“Hayden,” he murmured against her lips.
She sighed her reply.
His hands slid up the back of her shirt.
“Hayden,” he repeated. It was more of a plea than anything, and she pulled away. Her heart sank. She was wrong, he wasn’t attracted to her.
She leaned her forehead against his chest and let her hands fall to her sides.
“I’m sorry Ben, I didn’t mean to start this,” she fumbled, the heat of passion cooled to chagrin. “I can pretend it didn’t happen if you can.”
He tipped her chin up and she saw a tender, lopsided smile on his face. The glint in his eye sent blood rushing to every part of her body.
“No, I wasn’t going to say that,” he assured with a whisper, his fingers caressing her back. “I just want you to realize what you’re doing. Want to make sure that you understand. I don’t kiss lightly.”
No, Ben, she thought, you don’t kiss lightly at all.
Chapter Three
A sweet smell reached Hayden’s nose, winding its way into her dream. With a small smile, she cuddled into her pillow. Voices joined the scent of flowers, the sound of birds. She opened one eye slowly, adjusting her sight to the soft yellow sunlight that flooded the room. The window next to the bed was open, letting in the sound and smells of the morning. Hayden pushed herself up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. It slowly dawned on her just where she’d been sleeping. And what had happened the night before.
Moonlight and kisses. Had she really initiated that embrace? She put her fingers to her lips, as if the pressure of Ben’s mouth were still there.
She’d left him soon after that first kiss ended, more confused than ever about her feelings for him. She’d never been the type to make the first move on a man, especially one who was little more than a stranger. As she fled to the guestroom she’d be staying in, she tried to reason it out. It was the moonlight, the scent of the honeysuckle mingling with the lingering essence of the storm. Yet, if she’d stood with him along the jagged shore of the Atlantic, she’d have kissed him there too, proving that it was more the man and not the setting that was responsible for her actions.
Hayden fell back into the pillows and shut her eyes tightly again.
“Damn,” she groaned, covering her face with her hand. How the heck could she walk out of this room and meet him face to face? What could she say to him now? She wondered what her chances of hiding out in her bedroom until she could go back to Primrose Inn would be. Hayden pulled the quilt around her, engulfing herself in a little patchwork cocoon, and tried to go back to back to sleep. A futile effort for sure. Too much noise from outdoors. Normal ranch hullabaloo, she guessed. Perhaps Ben had already left the house, creating a safe haven for her out in the dining room.
Her stomach growled in agreement.
She unwrapped herself from the quilt and pushed herself to her feet, her thigh muscles screaming in defiance. The previous night she’d found pair of light silk pajamas folded at the end of the bed, along with her own shirt, and a pair of jeans that must’ve belonged to Ben’s sister. Where hers were, she had no clue but remembered the rip in the knee, courtesy of her struggles with Bugs the day before. Maybe some kind soul was sewing them up.
Still, she couldn’t go home in someone else’s clothes. Maybe Sally would be good enough to gather some clothes from her room and bring them over. Hayden grimaced.
She didn’t want to ask Sally for any favors, not after her “advice” about riding Bugs. Lot of good that got her.
Hayden took a moment to examine the room. Could one use rustic and elegant in the same description? Charming definitely, the walls were paneled with cedar, decorated with beautiful, colorful prints of horses. The room took up a corner of the house. On one wall there was a window, open to the fresh air, but also, hidden behind long curtains, was a French door. She peaked through the heavy cream curtains to the private deck, large enough for two Adirondack rockers and a cedar table. It faced the east, and though the sun had already cleared the tops of the trees beyond the stable yard, Hayden could imagine how wonderful it would be to sit out there, cup of coffee in hand, and watch the sunrise.
She let the curtain fall back into place and turned back to the big room. Ben believed in comfort for his family and guests. Two overstuffed chairs sat in the opposite corner in front of a smaller version of the fireplace in the living room. Two small bronze statues of cowboys on horses decorated the mantle and hanging over them was an eagle-headed peace pipe.
It was definitely a room that would be pleasant to spend more time in, but Hayden’s thoughts turned to getting back to Primrose.
You mean to run away from Ben?
No, because unless Ben planned on disappearing for the rest of her stay, she doubted she’d be able to avoid his company. And if she didn’t put in an appearance soon, someone would come to hunt her down.
With a sigh, she grabbed the clothes on the trunk at the end of the queen-sized bed and headed for the private bathroom attached to the room.
When Hayden finally made it downstairs, Amelia was puttering around the kitchen. She turned from the dishwasher and grinned, striding across the kitchen.
“Well, good morning,” she greeted pleasantly, sliding a stack of plates into the cabinet.
“Hi, I’m sorry I slept in,” Hayden replied sheepishly, only to be waved off with a good-natured grin.
“Oh, think nothing of it, honey. There’s coffee in the pot in the dining room, and some scrambled eggs, bacon and toast there as well. Orange juice here in the fridge. Help yourself.”
In the dining room, three small chafing dishes sat on the buffet table at the back of the room, a few plates stacked up next to it. Hayden took one and peeked under the lid of the first dish. The aroma of scrambled eggs rose in a cloud of steam. The scent triggered a long rumble from her stomach. She scooped up a large spoonful and moved on to the next dish, which held bacon, and finally spicy home fries in the last dish. The coffee smelled freshly brewed, and Hayden grabbed a heavy ceramic mug and filled it to the top with the fragrant black liquid. Carefully she carried it back to the table.
She’d just sat down to eat, left to her thoughts of the night before, when Ben wandered into the room, grabbed a mug from the shelf above the coffee maker and filled it up. Hayden kept her eyes pinned on her plate, but her appetite froze. Ben’s sudden appearance brought all her embarrassment over the previous evening to the surface. She put down her coffee cup quickly after her shaky hands threatened to send its contents over the rim and willed him to go away.
But he sat down, placed the mug in front of him and fixed his gaze on her.
“Sleep well?” The question was casual enough, a small smile played on his lips. But his eyes said a heck of a lot more. She could see the probing expression, she felt as if they were sinking into her heart and mind to see her thoughts, read her feelings. Her eyes darted back to her plate quickly.
“Yes, fine thank you,” she replied, cursing herself for her stilted, awkward voice. “It’s a beautiful room.”
“We aim to please, ma’am. Hope we didn’t wake you.”
Hayden shook her head and dared another look at him. His gaze remained glued to her. Was he waiting for her to mention the kiss?
“Not really. I usually get up early anyway. Guess I wasn’t in much of a hurry to get out of bed this morning. So, can I get back to Primrose?”
She didn’t mean to make her question sound so abrupt, so rude. Just the thought of spending more time in Ben’s company, though, shook her. Maybe she could just putter around the house, lock herself away in her room perhaps. Run as far away as possible from the man who sipped coffee across from her.
No, distance wouldn’t help.
Ben shook his head. “Not yet. Maybe by lunchtime, unless we get another storm. It’s pretty nice out there now. You should come on and get some fresh air. And while you’re here I’d be happy to put you back on a horse. You could refresh your skills. Knowing your way around on a hor
se comes in handy here.”
Ben took a sip of his coffee, but his blue eyes remained on hers. Behind the cream colored mug there could’ve been a tiny smirk, but Hayden couldn’t be sure.
“Riding? Again? After yesterday? With all due respect, are you on something?”
Ben set the mug down and let out a laugh. Inwardly, Hayden groaned at the sight of his sexy dimples, and the way his eyes crinkled with his wide smile. If she’d been one of those mushy, fickle females she would’ve been climbing over the table just to be near him. Yet nothing had stopped her from locking lips with him the night before.
The thought brought a fresh rush of blood to her cheeks.
“You can’t base your entire opinion of horseback riding on one unfortunate incident,” he commented, picking up his mug again. He didn’t look like he was in any hurry to leave.
“I broke a horse. How much worse can it get?” Hayden pushed the cold eggs around her plate.
“You didn’t break a horse. He was already broken. I’ll apologize again for how I acted yesterday. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions that you’d just go out and ride a horse without any outside influences. I have plenty of horses that are very good-natured. Like sitting on a chair. I promise you’ll be safe in my hands.”
A thrill ran through Hayden’s body at those words. In his hands. Sounded completely delectable and completely dangerous. But he was oh so wrong. She’d be hardly safe at all.
“I just don’t see the point,” she mused, shoving those thoughts away. They’d gotten her into enough trouble the night before.
She looked back down to her plate. While his idea was attractive, the mere thought of spending time in his company unsettled her. What if she wanted to kiss him again? What if he thought that there was something between them? But wasn’t there? Something simmered in the air between them. Something that could hurt them when she went home.
“If I planned on staying longer, maybe, but Gran doesn’t have any horses, and I’m going back to Maine soon.” She had to force the words out, but even to her ears they didn’t make sense, just sounded like lame excuses.
Great, you sound very cool, she scolded herself and took a sip of coffee in an effort to keep him from seeing her scowl.
Ben shrugged and sat back in his chair. “It’s the best way to see the ranch. You wanted to paint the butte. I know a perfect view, but it’s only accessible by horseback. Or four-wheeler. Do you know how to ride a four-wheeler?”
Hayden laughed and shook her head. “Um, no, I don’t know how to ride a four-wheeler either.”
“Hmm, well, I’d say between the two, it would be a lot easier to teach you how to ride a horse.”
She sighed. Riding lessons weren’t exactly on her list of things to do while in Burton. Not exactly a skill she’d need back in Maine.
Still, she pictured Sally, taking advantage of her ignorance, probably smirking behind her back. Hayden wondered if her cousin’s cattiness just stemmed from the attention her grandmother and now Ben were giving her or if there was the whole unsettled matter of the inheritance. Not that Hayden ever actively pursued the inheritance or Ben’s attention. Until last night. Linking Sally’s actions the previous day to any attraction to Ben, well, it was just silly.
“Well, I don’t have the right shoes,” she stated, giving in a little. She held up her foot, displaying the sneaker she wore out of Primrose the previous day.
“You’re in luck then. We always keep extra boots on hand for visitors. I’m sure we can find your size. You’ll need a hat too. The sun can be brutal out there.”
Hayden nodded, giving him a half smile and touched her fingers to the tip of her rather red nose. Not exactly a bundle of enthusiasm, but she’d take him up on the offer.
“Okay. You’re on.”
Ben nodded. “Good enough. I promise you’ll love it.” He relaxed against his chair, grinning at her like he’d just won the best prize in the world.
“I don’t know where my pants are,” she said with an embarrassed laugh. What a thing to say to a man.
Ben’s eyes widened just a little before he realized just what she meant. “I’m sure there’s something in Jaycie’s closet. If you want, I’ll have Amelia take a look.”
“I hate to use her clothes like this.”
“Oh, forget about it. Jaycie wouldn’t care at all, believe me. I’ll meet you outside in half an hour. That give you enough time to finish up and change?”
Hayden smiled and nodded. She could hardly believe that she agreed to this. Horseback riding. It sure wasn’t what she’d remembered it to be from Girl Scout camp. The image of the stubborn horse from the day before stuck out in her head. She didn’t think she’d fare any better today. But today she’d have Ben’s expert hand at her side.
There’s a thought to get you through the day.
Ben pushed himself out of his seat and picked up his mug. “Well, then I’ll see you in a bit. And don’t look so distressed. I’ll pick the right horse for you. I promise.”
She kept her eyes on his back as he walked away to the kitchen. Had she looked that worried? She hoped not, but if she did, it couldn’t all be attributed to the upcoming riding lesson, and if he only knew, it wasn’t distress in a bad way. The thought of spending more time in his company, however, disturbed her peace of mind more than just a little.
As soon as she heard him saying goodbye to Amelia, Hayden got up and took her plate into the kitchen in search of a microwave. If she were going to spend the morning in Ben’s company, she definitely would need energy.
****
Ben pulled the buckle on the girth with a little more force than he’d intended. The horse shifted to the side.
“What did I expect? For her to throw herself into my arms as soon as she saw me?” he asked the horse.
God, he didn’t want to have this conversation with himself. Last night was nothing to base this relationship, if one could call it that, on. He didn’t even realize that he’d been looking for a relationship with anyone, not to mention some woman from Maine whose presence here in Burton only served to stir up trouble for people close to him. That wasn’t quite true. Lu was thrilled to have her around.
And that was the reason he’d let his interest bloom into something more. That, and the kiss under the moonlight, and the way she’d sketched his face.
He led the small Paint mare out of the barn into the late morning heat. Already the air seemed to simmer, baking into his skin. It was bound to be a real scorcher and he was grateful he didn’t have any clinics scheduled. Keeping the ranch closed for a few weeks had been a good decision. If nothing else, it gave everyone at The Painted Horse a break, a chance to catch their breaths before the next several weeks that would be filled with activities.
Despite the heat and the blue-sky overhead, more clouds crouched low on the horizon. They wouldn’t reach the ranch for quite a while, but he had to keep the possibility of severe weather in mind if he intended to get Hayden back to Primrose Inn. He’d have to make sure the culvert down the drive was passable. If they had another downpour like the one the previous day, then Hayden would be a more permanent guest at The Painted Horse. How would she feel about that?
How would he? Maybe she’d take him up on watching the sunset from the porch.
If his mother had been there, she’d have told him he was smitten with the woman. Smitten. Such an old-fashioned word. He wondered what Hayden would think of that word.
Hell, he didn’t even know what he thought about that.
“Okay, here I am. Make me a cowgirl,” Hayden called out, walking across the stable yard, wearing an old pair of Jaycie’s jeans, baseball shirt that hugged her curves in all the right places, a pair of brown cowboy boots and an ivory cowboy hat. Well, she looked the part anyway.
“Or is it ‘cowperson’? I want to be politically correct,” she said with a chuckle.
Apparently she’d regained some of her spunk. She gave the horse a cursory look, as if sizing h
er up, hands firmly placed on nicely shaped hips.
“Cowgirl is fine,” he assured her, not taking his eyes off her face. There was a combination of anxiety and expectation reflected in her brown gaze.
“This is Roxy,” he introduced, taking a step away from the little mare.
The horse nudged a white nose at Hayden, one blue eye and one brown seemed to size her up as much as Hayden measured Roxy for trust. She reached out a tentative hand, cupping it and let Roxy nuzzle her. The horse’s lips explored her for any goodies she might have. When she discovered Hayden’s hand bare, the little mare tossed her head up. Hayden’s gaze flew to Ben, who grinned back.
“She’s just disappointed that you came without a treat. She’ll forgive you,” he remarked, laying a hand on the horse’s neck.
Hayden laughed and wiped her damp hand against her thigh. “I hope so. I’m trusting her with my life. I’d hate to think we’re starting out with bad blood. Roxy, I promise, if I ride you again, I’ll bring you something.”
“Well, you ready?”
Hayden looked from horse to man. He could tell that she still battled with apprehension, no matter how she joked. His gaze slid from her velvet eyes down to her full pale pink lips. How easy it would be just to lean forward and touch them, get another little taste of them.
She bit down on her lower lip. A blush crept into her cheeks. She walked around him to the side of the horse, breaking the spell that had begun to wind around them.
“I’m ready as I’ll ever be,” she rushed awkwardly. “Really, I have done this before. Though it was longer ago than I care to admit. So remind me how this is supposed to go.”
He turned to her. “First put your left foot up in the stirrup, take a hold of the horn and cantle. That’s the back of the seat, right there.”
Summer on Main Street Page 107