e

icially a fireman. I was confident and comforta

restaurant so popular, it had a waiting

eager to see him again. I hadn't seen him in six years. The Castle

esher course, and taking care of the small details, I hadn't seen a

big banner that read "Welcome Home Ben," and I laughed wh

Ben," she said. "Come on, ever

arry, Jerrod's dad, shook my hand and clapped me o

ood to

ve. When I had left, she was just a kid, still finishing school. But the woman who moved between the tables, greeting diners, was everything but a child. She was beautiful.

r like that, but I couldn't help it. I was a healthy male, and she was sexy

stifled a groan. What a buzzkill. The black curls, the green eyes. I hadn't miss

d my hands into m

n." I was sure that wasn't al

ks,"

ith me. I'm so happy you're home.

her eyes at how blunt I was being. B

. We've put our differen

"Is that what you call it when you sl

s I supposed to do? Wait for you to decide when you wer

ld me, yeah. And we'll do this every time I see you.

from it. We're different people now. We've both changed. Why don't we get toge

ead. "I'm no

ave a whole new life now. Don't y

own that was what she was after. Rachel had nev

ntually you'll figure out that I'm seriou

" Rachel said a

er her and chuckled, lea

od asked, coming up to me. We clapped hands and pulled into a bro hug before Jerrod s

. "Don't

e Ben is in town-with a fuckload o

ng. "You're so full of shit.

and took a si

't getting in t

a gold digger on top of all t

hasn't chan

rth did I

d someone to stroke your ego,"

the shoulder. "

and shook

you whenever I felt like getting drunk. I'm tell

ights for me anymore. I'm starting at the stati

onsible and shit. I thought you had so mu

nd grow old without anything to show for it. Y

change his mind about what you wanted to do si

ainst his in a salute,

into your father's shoes with this place

l take it over from them, after a

't always

with Mila not getting into the busines

oing it with

d were pissed at first, but they let her do her thing, and s

es rather than run a restaurant, but that she had done som

parents to be okay

heir kids, they would rather we be happy than anything else. Besides, with

n ever. I was happy to be home. Everything had changed, and ever