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

  “Do you need me to wait for you, to make sure they can get you up and running?” she asked.

  “I’ll be fine from here.” Ben held out his hand, uncertain how to say goodbye when he didn’t really want to. In spite of the fact they’d spent the last hour together, he wouldn’t mind spending a few more. Harper Hayes entirely fascinated him and he wanted to discover why.

  He’d dated girls of every shape, size, temperament, and personality, but for some inexplicable reason, Harper seemed different from them all.

  Confidently, she took his hand in hers and gave it a firm, professional shake. “It was very nice to meet you, Captain Morgan.” Hesitant to tell him goodbye, Harper had no reason to think she’d see Ben again.

  Goodbye was the appropriate thing to say, wasn’t it? Good riddance? Safe travels?

  She released his hand and jumped when General bumped against her, whining as he stared at Ben.

  The man grinned at the dog and took a step back. “I’ll catch you later, Harper.”

  “Later,” she said watching him walk away in his fine-fitting jeans.

  After she rolled up the window, she sighed and looked at the dog. “Later? What kind of idiotic thing is that to say? Ugh! That definitely won’t leave a great impression. Not that I care, mind you.”

  General bumped into her arm and she could have sworn he grinned.

  “Okay, maybe I care, a little.”

  The dog woofed in agreement.

  Chapter Three

  Never offer a goodbye when your heart waves hello.

  Ben released a contented sigh as he guided the tug he piloted and the four barges it pushed into place to pick up one last load of wheat at Rufus before he returned with a full load to Portland. Each barge could hold more than three thousand tons, making it a fuel-efficient option for transporting goods.

  As the captain, he was responsible for guiding the vessels during his watch, entering information into a log, and making sure the deckhand accomplished his assigned tasks.

  After a fifteen-day rotation, he couldn’t wait to get home and sleep in his own bed. There were five of them on the tug — two captains, two deckhands, and a deckhand in training. By alternating six-hour shifts, they kept the barges moving nonstop.

  If all went well, he’d be home tomorrow in plenty of time to grab breakfast from the diner a few blocks from his apartment.

  As the grain auger swung out over the barge, he waved to the deckhand then jumped onto the dock. Effortlessly, his long strides ate up the ground to the office with the paperwork needed to pick up the load of grain.

  Opening the door, he stepped inside, prepared to greet the elderly woman who’d managed the office there ever since he’d started working for the barge company. She always had homemade cookies in a jar on her desk and asked him about his family as a he ate a few.

  Sunlight created a golden circle around the blond head of a young, beautiful woman as she sat the desk. Shocked, he gaped at her in surprise.

  “Harper? What are you doing here?” Ben grinned like a fool as he shut the door and walked over to the desk.

  The last person he expected to see at the Rufus grain elevator was Harper Hayes, but he couldn’t deny his pleasure at the opportunity.

  Frequently, she’d popped into his thoughts during the past two weeks. No matter how much it galled him to admit it, she’d captured his interest.

  A quick glance around confirmed the woman who usually worked the desk was nowhere in sight. “Where’s Marge?”

  “She retired three weeks ago. I spent a week training with her before she left. This job gives me something to do since Uncle Cletus thinks I fuss over him too much when I’m at the house.” Harper stood and glanced outside. “I assume you’re in charge of the grain we’re loading out today, Captain Morgan.”

  “Yes, ma’am, I am.” Ben did his best to ignore General as the dog walked around the desk and came over to sniff his leg. When the animal sat down by his foot and looked at him with his tongue lolling out of his mouth and tail wagging, Ben knew he was ready to be friends.

  Slowly hunkering down, he let the dog sniff his hand before rubbing it over the animal’s head and along his back.

  “If I’d known General was here, I would have brought him a treat.” Ben glanced up at Harper as he scratched the dog behind his ears.

  “If you bring something with bacon, you’ll have a new best friend for life.” Harper shook her head as she completed the paperwork. “General doesn’t usually let anyone but me and Uncle Cletus pet him. You must be a good guy for him to take to you like that.”

  “Did I give you the impression I was a bad boy?” Suggestively, Ben waggled his eyebrows at her.

  Harper blushed.

  A vision of a shirtless Ben leaning against his bike on the dusty road made her wish she could get another peek at those glorious abs of his. If the heated churning in her midsection was any indication of her reaction to him, he definitely fell into the bad boy category.

  “You didn’t the other day.” She stood and held out the papers to him. “But today… well, that’s up for debate.”

  Ben stood and slapped a hand to his chest, feigning insult. “I’m wounded, Miss Hayes, to the very depths of my being. I assure you, I might give off the occasional impression of being a bad boy, but I’m really very good.”

  The devilish smile he flashed at her suggested otherwise, so Harper pointed out the window toward the grain elevators. “The first load of this year’s wheat came in yesterday. I’ve heard this place will be a madhouse until harvest is over.”

  “Yeah, it can get chaotic during the middle of harvest. And it’s early this year.” Ben tucked the papers Harper had given him into the folder he held in his hand then moved toward the door.

  “Marge told me I could call her if things get too hectic.” Harper smiled. “She’s such a dear lady. It’s sad she’s all alone.”

  “It is. Her kids all moved away then her husband died. I don’t know why she doesn’t move closer to some of her family.” Ben gave General another good scratching when the dog followed him to the door.

  “For the same reason you moved to Portland — independence.” Harper grinned and held out a tin his direction. “Would you like a cookie? Marge told me you guys all come in expecting sweets.”

  “Did you make them?” Ben asked, lifting one from the dozen packed into the container. A hint of strawberry teased his nose as he took a bite of the soft cookie filled with strawberry jam.

  “Fresh this morning.” Harper took one and bit into it.

  Ben nearly choked on his cookie as a slight dusting of powdered sugar clung to her lip. The desire to kiss it away was so strong, he started to lean closer to her.

  General bumped into his legs and brought him back to reality. No matter how attracted he was to Harper, she wasn’t a girl he planned to date. The feelings she stirred in him, feelings he hadn’t felt for a long, long time, made it clear she wouldn’t be someone he could date a few times and tell goodbye.

  Harper was the kind of girl that made a man think about houses and babies, and choosing just the right rocking chairs to set on the porch for their retirement years.

  Terrified by the direction of his thoughts, Ben snatched another cookie and opened the door. “These are great, Harper. Thanks for sharing, but I better get to work.”

  Caught off guard by his abrupt departure, she stared at the door. For a brief, insane moment, she’d been sure Ben Morgan wanted to kiss her.

  The fact that she would have let him made her scrub the back of her hand across her mouth, as if she could rub away the tingling ache to taste his lips.

  “Agh!” Perturbed, she plopped down at her desk and slammed the lid on the cookies. “No men, other than Uncle Cletus in my life. Right, General?”

  The dog cocked his head and lifted an ear, giving her a curious look.

  She sighed and scratched behind his ears. “Especially not gorgeous, bike-riding, boat captains.”

  Harper
tried to return to work, but her thoughts drifted outside to where Ben oversaw the grain as it was loaded onto the barge.

  Someone said something he must have found amusing. As he laughed, she admired his white teeth in contrast to his tan skin and dark hair.

  “Admiring the scenery?” a voice asked near her desk.

  Harper squeaked and spun around in her chair while her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

  Marge grinned as she set a basket on Harper’s desk and glimpsed the men outside.

  Quickly rising to her feet, Harper hurried around the desk and hugged the older woman. “I’d pretend I don’t know what you’re talking about, but you caught me red-handed.”

  “More like red-cheeked.” Marge laughed as she patted one of Harper’s flaming cheeks with a soft hand.

  “You wouldn’t be the first female to check out the guys from the safety of the office.” Marge pointed her finger in Ben’s direction. “And Ben Morgan is about as fine as they come. Did you notice how nice his trousers fit across that firm seat?”

  If Harper’s cheeks were red before, they looked like someone had decorated them with red face paint at Marge’s statement. Too stunned to speak, she fumbled with a stack of files on her desk until Marge’s laughter drew her attention.

  “Don’t worry about it, hon. Ben’s a good man, even if he hasn’t found himself.”

  Curious, Harper gave the woman a confused glance. “Found himself? Hasn’t he done this job for a while? He seems like a steady kind of guy.”

  “Oh, he is. Don’t get me wrong. Ben is loyal, hard working, dependable, and honest. He just hasn’t figured out what he really wants out of life, or at least if he has, he’s not willing to follow his heart.”

  Even more baffled, Harper leaned against the edge of the desk. “What do you think he should be doing?”

  Marge shrugged. “That’s not for me to decide or say. Ben will find his way, eventually. Between those Morgan and Thompson kids, I’ve never seen a bunch of more mule-headed men in my life. I have to hand it to Ben, though. He’s evaded all the matchmaking efforts the women in Grass Valley have tossed at him with great success.”

  In vain, Harper tried to hide how much the woman entertained her by changing the subject. “What’s in your basket?”

  Marge removed a pristine white dishtowel and lifted out a plate of fried chicken with homemade biscuits and a dish of fresh strawberries. “I thought you might like some lunch. I made extra.”

  “Oh, that’s so thoughtful of you. Thank you.” Harper took the plate Marge held out to her, wondering how she’d ever eat all the food piled on it.

  “Well, I need to run, hon. I have a standing appointment at the beauty parlor and no one wants to see this ol’ gal if I miss a week.” Marge opened the door and glanced back at Harper. “Just leave the basket here. I’ll pick it up another day.”

  Harper waved as Marge took her leave. The smell of the chicken made her mouth water and her stomach growl.

  She peeled a paper towel off the roll on the counter behind her desk and sat down to enjoy her lunch when the door opened and Ben strolled inside.

  “Hey, Harper, I just wanted to …” Ben gaped at the food on her desk. “Is that Marge’s chicken?”

  Harper lifted an eyebrow and gave him an indulgent look. “If I said it was, would you share it with me?”

  “You bet, but I’ll have to eat fast. If I take it out there, there’ll be a mutiny.” Ben stepped into the office bathroom and washed his hands then took a seat across the desk from Harper.

  Without a moment of hesitation, he took her hand in his and offered a brief blessing over their meal.

  Thrown for a loop, Harper didn’t know what to think of Ben Morgan. She’d never met anyone quite like him.

  From the impression he’d made on their first meeting and the wayward thoughts the mere memory of him inspired, she’d never have pegged him as a guy who said grace at meals.

  Perhaps there was more to him than a rugged jawline and captivating smile.

  Rather than speak, she slid the plate across the desk and motioned for Ben to take a piece of the chicken. He did and eagerly bit into the crispy crust and juicy meat.

  “Man, Marge makes the best chicken. Too bad she doesn’t want to open a restaurant around here. She’d do a booming business.”

  Harper shrugged and bit into a drumstick. “Maybe she’s ready to relax. Didn’t she work here at the elevator for fifteen years?”

  Ben nodded as he broke a biscuit in half and took a bite. “She’s more than earned her retirement, but I’ll miss seeing her around.”

  Mockingly, Harper grinned. “You’ll miss Marge, or the food she brings?”

  “Busted.” Ben smiled and finished the biscuit. “I’ll miss Marge and her cooking.”

  He ate faster than Harper had ever seen a human consume food. Before she’d taken more than a few bites of chicken, Ben had eaten two pieces and a biscuit.

  “I’ve got to go, Harper, but thanks for sharing your lunch.” Ben snitched a big, juicy strawberry from the dish and bit into it.

  Harper watched in slow motion as he licked his full lower lip. It made her want to kiss him in the absolute worst way.

  “I’ll see you around.”

  Like a whirlwind, he blew out the door and back onto the barge. Harper leaned back in her chair and watched the tug push the barges into the center of the river.

  Unsettled by the strength of her attraction to Ben, she sighed. General flopped down by her feet and offered her a sad-eyed look.

  “I am in big, big trouble, boy. Old ladies fattening me up with fried chicken and burly boat captains charming me with their smiles.” Harper picked up her chicken and took another bite. “Ben’s right, it is really good.”

  Chapter Four

  No one knows the exact moment

  when a friendship is formed,

  but it is this silent forgotten moment

  that causes the pain when we must say goodbye.

  Anonymous

  Fully aware he had places he needed to be and his dad expected him back at the ranch with the parts to get the combine up and running, Ben still made a quick detour.

  He’d been at the ranch for three days, helping his dad as they started the wheat harvest. Things had gone smoothly until that morning when one of the combines broke down. Realizing they didn’t have what was needed to make repairs in their shop, Ben volunteered to run into The Dalles for parts.

  Mike called ahead so the part was ready when Ben arrived. In theory, the round trip should have taken him around two hours.

  However, he drove right past the exit at Biggs Junction to head toward Grass Valley and continued a few miles down the freeway to Rufus, hoping to catch Harper at work.

  Only a fool would get involved with a girl like her when he had no intention of the relationship going beyond a few dates and some fun. Somehow, Ben couldn’t quite help himself, though.

  Since he’d seen her the other day, she lingered in his mind. The need to see her again trumped every other thought in his head, particularly those screaming that it was a terrible idea to visit her.

  Ben parked his truck next to hers and grinned, happy to find her at work. He didn’t relish the thought of driving all the way out to her uncle’s place looking for her if she wasn’t there.

  Yanking off his chaff-covered ball cap, he finger-combed his hair in the rearview mirror and slapped on a little cologne he kept in the console for emergencies such as this.

  After popping a mint into his mouth, he hurried out of the truck and into the office.

  Harper glanced up then gave him a double take as she spoke with someone on the office phone.

  She held up an index finger, letting him know she’d be with him in a minute.

  General wandered around the desk and walked over to Ben, sitting down in front of his feet.

  “Hey, General. How are you doing, buddy?”

  The dog wagged his tail excitedly as Ben squatted down to pet h
im. When Harper hung up the phone, he stood, but continued to rub the dog’s head.

  She rose to her feet and walked around the desk, offering Ben a warm smile. “What are you doing here? There’s no barge outside, so what’s up?”

  Ben grinned as he took in her soft pink T-shirt, denim shorts with lace on the pockets, and bright pink sneakers bedazzled with sequins. The flowery scent he mentally connected to her and some exotic island locale filled his nose.

  “I’m helping dad on the ranch with wheat harvest and we needed some parts. I volunteered to run into The Dalles to pick them up.”

  Puzzled by his presence, she gave him a baffled look. “So you forgot to turn south at Biggs Junction and ended up here?”

  “No. I came to see you.” Ben mentally berated himself for his bluntness. Something about Harper made him lose the ability to spout off smooth lines and left him feeling vulnerable. “I wanted to ask you a question.”

  “Ask away,” she said, leaning against the desk and crossing her feet at the ankle. “What can I do for you?”

  “Eat dinner with me tomorrow night. There’s a place here in Rufus we could meet, if you’re interested.” Nervous, Ben rubbed his damp palms along the sides of his jeans. “And if you aren’t interested, no worries.”

  Harper stared at him so long, he wondered if he’d somehow offended her with his question. Finally, she nodded her head. “I’d love to have dinner with you. Why don’t I meet you there?”

  Relief flooded over him and he released the jaw he didn’t even realize he’d tightly clenched. “Would about seven work for you?”

  “It sure would. I can fix something for Uncle Cletus and get him settled before I meet you.”

  “Great. I’ll see you at seven tomorrow.” Ben started out the door, but Harper’s hand on his arm stopped him. She held her cell phone in her other hand.

  “Don’t you think it might be a good idea to exchange numbers, in case something pops up?”

  With his thoughts so scrambled by Harper, and how much he wanted to kiss her delectable lips, he couldn’t think straight.