Page 88

Maggie did, however, regret her choice in clothing when she ran right into Bennett at the entrance to the town hall. Her heart skipped a beat or two and her skin flashed with heat. She knew he’d be there but seeing him in a white button-down tucked into jeans, his hair damp, was more than her fragile emotions could handle.

“Hey there, lovely.” He bent in for a kiss, but she ducked her head. His lips landed by her ear.

“Um, hi, Bennett.”

“You rushed out early this morning. Everything okay?”

Maggie’s chest tightened and she drew in a ragged breath as her eyes darted around them. “I’m fine. Just concerned about today.”

He rubbed her shoulders and she winced. His touch was a reminder of how she’d screwed things up by taking them too fast. What was she thinking? It wasn’t great in terms of the gossip it would drum up, but worse was what it said about her priorities. She needed to refocus if she wanted this deal with Orin.

It lingered in the not-so-distant part of her thoughts. The offer would give real teeth to Bennett’s worries about her move back to San Antonio.

“You sure you’re okay? You seem… off.”

She fought to give him the smile he deserved, but it fell flat. “I’m fine. I just have a lot going on right now. This suppression system means a lot to me.”

“I know. Me, too. But that doesn’t take away what a great time I had with you last night.” He leaned in until mere inches separated their lips.

All she needed to do was rock up on her toes and she’d be kissing him.

He tucked one of her wild curls behind her ear and she shivered. “At the risk of pushing my luck, can I see you again tonight?”

Maggie’s eyes darted around the room. A few folks glanced their way, but most were chatting in small groups, paying them no mind. Still, the gazes settling on her and Bennett felt hot and intrusive.

“I’m not sure. It’s not that I don’t love the time we’ve been spending together, but I’ve been falling behind at home and with Steel Born.”

“I can help, Maggie.”

Her lips pressed tight together. “We talked about this already. C’mon, Bennett.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he said. His voice carried a wounded tone with it. “I just meant help. The kind anyone with a significant other would give when they were in trouble.”

“Thanks, but I’ve got to be able to stand on my own two feet. I know you mean well, but if we stop doing whatever it is we’re doing, I’ll be out in the cold with no one to rely on. No family, no property to call my own, no ranching community. If I can’t prove I can do this, I have no business sticking around.”

Especially if she hoped to partner with a company like Orin. And she did—or at least, she thought she did. It was the payoff for all her hard work, and it would get her product into the hands of more customers who would benefit from it.

Her breathing was shallow, and her chest hurt. She thrived with a busy schedule, but this was pushing it. She rubbed at the ache while realizing that more curious eyes had fixated on her and Bennett.

“Whatever we’re doing? Maggie, I’m not going anywhere. I’m in this.”

The tips of her fingers tingled. “That doesn’t mean something won’t happen, Bennett.”

Recognition dawned on his features. “You mean if you leave me.”

She shook her head. How did we get here? “I mean if I leave Deer Creek.”

“That’s the same thing. Can’t you see that?”

“It isn’t to me. What I do to take care of myself is separate from our relationship.”

“No. I don’t. When I commit to this relationship, I’m investing in us, which includes you, Maggie. Your struggles, your goals and dreams, your success. I’m here for all of them.”

“Can we not do this here?” she whispered. The amount of looks in their direction had doubled.

“Sure. Fine,” Bennett grumbled. How did those two words manage to paint her as the bad guy here? “Man, we’re right back where we used to be, aren’t we?” She barely heard the utterance since his back was turned.

“Bennett, please,” she begged.