Flying Backwards (26 page)

“Nora? Are you still awake?”

Relief washed over her when she recognized Ben’s voice.

“
Ben!”
she whispered. “Come in.”

The door swung slowly inward, and Ben emerged from the darkness wearing a plaid robe. He was barefoot, his hair damp. He rested his back against the doorframe. “Why are you still up? I saw your light was on.”

“Well…‌I’m too freaked out to sleep. I have to confess I can’t watch scary movies. I’ll never be able to fall asleep. I know I’m ridiculous.” She offered him a pretty pout of her bottom lip.

“Nora, why didn’t you tell me? I’m sorry.” He raked his fingers through his damp hair. “I should have asked what you preferred.” He sat at the end of her bed.

“It’s okay. I’m just silly. I slept with my parents for a week after I saw
Jaws
,” she admitted.

A thought played crossed Ben’s face. “Move over. I’ll keep you company until you fall asleep.”

“You don’t have to do that!” Nora felt foolish. She shouldn’t have said anything.
Ben is so thoughtful.
But she worried about how she would handle him lying in bed next to her.

“It’s my fault. Move over.”

Nora closed her book and placed it on the nightstand. She scooted to the other side of the double bed. Ben kept his robe on and rested on top of the bedding. Before he reached over to extinguish the lamp, he turned to look at her face, washed clean of makeup. She watched his eyes move to her hair, which cascaded around her bare shoulders over the covers she held snug to her chest.

Ben whispered, “Goodnight.” He turned off the lamp, and she heard him swallow and sigh. He lay very still.

Nora tried not to think about his warm, hard body next to her. Her sleepy voice stifled a yawn. “Thank you, Ben. Goodnight.”

Once her breathing became slow and even, Ben slipped quietly from the bed. He paused in the doorway for a moment, looking at her sleeping form, before he turned and went to his own room.

Chapter Nineteen

The next morning Nora found a note on the kitchen counter that read,
Meet Me Out In The Stables. Help Yourself To Breakfast.
After drinking a cup of coffee and eating a vanilla-bean scone, Nora made her way outside to look for Ben.

Ben was in his makeshift office in a horse stall at the end of a barn when Keegan walked in with Nora. “This is his hideaway,” Keegan told her. She thanked him for helping her find Ben.

Ben’s office looked like it belonged to the Nutty Professor. There was a large chalkboard on a stand with various drawings of horses and stats scrawled across its chalky surface. Several bookcases were stuffed with books, manuals, and papers. The counter space was cluttered with an assortment of medicinal jars. A locked glass-front cabinet held prescription medications. Ben’s desk was home to thick bound books, and a laptop computer barely fit on the cramped workspace. Nora thought,
He looks nerdy in the
hottest
way!

Ben looked up with a bright smile. “Hey there! I was just finishing up.”

“Good morning. Take your time. If you need to get other things done, I can–”

“Nah,” he cut her off. “I’m done.” He shut the laptop lid and slipped it into a worn leather shoulder bag that hung on the back of his wooden swivel chair. When he stood up, Molly appeared from under his desk.

“This is quite an office.” Her remark begged the question why he worked in this cramped space.

Ben grinned at his surroundings. Over time he had borrowed unwanted furniture from the main house. “There is a proper office up at the house–” he shrugged–“but it’s too far from the horses. Besides, this place helps me think.”

“It must be freezing in the winter.”

He dismissed her concern. “I dress in layers, remember,” he said as he passed her. He continued into the hall, and the dog followed.

They walked to the barn that housed Stargazer, where Ben quizzed her on the equipment. Nora was sure she impressed him by remembering each item.

“Do you think you can saddle her?”

They worked together to tack up Stargazer, and Nora felt confident walking the horse into the paddock. This time it only took her two tries to mount the mare. Ben praised her success, and Nora couldn’t help but blush under his astute attention.

In the paddock, Ben taught her that horses have distinct ways of walking and running: the walk, the trot, the canter, and the gallop. “The gait we’ll work on today is the trot.” He used a long lead to circle Stargazer around the yard at a trot, instructing her to rise and fall in what he called “posting” until he felt Nora could handle the movement. He removed the lead and allowed Nora to trot Stargazer on her own. After a while, they led the horse to water before removing her tack and putting her back in her stall. They took this time to go into the house to pack lunch and use the loo.

“Where are we off to today?” Nora inquired as she helped him gather sandwich makings.

“We’re off to the high ground. A trail will take us up into some higher hills–not too steep. The elevation will challenge your balance some and give you a different feel while riding.” He wrapped the sandwiches in parchment paper. He pointed to the cookie jar on the counter. Nora knew he wanted her to get the oatmeal raisin cookies stored inside. She bagged two for each of them and broke the last cookie in the jar in half; they shared it. She rinsed the cookie jar in the sink, and he filled the cooler bag with drinks and a bag of baby carrots.

They saddled up and mounted and trotted off easily. Nora enjoyed the quicker pace. By the time they reached their destination Nora started to feel her inner thigh muscles, butt, and knees ache. Even her back began to hurt. Dismounting seemed like a great idea, and her legs nearly buckled when she hit the ground. She laughed and remarked, “Gosh, I thought riders just sat there!”

Ben took halters and leads from the saddlebags; he haltered and tied the horses loosely so they could graze on the bright green grass. He hung their bridles on a dead branch and returned with the blanket and lunch bag. “Are you holding up all right?”

“I’m fine. I’m just using muscles I haven’t used–probably ever…” She pursed her lips.
I definitely need to exercise more. Riding is a great workout. I bet Ben is in amazing shape. He looks like it, even with his clothes on.
Then she wondered what he would look like with his shirt off. She cast her eyes downward to avoid his gaze, feeling guilty, as if he caught her with that naughty thought.

Ben chuckled at her comment. “We can picnic at the top of that ridge.” He pointed to the hilltop, shaded by an old oak tree. “Do you think you can make it?” he teased.

“I think I can manage,” she said and followed him up the hill. “Wow, look at that!” Just over the rise was a view of the whole valley. A village nestled there, three church spires pointing toward the blue sky. She swiveled to look down the hill they’d just ascended and then back at the valley. She breathed in the cool, fresh air and sighed. “Ben, this is a great spot. How did you find this place?”

He laughed. “It’s England. There are lots of great spots, especially by horseback.” Nora turned. Ben had already spread the blanket under the shade. He stretched out across the woolen fabric, and she was quick to join him. He folded his arms behind his head and gazed up at the passing white clouds. She sat with her legs curled to one side and admired Ben’s handsome face. Nora noticed that the bright day had turned his eyes a lighter shade of gray-green. A relaxed smile rested on his full lips, and the breeze ruffled his hair. “What a nice day. There is always a great breeze up here,” he murmured. Nora observed the outline of his flat stomach, his ribcage, and his smooth chest through his T-shirt.

“It’s lovely. You said you’re too busy to ride, so how often do you come up here?” When he fixed his gaze on her, she felt fidgety. She reached up and unfastened her hair clip to adjust her hair, loosened during the jostling ride. It cascaded down her back, and she raked her fingers through it until it poofed out like a cloud around her shoulders and streamed down over her breasts. She made a mental note to visit the salon when she returned home. It was getting too long and was harder to keep coiled in a bun for her job.

“Aahhh.” Ben seemed distracted by Nora’s hair. “It’s been awhile. To tell the truth, I’m always working. I only take time off to be with my family and friends when something is going on. I’d like to spend more time riding though.” He grinned at her. “Now, thanks to you, I have someone to enjoy this day with. Otherwise, I’d have my nose buried in a medical journal.”

Nora scooted down on the blanket and lay back, mimicking Ben. She swung her hair over one shoulder and dropped her hair clip on the blanket as she got comfortable. Her hair fanned out to tickle his underarm, forcing him to roll to his side with his head propped on one elbow. “Yeah, I could get used to this,” she sighed.

Ben looked at her intently.

This is it
. She had dreamed of this moment so many nights. Her heart started to drum a little faster… And then her cell phone buzzed in her back pocket, making her jump. She was so startled that she shot up into a sitting position and yanked it from her pocket.
No! Antonio! Ugh. Figures he’d pick the perfect time to ruin my first kiss with Ben!

“Sorry.” She shot Ben a frazzled look.

Ben had sat up and suggested they eat lunch.

The moment was gone.

Nora cautiously broached the subject of last night. “So, umm, thanks again for coming to my rescue last night. I feel like such an idiot.”

“I thought it quite endearing.” His broad smile revealed his white teeth.
What a smile!
It made her heart pulse. “Actually, I’m not a big horror/thriller fan. The drama I wanted was out of stock, and the bloke next to me recommended that movie.” After discussing movies awhile, they discovered that they pretty much liked the same genres: dramas, historic epics, and comedies–the exception turned out to be romantic comedies. Nora rattled off several of her favorite British romantic comedies. Shaking his head, Ben said they were as silly as horror movies. Nora feigned disgust but couldn’t help laughed at his typical male response.

After lunch, they mounted the horses and traveled along roadways and across fields before finally stopping at the river’s edge to offer the horses some water. Nora was achy, so she dismounted and found a shady spot to sit and rest while Ben held the horses. She pulled out her cell phone and snapped a few pictures of Ben with the horses. Yesterday she had taken a picture of Stargazer. She wanted to remember this time she was spending with Ben. Even if it didn’t go anywhere romantically, she knew they were becoming good friends. She thought about showing her sisters a picture of her on horseback and made a mental note to ask Ben to take a snapshot to share in an attempt to stay in touch with her family. She wasn’t going home as often as she’d thought she would. Going home to her small town only reminded her of her old life, and Nora was enjoying her new life. She missed her family, but she needed this space, this time, to reinvent herself.

Ben secured the horses once again. He sat next to her and stretched his long legs out across the grass; then he leaned back on his elbows. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and checked for messages. “I told Keegan to call me if there were any problems. I guess he has everything under control.”

Nora tucked her cell phone back into her pocket. There was another missed call from Antonio. She hadn’t called him back; she wanted him to stop calling. She’d tried to end it with him, but he was persistent. She was hoping he would get the hint. Nothing from Sergei.
Thank goodness
.

“Are you still up for going out tonight?” Ben inquired. “Want to see if Bree and Evan want to drive up?

“Sure, I’m up for it. But Bree and Evan have dinner reservations tonight at that wine bar.” Nora had mentioned that last night.

“Oh, right. How does Bree like her transition to flying internationally now?”

“She loves it, but she’s only had one international trip so far. She seems really happy, and things are finally going well for her. In fact, when she came back from training last month she learned that she could opt to be based out of a European city.” Nora’s eyes swept across the scenery and settled on some far-off steeple. “She wants to transfer to London.”

“Really! Aren’t you two roommates?” His curious eyes searched her face.

“Yes. In fact, Bree’s dad pays for us to live in a townhouse in a great neighborhood in Philly. He won’t take my money. It is so nice of him. So I buy the food and pitch in in other ways when I can.” Nora looked out over the pasture, seeing an uncertain future. When she glanced back at Ben, she thought he was calculating what Bree’s wish meant for Nora.

“What are you going to do?”

She leveled her gaze at him. “I’m not sure. Bree wants me to transfer with her to London.”

His eyes widened. “Really! And have you considered that? Would you leave America?” He paused, intent on her answer.

“I’m thinking about it.” His gaze was so intense she dropped her lashes and picked at the grass by her feet. “I’d miss my family, but I really like it here. London is a great city. Bree is my best friend. All of you guys have become my friends. I wanted a change. I just didn’t imagine it could be so drastic. But I’m open to anything.” His reaction, an ear-to-ear grin, made her blush.

“That would be great.” He reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “That would be really great. I hope you do consider it.”

Ben’s phone buzzed, and he released Nora’s hand. “Ah, I spoke too soon. Keegan’s calling.” Ben spoke briefly on the phone. “Sorry, Keegan needs me to look at something. Do you mind if we head back.”

“Of course not.” They got to their feet, and Ben gave her a look. Nora wished she could read his mind. He was so handsome. She took in the gray-green color of his eyes and his straight, aristocratic nose. The angles of his jaw were covered in soft stubble. Around his mouth the skin was clean-shaven and smooth, but she could see where the darkening shadow would grow out. She sometimes felt overwhelmed by him. She felt like she was the luckiest girl in the world to have his attention. He moved toward the horses and she followed, his words ringing in her mind.
I hope you do consider it
.