Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
The land seemed brighter with her riding at his side.
Taking her up to the construction site to show her what he planned after she’d just healed one of his hands felt like perfect timing. The foundation was coming along, but it was the new site he’d sketched out instead of taking lunch where he led her off to when they arrived.
“We haven’t started planting Will’s healing garden yet,” Hannah told him as she pointed at the tilled soil. “Been so much to do, but I thought prioritizing my herbs made sense.”
“They’re your lifeblood,” he easily answered, feeling invigorated by the smell of fresh earth. “At least, that’s what you used to tell me. Let’s dismount.”
He was there to help her down from the saddle even though she didn’t need it.
Little things like having her know he was there meant the most. Keeping the reins in one hand and taking her hand in the other, he led her over to the open ground to the right of the hot springs.
“Do you see the lines sketched out in the dirt?”
“You mean you don’t have a very linear-minded gopher?” she teased.
Standing behind her, he wanted to wrap his arms around her, but he first needed to show her how much he supported her. “I want to build you an herbal school here, one where you can teach.”
She swung around and stared at him, her chest lifting with her rapid breaths. “Ben McAllister, are you completely serious right now?”
He crossed his heart. “One hundred percent. You’re teaching now online, aren’t you?”
Her quick nod made him smile. She looked so darn cute when she was flustered.
“You certainly loved playing teacher when we were kids.” He stepped closer, feeling the beautiful give of his boots on good soil—telling him what he should have known long ago: it’s always better to give a little when something is truly important to the person you love.
“The school is my gift—assuming you stay—which I hope with all my heart.”
Her green eyes went wide, and she placed a soft hand over her heart. “Goodness! First, your brother offers me the chance to run my own practice and give me a stake in the business. Now, you’ve offered me a school. You McAllister men sure know how to tempt a girl.”
He wished she would agree to stay here now. “Something for you to chew on as you consider things. Now, let’s ride.”
She took a few moments by herself, swaying, as if she were daydreaming about the possibilities he’d staked out. Then she sent him a soft smile and joined him in the saddle, nudging Orion to get going.
And boy, did they. He watched her gallop ahead of him, his heart lifting as he heard her shout something out into the great expanse ahead of them. Giving in to the happiness of the moment, he let out his own exuberant call.
Big Red’s branches seemed to wave a welcome in the gentle summer breeze along with the sweetgrass covering the ground as they thundered closer, Orion and Flame eating up the ground beneath them.
The ocean of blue sky was the color of clear running water in Whitetail Creek with swathes of pink rising above the darkening blue peaks of Wild Mountain.
A herd of elk lifted their heads during their nighttime feeding and took off in the opposite direction, and he was happy to see it.
A red-tailed hawk soared overhead, making him lift his head to follow its majestic path.
He loved sharing this place with her again. Somehow, the land could be completely quiet while nature exerted an undeniable presence. Some people found it lonely on the range. He’d always found peace in the lush wilderness and the towering mountain ranges surrounding them.
He glanced over to make sure there were no stray cattle in the valley—force of habit—but then as he pulled up and swung out of the saddle, he fixed his attention on Hannah.
She was the same and new all at the same time, much like the land around them—and she still twisted him into knots and made him feel every emotion known to man keener and more powerfully than ever, his aching, tender love topping the list.
Atop her head was her well-loved cowboy hat, one he’d knocked off her head plenty of times when kissing her senseless.
Her new jeans fit her curves, ones he was still getting used to seeing but couldn’t wait to explore.
The red cowboy boots she never seemed to go out without were a stark contrast against the green grass under her feet.
Her auburn hair was in one of her complicated braids running down her back.
He still had a thirst for her, one deeper and more relentless than what he’d known as a kid.
“Come grab the blanket and pick your spot,” he called as she swung down, catching her boot in the stirrup.
The frown on her face as she righted herself to yank her ankle out was priceless. He busied himself unpacking and grabbing the saddlebags.
“Not a word, Ben McAllister,” she told him, tying Orion to a nearby aspen and heading over his way.
When he handed her the MacAlister plaid she’d brought, her shocked eyes widened. “We can’t use this!”
“Grams insisted.” He didn’t mention the sweet pat she’d given his cheek or the soft look in her faded blue eyes as she told him he was doing a real good job with everything, Hannah included. He’d walked away with the plaid in his hands and a knot in his throat.
She walked slowly toward Big Red as he tied Flame’s reins to the same aspen where Orion grazed. He could feel a new tension in the air. Maybe it was the sight of their carved initials under the lightning strike that had laid Big Red open and the memories of the day she left.
“Penny for your thoughts,” he called as he walked toward her.
She was flapping the plaid to cover the ground, kneeling to smooth out the creases.
“There are moments when some things feel so familiar and other times so different. The air smells sweeter than I remember, and the mountains seem higher and more jagged, like a giant god from the sky came down and took a bite out of them.”
He laughed quietly as he started to unpack their picnic, deciding she didn’t want to spoil their time with feelings about the past. “Cooper would like that description. I’ll tell him later if he’s awake when we get back.
” He hoped so. Making sure Cooper continued to be his usual happy self was critical after the other night.
She sat down on her calves and extended a bottle. “For the bugs and skeeters.”
Opening the topper, he wrinkled his nose. “This blend is a might stronger than the one I remember you making.”
Smiling, she glanced over as another eagle cried out above. “It is and more effective. Catnip and Ravensara are new additions.”
“Is this what my son came home smelling like?” He’d been trying to wrangle him into the bath and hadn’t had time to ask.
“Yes, although he wanted me to put some on Tank too for ticks.” She touched the hollows under her ears. “Go ahead and dab some on.”
He scrunched up his nose. “Only if you agree you’ll still want to sit next to me while we eat.”
Her laughter lightened his already hopeful heart. “Even when you used to dab Liquid Smoke on yourself for cologne when you were a kid, I didn’t jump back. I think you’re safe.”
He’d forgotten about making up his own cologne to impress her. Since using her creations made her happy—and they did work—he did as she bid, then handed her the special bag of Old Man Roy’s Crispy Spuds he’d bought from a ranch hand who hadn’t opened them yet. “To go with your chicken.”
“Like I said before, you McAllister men know how to tempt a lady.” She opened the bag and made a show of munching on a few chips. “God, I missed these.”
He lay back, propped up by his elbow after waving off her offer to share. Fire sparkled in her hair while her eyes closed in bliss. He could watch her forever. The feeling of deep gratitude stole over him that she was back with him. “What else did you miss?”
She lifted her shoulders with a giant inhale, like she was trying to breathe in all the goodness around her.
“So much. The call of a quail. The sound of aspen leaves dancing in the wind, but also the smiles on people’s faces as I walked through town.
Having them call me by name. The city is more solitary.
People don’t really know you, and don’t get me wrong, there is some freedom in that.
After a while, people in your little neighborhood recognize you, but the Scots take a while to accept you.
They don’t smile straight off. I was a little lost when I first got there, but Neil told me not to take it personally. ”
Neil again. Ben fought back his continued jealousy. “I’m glad you had someone to help you find your way.”
“Oh, Duncan was great in his own way. A tough teacher, but goodness, he knew his herbs. He found me the internship at the wellness center three months into my scholarship, believing in the value of clinical experience. That’s where I met Neil and my other colleagues.
Things took off from there. I had a friends’ group through them, along with the promise of full-time work.
Having a job waiting made the visa stuff easier. ”
He stretched out his leg, watching her across from him.
They hadn’t applied for a visa for him when they’d been planning on leaving, hoping to figure it out when they arrived.
But he’d felt daunted by the task and had used it as another reason not to go.
What a fool he’d been. “I’m glad it was all you could have wanted and more. ”
For a moment, she only studied his face. Finally, she nodded. “I believe you meant that.”
“I do.” He took his Stetson off and set it down beside him. “Healing people makes you happy. Clearly, you’re damn good at it.”
She finally lay back on the blanket, looking up at the sky. “When I help someone, I always feel Sarah with me.”
His skin prickled at the sudden rush of wind. “She’d be proud of you.”
She turned on her side. “I’d like to think so.”