by T. L. Haddix
“That it is. And I know it isn’t what you’re used to. But when you see how happy she is here, I think you’ll understand how special this place is.” Her voice was low as she spoke, and Ainsley didn’t seem to hear them as she joked with her friend.
“We have lunch almost ready,” Jonah told them. “If you want to get washed up.”
“Come on. I’ll show you to the powder room,” Ainsley said as she passed Ben. “Jonah, I thought you had to catch up on business today.”
“I already did, lazybones. Half the day is gone.”
They ate a simple but filling meal of sandwiches and salads. Ainsley was animated as she described the property to Ben.
“Wait until you see the garden. I think you’ll love it.”
He smiled and touched her shoulder, brushing a lock of golden hair back. “You said there’s a formal garden and a kitchen garden, right?”
“There is.” She named the architect who had designed the formal garden in the 1930s. “Have you heard of him?”
Upon hearing the man’s name, Ben felt a thrum of excitement. “You’re kidding, right? He was huge in that time period. Do you have one of his fountains?”
She nodded, a happy smile spreading across her face. “I even have the architectural plans for the gardens in the library, and I’ll show you later. But for now, want to see the outside?”
Ben was out of his chair, holding hers for her, before the question was out. They spent a good hour walking the crushed-stone paths, and by the time they returned to the house, Ben was enchanted. Not just with the spectacularly preserved landscaping, which he could hardly wait to explore fully, but with Ainsley, as well.
When they’d first met, she’d been a fresh-faced girl who hadn’t quite grown into the elegant woman whose frame she’d inhabited. Now, here in this setting, she was very much in her element, very much the mistress of her own property. She had an obvious connection to the land that reminded Ben of his father’s connection to Firefly Hollow. When Owen was away from his mountain for extended periods, he tended to be a bit edgy, just a little uncomfortable in his own skin. But when he returned home, that slight shift in personality settled, and calm returned.
Ainsley was like that. She knew who she was there, and he could observe what Byrdie had alluded to earlier. The combination of that confidence and serenity drew him in, like a moth to a flame.
When she noticed him just staring at her as she led him through the kitchen garden, she stopped. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all.” He closed the distance between them and slid his arm around her hips. “I’m just enjoying being in this moment with you.”
Ainsley leaned into him, her arms going around his shoulders easily. “Yeah?”
He nodded. “Very much so.”
As they kissed softly, Ben sent up a prayer that he would be able to find the words when the time came that would convince her to spend the rest of her life with him—because the thought of walking away from Ainsley again was more than he could bear. She was it for him. She always had been. He figured she always would be, and he was just fine with that.
Chapter Thirty-Five
After they unloaded the trailer into one of the unused garage stalls, Ainsley got Ben settled in to the guest room across the hall from her own bedroom.
“You might want some space at some point, and I want you to have it,” she told him as she wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, resting her cheek on his strong back. “But I’m hoping you’ll sleep in my bed.”
The invitation wasn’t easy for her, despite their previous intimacies. Something about having him in her home made the dynamic different—more serious.
He turned and hugged her back. “I’ll sleep wherever you want me to sleep.” His kiss was soft, patient, and loving.
“What do you think about the farm so far?” she asked as he rested his head on hers.
“It’s a little overwhelming, but I can see why you love it. I’m glad you’ve had this sanctuary.”
There’d been a few uneasy moments earlier when she’d shown him Doug’s study. It was the one room she’d left untouched. Jonah still spent time there occasionally, and she hadn’t wanted to change it after Doug had died, knowing Jonah still needed a connection with Doug. When she’d told Ben that, he’d relaxed.
“As hard as it’s been for us, I can’t imagine what it had to be like for them,” he said.
“It was heartbreaking to watch,” she agreed. “So very sad.”
Ainsley reluctantly pulled back. “I need to take the U-Haul back. Do you want to stay here or go with me?”
“I’ll go. You can show me the neighborhood a little if you want. If you feel up to it.”
“I’d be delighted.”
They took the trailer back, then spent a little time just driving around.
“What are your plans, as far as living accommodations go?” she asked as they headed back to the farm. “Once you come up here, I mean. For school.”
Ben tensed at the question. “I’m not sure. I won’t be living on campus. I know that. I got enough of that in Savannah.”
She wanted so badly to just ask him to move in with her. But she held back, not wanting to put undue pressure on him. An uneasy silence grew between them, and she was biting her lip when she pulled into the driveway.
“Can you hold up a second? I want to look at something,” Ben said as they drove across the small bridge that spanned the creek just after the front gate.
Ainsley stopped. “What is it?”
“A plant.” With that mysterious answer, he got out and shut the door, going to the side of the driveway and down to the edge of the creek. Ainsley pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the engine, then joined him.
“Come look at this.” He was touching the leaves of a small purple-and-yellow flower. “I can’t believe it’s here.”
“Is that an orchid?”
He looked at her, his eyes wide. “It’s not just an orchid. It’s a Kentucky Lady’s Slipper. Do you know how rare these are? I’ve only ever seen drawings.” His voice was hushed with reverence. When he explained that the plant was almost extinct, she supposed they were sacred. “You have to protect it. Set up a shelter of some kind, so that it can’t get cut down when whoever does the groundskeeping is working.”
“Okay. Can you advise me how to do that?”
“I can.” He looked back down at the plant, his cheeks flushed. “Um, I know you’ll probably think I’m nuts for this, but would you mind if I spent a little time here? I’d like to observe this lady with my ability.”
The question took her aback a little. They’d not talked any more about his family’s supposed abilities. Ainsley was still trying to figure out whether to believe him.
“Oh. I guess that would make sense. No, I don’t mind at all. Do you want to just walk up when you’re done? There’s a path behind Jonah’s cottage that leads straight to the house.”
“Okay. Thank you.” He gave her hand a distracted squeeze, his attention going back to the orchid. As she watched, astonished, the flower seemed to grow more colorful, more lush. When her eyes flew to Ben’s face, she saw that his pupils were dilated a little. The air felt different, charged with an energy she couldn’t explain, and she knew then he’d been telling her the truth about his ability.
As much as she wanted to stay and watch, he seemed eager for privacy. Ainsley touched his shoulder gently as she stood. “I’ll see you in a little while.”
Shaken and stunned by what she’d seen, but in a good way, she used the time to think. After changing into comfortable clothes, she went to the main barn. She checked in with the head groom, chatted for a few minutes, then went to sit down in the wide aisle. She’d brought a bag of apples, which she sliced and placed into a bucket. Makin
g her rounds of the stalls, she greeted all the horses by name, taking time to talk to each of them.
She was so very glad to be home. But she was a little nervous, too. She didn’t want her relationship with Ben to end, and she wasn’t sure how to bring up that topic without seeming too needy. She wanted to ask him to move in with her, maybe even to marry her. In the end, she decided she was just going to have to be patient a little while longer. What was meant to be, would be.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Ainsley was nervous Sunday morning as she and Ben drove back down to Hazard. This time, her anxiety had nothing to do with her mother, but was entirely based on the fact that she was getting ready to meet and interact with Ben’s whole family—as Ben’s girlfriend. And that terrified her.
“What if they don’t like me?” she asked him for what had to be the twentieth time.
“Ainsley, you’ve already met most of them. And they wouldn’t have tried to help fix things between us if they didn’t like you,” he responded with the same patience as he’d shown the other nineteen times he’d answered. “Besides, they’re not the ones involved with you. I am.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “And you and your family are just not that close, so it isn’t a big deal if they don’t like me. I’m being a ninny, I know that, but I can’t help it. I’ve not met Emma, and I know she’s going to hate me. She’s your twin!”
Ben let his hand rest on her shoulder. “I love you.”
Ainsley blew out a tense breath and picked his hand up to kiss the back. “I love you, too. Do you really think she’ll like her present?”
“I think she’ll love it. I’m actually a little bit jealous you found it before I did.”
They’d gone shopping the day before, with the explicit purpose of finding Emma gifts. When Ainsley found out she liked to collect interesting old photographs, she’d known instantly where to go—Lexington’s antique district. She’d found a beautiful photo of a mother and daughter, probably taken sometime before 1900. The love between the two was evident, and when she’d shown it to Ben, he’d approved of it instantly.
“Speaking of presents, what did you get me?” he teased, looking over his shoulder at the wrapped packages in the backseat.
Ainsley smiled through her tension. “You’ll find out soon enough.” She’d shown him the architectural plans for the garden on Friday night. He’d exclaimed over them as though they were the original plans for King Tut’s tomb. Seeing that, she’d known immediately what to give him as a birthday present.
Her first glimpse of the Campbell homestead in the daylight took her breath away. Situated in a saddle plateau at the top of a mountain, a large meadow surrounded the house and outbuildings. Thanks to the long driveway, the setting was utterly private, creating a whimsical aerie set in a magical kingdom. The place was so very different from her mother’s poisoned kingdom.
“We usually pitch a large tent over there.” Ben pointed to a flat spot halfway between the barn and the house. “But since Emma’s so close to her due date, Mom thought it might be better to have the party in the house. She’d be too uncomfortable out here in this heat.”
“I imagine so.” Even though the air was cooler on top of the mountain, with a soft breeze blowing, it was muggy. Early August in Eastern Kentucky could be miserable.
They gathered up their packages, and Ben met her at the hood of the SUV. “Ready?”
“I hope so.”
Ben wished he could take away Ainsley’s anxiety, but all he could do was hope his family did what they did best—love.
Amelia met them at the door with a perky grin, paper party horns, and a silly hat in her hands. “You’re here! Yay! Come in. How’s Lexington? Did you like Ainsley’s house?”
Ben gave a put-upon sigh as he bent his head so she could put the stylized top hat on him. “Only for you, Pip. And her home is beautiful. I may beg to move in.”
Ainsley’s cheeks were flushed, but she didn’t seem upset by the idea. That was a positive sign.
“What’s with the hat?” she asked.
“Tradition,” Amelia answered. She tucked her arm in Ainsley’s and led her to the dining room. “Emma has to wear a Derby hat. He gets that one. You can put the presents here.”
“I tried to get Pip to give me a cowboy hat, but she insists the top hat suits me better,” Ben joked. “And the hats stem from a smart-mouthed remark Emma made a few years ago. She didn’t want to wear the pointed cone hats, so Amelia made these. Now we all have funky, personalized hats we wear on our birthdays.”
Ainsley laughed and took a closer look at the hat, which had a tiny garden of flowers arranged around the ribbon band. “That’s amazing. There’s so much detail. Are you an artist?”
Amelia beamed with approval. “Not really. But I enjoyed making the hats. We’ll have to come up with one for you. Come on into the living room. The food is ready. We’re just waiting on Rick.”
Ben let Amelia make most of the introductions, with names and greetings being called back and forth in a cacophony of sound. When his sister got to Eliza, though, his grandmother stood and came to greet Ainsley with her hands outstretched.
“I’ve heard a lot about you over the years, young lady,” she told Ainsley as she looked her over. Ben, who had his hands on Ainsley’s shoulders, felt her tense. “I’ve wondered what you looked like. Turns out my grandson has excellent taste, which isn’t really a surprise. He takes after his father in that regard. It’s nice to finally get to meet you. Good that you’re here.”
Ainsley ducked her head in a nod. “It’s good to be here.”
“What am I, chopped liver?” Emma sniffled from the couch. “I don’t even rate an introduction or a hug?”
“Well, no. And it isn’t like it’s your birthday or anything,” Ben teased. He went to her and bent down for a tight hug. “Happy birthday, Trouble.”
Emma held her hands out. “Happy birthday. Help me up, Benny. Please?”
He tugged when she was on the edge of the couch and felt his eyes widen when she got to her feet. “Are you sure you aren’t having twins?” he blurted out.
Far from being offended, Emma laughed. “Are you trying to say I’m bigger than a house, baby brother? Yes, I’m sure, and no, I’m not going to have her right here, silly. Now, introduce me.”
Ainsley’s arms were crossed, but she stepped up to them. “Hi.”
Emma tipped her head to the side, the flowers on her hat dancing with the movement. “I’m glad you’re here. I’m Emma. I’d hug you, but my arms aren’t long enough to reach you past my belly.”
Ainsley chuckled, and Ben could almost see her nerves ease. “I’ll take a rain check. Happy birthday. And congratulations.”
“Thank you. Do you know what he got me?” Emma leaned against Ben.
“I do. It’s nice.”
His sister’s eyes lit up. “Oooh, tell me. What is it?”
“Impatient little imp,” Owen scolded her from across the room, a smile on his face.
Ainsley laughed. “Like I told Ben, you’ll have to wait. But it’s worth it.”
A car door closed outside, and Sarah stood. She glanced out the window. “Okay, kids. Let’s go on in. That’s Rick.”
The meal went quickly, over teasing insults and stories about Ben and Emma’s childhood antics.
“This is a tradition, too,” he told Ainsley in a low murmur. “Whoever’s birthday it is, you kind of get roasted a little.”
She was quiet, taking it all in, but she was smiling. “It’s a madhouse, but I mean that in the nicest way. Is the blond guy dating one of your sisters?” She gestured subtly across and down the long table, where a tall, powerfully built man sat next to his baby sister.
“Archer? No, he’s a mechanic. Works with my Uncle Jack. He’s new to the area, and I thi
nk Jack’s kind of adopted him. He seems nice. Amelia’s taken him under her wing, too, God help him. She’ll have him married with children in no time, age difference or not.”
Ainsley poked him in the ribs. “That’s not nice.”
“What? It’s the truth. She’s a cupid. All these boys come around, try to date her, and she turns them into friends. Then she finds them girlfriends. It’s eerie, almost. Dad speculates that it could be part of her abilities.”
After they ate, they cleared the table and brought over the presents. Emma, who was seated directly across the table from them, went first.
“Since I’m the oldest,” she gloated.
“No, since you’re liable to have that baby before you can get them all open,” Ben shot back with a grin. “Good thing there’s a doctor-in-training in the house.” His cousin Michelle, Rick’s sister, was in her medical school residency.
“I would send you a rude gesture if that wouldn’t paint me as being immature,” Emma answered loftily. “But I’m trying to turn over a new leaf as I’ll be a mom in a few days, so I’ll just say nanner-nanner boo-boo, I get to open my gifts before you do.”
Everyone laughed, and Emma started opening the presents, starting with the one from Ben. When she pulled out an antique, hand-worked picture frame, her smile softened. “Oh, Benny, thank you. It’s beautiful. Where did you find it?”
“In an antiques store. You like it?”
“It’s beautiful. I’ll have to put something special inside it.”
Ben winked at Ainsley and tightened his arm, which was around her shoulders. The portrait she’d gotten Emma would fit inside perfectly.
When Emma opened Ainsley’s gift, she gasped. “Oh, my.” She touched the portrait with soft fingers. “Ainsley, wow.” After a few seconds, she handed it to Rachel to pass around for everyone to see. She reached for her napkin, her eyes following the picture’s progress around the table. She dabbed at her cheeks. “I don’t want to ruin it by crying on it. Thank you.”