with the people he cared the most about.
“Yeah, honey, I’m done being scarce, as you put it. Everything will go back to normal now, I promise”
He held her gaze as he spoke, needing her to know he meant it. She was the baby sister he had always wanted, and he wouldn’t disappoint her if he could avoid it. Even if he didn’t think things would ever be normal — whatever that was — again.
“Are you okay, Jay?”
Her eyes had sharpened as she looked at him, wise and knowing in her baby face. She had an old soul, despite her youth, and Jordan felt the warmth of her concern wash over him. He loved that she was such a sweet mixture of innocence and maturity.
“Yeah, I’m fine. How are your brothers?”
He changed the subject before she could pursue whatever thought had prompted her question. He loved her, but he wasn’t ever going to talk about his feelings with a teenager, especially not one with a such romantic heart.
“They’re fine. Channing’s seeing some new girl,” she added, clearly amused.
They chatted about her twin brothers for a few moments before she excused herself to go play with a toddler who was currently being passed to…Bennett. The little girl was kissing him on the lips. Bennett hugged her and they grinned at each other. Whatever Bennett said to her made her laugh, a tinkling sound even from across the room. The sight of him with the child did odd things to Jordan, making him feel unsettled, but not in a bad way. He looked away, unable to bear the sight for some reason.
“Hey, Jay! Hiding in plain sight, are you?”
Mac’s voice at his back made him jerk in surprise. What was with the McKenzies all sneaking up on him? He turned and regarded his friend.
“Hiding? From whom or what? And more importantly why would I be hiding?”
Whatever Mac thought he knew, Jordan wasn’t going to address it. At least not here. He knew he’d have to face the music at some time, but tonight would not, could not be the time. Mac chuckled, almost as though he knew what Jordan was thinking.
“So, what’s new on the Bennett front? Anything else to share?”
Fuck, no! He was definitely not having this conversation here, and definitely not now.
Chapter Eight
“You spend a lot of time away from home, don’t you?”
Bennett smiled at the pretty teenager who was quizzing him like a journalist for a lifestyle magazine. Chandler’s little sister was lively and joyous…there were just no other words to describe her. He marveled, even as he smiled at her, that she had done so well after the tragic loss of her parents. Chandler had done a really good job with all his siblings, but it showed the most with her.
“I do,” he answered.
“Why? Why don’t you get a job that lets you stay home more?”
Curiosity shone in her eyes, curiosity and speculation. It was a fair question. His immediate answer was that he liked to travel and being freelance allowed him to do what he liked. He said as much and hoped she’d move on to her next question. He had resigned himself to being quizzed by the younger McKenzie when she had cornered him before dinner and asked him why he had chosen to be a photographer.
“If you get married, will you stop? Going away to work all the time, I mean?”
The question shook Bennett to his core. It wasn’t the kind of question he had ever been asked before, and the almost childlike hope in Chantal’s eyes as she asked it made him think she’d pity him if he never had the chance to stop. Which made him realize that he wanted to stop. He knew that taking some of the gigs he did was an escape from thinking about the things he wanted and didn’t have. And especially now that Ry was married and less available, he also now had something else to envy his friend for.
Fuck! On top of everything with Jordan, now I’ve got a teenager making me feel like a failure. Bennett tried to hold on to his smile, searching for an easy if non-committal response.
“Most likely.”
Which wasn’t a yes or a no, exactly, but it was the best he could do for having been blindsided with a life question at a birthday party. He hoped Chantal would let this line of questions go as well. In fact, now he was hoping she’d interrogate the person on her other side. He sighed