by Grady, D. R.
Treeny suppressed a sigh. Like she could ever accomplish those things. But Janine had never made her feel lacking in any way. An additional superior trait owned by Ben’s sister.
Her eyes slid to the man seated beside her, and she realized he possessed similar character traits. She had always believed his power came from the training he received as a Navy SEAL, but now she wondered. Remembering back to their teenage years, she realized he’d always carried that force with him.
The Navy had simply honed the ability. She wondered what he’d be like as an enemy, but quickly quelled the thought. Now was not the time or the place to be entertaining such thoughts.
After the service, Ryan ran up to them. Janine scooped him up first to hug and kiss the little boy. He squirmed and twisted in her arms, but she handed him over to Ben, who teased him about losing his dog. Treeny gave the little boy a kiss while he was in his Uncle Ben’s arms.
“Aunt Tweeny, is Aunt Wachel hewe?” he asked from his high vantage point in Ben’s arms. She could hear he was very close to pronouncing his R’s now. How quickly they grew up.
“She is, sweetie.” Treeny scanned the room. “She’s over there by the window.” And she pointed her sister out to him.
“Thanks.” When Ben set him on his feet he took off, aiming for her sister.
“Why would he want your sister?” Ben asked. Janine turned to hear her answer, too.
“I think his interest has more to do with the stickers I suspect are in Rachel’s bag than Rachel herself.”
“Right,” Janine said and nodded her head sagely.
“Stickers?” Ben’s brow pleated in a very sexy way.
She lost the thread of conversation. Janine cleared her throat, but Ben’s eyes went hot when he noticed her reaction.
“Ben asked about stickers,” Janine prompted.
The conversation swelled back into her brain, and she blinked. “Right. He’s only six, so he still likes stickers.”
“Ah,” Ben said and nodded. Her explanation seemed to appease him.
“Besides, I think Ryan uses them to distract Destiny’s boyfriends,” she added.
Ben laughed. Janine stared at her.
“How does he do that?” The disbelief in her voice was only diluted slightly by the humor Treeny heard lurking there.
“Ryan’s not too sure about this boy-liking-girl thing. And for some reason he’s especially dubious of any boy who likes Destiny.”
“Destiny’s the best,” Ben protested.
“Exactly. I think Ryan believes there isn’t a male good enough for her, so he watches them.”
“Stevie’s been helping, too,” Lainy’s voice said from behind them. The three of them turned for hugs from her and Treeny was heartened to see Janine received as much a love-filled hug as any of them.
She saw Ben’s sister surreptitiously wipe a tear from her eye. She reached over as subtly as possible and squeezed her arm. Leaning over, Treeny whispered, “Welcome to the Morrison family, where you’re not only welcomed, you’re loved.”
Janine sent her a teary smile. “I can’t believe I’m here, and then to be so accepted...” She shook her head.
“It takes a little getting used to, but before long, the warmth and love will be second nature, and you’ll be taking it for granted like the rest of us.”
“Don’t count on that.” Janine’s voice cracked. “When you’ve never known this type of outpouring...” she shook her head again.
Mitch enfolded her and nodded. “I’ve been a part of this family for some time now, and I’m not taking it for granted either. I’m thankful every day I wake up for this family.” His eyes moved to Lainy as his tone deepened. “For my wife. For my daughter.”
She sent him a sweet, loving smile. “We feel the same way about you, big guy.”
He tugged her into his already occupied arms, and Lainy and Janine butted heads. Which made both of them laugh. Treeny noticed Janine didn’t seem the least bit out of place or awkward residing there in the protection of Mitch’s arms. And Lainy wasn’t the least bit jealous, even though Janine was one of the most beautiful women she’d ever seen.
Trust. That’s why Lainy didn’t seem jealous. Because she knew Mitch came home to her every night. Treeny figured Mitch had probably ensured she knew he loved her. Perhaps he was still working to show her. Besides, she could tell Mitch loved Lainy simply by the way he held her. The way he looked at his wife.
She wanted that. Treeny wanted Ben to love her the way Mitch loved Lainy. Or the way Max loved KC. Both men were unapologetic about their feelings for the women they had married. She knew the jealous feelings intimately because she wasn’t sure of Ben like Lainy and KC were sure of their men. How had they lost the jealous feelings?
While those thoughts raced through her brain, a strong arm snaked around her midsection. Ben hauled her back against him with ease and she sank into his warmth, savoring the time she spent there. She didn’t have what Lainy and KC had. Yet.
“Aunt Monica has asked us all over for lunch,” he murmured against her hair.
She nodded. That’s what they often did on Sundays. One of the sisters hosted lunch, and this time appeared to be her sister’s mother-in-law’s turn. “Sounds good.”
“Do you have any idea what you’d like to do for the rest of the day?”
Treeny turned in his arms and looked up at him. “Yes, I want to spend the day with you.”
He grinned and pulled her closer for a quick kiss. “Besides that.”
“No, I haven’t given what we’ll do much thought,” she started, but at his raised eyebrow laughed. “I mean, what we’ll do besides the obvious. You’ll receive more kisses than you know what to do with, but I haven’t thought of anything else.” She wiggled her brows at him.
“For a minute there, I thought you were gonna let me down.”
She mock punched him.
“What about taking a small hike?”
“That sounds like fun.” She hadn’t been hiking in a long time, but she normally enjoyed it. Hopefully she could keep up. Please, don’t let me embarrass myself, she hoped silently, with fervor.
“Good. I suppose we’ll have to stop off at Will and Rachel’s house to pick up some clothes for you?”
“No. I think I have everything I need in the car.”
“Good.”
They left, trailing between family members together, their hands intertwined, and Treeny felt their relationship was right in her very soul. Ben made her feel womanly and powerful. He seemed to complete her. Like he was her other half.
That’s what had always been missing with any other man. No male besides Ben made her feel so complete. She liked herself when she was with him. She liked him. Wanted him like she’d never wanted anything or anyone else.
But were these feelings real or a figment of her imagination?
Chapter 8
They changed clothes after lunch. Something shifted inside Treeny when Ben closed the truck door behind her. He crawled in behind the wheel and started the engine. Some of the kids came to see them off.
“Are they very mad at us for not taking them along?” she asked, wringing her hands a bit. The kids would have loved tromping through the woods, but she and Ben wanted some quiet time together. They wouldn’t see quiet if they took the herd.
“Probably, but we’re going to ignore them. I don’t feel like babysitting today,” he answered. Again. They already had this discussion, but she felt the need to tease, anyhow.
“Hmm, why not?” She heard the brattiness in her voice. Ben had to notice it. Of course, he was a male. He could miss her subtlety.
He slanted a reproving look at her. “Like you don’t know, Aunt Treeny. How often do you end up babysitting?”
“Pretty often, I suppose. But it’s not like I have anything better to do in the evenings.”
“You baby sit every evening?” The situation sounded bad when he said it like that, but looking back she shrugged.
“I’d
probably watch TV anyway, so what’s the difference if I watch it alone or with a bunch of kids?”
“What if you want to watch something different?”
“I don’t usually. And I can record whatever I want to see.”
“Let me guess, you watch all the Morrison kids. Not just Will and Rachel’s.”
“Of course I do. But it’s not like I’m the only one. We all help one another out. And I like kids. Again, beats watching TV alone.” As she spoke, Treeny believed everything she said. She didn’t like watching TV or movies by herself, and there were always kids who were willing to keep her company. All of them proved to be excellent company. They got her jokes and made comments that inevitably caused her sides to ache from laughing too hard.
“We don’t spend all our time in front of the TV. We play outside, especially if the weather is nice. They’re a pretty decent workout. Running after all the Morrison offspring keeps a woman fit. They’re a cheap fitness plan.” She flexed a biceps.
He laughed. “I don’t doubt that. So long as you don’t mind being the babysitter, I won’t either.”
“I don’t mind. Besides, it’s not like I don’t reap some benefits. If I need something, someone in your family will see I get it.”
“Like what?”
“I needed a laptop, but since I was in medical school, there was no way I could afford one. Within a week of mentioning to Rachel that I needed a computer, one showed up in the mail.”
“Lainy or Ed?”
“I don’t know who sent it, but I do know whoever sent my computer, also built my computer. The minute I have trouble with it, I only need explain the problem, and someone fixes said problem. I’m definitely spoiled.”
“What else did you need that you got?” Ben’s eyes were intense when he looked at her before returning his eyes to the road.
“Last year I got really sick. I couldn’t go to work. I barely had the energy to leave my bed even to find the bathroom. At the time, I was interning, which meant the money was hourly. So, if I didn’t work, I didn’t get paid.
“Not only were all my bills paid, on time that month but someone was there with me until I was able to function on my own.”
A smile twisted Ben’s lips. “My mom would have been there.”
“Oh yes. And Monica, well, all the aunts. I remember General Emma actually slept there for at least a weekend, if not longer. She set everything aside to take care of me.”
“That sounds like them.” He nodded as he slanted another look at her. “You’ve been a member of my family for a long time.” There was a new awareness in his eyes.
“Yes. I think since Rachel married Will, and I shuffled between their house and my mom’s.”
“You probably get to the lake more than I do.”
“Probably. And I’m not apologizing for that.”
He laughed and heated her with a long sweep of his eyes. “I’ll take it out in flesh later.”
Treeny’s insides burst into flames. “Stop.”
“Nope,” he quipped and she glared at him.
He pulled into the parking lot of a popular hiking trail and cut the engine, so she held her peace. Although she admitted to being sorely tempted to kiss that smirk off his face. But temptation turned into want, which soon turned into need, and leaning over, she pressed him into his seat with the kiss she laid on him.
They eventually climbed out of the vehicle and she glanced up at the sky. Where the day had been bright and sunny, but not too hot or humid, now the sky showed an overcast, sullen color. And the humidity had increased, because her shirt stuck to her back.
Ben must have noticed where her gaze led because he also glanced up at the sky. “Looks like rain,” he said, but since he didn’t sound concerned about that prospect, she decided not to worry either.
“Yep.”
He tugged a bottle of sunscreen from behind the seats and beckoned her to him.
She went willingly and allowed him to spray her down. He handed her a bottle of insect repellant after he sprayed that over her. She sprayed him with the stuff and then he tugged a small backpack from his stash and inserted his arms through the straps.
After witnessing his preparation she couldn’t resist a dry comment. “This hiking idea came to you after church, did it?”
He didn’t even look sheepish. “I usually keep this stuff in the truck. But I thought of hiking last night.”
They sauntered toward the beginning of the trail, holding hands. It didn’t surprise her that he turned out to be a good hiking buddy. He paced his steps to hers and tended to know the plants and trees she couldn’t identify. He also recognized many of the animal tracks.
“Are you sure those are fox tracks?” She sent him a dubious look.
“Of course they’re fox tracks. What else could they be?”
“A small dog?”
“Don’t think so. It’s possible, but I doubt it.”
“Whatever you say,” she said, not meaning what she said, which of course he picked up on. He poked her, but she danced away, laughing.
His hand wrapped around her wrist and he hauled her into his arms. She went willingly, thankful for the moist pressure of his lips against hers.
She doubted she’d ever tire of kissing this man. His lips seemed to beckon hers to come and play. Which she had already proven she wasn’t good at resisting. Ben Morrison was far too sexy for his own good.
A few drops of moisture separated them. Glancing up into the sky, Ben frowned. “Looks even more like rain.”
“Maybe we’d better turn back. We’ve come pretty far.”
“Are you getting tired?” His eyes scanned her.
“No, I’m fine. But I really don’t relish the idea of getting wet.”
“Wimp.”
She poked him. “It’s your truck that’ll get soggy if we’re rained on.”
He nodded. “True.” He laced their fingers again and they turned around to head back the way they’d come.
Around the same place they first saw the fox tracks, Treeny thought she heard something, but couldn’t identify what it was. She cocked her head for a better listen at the same time he did. She grinned, but he missed her gesture.
A frown returned to his face. He stopped in the middle of the path. “Do you hear that?” His voice was just above a whisper.
She nodded. “But I don’t know what it is.”
“I think I do,” he said and left the path. Intrigued, Treeny followed him into the stand of trees. He didn’t make a sound as he stepped around rocks and ducked under tree branches. Treeny knew that couldn’t be said about her. She probably sounded like a bull moose in rut.
Ben stopped so abruptly she careened into him. “Ummfftt.” She noticed he didn’t budge, even with her weight knocking into him. He crouched low and slid into a space between two rocks. The noises were louder here, and now she identified the sound as that of an animal in distress.
He reached into a cubby formed by another boulder and one of the trees and extracted a yipping, squealing ball of fur. “A puppy.”
He turned and grinned as he pulled the cowering dog close. “He’s scared.” She said the words softly, so as not to further frighten the shaking ball of fur.
“Well, wouldn’t you be if someone brought you to some unknown place and dumped you?”
Treeny recognized the steel in his voice and recognized the anger he kept at bay. She was angry someone had dumped a puppy in the woods too.
She reached out and stroked the matted black fur. Ben murmured to the little guy and that seemed to help the puppy settle. He kept the dog firmly against him and she started a soft croon as her fingers spread over the small, wriggling body.
“You’re a doctor, not a vet.”
She tweaked his nose and kept up her examination. “I don’t think anything is broken, but we’d better take him with us.”
Ben nodded. “I’m not about to leave him here.”
“Good, because I wasn’t either.” They gr
inned at each other before setting off.
They made it to the truck right before the spurting rains ceased and the heavens opened. He settled her into the passenger seat before he placed the puppy on her lap. The pup cowered into her, but she saw his little pink tongue slip out to lick her hand. Treeny had to work to keep her anger under wrap. If they hadn’t found this poor animal, he would have suffered through this rain storm.
She cuddled the little guy and patted him, and soon he fell asleep. Ben drove steadily through the rain, not bothered by the deluge at all. She’d have been a nervous wreck, but since she also wasn’t a SEAL, figured she could cut herself some slack. Besides, didn’t SEALs like water?
He pulled as close to Max and KC’s house as he could before he zipped out and sprinted around to her door. Ducking his head, he scooped her and the puppy into his arms and after slamming the door shut with a foot, ran up onto the side porch.
Max must have seen them coming because he flung the door open just as they reached it. He moved out of the way so they could enter the house and then shut the door behind them.
“You two don’t look as wet as we suspected you’d be.”
“We reached the truck just as it started to rain,” Ben explained as he set Treeny on her feet. She kept the puppy cuddled against her. KC appeared with a bundle of towels, which she offered them. She left just as hastily, as though she’d forgotten something.
“Thanks,” Ben said, and set to work drying her first.
“What do you have, Aunt Tweeny?” Ryan asked. Treeny sank to her knees and showed him the puppy.
“A puppy!” Ryan shouted.
“Ryan,” Max said easily, “Your sister is sleeping.”
“Sowwy, Dad,” he said absently and danced around her. “A puppy, Daddy. Look! A puppy!”
“I see that. You two leave together and three of you return.” Max let out a long suffering sigh and shook his head sadly.
