Love Me Sweet (Love Me book 1)

Chapter 26

Ben had stayed up late working, and Lia had fallen asleep listening to the sound of his laptop keyboard. His side of the bed had been slept on, but she didn't recall him getting in or out of it because he was already gone when she awakened.

 Lia was folding up the sleeper sofa as Lawson was emerging from the guest room.

"Hey," he greeted as he moved into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. "The others will be out soon."

Lia gave a silent sigh, she knew what that meant, they wanted to talk to her about Ben.

"Where is your fella?" Lawson asked, looking over his shoulder at Lia.

"Huck is gone, so I'm guessing Ben took him for a walk." At least that was what she hoped, otherwise Huck snuck out when Ben had left, and he hadn't noticed.

Her father came down the hall a minute later, followed shortly by Liam.

"What about breakfast?" Lawson asked.

"There's a fridge full of food or we can go out somewhere," Lia answered. She was not up for making everyone breakfast. She had too much on her mind. Ben had been unusually quiet last night, and she was worried about what was on his mind. She hoped it wasn't what she had said, or that she hadn't scared him away with her careless comments. She was too honest for her own good, and she wished she would learn how to keep her mouth shut.

The back door opened and Ben entered with Huck trailing behind. "Good morning," he greeted as he placed a large box of freshly made pastries in the middle of the table. "Lia's not one for making breakfast."

Lawson fell on them, grabbing two and sitting back to enjoy them, thanking Ben around a mouth full.

"You're welcome. I have a meeting this morning with Brian, so you'll know where I am if you want me." He nodded to Lia and then left.

Huck looked at the door with a tilted head as if confused as to why he didn't get to go with him.

Lia gave another silent sigh, she would have to track him down eventually and have it out with him. The awkwardness was growing, and she didn't like it. The only trouble was she didn't know which of them was the one that felt the most awkward.

"I like him," Lawson said as he took another bite of his treat.

"So do I," Lia said with a smile. "He's a good guy, and believe it or not, he takes care of me even when he has to be sneaky about it."

"Yes, but what does he do besides write? He can't make that much money off it, if he did, he wouldn't be living with you," her father insisted.

Lia shrugged. "Someone told me he was a pretty famous writer once, and I know he worked for the foreign press before that." She walked to the fridge and grabbed a juice.

"What's his last name, I don't think we've ever heard it?" Liam asked from where he was leaning on the counter.

"Emerson," Lia said and jumped when Lawson spit out his coffee.

Liam and Lawson's eyes met as Lawson wiped his coffee off the table.

"Let me get this straight, you're telling me that Benjamin Emerson is going to be my future brother-in-law!"

"Yes, why? Is he famous?" Lia asked, holding her breath. That would win her and Ben a few points.

"Benjamin Emerson was accused of killing his wife!" Lawson said in the next breath, and Lia felt all her newly acquired points slip away.

"He didn't do it, she fell down the stairs, but her brother is sick and twisted and tried to blame it on Ben because he wanted her money," Lia objected.

They looked at her with open mouths, and she sunk into a chair. "What's the use, you all hate him, you like Chance, who cheated on me and then gave my ring to another girl, but one little rumor is what you're judging Ben on, isn't it?"

"It's not a little rumor, Lia. He was accused of killing his wife," Liam all but shouted.

"Damn, this is awesome, wait until I get back to school and tell everyone that Benjamin Emerson is going to be my brother-in-law!" Lawson said, still lost in his shock and awe.

"Well, if he's so famous it must mean he's rich. So at least that's not something you need to worry about." Lia tried another tactic.

"It would be helpful if he wasn't living off of you, and if he had his own house," her father insisted.

"He's not living with me, he's letting me restore his house, it belonged to his grandfather. They cut the power and water, so he needed a place to live. That's where he is right now, meeting with the contractor.

"He didn't even give you an engagement ring." Liam was fighting her hard.

"He did too!" Lia jumped up and ran to the mantel where the music box sat. "He gave it to me, it's a family heirloom." Lia pulled out the ring and showed it to them. Leo was coming down the hallway and whistled, taking it from her hand.

"That's nice, why don't you wear it?" He handed it back to her. "What are we talking about?" he asked in the next breath as he moved to the table, reaching for a pastry.

"How much everyone hates Ben. I don't wear the ring because I don't want to lose it." Lia said, placing it back in its box.

"I like Ben," Leo denied Lia's statement while moving towards the coffee maker. "He's much better than Chance."

"I already said I like him." Lawson reached for a third pastry.

"It's not that we don't like him, we just don't know him," Liam explained. "But I do agree, he is better than Chance, none of us ever liked him."

Lia's mouth dropped open and then closed. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"What would have been the point?" Her father asked, reaching for his own pastry. Lia saw the reach as a small win, a weakening in his defense.

"You are stubborn Lia," Liam agreed.

"Where is this house of his?" Leo looked curious. "I'd be interested to see it."

Lia walked over to the window and pulled up the blinds. "It's there. That's how we met, his roof was caving in and I climbed up and put a tarp on it."

Her father started choking on his food.

"And how was that received?" Liam asked, suppressing a smile.

"Not well, he threatened to have me arrested for trespassing. Then Huck snuck through his dog door and wrecked his desk. He wasn't happy, but Huck adores him." Lia looked at Huck who was currently hoovering up all the crumbs that the men were dropping on her floor.

Her father rose and walked to the window. "At least he's got a decent contractor. BAES is one of the best in the country. I've been trying to work a deal with them for years. If I could get a contract to supply their lumber we'd be set." He sipped his coffee as he looked over the house.

"Brian's nice, he restored Ben's last house." She didn't mention that he had shared it with his now-dead wife. They seemed to be over that hurdle.

"Brian?" Her father turned to look at her.

"Yeah, Brian Alexander. He's the contractor working on the job." Lia reached for Huck's leash. "We can go meet him if you like. That's where Ben was headed. I can show you around the house."

"Brian Alexander, the owner of BAES, he's doing the work himself?" Liam asked with disbelief.

"Yes, as a favor to Ben." Lia opened the back door. "Are you guys coming?"

She didn't need to ask twice.