Montana Cherries (The Wildes of Birch Bay Book 1)

by Kim Law

  When Haley exchanged the pink crayon for an orange one—and pulled the paper all the way back in front of her—Dani once again took a peek at Ben. He gave her a tiny shrug as if to say he hadn’t known what he was doing, and mouthed the words “Thank you” above Haley’s head.

  “You’re welcome,” she mouthed back.

  She watched Haley continue to color, while letting her mind return to what lay hidden in her desk drawer. The thought of retrieving whatever else might be tucked inside made her feel ill.

  “What’s wrong?” Ben’s terse question brought Haley’s head up, but seeing that her dad wasn’t talking to her, she swiveled to Dani.

  “Nothing,” Dani denied. How had he known something was wrong?

  His eyes narrowed on her, and she felt locked into place. As if he didn’t intend to free her until she answered his question truthfully. The man had always been excellent at seeing inside her head. She sighed.

  “It’s nothing,” she reiterated. “I was just packing up some things in my room. Thinking about the past.” She shrugged. “Brought up a couple of unpleasant memories, that’s all.”

  “About?”

  “Ben—”

  “What about?”

  She glanced at Haley, who had not returned to coloring. The girl was watching with curiosity, her eyes wide.

  “My mom,” Dani finally admitted. She let the words hang there as she brought her gaze back to Ben’s. If he remembered much about their past conversations, he’d know how guilty she’d felt when she went off to college, leaving her mother here to handle everything by herself.

  “How bad?” he asked.

  She shrugged again. “Bad enough. Things I hadn’t thought about in years. Since before we lost her.”

  Haley blinked. “You lost your mom, too?”

  Oh, geez.

  “Yeah, baby.” Dani patted Haley’s arm. “She . . . went away a long time ago. But that’s okay. I have a really great dad.”

  The words only served to make Dani feel worse. She and her dad hadn’t always seen eye to eye, and she’d been known to give him a hard time over the years. They’d been closer when she was younger, but things had shifted at some point. Though she couldn’t quite put her finger on when, or even why, it had happened.

  Haley took a quick peek at her father before refocusing on the picture in front of her, and Ben rose and went to the refrigerator. A smile formed on Dani’s mouth even before he opened the freezer door. He remembered. And he understood the reason she’d come to the kitchen in the first place.

  When he pulled out the gallon tub of chocolate ice cream, Haley perked up. “Do we get ice cream?”

  “I think Miss Dani could use some,” Ben told her.

  Haley looked at Dani again, and all Dani could do was nod. Ben had not only seen that something was bothering her, but he remembered her go-to for crappy days.

  “Two scoops?” he asked, and Dani almost wept.

  One scoop was a not-so-perfect day that she just needed to unwind from. Two meant there was trouble. Add crumbled potato chips on top, and she needed to crawl under a rock and hide.

  “Please,” she answered.

  He shot a questioning look toward the pantry, and she mutely nodded.

  “Can I have two?” Haley asked.

  “One is probably enough for you,” Dani answered, not wanting Ben to have to be the bad guy, but also knowing that the child did not need two scoops of sugar.

  Ben expertly crumbled a handful of chips over the ice cream and set Dani’s bowl in front of her. He winked at his daughter when her mouth hung open at the sight of Dani’s dessert.

  “Looks gross, doesn’t it?” Ben asked.

  Haley wrinkled up her nose.

  “Dani’s had a bad day,” he explained. “Two scoops is only for when you’ve had a bad day.”

  Haley’s green eyes shifted to Dani’s. “I’m sorry about your bad day,” she said sweetly. Then she reached over and patted Dani on the hand, and once again, Dani was almost brought to tears. The child was adorable, and Dani wanted to hug her up. Actually, she wanted to hug up both father and daughter. The man had gotten her ice cream.

  Instead, she pulled her gaze back to her bowl and dug in.

  After Haley got her own bowl and Ben returned to the table without any for himself, he picked up the green crayon lying in front of him and ripped out another sheet from the coloring book. Haley watched with interest as she scooped creamy bites into her mouth, half of each spoonful dripping down her chin, and when Ben very purposefully began coloring everywhere but inside the lines, Dani witnessed a gorgeous smile break across the girl’s face.

  “Do you like coloring that way?” Haley asked her dad. Her tone was both hesitant and hopeful.

  Ben sat back, studied the paper before him, then nodded with great authority. “I do. And I think Miss Dani was right. This is the prettiest picture I’ve ever made.”

  Haley giggled then, and Dani’s heart skipped a beat.

  “Mine is the prettiest, too,” Haley declared.

  “I do believe it is,” her father agreed.

  Both Dentons proceeded to color more pages, doing their best to hit nothing inside the lines, and though Dani’s heart still clenched, it eased its grip as she watched them. After several more minutes, she quietly rose and took the rest of her ice cream back to her room. This was bonding time for father and daughter, and she didn’t need to be in the middle of it.

  chapter six

  The laptop beeped as Ben inserted the media card from his camera. He’d made quite a few good shots as he’d roamed the grounds throughout the week, and he wanted to get a closer look at them. The area was as beautiful now as it had been when he’d been here as a college student. And if today was any indication, he thought it might grow on Haley, too.

  He’d taken her into the orchard once again, and this time—thanks to something so simple as Dani subtly pointing out yesterday afternoon that four-year-olds didn’t need rules to color by—Haley had actually talked to him. She’d also been mesmerized by the cherries hanging from the trees and the fact that she would soon get to eat them. He’d promised that when the time came, they’d all get their bellies full.

  And as he usually did, he’d snapped pictures while they walked.

  In fact, he was pretty sure he’d captured one that he suspected would rank as one of the best of his life. His daughter. With honest happiness as she laughed up at him.

  Of course, that hadn’t lasted long. He’d been overconfident with his newfound parental skills, and had taken her into town for dinner and shopping. It had not gone well.

  He moved the files from the card over to his hard drive and connected to the Internet to make a backup. As he waited for the copy to finish, he took in the study. This was Dani’s domain. She spent a lot of her time in here, either doing administrative work for the orchard or creating magic for her clients. Some of that marketing magic was framed on the walls throughout the space, but the centerpiece of the room was a photo of the skyline of New York. It hung over the mantel.

  It was the picture he’d given to her the second Christmas he’d been here.

  He could do better today, but for a shot taken by a sixteen-year-old, it was pretty good. And she’d kept it. He didn’t know if that was because he’d given it to her, or because New York had been her focus, but if he had to guess, he’d say the latter. She’d never struck him as the clingy type, and he doubted she would keep something just because it reminded her of him.

  The computer finished copying, and he loaded the photo of his daughter.

  Her face filled the majority of the frame, with a blurred background of cherry trees.

  And man, was she gorgeous. He already knew he’d be fighting the boys off when she got older. It wouldn’t merely be playing a part, either. A protective layer a mile wide had settled aro
und him the instant he’d looked into her face for the very first time. Protectiveness and worry.

  The worry had shocked him. He’d been so long on his own, he would have thought caring about someone else would require more of an effort. But thoughts about her consumed him. Would she be happy if they stayed here? Would she be able to make friends?

  And if not here, then where?

  Haley’s mother, a woman he’d dated only long enough to take a trip with around the holidays five years ago, had shown up at his apartment declaring Haley his, and it had been abundantly clear that the child had never been a priority. Lia’s career had had more downs than ups over the years, but she’d finally landed her big break. Or so she claimed. And their daughter had been in her way.

  “She’s yours,” she’d told him. “It’s your turn to play parent.”

  What an unbelievable thing for someone to hear, much less a four-year-old.

  So Ben had taken Haley into his life. He’d shielded them both from public view, wanting to come up with a plan first, and had immediately started legal proceedings for full custody. Without visitation.

  Lia hadn’t hidden the fact that she didn’t care to ever see Haley again, therefore he’d seen no point in drawing it out. Haley didn’t need anyone like that in her life, and he intended to make sure she never experienced that kind of ugliness again.

  Continuing to let thoughts of his daughter roll through his head, he clicked through the other pictures from the week. As he studied them, past phone calls came to mind. He’d been approached by publishing houses more than once to do a book, but he’d never put more than a passing thought into the idea. It hadn’t been the right time.

  However, now might just be the time. He could do a book from anywhere.

  And surely he already had enough decent photographs to pull something together.

  He’d traveled the globe since he was a kid, and had seen some of the most beautiful places in the world. What had caught his eye as a minor, he’d returned to as an adult, and replicated his earlier attempts. Only with a professional’s eye and ability.

  But now that the opportunity to seriously pursue the idea had arrived, he had no clue what kind of book to do.

  Landscapes? People?

  He had a talent for both.

  He did make his living with people, though. Probably he should stick to that.

  The thought brought to mind another of his favorite pictures, and he went in search of it. He clicked, perusing folder after folder until he found what he was looking for. It had been more than ten years since he’d taken it, but if he went with a book of portraits, it would have to be included. Possibly even the cover.

  With a quick double-tap, he opened the file and immediately realized that no, in fact, he could not use this image in anything he might publish. This shot was only for him.

  The vision instantly returned him to those summers.

  He’d chased every girl he could find that first year, enjoying his freedom, not wanting to be too serious. But after he’d finally noticed Dani, he’d struggled to have interest in anyone else. They’d paled next to her.

  During the day she’d worked hard to come across as tough and in control. Competent. She would have done anything for her family, and once her mind was set, she wouldn’t let her brothers or her dad get in her way. But Ben had always watched her eyes. They’d told the real story. And what they’d told him was that she was sad. Strong and there for everybody during the day, but at night she’d slip away.

  To recharge? To meet a local boy?

  He hadn’t known at first.

  She’d always waited until the house had settled down before slipping out the back door. Assuming it to be a boy, jealousy had eventually driven Ben to follow. When he’d found her stretched out on the dock, he’d been unable to walk away. She’d done nothing but lie there, hands clasped behind her head, studying the stars.

  After that, whenever she disappeared, he silently followed.

  Finally, he couldn’t stop himself. He went to her. That was when their friendship had taken a new turn. Their talks had deepened, and he’d often felt as though he could see to her soul. He’d shown her his, as well. He couldn’t keep it from her. That had been the cool thing about them. He held nothing back.

  He’d even told her of his loneliness as a kid, as well as the indifference of his mother.

  Everyone assumed that being the son of Angelica Denton gave him a leg up. That the advantages made life one great adventure.

  But not everyone liked the kind of benefits that life came with.

  Pulling his mind back from the past, he brought the computer screen into focus and studied the shot. The photograph had been taken in the dead of night, his camera and tripod a good distance away.

  One night, after Dani had settled in, he’d turned on the camera with a delayed shutter. Since she always lay so still, he’d known he would get a good photo, even with the extra length of the exposure.

  He hadn’t been mistaken. Dani, in jeans and a tank, was painted across the platform in the moonlight. As on every other night, her hands had been clasped behind her head, her hair fanned out around her, and her small breasts reaching for the sky. The background was a blurred, but shining lake. He’d captured the lost look of her, yet in the moonlight she appeared angelic.

  And now he wanted to kiss her twice as badly as he had when he’d teased her upstairs earlier in the week.

  Damn.

  He’d been doing so well with not thinking about that. But he slept in the room across from her every night. He heard her moving around after the house had quieted down. Watched her throughout the days, and stood side by side with her in the kitchen at night.

  It was simple. He wanted her.

  A knock sounded and he diverted his attention from the monitor.

  “Hey,” Dani said from the door. And as if his fantasies had materialized right before his eyes, she wore snug jeans and a tank top. But sadly, an open button-down covered the majority of her shirt. “You want any tea?” She held up a cup. “I just brewed a pot for Gabe and Michelle. Thought I’d see if you could use any.”

  “No, thanks. I’m good.” Except he wanted to strip her bare.

  Instead of leaving, she fidgeted in place. Finally, she lifted a shoulder and wrinkled her nose. “Missed you at dinner tonight.”

  Her awkwardness amused him. “Missed me helping with the dishes?” he teased.

  But she only shook her head. “I don’t mind the dishes. Just wondering how things went with you and Haley today. I saw one of the pictures she’d colored hanging on the refrigerator. That was a good move.”

  “Thanks,” he said. “And yeah, we did a little better today. Thanks for your help yesterday. She even talked to me out in the orchard. Smiled, too. But then I took her shopping and . . .” He quit talking as he replayed his daughter’s meltdown in his mind. He blew out a frustrated breath. “I don’t know. I thought girls loved to shop.”

  Dani did a half snort, half chuckle. “Usually they do. I take it things took a turn for the worse?”

  “That’s putting it mildly.”

  “I’ll be glad to take her with Jenna and me tomorrow. We’re going for manicures. A girls’ day.”

  He could picture his daughter in that scenario. “I’m sure she’d love it.”

  It would also give him a break. This parenting thing was exhausting.

  Dani took a sip of her tea then, and his eyes lingered on the slope of her throat. The lines of her body ran graceful and sleek, whether it was her neck, fingers, or even her toes. Then his gaze lowered to her chest.

  And he remembered what her breasts had looked like in his hands.

  When she moved toward him, his brain froze for a split second before it kicked into gear and pointed out two highly relevant things at once. One, he still had the picture of her open on
his computer, and two, he’d suddenly sprouted an erection the size of Montana.

  He quickly shifted so he was more fully under the desk.

  “Are you sick?” Concern flashed across her face as she reached his side. “You’re flushed.” She put a hand to his forehead, and he jolted at her touch. But he did manage to click the photo to close it. Only, instead of shutting down his viewer, he brought up another picture.

  At least it wasn’t another one of her.

  He forced the tightness in his neck to release. “I’m fine,” he scratched out.

  Her smell surrounded him. He’d noticed it several times over the past week; she still smelled the same. He inhaled through his nose, pulling in the light scent of flowers, and wondered if it would be better to know if she also still tasted the same, or to constantly be wondering.

  Geez, he had to get a grip. Leaning away from her fingers, he gritted his teeth. “Did you want something else?”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to bother you.” She took a step back. “I wanted to—”

  She stopped talking as her gaze landed on his laptop.

  “Oh my,” she breathed out.

  He looked at the screen. His grandpa reclined in a rocker, the wood older than the old man had been at the time, and the chair one he’d made as a much younger man. He’d been sitting on the raised porch of the ranch house where he’d lived until the day he died. A worn cowboy hat was perched far back on his head, and a graveness echoed from his eyes down through his body.

  As withered as he’d been at the time, the man had still made an impressive sight. And at sixteen, Ben had captured it exceptionally. He shrugged. “I’ve improved since then.”

  Dani turned wide eyes on him. “This isn’t recent?”

  The blue of her eyes was as deep as they’d been the night he’d made love to her. “No.”

  “But the hat . . .”

  They both looked at the rack by the door where the very same hat currently hung on a metal hook. Ben had inherited the hat along with his grandfather’s ranch house. He’d taken the hat. Sold the house.