Montana Cherries (The Wildes of Birch Bay Book 1)

by Kim Law

  So he’d decided a quick flyby could take care of the problem, and hopefully get them in and out without drawing attention to themselves. He’d called his mother’s assistant, gotten an appointment on her schedule, and rebooked their flights.

  And now here he stood. Too chicken to open the door.

  “I’m tired of standing here, Daddy.”

  Before he could decide whether to laugh, climb back into the SUV, or knock, the door swung open.

  “Mr. Denton,” one of his mother’s female staff greeted him formally, stepping aside to let them in. “Ms. Denton is waiting for you in the sitting room.”

  Haley’s face turned up to his, her eyes round.

  “That’s not her,” he said in a low voice and gave her a secretive wink. “Your grandmother is even scarier.”

  His teasing seemed to help, and the two of them moved together into the house. They arrived at the airy room with the twelve-foot ceilings that his mother often used for interviews, and as he’d feared, there was a reporter sitting anxiously on the settee.

  “No,” Ben said, the word coming fast and harsh. He turned, Haley’s hand still in his, and immediately headed for the front door.

  “Benjamin,” his mother called out behind him.

  “I warned you, Mother.” He didn’t look back. This was not an opportunity for a media plug, and he wouldn’t let it be one. He’d made that clear to her assistant.

  He reached the door, and surprisingly, his mother was only two steps behind. The reporter had not come out of the room.

  “Ben,” his mom tried again, “please. I didn’t see the harm. He’s from People.”

  She said the name of the magazine as though that was supposed to matter to him, and Haley inched closer, one small arm winding around his leg.

  “And I don’t see the good,” Ben countered. “I made it clear, no press.”

  “It’s not like it’s a tabloid,” she said, sounding exasperated.

  He gave her a dry laugh. “And it’s not like anything but you matters.”

  She was a piece of work. She stood before him, her shoulders pulled back and her hair and clothes prepped for a photo shoot, proving why she routinely still made the lists of Hollywood’s most beautiful people.

  Putting one last dagger in Ben’s heart, she had yet to glance at her granddaughter.

  Well, he’d tried. He could give himself credit for that.

  “Good seeing you, Mother.” He turned for the door.

  “I’ll send him home. Just come back in. I’d like to meet your daughter.”

  Ben slowly turned. Haley was more than his daughter.

  “She’s your granddaughter.” He said the words gently, but with a stern point, and in a rare moment, Angelica Denton focused her attention on someone other than herself.

  She took in Haley, at first looking horrified at the child’s colorful choice of clothing, but then something interesting happened. Ben watched her eyes and the planes of her face soften. She must have realized that her granddaughter looked a surprising amount like her.

  And unlike seeing that same resemblance in her son, she seemed taken aback by it.

  “Mom,” he said. He was already here. He might as well stay. “Meet Haley.”

  Haley did not release his leg.

  “Now you have about ten seconds to escort your guest out of the house,” he added, “or we leave. And make sure he doesn’t pass by us on his way out.”

  She nodded, looked at Haley again, and instructed another staff member to see the reporter out via the side entrance. All the while, Ben and Haley stood stiffly on the marble in the foyer. He looked down at his daughter and shot her a comforting smile. Once they had the all-clear, they moved through the halls.

  It wasn’t exactly a pleasant visit, but it was a visit. Haley met her grandmother. His mother met her granddaughter. And Ben was reminded of why he rarely sought out the company of his only living relative. There was nothing warm and fuzzy to be gained from it. No indication he was welcomed or wanted.

  Just an item on a checklist.

  It was good to ground himself in reality once in a while. He’d been on the verge of hoping there might be something more to her than seeking the spotlight.

  Fifteen minutes later they were back in the rental and heading down the drive.

  He looked into the rearview mirror. Haley hadn’t said much while inside the house, and since coming out she’d said nothing at all.

  “You okay back there?” he asked. He wasn’t sure what to say or do. Maybe visiting his mom had been a mistake.

  “I didn’t like her,” Haley announced.

  Join the club.

  “She’s a little different,” Ben acknowledged.

  “Do we have to see her again?”

  “Not if you don’t want to.”

  He crossed through the security gates on the property, tossed the guard a wave, and turned onto the street. As he made the turn, he took another look at Haley. She’d gone quiet again, and she was staring out the window. The expression on her face ripped at his heart. It reminded him of those first few weeks. He’d been unable to break through to her, and she’d seemed constantly miserable.

  “How about some ice cream?” he asked. They’d passed a creamery on their way in, not far from the house.

  She nodded, but didn’t take her eyes off the trees.

  When he pulled into a parking spot a few minutes later, Haley finally turned her green gaze to him. “Can we go see my mommy now?”

  Oh, shit.

  “Well . . .” he stalled. He put the car into park and cut the engine. “How about you come up here and we talk about it?”

  She nodded and he reached into the back to unbuckle her seat belt. After she crawled to the front, she surprised him by climbing into his lap. They’d made huge progress over the past couple of days, but this was a first.

  She didn’t say anything else, just waited for an answer, her eyes locked on his.

  He took a deep breath and said the only thing he knew to say. “She’s not coming back. And I’m sorry about that.”

  Haley didn’t move at first, but he could see her thinking about his words. Finally, she asked, “Is she lost like Miss Dani’s mom?”

  He was completely inept in handling situations like this.

  Which made him think about Dani’s suggestion. He really needed to call that therapist.

  He probably should have seen one himself as a kid.

  “She’s not lost, sweetheart,” he began. “She’s just . . . not coming back.” Dani’s words, warning him that Haley might be worried her mother had left because of her, echoed through his head. That she might fear making the same mistake with him. “It’s not because of anything you did,” he stressed to her. “Nothing at all. You were perfect. Your mother just . . .” He paused. What was he supposed to say? Has other things to do? Better things to do? He decided on another approach. “It’s just you and me now.”

  Silent tears appeared and began rolling over her cheeks, and her fingers twisted in the tulle of her skirt. Ben did the only thing that came to mind. He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her to his chest.

  They sat there like that for several minutes, and Ben couldn’t help but worry he’d messed everything up. They’d probably have to start over at square one by the time he got them back to Montana. He just hoped Dani could help him fix it again. Thankfully, they’d return tonight.

  After her soft sobs ended, Haley sniffled and sat up in his lap. She pushed her hair off her face and asked, “Can we get a dog, then?”

  The shock of her words nearly had him laughing, but deep-seated fear kept him quiet. This wasn’t over, and he’d been blind not to think about these issues before. He’d been too focused on simply getting her to be okay with him. But her problems were rooted so much deeper than whether he could
be a good parent or not. He had to ensure she got the help she needed.

  But to start with, if a dog would help . . .

  “How about we look into getting a dog as soon as we get a house of our own?”

  “We’re getting a house?” she gasped. “Of our own?”

  He’d meant renting a place, but yeah, why not buy a house? And why hadn’t he thought of that before? Stability was what Haley needed. He nodded, excited with the prospect. He’d never had a house. “We’re getting a house,” he declared.

  “With Jenna?”

  Oh. Dang, the kid could burst a bubble faster than anything. “Not with Jenna, baby. She has her own place to live.” How did he tell her that her best friend would be leaving her too?

  They needed to get that dog soon.

  “Can we talk about finding you some more friends?” he asked. They hadn’t yet broached the subject about what had happened at the festival.

  “I don’t want any. I just want Jenna.”

  “Jenna will always be your friend,” he explained. “But she may not always be with you. Especially when we get a new house.”

  Haley studied him carefully, and he could see her once again thinking. Her brow wrinkled the tiniest amount when she did.

  “And you remember that Miss Dani is moving, right?” he reminded her. Might as well make sure she didn’t forget that. “You won’t get to see her, but she’ll still be your friend, too. She’ll call you on the phone. Or we can do FaceTime.”

  He hadn’t asked Dani to call, but he knew she would. He liked that about her.

  Tears appeared out of nowhere again, and this time Haley’s bottom lip trembled. “I don’t want them to go,” she whined.

  “I know, sweetheart.” He stroked her hair. “I don’t either. But we’ll be okay. We have each other now.”

  “Are you going to leave, too?”

  He shook his head because he couldn’t get words out at first. “Never.” The single word came out hard, and he hugged her tiny body to his. “Never,” he repeated more softly.

  Additional tears escaped from her now-spiky lashes. “My mommy left.” Her voice wobbled against his chest.

  “Yes, she did.”

  “You might, too.”

  “I won’t, Haley. I promise you.” He kept her tight against him, but lifted her chin to look at him. “I’ll be your daddy and live with you and play with you for forever, baby. I promise you that.”

  “Will you play Barbies with me?”

  Her question caught him off guard and he laughed. He nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll play whatever you want.”

  “I love Barbies.”

  “Then yes. I’ll play Barbies with you. But wouldn’t that be more fun with friends who are small like you?”

  This got her attention, and she once again went into her thinking routine. The tears stopped, and her eyes wore a look that was too old for her. Finally she reached a conclusion. “I would like two new friends,” she announced. “But only girls.”

  Relief eased the grip on Ben’s heart. “Then we will find you two friends. Only girls.”

  “Okay. Let’s do it.” Her troubled features cleared, and she pressed both her hands to his cheeks before popping a kiss on his mouth. The move took his breath away.

  She climbed out of his lap and turned a bright gaze to the store. “Can we have ice cream now?”

  chapter twelve

  Are you getting excited to leave, dear? Have you finished packing yet?”

  “I’m very excited, Aunt Sadie. And no, not yet. But I’m close.”

  Dani closed her eyes as she lay on the boat dock that evening, her cell phone at her ear, and lifted her chin toward the sky. The lingering heat from the day warmed her cheeks as she tried her best to be as relaxed as she hoped she looked.

  In actuality, she was wound tight due to the upcoming family meeting.

  And because she had not finished packing. She still had to go through the old desk in her bedroom, but she kept avoiding it for fear of what else she might find.

  “I’m so excited for you,” Aunt Sadie said. “I know how you love New York. But I do hope you plan on getting a place with a spare room for when I visit.”

  Dani smiled at her aunt’s suggestion, and pictured the two of them on that long-ago trip. Neither of them had been there before, and to a thirteen-year-old, New York City had seemed like the best place on earth. They’d done as much during the week as the trip had allowed, with plans to return the following summer.

  A future trip had never happened, though.

  In fact, Aunt Sadie had even quit visiting Montana. Up until then she’d stayed at the house several times a year. She’d claimed it was to give her brother and sister-in-law a break with the kids, but Dani had always imagined it was because she was special to her aunt.

  But when the visits had stopped, no one had ever explained why.

  “She’s not traveling right now” was all her dad would say. But Dani had lived in fear that it was more. That Aunt Sadie had been sick.

  Or just didn’t want to see Dani anymore.

  When she’d finally come back, it had been to help put their mother into the ground.

  “I did find a place,” Dani finally replied. She pinched the spot between her eyes and pushed the past from her mind. Aunt Sadie was firmly entrenched in her life now, and always would be. “As well as possibly a great roommate,” she added. “However, if I sign the lease on that place, you and I might have to bunk together when you come out. There won’t be an extra room.”

  “Well, then, maybe I’ll just make Jonas splurge and put us both up in a fancy hotel. We can do research.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.” Aunt Sadie and her husband, Jonas, owned several boutique hotels, most of which were located in Colorado and Utah, but this wouldn’t be the first time she’d taken a trip in the name of research. “Just give me time to settle in and convince my new boss that he didn’t hire me for no good reason.”

  “You silly child. You’ve never believed in yourself as much as the rest of us do. It’s about time you got over that, don’t you think?”

  Dani did believe in herself. But she was also realistic enough to see her flaws, and to know there was always room for improvement. “Silly or not, I’ll be looking forward to seeing you. I’ll take you to a Broadway show.”

  “Of course you will. And I’ll take you to that fabulous little diner we found in Union Square.”

  Those had been two of their favorite stops on their trip. Dani was looking forward to revisiting both.

  “So how about the boys?” Aunt Sadie’s tone turned more serious. “Your father told me Nate didn’t make it in again. He doing okay?”

  Dani blew out a breath. “As far as I know he’s fine, but you know how he is. Doesn’t share much, and he definitely does his own thing. I’ve never understood why.”

  “Well, you know it was different for the younger ones.”

  “Yeah.” There was a gap of several years between the twins and Jaden and the older three. “They didn’t have Mom around as long as we did.”

  “Y-e-s,” Sadie drew the word out, “but I . . . Dani . . . Sweetheart, what do you remember about your mother?”

  Dani opened her eyes with the unusual question. “What do you mean?”

  Her aunt went silent, which was odd for her. Usually on their weekly calls Dani couldn’t shut her up.

  With the empty air making her nervous, Dani filled the gap. “I remember how pretty she was,” she started, then cringed at the description. The first thing she could say about her mother was that she’d been pretty? That seemed so superficial. “And she loved having kids.” Dani hurried to get the words out. Her mother had told Dani that very fact on numerous occasions. Her kids meant the world to her.

  But in trying to remember more,
Dani was stumped at the lack of specifics that came to mind. She concentrated on Christmases and birthdays past. Her father showed up in her mind, along with her brothers. Even Aunt Sadie and Uncle Jonas. But she struggled to visualize her mother at all.

  “She was a great mom,” Dani finally said.

  “Sure,” Aunt Sadie agreed, but she didn’t sound sold on the idea.

  “And she died running errands I should have been doing,” Dani finished with a bite to her words. If Dani had come home that weekend . . .

  “No—”

  “I don’t want to talk about Mom.” They’d argued before over who should have been doing what, and Sadie never saw things Dani’s way. But the fact was, had Dani been home, her mother wouldn’t have been where she’d been. She wouldn’t have wrecked. “The past is the past,” Dani pointed out. “I’m moving to New York in a couple of weeks, and I intend to make my mother proud once and for all. That’s all that matters to me now.”

  There were a few more seconds of silence, before her aunt agreed. “You’re right. No need to bring up old hurts. So tell me, what’s the first thing you’re going to do when you hit the bright streets of New York again?”

  The tension eased and they talked for several more minutes, and when they said their good-byes, Dani lowered the phone and stared at the sky. She’d been out there for the past hour, nervous about tonight, but the phone call had only made things worse. Had her aunt been implying something about their mother?

  But what?

  Footsteps sounded on the boards behind her, and Dani tilted her head back to look. Ben was coming her way, albeit seemingly upside down from her vantage point, and her heartbeat sped up. She couldn’t stop the smile that spread over her face. “You’re back.”

  He stopped right behind her, looking down into her face, and gave a heated smile in return. “I’m back.” Then he shot a raised brow to the empty bowl beside her. “Was it a one-scoop or a two-scoop day?”

  She made a face and pushed to a sitting position, taking in the sexy new cowboy boots on his feet. “I still can’t believe you remembered that about me.” She ran a hand over her hair, feeling ruffled at being caught stretched out on the dock.