Wyne and Dine (Citizen Soldier Series Book 1) (16 page)

Lea just stared, trying to take in
what her sister was saying.

“Anyway.” Her gorgeous sibling
stopped and blew out a breath. “I just wanted you to know I was happy for you.
Ben’s a good guy, and he deserves someone good like you.”

That scared Lea. God, did her
sister not think she was a good person? “You deserve to be happy, too.”

Gwen laughed. “Maybe. I need to
work on myself first, then worry about finding a man, besides, they all only
want to be with Gwen Gabel, not Gwen Gablonski. Never Gwen Gablonski,” she
muttered under her breath.

Lea set a hand on her sister’s
shoulder and squeezed. “Then you just haven’t met the right one, yet.”

Color entered her sister’s cheeks.

Or maybe she had met him…

“No, don’t. This isn’t about me.
It’s about you and Ben.”

Now it was her turn to laugh.
“There is no me and Ben.”

“What do you mean? I thought you
said you slept together.”

“I did…we did. But he doesn’t want
more.”

“Honey, that’s not what his gaze
was saying last night.”

What the hell was everyone seeing
that she wasn’t?  “Well, then you’re wrong, or he’s too stubborn. It doesn’t
matter anyway. Next week, I’m going to start sending out resumes.”

“For museums in the city?” Gwen’s
gaze sparkled with excitement.

“Yes.” She nodded, unable to stop
the answering smile. “Dad’s therapist said if he stays on target, he’ll be able
to come back to work sometime in November.”

“Oh, Lea, that’s terrific.” Gwen
pulled her close. “I’m glad for him, and for you. I know you’ve waited for so
long and had to work at that museum in Philadelphia for two years to fulfill
part of your scholarship. And now you’re schlepping at the train museum until
Dad is better. But here’s the thing, I’ll stay with him.”

Something was definitely wrong.
“You want to leave New York?”

“Yes. I know that sounds crazy
after all these years. I mean, I do love the city, but I don’t know. I need a
change. I’m tired of modeling. I’m actually starting to get too old for it, but
I’m not interested in moving on to acting or anything like that.” Her sigh
filled the air between them. “I’m not sure what I want. Just something not
industry related.”

“I’m sorry, hun. Sounds like you’ve
had something happen.”

Tears filled her sister’s eyes
again, but she blinked them back, again. “Yeah, but I don’t want to talk about
it right now. Okay? I’m good. And in a few weeks my contract runs out and I’ve
already told my manager I’m not renewing.”

Lea pulled her sister in for
another hug and held onto her for a few minutes. “Okay, I won’t pry, but you
know you can tell me anything, right?”

“I know. And thanks. Same goes for
you,” Gwen stated, then drew back and sniffed. “Now, go on with you. Have fun
with Brandi and her Texas friends. They seemed really nice.”

“They are.” Lea nodded. “Are you
sure about tonight? Brandi does have a room reserved for me, but I told her I
wasn’t sure if I was going to use it. I’m okay with driving back in the
morning.”

Although, staying there tonight
would be so much easier to be at her friend’s beck and call for last minute
details and mishaps.

“I’m sure. Now go. And I’ll see you
all tomorrow at the wedding. Dad is excited about going. He hasn’t stopped
talking about it. Poor guy is going stir crazy I think.”

A shaft of guilt shot through Lea’s
gut. She should probably start taking him out to more than just doctor’s
appointments now that he was somewhat mobile.

“If you have any trouble—”

“I’ll call Ryder.”

She laughed. “Okay. I’ll see you
all tomorrow.” Lea opened the door then turned around to face her sister.
“Thanks.”

A genuine smile lit Gwen from the
inside out, and she radiated beauty. The effect stole Lea’s breath. Her
sister’s beauty had always stolen her breath.

“You’re welcome.”

On the short drive home, she called
Brandi to let her know she’d be staying the night, then she called Ryder to see
if he knew what had happened to their sister to make her want to give up a
career she used to eat, drink and breath. He had no clue.

Whatever it was, Lea would figure
it out.

It would take something pretty
traumatic or powerful to cause her to give up on her dream. She couldn’t
imagine giving up the life she loved.

B
en was running late.
He hated being late. The only times he was ever behind were because he had to
wait around for someone…and they were late. Or his reports were not on time
because he had to wait for others to finish theirs first, and they were late.
He didn’t mind helping people out, he really didn’t, but when they didn’t do
their job and others suffered? That didn’t cut it with him. Like today. He’d
taken five days leave and wasn’t supposed to work today, but someone had
dropped the ball and forgot to order rations for a Gap drill next month, and it
was past the required sixty day window to get food ordered. So, he had to step
in, call in some favors, smooth over a few feathers, and make sure the soldiers
were taken care of for October’s drill.

Now, he was running late for his
sister’s wedding rehearsal.

At three-thirty-six, he was out the
door and halfway to his truck when he changed course and headed to Gabe’s.
Something was drawing him there, pulling him, and he’d learned long ago to
never ignore those feelings when they hit.

Maybe Lea was there and just
happened to need a ride.

As he entered the restaurant, he
half-expected—no, he was hoping—to see her smiling face. He was pathetic. But
it was the truth. He hadn’t slept much last night. Hell, he hadn’t been
sleeping good for the past few weeks, ever since Lea had…

He stopped dead just as he reached
the counter, and Gwen came out of the kitchen, hair in a ponytail, blue apron
over her designer dress, carrying a tray of food. She halted and nearly lost
the entrées, but he darted forward and helped her to right the tray.

“Thanks,” she said, face red, but
she moved past him and delivered the food to an elderly couple sitting in a
corner booth and a party of three sitting near the window.

“You just missed her.”

He twisted around to see Mr.
Tierney sitting at his usual perch at the counter.

“Missed who?”

“The other sister.” The older man
smiled.

Damn, then that meant he was drawn
here to see Gwen. He couldn’t imagine why. They had nothing to say to each
other. None that he could think of, anyway. Not in the mood, he headed for the
door, but his ex-girlfriend moved pretty quick in heels and blocked his escape.

“Don’t leave. We need to talk.”

He leveled her with a stare.

Her face turned pink, but she
didn’t move. “Please.”

It wasn’t the word, or her beauty
or their past that had him relent and nod. No. It was the sincerity he’d seen
in her pleading gaze that had him following the model-dressed-as-a-waitress
into the kitchen, past a startled cook, then into a storage room where she shut
the door.

Ah hell
. “Look, Gwen, I
don’t know what this is about, but I really don’t have the time.”

“It’s about Lea.”

He had the time.

“Is she okay?” His heart rocked in
his chest. He hadn’t felt anything to the contrary, but his radar was all out
of whack lately.

“She’s fine, although she could
certainly be better.”

He blew out a breath. “You need to
get to the point.”

“Okay. I wanted to say I was
sorry.”

The one thing he’d longed to hear
in his teens, but had never expected to hear from her just left her lips. A
decade too late. He stared.

“I should’ve said that many years
ago, I know. And for that I’m sorry, too.”

Wow, two apologies.

“Are you okay?” This was not at all
like Gwen. He had to admit, he was starting to worry about her.

“Lea asked me the same thing a
half-hour ago when I came in here and made her leave.”

She smiled, a genuine smile that
lit the room. The kind that used to light his world, but now left him feeling
nothing.

“I’m fine, or at least, I will be
after I try to make amends for what I did to you,” she said, with that
earnestness still in her gaze. “It was wrong, and I’m sorry, and I should’ve
told you sooner. But I was stupid and young. I know that’s no excuse, but it is
the truth. I got caught up in the ambience of France, and dealing with the new
world of modeling, and being the center of attention. It went to my head, and I
let it shove you out. I screwed you over, Ben, and I’m so very sorry. That’s no
way for a human being to treat another.” Tears filled her eyes and ran down her
face.

And even though she didn’t deserve
it, he felt sorry for her.

She brushed her tears away and
lifted her chin. “I just wanted you to know you deserved better than the way I
treated you. And I’m so happy you’ve let Lea into your life. She’d never let
you take a backseat. You deserve someone good and kindhearted like my sister.”

Those invisible bands returned to
squeeze the hell out of his chest. “No. I don’t. I’m not the relationship
type.”

“Because of me.” More tears ran
unchecked. “Oh, Ben, don’t do that. Don’t shut out all that is good in you, all
that deserves to be shared.”

“You’re giving yourself more credit
than you deserve, Gwen. Yeah, you didn’t help revise my opinion of women and
relationships, but I’d already had a crash course in that before and after
you.”

“Then you apparently need a
different one, because there are relationships out there that do work, and Ben,
they can be wonderful. So wonderful it makes all the hurts go away.”

Her gaze became dreamy and warm and
something in her sincere tone told him she was talking from experience.

“You have to be willing to work at
it, but first of all, you have to be willing to give the relationship a try.”

This was the first time since they
were in high school that Gwen had ever talked to him from the heart. Because of
that, he respected what she was trying to say and do, and didn’t remind her he
wasn’t looking for a relationship.

 “It doesn’t have to be a marriage
kind of thing,” she continued, stepping close. “All I’m saying is open up, Ben,
and let—”

“Lea in.” He blew out a breath. “I
get it, Gwen, but I told you, I’m not interested. And she could do better.”

“That’s just it, you’re wrong on
both accounts.”

He frowned, and she laughed.

“I was going to say you need to
open up and give yourself permission to feel. Let someone get to know the
real
you, because you’re pretty terrific… And Lea does. You’re also wrong
about my sister when you said she could do better than you, because she can’t.”

If Gwen was trying to help, it
wasn’t working. The tightness in his chest increased, and his need to escape
propelled him to the door. “I’ve got to go.”

Yeah, he was wuss, but didn’t care,
and wasn’t lying. Rehearsal was at four thirty, and it was already almost four.

“Okay, but are we good?” she asked,
grabbing his arm.

He stared down at the woman who had
broken his teenage heart all those years ago, finding her just as beautiful, if
not more, but he didn’t feel any attraction, or anger, or pain. Just a little
bit of sadness that she’d blown a good thing for nothing.

It wasn’t for nothing
, his
mind insisted. They’d been wrong for each other, and she’d done him a favor;
although, she could’ve handled it better. This realization eased something
inside him. A smile tugged at his lips, and he nodded at her.

“Yeah, we’re good.”

Tears filled her eyes again.
Ah,
hell.

“Thank you.” She released him to
swipe her face. “And remember what I said about Lea. The two of you are good
for each other. Take a chance, Ben. Let her in. Life’s too short. Have some
fun. It’ll do you good.” With that, she released him and opened the door. “Now,
you’d better hurry or Brandi will be stressing.”

If there was one thing he took away
from Gwen’s unexpected open talk, it was that women were damn confusing.

And now he was really running late.

Making up for lost time on the back
roads, Ben arrived at the lodge with seven minutes to spare. Enough time to
take the tux he’d picked up that morning from the rental shop, and his duffle
bag, up to his room, then change into black dress pants and gray dress shirt.

He was tucking in his shirt as he
rushed to the outdoor gazebo and pavilion area Brandi had them add for
weddings. Brilliant idea. The place was practically booked solid all spring,
summer and fall. He and his brothers had been surprised by how many couples
wanted outdoor weddings. But with the mountains and lake as a backdrop, he had
to admit, it was actually a decent setting.

“There he is,” someone shouted.

“Now, we just need the reverend,”
Keiffer said.

Good. At least he wasn’t the only
one late. He nodded to his brother, smiled at his beautiful sister, all glowing
and happy, then he spotted Lea, and his heart caught. All the tension and
anxiety and frustration of the day did its magic disappearing act, again.

She was hugging Kade, smiling her
usual smile, the one with her heart in her gaze, the one he felt clear to his
bones and knocked him on his ass. And today, God, today she was absolutely
gorgeous in a royal blue dress with a little hint at cleavage, and a lacey,
cutout type thing making an upside down V above her left knee. Then there were
her shoes.
Damn
. It didn’t take much for him to imagine her in nothing
but those black do-me heels.

He couldn’t take his gaze off her.

That continued through most of the
evening. Try as he might, Ben’s gaze kept returning to Lea, all through the
rehearsal and dinner, and even now, as the wedding party sat in the corner at
the Knotty Pine, enjoying a final round before calling it a night. Nursing his
beer, he vaguely listened to the conversation, watching Lea’s animated
expressions, captivated by the life in her face as she recanted a story about
the girls and their outing yesterday in New York City.