When Ben escorted her through the parking lot into the restaurant, Treeny’s insides quivered in anticipation. She’d dreamed of this moment for so long, she was having difficulty assimilating reality from her fantasies. She liked the warmth of him next to her, and the casual way he rested a hand on the small of her back.
She didn’t miss the possessive significance of his gesture. And even enjoyed his subtle message to other men concerning her; his manly signal proclaimed my woman. Treeny had always felt like she and Ben Morrison belonged together, and now that very well could be true. She took a moment to breathe deeply because she was suddenly short of breath.
The hostess seated them, and Treeny saw the woman’s eyes sweep up and down Ben in admiration. Treeny moved a little closer to him, and challenged the woman with her eyes. So what if she was doing the possessive bit too? She wasn’t about to let this man slip out of her tenuous grasp if she could take a firm hold of him somehow.
Once they were seated and had ordered, Ben leaned forward. “I talked to my sister today.”
“Which one?” she asked. Keeping his family straight sometimes proved difficult.
“You might not know this one,” he began and her interest perked.
“You have another sister?”
His lips quirked. “Remember when KC got called up to go to Kuwait?”
“Of course.”
“She bunked in a tent with nine other women. One of those women was a fellow doctor named Janine Morris. I popped in to see KC on Christmas Day.” Treeny nodded. She had been with her sister at his Aunt Monica’s house. So she had heard the news and been relieved that he and KC were together for the holiday. “Janine kept staring at me.”
Treeny cocked a brow. Another woman staring at Ben made her ...hackles rise. “We decided she could be my biological sister.”
“A biological sister,” she repeated and blinked as she tried to comprehend. “Wow. You’ve already got three sisters.”
He laughed. “I know. Like three aren’t enough, but Janine is pretty amazing. She’s tall and thin like me, and KC claims we have the same eyes,” he grimaced, and her heart snagged. “Janine’s eyes are amber while mine are dark brown, so where KC came up with that, I don’t know. Janine is moving here tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yep.”
Treeny stared as bemusement stuttered through her. Ben had a biological sister. “What do your parents think of this?”
He rolled his eyes. She loved when he did that. She loved when he did pretty much anything. So long as he was with her. “What do you think they think of this? They’re so excited, Melanie says it’s hard to visit them.”
She laughed. “I can understand that. And Mel lives next door, right?”
“Yeah.” Treeny liked the affection she heard in Ben’s voice for his sister. Melanie worked in the post office and was the oldest sister. Treeny had always thought of her as the glue that held Ben’s branch of the Morrison family together.
“Is Mel seeing anyone at the moment?”
“Her ex-husband.” His brow rose as he watched her reaction.
“I’m glad,” she said honestly and she was. Melanie and Ray belonged together. “How are Julie and Stephanie?” Treeny liked Ben’s other sister’s too.
“They’re fine. Both are finally finished with school. Steph has her Ph.D. in something, I think its weather related. And Jules is working in a cousin’s law office.”
Stephanie was a meteorologist and Julie had a law degree. “That’s pretty exciting. I’m happy for them. Are they looking forward to meeting Janine?”
Crinkles formed around his eyes as he smiled. “They can’t wait. They’re so happy she’s coming home, there’s a party in the works. Between them and my mom, it had grown out of proportion. KC finally took over all the planning.”
“Poor Janine if they had succeeded. Your family is overwhelming enough to those of us who are used to them.”
“That’s what KC and I decided. KC threw her weight around.”
“Good for her. At least Janine will know you and KC when she arrives.”
“She’s been emailing the rest of the family since Kuwait. Mom found out all kinds of information about her, but couldn’t dig up much about our mother. She also couldn’t tell if Janine and I have the same father or not.”
“Janine doesn’t know either?”
Ben shook his head. “No. She knew my birthday, where I’d been born, to which woman, and she knew I lived in Pennsylvania during my early years. That’s all she could find on me. Then we met face to face in Kuwait and there wasn’t much doubt that we were related. We do look a lot alike.”
“Does she look like Granddad Morrison?”
He thought for a minute. “Yeah, I guess she does.”
“It’s wild how much you and he look alike.” She shook her head.
“That’s what everyone says, but if I hadn’t looked like him, my mom probably wouldn’t have noticed me.”
“Why did you grow up here and Janine grew up in the islands?” Treeny glanced at him, and saw his brows rise.
“You know, that’s a good question. Janine didn’t leave Tolaliel until she finished high school.”
“Your mom hasn’t figured it out yet?”
“I don’t know if she thought to ask that particular question. Janine might know, but she didn’t say anything. We can ask her tomorrow.”
“Is your mom still researching all this?”
“Probably.” He shrugged.
She grinned. “I know your mother.” Treeny paused. “I’m really looking forward to meeting Janine.”
“She’s looking forward to meeting you too.”
Treeny heard the sincerity and something she couldn’t identify in his voice. Almost an intensity, like he longed for Janine to approve of her. She could relate. What if Janine didn’t approve? Then where would she and Ben be? Of course, Janine was the newer female in the equation, but what would happen if Ben’s sister didn’t like his female of choice? Hopefully “female of choice” was how he considered her.
Since the concept of Janine’s disapproval was too scary to contemplate, Treeny pushed the thought aside. Same as the idea of what she meant to him. She wanted Ben. And anything that stood in their way would have to be dealt with. Because he said he wanted her. Certainly, everything he’d shown since then indicated he spoke the truth. So long as she kept her insecurities at bay, they should be fine.
They had both waited long enough for this relationship. Treeny had loved him since she was seventeen. At least. Maybe she’d loved him even longer than that. And he admitted to similar feelings for her. That must to be good. Right?
Leaning back in her chair, she decided to enjoy the evening. She refused to think about whether this might be her first and last date with Ben.