her through the doors and into the main lobby. She felt her blood pressure return to normal now that he was no longer staring at her. His voice had also become friendly instead of the molten lava tone that she knew his voice would sometimes take.
"No. I'm just here visiting." She walked behind the front desk to get a key to a bike lock. Ben stood waiting by the counter until she was done before talking again. Looking over by the door that led to the dining room and lounge, Anne saw that her mother was busy talking to Lily, her mother, Mrs. Carlson, and another younger woman about Lily’s age. Anne’s stepdad, Jim, was busy talking to Lily's father and her fiancé over by a seating area on the other side of the main doors next to the entrance to the art gallery-gift shop.
"So you live in Seattle?" Ben asked her this when she met him where he was standing by the edge of the counter.
"No. I live on the east coast." She missed the look of disappointment that crossed his face at her words when she looked down to sign out a bike in the log. "You live in Seattle?" She finished signing her name then looked back at him.
"Yes, I do. You must be going for a ride. I didn't mean to keep you." A frown marred the line on his face for a second before it was gone, and Anne was not sure if it was merely her own imagination that it was there in the first place. He suddenly stepped out of the way to let her pass. "Have a nice ride. It was nice seeing you again, Anne."
"It was nice seeing you too, Ben." She paused at the end of the counter, reluctant to end the conversation. Suddenly a bike ride did not sound like a good idea. She had always liked Ben, even before she developed her teenage crush, and now she was finding his company rather nice. She was even getting used to the little hum along her nerve endings caused by being around him. He had always had the ability to make her laugh and to put her at ease while at the same time making her almost painfully aware of him.
She wanted to keep talking to him and find out how much he had changed, if any, from the boy he used to be. "You’re the best man in the wedding, right? I suppose that you'll be busy with wedding things all this week. That’s too bad. I remember now that you liked kayaking and mountain biking." That definitely sounded like she was hinting at him joining her. Did she want him to? Yes, she did, she decided.
"I still do. Would..." He was cut off from saying more when his sister came over.
"I don't mean to interrupt, Ben, but I need you for a moment," she said as she touched his arm to get his attention. Then looking at Anne with her wide brown eyes, she exclaimed, "Anne! It is so nice to see you again. I didn’t know that you would be visiting your parents this week. I'll bring Ben back in a second. I promise."
"Hello, Lily," Anne said warmly. Lily did not look like she had changed much in the past eleven years except for gaining a mature look about her. She still had that same unaffected way about her that instantly put people at ease. "It has been a long time. Congratulations, by the way."
"Thank you, Anne. I wish I had more time to catch up right now, but I need to steal Ben away." Lily looked at Ben face. He flashed Lily a look of annoyance before he smiled back at the knowing look in her eyes. Anne missed this because she was still looking at Lily.
"No, that's quite all right, Lily. Steal away. I was just heading out anyway." Anne motioned with her hand to the front door then waited politely for Lily and Ben to move away.
"We'll catch up later then." Lily smiled again before pulling Ben's arm.
"That we will, I promise you." This comment came from Ben who spoke softly in Anne’s ear. His comment was accompanied by a private look that caused her stomach to flutter and her breasts to tighten in awareness. He saw her nipples harden underneath her tee shirt and gave her a knowing grin before following in Lily's wake. Anne was shocked by his frank perusal of her