She let out a frustrated breath, shaking her head as her heart pounded with anger. Rick never did this, never ignored her, and it was driving her insane. Communication, even if it was rude, was better than this silent crap he was pulling. “Not yet. I’m gonna call him in about an hour during his lunch break.”
Benji rolled his eyes as he placed his plate in the microwave. “I don’t know if I want you going alone if you have to drop her off. Maybe I can try to go. What time?”
She smiled sweetly. “Six thirty, you’ll be at the rink.”
“Shit. Yeah.”
“Benji, I’ve been meeting this man for four years. I’m good. I promise.”
He shot her a look as he leaned on his forearms on the counter. “That was before you had a boyfriend who refused to let you be disrespected.”
Oh, heart. Yeah, I know you can’t be still.
Shutting the door, she came to the counter as he watched, his lips curved before she leaned over and pressed her nose to his. “And while I love that my boyfriend wants me to be treated right and not disrespected, I can handle Rick Hart, believe me. But, thank you. For being you and for caring about me.”
Moving his nose against hers playfully, he smiled. “Wow, are you feeling okay? Did you hear what you said? ’Cause I heard you actually like that I want to help and be there for you.”
Meeting his gaze with a dry look, she rolled her eyes as the buzzer sounded from the microwave. “Way to go, ruin the moment.”
When she tried to pull away, his hand came to the back of her head, holding her in place as he grinned widely at her. “Where are you going?”
“I’ve got to work, and since my boyfriend likes to tease me, I’m going back to my office. With my food.”
“You mean my food,” he corrected and she grinned as he kissed her nose. “And also, have I told you I really like when you say boyfriend? It gives me this little girlie feeling in my gut.”
Grinning as she pulled back, she nodded. “Well, you are the girl, so it makes sense.” As he glared, she shot him a wink before turning to go to the door. “See ya, hot stuff.”
“I’ll text you when I have Angie.”
“Sounds good. Thanks again,” she said, heading out the back door, but then she paused before shutting it. “And don’t worry about Rick. I can handle him.”
Looking back at her from the microwave, he shook his head. “It isn’t that I don’t think you can handle him, babe. It’s that you shouldn’t have to. That is what makes me mad and makes me want to tear him to pieces. You don’t deserve that shit.”
She smiled. “I know.”
He nodded slowly, taking a bite of his pie. “Go to work before I take you upstairs.”
She feigned shock before shaking her head. “Oh, no way, I’ll never leave!”
“That’s the point,” he called as she shut the glass-paneled door. Holding his gaze, she turned her lips up as she waved and he grinned back. She headed for her office, not even wanting to go. She’d much rather go upstairs with Benji, lie with him, but she had things to do and she was sure he did too. With a little pep in her step as she inhaled her potpie, she closed the distance between his house and her office and realized she was smiling. For no damn reason but that Benji just made her happy.
It was odd, having someone who cared about her enough not to want her to be disrespected by anyone. Of course, her family didn’t want that, but they were supposed to feel that way. She was their blood, but Benji had no ties to her. No reason other than he wanted to, and that just filled her with all kinds of feelings. To have someone want to be there. To offer to help and know they weren’t put out by it. That they genuinely wanted to provide assistance, to make things easier, was really nice. And man, he loved Angie. He was just…he was just perfect and, God, that scared her to the core.
Because nobody that good existed.
Or at least, they didn’t for Lucy.
It was sad, but she was just waiting. She knew it would happen, that moment when it would be too much—dealing with Rick, dealing with the fact that she had a kid and that Angie came first—and Benji would say to hell with it. A part of her wasn’t even sure she was worth it. She was snarky, she was bitchy, but then, with him, she wasn’t. Or at least, she wasn’t that bad, mostly. But she knew he would run the other way sooner rather than later. For that reason, she was sure, she was hiding her heart. That was the main reason she held back from moving in with him even when it made so much sense and felt right. No, she had to be careful. Because as much as she wanted this to be forever, she was pretty sure it was only temporary.
And that made her smile disappear.
Pushing aside her worries because she needed to work, she headed through her office that was completely set up and beautiful. Benji had done an excellent job, and as Rayne sat behind her desk, a grin on her face as she worked, Lucy felt complete. She always wanted somewhere for her office that would feel like home. The little guesthouse that was now her office was home. It felt right. Just as Benji did. But she couldn’t think of that right now.
No, she had work to do.
And she had to call Rick in an hour.
Deciding she really didn’t want to do that, she tried to text him one more time.