All Chapters of The Love Barn: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

So far so good."Want to give me your phone?" He braced his hands on the truck door."Why?" She clutched her purse to her chest."Because I'd like to let your friends know I'm taking you home and that you're safe. It sounds like you all had a wild time tonight." He also didn't want to leave anyone behind in case someone else had gotten lost.Dixie stared at him for several long moments.He'd like to have thought there was a day when she wouldn't have hesitated to take his help. Today wasn't that day. They were both different people. And he didn't honestly know what Dixie's life had been like the last few years. He'd heard things, of course, but he didn't know anything. Not first hand."Shonda." Dixie handed her phone over.Benji tapped Shonda's contact and hit dial. He closed the passenger door and walked around the front of the truck.The line rang twice before a man with a deep baritone voice answered, "Hello?""Uh, hello. Is this Shonda's phone?""It is. This is

"Pull yourself together." Dixie pulled herself up to perch on the edge of the tub.Her whole body felt sticky. A shower was in order. She might want to burn her clothes. Laundry would have to be done. But her immediate need was to face down the man currently in her house.A quick washrag bath and a bra would at least make her feel more human.Ten minutes later teeth were brushed, face washed and wipe down complete. Her hair was an unholy mess. She bound it up into a bun until she could properly deal with it later. A bra rounded out her list, and she was ready. For what, she still wasn't sure, but she'd gotten this far. The rest couldn't be that bad, could it?God, she'd slept with Benjamin and she didn't even remember it. How embarrassing?She gave her head a little shake, then thought better of it as an invisible ice pick jabbed at her temple. Those pain killers would be a godsend."You can do this," she muttered to herself.Dixie pulled the bathroom door open and steppe

The car turned off, and Benji closed the distance to the driver's side, grabbing the door and opening it for her. She tipped her head up those sharp, intelligent eyes of hers focused on him. It felt as though she were slicing layers back until she could see deep into him. If he had anything to hide, she'd see it.Yeah, drunk Dixie and sober Dixie were different people."Good evening," he drawled, leaning an arm on the door. "I wasn't sure you were coming."Dixie didn't answer right away. She pushed to her feet, rising to just below his chin. Her hair was tamed and pinned into place in an over the shoulder, complicated braid thing. Instead of the fuck me heels and sexy witch outfit she wore a high-necked, loose blue tank top and denim capris that hid all those luscious curves she'd had on display the previous weekend. Too bad he hadn't been able to admire her in all her glory. He was willing to bet it had been a sight to behold.What were the chances she'd wear it again?She t

Dixie opened her mouth to say no. Why would she reveal her past to him? Except he knew her history. He wasn't one of her co-workers or her ex's army friend that only saw her as she presented herself."I was just thinking about how Mom and Dad always pushed me so hard. Because if I got a better education than they did, maybe I wouldn't be as trapped as they were. My family's poorness was always a point of contention with Jace, then-never mind.""Hey. I mind." Benjamin's hand slid down to her elbow then her hand. "Talk to me?"Dixie shook her head. No part of her wanted to poke at those wounds. She was doing just fine ignoring them."Okay. But if you change your mind, you know where I'm at." He squeezed her hand, holding on tight.She glanced up at him and her stomach tightened. She had this crazy, illogical desire to throw herself at him, tell him everything she hadn't shared with anyone except her lawyer and just let it all out. She couldn't because what would he think of her

Benji rolled the question around in his head. She needed answers. Real ones."Like I said, you and Luna used to be close. I figured you might want that again. Besides, you haven't really lived until you've been to a Jones family fish fry these days." And I'd like to see you. He wanted to see that she was okay that this first week of freedom from her ex hadn't left marks.Dixie sighed into the phone.He braced himself for another no."Can you give me twenty minutes?" she asked."I can.""Okay. Twenty minutes. Bye."Benji pushed to his feet grinning.It was too bad Scarlett wasn't coming tonight. Eventually he'd like to see the whole gang back together again. Or at least the ones still living near town. If he'd learned anything from watching Scarlett get back on her feet, it was that the support system around her mattered.He couldn't be part of that system. Between his teenage crush on Dixie and his fascination with the woman she'd become he knew his interest in her wa