by Natalie Dean
She felt like one of those heroines in those old books about when the west was being settled, endless possibilities in front of her and not a care in the world for small-town politics. In those books looks didn’t matter, or makeup or designer clothes, or any of that stuff. It was just people, learning and living and surviving together against the odds.
“There’s a couple places I want to take you. Places I guarantee you’ve never seen.”
“Oh really?” Dani asked, nudging him playfully. “I’ve lived here all my life. I’m pretty sure there isn’t a part of this town I haven’t seen before, and you’re not gonna take me much father considering the pretty thing we’re in.”
“We’ll see then.” He gave her a wink, and she tried not to flush.
It felt like her entire body was next to a live wire, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on edge. Electric. Alive. Once more she found herself wanting to believe in things that the snappy, mean voice in her head told her could never happen.
After all, hadn’t Keiko asked her to let her walls down at least a little?
Content to just be in the moment and not overthink it, she pressed a little closer into his side and looked out at their surroundings. The hottest part of the summer had passed, leaving their midday ride pleasantly warm with a nice breeze from over the plains. The canopy above them provided plenty of shade, so Dani didn’t have to worry about any more freckles appearing on her fairly tanned skin.
The sky was so beautiful, stretching out all around them like a blue blanket, their canopy almost able to blend into it. She wondered briefly about painting clouds along the underside of it, but quickly decided that it was perfect the way it was.
The grass was a deep viridian, knee-high and only growing higher as it slowly transitioned into the long, wild strands of gold and yellow. Then, as they passed a short outcropping of rock and a gully that had once been an irrigation ditch, it all leveled out to the flat expanse of green that divided their property from the Miller’s.
Ah, she should have guessed.
The Miller’s large, sprawling acreage was indeed the only part of town that she had never been to. She’d often wondered how it looked, considering how wealthy they were, but had always resented them too much to ever check them out herself. It seemed that she was about to finally have her tour.
Sure enough, she saw a fence post in the distance and then Benji was gently pulling on the reins. The horse turned, smooth as butter, and they moved along the very lengthy barrier.
“Geez, do you guys really have a fence around all of your land? You know deforestation is a bad thing, right?”
He laughed at that, the sound making her feel warm in her chest. “No, we have it around the house and a few other areas to make sure the little ones don’t get lost.”
“Little ones?” As far as she knew, none of the Miller boys had popped out babies yet. Although the bet was on the eldest because the way he and his wife Chastity looked at each other always seemed to be like they were about to melt into each other.
“Yeah, our cousins, and our cousin’s cousins and so on and so forth that live on the ranch. You know, I don’t think most of them are actually related to us, but we’ve got some worker lines going back four generations, and if that’s not family, I don’t know what is.”
“Wow, that’s really hard for me to wrap my head around,” Dani said honestly.
Her family’s ranch was her full-time job, along with her brothers and parents. And if any of them ever had kids, it’d probably be their job too. They couldn’t afford to bring on workers, but there was always so much work to do. It grated against Dani’s nerves that there was always something left unfinished at the end of the day, so she couldn’t imagine having it all… just… done.
By other people.
Other people who were paid really nice wages, according to the local gossip.
“It’s all right. Your family will get there someday.”
“You think so?” she asked, raising an eyebrow and giving him a look. But he seemed sincere.
“Yeah. And… Bradley is probably gonna kill me for mentioning it, but I’ve been eyeing your setup.”
“Eyeing it? You’ve been helping us rebuild it for a month.”
“Okay, you have a point. But what I mean is you guys have a real good thing going with your goats. One that we can’t even touch. Apparently, my grandparents tried it once, and, for whatever reason, it didn’t work out. Lost a lot of money.”
“Wait, your brother doesn’t want me to know that two generations ago a Miller managed to make a bad financial decision?”
Another chuckle sounded from Benji. “No, not that. I mean he wouldn’t want me to tell you that I’ve been looking into maybe investing in your business. Diversifying my portfolio a bit.”
Dani stared at him like he had grown a second head, because to her, it seemed like he had. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I’m not trying to buy you out or anything. Or bribe you, either. It’s just that I’ve been learning all sorts of stuff from my little brother, and the most common lesson is that we can’t rely on the same old same old if we want to stay on top of things. We should always be reaching out and expanding so we can adapt if certain things go belly up.”
“And you think my family is a good investment?”
Dani felt like she was talking in slow motion, but she couldn’t help it. Never in a million years had she ever thought a Miller would want to have anything to do with their ranch.
“Yeah. I mean, I know it’s a bit sticky considering what’s going on between us, but I do sincerely mean it. I got the idea back when I was helping you milk those goats and I saw your setup. You had soaps, milk, cheese, some salves. Your Ma practically forced me to take a whole basket of them the next day, and I gotta tell ya, the bars of soap were snatched out of that basket within two days and the food disappeared before that.
“And it was delicious. That cheese? Incredible. It tasted like stuff that would have to be special ordered from some really expensive gourmet shop.”
Dani felt her temperature rise, pride coloring her cheeks. She liked it when people complimented the hard work of her and her family. They put a lot of their lives into making sure everything was successful, so it always was nice to be appreciated.
“Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
“Well, because I wasn’t sure. I asked Bradley to crunch some numbers and tell me if my idea was dumb or not. His initial findings were that it was worth looking into, so he’s in that secondary phase now.”
“Wow, that sounds so official.”
“Everything sounds official with Bradley. He’s a real wiz. Don’t know where he gets it from because none of us have anything like it.”
“I guess he’s just a prodigy.”
“Don’t tell him that. Sometimes I worry that his head is gonna pop right off his shoulders from all the ego-stroking our parents do with him.”
Dani peeked at him out of the corner of her eyes, eager to use humor to deflect a lot of the intense feelings that were flowing through her. “Do I detect the slightest bit of sibling rivalry?”
His cheeks colored a bit. “I dunno. Maybe. I guess I might have a little bit of that middle child syndrome.”
“What, do you mean to tell me that the Millers aren’t absolutely perfect?” she said in mock horror, pressing her hand to her chest.
“Yeah, yeah, yuk it up. We’re human just like the rest of you peasants.”
That startled a laugh out of her, a real, bellyful one that made her tilt her head back and just revel in the moment. It kept up for what was probably a ridiculous amount of time, not stopping until the buggy came to a halt.
“Huh?” she asked, wiping happy tears from her eyes.
It still took a couple more blinks before she could see properly, and she realized she was in the middle of a tree grove overlooking a beautiful pond.
“Oh wow,” she said, mirth draining from her as she took in the beautif
ul site all around her.
There were ducks and geese all around, with even a few swans. They were far enough away that Dani could appreciate their aesthetic without worrying about the vicious little raptors getting any funny ideas in their birdie brains.
“This doesn’t even look real,” she said.
“I know, right? I have to be honest, but my brother told me about this place. Said it was a nice place to sit and watch the clouds go by.”
He got out of the buggy, tying the horse off to a tree before coming back to help her out. Dani didn’t need it, of course, but it was real nice to be pampered so. It didn’t feel patronizing like it might have with other people. It just made her feel…
Appreciated.
Once her feet were on the ground, he went and grabbed a blanket to spread out in the center of the grove. Dani settled down, happy that she had taken a chance. She was still a bit mystified and overwhelmed, but she was going to settle in for a date that made her feel like anything could be possible.
Because when she looked at Benji, that possibility seemed more and more real.
19
Benji
If Benji could stare at Dani without blinking forever, he’d sign up in a heartbeat. He hadn’t been expecting it but seeing her as she walked out of that house, dressed in a cute top and comfortable pants, washed up and smiling, had felt like lightning striking him right down his center.
He had been so afraid of what he might see. That her burns were worse than he thought, or her lips would curl in distaste at the very sight of him. But it wasn’t like that at all. Sure, she looked shocked to see him—that was the whole plan. Yet there was something else there, under the surprise. Something… hopeful, perhaps?
And now that he sat next to her on the blanket he brought, telling her about the lake and the grove and how one particularly mean swan liked to terrorize all the children on the ranch, he couldn’t help but feel that same hope again.
Her eyes caught his and his story faltered out, his brain far too distracted by the way the sun was reflecting in her pretty gaze.
“Why are you doing all this?” she asked again, her tone low. Like she was afraid if she spoke too loudly, he would disappear in a cloud of smoke.
But he wasn’t going anywhere. It’d taken a lot of planning to get to this point, and he wasn’t about to waste it all.
“Like I said, you deserve it.”
Her lashes fluttered and she tipped her face up ever so slightly.
She had a unique look to her, round cheeks but a squared jaw, fine features that all blended into each other like a painting. She looked so angelic in the light, surrounded by the trees, that he couldn’t help but lean towards her slightly.
“How can you say that so easily?”
“Because I mean it.”
It was adorable watching her cheeks turn pink as her eyes flicked away. “People don’t talk like that, you know. Not unless they’re looking for something.”
“I promise you, the only thing I’m looking for right in this moment is for you to have a good day.”
“Really?” she asked, her lashes fluttering before their gazes joined again. “That’s the only thing you want?”
He was about to agree when what she said caught up with him. Wait, was she flirting with him? That tone had a whole lot more weight behind it than the normal easy, breezy zingers she was so quick with.
“I, well, I mean…” He shook his head and decided to come out with it. “There are a whole lot of things I want, Dani. And I wouldn’t be mad if I got them. But I’m not expecting any of them, and I promise you, seeing you smile is more than enough.”
“But if you could have more, what would you want?”
His heart kicked up at that and he turned his upper body to her. It was like she had a gravitational pull, coaxing him in bit by bit. He was all caught up in her, looking like a classical beauty, full-figured and sweet. He’d be lying if he denied that his pride swelled as well, knowing that someone who was so dismissive of so many people for some reason found entertainment in his company.
“That’s kind of a loaded question,” he murmured, trying to study her face for every single movement. He didn’t want to misinterpret or assume. Bart had told Benji how he’d almost ruined everything with Missy by taking a kiss she wasn’t ready to give him yet.
“I’m a strong woman,” she answered smoothly, although red was quickly rising along her face as well. “I can handle a loaded answer.”
“Are you sure about that?” he asked, allowing his hand to slide over to hers, his fingertips stroking the top of her fingers.
“Won’t know until we find out.”
She leaned ever so imperceptibly closer to him, and his hesitation faded enough for him to take the leap. He moved his hand up, letting his fingers trail along the golden skin of her arm, tracing the patterns that her freckles made.
“If I could have more, then the first thing I’d ask for is more dates. I like spending time with you. You make me laugh, and you make me think. Nothing is ever boring with you.”
“I think,” she drew in a shaking breath as his fingers stopped at the edge of her sleeve, reveling in how soft and pliant her flesh was. “I could be amenable to that.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Another shuddering breath and for some reason it made Benji feel incredibly masculine. The fact that he could make her look like that, all hazy eyes and enthralled in what he was saying.
“What else?”
“You don’t think that’s too greedy?”
She shook her head, copper hair bouncing around her face. “No.”
“All right.”
Another tiny lean closer, his hands trailing up her light shirt, to her shoulder, to her neck, which he gently brushed his fingertips along. It was oh so satisfying to watch goosebumps appear along her skin, proof that maybe she was half as affected by him as he was by her.
“If I could have more, I’d want to hold you. Maybe even never let you go. I’ve thought about it a lot, you know. Actually, I can’t seem to get it out of my head.”
To his surprise it was Dani who moved, shifting forward slightly and raising her arms to encircle his neck. Out of nowhere, they were embracing, and Benji wondered if his heart was going to explode right out of his chest.
Their faces were only a few scant inches apart, their breaths mingling with each other as they sat there. It wasn’t a starry night full of romance and swoon-worthy lines, but it was Dani in his arms with the pond as her backdrop, looking at him in a way he never thought she would.
“What else?”
Her eyes were half-lidded as she looked up at him, thick lashes shadowing them even further. Goodness, how was she so pretty?
“If I could have more?”
“If you could have more.”
He knew there was a chance that he was crossing a line, in fact, his own brother had warned him about it, but Dani was in his arms looking all flushed and wanting and beautiful.
“If I could have more, then I would definitely want to kiss you right now.”
She swallowed, and he watched the column of her neck bob.
“If that’s what you want, then you should.”
He knew an invitation when he heard one, even if it was one that he never expected. Breath hitching, he closed the distance between them and suddenly his mouth was on hers.
It was… so much. Everything. All at once. But at the same time, it wasn’t nearly enough. His arms went about her soft waist, his fingers pressing into the give of her. She was so warm, so comforting. He wanted to bury himself in her and never let go.
Her lips moved against his, tentative, but responsive. He could feel her tightening her grip on him, and he took that as encouragement to continue.
And continue he did. He felt like he was on cloud nine, if cloud nine involved him burning up from his feet to his scalp. But man, was it the most pleasurable way to be incinerated that he had ever known.
> His hands separated, one gliding up her back to feel her form, coming to rest at the back of her neck. She pressed further into him, aligning the soft femininity of her front with his hardened form, and his fingers gripped her neck harder in response.
She let out a little gasp at that, and the sound caused a reaction in him he never anticipated. Suddenly everything was brighter, sharper, warmer. He was dizzy with how much he wanted her, and how good it felt to be so close. It was easy to get lost in it, and he felt himself ramping up higher and higher.
His other hand went lower, finding the swell of her hip—
Wait.
He pulled himself away suddenly, breathing hard. Dani clearly hadn’t been expecting that and nearly toppled forward into him, only held steady by his grip on her.
“What?” she murmured, eyes practically closed, and face thoroughly flushed.
“Sorry,” Benji gasped, trying to calm his racing heart.
That had definitely been a rollercoaster ride that he had not prepared for. His body was reacting like he was in a fight, all adrenaline and rushing blood, and he wondered if that was how addicts felt coming down from a high.
“I think, uh, maybe I was getting a bit carried away.”
Dani nodded vaguely, pushing herself into a sitting position and looking around. Her lips were kiss-swollen and red, which made him want to repeat the whole process over again.
“Huh. I guess I might have been a bit caught up in it too.”
Benji managed to conjure up a very weak laugh. “Well, at least I know it wasn’t one-sided.”
“No, very much the opposite.” She looked up at him with those eyes again, and he could see all the weight behind them settling back in.
He felt good that he had been able to get her to lose at least some of her worries, but they were so quick to return.
“What now?” she asked.
“I’m not sure,” Benji admitted honestly. He was still too punch-drunk from that kiss to hide the truth anyway. “But I know that I’d like to see you again, and I’m very serious about dating you.”