Falling for Bentley (Part One) (4 page)

“I think I’ll start with a glass of Kool-aid and water please.” I uttered, still looking at the menu.

“I’ll have a coke and a glass of orange juice.” Curtis replied.

“I’ll be right back with those,” Whitney smiled and headed towards the cooler.

“Dude that shit is going to curdle in your stomach.” I groaned just thinking about it.

“Not everyone got as shit faced as you did last night. What the hell happened? I haven’t seen you get that drunk in forever.”

“I don’t know, Curtis. My dad and I got into it again before I left.”

“When are you going to tell him to fuck off?”

“I can’t.”

“Why? Obviously, you don’t enjoy it anymore, but then again, neither would I having to work with your dad.”

“I do it for my mom, the farm has been in her family for generations, and I’m sure she’d like to keep it that way. Besides Travis is starting to throw hints that he wants to leave when he finishes high school. So it just leaves me.”

“Have you considered talking to your parents about maybe buying them out or something?”

“No.” I mumbled.

Curtis put down his menu and thanked Whitney as she set our drinks in front of us. “Maggie said don’t bother looking at the menu. She already has your breakfast on the grill.” Whitney grabbed our menus and headed over to the new customers that came in.

“Thanks, Maggie,” Curtis and I both yell.

“Bentley, I don’t get it, you hate the pressure your dad brings with the farm, you guys are always going head to head, and you haven’t thought if you want to buy his ass out or better yet
leave
?”

“Something like that.”

“Dude, that’s fucked up,” my best friend snorted.

“You don’t understand, Curtis.”

“I understand man, I do, but I’d start thinking long and hard on what you want. Don’t you think it’s time to start living again, instead of always being pissed off?”

“Bentley,” Maggie spoke while placing my plate in front of me. “What Curtis is saying has some truth to it, and you know it.” I looked up at Maggie. “Don’t look at me like that, boy. You need to find what makes you happy, and not worry so much about the others. It’ll bite you in the ass later.”

“What’s with all the tough love this morning?” I grumbled.

“I suggest you sit and have a talk with your mother, Bentley. You may even be surprised as to what she might even say.” Maggie handed over Curtis’s plate.

“Thanks, Maggie, it looks great, and smells even better.” Curtis leaned over and smelled his food again.

“You’re welcome, sugar.”

Maggie patted my shoulder, “If you ever come into my diner smelling like a keg again, I will plunk your ass into my dishwasher. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I sulked.

“Good, now you boys enjoy your breakfast, and say hi to your mamas for me.”

Curtis and I were just finishing up breakfast when the diner door chimed and in walked the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. My mouth must have opened a bit, because Curtis turned around to see what I was looking at.

“Who’s that?” I whispered.

“Haley Wells.”

“Who?” I asked again.

“Haley. We went to high school with her.” Curtis shrugged and went back to eating his toast.

“I don’t remember her.”

“Sure you do. It’s thunder thighs.”

I looked at Curtis confused.

“Really, you don’t remember her? You’re the one that gave her the nickname.” Curtis looked at me like I had lost my marbles.

I watched as Haley walked through the door and looked around the diner until she saw Maggie, and her face lit up like a damn Christmas tree. Maggie engulfed her in a huge hug and guided her towards the front counter and showed her a seat.

“What are you staring at, man?”

I shook my head, “Nothing.”

“No you weren’t. You were checking out thunder thighs.”

“Stop calling her that.”

Curtis turned back around to take another look at Haley, “She sure has shaped up nicely since high school.”

“What is she doing now?” I asked still watching her.

Facing me, Curtis replied, “Do I look like the fucking high school reunion committee to you?”

“Don’t be an ass. I was just asking.”

Curtis drank the last of his orange juice. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah, man. I’ll pay the bill and meet you in the truck.”

“Good, I wasn’t paying anyways.” he laughed walking out to his truck.

I WOKE UP early to get a run in before seeing my grandparents off. I ran the five miles to town to grab some of Maggie’s amazing cinnamon buns Grams loves so much.

Maggie and my dad used to date in high school, but when my dad chose to go away for college, Maggie decided to stay and help run her family diner, which she now owns. When I decided to live with my grandparents, she took me under her wing when things got rough and I needed a motherly hug. Maggie never did marry, nor have children of her own, but if she loved you, then you were one of her own.

I didn’t let Maggie know when I was coming home for the summer; I wanted it to be a surprise. When I opened the diner door and looked around for her I was a little disappointed at first when I didn’t see her. Then I saw her walking from one of the back booths. I couldn’t help the smile on my face the moment I saw her
.

“Haley!”

“Hi, Maggie.” She engulfed me in a huge hug and guided me to the counter, insisting I have a seat.

“What a wonderful surprise. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming so soon?”

“I wanted to surprise you,” I said, sitting down on a stool.

“Best surprise of the summer, my dear.” Maggie brought me over a glass of orange juice. “Now, what can I get you to eat?”

“No thanks, I’m good,” I waved off.

“Darling, around here you do not get full on no thanks.”

“I just stopped in to pick up some of your cinnamon buns for Grams before they leave this morning.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize that they were leaving so soon.”

“They are,” I smiled. “I’m glad they finally decided to take a well-deserved vacation.”

“How many cinnamon buns, should I pack up?”

“Four please.”

As I waited for Maggie to come back from the kitchen, I took a look around the diner and was happy nothing had really changed since I first moved here. It was just another place that felt like home, another reason I wanted to stay.

“I’d sure like to know what put that beautiful smile on your face.”

I closed my eyes and cringed when I recognized his voice. I slowly turned toward him on my stool, “Bentley.”

“What, I don’t even get a hello?” he replied cockily.

“Why would I say hello to you?”

“Don’t be that way, beautiful.” Bentley gave me his mocking grin.

“What do I owe the pleasure of being in your presence?” I glared.

“Can’t two good looking people sit together on such a warm sunny day?”

“Not when one of those people nicknamed me Thunder Thighs.”

Bentley looked me up and down. “Looks like you grew out of that.”

“Fuck off, Bentley, and stop wasting my time.” I gritted through my teeth and mumbled, “Asshole,” under my breath.

“I see you can still be snarky,” he said as he played with the spoon on the counter.

I looked at his t-shirt then into his eyes, “At least I’m not a washed up football player still trying to relive his high school glory days.” I turned back to the counter and took a sip of my orange juice, effectively ending the conversation.

Bentley tossed the spoon on the counter and left. “Seriously, what the hell did he expect?” I said loudly to myself.

“Who did expect what?” questioned Maggie with a container in her hand.

“Nothing, Maggie, everything is fine. I was just thinking out loud.”

“Well, here are your treats,” she handed me over the container, “Wish your grandparents a wonderful trip for me.”

“Will do. What do I owe you?” I asked while digging in my sports bra.

“Girl, put away your money. You can repay me when you come over to visit one night.”

“Sounds great, thanks, Maggie.”

I was just about out of the door when Maggie asked, “How are you getting back?”

I looked down at my outfit, “Run, of course.”

“Not with a box of my special over-the-top-cinnamon buns, you’re not,” she turned her head towards the half open kitchen door, “CJ, give Haley a ride to the Wells ranch, would ya?”

“It would be my pleasure, Ms. Maggie,” replied CJ from the kitchen.

“That’s not necessary,” I said waving one hand.

“Child, do not talk back.” She warned.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

WAVING GOODBYE TO my grandparents was a little heartbreaking. As happy as I was they were finally taking a vacation after all these years, I still wanted to be here with them. I looked at my watch and decided to get a shower in before my workers showed up.

Throwing on a tank top with my jean shorts, I headed out to the shop to load up the quad trailers with the barbwire, staples, hammers, and extra gloves. Hearing the rumble of their trucks, I walked out of the shop to greet the boys.

“Hi, boys, welcome to the ranch,” I smiled up at them.

“Afternoon is Mr. Wells around? Coach said that we would be working for him,” a dark haired boy asked.

“My grandfather left on vacation this morning, so for the next two weeks you will be working alongside me.” I replied in my teaching voice.

The seven boys looked at each other and smirked. The dark haired boy spoke again and lifted his hand to shake mine. “Great, my name is Travis Knight. This here is Bo, Andrew, Cody, Mack, JJ, and Cullen, but everyone calls him Twilight.”

“Shut up,” shoved Cullen.

“I can see why,” I teased.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Ms…?” replied Cullen.

“Haley will be fine,” I smiled. “I think today we will start on fencing the back quarter and replace any wire that looks weak or destroyed.”

“Sounds good to us,” all the boys replied.

“Great, then let’s get to work.” I turned and walked back to the shop. “Follow me.”

I WALKED IN the house through the kitchen, and saw my mom pouring a cup of coffee. “Morning, Mom.” I walked over and kissed her cheek.