The Cowboy's Last Goodbye (Grass Valley Cowboys Book 6) Read online

  “Me, too.” Harper turned wistful. “It seems so strange to spend this summer with him. It’s almost like I’m that unloved little girl again, lost in the world except for the anchor that Uncle Cletus provides.”

  Ben hugged her tighter against him. “You can count on me, Harper. If you ever need anything, I’m only a phone call away.”

  Overcome with emotion, Harper took a shaky breath, swallowing her tears. “Thanks, Ben, but I won’t hold you to that. I know you don’t want any commitments or attachments.”

  “This is different. I’m just saying, if you ever feel alone in the world, like you need a friend to listen or you want someone to hold your hand, I’ve got two available.”

  Harper glanced at him over her shoulder with tears shimmering in her eyes. “That means a lot to me, Captain.”

  “Anytime, Tinker Bell.”

  Harper was silent for the length of several heartbeats then she placed her hand over Ben’s as they overlapped her waist. “I don’t want to do this, Ben.”

  “Do what?” he asked, leaning forward, trying to look in her face. She turned and gave him a sad smile that nearly left him undone.

  “Tell you goodbye again. I know you’re heading back to Portland today. Back to work and your life.”

  “Duty calls.”

  “Why is it so easy to say hello and so hard to whisper goodbye?”

  “It’s only that way with people you care about it. I have no trouble thumbing my nose at the nasty little man who works the window at the coffee joint close to the freeway in The Dalles.”

  Harper laughed and squeezed Ben’s fingers. “I suppose unless you’re prepared to tell your family that you’ve held me captive out here, ravaging my poor tender skin with your raspy stubble, we better head back toward the house and hope Cass can find us.”

  “Did I hurt you?” Ben moved around until he could take Harper’s chin in his hand and examine her skin. It was red and he realized he’d not bothered to shave that morning because he didn’t think he’d see her. After their intense kissing session in the dark of her driveway the other night, he didn’t make any plans to see her before he left because it was getting harder and harder to keep her out of his mind and heart.

  “I’m fine, Ben.” Harper kissed his palm and started to get to her feet, but he pulled her down across his lap and gave her a long, tender hug.

  When he released her, she stared at him. “What was that for?”

  “Consider it my goodbye, for now.” He held out his hand so she could stand then got to his feet. After settling his hat on his head, he took Harper’s hand and headed back in the direction of the ranch house.

  By the time they got there, no evidence of his kisses remained on Harper’s face, although Brice kept giving him strange looks and Hart winked at him.

  “We gave up on you guys finding us,” Ben said, walking Harper to her pickup when it became evident Cletus wanted to go home.

  “Believe me, we looked everywhere,” Trent said. “Cass and Lindsay nearly turned every building upside down.”

  “Where did you hide?” Cass asked, coming up to Harper and giving her a hug.

  Harper tweaked her pert nose and grinned. “If we tell you, we’ll have to find a new spot next time.”

  Brice snickered and Bailey glared at him.

  Once the family all bid them goodbye, Ben covertly pointed to his phone and raised an eyebrow.

  She offered him the slightest nod then headed home, wondering how many times she’d have to tell Ben goodbye before it completely broke her heart.

  ><><

  “What in the world got into you today?” Bailey asked Brice as they drove home after eating dinner with his family.

  “Me? I don’t know what you’re talking about, Sugar.” Brice feigned a guiltless look.

  His wife shook her head. “Don’t act like you’re innocent, Brice Morgan. You practically cackled like a…” Bailey searched for a term to describe his odd behavior.

  “A very amused brother,” Brice said, grinning at her.

  Bailey wrinkled her brow and puzzled over his comment. “I don’t have a clue what you mean by that, but you were walking the line of being rude to Harper. What about her made you laugh like that?”

  “Oh, it wasn’t Harper I found funny.” Brice chuckled, unable to hold back his mirth. “It was Ben.”

  Bailey glanced over her shoulder to check on Maizy as she slept in her car seat. Assured she was fine, she turned her attention back to her husband. “Care to elaborate on that?”

  “No, I don’t. I just happened to notice something today that will no doubt prove to be quite interesting in the near future.” Brice picked up her hand and kissed her palm before returning his gaze to the road. “I’d tell you, but you spend too much time around my sister and the other Thompson girls to be able to keep a secret. You’ll just have to wait with the rest of them.”

  Even more confused, Bailey glared at Brice. “Wait for what?”

  “The mighty Ben Morgan to fall.”

  Chapter Eight

  Goodbyes mean you get hugs and kisses.

  Emily Thompson

  The knock on his apartment door sounded more like a death knell to Ben.

  After inhaling a fortifying breath, he opened the door and smiled as Emily bounced in her mother’s arms.

  “Uncle Ben!” she said, reaching out to him. He took her and gave her a hug, stepping aside so Trent and Lindsay could enter.

  “Are you sure you can handle this, Ben?” Lindsay asked skeptically.

  It was one thing for Trent to beg him to watch Emily for the day, but something else entirely for Lindsay to question his ability to handle one three-year-old girl for the next eight hours.

  “You betcha. Emily and I are going to have a great day.”

  “I get to stay with Uncle Ben!” Emily wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed.

  “We really appreciate you watching her at the last minute. We’ve had this day planned for months and everything fell apart at the last moment.” Trent placed a bag of Emily’s things, along with her car seat, on the floor then handed Ben a to-go bag from a kid-friendly drive-through.

  “Tell me again why you resorted to me as a babysitter?” Ben set down Emily and watched as she ran over to his patio door to look outside. He had a view of the river and she pointed to boats moving along the water.

  “Trey and Cady were going to watch her but the twins are sick. Travis and Tess went to Bend today to do some shopping for the nursery. Denni went with Hart to check on one of his stations somewhere in Utah. Your mom is spending the weekend with Brice and Bailey. Your Dad had a grain growers meeting. Viv was slammed at the café, and we’d rather chop off an arm than leave our baby girl with Lindsay’s mother.” Trent sighed. “You are our last hope.”

  “Well, thanks for making me feel loved,” Ben said with a heavy dose of sarcasm. At Lindsay’s distressed look, he grinned. “You’re spending the day with Lonnie and Maren, right?” Ben asked, recalling Trent said something on the phone about plans with Lindsay’s brother and his wife.

  “That’s correct. We’ll be back by seven, at the latest. If you have any problems, just give us a call,” Lindsay said, picking up Emily and kissing her rosy little cheeks.

  “Don’t worry about it. Pinkie and I will have a grand time today, won’t we, kiddo?”

  “Yep!” Emily squirmed down from her mother and ran over to Ben, wrapping her arms around his leg.

  “Is she on any medication I need to know about? Any food allergies?”

  “Nope. Em is about as healthy as they come,” Trent said, hunkering down in front of his daughter. Emily ran into his arms and gave him a tight hug then smacked noisy kisses on his face.

  “I like goodbyes,” she said, grinning at her father.

  “You do?” Ben asked, thinking how much he hated them. “Why do you like goodbyes?”

  “Because you get lots of hugs and kisses.”

  Surprised by her answer, thoug
hts of Harper and the kisses they’d shared the last time he’d seen her flooded Ben’s mind.

  “I must be doing my goodbyes all wrong, then,” Ben said with a teasing grin.

  “I’ll teached you better,” Emily said, giving her father one last kiss before walking back over to Ben.

  “You be a very good girl for Uncle Ben today, sweetheart. We’ll see you right after dinner.” Lindsay hugged her daughter one last time then hurried out the door before she changed her mind about leaving her baby with a confirmed bachelor.

  Trent slapped Ben on the back. “Thanks again, man. You are a lifesaver.”

  “You’re welcome, but don’t forget that. I’m sure the debt will come in handy someday.” Ben offered Trent a cocky smirk as he backed toward the door with a concerned look on his face. “Go on. I’ve got this.”

  Trent nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

  “Well, Pinkerydoo, what do you want to do today?”

  Emily hugged his leg and looked up at him with eyes that could bend grown men to her will. “Be with you, Uncle Ben!”

  He lifted her up and tossed her into the air. “I think we’ve got that covered, honey.”

  After they ate the lunch Trent and Lindsay left, Ben decided they needed more entertainment than his apartment offered.

  He took the sparkly pink bag of Emily’s things and stuffed it into one of his backpacks. After adding two water bottles and a couple of granola bars, he told Emily to watch the boats out the patio door while he changed.

  Quickly slipping on a pair of cargo shorts, T-shirt, and a pair of running shoes, Ben settled a ball cap on his head and hurried back to find Emily with her hands and nose pressed against the patio door, staring at the water.

  “Would you like to see the boats up close?” Ben asked.

  “Oh, yes!” Emily said, running over to him.

  “Let’s get to it, then.”

  He drove Emily down to the dock where the company he worked for had an office and showed her the different types of boats. The third time she almost fell into the water and aged him prematurely, he concluded the dock wasn’t the safest place to entertain her.

  When she said she needed to go to the bathroom, Ben started to take her into the men’s restroom then thought better of it. Somehow, he didn’t think Lindsay would like her miniature princess in a bathroom full of sailors.

  He asked the company secretary if she’d take Emily while he watched the front desk.

  She took her and returned a short time later with the little girl. Along with a smile, she offered Ben an interested glance. “I had no idea you liked children, Ben Morgan. You’ve been holding out on us.”

  “Don’t get any ideas, Rachel. This is an emergency babysitting situation and nothing more.”

  Rachel smiled and nodded her head. “Right. Whatever you say.”

  Aggravated, Ben carried Emily back to his truck. Racking his brain for something safe they could do together that wouldn’t cause him undue suffering, he recalled Harper’s story about going to the zoo.

  Surely if Cletus Keller could handle two kids at the zoo, he could manage one tiny little girl.

  It didn’t take long for Ben to surmise Cletus was a braver, much better man than he’d ever be and planned to tell him so the next time he saw him.

  Things started out well enough at the zoo. Emily excitedly sat on his lap as they rode the train. She seemed interested as they wandered through the exhibits. As the afternoon grew hotter and the air more humid, she started to whine.

  They were gazing at reptiles and spiders when she went into meltdown mode and started crying for her mommy.

  Trent and Lindsay had both texted him several times to make sure everything was fine. He assured them Emily was alive and well. The last thing he’d do is call them now.

  His efforts to calm the hysterical child only escalated her tantrum. In a moment of desperation, he called Harper and asked her what to do.

  “She’s probably just hot and tired, Ben. Take her inside the restaurant and get her something to drink and eat. She might need a nap,” Harper suggested.

  “Thanks. I’ll give that a try.” Ben shifted Emily so she wasn’t crying directly into the phone.

  “I can’t believe you took her to the zoo by yourself.” He could hear the smile in her voice and it made him wish she were there with him.

  “I can’t believe I did either. How did your uncle handle the two of you?”

  Harper laughed. “Because I was nine and Ryan was twelve. We were low maintenance by that age.”

  “Right.” Ben felt like an idiot. “Thanks for your help, Harper. I really appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome. Good luck.”

  He shoved the phone back into his pocket and promised Emily he’d make everything all better. Racing across the zoo, he took her to a café that offered soup, sandwiches and salads. He ordered two ice waters and a dish of ice cream.

  Emily had stopped crying before they reached the café, but she sagged against Ben as she sipped her water through a bright pink straw.

  He used a paper napkin to wipe her teary face then scooted the ice cream toward her.

  “Do you want some ice cream, Pinkie?”

  “No,” she said, sticking her little lip out into a pout.

  “Not even one bite?” Ben asked dipping a spoon into the cold confection and holding it out to her.

  She crossed her arms over her chest and grew teary-eyed again, so Ben ate the ice cream while she sipped her water.

  Five minutes later, he carried her out to his truck where she collapsed into her car seat and slept all the way back to his apartment.

  Admiration filled him as he thought of Trey and Cady with two toddlers to take care of, not to mention Cass. He wondered how they managed, especially with their puckish twins.

  After parking his pickup, he slung the backpack over his shoulder and decided to carry Emily in her car seat up to his apartment. She didn’t even blink as he worked it free from the knot of seatbelts and bungee cords he’d used to secure it since he couldn’t figure out how to fasten it properly into his truck.

  Some of his single female neighbors eyed him as he crossed the courtyard and waited for the elevator up to his apartment.

  He could almost hear their biological clocks screaming that a baby-making machine was in their midst.

  Lest anyone get any wild ideas, he opened the door to the stairs and took them two at a time up to his apartment.

  Winded by the time he reached his door, he opened it and carried Emily inside.

  Afraid to wake her, he knew she’d be more comfortable outside of the car seat, so he gently lifted her limp body and carried her into his bedroom. He adjusted the vents of his window air conditioning unit so they wouldn’t blow directly on her, then partially closed the door.

  He took a cold Dr. Pepper from the fridge and sank onto his couch.

  No one warned him how utterly exhausting it would be to keep track of one pink dress-wearing impish-grinning little, bitty girl.

  Ben realized he must have dozed off when he felt something jump on top of him and bounce on body parts that weren’t meant to be used as a trampoline.

  A groan rolled out of him as he sat up and lifted Emily before she caused more damage.

  “Can we go to the zoo again, Uncle Ben? Can we? I want to see the big kitties again. Please?” Emily sat beside him, batting her dark eyelashes with her tiny little fingers curled beneath her chin in a pose that brought Harper to mind.

  “I think we’re all done with the zoo for the day, Pinkie.” Ben glanced at the clock on the wall. “Are you hungry? Do you want some dinner?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Ben decided to go straight for something easy. “Do you like pizza?”

  Emily bounced up and down some more. “I love pizza. Can I have pepenrodi?”

  “Sure thing, kiddo. Pepenrodi it is.” Ben called a pizza delivery place a few blocks from the apartment.

  After he
placed the order, he carried Emily over to the kitchen sink where he helped her wash her hands. Once her hands were clean and dry, he set her down at the table with a paper towel, because she insisted she needed a “paper for my face.”

  The doorbell rang as he poured her a glass of milk. Quickly setting the glass on the table, he hurried to the door and handed the delivery kid the money for the pizza along with a nice tip for hustling.

  “It’s magics, Uncle Ben!” Emily said, getting onto her knees in the chair and leaning on the table as he set down the pizza box.

  “Magic?” he asked, uncertain what she meant.

  “Oh, yes! You called for pizza and poof!” She clapped her hands together. “That man came with our pizza in a pretty box! That’s magics!”

  Realizing Emily had never seen a pizza delivered, he supposed it probably did seem like magic to the little girl.

  “Now if your parents would magically appear,” he groused as he placed a slice of pizza on Emily’s plate.

  “What?” she asked, giving him a curious glance.

  He shook his head and gave her a smile. “Nothing, Pinkerydoo. Eat your pizza while it’s warm.”

  “You didn’t say grace.”

  “I forgot,” Ben said, taking her hand in his and asking a blessing on their meal.

  “Amens!” Emily’s enthusiasm made Ben smile as she sat back down in her chair and went to work on her pizza.

  After she ate a second piece, he decided she must have a hollow leg. Afraid she’d make herself sick if he let her eat more, he suggested they wait a little while. If she was still hungry, she could have another piece then.

  She wiped her mouth on her “paper” before asking to be excused from the table.

  “By all means, Pinkie, you are excused.”

  “I help with dishes,” the little girl said, carrying her plate to the sink. “Where’s your machine?”

  “A dishwasher?” Ben asked.

  Emily nodded, making her curls bounce every which direction.

  Ben grinned and held up his hands. “Right here.”

  “Can we make bubbles?” Emily asked, grabbing a kitchen chair and dragging it over to the sink.