“You don’t have to?—”
“Ben!”
He looked over his shoulder and spotted his father on the front porch, beckoning him over. Damn, he’d planned to take Hannah up to the site. He’d bet ten bucks Skip had talked to Dad and Gramps about selling some of his land out of respect.
Otherwise, his father wouldn’t have interrupted his discussion with Hannah. They’d like to discuss a purchase. While he managed the ranch, they’d run it longer than he had. All major decisions were still discussed as a family. Today was going to be a long one. “I’ll be right there, Dad. Hannah, I have to run, but I’ll meet you in the barn at six. All right?”
“Only if you let me arrange the food.”
He tapped the end of her nose playfully. “No, ma’am. I’ll see you later.”
Striding quickly toward the house, he detoured to the kitchen, hoping to catch Reba. She arranged submarine sandwiches on serving plates while Grams shelled peas at the kitchen table. His mouth watered. Man, he was starved.
“Hi, Grams.” He kissed her cheek before turning to Reba. “I need your help.”
She didn’t look up from her work. “I can go into town and pick up Cooper from Paisley’s house. I hear you have a land deal to discuss.”
He grabbed a piece of lunch meat from the package. She slapped his hand, of course. “Thanks for picking him up. It was mighty nice of Wanda to run up during her coffee break.”
“Nice thing about owning your own business is deciding your hours. I heard Hannah did some shopping there with Neil the other day. Wanda said she wished our Scot would stay around.”
When the hell had he becometheirScot? Talk like this drove him nuts, and she was putting her screws into him by gabbing about it. He didn’t care if Wanda was interested indating Neil. “Reba, could you fry up some of your famous fried chicken for me by six? Please,” he added.
She slapped his hand when he reached for a packet of cheddar cheese. “Ben, I’m serving sandwiches in a couple of minutes, and I need the fixings for the extra company. As for your chicken, I can’t unfreeze a broiler in that time.”
He almost cringed as he asked. “You can’t defrost it in the microwave?”
His granny hooted from the table. “Oh, Benjamin…”
“Ben McAllister,” Reba bit out as she continued laying down lunch meat and cheese like a one-woman assembly line, “chicken tends to cook in the microwave even on defrost. Does this mean you’re finally getting off your butt and having a picnic with Hannah?”
“Yes, I’m taking your advice and doing something active.”
Grams started laughing. “Active? Is that what they’re calling courting these days?”
“Ask Reba, Grams.” His lips twitched as he slid his gaze over to the covered pie plate on the counter. “How much pie do you have left?”
She gave him an aggrieved look. “Not enough. Ben, I’ll call Flo Hawkins and see if she has some freshly killed hens ready for sale.”
He grabbed her by the shoulders and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you! If it was anyone else but Hannah… Can you also take care of Cooper tonight?”
“I didn’t think you were planning to bring him along with you,” she teased with a sly wink.
“Makes any smooching tough,” Grams agreed with a chortle. “Ben McAllister, you have it bad.”
“Don’t I know it. Reba, I’ll send a ranch hand over to Flo’s place. Say the word.”
“Can you have him dredge the pieces in flour and fry them in lard for me?” She shot him a long-suffering look. “Fried chicken. Hand to God, Ben, you’ll owe me for this. I have a busy day too.”
He leaned in cautiously to give her another kiss on her cheek. “Sorry to add to it, Reba. I’ll make it up to you.”
“Never let anyone say you can’t sweet-talk someone as good as your brother when you set your mind to it.” She tweaked his cheek. “Now get on in there and secure that land.”
“Ben, I’ll make you and Hannah a pie,” Grams offered, rising slowly from her chair, a soft smile on her face. “My eyes are too bad for the fried chicken.”
Ben walked over and kissed her softly on the cheek too, inhaling her powdery scent. “You’re a sweetheart.”
“So your grandfather tells me every day. Now go in there. It’s a big day when there’s talk of the Triple M buying Diamond J land.”
