Chapter Five
The Bennet Ranch
Aly Bennet paced in the bathroom. Of course, the bathroom was small, so she managed two steps one way and two steps back.
It was too early. She knew it was too early, but it was so close and she was so impatient. When her phone timer went off, she jumped. Then laughed.
Get a hold of yourself. The results weren’t that big of a deal. If they were negative, they’d try again. If they were positive…
She peered down at the test balanced on the sink, leaned closer. Checked the box, the test, the box, the test. Walked away, came back and checked again. Just to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating.
Positive.
It was positive.
She really couldn’t believe it. After the first month of trying and it hadn’t happened, she’d done a lot of reading, and so many articles and message boards had been about how long it could take, how many complications there could be.
But they’d done it on the second try.
Her laugh echoed in the tiny bathroom.
Pregnant. She was pregnant.
“I’m pregnant.” She laughed again then dashed out of the bathroom and into the hall and down the stairs. Should she text Landon? Wait until he came in for lunch? It should be soon and—
The front door creaked open just as Aly reached the bottom of the stairs. Even though her mind knew Landon didn’t usually come through the front door, she so badly wanted it to be him she rushed forward, heart jumping to her throat.
Then came to a stop as Cal stepped inside. Deflated and unable to hide it, she tried to make herself smile. “Oh. Cal. Hi.”
His eyebrows pulled together as he studied her. No doubt because she did not sound happy to see him, because she wasn’t, which was rare. When all three of the Bennet brothers were home on the ranch, she felt like all her chicks were in the roost.
But now she was growing her own chick. Instead of worrying over her husband’s brothers.
“I need to talk to you and Landon.”
She deflated even more. No, no more trouble. Please. “That sounds serious.”
“Yeah.”
Great, just great. “He should be in for lunch any minute now. Um, come on back. I’ll fix you some. We’re just doing sandwiches.”
“Al, you know you don’t have to.”
“And you know I like to.” Though her stomach was jittering now.
Both at the prospect of telling Landon—happy jitters—and the prospect of Cal’s news really putting a damper on theirs.
But nothing was going to put a damper on this. She wouldn’t let it. She led Cal back into the kitchen and put her hand to her stomach, a kind of silent promise to the baby…
Until she caught Cal glancing at her curiously.
She dropped her hand and turned away, focusing on making sandwiches for the three of them.
She was right, it was only about five minutes of awkward silence that wasn’t usually awkward before she heard the back door creak open and Landon stomping his boots on the mat. He’d wash his hands and take care of muddy outer clothes in the mudroom, then appear in the kitchen.
Aly’s gaze was on the doorway between the rooms, her hands doing the rote work of preparing a meal without her even having to look down.
When Landon finally appeared, his hair was a little mussed from the hat he would have taken off and hung on the peg in the mudroom. His dark eyes already held concern, and they searched the room until they landed on Cal at the little kitchen table shoved up against the wall.
His mouth firmed, ever so slightly, before he smiled. Before he made any greeting, he crossed to her as he always did, dropped a quick peck on her cheek, but his gaze was on Cal. All worry and concern.
That was going to have to take the front seat for right now. She could hardly tell Landon about the test with Cal right there, and while she could drag him out of the kitchen for a few minutes, Cal had news. Important news.
Bad news.
“Saw your car. Everything all right?” Landon asked Cal.
“More or less. But there’s something you guys need to know about.”
Aly took the plates over to the table, which was really just big enough for two, but they squeezed around it rather than move out to the dining room.
Aly listened as Cal explained that a murder had happened. That it was someone Nate had worked for. Her stomach roiled, and she didn’t know if that was worry or a pregnancy symptom.
She only managed two bites of her sandwich while the men plowed through theirs.
“So, Nate’s a suspect?” Landon asked carefully.
“Nothing as formal as that, and I don’t think it’ll get that far. Jake’s a good detective. I don’t think he’ll let personal feelings get in the way…”
“But?”
“Sam has concerns.”
“Of course Sam has concerns,” Aly said, wringing her hands together. Both men looked at her plate and barely touched sandwich but neither said anything. “My God. She must be a wreck.” When Sam’s father had been arrested for Marie Bennet’s murder, Aly and Sam had been best friends.
Then Aly had turned on Sam when Sam had insisted her father didn’t do it and tried to place the blame on Benjamin Bennet. Aly had stuck with the Bennets, and she’d been wrong. So wrong.
“Yeah, she really seems to be,” Cal said, sounding almost as if he couldn’t quite believe it.
“I’m handling everything though. I just wanted you guys to know what was going on.
I don’t know how far Hayes is going to push this, but if he comes around here with questions, I want you to call me.
No one talks to him without a lawyer present. About anything.”
“Is that necessary?” Landon asked.
“I don’t know for sure, but I know it’s smart. And in Nate’s best interest. So that’s what we’ll do.”
*
Landon didn’t really have time to dawdle after lunch, not in the middle of calving. But he knew Aly would be worked up about this news, and he wasn’t too thrilled about it either.
Cal had done his best to ease their concerns, but how could they not be worried?
Benjamin Bennet had walked free for fifteen years, unpunished for murder, because of some shoddy police work and an easy scapegoat.
Would history repeat itself?
This time with their brother being the one paying for something he didn’t do?
It seemed so completely implausible, and yet what had life been the past year but implausible thing after implausible thing? Much of it down-to-the bone bad.
“Is there anything we can do?” Aly asked earnestly.
“Not really. Not yet. I wouldn’t even try to talk to Sam about it until things settle a little. I’ve never seen her quite so…”
Cal trailed off, couldn’t seem to come up with a word, and Landon didn’t understand how life could change so completely that he might feel some sympathy for Samantha Price.
“I’ve got to go. Thanks for lunch, Al. If you guys have any questions, text me. If Hayes or anyone from the police department approaches you or anyone here, call me. Otherwise? Just … live your lives, I guess.”
Landon watched with some amusement as Aly forced Cal to take two sandwiches with him before he left. Like the man hadn’t lived on his own for nearly a decade, no doubt occasionally having to make himself a sandwich.
But Aly took care on a good day. Add in a murder, and it wasn’t a good day.
Landon had calves to check on though, cows to monitor, and Aly hadn’t been feeling well enough this morning to help out. She seemed fine now, but he didn’t want to push. She never begged off ranch work unless she had a good reason.
Once Cal left the kitchen, Landon started to move for the mudroom. “I have to get back. And I’ll probably be in late for dinner.” He didn’t want to tell her how crazy things were and have her feeling bad for needing a day off, but he didn’t want her worrying if he didn’t come in on time.
Quite the conundrum, trying to take care of somebody.
Aly only shook her head. She was still looking at where Cal had disappeared. She didn’t say anything until the echo of the front door being closed reached them.
Then she turned to him, hands still wringing together. “Don’t go just yet,” she said to him.
She had an odd expression on her face. One that didn’t look like worry or concern at all.
Still, he had so much work to do and just enough hands with him involved to do it. “I know you’re worried about Sam, but if Cal thinks we should keep our distance—”
“No.” She blew out a breath. “I mean, I am worried, but this isn’t about that.” She reached out and grabbed him by the arms, smiled up at him. “You know how I was going to wait a few more days to take a test?”
At the word test, something inside of him seized. Landon didn’t know what else to call the feeling except sheer terror. He wanted a family with Aly, but…
Well, he had a few hangups. And maybe he’d learned to share his hangups with his wife, but this one … Some things a man had to keep to himself. He figured his father issues got to be one of them.
He’d been utterly relieved last month when she’d gotten a negative result on that test. Even more relieved when she’d said it could take some time. If it took some time, he could get to the point where he felt excitement instead of dread.
“I couldn’t wait.” Her eyes were shiny, but she was smiling. Which could only mean…
She shook his arms, grinning from ear to ear. “Landon, we’re going to be parents.”
His breath left his body in a whoosh. It felt like a blow, and he knew it shouldn’t. He wanted kids. He wanted a family. He’d agreed to all this.
But damn if he felt ready in the reality of we’re going to be parents.
Aly peered up at him, seeing far too much. Her smile faded. “Landon…”
He pulled her into a hug, mostly so she couldn’t see his face and read the things he didn’t want her to. “You caught me off guard,” he said, holding her tight. “I wasn’t expecting it. You’ve been telling me it’s normal to take a long time. I was looking forward to lots more months of trying.”
She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him back. “I guess we’re just exceptional.”
It made him laugh, and her arms around him eased some of that dread-fueled tension.
Maybe he had hangups, but none about her. She’d be a great mom. Better than great. So he pulled back, made sure to impart that instead of his own shit.
He cupped her face with his hands. “Do you feel okay? Do you need Jill to come down and help out? You shouldn’t overdo it.”
She beamed up at him, arms still around his neck. “I feel fine. I feel great.” Her expression faltered a bit. “Well, except for this whole murder thing.”
“Cal said it’s going to be fine, so it’s going to be fine.” He gave her a squeeze and her expression softened again.
“Look at you, Mr. Optimism.” She studied his face, no doubt looking for all that doubt he’d tried to hide away. “You’re happy, right?”
He wasn’t any good at lying to her. Very good at lying to himself. But the basic truth was… “You always make me happy, Aly.” He pressed his mouth to hers. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she murmured against his mouth. Then sighed and released him. “And you have lots of work to do.”
He couldn’t argue with that. He headed for the mudroom, Aly at his heels.
“Maybe it’s a good omen,” she offered while he shoved his feet back into his boots and put the cowboy hat back on his head.
“Yeah. Yeah, I bet it is,” Landon agreed, trying to feel positive, but he’d seen the look on Cal’s face when he’d left.
Pure worry.
And under the little bubble of hope Aly always managed to bring out in him was his own pure worry.
Not just for Nate.