When We Fell

by Elena Aitken

  “Mom!” Austin ran into the room and threw his arms around her legs. “You look pretty. Where are you going?”

  She crouched down to kiss him on the cheek, a move that caused him to wipe the lip gloss off his cheek in disgust. “I’m going to a movie with Uncle Ben.”

  “Can I come?” He jumped up and down with the question. Normally, Austin of course would be going with them, but this was not normal.

  “Not this time, buddy,” she said. “It’s an adult movie.”

  “Besides, you get to hang out with me and Papa,” her mom said, steering him away from Drew’s legs. “And we’re going to make your favorite cookies.”

  “And eat them all?”

  Laura laughed. “Not all of them.” She bent down to whisper in his ear. “But some.”

  Behind them, Drew’s dad, Paul, cleared his throat and gave Austin a wink. They all laughed as Austin tried to wink back, but all thoughts of the movie were forgotten in exchange for the promise of home-baked cookies and Austin barely noticed when Drew left. Her mom waved and told her to have fun and not worry about hurrying home and that was it.

  She was already outside when Ben pulled up in his Jeep. He quickly hopped out of the driver’s seat and came around. “I was going to come to the door,” he said. “And pick you up properly. After all, it is our first date.”

  The butterflies in her stomach returned with a vengeance and started some sort of gymnastics routine in her gut.

  “Trust me,” she said as she climbed in. “It’s easier this way.” No doubt her mom, as casual as she was behaving with Drew, would have interrogated Ben in some ridiculous way, and then Austin would start asking questions. Yes. For now, this was definitely better.

  Ben waited until she was situated before returning to his seat and reaching into the back. “These are for you.”

  “You didn’t need to do that.” She protested even as she inhaled the beautiful blooms.

  “I told you.” Ben grinned. “It’s our first date. I’m going to do it right.”

  Drew didn’t protest further and once the initial nerves wore off and they settled into the conversation that had always been so easy between them, she actually found herself forgetting how ridiculously nervous she’d been.

  “You look beautiful.” Ben handed her the popcorn as they took their seats in the theater. “I meant to mention it earlier. Also, I’m really glad we’re doing this.” He took the seat next to her but turned to look at her. “I know it might be—”

  “It’s fine.” She interrupted him before he could say anything that might make her feel weird again. “I’m really glad we’re doing this too.”

  Thankfully the lights went down and the previews started before they could keep awkwardly talking about the fact that they were actually on a date.

  The movie was loud and full of action and just enough humor to keep them laughing.

  After the credits rolled, and the lights came up, Ben took her hand as they walked outside into the warm summer night. “It’s a nice night. Are you up for a little walk down by the river?”

  She wasn’t ready to go home, and definitely wasn’t ready for the night to end. She squeezed his hand. “That sounds perfect.”

  They walked in silence for a few minutes, when finally Ben stopped suddenly and pulled her arm so she faced him. “Why does this feel so strange?”

  “I don’t know. It’s not like we’ve never—”

  He silenced her with a kiss, his hands coming to either side of her face, and his lips pressed softly on hers. It was a gentle kiss but full of promise, and fire shot through Drew’s body. It took a second for the shock to wear off and just as her mind caught up with her body, it was over.

  “I needed to get that out of the way.” Ben’s lips curved up in to a smile, but he didn’t release his hands from her face. “I’ve been wanting to—”

  It was her turn to silence him. Drew didn’t overthink it but let her heart lead her and that was all she needed. The kiss was sweet, with just the right amount of heat and, better than anything else, it felt right. At that moment, nothing could have felt more perfect than standing next to the river, kissing Ben.

  Drew’s kiss was everything.

  Her lips were deliciously salty from the popcorn but with a sweetness that was uniquely hers. Ben’s heart soared and flipped and all but danced in his chest at the feel of her lips on his. For years, he’d imagined what it would be like to have her in his arms and kiss her, but it had always been in an abstract way. Nothing real.

  And nothing he’d ever imagined could ever have prepared him for what was happening.

  Ben didn’t know how long they stood there, but as far as he was concerned, it wasn’t long enough. It would never be long enough.

  When Drew pulled back and brought her fingers up to her mouth, he was lost.

  It was official—he was completely and totally in love with this woman and in a way that was so different from the feelings he’d had before. This was real.

  Slowly, Drew removed her fingers from her lips and replaced them with a bright smile. A moment later, she was laughing.

  Confused, and if he was being honest, a little bit hurt, Ben took a step back while Drew doubled over in a fit of giggles.

  “I’m sorry.” She straightened, one arm wrapped around her waist while the other went to her mouth in an effort to stop the laughter. “I don’t mean to laugh and it’s not…”

  Another fit of giggles consumed her.

  Unsure what to think, Ben looked around for a sign of what might be so funny, but the only thing around was…him. “Drew, did I…was that…hell, I don’t even know what to say. Was my kiss that—”

  “Oh my God.” She dropped her hands and took his in hers. “No, Ben. Oh, no, that’s not why I was laughing.” Her smile fell and she looked genuinely concerned. “No, your kiss was…well…oh my…no. I was laughing at myself.”

  “You were laughing at yourself?” He cocked an eyebrow and waited for her to say more.

  “Yes. I…oh my…” She started to giggle a little again, but caught herself. “I was so worked up about going out tonight,” Drew started to explain. “I mean, I was nervous. Like, teenage girl on her very first date, nervous. I mean, at one point I couldn’t even feel my toes and I thought I was going to trip and fall on my face.”

  She was so cute as she was trying to explain herself, that any minor hurt feelings he had vanished as he listened to her explanation.

  “And then when you kissed me, I was so surprised.”

  “Surprised?”

  “Right? I mean I shouldn’t have been, but I think part of me was still thinking of you as Ben and now you’re Ben. And it’s all so…” She cleared her throat and ran a hand through her long hair before continuing. “Anyway. It took me a moment, and then you stopped, so I had to kiss you myself.”

  “And what a kiss it was.”

  “Right?” she said again, and it was Ben’s turn to bite back laughter.

  “But I don’t get it,” he said. “What’s so funny?”

  “I’m so funny.” She grabbed his hands again and squeezed tight. “Because I was nervous about nothing. That kiss…you…this…” She looked up into his eyes but it was okay; she didn’t need to finish the thought. He knew exactly what she meant. And to prove it, he pulled her close, wrapped his arms around her and once again, kissed her.

  “I think I owe you a drink.” Ben slid a pint of beer across the bar to Evan.

  After taking Drew home at a very respectable time despite the fact that he would have been happy to stand by the river and kiss her all night, he hadn’t been ready to go home to an empty house. Besides that, he owed his best friend an apology.

  “You don’t owe me anything,” Evan said. “But I’ll take the beer.”

  Ben laughed and poured himself one before joining his buddy on the other side of the bar.

  “What’s going on?” Evan didn’t beat around the bush.

  “I went out with Drew toni
ght.”

  Evan didn’t say anything, but raised a brow, no doubt waiting for him to elaborate.

  “On a date,” Ben said. “A real one.”

  Evan grinned. “I know.”

  “You know?” Ben’s mouth dropped open, but then he shook his head. “Cam?”

  Evan nodded. “Of course. The girls talk, you know?”

  He didn’t know. Not really, but he should have guessed.

  “And how was it?” Evan asked. “Although I still don’t know why you think you owe me a beer. Did I lose a bet or something?”

  “No.” Ben looked seriously at his friend. “I’ve been a real jackass about the whole thing. At least where you were concerned. I know you were only trying to look out for me and—”

  “It’s all good, man.” Evan cut him off. “Honestly, I’m just glad you’re finally being honest about everything. And I know the last few months haven’t been easy on you either. You lost your big brother, and I can’t even imagine how hard that’s been. Especially with all the…well, the history with you guys. I know it’s been hard. And I’ll tell you, there is no one more pleased to see that smile on your face again.”

  “Thanks, man. That means a lot.” Ben held out his beer for a cheers.

  “You know I have your back.” Evan took a drink. “Always. And I know this thing with Drew…well, it’s been years of this and I know things are a little more complicated now, but maybe…well, maybe this is just how things were supposed to work out for you two.”

  “You mean Eric dying?” Blood rushed to his head, but Ben knew Evan didn’t mean anything by it.

  “God no!” Evan shook his head vehemently. “That’s not what I meant at all. But I do think that everything has a season and a reason. And when you guys were kids, that wasn’t your season. Whatever the reason, maybe it was just meant to be that you and Drew couldn’t come together until now. Obviously the circumstances surrounding it are terrible, but there are some things we can’t change. And we have to play the cards that are dealt.”

  Ben thought about it. The circumstances were terrible and if he could, he’d change it all. But Evan was right; there were some things that could never be changed. He nodded slowly and drank deeply from his glass. “I know what you mean. I also know Eric wouldn’t want us to live in the past and dwell on the things that can’t be changed. That was never his style.”

  “It certainly was not.” Evan raised his glass and they toasted. “So, tell me about the date?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  It had been three days since their date, and Drew was still smiling. Every time she thought about how awkward she’d felt, she giggled. But then her thoughts would turn to her first kiss with Ben and then their second and later, their third and every single time, her face flushed and electricity ran through her veins. All in all, it had been an amazing evening and the days that followed had been just as great.

  Ben had texted her later that night and they’d spoken on the phone a few times, but their schedules hadn’t permitted actually seeing each other which, at least for Drew, was turning out to be an exercise in frustration. For as nervous and unsure of dating Ben as she’d been at first, after their date, all of those hesitations were gone. All she felt now was excitement and happiness. And an incredible desire to see him again.

  Which was going to happen later that afternoon, because he’d promised he’d be able to sneak away from the bar after the lunch rush. They’d planned to cross another item off the Bro List and were going to take Austin fishing.

  That was only a few hours away, and she still needed to finish up her plans for the Taking the Reins grand opening party and go over everything with Amber before lunch so she could get ready.

  With Austin spending the morning with Logan and the horses, Drew and Amber were meeting in the kitchen of the brand-new lodge building. Drew was impressed.

  “This is amazing,” she told Amber, who only grinned in response. “I can’t believe all the top-of-the-line equipment you have in here. How many people did you say were going to be able to stay here at one time?”

  “Only eight. But we wanted to have the facilities to accommodate anything that might come up and you never know, we might be able to expand in the future.” She shrugged. “It’s best to be prepared, right?” There was something in her friend’s eyes, but Drew couldn’t be certain.

  “Well, I think it’s awesome.” She pulled her portfolio out and put it on the shiny stainless-steel counter. “Are you ready to see what I have lined up for you?”

  “I can’t wait.”

  They spent the next few minutes going over all of Drew’s plans, which were fairly simple. Amber had already tasted most of the items, so there were no major surprises, which was good as far as Drew was concerned because she’d already started preparing everything to keep her work load down to a minimum on Saturday night so she could actually enjoy the party, too. Which meant she still had four days to get everything finished. It would be more than enough time. Especially considering her mom had agreed to help out a bit with some free labor.

  “It’s going to be great,” Drew said when they were done going over the details. “And I heard that Christy and the band agreed to play a few songs, too. I can’t wait. Are you excited?”

  “Of course.” Amber smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

  The same feeling she’d had the other day at lunch with the ladies returned. Something was going on with her.

  “What’s up, Amber?” Her friend tried to turn away, but Drew caught her by the arm. “Talk to me. Is everything okay?”

  Amber shook her head but followed it quickly with a smile. “I mean, it’s just a lot,” she said. “The stress of everything. I think it’s just getting to me. I’m fine. Honestly.”

  Drew examined her friend’s face for a tell-tale sign that she was lying, but either Amber was a very good liar—which, considering her background as a lawyer, was entirely possible—or there truly wasn’t anything wrong. Amber looked tired, and definitely more than a little stressed, and she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. But there was something else that didn’t sit quite right with Drew. If Amber insisted she was fine, she had to take her word for it, because if it was something serious, Amber would tell her. She had to trust that.

  “Okay,” Drew said after a moment. “But if there’s ever anything you want to talk about…”

  “I know.” Amber gave her a hug that lasted a moment longer than normal, and once again there was a flicker of worry in Drew’s gut. But when she pulled away, Amber’s bright smile was in place. “You’d be the first to know if there was ever anything I needed to talk about. Now, don’t you have somewhere to be?” She wiggled her eyebrows and Drew laughed.

  “We’re going fishing.” She grinned. “Austin’s going to love it.”

  “And you?”

  Drew laughed. “Well, I don’t know about the fishing part. But I’m definitely going to enjoy the company.”

  She’d already filled Amber and the girls in on her date with Ben and although she didn’t get into the details of the kiss, they could see from the glow about her how happy she was.

  “I think it’s awesome,” Amber said as they walked outside toward the stables. “Really. I mean, I know you thought maybe I was judging—”

  “It’s fine.” Drew interrupted her. “I know you support me.”

  “Always.” Amber pulled her into a quick hug. “No matter what.”

  “You know the same stands true for me.”

  “Of course.”

  Together they walked to the fenced ring and watched Austin riding Poppy without Logan’s assistance.

  “He’s amazing,” Amber said.

  Drew laughed. “Do you mean Austin or Logan?”

  Amber blushed. “Austin, obviously. He’s doing really well with the horses.”

  “He is.” Drew leaned on the fence and watched her son for a moment before turning back to Amber. “Logan’s pretty amazing, too. Isn’t he? I mean, you guy
s…you’re pretty amazing.” She knew she was pushing it, but she couldn’t get past the fact that something seemed a little off with her friend.

  “Of course,” Amber answered quickly. “It’s been total chaos around here, but—”

  “Amber? Spill it. I know something is going on and if you don’t tell—”

  “I want to have kids and get married and I don’t think Logan does.”

  She spoke so quickly that Drew wasn’t sure she’d heard her properly at first.

  “What?”

  “I want kids,” Amber said again, softer this time. “I don’t think Logan does.”

  “Wow,” Drew said after she’d had a moment to digest what her friend had said. “That’s a lot.”

  “It is, and I’ve been thinking about it. And—well, don’t worry about it, okay? I’m going to talk to Logan when the time is right because I need to know either way and—”

  “Hey, Mom!” Austin waved to her, pulling Drew’s attention away. “Look at me.”

  “You’re doing great, kiddo,” she called out. “Good job.”

  When she turned back to Amber, the moment was over and Amber shook her head when Drew opened her mouth to speak again. But she’d already said enough. Drew’s heart went out to her friend. It couldn’t be easy for her if she was feeling torn. Especially with everything else going on. She squeezed Amber’s hand and hoped it would be enough for her to know that no matter what, Drew supported her.

  With Annie out sick, and the brand-new patio bringing in more business than ever before, Ben had no choice but to cover the lunch rush and most nights, the dinner rush as well. It was a good problem to have as the increased business had more than paid off the loan he’d taken out for the patio development. Working in the bar was something he didn’t usually mind because he loved his time at the Log and Jam. But that was before he started enjoying his time with Drew a whole lot more. Everything had changed after their date. They hadn’t actually been able to spend any time together for the last few days, so Ben was more than ready to get away from the bar and back into Drew’s company.