by Leanne Banks
“I thought he would be more comfortable back here,” he said.
“If you’re sure. Maybe I could ride back there with him,” she said and climbed in with the dog.
Benjamin gave a slow nod, then got into the cab and drove into town. Memories of her father and Jet filled Vivian’s mind during the drive. Jet had enjoyed going hunting with her dad, but he’d hated being bathed. Her father had insisted and always won the battle. She remembered watching Jet riding in a fishing boat with her father. Her father had loved that dog, and the dog had returned the affection.
Jet had stayed with her father even at the end. The dog wouldn’t leave Jedediah’s side. At that moment, it struck her that Jet had been the only living being with her father when he died at home. He’d kept the seriousness of his illness from almost everyone. A knot formed in her throat. Vivian stroked Jet’s head and chest. The dog closed his eyes as if he appreciated the comfort. It was the least she could do. Jet had been so loyal to her father throughout the years.
She remembered the first summer she’d met the dog. He’d sniffed her and occasionally allowed her to pet him, but he clearly wasn’t all that interested in her. Jedediah had been his sole focus.
Jet whined and it tore at her. She and the dog might not have been best buddies, but she didn’t want him to die. Suddenly her eyes filled with tears and her chest hurt so badly.
Benjamin pulled to a stop beside the animal hospital. Vivian willed herself to dry her tears. She swiped at her cheeks with the backs of her hands, but she couldn’t stop herself.
When Benjamin opened the door, she wanted to hide her face.
“Aw, sweetheart. Come here,” he said and pulled her into his embrace.
“I don’t understand why I can’t stop crying. That dog doesn’t even like me very much. And he stinks,” she added, sobbing.
“He’s a part of your dad you don’t want to lose,” Benjamin said.
“Kinda like the lodge. And Millicent. And Grayson.” She sniffed. “When am I going to stop chasing him when I know he’s gone?”
“Nah, he’s not gone. There are pieces of Jedediah all over the place. In your sisters. In Jet. You just want as much as you can get. No shame in that.”
Vivian felt something inside her crack open just a little bit. It was both a relief and scary at the same time. This whole thing was getting to her. Benjamin was getting to her. Being with him made her feel both exhilarated and at peace. She’d never felt this way about a man and it was becoming more and more difficult to keep her heart safe from him.
Chapter Seven
Jet’s paw was shredded from the trap, but the vet seemed hopeful that he would recover. “He just needs to rest and keep the bandage clean,” Vivian repeated the vet’s instructions under her breath as Benjamin pulled into the driveway to the lodge.
“He spends most every day in a half coma. What got into him today?” she muttered, petting Jet’s head.
“A full moon is coming. That can make any creature act weirdly,” Benjamin said.
She nodded, wondering if the moon was causing her to act out of character. “The vet looked at me strangely when I asked if he wouldn’t mind giving Jet a bath today.”
“They just want to wait a day for his wound to heal a little. Jedediah would turn in in his grave if he thought you were going to pay to get Jet washed. He always did it with the hose.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. Maybe Jet wouldn’t hate getting cleaned as much if the water was warmer and the experience wasn’t so unpleasant.”
“Are you talking about a spa day for Jet?” Benjamin asked doubtfully, glancing at her in the rearview mirror.
“Hey, it’s worth a try. Until then, we’ll use this doggy deodorant I bought from the vet.”
“Bet Jet will lick it off,” Benjamin said, pulling the SUV to a stop. He rounded to the back and opened the hatch. “I’m surprised you haven’t said a word about the vet bill.”
“I’m still in shock,” she said. “But I was so afraid he wouldn’t be okay that I was all, ‘Here, take my money.’” She shook her head and looked down at the hound. “You’re worth every stinkin’ cent, aren’t you, Jet?”
The dog licked her hand as if to thank her.
“Looks like he’s starting to like you,” Benjamin said, helping her out of the back of the SUV.
“Gold diggin’ sweetie pie,” she said, rubbing the dog again. She turned to look up at Benjamin. “Thank you for everything.”
“Does this mean I get an extra day of fishing?”
“You can have an extra week. I was a wreck,” she said. “I sure couldn’t have released him from the jaws of that trap by myself.”
Benjamin put his arm around her. “I think you did pretty well. I’ll have a word with your neighbor, although he’s allowed to set traps on his property.”
Jilly and Temple burst out the door. “Is he okay? How’s his paw?”
“We both want to see for ourselves,” Jilly said and rushed to pat Jet.
“True,” Temple said. “Bet it wasn’t cheap.”
Vivian lifted her eyebrows at her sister. “Are you saying I should have refused service?”
“Oh, no,” Temple said, then lifted her hands. “But I’m an accountant, so I think about this stuff.”
“I understand. I think we may need to keep Jet on a leash for a while,” Vivian said.
“Leash?” Benjamin echoed. “I don’t think Jedediah ever put Jet on a leash.”
“No baths, no leash,” Vivian said. “This is getting better and better.”
She glanced at Benjamin and saw him frown as he read something on his cell phone. “Problem?” she asked.
“I need to go back into town,” he said. “I’ll carry Jet up to his dog bed, and then I need to leave.”
Just like that, Benjamin’s whole demeanor changed. He was distracted and unhappy. She wondered what was bothering him so much. She wished he would tell her, but she could see he was shut down tight.
* * *
Benjamin pushed the speed limit on the way to the pharmacy in town. Damn insurance. His sister had a hard enough time staying on her medication without the insurance company making it difficult for her.
He pushed open the door to the drugstore and saw his sister squared off with the man at the cash register. “Miss Hunter, it says here that your insurance will not cover this medication. I’m sorry, but—”
“That’s a crock,” Eliza said. “Why would my doctor prescribe something my insurance wouldn’t cover?”
“Doctors don’t always keep track of all the rules with insurance. Nowadays it’s nearly impossible,” the pharmacist told her and adjusted his glasses.
“Well, I can’t pay that much,” she yelled, balling her fists at her sides. “What am I supposed to do?”
The pharmacist cleared his throat nervously. “Miss Hunter, you know this isn’t my fault. I would gladly give it to you if I could.”
“Eliza,” Benjamin called and put his arm around her stiffened body. “Hey, maybe we can work this out. What’s the damage?” he asked, and looked at the bill. “Whoa,” he said. “I can see why you’re upset.” He looked at the pharmacist. “Ken, you gotta call the doctor on this one.”
“I’ll do that, but he may substitute a different medication. Is that what you want?” Ken asked. Benjamin knew the pharmacist had filled many prescriptions for Eliza and knew that finding the right medication for her condition seemed to be an ongoing struggle.
“He’ll put me on that stuff before that made me feel all cloudy,” Eliza said. “I’d rather go without if I have to take that.”
Benjamin’s gut tightened at the idea of his sister going without any meds. Her lows had turned dangerous more than once. “Let me take a look at that bill again.”
“You can’t pay that. It’s ridiculous,” Eliza said.
Benjamin waved his hand. “Ken, how about you call the doctor? We’ll come back in an hour.”
“The doctor may not call me back, and I close at six tonight,” Ken said. “I can stretch it to six fifteen, but my wife won’t be happy.”
“Okay. Just do your best. We’ll be back before you close.” Benjamin turned to his sister. “Let’s go to the bar. I’ll get you a burger and some onion rings. You look like you could use some comfort food.”
“I haven’t felt hungry lately,” she said. “It’s a shame you don’t serve milk shakes.”
“We have ice cream. I’m sure Jimmy can come up with something for you. Come on. You can tell me about the jewelry you’ve been making,” he said, urging her out the door and down the street.
“You must really be desperate if you’re asking to hear about my jewelry,” she said. “I wasn’t ready to jump off a cliff back there. I was just getting anxious. That’s why I sent you a text.”
“And that’s why I’m here,” he said.
“I thought you were supposed to be taking your fishing vacation at the lodge,” she said.
“I am. Kinda,” he said. “Jedediah’s daughters are giving the place a face-lift. I think they’re going to try to bring in more paying guests.”
“How do you feel about that?” she asked.
He shrugged. “They’re trying to keep it running. It may bring a little business my way, too.”
“Not that you’re hurting since you own the only bar in town,” she said as they arrived at the door to his business.
“I try to keep up with what customers want,” he said and waved to Jimmy behind the bar. “Two orders of burgers and onion rings. If you can rustle up a milk shake for the lady, that would be great. I’ll take water.”
“You can have beer,” Eliza said. “It won’t tempt me. I’ve learned alcohol and these meds don’t mix,” she said.
“Glad to hear it, but I’ll stick with water for now. So, tell me about your jewelry,” he said.
“Tell me about the Jackson girls first. You were older and got to spend time at the lodge when I didn’t. Plus, it seemed like they were only here during the summers. I always heard they were high society. Can’t imagine them doing any physical labor.”
Benjamin smiled, picturing Vivian with paint smeared on her face. “Looks like they’re all painting machines right now. They’re trying to get the lodge ready for wedding season.”
Eliza’s eyes widened. “Wedding season? Who would want to get married at a hunting and fishing lodge?”
“You’d be surprised. They’ve gotten the wiring and plumbing redone on the cabins. Now they’re painting the lodge,” he said.
“Why don’t they just pay someone to do it?”
Benjamin rubbed his fingers together. “Jedediah left the lodge, but not a lot of cash.”
“Oh. I’m surprised they didn’t just sell it,” she said, smiling her thanks at the bartender when he delivered their meals.
“I think they considered it, but something changed their minds.”
“Hmm,” she said, munching on an onion ring. “I heard they always wore designer clothes and had perfect hair.”
“I think their mother was a perfectionist. They seem pretty nice to me. A little nervous about making it all work, but nice.”
“But not pretty,” she said.
“I didn’t say that.”
“Oh.”
“Tell me about your jewelry,” he said.
Eliza gave him a knowing grin. “I wonder if my brother has a crush on one of them.”
“Jewelry,” he returned, determined not to bite. Eliza could turn into a real snoop if she wanted. He’d always kept his meager love life private from her, and he didn’t want to start stirring up her interest now.
The arrival of her milk shake distracted her slightly, and he told her to hustle with consuming her meal so they could get back to the pharmacy.
A few minutes later, it only took one look at Ken’s face to see they were stuck with either no news or bad news. “I’m sorry,” Ken said. “They didn’t get back in touch with me. I’ll get in touch with them tomorrow for you.”
Benjamin could feel his sister fretting, although the only visible sign was the knotting and unknotting of her fingers.
“Can we get half the prescription?” Benjamin asked.
“Benjamin, no—” Eliza began.
“I can cover it. I haven’t bought any Maseratis lately,” he joked.
“Sure, you can take half,” Ken said. “I’ll ring it up for you and call the doctor again tomorrow.”
After Benjamin paid for the prescription and they left the pharmacy, he walked her to her car. “You want me to come over tonight?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m okay. Burger, onion rings, milk shake and new drugs. I didn’t sleep well last night, so I’m hoping tonight will be better.” She must’ve spotted the concern on his face even though he thought he was so good at concealing it. She gave him a light punch. “Stop worrying. I’m going to a support group meeting tomorrow.”
“Hey, that’s great news. How far do you have to drive?” he asked.
“Just twenty-five miles. I can do that.” She sighed, then gave him a big hug. “Thanks for being such a good brother.”
Forty-five minutes later, Benjamin walked toward the dock with a beer in his hand. When he saw Vivian seated and leaning against a post, he stopped, wondering if he should turn around and go to his room. After his time with his sister, he felt edgy. At the moment, he wasn’t full of easy comebacks or jokes.
“Hey, stranger,” she called out.
She must have spotted him. Benjamin walked the dock and slid down to sit opposite her. “Sorry I didn’t bring your wine. I thought this might be too late for you.”
“No problem. I’ve got my own,” she said, lifting her mostly full glass. “Problems?”
“Just putting out a fire before it gets out of control,” he said, popped open his can and took a deep swallow.
“You want to talk about it?” she asked.
“Not really,” he said. “How’s Jet?”
“Back to comatose,” she said. “He’s favoring his paw. I can’t say I blame him. I gave him some of the pain medication from the vet.”
“That’s good,” he said.
Silence stretched between them.
“Listen, Vivian, I may not be the best company tonight. I’ve got some things on my mind,” he said.
“But you don’t want to talk about them,” she said.
“No.”
“Okay. I guess this also means you don’t want to go swimming in the lake,” she said, trying to get a smile out of him.
He met her gaze, and she saw a glint in his eye. “Are you offering to go first?”
Her breath hitched at the underlying challenge in his tone. “It’s a little chilly tonight,” she said. “Even you are wearing a jacket.”
“Then why did you suggest it?” he asked.
“To help you get back a little sense of humor.” She shook her head at herself. “I’m not helping,” she muttered. “I should probably go.” She started to leave, but he grabbed her hand.
“No need to rush off,” he said. “Unless you mind just sitting for a while.”
“I guess not,” she said.
“Then come over here next to me. That’ll put me in a better mood,” he said and almost grinned.
She sank down beside him and rested her back against his arm. She closed her eyes and sighed, and she decided to stop worrying for just a moment. She pushed the dark anxiousness and what-ifs from her mind and listened to the water lap against the dock.
“That’s a wonderful sound,” she said in
a low voice. “The water.”
“You have to be quiet to hear it.”
“Quiet in your mind,” she added and turned slightly to look up at him. “You’ve been living close to the lake for ages. How often have you sat on a dock and listened to the water?”
“Not often enough. I’ve been busy growing the bar, and then I bought an auto repair shop. I invested in the bakery/ice-cream shop. Not sure how that last one happened.”
“You’ve been busy building your empire,” she said.
He chuckled. “I’m not sure I’d call it an empire, but it has kept me busy. I always liked taking this break at the lodge. I was close enough for emergencies with people or issues, but I wasn’t in the middle of everything. And now that I’ve talked the new boss into letting me stay longer...” He lowered his head and nuzzled her forehead.
Vivian relished the sensation. This was a practically perfect moment in an imperfect day. Lifting her head, she brushed her cheek against his, which was just a little rough from his slight beard.
Benjamin lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her sweetly, deeply. She savored the sensation of his warmth and strength.
The kiss seemed to go on and on, and Vivian grew warmer. She wanted to push her hands beneath his shirt to feel his bare skin, but she stopped herself. The temptation made her feel a little light-headed.
Benjamin pulled away for a short, breathless moment and held her gaze. The desire she saw rocketed through her. He lowered his mouth again, and this time he slid his hands underneath her shirt. His hands were warm, searching and clever. After releasing the clasp of her bra, her cupped one of her breasts and rubbed his thumb over her nipple.
Vivian couldn’t resist the urge to press into his hand.
“Like that, huh? I do, too,” he murmured against her mouth. He pulled her on top of him, positioning her so she could feel that he was aroused.
Vivian instinctively rubbed against him and he groaned, squeezing her hips. Vivian strained toward him. She wanted more. She wanted him.
He pulled back slightly. “Viv, if we keep going like this, I’m not gonna want to stop,” he said.
