surf. Now that’s all he does.”
“Wow. That’s a great story, Paisley. Doesn’t he work?”
“Yeah. He designs websites and he works from home. He’s super smart. Almost on a genius level when it comes to technology. He’s twenty-one years old and has the bank account of someone who’s been working for forty-plus years.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. I guess you can have that when you live at home with your parents and they don’t make you pay for anything.”
“I take it you’re really close to him.”
“I am. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very close with my sisters too. But Keaton and I have a special bond. Maybe it’s all that surfing I taught him.”
Chapter 13
Ben
S itting across from Paisley, having coffee, was nice. She was becoming a friend. Did I want a friend? Did I even need another friend? No. But Paisley was different. She understood.
“Do you run every day?” she asked.
“Yes. I do run every day. It’s important that I keep in shape for my job.”
“I used to run every morning. In fact, I used to run the same path you do.”
“Really? Maybe we saw each other once in passing. You don’t run anymore?”
“No. Not since my husband passed away. It’s too hard since that day.”
My heart broke in half for her. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks,” she said as she looked around.
My thought was that she didn’t want me to see the tears in her eyes.
“It’s still hard, you know,” she said.
“I know it is. It’s very hard and it’s difficult to get through the day when all you want to do is climb into bed and never get out.”
She looked straight into my eyes when I said that and gave me a small smile. “Exactly.”
“I don’t mean to be forward, but how old was your husband?”
“He was twenty-seven.”
“And he had a heart attack?”
“Yeah. A massive heart attack.”
I couldn’t stop shaking my head. “My wife, Amy, was twenty-eight when she passed away from cancer.”
“I’m sorry, Ben. What kind of cancer did she have?”
“Cervical. She was diagnosed a year before and went through chemo, but it just wasn’t enough.”
“I’m so sorry. I just don’t get life sometimes. One minute you meet the person you were meant to spend the rest of your life with and the next they’re ripped from you like it’s nothing.”
“I know. It’s incredibly sad.”
We both sat there for a few moments in silence until there was a knock on the window and Paisley hid her face.
“Great. Just great.”
The girl who knocked on the window walked inside and over to our table.
“Hey, Paisley. What’s going on?” She smiled.
Paisley looked up at her and the guy she was with. “Piper. What are you doing here?”
This girl named Piper looked at me and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Piper, Paisley’s sister, and this is my fiancé, Liam.”
“Ah, it’s very nice to meet you. I’m Ben.”
Piper looked at Paisley and then back at me. “Ben, as in support group Ben?”
“Yeah. That Ben.” I chuckled.
****
Paisley
I was mortified that my sister saw me. Why? Because now she’d go and spread the gossip to the rest of the family and they’d ask a million questions and make a big deal out of it.
“I thought you weren’t going back to that support group?” Piper asked.
“I changed my mind,” I said as I gave her a fake smile.
“Oh.”
“Why don’t you sit down and join us?” Ben asked.
“No. They can’t. I’m sure they just popped in to grab a coffee to go because you have wedding things to do. Right?” I spoke as I shot her a look.
“You’re right as always, little sister. As much as we’d love to, Ben, we have to get going. It was nice to meet you. Paisley, I will be calling you.”
“I’m sure you will.” I smiled.
They left Starbucks and I looked at Ben.
“You seemed really upset when you saw your sister.”
“I can guarantee that she is standing outside doing a three-way call with Keaton and Charlotte and that us having coffee
“Wow. That’s a great story, Paisley. Doesn’t he work?”
“Yeah. He designs websites and he works from home. He’s super smart. Almost on a genius level when it comes to technology. He’s twenty-one years old and has the bank account of someone who’s been working for forty-plus years.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. I guess you can have that when you live at home with your parents and they don’t make you pay for anything.”
“I take it you’re really close to him.”
“I am. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very close with my sisters too. But Keaton and I have a special bond. Maybe it’s all that surfing I taught him.”
Chapter 13
Ben
S itting across from Paisley, having coffee, was nice. She was becoming a friend. Did I want a friend? Did I even need another friend? No. But Paisley was different. She understood.
“Do you run every day?” she asked.
“Yes. I do run every day. It’s important that I keep in shape for my job.”
“I used to run every morning. In fact, I used to run the same path you do.”
“Really? Maybe we saw each other once in passing. You don’t run anymore?”
“No. Not since my husband passed away. It’s too hard since that day.”
My heart broke in half for her. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks,” she said as she looked around.
My thought was that she didn’t want me to see the tears in her eyes.
“It’s still hard, you know,” she said.
“I know it is. It’s very hard and it’s difficult to get through the day when all you want to do is climb into bed and never get out.”
She looked straight into my eyes when I said that and gave me a small smile. “Exactly.”
“I don’t mean to be forward, but how old was your husband?”
“He was twenty-seven.”
“And he had a heart attack?”
“Yeah. A massive heart attack.”
I couldn’t stop shaking my head. “My wife, Amy, was twenty-eight when she passed away from cancer.”
“I’m sorry, Ben. What kind of cancer did she have?”
“Cervical. She was diagnosed a year before and went through chemo, but it just wasn’t enough.”
“I’m so sorry. I just don’t get life sometimes. One minute you meet the person you were meant to spend the rest of your life with and the next they’re ripped from you like it’s nothing.”
“I know. It’s incredibly sad.”
We both sat there for a few moments in silence until there was a knock on the window and Paisley hid her face.
“Great. Just great.”
The girl who knocked on the window walked inside and over to our table.
“Hey, Paisley. What’s going on?” She smiled.
Paisley looked up at her and the guy she was with. “Piper. What are you doing here?”
This girl named Piper looked at me and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Piper, Paisley’s sister, and this is my fiancé, Liam.”
“Ah, it’s very nice to meet you. I’m Ben.”
Piper looked at Paisley and then back at me. “Ben, as in support group Ben?”
“Yeah. That Ben.” I chuckled.
****
Paisley
I was mortified that my sister saw me. Why? Because now she’d go and spread the gossip to the rest of the family and they’d ask a million questions and make a big deal out of it.
“I thought you weren’t going back to that support group?” Piper asked.
“I changed my mind,” I said as I gave her a fake smile.
“Oh.”
“Why don’t you sit down and join us?” Ben asked.
“No. They can’t. I’m sure they just popped in to grab a coffee to go because you have wedding things to do. Right?” I spoke as I shot her a look.
“You’re right as always, little sister. As much as we’d love to, Ben, we have to get going. It was nice to meet you. Paisley, I will be calling you.”
“I’m sure you will.” I smiled.
They left Starbucks and I looked at Ben.
“You seemed really upset when you saw your sister.”
“I can guarantee that she is standing outside doing a three-way call with Keaton and Charlotte and that us having coffee
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