Hidden Shadows (The Shadow Series Book 1) (11 page)

“Does that mean they aren’t wanted or needed?”

“That’s beside the point. To be quite honest, I can’t afford a job this big. A few bushes here, a few shrubs there, let Jacy plant a petunia or two, and my landscaping is done. Remember that new car I just bought? I had to budget and plan for that for months. There’s no way I can pay you for this.” She shrugged, her smile regretful. “Thank you anyway, though. I do appreciate it.”

She glanced around once more, wishing things could be different. Wishing she could be different.

She would so love for Ben’s crew to stay. To finish their work and make her beds look rich, full, and cheerful with blooms as she’d had them a lifetime ago. She loved pulling up to a home that was bathed in color and fragrance. She always thought the outside of the home reflected the greeting you’d receive inside.

But she also knew she truly could not afford such an amenity. And her pride and credibility would not allow her to take such a gift.

“Jenna, lighten up.”

Ben’s curt remark shocked, stung.

She rounded on him. “Excuse me?”

“Listen, I know you didn’t ask for this. And I’d never expect you to pay.”

When she raised her brows, a sly smile spread all the way to his eyes. “I propose a trade, a barter, if you will. My skills for your company.”

“I’m not following.”

“I give you my expert landscaping knowledge and service, you accompany me to dinner tonight after my long, hard day of work.”

A grin passed over Jenna’s face. What a strange, enigmatic man she had found herself entangled with.

She wanted this. The flowers, the man. The turning over of a new leaf. She wanted to believe she could let go of the bitterness, open herself to new possibilities, new dreams.

“Are you asking me on a date, Ben Aston?”

“Took me long enough, but that’s what I was aiming for.”

She swallowed the foolish lump in her throat. “A dinner date it is then.” Waited a beat so her voice wouldn’t break. "And Ben, this means so much to me.”

“Nothing to it. I have a hunch I’ll get the better end of this trade-off. Now go inside and get some clothes on. You can’t be a teacher or my date wearing that flimsy sheet.”

For the first time since stepping outside, she became aware of herself—thin white cotton nightgown, no bra, no shoes, no make-up. Fantastic.

With a moan full of mortification, she scrambled inside and slammed the door.

Hurriedly, Jenna clasped the silver bracelet to her wrist, slid her feet in the black heels. Making a pass by the full-length mirror, she sucked in a breath, ordered the reflection to smile and relax.

Fun was tonight’s goal. Conversation was imminent, laughs were probable, desire a certainty.

And who was she kidding? Relaxation was a distant aspiration.

When a brisk knock sounded, she prayed, “Dear God—help me.”

With no idea what to expect from the evening, she could only hope she was dressed appropriately. By the time she had showered and readied herself this morning, Ben and his crew were done and packed up. The only evidence of their earlier arrangement stuck to her front door in scrawled writing.

Lovely Jenna,

Tonight @ 6:30. The payback begins.

Straight and single,

Ben

After, of course, talking it to death with Robin, she’d decided on the one piece of dependable wardrobe in every woman’s closet—the little black dress. It was the perfect choice, no matter where they ended up. Classy, elegant, and sexy, it covered all the bases.

Sunlight and the tall shadow of a man filled the entryway as she swung open the door.

Ben whistled low and long. “Well, howdy, Miz Gregor.”

She beamed. “Thank you. You look handsome yourself.”

And she meant it. His crisp collared shirt, thinly striped with blues and greens, paired with nice fitting jeans that seemed to be his trademark—one she could easily live with—and deep brown boots was rugged, yet polished. Add that to his clean-shaven face, disheveled dark hair, and those luminous green eyes, and she felt a bit like she needed a fan.

“I’ll be sure and let Heidi know as she is responsible. For the clothes and whatever liquid she forced me to dab on my neck.”

Ah, the intoxicating scent. Rich, warm woods with a hint of leather and nutmeg.

Jenna laughed. “Well, give her my regards then.”

“You ready?”

“Yes, let me grab my bag and lock up.”

She met him back at the porch with her bold blue clutch, dropped the key in after she secured the door.

“I do love that dress,” Ben said as they walked the freshly laid stone path to the drive. “Can't say I’m not disappointed you decided against the sheet, though.”

She poked him.

“Hey, I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Had to talk my men down, convince ‘em you weren’t on the market.”

“Oh?”

“Yep. Broke their hearts when I told them you were taken.”

“Huh,” she said, as he opened the truck door and she tried as gracefully as possible to climb in. “That's news to me.”

He leaned in, had her belly doing a quick and delightful flip as he grabbed the seatbelt, pulled it slowly around her body.

“Maybe after this evening, you’ll have a clearer picture.”

She stared ahead. “I’m open to the possibility.”

Laughing, he rounded the truck, hopped in, eyed her as he shifted the gear. “This night, Jenna, is full of possibilities.”

SEVEN

The melted cheese made a stringy mess from the boiling pot to Ben’s mouth. Jenna couldn’t help but laugh. The atmosphere, the feeling, the food, and the company at The Melting Pot in downtown Nashville were all contributing to what she decided was a perfect date.

“You made the best choice for dinner tonight.”

“For you maybe,” he laughed, pulling the threads of cheddar into his mouth. “I’m looking like an idiot.”

“No,” she shook her head, smiling. “Just like a man who can have fun.”

“You’re a good woman. Looking past the uncultured idiot.” He winked as he popped another cube of bread into the bubbling cheese. "Like the food so far?”

“Love it.”

Her head swam gaily with the wine, the soft lights, the warmth emitted by the table. Being tucked in a cozy booth with a gorgeous man didn’t hurt either.

She surveyed the apples, bread, and veggies, considering what to pair with her cheese next, before spearing a cauliflower, setting it in the pot.

“So let’s get to the important stuff.”

“Like?”

“Your truck. It says Aston and Sons. How many sons do you have?”

He laughed. “None. That I know of. I’m the son. Bruce is my dad. He started Aston Landscaping. Built it from the ground up. He’s a hard worker, and the best man I know.”

“Mom?”

“Great, too. Annette. She and Dad have been married for . . . I think it’s thirty-seven years this December.”

“Wow.”

He nodded. “If my own is half as loving as theirs, I’ll be doing good.”

“You’re lucky. Blessed. It’s wonderful to have a family like that.”

“Speaking from experience?”

“Mmm.” She finished her cheddar-coated cauliflower, took a sip of water. “I wish. My parents are still together, too. But it's no fairy tale. Mom’s pretty strong willed. Dad deals with it through apathy, absence. They’re like oil and water. No matter how you merge them, they always separate in the end. And, of course, you know about my own broken home.”

“Not broken from where I’m sitting.”

“Sweet.”

“True.”

Jenna reluctantly took her eyes from Ben as the waiter came and removed their scorching pot of cheese, replaced it with a fragrant broth. He presented the plate of meats they’d ordered—shrimp, fillet, tuna, and rib eye. Though it was raw now, Jenna knew it'd be delicious once it was placed in the steamy, flavored broth.

After the instructions were explained—steaks cook for one to two minutes, tuna and shrimp for one—Ben skewered a square of fillet, two shrimp. “Any siblings?"

Jenna nodded, put her own choices on the forks, set them in the boiling liquid. “Alisha. Oil and water again.” She smiled sheepishly. “Common theme in my family. She’s blonde, bubbly, beautiful. I’m,” she glanced down at herself, puffed out a laugh, "not.”

Ben raised a suspicious brow. “Who told you that lie?”

“Hmm,” Jenna eyed him over the rim of her wine glass, “sweet again.”

She dipped a shrimp in the recommended sauce, tasted, approved. “I’ll admit I’m no Hunchback, but compared to Alisha I might as well have been. My parents favored her. The baby. The blonde, blue-eyed girl with curls. She’s sweet, sunny, the perfect picture for two people that value perception much more than reality.

“I had plenty of traits my parents appreciated, too—politeness, intelligence, ambitiousness—and plenty that made them bristle. I'm guessing that feisty, sarcastic, and outspoken, with an opinion to boot, weren’t on their list of favorites.”

As she sighed, waved it all away with a resigned laugh, Ben reached across the table, grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Sounds like you know yourself and your talents pretty well. I’d say that’s a big accomplishment in and of itself. Most people don’t have a clue who they are.”

She relaxed, smiled, enjoying the warmth of his hand over hers, loving the comfort and solidarity of the gesture. “I’m working on it. Still have a long way to go. And now that I’ve painted a quite pitiable picture of myself, what about you?” She grinned widely. “Just you and Joseph?”

At the mention of his brother’s name, Ben’s face changed. He cleared his throat, took a swallow of wine before answering.

“Just us. Though, like you, I’m not sure how much
us
there is right now.”

“Do you know where he is, Joseph?”

“I don’t. It’s a bit of a mystery to us all, to be honest. He, apparently, doesn’t want family, or help, to get through whatever he’s gotta get through. Not sure why you’d run and stay away from those who know and love you best. But I’m not him. Am I?”

Seeing a rise in temper for the first time since meeting him, Jenna kept herself busy with the spread of food as Ben took a knife, buttered bread. While she spooned potato wedges into the pot, Ben said, “He’s a good guy, going through a rough patch, my brother."

She looked in his eyes, that fascinating, sparkling green, and had the urge to throw her arms around him. Sure he didn’t need it, the big, burly man, but deep down, wouldn’t he appreciate it? He would know she cared.

And suddenly, all at once, she did care. So much. About Ben, about this night, and about those possibilities he promised.

She smiled at him, softly, sweetly, with understanding. “We’ve all been there at some time or other. You say he’s a good man. Heidi says the same. He'll come around.”

When he returned the smile—a slow, sexy curving of his lips—once again reached to envelope her hand with his, her belly did that flop again. Her heart began the now familiar flutter.

“If you say so, Doc.”

She yanked her hand from his, swatted. “Oh, stop.”

When the stocky waiter returned, asked if they needed anything else, Jenna rubbed her hands together, looked at Ben eagerly. “Know what I’m excited about?”

“What’s that?”

“The chocolate fondue. It can be sexy, if you’re in the right company.” She grinned giddily. "And finally, I’m here with the right company.”

Ben let out a rich laugh that layered atop her already full barrel of happiness.

After dinner, Ben guided her behind the restaurant, down the sloping embankment to Riverfront Park.

The park skirted the banks of the Cumberland River, and though usually packed with tourists and locals in the summer, the autumn chill left the walkway mostly clear of pedestrians.

Jenna didn’t mind the cool breeze. It felt magical, swaying her hair, sweeping past her face, her bare arms. She savored the enchanting feeling and breathed in the crispness. When a warmth stirred in her belly, she leaned into Ben, squeezed the hand that was holding hers.

During the course of a few hours, Jenna had found a sense of calm and comfort she hadn’t remembered existed. At least not around a man.

She had promised herself to be open with Ben tonight. No pretenses, no reservations, no falling into her trap of expecting the worst. She’d determined before he even knocked on her door that she was just going to simply be herself. See how it went, how they merged and meshed, see if those physical feelings he stirred amounted to anything more.

She couldn’t believe how far her expectations had been surpassed. How happy she was.

Maybe it was the dreamlike night, the soft lapping waves, or the man beside her, but Jenna was aware of a change in herself. Or at the very least, the beginnings of one. And after being stuck in the muck (as Robin so sweetly pointed out) for three years and counting, change meant a lot.