She looked down pointedly, her lips twitching. “Sorry, cowboy. Don’t worry, we’ll find a way.”
“I know that.” His mouth twisted as he realized the root of his frustration. “It’s just…I want more than this for us. Besides, taking you around town again?—”
“Which will only cause more talk,” she reminded him.
The thought galled him. People had their opinions about their breakup, something that had already hurt Cooper. They’d have strong ideas about any reconciliation. He didn’t need them butting into their relationship—whatever it was—or saying more to cause his son distress.
“We’ll have to figure out how to have some dates. I love spending time with you, and you like romance. I want to give it to you.”
A warm smile came over her rosy, well-kissed lips while her eyes filled with what he wanted to believe was love.
“Sweetheart… Don’t you understand? Being with you again…making love with you…that time together of us being a man and woman deserves the best. I want to give you that. Hell, I loved waking up in cold bathwater with you wet in my arms that one time or the other, when the pillows all but swallowed us up. I want you to have a big fireplace and a thick rug with a big ole bed full of those pillows you like. I want a claw-foot tub like that bed-and-breakfast we splurged on for our anniversary when we were in college.” He gripped her tightly, trying to make her understand. “I want you to have everything. Right now, I feel like I’m only giving you a mediocre version of us being back together when all I want to do is show you the best.”
There, he said it.
“Is that what you’re trying to do?” she whispered, cuddling closer and tracing his jaw as his heart pounded in his ears.
He nodded, his throat backing up at the worst time. But it was do-or-die time. All cards on the table. He was helpless in her arms.
“I thought so.”
When she leaned in and gave him a slow kiss filled with tenderness, he found he could let out a strangled breath. “Ineed to hear you say it. That you’re giving me a second chance.”
She locked her gaze on him. “Ben McAllister, I’m giving you a second chance.”
This time, he did close his eyes and lift his head skyward. “Thank God!”
“Although I can’t believe you had to ask me when I kissed you like that,” she murmured with an impish laugh.
He shook his head as he smoothed her braid over her shoulder. “I may be a man of few words, but I know the ones that matter.”
She leaned in and gave him the sweetest kiss this side of heaven before leaning back and saying softly, “Yes, you always did.”
Then she kissed him more and took him to the edge where words fell away, fire raged, and dreams forged into reality.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Hannah rosethe following morning with a sleepy smile.
She and Ben had talked late into the night after he’d gone back to check on Cooper, who had been awake after a long nap. Will had been soaked from a wild bathtime between the little boy and his puppy, Ben had told her when he’d returned. He’d also thanked her again for looking after Will’s hand, which was healing nicely.
After a little coaxing, she’d talked him into showing her his photos. Most of them were of Cooper, and seeing the tenderness with which he’d either held the young baby or smiled with his arms wrapped around him had melted her heart. The other photos were of the horses he’d visited to buy for his pet breeding project. Now that, he could talk about for hours, she’d discovered.
Her conclusion. Plants were to her what horses were to Ben.
Hudson made her day when he swung by at lunch accompanied by a few other hands with some of their own injuries. His ribs were healing well and didn’t look to be broken, and the other injuries weren’t severe, thankfully—a long gash onan arm that didn’t need stitches but was still hot and red to the touch as well as a large splinter of wood in a thumb that couldn’t be pulled out with tweezers.
Neil had only sent her a look as he sat at the kitchen table editing a batch of the educational videos they’d made. Of course, she’d already shared the news about Ben offering to build her a school, to which Neil had tried and failed to hold back his knowing laughter. Then she’d told him she’d officially given Ben a second chance, to which he’d only said, “You let me know if he gets out of line, lass.”
Except she didn’t fear it happening, which made her wrap her arms around herself in absolute happiness.
Charlie paid a visit to discuss paying her for her services and to offer his help in moving her plants to an outlying shed for drying so she could see the ranch hands in her space. She smiled and told him she was delighted with the help. They had a lot of plants, to which he sent her an agreeable wink.
When she’d inquired about Ben’s whereabouts, Charlie had said he was out on the range and wouldn’t be back before nightfall. That disappointed her, as she’d looked forward to seeing him all morning.
After leaving Neil to his editing, she decided to head up to the construction site to see the progress and to check on Will’s hand. Watching the building take shape made her work here feel more concrete, like healing people on the Triple M did.
As she arrived, she was pleased to watch both Cooper and Will lift their hands in greeting as Tank gave a bark. All three Prentice boys called out, “Howdy, Hannah!” from where they were working. A few of the other hands preparing the foundation for the cement process also gave the distinctive upward chin nod so specific to Montana, including Ben’s father and grandfather, who were working alongside the men.
