Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
S undays without Nora were quiet, though Benton had no problem keeping himself busy. The Triple B was a working ranch, and there was always something that needed looking after; it didn’t matter if it was the Lord’s day or not.
Dawn had barely broken when he’d saddled up and ridden to the south pasture with a couple of his men to repair the fencing before they moved the cattle over later in the week. Glad for an early start in the cool mountain air,, they got busy because the July sun was relentless. And while repairing a fence line wasn’t exactly rocket science, he welcomed the distraction. He’d slept like shit and it was Collins fault. Or his fault. Who the fuck knew.
Christ, he could still smell her.
Benton grabbed his water bottle and took a couple of swigs, then glanced over to Haimish. A new hire a few months back, the young man had proven to be a great addition to the Triple B family.
“I think we’re done, boss.” Haimish wiped sweat from his brow and leaned against the fence post. “I’ll take Joe and ride the rest of the line, but I’m pretty sure we’ve plugged all the holes.”
“Was thinking the same thing.” Benton was about a thirty-minute ride from Dallas and Vivian’s place. Figured he’d drop in since the empty house wasn’t exactly appealing. He gave a nod to his men. “I’ll see you boys back at the bunkhouse.”
He hopped onto his horse, Mack, and got him up to a trot in no time. The fresh air, the sun, and the scenery went a long way in soothing his mind, and by the time he reached his sister’s place, he felt better about things. At least, that’s what he told himself.
At least I can’t smell her anymore.
Once he got Mack looked after, he shook off the dust and headed up to the house. Benton knocked once, let himself inside, then walked through to the back yard where he found Vivian asleep in a hammock strung between two trees, and Dallas sprawled out on the deck with one of the most unfortunate-looking animals he’d ever seen on his lap. Lily, Vivian’s dog. The furball was old, her fur shot through with grey. She was missing half an ear and most of her teeth, and on a good day, would scare any child who crossed her path. She was ornery and didn’t smell great, but for some reason, his sister had taken a shine to the dog, and now it appeared as if Dallas had caught the bug.
“Since when do you like that thing?” Benton plopped onto a chair as Dallas scooped the little dog into his arms and walked over to the table.
“Vivian thinks she’s precious.”
“Vivian needs glasses.”
Dallas grinned at that, slowly scratching behind the dog’s ears. “She’s not so bad. She’s lived some and deserves a little bit of respect.” Lily raised her head, turned toward Benton, and growled.
“When she gives me respect and I’ll gladly give it back.”
“Beer?” At Benton’s nod, Dallas took the dog inside and was back, minus the dog, with two cold beers and a bag of chips. Sour Cream & Onion. Bent’s favorite.
The beer was cold, the chips fresh, and the magnificent quiet of this spot kept both men silent for a moment or two. Gradually, the tension fell away from Benton, and he glanced at his sister.
“How’s she feeling?”
Dallas cracked a smile. “Tired, hungry and horny?—”
“Whoa, I draw the line at sex talk. The image of you and my sister doing that isn’t something I want to think about.”
Dallas shrugged. “You asked.”
“Generally speaking is what I’m after. Not the details.”
“Well, generally speaking, she’s good. She’s had a touch of morning sickness, and she sleeps in the afternoon. Eats more watermelon and chocolate than a small heifer?—”
“I’m awake, boys, and despite being tired as hell, my hearing works just fine.” Vivian’s head popped up, and she slid out of the hammock, her long, dark hair blowing in the breeze as she made her way over to them. She dug into the chip bag and stuffed a handful into her mouth. Then proceeded to chew slowly and methodically. Kind of like a heifer, Benton thought with a smile.
“What’s so funny?” Vivian gave him a look.
“Nothing.” He took another pull from his bottle.
Vivian crawled onto Dallas’s lap and once she was settled, looked his way. “I didn’t get much of a chance to talk to you last night. One minute you were flirting with two different ladies, and the next you were gone.”
Benton stretched his legs out. He didn’t take the bait. “I decided on an early night, and there was no flirting.”
“Michaela Dawson sure wanted some.”
“Michaela Dawson is a nice lady, but she’s nothing more than that.”
“It’s not Michaela I’m curious about.”
Dallas murmured something into his sister’s ear, but she batted his hand away.
“It’s the young one who’s got my interest. Kip’s sister. Do you want to tell me about her?”
Benton tried to keep the surprise off his face, but didn’t think he was successful. How in hell had Vivian zeroed in on Collins? He sat back and considered how much to share with his sister and Dallas, and in the end decided he might feel better about the situation if he could talk about it.
“I ran into Collins in Nashville when we all went there for Cal’s arena show.”
“Really.” Vivian lifted her chin. “You didn’t come to the after party.” She frowned. “But come to think of it, I don’t remember seeing Kip’s sister either.”
“No. I headed out to the strip and ended up in a bar and…” He sighed, “You know how the story goes.”
“No, I don’t.” Vivian sat up. “Please fill me in.”
He scowled at his sister and looked at Dallas.
“Hey, you’re the one sharing.” Dallas grinned and wrapped his arms around Vivian. The man was clearly enjoying things.
“I didn’t know who she was?—”
“How could you not know who Collins Lafferty is? Not only is her face everywhere, but she was here last Christmas. In your house. At your dinner table.”
“There were a lot of folks at my place over the holidays and I don’t pay attention to that other shit. I don’t read magazines, and in Nashville, she wasn’t wearing makeup. Her hair was down, and I don’t know…it was dark in the bar.” It sounded lame, even to his own ear.
“God, men are dumb.”
“Hey,” Dallas dropped a kiss onto his wife’s cheek. “Don’t lump me in with your brother.”
“Do you want to hear the story or not?” Annoyed, Benton got to his feet and walked to the edge of the deck.
“Damn right I do,” Vivian replied.
Benton looked up at the sky and wondered why he’d opened this particular can of worms. No way he could close it now.
“Like I said, I ended up in a bar, and she walked in and sat down. We got to talking and the next thing I know we’re back at a condo and uh…”
“You didn’t.” Vivian’s eyes were huge.
“I think he did, honey.” Dallas flashed a grin.
“It was supposed to be anonymous. A one-night stand in a town neither of us was from.”
“Except it didn’t stay that way.” Vivian leaned forward, clearly invested.
“She showed up here yesterday and, well, I’m not sure how to handle things. She’s a bit of a firecracker and seems to have a problem with the word, no.”
Vivian glanced from him to her husband. “If you’re not interested in Collins Lafferty, then tell her. But if you are, then why the hell are you standing on my deck when you could be getting busy with the most popular, famous model in the world? That’s some kind of flex you’re not taking advantage of.”
“I’m not saying I’m not interested, but…” He swore and looked away.
Vivian slipped off Dallas’s lap and walked over to him. She stood by his side, her shoulder touching his, and then bumped him. “Talk to me, Benton. What is it about this woman that’s got you all tied up in knots?”
He gave her a dark look. “I’m not tied up in knots. I’m just…”
“Just what?”
“She’s too young. Hell, I bet she’s barely twenty-five.”
“Benton, that girl don’t look or act twenty-five. I think you’re good there.” Dallas was on his feet now and joined his wife.
“It’s not just her age. It’s the rest of it. She’s not from here, so she won’t be sticking around longer than it takes for her to get bored playing with a cowboy. Then there’s Nora. I have to think about her. I don’t want to introduce some woman into the picture when she’s not going to be around.” He sighed. “With Daisy Mae and our situation, I’m spread real thin.”
“You deserve to be happy,” Vivian said, linking her arm through his.
“Deserving something doesn’t mean it’s owed to me.”
“You like this woman.”
He glanced down at his sister and considered an answer. He wanted Collins. But he didn’t know her well enough to know whether he liked or disliked her.
“He wants sex, Vivian.” Dallas looked at his wife and raised his eyebrows.
“I don’t know,” Vivian replied, turning to Benton. “I think this is more than just sex.”
“Look, whatever it is, can’t happen. I told her a much but she’s so damn stubborn it doesn’t matter.”
“So you pushed her away and she’s not listening,” Vivian said slowly.
“Pretty much. She’s staying at Duffer’s Place and hasn’t made plans to leave Big Bend.”
“Because of you.” Vivian waited for him to answer.
He shrugged. “I guess so.”
“Do you want to know what I think?” Vivian asked.
“It’s why I’m spilling all my secrets,” he replied dryly.
“You might not like it.”
“Since when has that ever stopped you?”
She flashed a smile. “Fair enough.” His sister took a moment. “I don’t know Collins at all. I met her last Christmas. But my impression of her and Kip, for that matter, is that they’re smart and sophisticated people. Her career is at its peak right now, and she could have any man she wants, but she’s in Big Bend because of you. That tells me this is more than attraction. More than just sex for her.”
Benton didn’t reply but waited for his sister to continue.
“And you feel an attraction for her, or you never would have gone back to her condo in Nashville. So, if this was just attraction and nothing more than the physical, Benton, you would have told her that. You would have been honest, and she would have been crushed and probably on a plane to New York last night. Instead, she was at the Sundowner, slugging beer no less, and the minute you headed outside, she bolted. When she came back nearly twenty minutes later, she looked like she’d been doing some things out there in the dark. It made me wonder last night, but now I know.” A grin touched his sister’s face. “Whatever that something was, she was doing it with you. Am I right?”
He gazed out at the mountains and said nothing.
“I’ll take that as a yes. And that has me circling back to why she’s still here. Like I said before, she’s a smart girl, so if she knew there was no chance for the two of you to get together, she’d be done. My conclusion is that you want her here, whether you realize it or not, and you’ve been sending mixed signals.”
“Christ, you sound like a lawyer presenting a case.” Benton sighed and rubbed his jaw.
“Yes, and I’ve got the jury in the palm of my hand.” She leaned back onto Dallas. “What do you think?” she asked, looking up at her husband.
“I think Bent’s got a lot on his plate.”
“That’s it?” she asked, frowning.
Dallas glanced over to Benton. He looked as if he was wrestling with the urge to say what was on his mind.
“Just spit it out, Henhawk.”
“Vivian and I didn’t get things right the first time. Pretty sure I lived half a life until she came back to me. It took a lot to get past all that baggage. To get us to a place where we were okay with being happy.” He shrugged. “You said that you’re not owed happiness, but the way I figure, it’s not about being owed. It’s about being man enough to grab something you don’t think you deserve. It’s about being man enough to deal with a situation, knowing it’s going to be hard.”
“Jesus, I feel like I’ve walked onto the set of Dr. Phil.”
Vivian ignored the jab. “If you think this woman can make you happy, why are you pushing her away?”
“Make me happy?” Incredulous, he looked from his best friend to his sister. “You’ve got me walking down the aisle with a woman I barely know.”
“The fact that you even brought her up to us tells me this is more than what you think it is. Or maybe, more than you want it to be.” Vivian had that no-nonsense look he was all too familiar with. “I think Collins Lafferty is more than one night in Nashville.”
“She might be,” he replied, before he could stop himself. He glanced at his sister. “But that doesn’t mean it’s right or that I should give it legs.”
“Then why are we talking about her?” Vivian would not give up.
That, he thought, was the million-dollar question. He just didn’t have the right answer. Yet.
With time moving on, he was able to leave without getting into it any deeper, and an hour later was back at the ranch house. He cooled down his horse, then handed him off to Haimish, who would get the animal fed and squared away in the stable. It was nearing six o’clock, and Daisy Mae would be back with Nora any minute. He needed a shower.
He headed to the house and took the stairs two at a time. Not more than ten minutes later, he walked out of his bathroom, a towel slung around his hips, while he used another to wipe off excess water from his chest and the ends of his hair. It was getting long. Needed a cut.
He tossed the towel and rooted through his sock drawer when a throat cleared behind him. The fuck? He glanced over his shoulder and frowned when he spied Daisy Mae sitting on the large cedar chest beneath the window. She wore a simple yellow dress that clung to her slender figure, and her hair hung in long waves. Russet in color, it shone. Looked as healthy as the glow on her cheeks.
But none of that meant anything because he’d seen her looking this good before. There was always room to fall, and his ex was still early days into her recovery.
Benton glanced at the old digital clock on his bedside table. “You’re early.”
Big blue eyes watched him closely. She nodded. “Nora missed her daddy, but I think she missed her bunny even more.”
He smiled at that because Daisy Mae was probably right.
She got up from the cedar chest and walked toward him with slow, deliberate steps. Her scent was a delicate floral, not unlike herself. Waifish, beautiful, with eyes that dominated soft, feminine features, she was the kind of woman who made a man want to protect. And Lord knows he’d tried.
“Bent,” she said, voice husky.
Alarm bells rang somewhere, but he ignored them. Something dark tugged at him. Something hot. God, she looked pretty and small and... well, then he remembered how she was trying to take Nora from him. Remembered that she was living with another man. How she’d hurt and disappointed him in the past. Over and over again.
He was done with all of it.
Maybe his sister was right. Maybe it was time to move on. Try new things.
“What was that?” he asked, because her mouth was moving and he had no idea what she’d just said.
“I was just saying that the church picnic is next week, and I think it would be good for our daughter if we took her together.”
“Won’t Gareth have a problem with that?”
Her expression changed. It was subtle, but he noticed.
“He’s away for business.”
“I wasn’t aware he had a job.”
“Don’t be an asshole.”
“That’s a bad word, mommy.”
They both turned as Nora walked into the room, her beloved rabbit tucked safely against her chest. His heart squeezed at the sight.
“I was just telling your daddy about the church picnic.”
Nora’s little face lit up, and she squealed. “Daddy, can we go? Mommy said that there will be rides and ponies and little cows and cotton candy and?—”
“Hold on, sweets. Take a breath.” His daughter stood at his feet, her sweet face and eyes trained on him with all the intensity a six-year-old had.
“Can we go, Daddy?”
“With me,” Daisy Mae inserted, a slight frown on her face.
“Pretty please?”
“Now, how can I say no when you asked so nicely?” He ruffled her curls and smiled down at her until she skipped out of the room because her bunny needed to eat.
Benton took a moment before he met Daisy Mae’s eyes. “I’ll bring her to town and we can meet up at the church.”
“Not gonna pick me up?” A small smile curved her bottom lip, and he slowly shook his head. Not a chance.
“No,” he replied, nodding toward the door. “Close it behind you.”
Something flashed in her eyes, but she kept her expression neutral. “Can’t we be friends, Benton?”
“I’m not sure.”
She chewed on her bottom lip and then, with a small sigh, headed for the door, where she paused and looked over her shoulder. “I suppose that’s better than nothing. I’ll be in touch.”
She left him alone with only that light, delicate scent for company. There was a time he craved the smell. But instead of Daisy Mae crowding his thoughts, it was another woman who snuck in and stole the show.
It was Collins who stayed with him the rest of the night.