When I’ve completed everything that I had planned, I sit down, and I quilt. Once Bennett finishes whatever he has to do outside, he joins me inside to do some work.
Next week, we have plans to do some hunting. Just getting out of the house for the day will be nice. I'm really looking forward to it and getting to see more of his land.
I'm finishing up the dishes from breakfast and staring at Bennett doing some work in the barn. I love this kitchen window which gives me a great view of him and any work that he has to do out at the back of the house. My time watching him is interrupted by a knock at the door.
We aren't expecting anyone and I wonder if it's one of his friends needing something. Before opening the door, I check to see who is out there. I’m shocked to see Emma, of all people. Part of me wants to ignore her and not open the door, but it could be something important for one of her brothers. So, I paste on a fixed smile and open the door.
"Hello Emma, what can I do for you," I say in as friendly voice as possible, but she stands there and just stares at me for a moment.
"I'm here to see Bennett," she says her voice cold.
"Well, he is out doing a few things around the property but I'm happy to relay a message to him." Then I offer her another fake smile which she has to know is not real.
She glares at me and says, "No, you can’t. Just let him know that I'm here and I'll be down at the ranch when he's ready for me. You know him and I had a great thing going on before you showed up, and I'm not quite sure why he decided to marry you."
My protective instincts kick in hard and fast, especially after the weekend that we shared together.
"Ben is the kind of man to do what he wants and if he wanted you, he'd be with you. So obviously he's made his choice, and it's not you. Now you're just embarrassing yourself." I refrain from rolling my eyes, but boy, do I want to.
When Emma gets this evil smile on her face, I obviously have not made my point.
"You know, I'm sure he had his reasons for marrying you. Probably had to be pity. Because I know it's so pitiful watching you follow him around." Without another word, she turns around and gets into her car.
I'm fuming mad and have so many comebacks that I wish I had thought of at the time.
When I go to the kitchen to finish drying and putting away the dishes, Bennett is nowhere to be seen. He’s probably inside the barn. But Emma's words keep running through my head over and over and over again.
Since I'm hiding something from him, why wouldn't he hide something from me? After all, we haven't been completely honest with each other. While he's allowed it and hasn't pushed me, is it because if he pushed me to give him my secrets, he'd have to share his? That would be fair, wouldn't it? So, it makes sense. He doesn't push for my secrets, so he doesn't have to reveal his.
What if Emma is right? What if he did marry me because he felt sorry for me knowing that I needed someone's help and protection? What if he just did it out of some sense of duty to keep me safe while getting laid at the same time?
Though that just doesn't seem like the Bennett I know. While he's outside, for another hour or so, I just continue to stew on what Emma said. My thoughts keep coming back around to I'm hiding something from him, so obviously, it wouldn't be a far stretch that he would be hiding something from me.
By the time he comes back inside, I'm irritated and annoyed and determined to get to the bottom of this. Because I will not have Emma on the outskirts of our relationship or what little of one there is at the moment.
"Whatever you have going for dinner smells amazing." He walks in oblivious to my mood and gives me a kiss on the forehead.
"What's a wrong, sweetheart?" he asks as he takes a step back instantly concerned.
"What arrangement did you and Emma have?"
I ask not even trying to hide the irritation in my voice.
"What? Where is this coming from? I told you that we never had anything between us. I look at her as more of a little sister."
"Really? Because she was over here earlier asking to talk to you. She wanted me to tell you that she'll be at the ranch whenever you're ready for her. Oh, and she also said you two had such a great thing going on before I got in the way."
"She was here?" he asks. Anger is all over his face and I just nod.
"Damn it. She's never once been to my cabin. I didn't even know that she knew where it was." He runs a hand over his face and sighs. It's easy to tell he’s irritated. Irritated because I finally called him out on it? I'm not sure.
"None of that is true, Willow. I've never once touched her, not even for a casual hug. There's nothing going on between us and there never has been."
Even though he seems sincere, I'm still not completely sure. Maybe it's because of my own doubt and my own secrets, or maybe it's just how convincing Emma was. I'm still uncertain.
"Let me prove it to you," he says taking my hand.
While I'm not quite sure what he has in mind, but if he thinks he can prove it, then I'm going to let him.