Chapter 44
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Hearing that Will had asked Neil to join them at the center made her do a happy little dance and hug them both.
“I can’t believe it.” She couldn’t help beaming at both men, who were equally grinning. “We’re all going to be working together. Neil, in my hometown. Talk about a dream come true.”
Neil lifted his brows precociously. “Are you sure you’re up to it? With Will and me, you’ll be outnumbered.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “I think I can handle it.”
The bigger unspoken question was whether Ben could.
Hannah decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Ben had agreed. Will wouldn’t have gone forward with Neil’s involvement if he hadn’t. Now all she had to do was show Ben he had nothing to be worried about.
Because he didn’t.
The three of them decided to celebrate their newfound partnership at The Lucky Horseshoe. Jolene was as thrilled as they were—for reasons Hannah wondered if her good friend would ever confess.
“First round is on me,” Jolene announced with an exaggerated wink. “Maybe you can swing by the Prentice house after I close—which should be early—to tell the boys.”
Hannah had thought that was a terrific idea, and after a delicious meal of burgers, tater tots, and a brownie sundae, they’d headed over.
When they pulled into the driveway, she watched as her father came out and started walking across the yard. She’d called to check on her mother a couple of times, but she’d only gotten the answering machine. Her messages had gone unanswered, and she’d let it go.
Today, however, his determined stride meant her father wanted to speak to her. She let herself out of Will’s truck and reluctantly headed his way. He was polishing his spectacles when she reached him, and she wondered if it was because he hadn’t wanted to meet her eyes.
“How’s Mom?” she asked, not knowing where to begin after their last encounter.
“Resting,” he answered quietly after lifting a hand in response to Will’s greeting. “She’s been better, hearing that you’d decided to stay like she’d hoped.”
She looked up at her parents’ window. The curtain wasn’t drawn today. Her heart did a funny lurch in her chest. “I’m glad she’s better. I called to check.”
His heavy sigh filled her with compassion. “Yes, I— Thank you for that. Things were busy with taking care of her and my patients.”
“Of course,” she answered woodenly. “Well, I—”
“Hannah,” her father began, clearing his throat. “I’m glad you stood up to Taft by staying.”
Emotion swamped her. She could hear a glimmer of pride in his voice. Going with that, she gave a rueful smile. “I’m a Montgomery, aren’t I?”
He finally looked up and met her gaze. Yes, there was paternal pride—along with a hundred regrets she was never sure they’d overcome. “Your mother would like you to come by.”
Her heart was suddenly beating faster. Was this a peace offering? “When?”
“Anytime you wish,” he only said, touching her arm and starting back toward the house.
He didn’t say goodbye or anything, but even after he’d disappeared inside, she felt the urge to almost smile. Smile. At something related to her parents. Who would ever have imagined it?
When they were finally inside the Prentice house and horsing around with the boys, she noticed the window to her mother’s bedroom was open. Hannah wondered if it was so she could hear their laughter. Being the only woman, her mother would have no trouble making it out. The thought warmed her.
Later that night, she slipped out while Neil was making travel arrangements to head back to Scotland and close down his affairs.
With the concrete foundation almost dried and cured, he was sorry to miss helping in the construction, but Will assured him the center would be ready for him to hit the ground running when he returned in a few weeks.
Hannah planned to be as ready as she could be, but an equally important consideration was Ben.
An owl called as she arrived in front of his house, making her jump a mile. Frowning, she crouched down to pick up a handful of pebbles. Sighting the windows of his room, she lifted her hand and let it rip. Moments later, the window was lifting.
“Is that hail I hear? Or Hannah Montgomery?” a deep masculine voice asked.
She gave a lighthearted laugh. “Don’t you know, cowboy?”
“Oh, I know.” His velvet reply had her skin tingling. “I might have even conjured her up. I was just thinking about that little spitfire now that my boy’s tucked up tight in his bed after we had a fun night of horsing around. Be down in a hot second.”
Wrapping her arms around herself, she swayed in the quiet night. The crickets were giving the night their best symphony, the stars were bright overhead, but more than anything, she could feel the warm summer breeze reminding her she was home. In Montana.
Where she belonged.
The screen door creaked as Ben let himself out of the house. She heard his boots thump on the porch steps, and then he stepped into the muted light, looking as broad and strong as Wild Mountain herself.
Running toward him with all the joy in her heart, she jumped and threw her arms around him.
“Now that’s a welcome,” he mused, securing her body against his. “Someone must be in a celebratory mood.”
So he was going to call it out. Good. She didn’t want to pussyfoot around. “I am. Should I say thanks?”
He gave an amused snort and tapped her nose. “It was Will’s idea.”
If that’s how he was going to play it, she could play along. Peppering his face with kisses, she shared all the love in her heart. “Ben, I’m so happy.”
His hands settled around her waist. “I see that. Only your aim is off.”
When he pointed at his mouth, she pressed her lips to his and kissed him senseless.
“You know,” he said in a silky voice, inches from her lips when he pulled back, “we’re making a spectacle of ourselves.”
She couldn’t help but chuckle. “I know. I’ll bet Ghost is somewhere with his paws over his face to keep from watching us.”
“Indeed,” he mused, kissing her in small little passes that had her yearning for more.
“How do you feel about a hayloft? I’m not sure this hot little mama will be able to wait until the morning.”
The way her belly was growing tight with desire, he was surely right. “Neither can this here cowboy, I suspect.”
He picked her up, plastered all over him, and started walking toward the barn. When they reached it, he turned on a string of lights and closed the door before heading to the ladder.
When the lights flickered, she couldn’t help but smile. Like she needed a sign her sister was glad she was staying.
Don’t you dare stick around, sis.
She felt that familiar presence surround her, and she shivered in response.
“Cold?” Ben asked.
Shaking her head, she felt like she’d burst from happiness. When they reached the ladder, he swung her around and made sure she had a good grip before swatting her behind playfully.
“You mosey on up.”
She took the rungs slowly, feeling his large body below, following her. Once she reached the loft, she crawled over to a good swell of hay and promptly sneezed.
“Bless you,” she heard him answer as his head appeared, and he crawled out himself, a blanket in hand.
“Goodness, was it always this dusty up here?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.
“I don’t know. I’ll have to ask the maid.”
That sent her into giggles as he threw the blanket down. She rolled onto it and thrust her arms over her head. “I forgot how funny you can be.”
He inched up until he was lying next to her. “You bring out the good humor in me. Especially on tough days, and I’m grateful for that.”
She lifted her hand and touched his jaw. His five o’clock shadow was more like an eight o’clock one now, and his whiskers tickled her fingertips. “I’m sorry Neil staying was tough on you.”
Lying beside her, he took her hand in his and drew it onto his chest. “That wasn’t the toughest. Logan came by.”
Then he proceeded to tell her what he knew. By the end, she was almost speechless.
“A childhood feud? Is that what she calls threatening to kill me? Why that—”
“Yes, she is, but with Taft coaching her, she’s not giving Logan much. And that’s got me worried.”
Taft and Amber being in cahoots didn’t bear contemplating. “They’re dangerous enough all by themselves, but I shudder to think what they could do together.”
“Agreed.” He turned on his side and faced her, his gaze troubled. “I’m worried for you—about you. Hannah, I don’t want you staying up at the house alone when Neil leaves. I’m going to tell Will to move back in.”
She raised her brows. “But, Ben, I’ll finally be alone, so you can come visit me when there’s someone to watch Cooper.”
“I know that, but you’d still be alone the rest of the night.
” His grim face had her heart melting. “I’ve thought about it all day.
I don’t want to take the chance. Hannah, you’re too precious to me.
If I thought you’d agree, I’d bunk you in the main house with my dad and grandparents.
None of them sleep well anymore. They joke about hearing a flea stretch on one of the dogs. ”
Laying her head down on his chest, she was glad when he rearranged himself to make her more comfortable. “All right, Ben. We can do that. But you can’t have someone with me all the time. I need to go foraging—”
“I’ll go or one of the hands will,” he answered in a tone she knew all too well. “There are bears and mountain lions out. You’re better off with someone coming along anyway.”
She gave a rude snort and nudged him in the ribs. “There you go again, talking about wild animals when we both know—”
“Please don’t fight me, Hannah,” he said as he pressed his finger to her mouth.
“Cooper loves to go foraging with you, and tonight, when I was putting him to bed, he told me he couldn’t wait to go with you again.
All I could see was Amber coming up on the two of you. Scared the spit right out of my mouth.”
She frowned. “I don’t like acting scared.”
“Then don’t consider it as acting scared. How about smart? A buddy system is practical in the mountains. Let’s call it that. All right?”
Nodding, she laid her head back down on his chest. “Couldn’t we have had this discussion outside? Now we’re in the hayloft, and I’m completely out of my earlier mood.”
“Then I’ll have to do my best to get you back there, won’t I?” He turned them until they were lying face-to-face and leaned in and gave her a slow, tender kiss that stole her breath.
“How’s that?”
Annoyed with the whole situation, she made an incoherent sound.
He leaned in and kissed her again until she lifted her hand to his head and tugged lightly on his dark hair. “How about now?”
“Not bad, cowboy.”
Laughing, he gestured to the hand holding his hair. “Not bad? I remember a time early on when you tugged at my hair like that and then lifted your sweet little face and told me that I had better make it worth it for you.”
She started laughing. “That’s because you were talking me into all sorts of mischief, Ben McAllister. On that occasion, I believe your face was a little closer to the area between my legs—and that was the first time for that.”
He chuckled darkly, a rich sound in the quiet barn. “You weren’t sure you were going to like it, as I recall. Proved you wrong, didn’t I?”
Undoing the snaps of his shirt, she caressed the broad expanse of his chest. “Like you said, you’re a thorough man.”
“That makes you a lucky woman,” he told her in a husky voice as he started undressing her. “Maybe you can rub some of that luck off on me.”
His caressing hands started a fire racing over her skin. “Be happy to, cowboy.”
“Since we’re speaking of luck, and seeing as how I’m a muleheaded ole man…”
His laughing eyes had her shooting him an amused glance as he cupped her hips. “Oh, this had better be good.”
He cupped her and had her arching into his hand. “Trust me, it will be. Anyhow, I know we’re just back together, but I’m an impatient man. I thought it better to ask you straight out when you might be open to me proposing to you. You’ll remember the first time didn’t go so well.”
She tensed. “I’d rather we forget about that moment altogether.”
Her answer earned her the sweetest kiss ever. “Fine by me. So do you have a time in mind? Tomorrow? Next week? Next month?”
Sputtering out a laugh, she snapped open his work shirt and ran her hands over his bare chest. “I’ll have to buy you a calendar.”
“Smart-ass.” He gave her a delightful squeeze. “Before you answer, I want to make you mine as quickly as you’re happy to be officially. But I respect your timetable. All I ask is that you don’t make me call you rosie posey.”
Because that meant she was dithering. “Cowboy, I figure you’ll know there’s a pretty special event coming up that might just be perfect, but I’ll leave that to your imagination.”
He tipped her head up, his beautiful eyes filled with love. “Hannah, I’m a rancher. I have no imagination.”
She knew better. “You underestimate yourself.”
Shoving him onto his back, she slid on top and straddled him, moaning at the pure, blessed heat of their bodies coming together as he slid inside her.
“Do I now?” he asked, thrusting upward.
She threw her head back and started to ride. “Yes, but let’s turn to me rubbing some of my luck all over you.”
And with that, she did more than rub.
She took him home where he belonged.