When he walked back into the living room, he discovered the configuration had changed. The saddle had been moved next to the Christmas tree, which opened the entire space for dancing. A woman Ben hadn’t met was harmonizing with Trey on the Tim McGraw and Faith Hill number “I Need You.” And only two people were out on the floor. Pete and Sarah danced looking into each other’s eyes as if, in this moment, no one else existed.
Ben stood at the edge of the room, his heart once again lodged in his throat.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Molly appeared next to him and gazed at the couple circling the floor.
“Yes.”
Her fingers slipped through his.
God help him, he tightened his fingers and held on, needing her more than he needed to breathe. Jack could take him out and shoot him at dawn, a fate he no doubt deserved. But if Molly couldn’t be turned away by all that he’d said to her, if she was willing to hold his hand and give him comfort for the short time they were together, he would take it.
The dance ended with Pete giving Sarah a soft kiss. Then he grinned and beckoned to everyone surrounding the dance floor. “Show’s over. Get out here and we’ll all play bumper cars again.”
“Come on.” Molly tugged him forward. “Dance with me. My extra four inches should make it way easier. I won’t have to stare at your belt buckle.”
That made him smile. Molly didn’t stay down for long. She might have been arguing with him five minutes ago, but she wasn’t going to let that spoil her mood. “It’s a great offer, but I should get back to Trey and Watkins.”
“They can manage without you for one more song. It’s a slow one, so you’ll have plenty of breath left over to play your harmonica. Come on. You know you want to. You’ve been giving me cow eyes all night.”
“Cow eyes? I don’t think so.” But he let her pull him out into the crowd. Once she was in his arms and his palm felt the slide of that green knit material against the small of her back, he was very glad she’d talked him into it.
“Cow eyes.” She looked up at him. “Like this.” Her expression changed to one of complete adoration.
He lost it. Maybe it was the tension he’d been under, but he started laughing so hard he could barely dance. He twirled her around and bumped into Jack and Josie. “Sorry. Brakes just went out.”
Jack gave him a long-suffering look, but a smile twitched the corners of his mouth. Maybe Jack wasn’t quite such a hard-ass after all. Ben hoped not, because he’d rather be the guy’s friend than his sworn enemy. And that was disregarding the possibility of doing more business with him. Ben plain liked him. Admired him, in fact.
Jack had it figured out. He and Josie seemed to be on equal footing in a loving relationship. Just then, Sarah danced by with her grandson Archie in her arms. He looked overjoyed to be there. Apparently the kid was bright and well-adjusted, which was no surprise given his environment.
Molly snuggled closer and laid her head against his shoulder. Whereupon Ben forgot all about Jack and the rest of the Chance clan. Resting his cheek on her hair, he forgot everyone in the room except the woman in his arms.
If he had Molly in his life, maybe he could learn how to create what Jack had. For one shining moment he allowed himself to imagine what that could be like. But it would be a gamble, and a huge one at that. He’d be gambling with her life as well as his own.
He cared about her more than he’d cared about any woman he’d been with, maybe more than any person he knew. His shiny picture collapsed into a heap of dust. He simply couldn’t ask her to take that risk. They’d have this interlude, and he’d make the most of it if she was willing. But then he’d get out of her life. It was for her own good.
14
MOLLY KNEW THERE was an excellent chance Ben would break her heart, especially after their dance. She’d admitted to herself that this was no longer a fling, and not just for her. He was way more invested than he’d ever confess.
But his psychological wounds ran deep. They had to, in order for him to undergo surgery so he wouldn’t father any children. Not many men would take such a step, but ironically, it showed how much he cared about those children he would never have. He was protecting them before they even existed. What a selfless act.
He wouldn’t see it that way, of course. And she wouldn’t point it out to him, either. Instead, she’d drop the subject completely and savor whatever time they had together. If she hoped for a miracle, some epiphany that would allow him to see he would never be like his father or his brother, then that only made her human.
During the next break in the music, Sarah sat in one of the easy chairs pushed back against the wall and opened the rest of her presents, including Molly’s album. Her face lit up as she turned the pages carefully, reading the birthday wishes written beside each picture.
Molly was thrilled with Sarah’s reaction, but not surprised. Sarah was easy to predict. Ben, on the other hand, was not.
To her amazement, he stood beside her in the crowd gathered around Sarah and rested his hand on her shoulder. He no longer seemed worried about Jack’s dire warnings, and when Sarah exclaimed over the album, he gave Molly’s shoulder a quick, affectionate squeeze.
Once during the opening of the presents, she caught Jack giving Ben an assessing glance. But his expression wasn’t nearly as fierce as it had been when he’d confronted Ben at the foot of the stairs. Maybe Jack had noticed the exchange between his mother and Ben, and had decided to give the newcomer the benefit of the doubt.
Food was served buffet style. Molly found a footstool to sit on, and Ben crouched next to her to share the meal.
“Jack seems to have mellowed,” she said quietly.
“Yeah, I noticed that, too.” He glanced at her. “Wouldn’t have mattered if he had or not. You seem to be willing to take me as I am, so unless Jack orders me out of the house, I thought I’d stick around.”
Warmth flooded through her. “Good.”
“’Course, I might not have a whole lot of choice. The storm’s kicking up pretty good out there. Sarah and Pete could have some unexpected overnight guests.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” She held his gaze. “If it’s too dangerous for everyone to head home...”
“I’ll be giving up my room and moving somewhere else. I could sleep on the floor down here, if necessary, but I can’t justify keeping a king-sized bed all to myself.”
“I suppose not.” She took note of the snow hitting the living room windows with more force.
“We’ll roll with whatever happens. But I figure I’ll stay on until Monday, in any case, and drive you to the airport. It’s on my way and everyone will be involved in Christmas stuff so it makes sense for me to do it.”
She smiled. “I’d like that. Thank you.”
“Consider it settled, then. And if we lose tonight, we’ll just have to make up for it tomorrow night.”
“Make up for what?” Sarah Bianca showed up, her green eyes focused on Ben.
“Sleep,” Molly said immediately.
“I know.” The little girl regarded them with a smug expression. “I get to stay up really, really late. Mommy says we might even sleep over. We do that sometimes when it snows hard.” She took a sip from her glass.
“That’ll be fun,” Molly said. “Whatcha got there?”
“My cherry drink.”
Molly remembered her promise to keep an eye on SB’s choice of beverage. “Can I taste it?”
“Sure.” Sarah Bianca held it out.
Molly took a quick sip and confirmed that it wasn’t wine. “Delicious.” She handed the glass back.
“Grandma already tasted it. Then Uncle Jack wanted to taste it, too! Everybody wants to taste my drink all of a sudden.” She looked at Ben. “Do you want to?”
“Thank you, but no. I have my beer.”
“I don’t like that beer. I tried Uncle Jack’s once and it was yucky. But I like Grandma’s wine. She says I can’t have it until I’m waaaaay older, like you.” She p
ointed a finger at Molly.
Ben’s lips twitched as if fighting the urge to laugh. “She’s right. Your Grandma’s a smart lady.”
“I know.” She studied him with the solemn intensity of a four-year-old. “Did you really make that saddle?”
“Yes, I did.”
“How?”
“Well, I start with a frame that’s made of wood, and the frame has to fit the horse, in this case, Bertha Mae.”
“Wood?” Her smooth forehead creased in a frown. “I didn’t see any wood.”
“That’s because it’s covered with leather. Stretching the leather over the wood is tricky. I never know if it’ll work out the way I hope.”
SB took a sip from her glass with the sophistication of a debutante. “Sometimes that happens to me when I make things.”
Ben smiled. “It happens to me all the time. But I just keep working at it until I get it right.”
“Me, too.” She paused to take another drink. “Someday I’ll make a saddle.”
“Excellent.” Ben nodded. “It’s a challenge, but it’s worth it.”
“And I’ll make it pretty, like you did. With stuff on it. And maybe even ribbons.”
“That would be very interesting. I’d like to see that.”
Molly’s heart melted. He was a natural with kids. If only he’d give himself credit.
“When I make my saddle, I’ll show you it. Well, I have to go. My mommy said I shouldn’t stay over here too long.”
“Oh?” Ben lifted his eyebrows. “Why not?”
“Because. She said you might want to be alone with Molly.” She giggled and walked away.
Ben chuckled. “She’s quite a kid.”
“You were very good with her.”
He gave her a long look. “It’s easy when they’re being cute. Anyone would do the same.”
“Not necessarily.” She knew she was on thin ice with this topic, but she desperately wanted him to see all the things he was doing right. “They might brush off her question about how they made the saddle. They might belittle her announcement that she was going to make one of her own someday. You didn’t.”
He gazed at her silently before taking a deep breath. “So I was nice to Sarah Bianca, the granddaughter of my hostess. I was taught to be polite. It proves nothing.”
What a stubborn, damaged man. She longed to take him by the ears and force him to see reason, but she’d only drive him away. No one wanted to spend time with a person who was trying to fix him. “Guess not.”
His expression gentled. “I know you mean well, Molly. Your belief in the goodness of others is one of the things that I’m drawn to.”
She was drawn to the goodness in him, but if she said that he’d hear it as another attempt to influence his thinking.
“I’m sure I frustrate the hell out of you.” He smiled. “I must seem like a man from a foreign country who doesn’t quite understand your language. It’s a wonder we get along as well as we do.”
She didn’t think it was a mystery. They were more alike than different, but he wasn’t willing to see that. Maybe he never would. He certainly never would if she pestered him about it.
“But we do get along.” She looked into his eyes. “Especially in one particular area.”
His breath caught. Then he lowered his voice. “Then we still have a date after this party is over?”
“Assuming everyone goes home and you’re not too tired.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Not really. Your mouth has gotten quite a work-out on that harmonica. You might want to rest it.”
“That’s how much you know.” He grinned. “Playing the harmonica just warms up my mouth for...other things.” He waggled his eyebrows.
She sucked in a breath as her blood heated.
“Careful,” he murmured. “You look like you’re ready to jump my bones, and there are children everywhere.” With a wink, he got to his feet.
She sighed as he walked away. He was everything she’d ever dreamed of in a man—sexy, funny, intelligent and more empathetic than he knew. He had so much to offer for the long haul. Yet he thought he was only good for a short trip.
He wanted more. He wanted it with an intensity that had caused him to run for cover earlier tonight. He’d been desperate to conceal his emotional reaction and his vulnerability.
Sarah had sensed it, though. And Molly understood it better than he thought she did. She’d discovered tonight how fiercely he clung to his belief about himself. That wouldn’t change overnight.
If he could spend a couple of weeks surrounded by this loving family, his rigid stance might shift. Maybe he would come back for visits, and over time, he might realize that living without the joy that he witnessed here was unacceptable. She clung to that hope for his sake.
She, however, would stick to her resolve not to discuss this again. That wouldn’t be easy. But unless she wanted him to avoid her completely, she’d have to keep her opinions to herself for the next two days.
Yet she couldn’t dismiss his behavior with Sarah Bianca, even if he was ready to. He’d treated the little girl with respect and hadn’t tried to put her in her place when she boasted about things she might never do. Molly remembered being that age. Her parents had backed her on all her dreams and schemes.
She wondered if he understood that his kindness and generosity of spirit were unlikely to disappear if he became a husband and a father. No, he probably didn’t understand that, and she had to keep herself from pointing it out.
Still, she was convinced that they’d been destined to meet. Whether their meeting was to end up in a brief interlude or something more was a big question mark. So much depended on the next two days.
As Watkins, Trey and Ben prepared for their next set, Mary Lou came down the hallway from the kitchen carrying a three-tiered chocolate birthday cake. It was topped with candles arranged in a circle, although certainly not seventy of them.
The guest sang along as the musicians played “Happy Birthday.” Mary Lou set the cake on the bar and Sarah blew out the candles with one breath. A cheer went up. Then plates appeared and Sarah parceled out the cake, starting with the grandchildren.
Molly walked over to where Morgan stood jiggling her youngest, baby Matilda, on her hip. Morgan had tamed her curly red hair with a Celtic-patterned silver clip at her nape, and the fabric of her dress swirled around her in a shimmering cascade of blues and greens. She looked like a Celtic goddess. “Hey, Molly! Having a good time?”
“I’m having a great time. But I have to ask, was that just a random number of candles?”
“Oh, no. Seventy would have made a bonfire, so Sarah asked for a candle for each of us—her three boys and their spouses, her five grandchildren, and Pete. Twelve candles.”
“What a great idea.”
“I love it. I’m going to steal it for my birthday. I don’t need thirty-plus candles on my cake, for God’s sake. By the way, I made Gabe email you his genealogy form before he came to the party.”
Molly laughed. “Thanks. I know he wasn’t overjoyed at having to do it, but I think he’ll be glad when he gets the final result. I’ll have it bound, with room to add information about the next generation.” She smiled at Matilda, who reached up and tried to grab one of her earrings. She dodged out of the way and let the baby catch her outstretched finger, instead.
“That’s mind-boggling, you know? People tell me that once SB starts school next fall, time will fly. I can’t imagine her in high school, let alone college. And after that, who knows? She could be anything, do anything.”
“She told Ben she planned to make a saddle.”
Morgan laughed. “I wouldn’t put it past her. She was fascinated with that saddle and asked if she could go talk to him about it. I was watching. He seemed to treat her plans very seriously.”
“He did. He was so good with her, but—”
“But?”
Molly shook her head. “It’s not my place to say. I shouldn’t h
ave added that. He was good with her. End of story.”
“I doubt it.” Morgan’s aquamarine eyes filled with understanding. “If you’re noticing his behavior with kids, that’s a sure sign you’re getting invested.”
“I am.”
“But I’m guessing there are issues.”
“Yes.”
“There usually are.” Morgan plucked a tissue out of a hidden pocket in her dress and dabbed some drool from Matilda’s mouth. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t work them out. It’s just too bad you have to leave on Monday.”
“Yeah, the timing sucks, but I want to be home for Christmas.”
“Of course you do, but you two could keep in touch. You get a spring break, right? Come back up then. Sheridan’s not that far. I’ll bet he’d drive over to see you.”
“Maybe.”
Morgan chuckled. “Oh, I’d count on it. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. And this place has a way of bringing couples together.” Her attention shifted back to where the three musicians had been joined by her sister Tyler and Tyler’s husband, Alex. “There’s a classic example. My little sister was determined to travel the world, but then she met Josie’s brother and now she seems perfectly happy in Wyoming working for the Shoshone Chamber of Commerce and doing gigs with Watkins and Trey.”
“I really wish I didn’t have to leave so soon.” Molly clapped her hand over her mouth. “I can’t believe I said that. I’ve never missed a Christmas with my family. I’d be devastated and so would they.”
Morgan’s gaze was compassionate. “Well, then, I hope you make it home.”
“Me, too.” But she was more conflicted than she’d realized. For the first time in her life, she wanted to be in two places at once. And it all had to do with the man who was currently playing a haunting rendition of “Greensleeves” on his harmonica.
Although it was a Christmas song, it was also a love song, and she remembered Ben’s promise that every note was for her. He played with an emotional depth that silenced the chatter in the room. Watkins and Trey muted their playing so that Ben’s harmonica took center stage.
A Last Chance Christmas Page 13