoholic assistance.
5
“IT’ S ABOUT DAMNED TIME,” Grady snapped predictably as Bennett rolled to a stop beneath the portico. “I could have died waiting on you to get here.”
“And yet you’re well enough to complain,” Bennett replied with a droll sigh.
Eva Kilgore, every steely gray hair pinned into submission, stood with stoic resolve next to Grady and seemed particularly relieved that Bennett had finally made an appearance. He nodded a greeting at her. “Eva.”
“Bennett,” she returned with cordial chill. “He’s ready.”
And so am I hung unspoken in the air.
Grady glared at Eva, his dark eyebrows furrowed in deep contrast with his snowy hair. “It was only a little going-away party, you old stick-in-the-mud. You just had to ruin my fun right up until the very last minute, didn’t you?”
Bennett hit the remote to open the trunk and paused, a finger of unease tightening his gut. He slid a cautious look at the pair of them.
“Your fun is precisely why you don’t have a home here anymore, Grady Wilder,” Eva shot back, her thin lips pursed into nonexistence. “It’s a miracle no one had a bad reaction to that alcohol.”
Grady chuckled softly, a hint of Wilder wickedness evident in that small laugh. “Oh, I think they reacted to it the way they were supposed to.”
Bennett smothered a long-suffering sigh and arched an eyebrow at his grandfather. “Alcohol?”
“Harmless,” Grady pshawed.
Eva’s nostrils flared with disapproval. “Reckless,” she countered darkly. “Minnie Winston is lucky she only dislocated her hip when she fell, and didn’t break it.”
“Minnie hadn’t had anything to drink,” Grady said. His dark brown eyes twinkled and he shot Bennett a wink. “It was the weed that knocked her for a loop.”
Eva gasped, her eyes widening in horror.
“Oh, for pity’s sake, woman,” Grady said with put-upon exasperation. “I was only kidding.”
Wearing a look of determined consternation, Eva shoved a clipboard at Bennett. “Sign these and he’s all yours.”
“Yeah, sign those and get me out of this hellhole. The Queen of Darkness here can have it,” Grady mouthed off, eyeing Eva with beady distain.
“Behave,” Bennett warned Grady in a low voice, signing where she’d indicated.
Eva snorted under her breath. “Good luck making that happen.”
Bennett gestured toward the single suitcase at Grady’s feet and arched a confused brow. “Is this it? Where’s the rest of your stuff?” Bennett knew for a fact that Grady’s room had been outfitted with a TV, a DVD player and a laptop computer—he’d bought them himself—not to mention the movies, games and books.
“He held an auction last night,” Eva announced with smug chagrin before Grady could respond.
Bennett passed a hand over his face, torn between exasperation and irritation, both of which were commonplace to anyone who dealt with his grandfather on a regular basis. “You sold your stuff?” he asked in a carefully neutral voice.
“Less for you to lug in,” Grady told him, blushing slightly, his gaze darting away. “I was doing you a favor.”
“Oh, well. So long as you were thinking of me,” Bennett replied, tongue planted firmly in cheek. He easily loaded the suitcase into the trunk, then waited until Grady had settled himself into the front seat before closing the door for him.
Bennett looked at Eva and smiled sheepishly. “I’d say it’s been a pleasure, but…”
“Oh, no,” Eva said, her voice ringing with belated joy. “The pleasure has been all mine. Good luck,” she said grimly. “You’re gonna need it.”
“Bennett!” Looking tired but relieved, Kate Manning hurried through the front doors toward him. “Can I have a minute?”
Eva darted a curious look at Kate but merely raised an eyebrow and turned and walked away. If it hadn’t been unseemly, Bennett imagined she would have skipped.
Intrigued but uneasy, Bennett nodded. He and Kate had never had what one could call a friendly relationship. She’d tolerated him for Eden’s sake when they were dating, but he knew, given how he and Eden had parted ways, those days were over. Not that he blamed her, of course. He’d been a cowardly ass.
Bennett had picked up the phone half a dozen times to call Eden and apologize, but to his unending shame and self-loathing, he’d never been able to muster the courage. She’d want an explanation, Bennett knew, and that was where things were going to get sticky. He’d never told her about her mother’s threat—dreaded making the cowardly admission—and he’d ended things between them the last time before she could ask him about it. She’d probed a little, of course, but it had always been too easy to distract her with more feel-good pursuits—as in, making love to her.
He’d planned on tendering the ridiculously too-late-in-coming apology, but honestly, he hadn’t planned on her being the very first person he’d see the minute he rolled back into town. Did he intend to man up and make it? Yes. He just needed to find the right moment to do so.
Grady rapped impatiently on the window. “What’s the holdup?”
“Give me a minute, would you?”
“At least turn on the air,” Grady snapped, scowling. “I’m roasting in here.”
Oh, for the love of— Bennett opened the door and handed his grandfather the keys. “Crank it up. I’ll only be a minute.”
His grandfather smiled pleasantly at Kate, transformed, as usual, at the sight of a pretty girl. “Ms. Manning.”
“We’ll miss you, Grady,” Kate told him. Unlike Eva, who’d been relieved, thrilled and otherwise beside herself to see Grady leave the retirement home, Kate seemed sincere. Evidently she appreciated his grandfather’s particular brand of charm. The idea made him smile.
“What can I do for you?” Bennett asked Kate.
“Nothing,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I just wanted to give you a friendly warning.”
Bennett looked away and inwardly swore. Pulled over and now a “friendly warning.” So far he’d been back in town less than thirty minutes and already he could feel his hair-trigger temper itching. He deserved this, he knew. He’d hurt her friend. Naturally she was concerned that he would do it again and now she was going to warn him away. Though it chafed, Bennett couldn’t blame her. This was all part and parcel of owning his past mistakes, so rather than tell her to go to hell, Bennett steeled himself against the impulse and stood there, determined to do the right thing.
“Look,” he said, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “If this is about Eden, I—”
“It is and it isn’t,” Kate interrupted. “Here’s the thing. After you left, Eden and a few of your other ex-girlfriends got together and formed a club of sorts.”
What the hell—an ex-girlfriends’ club? Bennett thought, stunned. He cleared his throat, unsure of what to say. “My ex-girlfriends formed…a club?”
“Yes,” she confirmed. “With a Web site. You should check it out,” she said sweetly. “It’s www.BennettWilderSucks.com.”
BennettWilderSucks.com. How…nice, Bennett thought, absorbing this little bomb and congratulating himself for keeping his cool. He could do this, Bennett thought. He could be nice. Though there was nothing to smile about, Bennett felt his lips slide into a pained grin.
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