“You better go up to the Lodge and get a baggier replacement for that tee shirt. Don’t get me wrong, doesn’t bother me in the slightest, but don’t let Leonora see it or she’ll throw a fit.”
“Ben, are you coming back here tonight?”
“Wasn’t planning on it. I need a shower bad. Why?”
“I wanted to talk to you, that’s all.”
“Oh, that reminds me. I have something to ask you, too. Lemme get these guys up to their Jacuzzis and I’ll pop back in five minutes, okay?”
Maggie packed her things and locked up the office, then strolled through the stables and stopped at Tabasco’s stall.
“Hey, boy.”
She scratched the massive head and whispered, “Don’t worry. Somehow, I’m going to find a way to keep you.”
A thick layer of fresh hay ran the length of the barn, kicked out of stalls as the horses had been put up for the night. The hay muffled Ben’s footsteps, and he startled her.
“Attached to him, huh?”
“He needs someone to love him.”
“So why not you?”
“As you well know, I can’t afford him. Your father’s put a fortune into him, and he’ll be headed south as soon as we find a rider who’s not scared to death of him.”
“You know that if Dad knew how you felt, he would—”
She raised her hand. “Stop right there.”
“Well, you could at least find out what he’s willing to take for the big lug. If the horse is so unpopular with the agents, he’s probably worth shit.”
“Maybe. We’ll see. What did you want to talk to me about?”
“You first.” He leaned against the stall door, studying her. She had changed into a clean shirt and her hair was down, falling over her shoulders to frame the delicate oval face.
Maggie swallowed hard. “I’ve decided to…well…Emma and I decided to go ahead with the surgery.”
“When?”
“Two weeks from yesterday. Pre-op next Friday.”
“Are you sure? No worries? Second thoughts?”
“I’m scared to death.”
“How about Emma?”
“Can’t wait. I mean, she’s not too thrilled about being knocked out all day, but she wants to be like other kids.” Her eyes filled with tears, and suddenly it didn’t matter that they were barely speaking or that he seemed to have a woman around every corner. She needed his arms around her. She reached out, and Ben did not disappoint her.
“Oh, sweetheart.” He swept her into his arms, and her nearness knocked the breath from his lungs. “I’ll be with you and Emma every step of the way. We’ll do this together, I promise.”
Cupping her chin, he captured her mouth in a deep, lingering kiss, his tongue seeking hers, delving deeper and deeper as hers twined round, meeting him. Already hard, he reached down, drawing her legs up, wrapping them around his waist. “God, Maggie, I’ve missed you.”
Her arms circled his neck, and she held on for dear life. She clung to him, not wanting to let go. They broke their kiss, and she buried her face in his neck and closed her eyes. Home. As kisses trailed down her neck, one hand cupping her breast, twirling and tweaking the nipple until it was hard, she felt herself cresting and cried out, “No! I can’t do this. We can’t do this.”
She unlaced her legs and pushed away, easing herself to the stable floor.
“Why not? What’s wrong?”
“Everything. You, your Ms. Carlson, California, your mom, the women who seem to follow you everywhere.”
“I want to be with you. You and Emma mean everything to me.”
“What about California? Are you going back?”
“I’m figuring all that out now. It’ll be settled soon, I promise.”
“Well, till then, I think it’s best if we keep a little distance. You said you had something to tell me?”
“Oh, yeah, Dad and Ruthie’s party. I meant to say something before we left on the trip, and could never reach you. It’s tomorrow night. I’d really like you and Emma to be there.”
“Okay, what time?”
“Okay? Just like that, okay?”
She shrugged. “What time?”
“I’ll pick you up at six?”
“That would be fine. I’ve gotta get home. Emma’ll be excited. See you tomorrow.”
“Great.”
He walked her to the car, still puzzled at her behavior. He’d been poised to activate all his powers of persuasion and hadn’t needed a one of them. What is Maggie Williams up to?
* * *
Chapter 43
As Ben pulled the Rover into the drive at the big house, Maggie turned to him. “Am I dressed okay?”
“You look great.” Understatement of the century. When she answered the door in a pale rose floral sarong that hugged every luscious curve, she took his breath away.
She had dressed Emma in a pink flippy skirt, frilly white blouse, and new white sandals, and the child looked adorable, as always.
“Here we go, kiddo. You ready?”
Ben lifted her out, and Maggie followed with the wheelchair and a bag holding their small gifts for Ruthie and her father. As they neared the door, it burst open and Robbie Morgan stepped out, grinning from ear to ear, the Morgan smile that made women go weak at the knees.
“Well, if it isn’t the long lost brother, home to roost! Hey, Maggie, hey Emma, long time no see.”
“Long lost brother, my you-know-what,” Ben said, not wanting to swear in front of Emma. He grabbed Robbie in a bear hug.
“All here tonight, bro, so get ready for some serious razzing.”
Not quite as tall as his brother, Robbie had the sandy hair and light complexion of his mother, but he certainly had the Morgan men’s jaw and rugged good looks.
Remembering her huge high school crush on Robbie Morgan, Maggie blushed as he stepped forward to hug her.
“Hey, Maggie, great to see you.”
“You, too, Robbie.”
Ben regarded his brother turning on the charm, as usual. “Sara with you tonight?”
“Broke up, long story. Later, over beers when there aren’t two gorgeous ladies present.”
“Sorry to hear it. Thought Sara was a keeper.”
“I’m stayin’ around a couple of days. We’ll catch up.”
Leonora stepped onto the front porch and clapped her hands. “Let’s go, you guys. Everyone’s out on back terrace. Hello, Maggie dear. You and Emma come with me!”
Still holding Emma, Ben headed toward the walkway that circled the house. “We’ll go round back this way.”
“Here, let me take that.” Robbie grabbed Emma’s chair from Maggie and motioned for her to go ahead.
Family to Maggie was the loving but taciturn Ned—who had had other plans tonight—and quiet, fleeting memories of a mother long gone. Thus, the crowd that awaited them on the terrace felt like millions.
“Hello!” Beth hugged Ben first, then her, pointing to Bill, her tall, lanky boyfriend. “He’s manning the blender.” She smiled at Maggie. “He makes a mean margarita. Would you like one?”
“Hey, brother. Hey, Maggie.” Kyle, a shorter version of his older brother, same brown eyes, dark hair, strong sinewy build, gave each of them a bear hug before turning to Emma. “Hey, sweetheart. We need to get you a Shirley Temple.”
Sam Morgan approached with a striking redhead draped on his arm. She wore a peasant blouse, a full skirt, and stiletto heels. “Good to see you, bro. You, too, Maggie. This is Rita.”
Same dark features as Ben and Kyle, Sam was slender, with the body of the long-distance runner he was.
Rita wrapped her arms around Ben’s neck, air kisses beside each cheek. “So good to finally meet you. Hi, Molly.”
“It’s Maggie,” Ben said. “Nice to meet you.”
He extracted himself from the other woman’s arms to give his brother a bear hug. “Samuel, how goes the world of multimillion-dollar house design?”
Since grad school, a nu
mber of publications had pegged Sam Morgan as someone to watch. Several prestigious architectural journals had featured his spectacular home designs, and his creative, innovative work had really put his small firm on the map.
Before Sam could respond, Ruthie approached and flung her arms around her brother, winking at Maggie and Emma. “Hey, what about the birthday girl? You guys remember Chas?”
Her date stepped forward to shake their hands. Chas’s dazed expression mirrored Maggie’s own, and she smiled warmly at him. “Nice to see you again. Happy birthday, Ruthie! What fun to have your birthday the same day as your dad’s.”
Kyle poked his sister. “Some birthday present, huh? Maggie, what can I get you to drink?
She asked for a margarita and accepted a slice of quesadilla from Carmela, who passed an assorted tray of appetizers.
Across the terrace, Raoul manned the grill, while Ben Senior and Harley supervised. Each held a Dos Equis. Between suggestions to Raoul, the two men gazed out at the mountains, clearly enjoying each other’s company and the beautiful, clear night.
“You’re here, finally.” Leonora air-kissed Maggie and hugged Ben. “Have you said happy birthday to your father?”
“You mean aside from at breakfast, and several times during the day?”
She swatted him playfully. “Don’t be fresh. Maggie, how are you? Is someone getting you a drink?”
“Yes, thank you. What a lovely night for the party. Thank you for including Emma and me.”
“Our pleasure.” She leaned toward Maggie, eying Emma across the terrace, now chatting with Rita. “Ben tells us you’ve got a difficult road ahead with more surgery.”
Maggie nodded, surprised at Leonora’s cordial manner. She held up her bag. “Where would you like gifts?”
“Carmela will take them. Thank you, dear. Ben was supposed to specify no gifts!” Leonora grabbed Carmela’s arm as she passed by and handed off the bag.
* * *
Chapter 44
Fueled by Bill’s strong, delicious margaritas, the party livened up as they moved to the long rough-hewn table set up for the entire assembly on the grass below the terrace. Citronella torches surrounded them, more for light than to repel mosquitoes since Morgan’s Run had invested heavily in mosquito traps. The traps plus a large population of brown bats kept the mosquitoes at bay. Platters of food covered the center of the long table. Raoul had grilled chicken, steak, corn on the cob, and an assortment of vegetables on the three-tiered brick stove. These were accompanied by his wife’s rice, salads, polenta, and crusty breads.
Maggie had never seen so much food. Her daughter’s eyes reflected her own amazement as dish after dish was passed. Emma sat between her mother and Ben, Kyle across from them making faces throughout the meal. Several times, Maggie caught Ben Senior gazing at them, a sad wistfulness in his eyes. Emma would like to have another grandfather, she mused, wondering if there would come a time when she could explain things to her.
“You’re an angel, Carmela, thank you,” Ben said as the cook placed a small platter of perfectly grilled portabella caps near his plate.
“Still a grass eater, I see,” Kyle said as he forked a thick steak from the platter.
“Leave him be, son. Birthday boy’s rules, even if he’s snubbing Dillon’s Certified Angus Beef.” Ben Senior surveyed the table, eyes moving from one offspring to another. “This is the best kind of night with everyone here. Happy birthday to my baby girl.” He raised his goblet of red wine and toasted Ruthie.
“Back at you, Daddy!” Ruthie blew her father a kiss and winked at Emma. Her pale blue eyes scanned the table and rested wistfully on Harley, who was listening to Bill Sampson’s tale of a recent hiking trip.
As Carmela served fresh berry crumble, Rita turned to Maggie. “So, how did you and Ben meet? Sam never tells me any family gossip.”
“Well, we both grew up here ,so we’ve known each other all our lives, or at least who the other was.” Or, I knew who he was. “I was in Kyle’s class, so a bit younger. We’ve just gotten reacquainted.”
“Oh, I thought…” Rita leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “I mean, I thought you were Emma’s parents. She bears an amazing resemblance to the Morgans, doesn’t she?”
“What are you two whispering about?” Kyle said, comically cocking one ear as he leaned across the table.
“Kyle, for heaven’s sake, be careful!” Leonora said. “You’re about to set your shirt on fire with that lantern.”
In tandem, Harley and Ben rose to get beers. “What in the hell does she see in Casper Milquetoast, do you think?” Harley said, eying Chas and Ruthie.
Ben shrugged. “No telling in matters of the heart. If you’d tell her how you feel, we wouldn’t be talkin’ about Chas or anyone else.”
“Yeah, and your parents would be thrilled with that, wouldn’t they?”
“My parents have nothing to do with it. Besides, she’s here with a friggin’ Internet date tonight, so I’d say they’ve lowered their standards a tad, wouldn’t you?”
“Thanks a lot, buddy.”
Ben watched as Maggie chatted with his father and Bill Sampson, thinking how natural it felt to have her here as part of the family. She was what he had been missing his entire life, especially the past five years. Their one-night stand had left an indelible impression he hadn’t been able to shake even after starting two successful businesses, building a dream house, and courting a succession of beautiful, accomplished women. She not only was gorgeous and sexy but also had an inner beauty that shone through no matter what she wore, no matter whom she was with, no matter what she was doing.
“It’s my dream to go back to U of A,” she said to Bill. “I loved science and wanted to major in biology.”
“Still can,” he said. “Courses go day and night, and there are a ton of online courses now. For the sciences, you’d still need to come in for labs, but they make it pretty doable for working people.”
“Maybe someday. Emma’s still young. I wouldn’t want to work all day, then drive into Tucson or have to study all night. I’d never see her.”
Ben Senior watched, thinking how much he’d like to offer to pay for her schooling and living expenses, but knowing his son’s proud, beautiful lady friend would never accept such an offer.
“You’re one of the horse trainers, right?”
She nodded. “I also give lessons, run the pony camps, and help with whatever Harley needs around the stables.”
“What’s your dream? I mean, if you could do anything with or without a degree?”
Maggie stared at him, surprised at his question and unsure of what to say. “Well—”
“Come on, you must have a dream. Why did you want to study biology?”
“I was good at it, and I thought I might want to go on to vet school, but now I’m not so sure. My dream, if I had all the money in the world, would be to have a summer and vacation camp where disabled kids could come to learn to ride, take care of the horses, live in cabins or bunkrooms. A place where they could have a chance to be regular kids.”
“You thinking about Emma?”
“Yes, and so many more children like her.”
“What if her operation is successful?” Noticing her surprise, he added, “My dad told us about it before you arrived. We’re all rooting for her.”
“Thank you.” She spoke softly, not that it mattered. Emma was paying no attention, she was so completely entranced by Kyle’s antics. “Yes, even if her surgery is successful, there are still so many children out there with no hope of ever walking.”
“Of course.”
After dessert, Leonora herded everyone into the house to open presents. Ben carried Emma, Kyle brought her chair, and Ben Senior escorted Maggie.
“I’m so glad you and Emma could be with us tonight, my dear. It means the world to this old man.”
She smiled, gazing up at the rugged, handsome man, his profile reflected in that of each of his offspring. “You are hardly old, Mr. Morga
n. It’s been a lovely party, and as you can see, Emma is thoroughly enjoying herself.”
With her doting uncles, he thought. “She’s a sweetheart. You’ve done such a marvelous job of raising her. Now, let’s go in and see what newfangled gadgets and doodahs my family’s gotten me this year.”
When they parked in front of her house, Maggie looked back to find Emma asleep in her car seat. Gently Ben unbuckled her and carried her in while Maggie unstrapped the car seat and unloaded her chair. “Just put her on the couch,” she whispered, opening the door for him. “Dad’s out, but I’ll take care of her in a sec.”
He set the still sleeping child on the couch, then turned to Maggie. “Thanks for coming tonight. It meant a lot to Dad.”
“Thanks for asking us. It was fun. We’re not used to large families. You have quite a crew.”
“Overwhelming, huh?”
“No, you’re lucky.”
“Only when I’m holding you in my arms.” He moved closer and lifted her so that her soft chest pressed against his. His loins stirred instantly at her nearness. “I don’t know how this is gonna play out, Maggie, but I do know that I don’t want to lose you or Emma. I have to go to Santa Barbara for a couple of days, but when I get back, I would really like it if we could get together and try to figure things out.”
“There’s nothing to figure out. Your life is out there; mine is here.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
Maggie shook her head. “Ben, I can’t talk about this now. With everything that’s ahead for Emma, I really can’t think about us. I’m sorry, but she comes first right now.”
“She will always come first.” He set her down slowly, his arousal sending shivers through her body. “I would never expect to come before Emma. Ever. Can I at least have a good-bye kiss?”
She nodded and his hand cupped her chin, drawing her close for a searing, soul-stirring kiss. “I love you, Maggie,” he whispered, then let her go.
Emma's Dream Page 13
