Chapter 5
Chapter Five
B enton dropped Nora off at her mom’s place and managed to do it with a half-smile in place. He’d decided a long time ago that he’d never be the parent to talk shit about his ex, especially in front of their daughter. Nora was smart. She picked up on things, and if he could shield her from the animosity between him and Daisy Mae, he would.
She danced all the way from his truck up to the door of the condo Daisy Mae and her new man, Nick, were renting. Her purple backpack glittered under the moonlight, and he spied her stuffed bunny, Leroy, dangling over the edge. The thing was so ratty he didn’t think it would survive another cycle in the washing machine, but she’d had it since the day she was born and slept with it every night.
Daisy Mae opened up the door and held her arms open. Nora raced into the embrace, and his chest tightened. He didn’t hate the relationship Daisy Mae had forged with Nora. He just didn’t trust it.
“I’ll get her to school in the morning.” Daisy Mae glanced over the top of Nora’s head.
Benton nodded, then dropped a kiss onto Nora’s cheek. “You be good for your mama, you hear?”
“I will.” Nora hugged him tightly. “Don’t miss me.” She whispered.
He smiled at their game. “I will miss you every single second of the night.”
“Silly daddy,” she said with a giggle. She turned and disappeared inside, leaving him and Daisy Mae alone.
“You look good, Benton.” He hated this. The polite way they had when they weren’t tearing into each other.
He lifted his chin. “You too.” It was the truth. Always a petite thing, she’d been nothing but skin and bone less than a year ago. Her addiction problems being the culprit. Since she’d come back to Big Bend, she’d put on weight and was halfway to being the woman he’d fallen for years ago. But the past was long gone, and he wasn’t interested in revisiting it with her. Especially not when she put up a roadblock at every turn.
Benton stepped back and gave a small nod, then turned and headed for his truck.
“That’s it?” Daisy Mae’s voice rose. “You can’t even talk to me anymore?”
He paused and glanced over his shoulder. “Make sure she’s in bed by nine and brush her hair out real good. Her curls are tangled from the pool. I put that special conditioner in her backpack. It helps.”
He climbed into his truck and backed out of the driveway, then headed toward Main Street. Big Bend was hopping, full of tourists and townsfolk, all enjoying a beautiful summer night. Restless, he drove across town and took a right, then parked at the edge of a very busy lot. The Sundowner was the local watering hole everyone went to for a good time. The food was good and the music even better. Owned by his sister-in-law, Millie Sue, it was usually his first choice to unwind with a cold beer and a basket of fries.
Calvin and Millie Sue were headed to the Sundowner with some of the gang after the party, and they’d told him to meet up. Their father, Manley, had offered to babysit. He’d thanked them, but said he wasn’t interested. Which, to be fair, he wasn’t. But the thought of heading back to the Triple B with nothing but his dark thoughts and shit mood for company wasn’t exactly appealing either.
He thought of Collins. Of the way he’d been with her and his mood darkened even more. He’d been a dick. No way around it. She didn’t deserve to be treated that way. He supposed if he ever ran into her again, he’d apologize.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t happen. The running into her part. There was an attraction there, no way around it, and if he wasn’t on top of his game, things could go south quicker than a bull after a heifer.
His cell pinged just then. A message from his brother, Cal. “We’re here. Come by. Vivian will drive us home if need be. We need to celebrate.”
He stared at the message, a wry smile on his face. His buddy Dallas had been acting weird all day and finally confessed to the family that he and Bent’s sister, Vivian, were expecting. They’d had a long, hard road back to each other, and Benton couldn’t be happier for his oldest friend.
He glanced up and thought, What the hell. One minute later, he was pushing past a throng of folks, headed to the large table that sat at the right of the stage. He spied Cal and Millie Sue, along with Dallas and Vivian, and a couple of the cowpokes who worked the Triple B.
Dallas grinned when he spied Benton and raised his eyebrows. “Beer or whiskey?”
Benton’s auto reply was usually beer, but tonight the devil was nipping at his heels, along with the memory of a woman he needed to forget. “Whiskey.”
“Oh shit,” Cal chuckled. “Here we go.”
Millie Sue’s co-owner and business partner, Zach, appeared. Her cousin looked frazzled.
“What are you doing here?” Millie Sue asked with a frown.
“Shorthanded again.”
“The new hire?” Millie Sue asked.
He nodded.
“I knew she’d pull this crap.”
“And Mel is out sick.”
“I’ll hop behind the bar and help out.” Millie Sue was already sliding from the stool when Zach shook his head. “Not necessary. We got lucky.”
“Yeah? How’s that?”
“A young lady Jo met earlier showed up and hopped behind the bar. She’s something else.”
“In a good way?”
“Yep.” Zach cracked a grin. “And real easy on the eyes, which never hurts in a bar full of cowboys.”
“Let me get our order so you don’t have to worry about us.” Millie Sue hopped off her stool and headed for the bar. Benton was just starting to relax when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned and spied Michaela Dawson. She’d changed from the casual outfit she’d worn to Ivy’s party. Was wearing a black lacy dress that hugged in all the right places.
“Hey there,” she said softly. “Nice surprise.”
“Yeah, it is.” It was the polite response, but he meant it. He liked Michaela.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
Benton was about to tell her he’d already ordered up, but instead, he slowly nodded. “Sure. Whiskey neat.” Bastard move, but maybe Michaela was the answer to his problem that had plagued him for the last several hours. The one that was about five feet eleven with caramel colored hair and the kind of eyes that looked deeper than he wanted.
Michaela’s face lit up, and she backed away. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
He caught a look from Cal and shook his head. “Not what you think.”
“She seems real nice.”
“She’s a great girl.” He agreed. There was nothing wrong with Michaela. So why couldn’t he stop thinking about Collins Lafferty?
“Maybe it’s time you put yourself out there again.”
“I’m not looking for a wife.” He frowned. That ship had long sailed. He was too busy running a ranch. Too busy being a dad. Too busy living a life he’d gotten used to. At this point, he wasn’t sure he’d ever want that kind of commitment again.
“Nothing wrong with dating someone. Having some kind of relationship. Though I think Michaela might have her cap set on something permanent.”
He sighed and gazed over the crowd on the dance floor, up at the stage. “I don’t know if I’ll ever meet someone who fits right.”
“You will, Bent. Just make sure that all the ones in between know the score.” It was a gentle warning, but not needed. Benton had never lied to a woman or led one on, for that matter. But maybe it was time for something more than getting that itch scratched now and again. Wouldn’t hurt to have a plus one from time to time.
The band took to the stage just then, a local outfit called Poke The Bear. They jumped into a medley of country classics. Your standard Cash, Williams, and Nelson. Benton leaned against the table, eyes on the band. They were good, and despite his mood, he began to relax and enjoy himself, though things would be a whole lot better if he had a glass of whiskey in his hand. He angled his head for a look at the bar and spied Millie Sue walking their way, a tray full of mugs in her hand. But it was the woman who trailed behind her, holding on to two jugs, that got his attention. She wasn’t hard to miss. Hell, she was taller than most.
Son of a bitch.
“Look who I found behind the bar.” Millie Sue grinned and set down the tray and stepped to the side so that Collins could drop off the jugs. “It’s Kip’s sister.”
Collins smiled at all of them. Said hello to Cal. To Vivian and Dallas. “Whiskey?” she asked slowly, eyebrow raised.
“That would be for me.” Benton couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Christ, it was hard not to; she was wearing the skimpiest top he’d ever seen. Hell, it would probably fit Nora. And the way her skin glowed in the low lights was something else. That hair. Those eyes. He could still taste her, like she’d been there with him all along. Since that night in Nashville.
Collins shifted her feet. She looked at him, and there was a moment when the band stopped playing. The folks stopped dancing. When everyone pretty much disappeared.
Christ, why did she have to smell so damn good?
Collins handed him the glass. Their fingers touched. And damned if that slow burn didn’t roar to life.
“Thank you,” he managed without sounding like a complete idiot.
A heartbeat passed.
“You’re welcome.” She licked her bottom lip and it took everything in Benton not to grab her up and march that perfect little butt out into the dark so that he could do wicked things to her. So that she could do them back.
But then Michaela was there, another glass of whiskey, another set of eyes on him. Michaela looked at Collins, then moved to Benton’s side. She leaned in closer than he liked and handed him the second glass of whiskey and murmured, “Here you go.” Like they were a couple.
Collins’ eyes turned to glass. They widened. Then narrowed. She gave a quick salute and disappeared.
Benton downed his first whiskey in one gulp. It burned all the way down. Then he downed the second. Aware that everyone was looking at him like he had two heads, made him antsy. He needed some air. This was wrong. A bad idea. Why the hell hadn’t he driven straight home?
“I’ll be back in a minute,” he said to no one in particular. He patted Michaela’s arm, which, from the look on her face, was the wrong thing to do, and strode away from the table. He kept his eyes above the crowd, centered on the door to the right of the bar. The last thing he needed was to lock eyes with Collins Lafferty again.
He pushed out into the night and reached for his pocket, then swore because he’d quit smoking more than five years ago. God, he’d give his left hand for a cigarette right about now.
Benton found the shadows that drifted in and out of the breeze near the edge of the building. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and stared out into the night, wishing like hell he’d bypassed town and driven straight back to the Triple B. At least there, when his mind turned to the things he didn’t care to dwell on, he could push them away. Tuck them in a box and never pull them out unless he wanted to.
But he couldn’t stop the thoughts that went round his brain. Didn’t like the way they made him feel. The plain fact being, at nearly thirty-eight, he was nowhere near where he thought he’d be in life. At one time, Daisy Mae had been his end game. And when she wound up pregnant, he was ready to commit. Ready to be a family. So was she. They were happy until her demons reared up, and her addictions became more important than him and Nora. For a few years after that, he would have happily taken her back if she had been willing to put in the work. But it never happened, and now he wasn’t interested.
“Fuck me,” he muttered, shoulders hunched. She’d come to him about six months back. Said she was clean. Said she wanted to make a go of it. And he’d given it a hard look, more so because of Nora. Didn’t every child deserve to have both parents in the picture? But the thought of tying himself down to a woman he didn’t love anymore wasn’t something he was willing to do. He didn’t think he’d survive the sacrifice. But more than that, he didn’t think it would be good for Nora. The kid saw things. She knew when something was real.
But now Daisy Mae was fighting him for custody, and he was standing out in the dark contemplating his sad, empty life, thinking about a woman who was all wrong for him. Maybe Calvin was right. Maybe it was time to move on, even if it meant settling for something less.
He ran hands over the scruff on his chin and decided to head inside and stop acting like a damn pussy. He’d say his goodbyes and apologize to Michaela. Maybe even offer to take her to dinner. Then he’d go home, grab himself a bottle of Mr. Jack, and drink it on the porch while he contemplated the irony of his life.
But there was an obstacle in his way and damned if he knew how to deal with it.
“Who was that woman?” Collins stood a few feet from Benton, legs spread, arms hanging loose at her side. Her jeans fit like they were made for her. Considering her occupation, they probably were. They rode low, exposing her belly button and a whole bunch of soft skin he shouldn’t be looking at. Because all that looking made him want to touch, and he’d already decided she was off limits.
He would play nice and move on.
“Michaela.”
“Are you sleeping with her?”
“No.”
“But you’re thinking about it.”
“No.” Not really. Not now.
“Then you owe me an apology.”
“You’re right.” Benton closed the gap but kept a respectful few inches away. “I’m sorry for being an asshole. You caught me unawares.”
Her nostrils flared, and her pulse was erratic, a small beat at the base of her neck. He thought that he’d like to lick that neck. Then gave himself shit for thinking about it.
“You were more than an asshole.”
That was fair, so he said nothing.
“Why?” she asked.
He should just take the win and leave her alone. Nod and be on his way. But something about the tilt of her head and the look in her eyes kept him there. Or maybe it was because he wanted more than he was willing to admit. Either way, he was dancing with the devil under a moonless sky, and that couldn’t be good.
“You surprised me, and I don’t like surprises.” It was as close to the truth as he was willing to admit.
“Bullshit.”
“You calling bull on me?”
“I am.”
She was something else, this one. “Okay. I’d like to hear your take on things.”
“I scare you.” She answered right away. Didn’t hesitate. Didn’t skip a beat. And those eyes of hers were relentless. They bored into him, and he had the feeling it wouldn’t take much for her to discover all of his secrets if she put her mind to it. She was wrong about being scared, but he’d play her game.
“There are two things on God’s good earth that scare me, and you’re not one of them.”
“No?” She took a step closer. “What are you scared of, Benton?”
He liked the sound of his name on her lips. Not something he should be thinking about. Those lips. “A female grizzly protecting her cubs,” he said gruffly, moving back to her eyes.
“And what’s the other one?”
“Skydiving.”
She smiled at that one. “I think you need to amend your list to include a third.”
“That so.”
Collins nodded and inched closer. Then she pressed up against him, which, to be fair, he made no effort to stop. Hell, he wasn’t sure he could. She was too warm and soft and smelled like heaven. He realized then that he hadn’t been with another woman since Nashville.
“Yes.” Her breath was like little feathers across his cheek, and his body tightened. “You’re definitely scared of me.”
“I’m not backing away.” He should be. He should be clear across the other side of the damn parking lot.
“No, you’re not,” she slowly replied. “Why is that?”
He didn’t answer because he didn’t get the chance. She slid her arms around his neck and opened her mouth against his.
For all of one second, he thought of pulling away, but then she groaned, or maybe it was him. Whoever it was, the sound was animalistic. It was real, it set his blood on fire. It expanded this thing between them. Encircled the two of them whole, and he was helpless to stop it. So he didn’t.
He grabbed her by the hips and moved her up against the wall, then smiled and dipped his head for another taste. He was done playing games.
Maybe he was done being scared.