“I can’t see myself staying here,” Hayden insisted but Gran had just smiled.
“You’ll do the right thing, Honey.”
The right thing? She wasn’t sure what that was. She thought of the Widow’s Walk Inn in Clarksport. The sale of her grandmother’s property would help with upgrades the inn needed and would ease a lot of the burdens that she and Carl faced. Despite Carl’s physical handicap, he did everything that he could possibly do around the place. What he couldn’t do they had a local handyman come into do, but Carl had always been bound and determined to pull his own weight.
Yet, somehow to sell the property that had been in her mother’s family for years was a heartless move. Keeping it made no sense at all, though. What would she do with an old guest ranch in the middle of the prairie?
So she did the only thing she could, given the circumstances. She refused to think about it. Some bridges were best left alone until they were ready to be crossed.
The weather remained unseasonably cool and dry over the next week. Hayden had settled into Jaycie Winslow’s room more than a little reluctantly. But it was a relief to know that Gran was in safer hands, as if somehow just being in Ben’s home would shield the elderly woman from more attacks. Gran seemed quite content to have given up Primrose for a while and enjoyed having Amelia fuss over her like a mother hen.
Being there gave Hayden a chance to explore the area more. Though Ben had relinquished his role as riding instructor in order to prepare for the influx of guests that would arrived at the end of the week. He put her in the care of one of his wranglers. Missy Sager seemed all too happy to take Hayden out on personal excursions on the prairie.
Primarily, Hayden wanted to scope out a good spot to paint the butte as a gift to Ben. With each day, she felt more comfortable in the saddle and soon was less inhibited with Roxy and was able to enjoy the landscape. She had much more appreciation for the more subtle beauty of the prairie.
When they found a choice spot, both women dismounted, Missy taking Roxy’s reins while Hayden spread out a bright red and navy blue plaid wool blanket over the grass and settled on it with her tote bag. She pulled out her sketch book and a pencil and for a long moment, stared out at the butte in the distance. The green and gold haze of prairie met the pale blue sky. Today no clouds rested on the horizon. With the exception of a few cottony wisps, the sky was clear.
Missy reclined in the grass a few yards away, staring up into the blue expanse, a long strand of grass caught between her lips. She held the leads of both horses in her loose grasp, as she seemed to contemplate some unknown thought.
Hayden turned her attention back to her sketchpad, picked the pencil up and lightly sketched out the shape of Sky Butte, committing the colors to memory, thinking about where she’d place Ben and his horse in the picture. She could use Missy’s horse for a general model, since he was more like Ricochet than little Roxy was. She could get Ricochet’s marking in later.
“Well this is a lovely sight.”
The voice startled Hayden and she turned to see who had disturbed her concentration.
An inky silhouette blotted out the sun, a tall and imposing vision, and it took Hayden’s eyes several seconds to adjust.
“Missy, why don’t you head on back to the ranch? I’ll keep Hayden company.”
Missy pushed herself up off the ground and handed Roxy’s lead to Ben.
Hayden’s hand went to her sketchpad, ready to lay it face down so Ben wouldn’t see what she’d been doing, but with a cursory glance at the sheet, she decided he wouldn’t get much from the rough drawing of the butte.
With a quick goodbye, Missy mounted up, put her horse into a gentle lope and headed back to the ranch.
For a moment neither Hayden nor Ben spoke. It was the first time they’d been alone since the kiss in the Primrose Inn parlor. With her heart climbing into her throat, Hayden managed a small smile. She willed herself to stay calm, but her body had other ideas.
“How did you manage to get away from your duties?” she asked, forcing her voice to casual.
Ben shrugged and without waiting for an invitation, sat on the blanket next to her, letting both horses reins go. Neither animal moved but continued to graze.
“Tuck is taking care of things so I thought I’d go out for a ride.”
“And you just happened to head this way?” Hayden inquired, raising one brow in mock surprise.
“Amazing how that happened. But it’s nice to find you here. We haven’t had a chance to talk since you arrived.”
“We’ve talked plenty of times,” she murmured, pretending she didn’t know what he really meant.
Ben cocked his head to the side and gave her a look that declared he didn’t buy her ignorance of his meaning.
“Alone,” he stated firmly. “We’ve been surrounded every moment by people.”
“You have a job. I don’t want to get in your way.”
“Well, you don’t have to worry about that here. Not another person in sight.”
Hayden couldn’t even see Missy retreating toward the ranch any longer. She and Ben might as well have been the only two people in the entire state and Ben didn’t look like he minded at all. His legs were stretched out, his boots hanging over the edge of the blanket, and he leaned back on his hands as he looked up at the sky. His eyes matched the powder blue expanse nearly perfectly, with only subtle specks of gray in their contemplative depths.
“Gran is looking much better,” Hayden remarked, grasping for a safe topic of conversation.
Ben nodded. “She’s doing very well. I think she likes the attention she’s been getting. Amelia just loves to take care of people. She and Lu have been friends for years.”
“Well, if I haven’t said it before, I really do appreciate all your hospitality,” Hayden said earnestly. “I hate to have put you out.”
Ben turned his gaze back to her.
How can such ice blue eyes look so hot?
Hayden shoved the thought from her mind, though her desire for Ben pushed at the hastily thrown up emotional barricade.
“How many times do I have to say it? You’re not putting me out at all. It’s a pleasure to have Lu here. I’d never be able to relax if she were back at Primrose, no matter who was with her there. I prefer to have to two of you here.”
“And not Sally?” Hayden teased.
“Ah, Sally,” Ben said with an exaggerated sigh. “Let’s not talk about her. The day is too beautiful. I’d rather talk about you.”
Hayden sobered quickly. “What do you want to talk about?”
“Truthfully, when are you going to let me show you the sunset? We’ve missed several perfect ones this past week.”
“Ben, please,” she protested a little too breathlessly. “We’ve already decided not to do this.”
Ben shook his head, a little smile playing on his lips. “Nope. You may have decided that. I don’t recall ever agreeing to it.”
Hayden wasn’t sure how to respond to his statement. She didn’t want to have to plead with him not to get too close. It was too hard not to give into the feelings that pushed and tugged relentlessly at her heart and body. It would be far too easy to close the distance between them, precious inches that were the only walls that could keep her safe.
It wasn’t going to be enough though. As soon as she let her eyes lock with his, she knew it was going to be a losing battle. Somewhere along the line, his will was going to overtake hers and she’d find herself falling hard and fast for him. And what good would that do?
“What do you want from me?” she whispered, laying down her pencil on the open tote. She wouldn’t be getting any more drawing done. Her concentration was shot. She pushed the sketchpad carelessly from her lap.
“Do I have to spell it out?” he replied, his own voice little more than whisper too. He leaned toward her and like some kind of magnet, she was pulled in, closing the distance between them with sweet leisure.
Yet he didn’t touch her. He paused j
ust inches from her lips. It was as if he waited for her to close the remaining gap between them, having met her more than halfway. Hayden’s gaze dropped down to his lips, parted expectantly, and then raised her eyes back up to his. They were hooded and smoky.
She had to kiss him. Despite all her best-laid plans to keep their relationship at arm’s length, she knew right then and there that there was absolutely no squelching the need to touch him.
Yet she didn’t move in, not just yet. She paused for a moment and breathed him in. He smelled like leather and hay, just a hint of his cologne and hard work. There was a scent of coffee on his breath and something sweet. She inhaled his essence and breeched the remaining space, touching her lips to his.
It was as if Ben’s patience disintegrated. He adjusted his seat so he could take her into his arms, pulling her so she was nearly on his lap. Their first kiss had been timid, their second testing, but this one was complete, engulfing her entire body and mind. Even if she wanted to back away it wouldn’t be easy. Ben possessed her and just for a moment she wanted to stop thinking about what the consequences would be and let herself sink into the embrace.
She opened her mouth to his, and eagerly drew his tongue in to play with hers, pulling back so their lips barely touched before plunging forward once more. Against her mouth she could hear his groan as the last threads of control let go. Then there was nothing left to hold back. She wanted him completely.
Ben caressed her cheek, his fingers tangled in her hair then trailed down her neck and rested on her breast, rubbing gently through the fabric of her shirt and bra. She felt every nerve ending under his hand tingle with excitement and desire. His tongue traced her lips then joined her tongue in passionate play.
She let her hands find their way under his shirt, lightly scratching a trail up his back. She wanted to sink her fingers into his flesh, to absorb his body into her own. Like her mind was a separate entity looking on, a sliver of Hayden’s logical mind protested their embrace, but that voice was too tiny, to insignificant to make any difference. Ben’s touch was much more powerful, much more seductive than any reason. Though she’d only known this man for only a matter of weeks, her body’s cravings had taken over. The thought of making love on the blanket in the middle of the prairie was the most delicious thing she’d ever wanted.
A light sheen of perspiration covered Ben’s torso and Hayden slid her fingertips along the contours of his muscles along his back, up to his shoulders and back down again until she came in contact with his rib cage. She swept upwards with the palm of her hand over his hot skin to his chest where she paused to feel the way his heartbeat.
The wave of passion swept over them, again and again, sending her thoughts whirling off like a prairie twister. Ben’s fingers danced over her flesh, sending sparks through every part of her body. It was too perfect not to be right, and any protest she could’ve possibly come up with was swiftly shattered to bits by the way his lips ran down the length of her neck.
“Hayden,” Ben whispered against her ear.
“Mmmm.” It was the only reply she could make.
Ben pulled away, leaving her chilly. She wanted to bring him back, but when she opened her eyes and saw concern mingled with the desire in his gaze, a part of reality and good sense seeped back into her body. She withdrew her hand from his shirt and pushed herself up so she was sitting with the benefit of his support.
“What is it?”
“Not here, sweetheart. Not like this,” he replied. Regret was apparent in his voice, as much as in the downward tilt of his mouth.
No, it’s perfect here. She didn’t say that out loud though. Instead she looked down at her knees and nodded, fighting the thought that he was turning her away or putting her off. He still wanted her. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and leaned forward and brushed his lips against her cheek.
“This doesn’t change how I feel about you,” he whispered.
Finally she looked up at him. The fire in his eyes had simmered and they were again a cool blue.
How he felt? Exactly how did he feel? He hadn’t once said. She waited for him to continue, but he didn’t.
“I guess we better get back,” Hayden declared with a good deal of false energy, pulling away from the warmth that still radiated from his body to hers. She grabbed her tote and jammed her discarded pencil and pad of paper in it. Ben pushed himself slowly to his feet and extended a hand to her. She took it and let him help her to her feet, but yanked away from his touch as soon as she could, regretting her impolite reaction. But she needed to get away from him, even if it was only a yard or two. Without asking for help, she mounted her horse and waited for him to do the same.
The ride back to The Painted Horse was silent. She didn’t feel the awkwardness that she’d felt after the last kiss. Instead she felt rejuvenated, alive. She wanted to put Roxy into a run and feel the wind in her hair and against her skin, but knew nothing would be as thrilling as Ben’s touch.
As soon as they got back, Missy took Roxy from her and Hayden made an escape. She had lots to think about, most important, her future and whether or not she wanted to leave Burton after all.
****
Ben glanced at his watch. If he planned it right he’d have plenty of time to get into Burton to Jesse’s office and back before guests arrived for a roping and cutting horse demonstration.
But first things first. He’d made a promise to Hayden and he intended to keep it.
Ben climbed into the cab of his pickup. He paused for a moment as his mind formed a picture of the young woman who occupied his sister’s bedroom, so close to his own. Hayden, Lu and Sally had been at The Painted Horse for two weeks now and he still felt a thrill run through him every time he saw Hayden. It had only been a week since the kiss on the prairie. No, it was much more than a kiss. He’d come so close to making love to her, and more than a dozen times he’d kicked himself for stopping the passionate flow that had taken hold of them both. But it was too soon. Much too soon to be making such a move. Now he had to pay the price of their encounter. Torture could be defined by seeing her coming out of her bedroom in the morning, her hair disheveled and her eyes still filled with sleep. Yet he wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world.
Not that he had all the time in the world to sway her heart. As soon as his guests arrived, for a series of horse clinics, his time was dedicated to them. Most of these clinics lasted for several days and people were his guests at the ranch. Playing host twenty-four hours a day did nothing for his personal life and there’d been no more repeats of the moments they spent out on the prairie. In fact there had been no more moments alone period, but having her under his roof was comforting.
Since the time they’d been together on that day, she spent her time divided between Lu, painting and riding. She and Missy continued their long trail rides, painting supplies secured to Roxy’s saddle. Missy reported to him that Hayden was doing very well with riding, but when he pushed her about the painting, she’d only smile and shrug. Apparently the two had become quite good friends and Missy’s loyalties were clear.
Hayden seemed content to be there. In the evenings, though, after Lu had gone off to bed, she’d retreat to the corner of the living room and occupy herself with her sketches of her lighthouse and the Maine coast, her eyes far off and dreamy, as if she were wishing she were in her own home. If only she’d look that way when she gazed out on the South Dakota landscape.
A week ago several of his guests cajoled her into doing sketches of them, and since it’d become a regular evening occurrence. In appreciation, Ben had gone out and bought her a good sketchbook and pencils. It was the least he could do in return for her entertaining his guests.
Ben wished he could say it was as pleasant to have Sally under his roof. He’d known Sally for most of his life. She’d grown up on the other side of town and besides the time she spent at Lu’s home, they’d gone to school together. Once, when they were in the ninth grade, they’d gone to one dance
together but it was a short-lived romance. She seemed more interested in the quarterback of the school’s football team than the son of a rancher from one of the spreads on the outskirts of town.
Only since coming back from college and getting a job at the hospital, and then as personal nurse to Lu, had Sally’s interest in him reared its head again. By then all those quarterbacks had left town, but Ben remained. He’d turned The Painted Horse into a thriving business and that surely horses were more attractive to her eye than a bunch of cattle. He certainly had to give her credit for her persistence, but he wouldn’t go so far to say he appreciated it.
The ride to downtown Burton was only fifteen minutes. With the pleasant summer air hitting his face, Ben let his mind drift back to Hayden, thinking about the kiss they’d shared at Primrose Inn and the far more involved embrace out on the prairie. He couldn’t get that taste of her out of his senses, or the way her lips felt under his and most of all, the way his heart jumped into warp speed just thinking about that moment.
Even though she’d avoided any close contact with him over the past week, he caught her studying him on several occasions, generally in the evening when she sketched in the chair in the corner by the fire. As soon as she knew he’d been watching her, her cheeks would turn pink, her eyes would drop, but she’d smile as if they’d shared some little secret.
Well, that was partly true. No one knew about their kisses, but what she didn’t know, yet, was that he’d completely fallen in love with her.
Ben pulled his truck into the little parking lot behind the courthouse. He’d called ahead to make sure Jesse could make time for him, and had been assured that he could get a few minutes anyway. He suspected the time limit imposed on this meeting had much to do with the fact that Jesse suspected what it was about.
Ben hated to take sides, but he saw no choice. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Hayden and Jesse were related. Had to be. No way around it, unless Jesse had an identical twin walking around this world.
Arlene Smithy smiled up at Ben as soon as he walked into Jesse’s office. They exchanged quick pleasantries and Arlene buzzed to Jesse.
Summer on Main Street Page 110