His laugh was infectious. How long had it been since I’d laughed? I couldn’t remember. It rumbled deep in my chest, as if it was clearing cobwebs out of my soul.
“All right kid. Let’s go find your mama.”
“Mama?”
“Yeah, little man. Where is she?”
“Home,” he said happily.
I highly doubted she was all the way back at the family home. But I didn’t see any sign of her as I headed toward the main grounds. The little boy stopped struggling, so I adjusted him, holding him upright on my hip. It occurred to me that I had no idea if the kid was potty trained.
“Don’t pee on me, okay little man?”
“Outside,” he said. “I go pee outside.”
He sounded so proud of himself, I couldn’t help but laugh again. “Good for you. I suppose that’s as good a place as any.”
Finally, the vineyard opened to the main grounds. A few vineyard workers were heading back toward the cellars, but no sign of the kid’s parents. Taking him home was probably my best option. I just hoped his mom wasn’t out in the vineyard behind me, looking for him.
“Cooper?” A woman’s voice rang out from somewhere to my left, a note of panic in her tone. “Cooper? Baby boy, where’d you go? Cooper?”
“Are you Cooper?” I asked.
He nodded. “Mama?”
“Yeah, let’s go see Mama.”
I hurried in the direction of her voice. She called out again, the fear in her tone spurring me to move faster.
“Ma’am,” I called out. “Ma’am, I think I have your son.”
She burst out from a trail, sweat gleaming on her forehead, her eyes wide with worry. “Oh my god, Cooper.”
He reached for her, practically diving out of my arms. She caught him, like the expert toddler-wrangler she obviously was.
“Cooper, you can’t run away like that. You have to stay with Mommy.” She held him close, pressing one hand to his back.
“I dirty,” he said, looking proud as ever of his dirty hands.
“I see that. Where are your clothes?”
“I don’t know. I like naked.”
She let out a heavy sigh, her eyes darting up, like she was asking the Lord for strength. “I know you like being naked. But baby boy, you need to leave your clothes on. More importantly, you need to stay with Mommy. I was scared to death.”
“He got me,” Cooper said, pointing straight at me.
His mother looked at me, her features softening. She was beautiful, with long dark hair and clear blue eyes. My heart squeezed at the sight of her, my chest aching with a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time. I hadn’t been sure there was still a heart in there. It reminded me of its existence now, thumping so hard it made the blood roar in my ears.
“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much. I’m so sorry, Cooper’s a handful. I only turned my back for a second.”
“It’s no trouble. I saw him out there and figured a naked two-year-old probably belonged to someone nearby.”
She nodded, adjusting Cooper on her hip. “I’m Shannon. Shannon Miles. Obviously you’ve met my son, Cooper.”
I dipped my chin. Would have tipped my hat, had I been wearing one. “Benjamin Gaines.” I went by Ben. Wasn’t sure why I’d given her my full name like that.
“It’s nice to meet you, Benjamin. Would you like to come over to the house? I made cookies.”
“Cookies?” Cooper asked, his face lighting up with so much joy, it was hard not to agree—cookies sounded like the best thing in the world when he said it like that.
But making friends with these people wasn’t a good idea. I wouldn’t be here long. A season, maybe two, then I’d move on. I always had to move on. It was the only way.
“No, that’s—”
“Cookies,” Cooper said, looking me straight in the eyes. His little voice was suddenly so serious, a baffling depth of meaning hidden in that one little word. It was as if he’d said, you need to come have cookies with me, Ben, your life depends on it.
I stared at the little boy in his mother’s arms. His bright blue eyes watched me as if my answer to this request meant the world to him. For reasons I couldn’t possibly fathom, I didn’t want to let him down.
“Sure,” I said, pulling my gaze away from his hypnotic eyes. “I’d love a cookie.”
“Cookie,” Cooper said, his tone assured, as if that settled the matter.
I followed them down the low hill, the back of their house coming into view. It was a beautiful home—from the outside, anyway—with a big wrap around porch and a garden in the back. Shannon’s two other boys were there, playing near the raised beds. Or the younger one was playing, at least. Her oldest son watched his mother with crossed arms, his brow furrowed. He looked so serious for a child who could only be around six.
“Where was Cooper?” he asked.
“In the vineyard,” Shannon said. “This is Benjamin. He found him.”
The boy marched toward me and stuck out his arm. It took me a second to realize what he wanted. I clasped his hand and shook.
“I’m Roland Miles,” he said. “That’s my brother Leo.”
“You have very proper manners, Roland Miles,” I said. “I’m Ben.”
The other little boy, Leo, had lighter hair—almost blond—but the same blue eyes. He sat in the dirt surrounded by little toy cars. He drove two into each other, making crashing noises and spitting. His eyes darted up to mine and he smiled, but didn’t seem interested in a handshake greeting like his brother.
Shannon put Cooper down, grabbed a pair of shorts that were sitting nearby, and pulled them on him. “You stay put, you hear me? Or no cookie.”
“Okay, Mommy.”
She glanced at Roland. “I’m going inside to get cookies and lemonade. Can you watch your brother for two minutes?”
“Yes,” Roland said. Shannon jogged around the side of the house, and Roland rolled his eyes. “Cooper won’t keep his clothes on. And he runs away every time.”
“Sounds like your baby brother is a handful.”
Roland sighed. “You have no idea.”
The little one didn’t seem like he was a flight risk, now. Maybe the promise of a cookie was enough to keep him still.
I sat down on the edge of a raised garden bed. I probably shouldn’t have stayed. It felt odd to sit out here with these kids. Hurt in places I didn’t want to feel. I’d have to take a cookie to be polite, then be on my way. Keep my distance from now on.
Cooper wandered over to me, and as if he’d known me his whole life, crawled right up into my lap. He patted my beard with his little hand and smiled. “Hi, Ben.”
In that moment, Cooper Miles broke me.
The hard shell I’d constructed around my heart cracked wide open. It was as if a rush of fresh air surged through me, cleaning out the cold, empty spaces I’d closed off. For years, I’d kept that armor around my heart, sure it was the only way I’d survive. Stay alone. Don’t let anyone inside.
That little boy made me crumble with just a pat to my chin.
I swallowed hard, overcome with a sudden rush of emotion. Cooper rubbed his palm against my facial hair, giggling, like it tickled. His laugh was so light, his smile so pure.
I’d met their father, Lawrence. He’d hired me. It was hard to believe this joyful little spark had come from that man. From what I knew of Lawrence Miles, he was serious and demanding. I’d worked for worse, but the idea of this bright little boy being raised by a man like him made my chest ache.
For reasons I didn’t understand, I desperately wanted Cooper to keep whatever it was that burned so brightly inside him.
Roland glanced at me again and his little shoulders relaxed. He sat down next to Leo and grabbed a car. It was as if he’d let his guard down and could finally play. Was it because I had his brother? It was hard to be sure.
Leo crashed his car into Roland’s and the two erupted with laughter. Cooper kicked his legs and laughed along with his bro
thers.
Shannon came around the side of the house carrying a tray with a plate of cookies, a pitcher of lemonade, and a stack of plastic cups. “Okay, here we are.”
“Cookies!” Cooper exclaimed.
She set the tray on the edge of another garden bed. Roland and Leo sprang up and stood in front of her.
“Your hands are filthy, but… oh well.” She handed them each a cookie and a cup of lemonade, then looked over at Cooper, still sitting in my lap. “Wow. He must like you. He doesn’t do that very often.”
“Doesn’t do what?”
“Sit. He’s either moving or sleeping. There’s not much in between.” She grabbed two cookies and brought them over, handing one to Cooper, the other to me. “Thank you again. I know a cookie isn’t really enough thanks, but it’s the best I can do on short notice.”
I adjusted Cooper in my lap. The weight of his little body was comforting, somehow. As were the satisfied smiles of the other boys. “No need for anything else. This is perfect.”
By the time I finished my cookie, Cooper’s brief adventure in sitting still was over. He scrambled down from my lap, darted for the tray, snatched another cookie, and tried to run.
But I was faster than he was. I caught him around the waist and spun him around while he squealed with delight.
“Nice try, little man.”
“Oh, Cooper,” Shannon said. The poor woman sounded so tired. “Okay, buddy. Containment strategy number two. Time to go inside.”
I helped her bring the snack into the house. It felt awkward to be in her home, so I quickly made for the door. Stopping in the doorway, I nodded to her.
“Thanks again for the snack. I’ll see you around.”
“Thank you so much, Benjamin,” she said amid the chaos erupting at her feet. Cooper clung to one leg and Leo tugged on her shirt, trying to ask her a question. “Leo, wait one minute, please. Cooper, can you let go of my leg, honey? Mommy needs to walk.”
I shut the door with a soft click and made my way down the porch steps.
Shannon Miles didn’t know it, but her little boys had done something to me. Reminded me that a heart still beat in my chest. That maybe my life hadn’t ended.
I let out a long breath as I walked to my truck. The sun was sinking toward the mountain peaks that surrounded Salishan Cellars, the air already cooling. And something told me that wasn’t the last time I’d chase down a naked Cooper Miles in the vineyard.
Keep reading Gaining Miles
Afterword
Dear reader,
I had Leo Miles in my head for a year before it was time to write him. He was just there, quietly waiting his turn. Probably gaming, honestly.
This book posed a number of challenges for me creatively. How to portray this reclusive, wounded man (that readers had been begging for since Broken Miles). How to create a heroine who is both compassionate and strong enough to love him through his challenges. How to tie up the loose ends and bring Lawrence’s story to a satisfying conclusion. And how to give readers the glimpses they love of the rest of the family.
Not to mention the all the anticipation. After all, this is Leo.
It wasn’t easy, let me tell you. But I’m so happy with how this book turned out.
As we know from previous books, Leo is wounded, and not just on the outside. He bears visible scars, but the damage you can’t see is arguably worse. He struggles with intense anxiety and panic attacks, and has found himself unable to leave his family’s property.
In his isolation, he’s retreated into online gaming. When he’s in that virtual world, he isn’t a man with scars. He can forget the weight of his burdens, even if it’s only for a little while. And of course, in that world, there’s Gigz.
(Apologies to anyone who were confused during the first few pages, thinking he was having a hallucinatory conversation with his cat. I tried to make sure we got to the part where you see the cat and the person aren’t the same as quickly as possible.)
(And thanks again to Elizabeth for letting me steal the name Gigz.)
From the start, I loved the idea that Gigz (the woman) is Leo’s happy place. His solace. It’s a fun twist on the friends-to-lovers trope. They’re already good friends, and as many of us know, online friendships can be every bit as real and important to us as the relationships we have in real space.
But Hannah is hurting, too. She’s in a tough spot. It can be terribly difficult to break free from an abusive relationship. She doesn’t have a support system-even a small one-that she can turn to in her time of need.
Until she meets Leo, of course.
Often in any book, there are certain scenes that define the book for me. They’re usually the moments that play over and over in my head long before I’m ready to write the book. Or perhaps pivotal scenes that come to me in a flash while I’m working on the outline.
The scene where Leo asks for someone’s keys so he can go to Hannah was one of those. I imagined the moment when Leo finally breaks free of his self-imposed captivity so many times. And when I finally sat down to write it, my fingers flew across the keyboard. The entire scene came to life in vivid detail, from Hannah’s tearful phone call to the sound of chairs scraping across the floor as Roland, Chase, and Cooper all head for the door to join him, no questions asked.
In fact, the book is done, and I can still see it.
The other one was the scene where Hannah climbs in Leo’s lap and takes her shirt off, coaxing him into letting her touch his face. I knew that scene was going to happen long before I outlined the story, although in my earliest vision, it didn’t end the way it does in the book. That scene wasn’t intended to lead to the bedroom. But Leo wrestled control of the story right out of my hands and I let him have his way. And quite honestly, it was the right call. Leo knew what he was doing. He was ready.
The weight of reader expectation was never far from my mind as I wrote this book. I spent a year building up this series, and I knew anticipation for Leo’s book would be high. I hope Leo’s story was everything you hoped it would be.
Thank you so much for reading,
CK
Acknowledgments
A million thank yous to everyone who helped make this book a reality.
Thank you to David for late night talks and brainstorming sessions. And for all the coffee and snuggles.
Thank you to Elayne for helping Leo and Hannah shine. And to Cassy for another beautiful cover.
Thank you to Nikki for all your random word vomit. We get some gems in there, don’t we? (cough… ropes… cough)
Thank you again to Jodi for taking time out of your busy schedule (#momlife ain’t easy) to beta read.
A weird thank you to the Seattle Snowpocalypse of 2019, without which I wouldn’t have finished this book on time.
A great big huge I love your faces thank you to all my readers, for loving this series, and this family, right along with me. I’ve said this before, and I’ll go right on saying it - you are why I do what I do. Thank you for coming on this journey with me.
Also by Claire Kingsley
For a full and up-to-date listing of Claire Kingsley books visit www.clairekingsleybooks.com
The Miles Family Series
Sexy, sweet, funny, and heartfelt family series. Messy family. Epic bromance. Super romantic.
Broken Miles: Roland & Zoe
Forbidden Miles: Brynn & Chase
Reckless Miles: Cooper & Amelia
Hidden Miles: Leo & Hannah
Gaining Miles: Ben & Shannon
Bootleg Springs
by Claire Kingsley and Lucy Score
Hot and hilarious small-town romcom series with a dash of mystery and suspense.
Whiskey Chaser
Sidecar Crush
Moonshine Kiss
Bourbon Bliss
Bootleg Springs Books 5 & 6: Coming Summer 2019
Remembering Ivy
A unique contemporary romance with a hint of mystery.
His Heart
<
br /> A poignant and emotionally intense story about grief, loss, and the transcendent power of love.
Book Boyfriends
Hot romcoms that will make you laugh and make you swoon.
Book Boyfriend
Cocky Roommate
Hot Single Dad
The Always Series
Smoking hot, dirty talking bad boys with some angsty intensity.
Always Have
Always Will
Always Ever After
The Jetty Beach Romance Series
Sexy small-town romance series with swoony heroes, romantic HEAs, and lots of big feels.
Behind His Eyes
One Crazy Week
Messy Perfect Love
Operation Get Her Back
Weekend Fling
Good Girl Next Door
The Path to You
The Jetty Beach Box Set Books 1-4
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About the Author
Claire Kingsley writes smart, sexy romances with sassy heroines, swoony heroes who love their women hard, panty-melting sexytimes, romantic happily ever afters, and all the big feels.
She can’t imagine life without coffee, her Kindle, and the sexy heroes who inhabit her imagination. She’s living out her own happily ever after in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and three kids.
www.clairekingsleybooks.com
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