Better with Ben (How to Tame a Heartbreaker Book 3) (18 page)

Chapter 21

It was a big night for Taylor. Her own little event planning business had been hired to organize a party for country legend Leroy Logan. Sure, she only got the job because she was friends with his son, but the job was hers nonetheless and she was really excited about it. They were having the event at a venue she'd worked before. It was a nice, old house called the Mason Place. It had beautiful, ornate furniture and fixtures—a place that didn't require an overabundance of decorating to make it look good.

She was basically a contractor, hiring crews to take care of the set up, food, beverages, and tear down, and everything was in place for a successful night. She was nervous, but kept reminding herself everything would be fine. The party was from 7-10PM, which meant Taylor had the whole day to worry about everything that could go wrong.

She decided to go over to her mom's house for a little while that morning in an attempt to keep from geeking out on party details all day. Everything was taken care of and she had to trust that showing up a few hours early was more than adequate.

Taylor knew her mom would be home, so she didn't even bother calling to let her know she was on the way. She got to the trailer at 10AM Saturday morning with four shopping bags full of groceries. Her mom was sitting on the couch watching television and Charles was nowhere in sight. The kids ran from the back of the trailer into the living room to greet her when she arrived—all except Jack. The three younger ones ran up to hug her even though she had armfuls of groceries. She laughed and leaned into their hugs awkwardly before handing the bags to the girls.

"I didn't know you were coming," Jennifer said, not budging off the couch.

"I have a big job tonight that I'm nervous about, so I've been up since seven. I figured I'd come see what y'all were up to." She said that hoping her mom would ask about the job. She usually didn't give Jennifer details about her accomplishments or her life for that matter, but she was just too excited about being hired to plan Leroy Logan's party to keep it to herself. Jennifer stared so blankly at the television that Taylor wasn't even sure if she had heard her.

"What's your job?" little Henry asked sweetly. The girls had already taken off with the groceries and he was staring up at Taylor who was staring at her mom. She looked down at him and smiled thinking how funny it was that he was only six and understood social cues better than their mom. 

She bent to whisper in his ear so her mother wasn't able to hear. "I got hired to throw a big party for a super-duper famous person."

His eyes got huge. "What's
hired
mean?"

Taylor giggled. "They're paying me—like a job."

"You get to go to a party for your job?"

Her eyes widened as well. "Yes, can you believe it?"

"How famous?"

She smiled and rubbed his head. "Super-famous! Come on, I'll tell you in the kitchen."

They turned to walk to the kitchen, and when Henry took a step, a flash of light caught Taylor's eye. She looked down at his feet. He was wearing Spiderman tennis shoes that had lights all over them. Green, red, and yellow lights blinked like mad in the dimly lit living room. Henry saw that Taylor noticed and stomped the other foot, making his left shoe begin blinking. He laughed with pleasure.

"Where'd you get those shoes, Henry?"

"Ben got them for me."

"Henry Joseph!" Jennifer said.

If Taylor would have understood that Henry meant
her
Ben, her heart would have dropped at that point, but she didn't understand that. She had no idea what or who Henry was talking about.

He looked up at Taylor. "You know, your friend who came over with you that day. He came back to visit us. He got me these." He paused and stared up at her with a big grin. "I only take them off to sleep."

A few things happened at once.

Taylor's mom yelled, "Henry Joseph, you were not supposed to tell her that," Abby and Alexis came into the living room screeching and yelling at Henry for telling, and Taylor's heart officially dropped. It felt as though something in her chest literally fell to the floor. An instant wave of nausea hit her at the thought that Ben had been over there without her. It was bad enough with her there to run interference.

Taylor's expression was one of shock and disbelief. She looked at her mother. "Are you kidding me?"

"Well,
I'm
not the one who said anything," she said with a scowl in Henry's direction, "but Henry's not kidding."

"You let him come over here without me?" She was slack-jawed and utterly dumbfounded. She had so many questions she couldn't get them out fast enough. "When did this happen? Did he just knock on the door? Are you talking about the Ben that came over with me a few weeks ago? The one with the big black truck?"

"Yes," Jennifer said.

"Yes to what?"

"That it was the same guy. The one with the black truck."

"Why did he come over here?"

"Abby called him," Henry said.

Taylor's penetrating gaze shifted to Abby.

Abby looked at Henry with the same murderous expression Taylor was using on her.

"Abigail please tell me you didn't call him and ask him to come over here," Taylor said. She tried to speak patiently but it was obvious by her tone that she was not happy. Abby's eyes instantly started to well with tears.

"I just called to tell him Henry said he could have the motorcycle," she said, defensively.

"How did you even get his number?"

"I got your phone out of your purse when you weren't looking," Henry said. "His name is spelled B-E-N."

"I am so disappointed with you guys right now.
I
haven't even talked to Ben in weeks. He's an
extremely busy person
. You can't be calling and asking him to come over here." Taylor paced in a circle and grabbed her forehead as if she had a headache.

"He was happy to do it," Jennifer said. She used a sarcastic tone indicating that Taylor was way overreacting.

Taylor let out a deflated breath. "Of course he
acted
like he was happy to do it, mom. He's a nice guy. He's not going to act like it's a chore." She paused and considered how much she should say in front of the kids. "You shouldn't take charity," was all she said. She wanted to say
much
more than that. She wanted to chew her mom out right there in front of God and everyone. "Where the hell is Jack?" It was something she been meaning to ask but hadn't had the chance with the ton of bricks that just hit her.

"He stayed the night at a friend's house," Jennifer said.

"Ben got Jack shoes too," Henry said. "Nikes with air in the bottom. Jack can jump like ten feet in em."

"When did this happen?"

"I don't know, like a week ago. Last weekend I guess."

"Mom,
I
was over here last weekend. Why didn't you tell me?"

"He came after you. The day after maybe."

"Yeah because we had to get his number first," Henry said. 

Taylor was continually grabbing at her head as if to massage away a headache. She paced and looked to the ceiling, but none of them dared talk to her.

"Listen to me very carefully, all of you," she finally said. "I do not want you taking anything from him. I don't want you calling him, or checking in with him, or letting him buy you things."

"It's not
charity
," Alexis said, a bit hurt. She'd been quiet the whole time and Taylor just looked at her wondering why she'd chosen that moment to speak. "He likes us. And it was his idea to get the shoes anyway. He said he'd come see us again sometime."

"No, Lexie, absolutely not."

"What's charity?" Henry asked.

Taylor just sighed. Her brothers and sisters were precious to her and she loved that Ben had done something nice for them, but she had to protect them. He wouldn't be around forever, so it was better if they never got attached in the first place.

"You don't have your cast anymore," Abby said.

Taylor offered her a half-smile and lifted her cast free left arm.

"Cool!" Henry said. He reached up to take hold of it and hang, trying to test its reliability.

Taylor dropped her arm immediately, not allowing any weight to hang on it. "It's still fragile baby boy," she said.

Henry stood and peered up at her. "Is it still broken?"

"No, but it isn't quite ready for a hanging Henry."

"Okay," he said.

She
wasn't quite ready to let go of the whole Ben thing. One by one she looked at all four of them in the eye. "I'm asking you to not call Ben again, okay?" There was no doubt how sincere she was and they all nodded. She went into the kitchen where she started putting away the groceries.

She felt numb—a little like she was losing circulation.
Don't you dare do this! You have a ton of stuff to do today. Get yourself together. You're twenty-one years old and your heart works perfectly.

"What's the matter?" Abby asked.

Taylor realized she was holding a can of raviolis in mid-air in front of the cabinet. She went ahead and put it away. "Nothin'."

"Are you mad at me for calling? Because I didn't mean to—"

"I'm not mad at you," Taylor interrupted. "I know you like him and wanted to see him again. I like him too." She paused, thinking about the truth of that statement.

"Why aren't you friends with him anymore?"

"Because he's really busy and didn't really have time to…" she trailed off. "He's just a really busy person."

"He didn’t
seem
too busy," Abby said. "And he said
you
were the one who was busy and he wishes you could hang out with him."

Taylor's gut clinched, but she tried not to react. "He said that? What did he say exactly?"

"Why are you turning all red?" Henry asked. His question did nothing but make it worse. Taylor opened the fridge and stuck her head in it. She was acting like she was putting the milk away, but really she was grateful for the cool air and the privacy in there.

"He said he thought you were one of the best girls he ever knew and he missed you very much," Abby continued. Taylor came out from behind the fridge door with a smile she couldn't suppress.

"Are you making that up?"

"No she's not," Henry said. "He did say that. He also said you were the prettiest girl he's ever seen."

"That's because you
asked
him if she was," Abby said. She looked at Taylor. "But he did say yes when Henry asked him that."

"I also asked if he was gonna marry you one day."

"Oh God Henry, you did not!"

"Yes I did," Henry said smiling.

Taylor just had to ask… "What'd he say?"

"He just smiled real big and said first he had to get you to tell him what time it is."

"He did not say that," Abby said. "He said you needed to tell him the time of the day."

"That's what
I
said," Henry said.

"No it's not. Telling the time of the day means when two people want to go out with each other. I saw it on Kickin' It. He was saying he wants to go out with Taylor."

"He wasn't saying that," Taylor assured them even though she was secretly doing a happy dance at the thought.

They were all quiet for a second.

"He was smiling like he likes you," Alexis said.

That simple statement made Taylor feel like all was right with the world. She stayed at her mom's house cleaning and playing with the kids for the next two hours. She heated up fish sticks and tater tots before she left.

There were a few hours to waste before she needed to get ready for the party, and during that time she came really close to contacting Ben. Problem was, she didn't know what she'd say to him. Part of her wanted to thank him for the thoughtfulness, but then she'd have to turn right around and get mad at him for doing it in the first place, telling him he could never do it again.

And still, there was a teeny tiny piece of her that hoped she could call him and say she was fixed and ready to have a boyfriend and congratulations, Ben, you've been chosen! She was afraid she'd freak out and say something really stupid like that, so she ended up not calling at all. She'd just have to thank him or get mad at him for the shoes next time she saw him.
Would it be tonight?

Chapter 22

Standard staff attire for an event like tonight's was all black or black bottoms with white tops. For this specific one, the staff would be wearing all black. It wasn't a formal event, but Taylor knew the attendees would be dressed to the nines, and she wanted to feel like she fit in, not only as part of the hired help. She had several pair of black slacks that she felt comfortable wearing, but tonight for the first time, she was planning on wearing a dress to work. It was totally appropriate for the person in charge. She'd seen Bonnie and the other head-planners at Tri-Star do it all the time.

Taylor was planning on arriving at Mason Place at 5PM. Two hours would be plenty of time to prepare. She'd gone by on her way home from her mom's house and seen that the company she'd hired to set up tables and decorations had been there and everything was in its place.

Taylor took more time getting dressed than she ever had in her life—managing, without Molly, to tease, spray, and pin her hair into a neat French twist. She spent 45 minutes on hair alone. As for her dress—she decided on a short, black, hi-waisted, chiffon number that she relied on. It was the one she wore to the CMAs to be a seat-filler this past year. It was comfortable and flattering, and it was really a no-brainer that she'd choose it. She paired it with some simple black heels that were cute and still easy to walk in.

She regarded herself in the full-length mirror that hung on the back of her bedroom door. She imagined Ben walking up behind her.  She stared blankly into the mirror, letting herself go out of focus as she imagined a scene at the party tonight.

He probably wouldn't be there at the start of the party. In her fantasy, it was more like the end of the party when he showed up. She had been expecting him all night and just when she thought he wouldn't make it, there he was. The party guests were gone and she stuck around to make sure everything was being cleaned up. She turned, and there he was, leaning casually on a doorframe.

Ben.

"I know you went to my family's house."

He looked innocent, but smiled. "Me?"

"Why'd you do it?"

"Because I love you."

Taylor was still staring, unfocussed at her fuzzy reflection in the mirror. She hadn't yet had time to laugh at herself for the silly fantasy when Gina knocked on her door, jarring her from thoughts.

"Tay, get up. You told me to wake you up like an hour ago. I'm sorry. I fell asleep myself." She heard Gina's voice say from the other side of the door.

"I didn't sleep," Taylor said, opening the door.

"Oh shit, you look good," Gina said. She was still groggy, but clearly appreciated Taylor's efforts.

"You think it's too much?"

"No. You're gorgeous. Is that the one you wore to—"

"Yes," Taylor said. She'd worn it three other times for special occasions so if Gina was thinking of a black dress, this was most likely the one.

"Who did your hair?" Gina asked. She appeared a bit confused as she looked Taylor over, as if there was no way she could've possibly done that to herself.

"I did it," Taylor said, turning to let her inspect it. "I need you to check to make sure there's no funny-business with the pins. It feels weird right here."

She reached up to indicate the area that she didn't think was quite right, and Gina poked and tweaked very gently for a few seconds but told her everything seemed to be in place. They talked for a few more minutes before Taylor took off.

She listened to the song Missin You by Trey Songz at least four times on her way to the venue. Even though a good portion of the lyrics didn't apply, she still had fun imagining Ben was feeling those lyrics about her.

Aside from one little hiccup where someone had to run to the store for a few bags of ice, the party was off to a drama free start. The two hours before the party went by in a flash, and before she knew it, the guests had arrived and the party was in full swing. Molly was one of the first ones to show up since Mary Lou threatened Nick's life if he wasn't on time.

Taylor greeted and spoke briefly to Molly, but had her hands full with keeping everything running smoothly. There were three chefs working to serve up six different kinds of gourmet finger foods. All of the hors d'oeuvres were a play on Leroy's songs, and the guests went crazy about how cute and creative the food was.

That little detail has been Taylor's idea, and Mary Lou had already told her more than once how much she loved it. They were only serving food for the first half of the party, so at 8PM, Taylor made her rounds to the chefs' stations where she told them they'd only need to cook for 30 more minutes.

She'd just finished talking to one of the chefs when Molly came up beside her. "I forgot to tell you that if I mentioned something about setting you up with a guy named Jesse you need to just roll with it."

Molly's words tumbled out so quickly that Taylor had no idea what she'd even said. "What?"

"Pretend I'm setting you up with a guy named Jesse. Just roll with it. Ben!" Molly looked over Taylor's shoulder, which made Taylor turn.

There he was.

He wasn't leaning against the door like her fantasy, nor was it currently a quiet lull at the end of the evening. The buzz of the crowd continued around them, but all Taylor could see was Ben. He was dressed sharply in grey, slim fitting slacks and a white dress shirt with a subtle, striped pattern. He was walking toward them, and Taylor felt like she wanted to run into his arms. She had to keep her feet glued to the ground to keep herself from doing it. Ben's gaze scanned Taylor from head to toe as he approached. He didn't even glance at Molly.

"I wondered if you'd be here tonight," Taylor said. She reached out to give him a sideways hug, relieved that she wasn't shaking too badly and her voice had come out better than she thought it would. His arm wrapped around her when she moved in for the hug, making her wish she could just melt into him.

She hesitated, enjoying the embrace for the briefest of seconds before pulling back and smiling casually at him. He smiled back. He was being casual too—dammit.

"Molly told me there'd be good food."

"You almost missed it. We're only serving for the next thirty minutes, so you better eat up."

"I'm not really hungry."

She giggled. "You just said you came here for the food."

"I lied."

"What'd you come for then?"

"You."

Taylor's gaze shifted and she regarded Molly with a disbelieving expression.

"I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable," she heard Ben say. "I just hoped I'd get to see you since it's been a while." He gestured at her arm. "Looks good."

Uncomfortable?
Was he worried that coming here to see her would make her uncomfortable? That was the
last
thing she was feeling right now.

"Just forget whatever I was saying about that guy Jesse," Molly said. She smiled as she turned on her heel to leave.

"I know you're busy, but I thought we could catch up sometime. I can wait around till you're done here if you want."

"Like tonight?"

"Yeah tonight. Are you here with somebody else?"

She stared at him. "I'm working."

"I know, but are you here with someone?"

"No."

"Okay then."

"We need to talk about a few things first," she said.

She was talking about her family and the shoe-buying thing, but saying they needed to talk made him go ahead and say what he had on his mind.

"I know we need to talk. I need you to know that I have a job that requires a good bit of my time."

That wasn't what she was thinking at all. Her expression was one of confusion. "Can you give me one second to talk to this other chef?" she asked. "After that, I can take a few minutes to get some fresh air if you want."

He gave her a stunning, roguish smile. "I'll see you outside."

The porch swing off the front of the house was occupied by two people, and there were a few others standing nearby. Three out of five of them had a cigarette, and Taylor figured she'd found the smoking section.

She was surprised to find Ben standing out there talking to the group. It seemed like they were discussing the full moon, which was clearly visible. Ben turned to regard Taylor as she walked outside.

"I left it in my truck," he said, hoping she'd play along.

"Okay, I'll just walk out there with you."

"I'm just right here in the parking lot."

"That's fine. Everyone's good in there."

"I took my shoes off just now, so tell me if my feet stink," Taylor said just after they climbed in the truck. "They're pretty comfortable, but it still feels good to get out of them for a second." She turned to look at him from across the console. Knowing they didn't have much time, she said, "I'm not gonna lie, I miss hanging out with you."
I just keep missin you… wish I was there with you…
The lyrics she'd listened to on the way there rang in her mind and she had to suppress a smile.

"I miss you like fuckin' crazy. I'm serious. It sucks. Can you please just be okay with me having a dangerous job that I can't tell you much about? It's like being drafted for the big leagues, Taylor. I won't have more chances like this if I quit now, and I'm good at what I do. You'd have to be okay with me just picking up and leav—"

"Yes."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

"Yes what?"

"Yes I can be okay with you having a job you can't talk about." She stared at the beautiful curves of his lips. "I think your super secret job is hot."

He smiled a bit reluctantly. "You say that now, but what about when I have to leave in the middle of something, or can't make it home for something important? Because that's gonna happen." 

She took a second to consider the question. "I wish I could make promises about how everything's gonna play out. The fact that you can't predict exactly how things will turn out is exactly what makes it exciting. I can only speak for how I feel right now—and honestly I like your job. I
like
the fact that you get called away on secret missions that I can't, for my own safety, know about." She said
for my own safety
in a conspiratorial tone that made him smile. "As weird as it might seem, I'm even okay with it being dangerous. I think in some sick way that makes it even hotter." She narrowed her gaze at him. "As long as you're good and never get hurt."

He smiled again. "I never get hurt."

She slapped a hand to her forehead. "Ben, I totally forgot I'm mad at you."

"For what?"

"Did you go to my mom's house and buy everyone shoes?"

He laughed.

"Did you?"

"Henry couldn't help himself," he said. "I knew he'd tell."

"Why'd you do it?"

"It doesn't matter. We'll talk about it later. We only have a few minutes and I missed you." In one motion, he put up the center console and grabbed her, smiling as he brought her closer. She let out a little shriek of delight when he pulled her over.

"How've you been?" he asked sweetly.

"Pretty good." She hesitated for a second. "Better now."

He smiled and tightened the grasp he had on her. "Me too," he said. His expression turned serious. "What if I got a call right now and had to leave?" he asked.

She shrugged. "I'd be okay with it," she said. "As long as you'd come back to me." She was so relieved to be near him, that she leaned into his arms, almost collapsing onto his chest. He held her securely. "I should be getting back," she said. She was afraid if she didn't leave now, she'd lose track of time.

"You're spending the night with me."

"Oh I am?"

He looked around sarcastically as if she were missing something obvious. "Uh, yeah," he said.

She was overwhelmed by the idea. It was too much pleasure to take in all at once. She didn't care where they went later as long as it was together. This little taste of his touch was nowhere near enough. He brought her face to his in a swift but gentle motion, and he pressed his lips to hers.

"I'm mad at you," she said.

"No you're not."

She just smiled, knowing he was right.

"You better go to work before I rip that dress off of you."

She let out a little yell when he pretended to grab at her dress, giggling as she climbed out of the passenger's door. They met in front of his truck, and he grabbed her by the hand as they headed back inside.