Just One Thing Read online

  “Hunter? Matthew?” She turned around to go back the way she’d come and slammed directly into someone. The pie plate in her hand smashed against the front of her shirt and it startled her so much that she fell, landing hard on her backside in the dirt.

  “Oh my god!”

  “I am so sorry!”

  She looked up from the ground at the tall man standing over her. Silhouetted against the sun she could barely make out his face but she didn’t need to see his features to know who he was. No one else around was that tall or had that voice.

  No one except Bennett Alexander.

  The oldest of the Alexander siblings, he was the one she’d seen the least. The others spoke about him like some kind of mystery. He’d been called many things in her presence: strange, brilliant, different and antisocial. But the one thing no one ever called him was the word that Katie thought every time she saw him. Magnetic.

  “Hi. I didn’t see you.”

  She could have kicked herself for the obvious statement. Of course she hadn’t seen him. No one bumped into someone else on purpose. But Bennett didn’t seem annoyed at her clumsiness. He knelt next to her and picked up her handbag which had landed in the dirt next to her.

  “That was my fault. I was on my way into the house for dinner and I wasn’t looking where I was going either. Besides, it looks like you got the worst of it.” He looked down at her shirt pointedly, where the peach cobbler was now smeared all over.

  Katie’s shoulders drooped. “So much for dessert I guess.”

  Bennett made a sound that could have been a laugh. She snuck a peek up at him. He was the palest one of his family and had a smattering of small freckles across the bridge of his nose. She’d never noticed before this but his eyes were hazel, a blend of green and gold and brown. A flush went through her when she realized she was staring at him.

  And he was staring back.

  “I should probably get cleaned up.” Then she remembered the reason she’d been walking back here in the first place. “I just have to find my sons. They ran back here because they saw a horse.”

  Bennett nodded to something over her shoulder. She turned to see Hunter and Matthew trailing behind an older man who was leading a horse slowly across the wide yard toward them.

  “Hey Grady. I see you found two new farmhands.” Bennett spoke easily to the other man so Katie figured he must be one of the men who lived and worked on the farm.

  Grady grunted out a response and stopped walking. He tipped his hat in their direction.

  “Just taking old Ellie here for a little exercise. The boys have been keeping us company. I told them if they’re good at dinner then they can help me brush the horses down later if they want.”

  Judging by the wide smiles on both of their faces, her sons definitely wanted to.

  “Thank you. I think they’d love that.”

  She stood gingerly, happy that at least nothing more than her pride was bruised in her fall. “Come on boys, let’s go inside and say hello to everyone.”

  For once they didn’t protest, just waved goodbye to Grady who led the horse back the way they’d come. Katie followed behind them as they chattered happily to Bennett about the horse. To his credit, he listened patiently and didn’t seem at all annoyed by their questions.

  She glanced down at her shirt and groaned. It was even worse than she’d thought. Hopefully Julia wouldn’t mind loaning her a T-shirt.

  ♥

  Bennett watched as Katie squared her shoulders like she was going into battle and stepped into the house. She’d been embarrassed. He wasn’t adept socially but even he could tell that.

  He’d seen her around plenty of times and knew that she was one of Jackson’s neighbors but he’d only spoken to her casually a few times. In the moment when she’d looked up at him from the ground, looking so lost and alone, he’d wished he knew her well enough to make her smile. But his jokes usually fell flat and he definitely didn’t want to make it worse, so he’d kept quiet.

  Luckily her sons were keeping up a steady stream of conversation as they walked into the house. Bennett was used to the kinds of noise that little boys generated since Jackson’s two sons spent so much time with his parents.

  When they entered the dining room, everyone else was already seated. His mother’s face lit up when she saw him.

  “Bennett! I’m so glad you’re here, sweetie.” She got up from the table with her arms open for a hug but she stopped when she caught sight of Katie behind him.

  “Katie, dear. What happened?”

  He could almost feel the other woman’s embarrassment. It was coming off her in waves and the fact that everyone else at the table turned around to see what his mom was talking about probably didn’t help.

  Bennett gestured at the pie Katie was holding. “I wasn’t looking where I was going as usual. Katie happened to be in the way.”

  His mother frowned at him and he realized how rude that sounded. Damn it, he’d done it again. Whenever he tried to explain things they always came out wrong.

  “Not that she was in my way. She was where she was supposed to be. I was in the way. That’s what I meant.”

  Katie cleared her throat. “Would you mind if I borrowed a shirt, Julia?”

  His mother put a gentle arm around her shoulders. “Of course I don’t mind. Let’s go find something for you.” She took the smashed pie plate and handed it to Bennett. “We’ll be right back.”

  Bennett looked around, confused as to why she’d given the pie to him. Was he supposed to throw it away? That seemed logical to him but he’d learned long ago that his logic didn’t coincide with everyone else’s. Maybe his mom was planning to save some of the non-smashed portions of the dish.

  To be safe, he put the pie plate on the counter and then washed his hands in the sink. Afterward, he walked into the dining room. His father rose from his seat at the end of the table and shook his hand. He got a fist bump from Jackson and Ridley waved. She was seated across from her husband and there were two empty seats next to her. His brother Eli and his fiancée, Kaylee, were seated next to Jackson.

  After nodding hello to everyone, he sat next to Ridley, angling slightly to fit his long legs under the table. When he leaned back, he could see the small card table his mother used to seat the children in the corner. His nephews, Chris and Jase, were already seated and eating chicken fingers. Katie’s two boys sat with them and played with the plastic superhero figures that his mom kept on hand to entertain her grandsons.

  His mom returned then with Katie trailing behind her. She was wearing a plain blue T-shirt now with the Co-op’s logo on the front. When she saw that the only empty seat was next to him, she glanced around.

  She probably didn’t want to sit next to the weird guy who’d bumped into her and then made it sound like it was her fault. He couldn’t exactly blame her for that.

  Julia took her place at the opposite end of the table from Mark, winking at his father as she sat down. Katie slid into the seat next to him wordlessly.

  After saying the blessing, Julia started passing the dishes down the table so they could all serve themselves. Bennett held out his plate and accepted a slice of the ham that his father had just carved. Everyone was quiet for a few minutes as they filled their plates and Bennett used the time to observe Katie from the corner of his eye. She filled her plate but turned every so often to check on her sons sitting behind her who were by now happily munching on chicken fingers and macaroni and cheese.

  When he turned around, he caught his mother’s eye.

  “So it’s a pleasant surprise to see you here, Bennett. I didn’t think we’d see you until summertime. You haven’t been answering your phone,” Julia scolded gently. “I miss John already. He at least would pick up the phone when I called!”

  Bennett winced. “Sorry. I’ve been a little distracted lately. I’m going to hire another assistant. As soon as I find the time.”

  Ridley suddenly turned to look at him. “Oh, you need an assista
nt!”

  Stunned, Bennett just nodded. Ridley sounded surprised but hadn’t they just talked about that earlier? He thought back frantically, cataloguing everything he’d done between then and now. It wasn’t unheard of for him to lose whole days when he was in the middle of a project but in this case he was quite sure they’d just had that conversation a few hours ago.

  “Yes, I do. Remember, I told you that John got a fellowship—”

  “That’s such a coincidence because Katie is looking for an assistant job!” Ridley cut him off and then leaned back in her chair to look at Katie on the other side of him.

  Katie paused with her fork halfway between her mouth and the plate. She blinked several times before nodding. “Well, yes. I am looking for a position.”

  Ridley rubbed her hands together. “This is perfect. Bennett should hire her. She’s awesome, very good with details and she even has experience with botany.”

  Bennett wasn’t entirely sure what was going on but he got the definite sense that Ridley was up to something. He glanced across the table to where his brother Jackson was shaking his head at his wife. There was an awkward silence and Bennett realized Ridley was waiting for him to respond.

  Katie spoke up then, breaking the tension. “Ri, I’m sure Bennett already has a list of people he’s considering for the job.”

  “Actually, I don’t.”

  Katie’s mouth fell open slightly. “Oh. Um, okay then.”

  Again, Bennett had the sense that he’d committed some social faux pas that was just outside his understanding. Everyone at the table seemed slightly uncomfortable and he could tell there were several nuances that he wasn’t aware of going on. His shoulders lowered. Was it any wonder he preferred to spend so much time alone? It was exhausting, second-guessing every interaction looking for all the ways he’d screwed it up. Maybe he should have come by after dinner was over and taken a plate back home.

  “I’ve been in the middle of testing some new soil samples. That’s why I’ve been so distracted lately. Also Olivia called earlier.” He threw that in there because he knew how much his mother loved Olivia.

  “Oh good. She called here a few days ago looking for you since you weren’t answering. Such a sweet girl. What is she doing these days? Alberto is always so vague when I ask about her.”

  Bennett shrugged. “She’s managing a nightclub, I think. You know Olivia. She never stays in the same place for long.”

  He definitely wasn’t getting into the reason why Olivia and her father had such a strained relationship. That wasn’t the kind of thing you brought up over dinner. Or ever. And it was one of the only things in the world that made Bennett angry enough to become physically violent.

  Yes, it was best if his parents never knew anything about that. That situation was a prime example of why he’d always kept to himself. He’d seen the way people treated each other, even people who claimed to love each other, and none of it made sense to him. Olivia had made one mistake and her family had disowned her. If that was being normal, maybe it was best if he didn’t try to assimilate too much.

  The stress of being social hit him all at once and suddenly all Bennett wanted was his laboratory. It was the one place he actually felt in control, like he knew what he was doing. After dinner, he’d just slip out.

  No one would even miss him.

  CHAPTER THREE

  ♥

  Katie wanted to strangle her best friend. Well, not really since Ridley was too dang adorable even when she was meddling but she would at least hug her extra hard the next time she got her alone. What had she been thinking to say all that stuff at dinner?

  She glanced over at her friend who was currently picking up the remains of the food from the kiddie table. As soon as Julia left the room, Katie put down the plate she was holding and cornered Ridley.

  “What was that at dinner? And why did you say I know about botany?”

  Ridley shrugged. “You’ve helped me with my landscape designs plenty of times. That’s the same thing, right?”

  Exasperated, Katie didn’t even bother correcting her. Although she was pretty darn sure that knowing the names of a few types of flowers didn’t count as experience with botany. That was the least of her concerns at this point.

  “Ri, you totally put him on the spot. I’m sure he wants someone with experience.”

  Ridley carried the plastic plates from the kids’ table into the kitchen. Since Julia was there hand washing several wineglasses they let the conversation drop. Katie had no illusions about what Ri was up to and she definitely didn’t want to discuss it in front of Bennett’s mother. Surely the woman knew her son was quite a catch but that didn’t mean she wanted her daughter-in-law scheming to marry him off. Just because Ridley thought she’d be a good match for him didn’t mean Julia would agree. Most mothers probably wouldn’t consider a divorced mother of two as the perfect catch for one of their sons.

  Once Julia left to put the clean wineglasses away, Ri whirled toward her. “Just play it cool. He needs an assistant and you need a job. As far as I’m concerned this is the perfect solution for everyone.”

  Katie glanced out the window over the sink. The boys had raced outside as soon as they’d finished eating to go see the horses. Mark had gone with them since his grandsons wanted to see the horses, too. She never worried about the boys' safety here. It was such a relief to be able to relax for once instead of constantly being on alert and trying to keep them out of trouble. And despite how much attention she gave them, she could tell they still craved a male role model in their lives. Don had always been too busy to spend much time with them and ever since the divorce, his visits had been sporadic at best. Matthew didn’t seem to notice his father’s disinterest yet but Hunter did; she could tell. There was nothing in the world more disheartening than watching her son figure out that his father would much rather be doing something, or someone, else than being with his kids.

  “Maybe it would be okay. If I worked here, the boys could spend more time with Mr. Alexander and they really need that. Hunter especially really needs a positive male role model around.”

  Ri hesitated and then asked softly, “Have you heard from him?”

  When Katie shook her head, Ri hugged her. “I’m sorry. You and your boys deserve so much better.”

  The hug was a little too close, making all the tender, delicate parts of Katie feel as raw and exposed as the day her husband told her he was leaving her for someone else. For just a moment, she was tempted to sink into the embrace and bawl her eyes out but doing that wouldn’t change anything. It would just give her red eyes, a stuffy nose and make her friend feel sorry for her. Her pride was about all she had left at this point so she straightened and put on the biggest, brightest smile she could muster.

  Even if it was fake, it was better than wallowing in misery.

  “It’s his loss, really. They’re such good boys. So full of love and so eager to give it. He’s missing out on all of that. As for me, I’m just focused on starting fresh.”

  Ridley gave her a knowing look, like she could tell Katie wasn’t as strong as she was pretending to be. But in the end, her friend understood all about starting over. She’d come to New Haven at the lowest point of her life and ended up finding the love of her life. Katie wasn’t expecting that kind of miracle. She’d blown her chances at the fairy tale when she’d chosen the wrong prince to ride off into the sunset with. All she could hope for was a stable job so her boys could stay in the home they’d grown up in.

  She just hoped she was able to catch a break before the avalanche of bills caught up with her.

  ♥

  He’d finally found his opening. After his father had accompanied the boys outside, Bennett had figured he could tag along and then just make a detour to his laboratory. Since he’d converted one of the existing barns into his laboratory and personal living space years ago, it was on the way to the stables anyway. It was perfect.

  Or it would have been if Jackson hadn’t corne
red him before he could make his escape.

  “Hey, Bennett! Wait up.”

  Cursing internally, Bennett paused and turned. Jackson clapped him on the shoulder so hard it felt like his spine bowed.

  “I just wanted to catch you before you went back to work. About dinner, Ri didn’t mean anything in there. She’s just antsy waiting for the baby to come.”

  Bennett almost wanted to laugh. He would have never believed that his whole family would be tiptoeing around a tiny female with a huge belly.

  “I know she wasn’t trying to be pushy. She’s just looking out for her friend. No harm done.”

  “Oh, she was trying to be pushy. She’s always pushy when she wants something. I kinda like her that way, if you know what I mean.”

  Jackson’s dark chuckle told him exactly what his little brother meant by that. He smothered a smile. Ridley really did have his brother wrapped around her little finger. Luckily she was a good woman, not the kind to take advantage of that kind of power.

  “I get it. But either way, it’s no big deal. I was just going to head back and get some more work done.”

  “Cool. I know you’re busy.” Jackson pulled him into a quick hug and then turned to leave but not before Bennett caught the faint look of disappointment on his face.

  Man, it was a killer to know that he was constantly hurting the people around him. And for what? All because they’d committed the crime of wanting to spend time with him? If there was a way to let them know that the lack was in him, not in anything they’d ever done, he’d do anything to find it. He just wasn’t wired the same way they were. He stayed away, not because he didn’t want to spend time with them, but to protect them. It was easier this way all around. Solitude was safer. No hurt feelings, no miscommunications. Just him and his work.