“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 toneshe 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?”
