by Hebby Roman
“Got it, sheriff, sir.”
Her exaggerated salute told him she didn’t believe it any more than he did, when he’d said the words. The difference was, she wanted to believe the status quo, and he didn’t. Again, in the spirit of letting go and getting along, he said, “Good.”
“Wow,” she said softly, glancing around the room. “Tristi said the inside was rough, but that was an understatement. Look at the state of these parquet floors, will you?”
“I’m afraid the rest of the house isn’t any better.”
“I’m sorry, Ben, but it’s a good thing you know something about remodeling.” She reached to upright an overturned chair and shuffled a stack of newspapers. She straightened suddenly. “Hey, I just remembered, Bridey’s niece, Stella, is visiting from Galveston.”
He frowned as he recalled Dinah suffered from ‘Squirrel! Syndrome’ and tended to be distracted easily. “And?”
“And, remodeling is what she does for a living. She’s in the middle of restoring a turn-of-the-twentieth-century mansion and turning it into a bed and breakfast.”
“But she’s here?”
“Yeah, she’s here for Bridey and Andrew’s fiftieth wedding anniversary party this weekend. You remember.”
“I do, and I’ll be there.”
He would never be forgiven if he didn’t attend the celebration of McTiernan’s current matriarch and patriarch’s union. Fifty years ago, Bridey McTiernan and Andrew Benning had joined the two families after nearly one hundred years of steadfast friendship between the two families. They’d meshed the two mega properties, Benning Ranch and McTiernan Farms into Ben McTiernan Ranch, and began their own history.
“So, would you like me to ask her to come over and take a look?”
“Who?”
“Stella McTiernan.” Frowning, Dinah snapped her fingers in mid-air, and said, “Helloooo . . . am I here by myself?”
“No,” he grinned, shrugged, and slid his hands, palms inward, into his khaki’s rear pockets. “Come on, I have to get back to work. Besides, my brain’s on overload, right now.”
“Okay.” She turned and led him out onto the porch. “Call me when you get ready to start cleaning out the mess. I’ll help you.”
Ben looked at her perfectly manicured nails, perfectly applied makeup, her legs, long and shapely atop three inch heels, and tried to envision her covered in schmutz from this house, but he couldn’t do it. He locked the door to the house and walked her to her car. He closed the door, braced his hands on the window opening, and considered how best to answer her. On the one hand, he could stop whatever this dance was they were doing, or he could see where it led.
“Want to come over tonight, then, about six?”
“Sure,” she answered, putting the car in gear. “I’ll be here.”
“Okay.”
* * *
Dinah pulled into Maggie’s driveway and shut off the engine. As she gathered her purse and briefcase, she heard Maggie’s five-year-old son, Andy, shouting her name from the porch.
“Auntie DeeDee! You’re back!”
She opened the door and wrapped her arms around the boy-turned-missle. “Hey, kiddo, long time since breakfast.”
“I know, I thought you were gonna be gone all day and I wanna go to the park like you promised.”
“Oh, there’s no way I’d miss playing on the swings and the slide.” She grabbed his hand, closed the car door, and joined Maggie on the porch swing. Pulling Andy next to her, she said, “You know what would be really nice for us to do?”
“What?” he half listened as he twisted the charms on her bracelet, while he examined each one.
She lowered her head to try to make eye contact. “I think it would be sweet if we took Bridget with us to give Mommy a break for the afternoon. What do you think?”
“I think we won’t have as much fun,” he answered, his dark brown eyes resembling chocolate kisses. “She’s too little to play on the big kid’s side.”
“That’s true,” Dinah agreed, “but I think we can manage to do both. Don’t you?”
“Okay.” He couldn’t have been any more deflated if she’d poked him with a pin.
“Go gather what you want to take, and let me talk to Mommy for a minute.”
“Okay.” Andy kissed her and Maggie on their respective cheeks. “I love you,” he shouted, and then ran into the house.
“Man, I love that little tootie-pants.” Dinah remembered the time when Maggie and Andy had lived with her. She’d thought he was a handful back then, but now, holy cow.
“Di, are you sure you want to take Bridget?” Maggie asked. “She’s so busy these days. The two of them may do you in.”
“Oh, sure, we’ll be fine.” She grinned and wondered if she had, in fact, lost her mind. “As long as they don’t run me over with the car, I’ll be all right.”
“Don’t let Andy find the keys, then, his Grandpa Andrew’s been letting him drive the Gator.”
“Haha, that’s funny.”
“Don’t laugh, Andy thinks he’s ready for NASCAR.”
Dinah reached over and patted Maggie on the arm. “Don’t worry, I’m determined you’re getting a nap.”
“Thank you, I need lots of sleep this time. For some reason, I can’t seem to get enough.” She rubbed the back of her neck, stretched, and yawned. “By the way, how’d it go this morning with Ben?”
“Pretty good, I think. He’s being civil, and he agreed to let me help him work on his house. I’m supposed to meet him there, at six tonight, to get started.”
“I’m glad. In all honesty, though, you knew it wasn’t going to be easy coming back. Your leaving did a number on him.”
“It wasn’t easy for me to leave either, Mags. If he had tried to understand where I was coming from, we could have, at least remained friends.”
“Ben didn’t want only friendship, he loved you. If you ask me, he still does, but he took your leaving as a betrayal, and you’re going to have to do some fancy footwork to get back what the two of you had.”
“Well, whatever happens, it’s not going to be in these shoes.” Dinah slipped off her high-heeled, designer pumps and wriggled her toes to start the blood flowing again. Standing, she picked up her shoes, briefcase, and purse to go into the house to change clothes and gather children. She stopped, turned back toward Maggie, and said, “The real question is, do I want what we had?”
* * *
A few hours later, with Maggie’s children returned home and completely worn out, Dinah made it back to the office of Packard Realty. She opened the door to find Tristi on her way out.
“Say, before you leave,” she asked, “Do you have any information on the previous owners of Hard Luck Ranch?”
Tristi dropped her phone into her purse and retrieved her keys. “There’s a file in the cabinet. Why?”
“Just curious. I like to know property history before I make a sale, but I didn’t have any time with this one.”
“Knock yourself out. Oh, I left a list of names, for possible leads on future properties, you can look at, too.” She flipped the sign from open to closed, and then pulled open the glass door. “Lock up when you leave?”
“Sure, and thanks again for giving me this opportunity.”
Dinah waited until her employer’s car backed out onto the street and headed north before she went to get the file. Back at her desk, she scanned the names, written on a sticky note, opened her planner, and placed it on tomorrow’s schedule. That done, she looked up, as the bell sounded above the door, and saw Ben’s broad shoulders filling the entrance.
“I was just heading out to the house and saw you were still here.”
“Yeah, I’m finishing up.”
“Would you want to ride with me, or drive yourself?”
“Does that mean you’d rather I drive myself? Because maybe it would be better if I had my own car, in case . . .”
“I didn’t mean anything other than asking if you’d like to ride, Dinah.�
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She didn’t think he sounded all that enthused about his offer, but why not?
“Sure, I’ll ride with you. I just need to lock up.” She slid the file into her purse, looked around to see if everything was shut down for the night, and joined him outside. After she turned the key in the lock, she stepped off the curb to get into his Sheriff’s Department SUV. Once seated, she asked, “Will you run the siren?”
He shook his head and cut her a glance. “No, this vehicle isn’t a toy.”
“Come on,” she pleaded. “Think of it as a way to extend some goodwill toward McTiernan’s newest resident . . . make her feel welcome.”
“Dinah?”
“Yes, sheriff?” She batted her lashes at him, thoroughly enjoying herself. She felt it her new mission to remind him how to lighten up and have some fun.
Frowning, he said, “Buckle up.”
* * *
Ben looked at his watch. It was after eleven and they’d been here five hours. He realized he hadn’t seen her in a while, so he went to look for her. He found her in a back-bedroom closet.
“Here you are,” he said. She was sitting on the floor, her flashlight aimed at the ceiling, amidst several boxes that were torn, soiled, and layered with dust, and looked like they hadn’t been opened in years. She had the top off one, digging through the contents. “Find anything interesting?”
“I don’t know yet, maybe. Some of the dates go back as far as the 1960s.”
He reached for her and, when she put her hand in his, he pulled her up. “It’s late, I need to get you back to your car so you can get some sleep.”
“I do have a list of potential clients to contact in the morning.” She dropped the stack of papers she held into the box at her feet. “You should look through these. There might be some interesting reading.”
“Luckily, the citizens of McTiernan have been behaving themselves, and I have some free time on my hands.” It wasn’t often he had time to indulge his love of history and research, so these may have turned up at the right time. He leaned down to put the lid on the one box and stacked two more on top to carry to the car. “I’ll take these with me. Will you open the back of the SUV?”
“Sure.” Dinah grabbed her purse and left the house ahead of him. At the lift gate, she helped him load the boxes, and as he closed the back, she said, “Wouldn’t it be exciting if you found something valuable inside? Maybe you could be the one to finally unlock the mystery surrounding Hard Luck Ranch and the missing money.”
“Those speculations about buried treasure were started by people who were bored or were looking for a way to get rich quick. It’s nothing more than that.”
“Have you always been this unimaginative?”
“Yes,” he answered, just to aggravate her. “Are you that slow, you just figured it out?”
“Apparently.” She narrowed her eyes and grinned, as she opened the passenger side door. “Can we run the siren?”
Ben shook his head at her continued attempt to needle him. He didn’t want to admit it, but he’d missed this part of their relationship, their bicker-banter, among other things he didn’t want to admit. “Lordy, but you’re a pain in the backside. Get in, buckle your belt, and be quiet on the way back to town.”
He almost laughed out loud when she gave him the three-fingered salute, but he managed a measure of control. Then, after she’d gotten into her car and driven away, he regretted his request of silence. Her absence was palpable and he missed her. What the hell was he supposed to do with that?
The next few days went by in a blur. The town had remained quiet, thus giving him time to sift through the contents of the boxes. He’d found some interesting items, as Dinah said he would, and looked forward to discussing them with her.
Right now, he was on his way to Ben McTiernan Ranch and the Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary celebration for Bridey and Andrew Benning. If this was anything like her annual Labor Day Bash, it would be quite the party. Folks from town and half the county would be there. With any luck, he’d be able to talk to Dinah about his discoveries in the boxes, while surrounded with people. Call him chicken, and he knew Dinah wouldn’t hesitate to do so, but he’d avoided being alone with her this week. He wasn’t in a hurry to confirm his suspicion that he might still be in love with her. Tackle one suspicion at a time.
He pulled through the iron gate, under the archway displaying the name, Ben McTiernan Ranch, and navigated the long driveway to the front of the two-story mansion, where a bevy of valets waited to park the guests’ cars. He wasn’t surprised to see several faces he knew from the local high school. Andrew Benning had always been a supporter of local kids and, in fact, he and Bridey had fostered, raised, and even adopted children in need.
“Hey, sheriff, it’s good to see you.”
Ben got out of his SUV, and shook hands with this year’s quarterback for McTiernan High School. “Tag, are you ready for graduation next week?”
“Yes, sir, and I’m working this summer for Mr. Benning.”
“Keep up the good work.”
He waved and headed to the pool area and the festivities. He saw the McAlister’s at a table near the pool, stopped and fished a canned soda from the largest ice chest he’d ever seen, and joined them. Dinah wasn’t in sight, but the little girl, Bridget, was in one of those playpen things, and Andy ran by and jumped into the shallow end of the pool.
Shaking hands with Graeme and hugging Maggie, he said, “I see Andy’s making good use of those swimming lessons.”
“It was either learn how to swim or never get into a pool again,” Maggie answered, and shuddered. “We came so close to losing him last year.”
“Yeah, if I hadn’t given him that necklace, it wouldn’t have gotten stuck in the pool drain, and . . .” Graeme’s voice trailed off as he looked toward the Olympic sized diving pool.
“Honey, you had no idea that or the events leading up to it were going to happen,” Maggie consoled. “You were there, and that’s all that mattered.”
Ben couldn’t help but envy the closeness they shared, but didn’t wish to dwell on what he might be missing. “I haven’t seen the honorees yet, or . . . Dinah.”
“The happy couple is in the barn seeing to some last-minute details, and Di stepped in to help.”
“Oh, okay.” Even though he’d known most of these people for the time he’d been sheriff, Graeme and Maggie specifically, he still felt uncomfortable knowing Maggie and Dinah were close friends. How much did Maggie know about the situation between his and Dinah’s breakup? He assumed everything, thus the uncomfortable feeling.
Graeme interrupted his thoughts. “Hey, can I grab you a beer?”
“Nah, this is good, thanks,” he answered, pointing to his badge. “I’m on duty. I just came by for a little while.”
“Gotcha,” Graeme said, and left for the bar.
Maggie reached over to lift a fussy Bridget from the pen. When she’d sat back in her chair, she asked, “So, Ben? How’s your new place coming along?”
“What’s Dinah told you?” Assuming they’d talked already, he figured he’d save them both some time.
“Uh, how do you know she . . .”
“That right there,” he said, smiling, and pointing at her. “That hesitation, and doe-eyed look you gave me says it all.”
“But she . . . we . . . didn’t talk.”
“Give it up, Babe,” Graeme said with a chuckle and a kiss to the top of her head as he came back from the bar. “Ben’s a trained interrogator. You’ll never get anything past him.”
Maggie handed a bottle to the fussy little girl in her lap, shrugged, and looked over Ben’s shoulder. “Di! There you are. Look, who’s here.” Giving Ben a nudge, she said, “Ben, your ex is looking for you.”
He glanced at the woman who’d just thrown him into the fray. She stuck her tongue out at him, and turned to her child. Turning toward Dinah, he saw she was accompanied by a woman he didn’t know. He stood and introduced himself, “Hi, I’m
Ben Hammond.”
“Ben, this is, Stella McTiernan, Bridey’s niece. I wanted to introduce you two.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Ben. Dinah tells me you’ve recently acquired an older home.”
“I have. It’s a one-story ranch style. She said you restore old homes.”
“Yes, while my experience is mostly with new construction, I’ve recently ventured into this area of the business.” She handed him a business card and added, “I’ll be here visiting for a few more days, before heading back to Galveston. Let me know if you want me to take a look.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, thanks.”
Dinah gave the woman a hug. “Stella, we’re still on for lunch before you leave?”
“I’m leaving next Friday, so I’ll call you mid-week, all right?”
“Great!” Dinah turned to Ben as Stella joined a group gathered around Bridey, and said, “You’ve been quiet these last few days. It’s almost like you’ve been avoiding me.”
Damn, he’d forgotten how intuitive she could be. “That’s partly true, but honestly? I got so wrapped up in sorting through those boxes you found, I didn’t go anywhere. I even slept at the jail.” He rubbed the back of his neck, and added, uncomfortably, “Charlie had to refill the vending machine yesterday.”
“Well, that’s not quite bright, Ben. What were you thinking?”
“I wasn’t, I got so caught up in the reading, I didn’t think of anything else.”
“I know,” she admitted. “It’s fascinating reading. Tristi has information on the previous land owners, and I’ve been preoccupied, too.” The moment stretched between them and, finally, she said, “Hey, why don’t I come over to your place and we can look at everything we’ve gathered, together?”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Di.” He’d already seen signs of caving, where Dinah Horne was concerned. He needed to remain strong, to maintain the courage of his convictions. Even as he thought it, he knew it was futile.
“It’s a great idea,” she insisted. “I’ll fix your favorite dinner for you, which will also keep Bridey off your doorstep. You know she’ll be all over you if she finds out you haven’t been eating, and we can pool our information about—”
