He barely tasted the beef and pork roast Reba had served because he was so rooted in her stories. Usually, two roasts were for special occasions, and tonight the message was clear.
Hannah was back among the McAllisters.
But it wasn’t like she’d never left.
As he heard her talk about feeling like a fish out of water when she’d first arrived in Scotland, his heart grew heavy in his chest. He should have been at her side when she was trying to learn how to get around on the trams and using British pounds or even fumbling to understand what people were saying due to the strong accent. When Neil comically demonstrated what sounded like gibberish, everyone started to laugh. Cooper practically fell into his lap, giggling.
Ben couldn’t scare up a smile. Hearing the stories, he could imagine how much fun they’d have had together trying to figure it all out.
She’d been so brave to go on her own. How could he havecut her off completely like she meant nothing to him when he’d loved her with his whole being? Someone should rope his ankle to a saddle horn and drag him across two counties.
His throat thickened as she talked about the history and visiting the Highlands and how the mountains were as majestic as Wild Mountain, but lower to the ground and rounder. Dad engaged Neil in a discussion about his background, and it was nothing Ben hadn’t researched himself until the subject of one of his brothers dying in a car accident came up. He stiffened and turned in his chair, watching anguish fill the man’s face as he told them how he’d been unable to save him.
God, Ben knew the agony of almost losing Will—but he hadn’t lost him. His own heart went out to the man. Cooper had cuddled into him, feeling the sadness around the table. Ben had looked over to Hannah, and she was watching his reaction. Now their deep connection made sense. They’d shared losing a sibling.
Grams patted Neil’s hand with tears in her eyes, as he was sitting next to her, and then Reba rose and started removing the nearly empty gravy boat, saying she knew some people were going to have seconds like usual.
He wasn’t one of them.
God, he’d been so wrong and such a fool. Seeing the depths of his own stupidity wasn’t rocket science either.
When Reba finally served the strawberry pies, he could barely choke down a slice. Normally, he and Will competed for who could eat more, but not tonight. His mind was on what he needed to say to Hannah and how he might have let his own jealousy make him misjudge a man so thoroughly.
Grams and Gramps rose after pie and said they were heading off to bed. She left with the MacAlister tartan clutched to her chest, a soft smile on her face as they both bid their good nights.
Hannah rose to clean up with Reba, but Ben stopped her with a gentle hand. “You don’t need to help.”
He watched the hurt flash in her eyes, and he wanted to curse. He might as well have pegged her as a guest and not family, like she used to be. “Forget I said that.”
Cooper touched his leg, making him jump. “Dad, can I be excused? I want to show Hannah my room. Please.”
That meant she’d be coming home with them. What a great idea. Easier to apologize and talk to her after he put Cooper to bed. “If she thinks it’s okay…”
Hannah’s eyes narrowed. He rose and took her plate and his own, letting her talk to Cooper without his interference.
When he entered the kitchen, Reba set down the pot she was scrubbing on the sink’s edge. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”
“What?”
She drilled him with a glare. “You know what. I invite Hannah over to help you, and also to show you that Neil fella is a good guy and no threat to you.”
Hadn’t he just concluded that himself? Why was she crawling up his ass? “How do you know he’s a good guy?” he shot back, loading the plates into the dishwasher.
“Besides Hannah liking him and my own eagle eyes?” She started scrubbing again. “Jolene told me when we had coffee. Her boys adore him, and you know how loyal they are to you. Especially Luke.”
With Hannah gone, he’d felt the need to look after the boys. He’d offered them work on odd jobs around the ranch, not only to give them some money but to give them some skills only a man could teach them. “I was coming to that conclusion,” he said.
“You giving him hell?” Charlie asked, hauling in the grill racks from the outside.
He stared at their long-term foreman, the man who’d taught him as much as his father and grandfather. “You too?”
He shook his head. “Ben, I almost interrupted dinner to tell you Will’s lumber delivery didn’t arrive tonight, you were flailing so badly.” He set the racks in Reba’s soapy water. “You’re supposed to talk toher.”
He was tired of everyone being on his back. “I waslistening.Isn’t that what men are supposed to do more of? Look, there’s no manual for this kind of thing. I’m doing the best I can.”
“Try harder,Benjamin,” Reba bit out, splashing water on her dress. “Listening is a passive sport. Try doing something active. Now take the leftovers up to your house.”
“Thanks.” He picked the containers up and hustled out of there, only to stop short by the sight of his father, Will, and Neil drinking whisky on the front porch.
