Pausing in the doorway, she took a deep breath before walking through. “So, what are you doing here?” she asked Ben.
He cleared his throat and shifted in his chair. “I spoke to your parents...”
She glared. Her mother had been leaving her voice mails for over a week, asking if she’d reconsidered her decision regarding the kids, and she’d yet to return a single call. If she thought sending Ben here to talk sense into her would work...
But he continued quickly before she could say anything. “I should have been here weeks ago.” He glanced at the coffee cup in his hand. “I’m sorry, Lindsay. I was in shock when you called that day.”
“We all were.” She wasn’t about to let him off the hook. According to Noah, the kids were responding and interacting with him. For the first time in weeks they were laughing and having fun. Something no one else had been able to do for them. Obviously, he was good for them, and that made her angrier he hadn’t been here sooner.
The least he could have done was call the children, instead of her parents.
He set the cup aside and stood. “That wasn’t a good enough reason to stay away. I don’t blame you for being upset.” He hugged her while her arms remained stiff by her sides.
“You still haven’t told me why you’re here now.”
He took a step back. “I’m here to help.”
“I don’t need your help.”
“I got Melissa to come out of her room. That has to count for something, right?” He bent to look into her eyes, his six-foot-two frame putting him almost a foot taller.
She turned her head away from his hopeful expression. “The Disney movie did that, not you.”
She wasn’t about to let him call himself a hero for showing up late and bribing the kids. She’d been the one making all the tough decisions. Or not making them, as the case may be.
He nodded slowly. “Okay. Look, I know I screwed up by not being here right away. For the funeral. The truth is,” he said quietly, “I was angry.”
She frowned. “Angry?”
What did he have to be angry about? She was the one who’d had to get up every morning, despite a weight pressing against her chest and eyelids that wanted nothing more than to stay closed, to plan a funeral for the two people in her life she’d always depended on to be there. Two people the children depended on.
“Nathan and Rachel were like family to me. Even though I lived in Newark, I was closer to them than anyone else. ”
He paused and swallowed hard.
“He was a good man. They were a terrific couple and the kids...” Placing his hands on his hips, he looked away.
The annoyance she felt for him faded a little as she watched him struggle to regain control over the emotions overwhelming him.
“I was angry I’d lost not only my business partner, but my best friend. And I was terrified.” He sat in a chair and sank against the wooden back. “I had no idea how to see the kids.” He studied his hands in silence.
“Well, you did all right,” she said with a sigh. They’d all been through the ringer, and people dealt with grief in their own way. His actions may not have been noble, but they were real and she couldn’t continue to fault him for his pain.
She sat across from him and kicked off her flip-flops, tucking her legs under her.
“How long do you plan to stay?”
“As long as you’ll have me.”
“What about work?”
“Nathan was able to work from here. I can, too,” he said, but he sounded non-committal.
“Well, the B and B is closed. They shut down for a few weeks following the funeral...and now that Vic has had the baby, I’m not sure what they plan to do.”
“If it’s okay with you, I can stay here. It would be easier to help out with the kids.”
She thought of Noah and the look on his face that evening. He wouldn’t be okay with this, but did he really have a say?
The truth was, it would be a big help to have someone here full-time to help with the kids...at least until they all adjusted. Besides, the kids were responding best to Ben and she was sure they would want him to stay.
“You know what,” Ben said, standing and reaching for his keys on the counter, “that’s probably not a good idea. I mean, Noah...”
“There’s nothing going on between Noah and me,” she said. Even though it was true, she felt guilty.
Ben smiled. “I’m not going to lie and say I’m sorry to hear that. Maybe this isn’t the best timing, but it’s good to see you. I wanted to apologize for being such a jerk that night at dinner.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “That seems like a million years ago.”
“Even so, I am sorry. At the time, Nate and I were arguing over a big account.” He paused. “But I’m here now, one hundred percent.”
This was one more complication she had no idea how to handle. She sighed and looked down.
“You okay?”
“Yeah...no...I don’t know. I just don’t get why they left the kids to us. I mean, they could have chosen Leigh. She would have been a fantastic choice. Or even Victoria and Luke would have made more sense.” She paused. “It’s not that I don’t want to take care of the kids, I do. I worry about them. I wish Nathan and Rachel had had a better backup plan, that’s all.”
Ben moved to stand behind her and began to massage her shoulders. “They must have had their reasons.”
Lindsay tensed then turned to face him. “Well, it would have been great to have shared them with us.”
Her brother had never approved of her and her choices, so why he would leave the futures of his five children in her hands was baffling. He had to have known she’d mess this up somehow...probably often. Okay, all the freaking time.
“Well, what did it say in your letter?” Ben asked.
She frowned. “What letter?”
“The one from the lawyer who drafted their will.” He looked confused.
“You got a letter?” Anger and hurt competed for her top emotion. “I didn’t,” she said quietly.
Ben knelt in front of her. “Again, I’m sorry. I thought—”
“It’s okay. My brother and I weren’t exactly close.” She shrugged.
He’d left Ben a letter explaining his decision, but not her?
She fought the overwhelming desire to ask if his letter had at least mentioned her. Instead, she straightened. “The kids have all my spare rooms, so you’re on the couch. I’ll go get you some blankets.”
“Lindsay.”
She stopped.
“I’m sure he had his reasons.”
Maybe, but now she’d never know what they were.
* * *
“I CAN’T BELIEVE you were able to convince her to go to summer camp,” Lindsay said the next morning as she poured coffee for her and Ben.
After the epic battle she’d had with Melissa the day before about the eight-week summer program Rachel had signed her up for, she’d thought for sure she’d have to try to come up with alternative arrangements for her that summer while she was at the clinic.
But once again, Ben had worked his magic.
He’d crashed on the sofa the night before, and though she’d been hesitant to let him stay, his help at 3:00 a.m. with Mackenzie and Abigail had certainly been appreciated. She’d always marveled over Rachel’s ability to make parenting two sets of twins and a fifth child look easy, but never so much as these past few weeks.
“I reminded her about the bike Nathan had promised for her birthday this year.” He opened the fridge door and took out a carton of milk.
“He promised her a bike?”
Her suddenly stretched finances couldn’t afford one right now. She’d converted the couples’ life insurance policy into a bank account to help
raise the children—her nurse’s salary certainly couldn’t handle that pressure—but she wasn’t sure how far that money would go. The cost of adopting her nieces and nephews had never crossed her mind until now when she was considering buying more family-friendly furniture. Her white leather was already showing signs of abuse. Better to sell it while it was still in good shape.
“Don’t worry,” Ben said, reading her mind. “I ordered it from Play Hard.”
“You did?”
“This morning after she agreed to go to summer camp.”
Lindsay wasn’t sure what to say. “Thank you,” she croaked out as the three oldest kids walked into the kitchen.
After their 3:00 a.m. wakeup, the babies were sleeping in a little longer than usual.
“Hi, guys. What kind of cereal do you want?” She opened the pantry, displaying the selection of individual-size cereal boxes she’d stocked up on the week before. She didn’t eat breakfast, coffee being her major source of fuel, so the kids were quickly learning the homemade breakfasts they’d grown accustomed to at the B and B were a thing of the past.
“Cereal again?” Melissa pouted as she sat at the table.
“Next week I’ll try to start cooking when we have more time,” Lindsay said, feeling her cheeks grow hot under Ben’s gaze.
Let him judge her lack of culinary and parenting skills, she didn’t care. She’d never once claimed to be good at this.
“Fine,” Melissa grumbled. “Froot Loops, please.”
Lindsay took three bowls out of the cupboard and started opening the cereal. Most mornings, she’d added the milk to the boxes, but she wanted to look as though she was at least trying to make an effort. Because she was.
“We’re eating out of bowls?” Jacob asked, his eyes wide.
“Yes,” Lindsay said, setting the bowls in front of them on the table and diving for her coffee. She took a gulp. It burned her tongue.
Ben nodded toward Melissa. “She’s not planning to leave the house wearing that, is she?” he whispered.
Lindsay scanned her niece’s outfit. Jean shorts and a T-shirt. She shrugged. “She’s going to summer camp. What’s the problem?”
“The pockets of the shorts hang down beyond the edge of the denim,” Ben said, as if she were blind not to have noticed.
The truth was she was fairly certain she’d been the one to help her niece cut her old jeans that way. She owned a similar pair. “Oh...yeah. Right. I’ll ask her to change.” Though she really wasn’t getting his problem. It was summer. It was hot. The girl was eight.
“Ask?” Ben’s eyebrows raised.
“Tell?”
He nodded with a small laugh. “I’ll shower then drop the kids off at camp.” He tossed his remaining coffee into the sink and she almost dove after it. Coffee was never wasted around here.
“Really?”
“Yeah, really. I meant what I said, I’m here to help.”
With that, he left the kitchen, leaving her to deal with Melissa’s choice of wardrobe; a battle she wasn’t sure she was on the right side of anymore.
* * *
“OKAY. NOW, THIS is simple...put your foot on the clutch and give it a little gas.” Noah watched as Dominic nervously threw his leg over the side of the motorcycle.
“I don’t know, Noah.”
“What are you talking about? For a year you’ve been begging me to teach you how to ride my bike.”
“I never actually thought you’d let me.”
Neither had he. “A promise is a promise. Now, put on the helmet,” he said, handing him his spare.
Dominic wrinkled his nose. “It smells like perfume.”
“Yeah, not many dudes ride behind me on this thing.”
Correction: no dude had ever ridden behind him on his bike. He’d been hoping it would smell like a particular pretty blonde after last night. He still couldn’t believe the events of the night before, even though they’d weighed heavily on him all night.
Lindsay had finally agreed to go out and then Victoria goes into labor.
He might have found it funny if Ben hadn’t then showed up.
Now he had no idea if he’d get the chance again.
The fact that he’d been completely out of his element with the younger kids hadn’t escaped him. Older teens he could handle, even help. Young kids were a different breed.
Ben hadn’t had any trouble at all.
Dominic sighed and put on the helmet. “I’m ready.”
“Start slow. Put your foot on the clutch and give it a little gas. Just a little.”
Dominic did, and the bike roared and lurched forward. He stopped in a panic. “That’s it. I’m done.” He started to remove the helmet, but Noah stopped him.
“Stay on,” he grumbled, tossing a leg over the back to sit behind him. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he muttered under his breath.
As he reached around the kid to start the bike, a Land Rover pulled up in front of the community center.
Ben. Just great.
“Wow, now that’s a sweet ride,” Dominic said.
“Hey, do you want to learn to drive this or not?” Noah snapped. “Okay, foot on clutch.” His gaze was glued to the Land Rover.
Melissa, Jacob and Caleb climbed out of the back with their backpacks and lunch bags. They must be here for the summer camp program. Ben was dropping them off? Did that mean he’d stayed at Lindsay’s the night before? And she was letting him help with the kids.
He turned the handle roughly, giving it too much gas and, as the bike flew forward across the parking lot, he had to grip Dominic to steady himself from flying off the back. He hit the brake and they both flew forward.
“Who’s teaching who how to drive?” Ben said as he passed, a smirk on his face.
“Hi, Noah!” Jacob and Caleb waved.
“Hey, guys. Hi, Melissa,” he said, shutting off the bike.
She nodded.
“Glad to see you all made it for summer camp. Where’s your aunt?” He climbed off the bike.
“Linds was running late this morning, Ben said. “We stayed up...chatting...last night.”
Linds? Noah felt his chest tighten. So the guy had stayed at her place.
“I offered to drop the kids off today.”
He nodded. “Well, I’ll be around most of the day, so I can drive them home later, save you the trouble of coming back.”
Ben glanced at the bike. “On that?”
Right. What was he going to do, take them one at a time? But he sure didn’t want the jerk to win this one.
“Actually, no. I thought I’d give them a ride in the fire truck,” he said, winking at the kids. Ethan, the head of the fire squad owed him one from the MMA fight tickets he’d scored him a few months before.
Please don’t let there be an emergency in Brookhollow at five o’clock today.
The boys’ faces lit up. “Can we, Ben?” they asked.
Noah could see the guy’s jaw clench. “Sure. You bet.” He ruffled the boys’ hair and handed Melissa her backpack. “You guys go on in. Have a great first day.”
The two of them watched as the kids signed in with one of the camp counselors.
When they were inside, Ben turned to Noah. “Look, I see what you’re doing—”
“What I’m doing? Come on! It took you weeks to get here and now you’re trying to look like a hero?”
Ben took a step toward him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “All I’m saying is...I’ve got it from here.”
* * *
“ARE YOU SURE you can do this?” Lindsay asked Leigh later that morning, but she knew the answer. Leigh would never say no to helping with the girls, even if they weren’t Rachel’s children. Her home was always open to children and there was
no one Lindsay trusted more than the caring day-care worker and her staff.
“Of course,” she said. “These precious little angels are welcome here anytime,” she said as Lindsay set Mackenzie in a high chair next to her sister.
Precious little angels? Lindsay yawned. “More like precious little sleep-destroyers. 3:00 a.m., like clockwork, they’re awake.” She yawned again. “Every night.”
“Try waking them up for a pull-up change before you go to bed,” Logan said, appearing in the kitchen, a box under his arm.
“How will that work?” She was afraid if she woke them around midnight before she went to bed, they’d never settle down again.
“Well, it’s probably because they’re wet that they wake up, right?”
“Yes.”
“So if you wake them, bring them to the potty, then put them down with a fresh pull-up, I’d bet they’d sleep until morning.”
Lindsay glanced between Leigh and Logan. “Tell me the truth. Did you two receive some secret parenting book when you adopted Olivia that the rest of us don’t know about? I’d pay any amount for a copy.”
“We’ve been doing it longer, is all,” Logan said, kissing his nine-year-old daughter Amelia on the head.
“Are those your new books, Dad?” Amelia asked, nodding toward the box he carried.
Leigh’s eyes widened, but Logan shook his head. “I’ll show you later.”
“I want to see,” Lindsay said. “How often does one get parenting advice and a sneak peek at a best-selling author’s new book? Come on, open the box.”
Leigh shrugged and Logan sighed, but he set the box on the counter and opened it.
The four of them peered inside.
Lindsay frowned as she read the title, The Promise of Love by Leigh Logan? She glanced at Leigh, her eyes wide. “You two are co-writing romance novels now?” Amazing.
“No!” Leigh shook her head. “Not really. Logan does all the writing. I’m more like the inspiration.”
Their nine-year-old pushed her breakfast away. “Gross.”
Lindsay reached into the box. “I’m taking one of these.”
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