by Leanne Banks
“I always regretted not...” His voice trailed off. “No one here to throw me in the lake. I’d say we’re overdue. What’s one kiss?”
Vivian stared at him in shock. He wasn’t really going to—
Benjamin lowered his mouth, inch by excruciating inch. She could hardly breathe, and thinking was out of the question. When his lips touched hers, she couldn’t stop a soft sigh. He must have taken that as an affirmation, because then he slid his hand behind her neck, deepened the pressure and explored her mouth as if he’d been waiting a long time.
Vivian felt herself sinking into the taste and sensation of his hunger. Her body reacted like lightning, taking her completely off guard.
“Mr. Hunter,” a male voice called from behind Benjamin, throwing cold reality at her.
Vivian stumbled, backing away and staring at Benjamin. She didn’t know if she was more surprised by his action or her reaction to him.
Not turning from her, Benjamin responded. “Yeah, what do you need?”
“You got a phone call. Somebody wants to hold a party here,” the server said.
Benjamin glanced over his shoulder. “Thanks. Take a message. Get the number. Tell them I’ll call right back.”
He turned back to Vivian, and she was thankful the darkness would cover the heat in her cheeks. “I—uh, I need to go. I just brought Millicent into town because her car isn’t working properly.” She tugged at her purse. “I’ll just pay for my wine.”
“It’s on me,” he said.
She took another deep breath, still trying to get rid of her jitteriness. “Thank you. I’ll be going, then.”
“I look forward to seeing you around town,” he said.
She shook her head. “No. My sisters and I have decided to sell the lodge.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “Sorry to hear that.”
“Yeah, no,” she said, discombobulated. She needed to get away.
Chapter Two
“I’m glad I stopped in to see my friends at the bar. Cheered me up. I coulda used just one more beer,” Millicent said, her words slightly slurred.
Vivian thought Millicent appeared to be quite relaxed, so she tried to make easy conversation. “I haven’t visited the bar in years. It looks like Benjamin has made several changes.”
“Oh, yeah,” Millicent said and hiccupped. “He’s a go-getter. He would have made it far if his mother hadn’t taken ill when he was in college. And then his sister...”
Benjamin’s family was none of Vivian’s business. “His sister?” she prodded, because she couldn’t resist.
“Well,” Millicent said, “she’s gotten into trouble a few times.”
“Hmm,” Vivian said, remembering that Benjamin hadn’t talked about his sister much when they were younger. “I saw him briefly at the bar.”
“He’s nice enough, but he gets one lady friend, then moves on to the next. I heard he was engaged a long time ago and got burned. Never recovered from it. He’s handsome, but he’s not the kind to rely on. Your father would tell you the same thing,” she warned her.
Vivian, however, was filled with more questions and curiosity than ever. What did Benjamin’s sister do to get into trouble? What had happened during his engagement? Who were all these lady friends?
And why did she care?
Vivian tamped down her curiosity and drove up the mountain to the lodge. She had enough on her mind. She didn’t need to add Benjamin to the mix.
* * *
Benjamin returned to the bar, wondering what in hell had possessed him to kiss Vivian like that. She was still beautiful in a classy, natural way. Honey-blond hair, blue eyes, creamy skin that burned far too easily and a full pink mouth that had always tempted him. He shook his head. Must have been all those years of denial and restraint, he told himself, and picked up his messages as he headed for his office.
One message was from the McAllisters. They wanted to hold a party on a Sunday night. That would work, he thought. He just couldn’t set aside Fridays or Saturdays unless it was a dead weekend. The second message was from his sister. His heart clenched. “Please come get me,” the voice mail from Eliza said. “I ran out of gas.”
Benjamin took a deep breath. She seemed coherent. He could only hope she was okay.
Benjamin immediately responded to his sister’s message. His stomach clenched as it always did. “Eliza,” he said. “Are you okay?”
“I’m mostly good,” she said. “But I decided to go for a ride and ran out of gas.”
He stifled a groan. “Where are you?”
“I think I’m about twelve miles south of town,” she said. “I’m on Route 33.”
“Okay, I’ll head out. How much charge do you have on your phone battery?”
“Not that much,” she said. “Sorry. I just needed to take a drive. I was feeling cramped.”
Benjamin nodded. He had heard this story before. “I’m coming for you. Don’t use your phone for anything else.”
He walked to his SUV and started toward Route 33. He hoped Eliza was okay, but she didn’t seem overly panicked. She struggled with her illness, but she had seemed fairly even lately. Driving freed his mind from busy work enough to also think about his unexpected meeting with Vivian. Although he’d been tempted, he’d never thought he would kiss her. If he had, he’d never thought it would affect him after all this time. But it had. It damn well had.
He continued driving south on 33, but his mind kept gravitating back to Vivian. Why had her lips felt so good beneath his? Why did he want to kiss her again? No single encounter with a woman had affected him like this in a long time.
He shook off his thoughts. He would wake up tomorrow and put the whole thing aside. Right now, he needed to make sure his sister was okay.
Benjamin saw the headlights of his sister’s vehicle on the side of the road and pulled over. He got out of his SUV with the gas can he kept in the back of his car and strode toward her, immediately filling her tank. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.
His younger sister was wide-eyed and restless, but she nodded. “I’m okay.”
“You don’t look it,” he said.
She twisted her mouth. “I’m working on it.”
“Next time, call me before you leave the house,” he said, escorting her to her car.
“You ever just want to get in your car and drive forever?” she asked.
“Yeah, but there are people counting on me,” he said.
“You’ve always been the responsible one,” she said as she climbed into the driver’s seat.
“You’re getting there,” Benjamin said. “You told me you’re becoming. You’re on a journey.”
“Getting there?” she echoed with a laugh. “Sometimes I’m not sure about that.”
“Becoming,” he said. “You’re becoming. We’re all damn becoming.”
She met his gaze and grinned. “You believe in me when you shouldn’t.”
“I believe in who you are becoming,” he said. Someone had to believe in her so she could believe in herself.
“I’ll keep working on it,” she said. “Thanks for coming for me.”
Benjamin took a deep breath, got in his car and followed his sister home. On the way, however, his lips burned as he remembered kissing Vivian. She tempted him now more than ever. More than that time she’d invited him into the lake to skinny-dip with her.
He gritted his teeth and shook his head. Vivian was not in his future. She wasn’t for him. She never had been, and she never would be. He had responsibilities, and he’d learned the hard way when his fiancé had ditched him. His obligations and life in this small town would cramp the style of a Southern flower like Vivian.
* * *
After Vivian arrived at the lodge, she went to her room and took a
shower. In other circumstances, this might have been an opportunity to reconnect with her sisters, but between her outing with Millicent and her encounter with Benjamin, she felt tapped out. All she wanted was a good night’s rest. It took mere seconds for her to fall asleep.
A few hours later, a sharp rap on the door abruptly awakened her. Vivian jerked upright in her bed.
“Missy! There’s been a fire,” Grayson called from the other side of the door.
Panic raced through her. “Oh, no. Please come in. What’s wrong?”
The door opened and Grayson lifted his hands in distress. “There’s a fire. One of the cabins is burning.”
“No! No!” Alarm hit her like icy water. “Did you dial emergency?”
“The fire department is on the way, but I don’t know if they’ll get here in time.”
“Let me get dressed and I’ll come right out.” Grayson left the room and she traded her pajamas for a pair of jeans, T-shirt and jacket.
Vivian raced down the hall past Grayson and pounded on Temple’s room. Within a few seconds, Temple jerked open her door. “What’s going on?”
“A fire in one of the cabins,” Vivian said. “Get Jillian.”
Vivian raced out the back door of the lodge, down the steps and across the back lawn to the cabin that was burning. She stared at it, wishing she could douse the fire. Thank goodness there were no guests. Surely she could do something.
Before she knew it, she felt Temple grab one of her hands. Jillian took her other hand. She stared at the fire and knew her sisters were staring into it, too.
“Why is it taking so long for the fire department to get here?” Jillian asked.
“We’re too far away,” Vivian said. “Up the mountain, and they’re down in the valley.”
“They should be able to get here faster,” Jilly said helplessly.
She and her sisters clung to each other as they watched the cabin burn. A fire engine finally arrived and sprayed the cabin, but it was too late. The cabin was a smoldering ruin.
Vivian couldn’t explain it, but her heart was broken. Grayson came to her and shook his head. “I’m so sorry. I tried to keep everything in the lodge up to code, but the last couple of years, Jedediah didn’t want to overspend on the cabins, and he just didn’t seem to have the energy.”
Vivian took a deep breath. She knew the wiring for the cabins was primitive at best. She put her hand on his. “I’m just glad no one was in there tonight.”
Grayson nodded. A fireman approached her and Grayson, asked a few questions, filled out a report and left.
Exhausted, Vivian returned to the lodge with her sisters.
“Let’s have something to eat,” Jillian said and urged the three of them to the kitchen.
“I’m not that hungry,” Vivian said.
“Neither am I,” Temple added.
“You will be in a few minutes,” Jillian said and placed a pan on the stove top. Soon she was frying potatoes, bacon and eggs. She placed plates in front of Vivian and Temple, then served herself.
Vivian tried but couldn’t take a bite. She closed her eyes and opened them. “I’m not sure I want to sell,” she whispered.
“I don’t want to, either,” Jilly said and shoveled a forkful of food into her mouth.
Temple gaped at both of them. “Are you out of your minds? This place is a money pit.”
“Maybe. Probably,” Vivian said. “But I can’t let it go yet. Especially after tonight. The whole place feels like an elderly relative and I can’t stand to see the whole place go down. We couldn’t save Dad. Maybe we can save the lodge.”
“Even though we may need to fix the wiring in the cabins?” Temple asked.
Vivian’s stomach twisted because she knew Temple was the most financially astute of the three of them. “Yep,” she said.
Temple groaned. “Everything about this is wrong. I’ve studied this six ways from Sunday, and we’re going to have a very tough trip to make it successful.”
“So, you’re saying we can make it successful,” Jilly said.
Temple frowned at her. “It’s an outside chance.”
“I think it’s a chance I have to take,” Vivian said.
“Me, too,” Jilly said and shoveled another big bite into her mouth.
Temple sighed, looking from one of them to the other. “Well. Against my better judgment.”
“You’re in,” Jilly said, clapping her hands.
“Let her finish,” Vivian said. “I want to hear her say it.”
Temple sighed. “I’m in.”
“Yay,” Jilly said, and gave a hoot of victory.
“That said, I’ll be watching every nickel and dime,” Temple warned. “Every nickel and dime.”
“I guess that means I can’t write off pedicures,” Jilly said.
Vivian snickered, but Temple squeezed her forehead as if she were in pain.
* * *
After an extensive discussion with a local electrician, it appeared that all the cabins might require rewiring and possible plumbing repairs. The job of fixing one cabin was growing by the minute. Vivian went into town, concerned because the man she’d called wouldn’t commit to putting a priority on the full project if necessary. Plus there was the issue of choosing new fixtures to replace the out-of-date ones.
She walked into the Honeymoon Hardware store and headed toward the electrical section. Staring at the array of fixtures, she felt overwhelmed. There were even more choices here than online.
“Hey, how ya doing?” asked a male voice from behind her.
Vivian’s stomach clenched. She knew that voice. She knew it was Benjamin’s. She took a deep breath before she turned to face him. “Hello. What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I could ask the same,” he said. “I’m picking up some paint for the kitchen at the bar. What about you?”
“I can’t decide on anything. And I need a faster electrician.”
“I can help with that,” Benjamin said. “I’ve got the fastest electrician in town.”
“How did you find him?” she asked. “Everyone wants to charge us extra because we live on the mountain.”
“Give the guy a room while he does the work,” Benjamin said. “He can enjoy the amenities when he’s off the clock.”
Vivian blinked. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Because you don’t fish or hunt,” he said.
Her stomach took a dip as she looked at him, but she sure didn’t want that response. “I guess you’re right. But I still need to choose the fixtures.”
“Choose the most long-lasting, not the prettiest,” he told her. “Just a thought,” he added.
Vivian nodded. Sounded like words of wisdom to her. She made notes as she walked down the aisle.
“I heard about the fire. Sorry.”
“Thank you. It was upsetting to say the least.”
“Tough timing,” he said.
She nodded. “So,” she said, feeling a bit awkward, “I didn’t get to ask you about how you’ve been. The bar seems to be doing well. What about you?”
“I’m good,” he said. “I’ve purchased a couple of businesses other than the bar, so that keeps me busy.”
“What about your sister?” she asked, remembering what Millie had told her.
Benjamin seemed to freeze.
Vivian took a big step backward internally and gave a shrug. “I have two sisters and you have a sister, and I thought it was just considerate to ask about yours. I never met her because I was always at the lake.”
His shoulders lowered just a bit. “She’s doing okay.”
“Millicent told me your sister is creative and artistic. Maybe she could create something for the lodge.”
Benjamin tilted his
head from one side to the other. “Maybe. So, your sisters are all in about you fixing the lodge? The last time I talked to you, you said you were leaving.”
“Jilly and I are in. We are dragging Temple. She’s an accountant, but after the fire, it just didn’t seem right to abandon the lodge.”
“I’m impressed that you’re going to try to fix it. Your dad would be proud,” he said, his gaze locking with hers.
“I’m scared. Especially financially.”
“You can make it happen. I’ll help you when I can,” he said.
She felt a sense of relief. “I’ll accept that offer, and since you’re here, help me select fixtures. Yes?”
“Sure, if you’ll go for coffee with me afterward,” he said.
Her stomach dipped at the intent expression on his face. It was just coffee, she chided herself and shrugged. “Why not?”
Chapter Three
“So, how do you feel about living in such a small town?” Benjamin asked after they sat at a small table in the local coffee shop.
“I’m okay with it for now,” Vivian said. “I’m still telecommuting with my firm in Atlanta and will have to return for some major events. Eventually I’ll need to cut the ties. I’m actually kinda glad to get away from the big city.”
“Really?” he asked and took a long draw from his cup. “You didn’t like Atlanta?”
“I did and didn’t,” she said. “Who would love that traffic? At the same time, I loved the sense of history and culture. I was raised in Richmond, so of course I loved that city.”
“Why not go back to Richmond?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Oh, no. No. My mother lives there and that would be an invitation to...well...insanity, in the worst way.”
“That bad?” he asked.
She nodded. “Yes. Well, she’s quite the perfectionist.” She took a breath. “But enough about me. I still can’t figure out why you didn’t go pro with football.”