Chapter 22 #2
Of course. The older woman was clearly working hard to bring them together. “Well, Dad and I had another bout. He sent my boxes over to the Prentice house. Don’t ask.”
His brow furrowed. “As you wish. Actually, while I’m here, I have some business with the Prentice boys. Do you guys have a moment?”
“Sure thing, Ben.” Dylan stuck a thumb in her direction. “We don’t want to watch her go through her undies and all that girl stuff anyway.”
She flushed as Ben’s silver eyes twinkled, but thank God he kept mute. Otherwise, she might have to shove him off the front porch. “You all go on, then, and have your man talk. Only, Ben McAllister, you find me when you’re finished. Do you hear?”
He tipped his black Stetson her way. “Yes, ma’am. Like I told you, I’m all ears.”
He and the boys went into the house, leaving her feeling out of sorts. Last night he’d said the same thing, but they’d had another item to discuss. Why in the hell hadn’t anyone told her she was driving his truck?
“You should see the look on your face,” Neil observed, crossing his arms over his massive chest.
“Can you blame me? He gave me his truck—and this was before our recent détente.”
“Looks more than a détente to me, but what do I know? I’m only a guy.”
She glared at him. “After this, we’re heading to The Lucky Horseshoe for the best double bacon cheddar bison burger you’ll ever have. Come on, Neil. The garage is around back.”
She was sorting through clothes while Neil checked his phone when she heard the low rumble of Ben’s voice. Dylan peeked his head inside. “All clear?”
Deciding not to tease them anymore, she only nodded. Ben was grinning from ear to ear as he entered the garage with the other boys in tow.
“How’s the sorting going?” he lazily drawled.
She frowned. She was two sizes bigger than she’d been when she left.
Blame it on all the good food and happy hours in Edinburgh.
At least her boots and hats fit. Some of the winter clothes might just work, since she usually wore them on the big side with an extra layer of thermal underwear.
“Fine, but I think I’m going to need Jolene and a girls’ night to handle the rest. Ah… Ben, can I see you a sec?”
“Sure.” He walked to the garage door as she grabbed her purse. “I wish I could stay to take you all out to lunch, but I have a meeting.”
His offer had her dropping the socks she’d been putting into a box. When did he have that kind of time?
He wants to spend time with me.
First the picnic invite and now this. Oh boy.
She stuck her tongue out at the boys as she walked past since their faces were a mix of outright concern and horror. Like her and Ben alone talking? The end of the world was nigh.
He rested against the hood of Gramps’ old truck when they were out of earshot, crossing his cowboy boots at the ankle. “You rang, milady.”
She smirked. “Ben, why am I driving your truck?”
“When I heard Will was arranging a ranch vehicle for you,” he answered finally, “I wanted to make sure you had the newest and safest one available.”
Okay, that was probably true. Ben had a protective streak as wide as Strawberry Canyon. She fished out the keys from her purse and handed them to him. “You should have your truck.”
He ignored her and walked to the driver’s door, opening it. “Tough cookies. It’s yours for the time being.”
A car honked, making them both turn their heads.
There was a sheriff’s car parking behind Ben.
The guy who’d picked them up from the airport and put the hoods on them uncurled from the car.
This time, he was wearing the brown uniform, but that didn’t make her any surer of him.
The kind of ruse he’d been willing to play with Will at her and Neil’s expense made him a wildcard.
“Good to see you, Hannah,” Logan called, all friendly-like. “Haven’t seen you around Sanctuary Springs yet.”
“I’m still finding my feet,” she answered breezily. “What has you stopping at the Prentice house? Did the boys do something?”
“No, Jolene will be delighted to know I’m here to talk to Ben. He was supposed to meet me.”
Ben’s jaw hardened. “I was coming, dammit. Excuse me, Hannah.”
She watched the two men walk away a fair distance so she couldn’t overhear what they were saying. The whole situation was weird. Detouring back to the garage, she found Neil watching Luke’s phone, laughing along with the boys at some video.
“Dylan!” she called.
He came running like he always had when he was little. “Yeah.”
“What did Ben talk to you boys about?”
“He wanted to see if we’d like to work on Will’s project building the rehab center and your wellness clinic on Wild Mountain. We’re always looking for work. Me especially since I’m not sixteen yet.”
First a little foal to heal and now hiring her favorite boys to work on her future. He continued to be full of surprises. “Since when do you wield a hammer?”
“We’ve been doing odd jobs on the Triple M since you left. Ben came by and told Ma that if she needed anything, to call him.”
Oh my God. That man. Even though he’d been so hurt and angry with her…he’d stepped in and taken care of the Prentices while she’d been away. Jolene hadn’t mentioned that. Not that she would. Except now she could see why Jolene talked about Ben like she had. “I see.”
“Hannah, are we going to have to stop being friends with Ben now that you’re back?” Dylan looked at her with the same kind of puppy eyes he used to. “You know we would if we had to.”
She reached out and gave him a gentle shake. “Of course not. You be friends with anyone you want.”
He nodded before turning serious, way too serious for a fourteen-year-old. “Hannah, we really like Ben, but you’re family. You know we’d do anything for you.”
This time she hugged him. “Goes the same for me. I need to say goodbye to Ben. You want to sort the rest of my socks for me? I forgot to wash them, so excuse the smell.”
“Gross! I’d rather be pulled behind a horse for three days uphill, Hannah.”
She had to laugh, but as she left the garage again, she noted how tense Logan and Ben were. Still, their standoffishness didn’t stop her from walking right up on them. They broke apart, of course, which only had her cocking her brow at Ben.
He was stony silent. Never a good sign.
“What’s the matter?” she asked.
Ben put his hands on his belt buckle, a muscle ticcing on his jaw. “You’ll hear soon enough. The lumber Will ordered was delivered to another address and pretty much ruined.”
“Oh no! That’s terrible.”
Logan swore softly. “That it is. But don’t worry none. We’ll straighten things out. Ben, I’ll meet you at the lumberyard. Hannah, always a pleasure.”
As Logan walked back to his vehicle, she turned to Ben. “Ben, why is the sheriff’s office involved in a lumber delivery?”
He tipped his cowboy hat down, his mouth working like he would rather chew gravel. “Because I think the lumber was diverted to another location on purpose so it would be ruined,” he told her in a hard tone.
She put her hand on his chest before she knew what she was doing. “But that’s crazy. Who would do such a thing?”
There was a repressed violence surrounding him. “There’s only one person with the imagination and the desire to pull off something like this. Which means we have a heap load of trouble. But that’s not something for you to worry about. You focus on the good stuff.”
He started walking back to his truck. What the hell— “Not worry? Ben, this center is important to me. I’m a part of it.”
I’d all but decided I’m staying today.
Another stillness came over him, and then he was spinning around. His eyes were hopeful and there was the hint of a smile on his face. “You can’t know how happy you’ve made me, hearing you say that.”
She felt an answering smile spread across her face. A new bond seemed to be forming between them, the threads stronger after their recent honesty and his gestures of support.
“Is there something I can do?”
He rested his hand on the door as he opened it, studying her with a tenderness she remembered all too well. He shook his head. “Keep on doing what you’re doing. It looks good on you.”
Her heart gave a serious tremble. “I’m tempted to give you the screw you gave me about the truck.”
“Ah…give me a win,” he cajoled. “I’m headed into rough waters.”
Remembering how upset he’d been and how serious the situation seemed, she nodded. “This time, cowboy, but you better watch yourself.”
His head tipped to one side, considering. “I’ve missed you calling me that. Keep it up.”
With an adorable little wink, he got into Gramps’ truck. She watched as he backed out of the driveway and followed the sheriff’s car down the street. Neil appeared beside her along with the Prentice boys.
“What’s wrong, lass?” Neil asked, his protective mode obvious.
“Someone sabotaged the lumber shipment.” Worry doused any good feeling from their interaction and wound its way around her. “Ben thinks he knows who it might be.”
“It’s that jerk of a billionaire who wants Wild Mountain, I’ll bet,” Ford spat. “He wants it bad. Ma said he planned to make a resort there like Will plans. Except fancier. It certainly wouldn’t help people. He came into town all puffed up–like about his ancestor way back.”
“Except Elena McAllister ran that jerk out of town,” Luke added.
“Ma says Taft likes to throw his money around. He offered to bring in a new chef to her restaurant to improve things. From back East. Can you believe that? Ma wanted to clobber him. She ordered him out of the place. Said if her place wasn’t good enough, he didn’t need to cross the threshold. ”
When Ben had first told her that this center was causing him trouble, she hadn’t really believed him. Now his willingness to make the center a reality and her share in it seemed a huge gesture—one might even call it a sacrifice.
He certainly was showing her all of his facets.
She clearly had a lot to catch up on. “Tell me everything you know.”