Sometime along the way, doubt creeps in. What if Christopher didn't really want me to come over? We've been spending a lot of time together lately. What if he wanted some space? My heart squeezes as I weigh the merits of that theory. The truth is I've always been rather bad at catching on when a man needs his space, or not. I've had dates who threw in my face that I was too all over them, and others who claimed I wasn't all over them enough. What am I supposed to make of that?
The problem when it comes to Christopher is that I can't get enough of him no matter how often I see him. He seemed excited back when we made plans for the weekend, but what if he's not on the same page as me? My stomach constricts as I rewind our earlier conversation in my mind, searching for signs that he didn't want my company until dinner. I can't find any. He seemed genuinely excited when I told him I wanted to spend the day with him.
I'm being silly and overthinking things. Christopher has been very upfront with me until now. There's no reason to mistrust him.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Victoria
When I arrive at the address Christopher gave me, the double gates at the front of the property are open. Behind them is a thick patch of trees, almost a small forest. I drive along until the woods spill into a large clearing. The Bennett home stands at the other end of the clearing, a proud three-story house. It's simple, yet beautiful. The facade is the color of vanilla, but the red roof gives it a vibrant appearance.
I pull my car next to the four others. After climbing out, I head to the four men surrounded by construction tools and materials near the house. I'll be damned, but the Bennett men are a sight for sore eyes. They're all over six feet, with a robust build, strong but lean, not bulky. They also share the same dark shade of hair. Christopher is the best-looking one, of course, but I dearly hope all of them will go on and have as many kids as possible. Such good genes must be spread around.
"Here's your girl, Christopher," one of them says, stretching out his hand to me. "I'm Blake."
“And these are my older brothers, Sebastian and Logan,” Christopher explains.
I shake hands with Sebastian and Logan next.
"I brought everyone cookies," I announce, fishing the Tupperware container out of my bag. Blake relieves me of it immediately. I peer behind them at the gazebo they’re building. They don't seem to have gotten very far.
"What's the trouble with the gazebo?"
Sebastian picks up an instruction notebook from the floor, handing it to me.
"These instructions are a deathtrap."
I scan them with attention, and while they’re not straightforward, they aren't overly complex either.
"Are you sure you followed these?" I ask carefully. The four men exchange glances.
"Not in the beginning," Logan answers. "I mean, we've built enough stuff before."
Ooooh, I recognize this. Mom dubbed it the caveman syndrome, in which a man relies on his gut and refuses to follow instructions, whether it’s for building something or finding an address, as if that somehow diminishes his masculinity. Dad did it all the time. We got lost on more trips than I can count because of his infallible orientation sense.
"Right," I say. "Well, from now on, you'll follow the instructions."
"You can translate them?" Blake asks.
"Yep."
Blake positively glows, munching on a cookie. "You make great cookies, and you know how to read instructions? Darling, if Christopher won't do, you can always marry me."
"Oh my. If I knew I'd get proposed to today, I would have dressed up for the occasion." I let out an exaggerated giggle, and Christopher instantly steps next to me, curling an arm around my waist.
"This one's very territorial." I point with my thumb to Christopher.
"Blake, you seem a little desperate of late," Sebastian remarks. "Why don't you find a girl for yourself?"
"We should put Pippa on your case," Logan says solemnly. "Looking at Christopher and Victoria here, it's clear our sister hasn't lost her touch."
Christopher gives an almost imperceptible wince.
"What do you mean?" I ask. Sebastian, Logan, and Blake exchange glances, all three men on the verge of laughter.
"Someone's got to fess up," Sebastian says. "I'll give you the cliff notes. Our dearest sister likes to think of herself as the family's matchmaker. She gave us a much-needed push."
"You too? You never told me that.” I take a step back, focusing on my man. He stares at his brothers as if he's considering what the most painful torture method would be. When he notices me watching him, his murderous expression morphs into a sheepish smile. Sheepish! I didn't think Christopher could even do sheepish.