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

  Of course, she needed his number. Also, he liked the idea of having her contact information. Tugging his phone out of his pocket, they exchanged numbers.

  “Now we’re all set.” Harper took a step back, curious how a man who had clearly been out working in the wheat fields could smell so deliciously divine. Every breath she took filled her senses with Ben’s manly, musky scent. It had to be better than anything a high-end department store sold in a fancy bottle.

  “Thanks, Harper. I look forward to having dinner with you.” Ben chastised himself for sounding like an idiot as he walked to his truck and turned back to wave at the girl who had somehow invaded his thoughts and kicked his common sense to the curb.

  He hurried out of Rufus, exceeding the speed limit to make up for the time he lost by going to see Harper.

  A vision of that pink T-shirt gliding over her curves and her sparkly sneakers plastered a smile on his face that he couldn’t quite suppress.

  The following afternoon, he struggled to pay attention to the wheat he cut. A hundred different conversations had played through his mind as he pondered what to say to Harper, what they should discuss.

  In all his life, he’d never been as nervous before a date as he was with this one.

  Normally, conversation was the last thing he worried about when he took a woman on a date. Most women were chatty and he interjected just enough into the conversation to keep them going until they were ready to move from talking to kissing.

  None of his past ploys or experience would work with Harper, though. He genuinely wanted to hear what she had to say, to learn more about her.

  From the little she’d shared about her brother, he could tell they were close. He wondered where her parents lived. Did she have other siblings?

  Completely distracted, he almost ran the combine through the fence at the end of the field. At the last possible second, he managed to stop and had to back up with everyone watching like he’d lost his mind.

  When they called it quits for the evening, his dad thumped him on the back as they walked to the house to wash up for dinner.

  “Your mind somewhere beyond the wheat field today, son?”

  “Maybe, old man,” Ben glanced at his dad with a teasing smile.

  In his mid-fifties, Mike Morgan was as fit as a fiddle and attractive enough to draw interested gazes from women of all ages, a fact that both pleased and irritated Ben’s mother.

  Because teasing each other was a strong dynamic in their relationship, Ben had referred to his dad as an old man since he’d moved away to Portland. The truth was that Ben hoped he aged as well as his father.

  Mike grinned at him and gave him a playful punch to the arm. “What’s her name?”

  Ben pretended to be affronted. “I’m insulted that you think a female would make me that distracted. Maybe there was a bee in the combine.”

  Chuckling, Mike shook his finger at his oldest child. “I’m not buying it, kid. You have a look in your eye I recognize all too well. The only possible reason for it to be there is a girl.” Mike elbowed him as they entered the mudroom and stopped to remove their dirty hats and wash their hands.

  “I’m not saying anything, except if you don’t mind, I’d like the rest of the evening off. I’m meeting someone for dinner.” Ben avoided making eye contact with his dad as he peeled off his sweaty, dirty shirt. He wanted plenty of time to take a shower to remove the chaff that made him itch from the top of his head down to his toes.

  Mike nudged his side again and stared at him. “I knew it! Now you have to tell me her name.”

  “Come on, Dad. Give me a break, here.” Ben felt like he was sixteen and had just been caught sneaking in late from a date. He scrubbed his hands, hoping his dad would let the subject drop.

  “No can do, my boy. Is she from around here? Have we met her? Or is she one of your fancy city girls. Brice said you weren’t dating Laurie any more so I knew it was just a matter of time before another girl landed on your radar.” Mike stepped up to the sink when Ben picked up a towel to dry his hands. “What does she look like? Is this one a brunette? You seem to favor them. Maybe a redhead this time, huh?”

  “Enough, old man!” Ben grinned. “Her name is Harper, she moved here to take care of her uncle, and she has blond hair.”

  “Harper? Not ol’ Cletus Keller’s niece?”

  Ben nodded.

  Mike whistled and shook his head. “She is a sweet thing with a face like a pretty doll. Your mother introduced me to her last time we stopped at Hart’s station on our way through town.”

  His father gave him a long, observant glance. “Harper isn’t the type of girl you usually date, Ben. She’s a good girl, a solid girl.”

  “I know that. We ran into each other a few times and I thought it might be nice for her to hang out with someone closer to her age than Cletus. That’s all. We’re just friends.”

  “Friends.” Mike repeated with an odd smirk on his face. “Go on, Ben. Get ready to have dinner with your friend. I’ll let your mom know you’ve got plans.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  The knowing look on his father’s face sent Ben rushing down the hall to his old bedroom. After he showered, shaved, and dressed, he quietly made his way out of the house, avoiding the kitchen where his parents ate dinner.

  Given the opportunity, his mother would put him through an interrogation that would crack even the most stalwart of spies, let alone her own children. After Michele pried the information out of him she wanted, Mike would have teased him until Ben either lost his temper or decided not to go just to show them he wasn’t all that interested in Miss Harper Hayes.

  Unable to deny his attraction to the woman or his need to see her, Ben hustled to his pickup, eager to get to Rufus. A goofy smile covered his face the entire trip.

  He pulled into a parking space at a quarter to seven. A quick glance around the parking lot at the restaurant confirmed he’d arrived before Harper.

  Now that he had a few moments to gather his thoughts, he speculated if he should have brought her flowers. Maybe he should have taken her somewhere nice. They could have driven into The Dalles for dinner.

  Mindful of his nervous state, Ben let out a long breath. It wasn’t a date. Just dinner between new friends to get better acquainted.

  No flowers were needed, nothing fancy was required.

  In fact, he considered the idea of sending Harper a text message and leaving, saying something popped up. The best plan was probably the one that avoided spending time with her in the future.

  Regardless of what seemed like the smartest thing to do, Ben hurried out of his pickup as he watched Harper park three spaces down from him.

  As soon as she opened the door, he offered her his hand. She slid out of the truck, stealing his breath right out of his lungs.

  The hot pink sundress she wore floated around her curvy figure, ending at her knees with a hint of lace. Pink wedge sandals on her feet added a few inches of height, putting her mouth that much closer to his.

  Aware he needed to say something rather than gape at her, Ben gathered the few wits he had left.

  “You look amazing, Harper. Like a vibrant summer rose.”

  She glanced up at him, uncertain if he was sincere or offering idle flattery. The admiration in his smile and the light in his eyes made her think he meant it.

  Pleased, she squeezed the hand he still held as they walked across the parking lot to the door. “Thank you, kind sir. There aren’t too many opportunities to dress up around here. I have to take each one I can get.”

  “Really, Harper, you’re lovely.” Ben breathed in her scent as he held the door open and she walked past him inside. The fragrance made him want to haul her into his arms and lose himself in the bliss of her lips.

  Purposely tamping down his crazy urge, he followed Harper to their table. Seated in a corner booth, they placed their orders and sat back, staring at each other.

  Ben couldn’t get over how beautiful she looked, even in
a simple cotton dress. When she leaned forward and propped her chin on her upraised hands, his heart started thumping in double-time.

  The saucy smile she gave him almost caused his brain to short circuit. A vision of pulling her across the table onto his lap, forced him to gulp ice water. Overheated, he wished he’d worn cargo shorts and a T-shirt instead of a pair of pressed jeans and one of his nicest dress shirts along with his best pair of boots.

  Big blue eyes drew him in as she held his gaze. Ben leaned forward, considering what she’d do if he kissed her full on the mouth right there in the restaurant.

  More than willing to find out, he slid his hand across the table toward her.

  Harper smiled. “I met your sister today.”

  Those five little words dampened his mood and effectively killed his amorous intentions. “You what?”

  Her smile broadened. “I met Tess Thompson today at the Renegade station when I stopped to fill my truck with gas.”

  “Oh.”

  “She’s beautiful, Ben, especially with that pregnancy glow.” Harper tilted her head slightly. “You’ll have to correct me if I’ve got this all wrong, but Tess is married to the youngest Thompson brother and Hart Hammond is their stepfather. Is that right?”

  Ben nodded. “That’s right.”

  “And there are two older brothers?”

  “Yep.” A conversation about his family wasn’t exactly what Ben wanted to discuss this evening. If they had to spend their time talking instead of engaging in flirty banter, he at least wanted to find out more about Harper.

  “And this is your sister’s first baby?”

  “Yeah. She and Travis will be married four years this October. The baby is due around Thanksgiving.” Ben took another sip of his water. Talk of marriage and babies always made him uncomfortable.

  “What about your brother? You mentioned he lived a few hours away. What does he do?”

  Ben sat back in the booth and picked up the knife from the cutlery located on a white paper napkin near the ketchup bottle, twirling it between his long fingers. “Brice makes furniture and all sorts of things out of wood. He has so much talent and potential. His wife is a paleontologist. She works in the John Day Fossil Beds doing research and stuff I don’t even pretend to understand. They live close to the research center. Brice can do his work anywhere, so he takes care of their baby, Maizy. She was born on New Year’s Eve.”

  “What a way to ring in the New Year. Is she as adorable as her name sounds?” Harper loved babies, even if she didn’t plan to have any of her own. That would require finding a man she trusted enough to marry. The likelihood of that happening was slim to none.

  Ben took his phone from his pocket and pulled up a few photos he’d snapped of the baby along with some his family had sent.

  “Oh, my gracious. She’s adorable. With that dark hair and those blue eyes, she looks like a doll.” Harper glanced up from the phone. “How can you stand to be around that much cuteness?”

  Ben chuckled as Harper browsed through a few more photos. “I somehow manage, although there’s five little rugrats, counting her.”

  “Five?” Her look held confusion as she continued to study the photos. “I thought you just had one brother and sister.”

  “I do, but the Thompson brothers are like our siblings and we consider each other family. Trey and Cady have a nine-year-old daughter and twin boys who are holy terrors. Trent and Lindsay have Emily. You’d like her. She refuses to wear anything that isn’t pink, so we call her Pinkie.”

  Harper smiled and pointed to a curly-headed girl in a photo with the children he was describing. “The one dressed all in pink must be Emily.”

  “Yep. That’s her. Cass is the one with Howdy Doody red hair. Shane and Shiloh are the twins, and then there’s Maizy.”

  Harper studied the photo. “Those two little cowboys have the prettiest eyes. They almost appear turquoise.”

  “They are. Trey inherited that eye color from his grandmother and passed it on to his boys. His cousin Bailey is married to my brother. I think Maizy’s eyes will be that color, too. Brice has eyes like mine. There’s no doubt our brown peepers were trumped by Nana’s strong gene pool.”

  “Nana?”

  “She’s the Thompson clan’s grandmother. We grew up thinking she was our grandma, too. Nana treats us just like we’re part of her family.”

  Harper reached out and squeezed Ben’s hand. “I think it’s wonderful you all are so close and connected.” In truth, she’d always wished for a big, noisy, loving family instead of the cool, distant relationship she had with her parents. Uncle Cletus was as close as she got to a real parent or someone who truly cared about her. “It must be so nice to have a big family.”

  “Nice?” Ben snorted disdainfully, setting the knife he’d toyed with on the table. “I suppose that’s one way to describe it. It’s more like living in the middle of a village in a glass fishbowl, under wide-ranging spotlights and a high-tech motion sensor with a twitchy alarm system.”

  Unstoppable giggles trickled out of her mouth until she scrolled to a photo of Ben holding a tiny baby wrapped in a pink blanket on his bare chest. From the way he reclined, she assumed he must have been on a couch, looking up at whoever snapped the photo.

  Something about seeing a big strong man with a sweet little baby nestled against his chest turned her heart into a molten mess. It threatened to run right out of her toes and puddle beneath the table.

  Unable to view the photo without wanting to surrender to her yearning to kiss Ben, she handed the phone back to him. When their fingers brushed in the transfer, she felt an electrical jolt and yanked her hand back.

  Thankfully, their order arrived and they spent the next several minutes eating instead of talking.

  Once they finished, Ben leaned back in his seat. “What about you, Harper? You’ve met my sister and my parents and heard all about my loony family. Do you have siblings other than the brother you mentioned? Where do your folks live?”

  Although she was full, Harper picked up her fork and used it to push around the food on her plate, in need of something to occupy her hands.

  She knew Ben would eventually ask about her family. There wasn’t any reason not to tell him, other than the aching chasm of pain it opened anytime she talked about them.

  Resigned she set the fork down and moved the plate to the edge of the table. “Ryan was eight and I was five when my parents divorced. I can still remember their fights, lots of screaming. My mother was the abusive one. She gave all new meaning to anger management issues. Once, she even cracked Dad’s skull when she hit him with a vacuum cleaner.”

  Harper dropped her gaze to the table and traced a pattern across the scarred surface with her finger. “When he got out of the hospital, he packed us up and we left. We moved around a lot, but every summer, my dad would drive us to Uncle Cletus’ ranch and leave us there until a week before school started. The older we got, the more distant my dad became until it was Ryan and I taking care of each other.”

  “I’m sorry, Harper. Is your Dad still alive?” Ben took her hand in his and held it gently.

  The warmth of his palm cradling her fingers gave Harper the most incredible, secure feeling, unlike anything she’d ever known.

  Blocking it from her mind, she continued with her story. “Dad lives in New Jersey, at least the last time I spoke with him he was. He’s been there about six years, I think. We talk on birthdays and Christmas, but that’s it. My grandparents died before I was born. I haven’t seen or heard from my mother since the day we left. Ryan tracked her down once. She’s serving a sentence for killing a woman outside a grocery store. Although she says she didn’t do it, multiple witnesses watched her run over the woman who went through the express lane ahead of her with a full shopping cart. Like I said, she has anger issues.”

  Suddenly, Ben thought his wacky family didn’t seem so bad. They might annoy him, stick their noses in where they didn’t belong, but at the end of the day, they
all loved and supported each other.

  Harper looked at him and caught the sympathy in his gaze. “Don’t you feel bad for me, Ben Morgan. I did okay and because of my parents, I had a great relationship with my brother and Uncle Cletus.”

  “Was it hard on you when Ryan enlisted?” The Morgan and Thompson family members all worried when Travis enlisted in the Army and ended up in Iraq.

  “Really hard. Ryan and I shared an apartment. He worked days selling cars and evenings he was putting himself through school. Our father stopped providing any financial assistance when Ryan turned eighteen. He worked at whatever job he could find to take care of me. I went to college on a full academic scholarship and earned a degree in accounting. Not the most exciting or glamorous job, but I never lacked for work.”

  “So what about your job now? Will you go back to it when Cletus is better?”

  Harper shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve been working in Boise, Idaho, the last few years, so I’m not all that far from Uncle Cletus, but he’s getting older and I hate for him to be alone. There probably isn’t much need for another accountant around here, but I’d like to stick around for a while.”

  The part of Ben completely enthralled with Harper wanted to jump up on the table and do a little victory dance that she wasn’t going to rush off anywhere anytime soon.

  “I bet if you asked around, you might find more work than you think. In fact, if you asked my mother and Denni Hammond about finding some customers, they’d send more your way than you could handle.”

  “Is that so?” Harper smiled and leaned forward again. “Well, once I decide for certain what I want to do, I might just ask for their help.”

  She finished her glass of lemonade and studied Ben. “What about you? Do you plan to drive a tug up and down the river for the rest of your life?”

  “Nah.” It was his turn to fidget. “It’s just something I enjoy doing now.”

  “And when you no longer enjoy it?”

  A cocky grin creased his face. “I’ll move on to the next thing.”