Free Loving Ben (The Camerons of Tide's Way #1.5) by Skye Taylor Page B

weekends. Mike had been accepted to Harvard. While she was learning how to do push-ups by the hundreds and getting yelled at by drill sergeants, Mike would be lifeguarding at the beach or getting a head start on his textbooks for the fall. They came from totally different worlds, and they were headed in opposite directions. Meg walked out to his car with him when the birthday party began to break up. He kissed her again, but it felt more like he’d done it because a handshake didn’t seem right. She wished him luck and watched him drive away.
    Finally she turned and headed back up the walk. And saw Ben watching her.
    He wasn’t alone. He was sitting on the porch railing listening to something his twin brother, Will, was saying. Clinging to his arm was a stunningly beautiful blond woman. Just Ben’s type .
    Meg knew who she was, but she’d thought the woman had married some journalist from New York and moved out of Tide’s Way. Yet here she was, hanging on Ben’s arm as if she owned him.
    Meg hesitated, not sure if she should approach the trio or go back into the house and sulk. Most of the guests had gone. CJ was in the kitchen helping his wife clean up. Stu came out with the box holding Meg’s gifts tucked under his arm. “I’ll drop these at Mom’s for you. Sure you don’t need a ride?”
    Meg’s last chance to get Ben alone depended on begging him for a ride home. “I’m good.” She tiptoed to give her brother a kiss. “Better get a move on. I think your lady friend is getting a little impatient. Meg jerked her head in the direction of the redhead who’d come out of the house with Stu and now stood tapping her toe next to his car. Stu grinned, kissed Meg on the cheek, and hurried to his car.
    That left just Ben and his brother and the blond.
    And now Meg had only a few minutes left to achieve the one thing she’d promised herself she was going to do on her birthday. On the day she turned eighteen.
    Will gave Ben a high five and headed in Meg’s direction. He brought the blond with him. The woman didn’t look too happy.
    “Happy Birthday, Meg. And good luck this summer. You’ll probably need more than luck though. Only the few, the proud, and the tough get by, or so I’m told.” Will Cameron wrapped his arm around Meg’s shoulder and gave her a half-hug. “I gotta run. I’m on duty in less than twenty minutes.” He put his patrolman’s cap on his head and one hand under the blond’s elbow. “Just enough time to drop you home on my way by,” he told the woman.
    When Meg turned back, Ben was collecting empty beer cans. She approached him with her heart hammering madly in her chest. He stopped what he was doing and turned to her, his hands full of empties and a frown furrowing his brow.
    “Um . . .” Meg cleared her throat and tried again. “I—I was wondering if you could give me a ride home?”
    “What happened to Mike? I kinda thought you’d be leaving with him.”
    Meg shook her head but said nothing. Mike had offered to drive her home, but she’d turned him down same as Stu.
    Ben’s frown disappeared, and his brow smoothed. “Just let me take these out to the kitchen and say goodnight to CJ and Sarah.”
    Meg waited on the porch. Her heart jumped around inside her as if it were a wild animal. All the planning and thinking about this night had not prepared her for the actual doing.
    It’s just Ben , she reminded herself. I’ve known him forever. We’re friends. We talk all the time. About everything under the sun.
    He’d shared his dreams for the future and the kennel he wanted to own someday. He’d moaned about exams. College and studying were not his favorite things in life.
    She’d asked his advice about her career choice and the option of getting college paid for by joining the Marines. They’d talked about dogs, the stars, hunting, basketball, politics, their faith, and how it fit into their lives. They’d talked about everything.
    Except how they felt about each