by Lori Ryan
Emmett remained silent and Ben let it drop, moving back to his spreadsheets. He looked at the barn numbers again. If what Emmett said was right and the barn was really pulling people in, maybe they could talk the interior designer into cutting her bill. Maybe she could implement some of the ideas, but cut corners on the rest or something.
“Look, Ben,” Emmett said, rubbing at his temples, “I know why you’re gung-ho to cut costs and shit, and I get it. But you don’t understand how lucrative this barn thing is going to be. I’ve done some market research and there’s no venue like this in four counties. People want it. More importantly, people will pay for it. A lot.”
“What about the Nobles’ resort?”
“They have a banquet room, but nothing like this barn. I’m sure they’ll still take some of the wedding business, but there’s going to be plenty left for us.”
Ben sat back in his chair and studied the bill.
“Quit giving Ma shit about it,” Emmett said. “It’s good for her. She’s actually excited. And she needs this, Ben. She needs something to help her get over Dad.”
Ben rolled his eyes.
“What?” Emmett asked.
“Do you really think Dad wanted this barn?”
“If it made Ma happy, then hell yeah, he wanted it.”
“It’s funny,” Ben scoffed.
“What?”
“He’d give Ma anything but all he gave us was grief.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Dad. He gave me so much shit for leaving college. He gave me shit about everything. And never once did he say he was proud of me, proud that I’d started and ran my own company.”
“Dude, first of all, he said shit about you all the time. Ma said he bragged to everyone in town.”
Ben studied his brother. He didn’t seem to be lying. “Then why didn’t he say it to me?”
“I don’t know.” Emmett shrugged. “Dad wasn’t a touchy-feely kind of guy. I guess he just assumed you knew. He didn’t give me a lot of accolades when I made it big writing.”
Ben sat and let Emmett’s words soak.
“But he did give me my start,” Emmett added.
“What do you mean?”
“It costs a shit ton of money to get started in the publishing industry. I mean, people think your publisher pays a lot, and they do, but I had to put out a lot of money at first. On top of getting my degree, I mean. I spent money on editing my manuscripts before I sent out queries, and I needed money to survive for years on small jobs while I tried to squeeze in writing. Dad gave it to me.”
“Are you serious?” Ben tried to hold back the offense in his voice.
“He helped all of us.”
“He didn’t help me.” Ben fumed, unable to contain his anger.
“What the fuck are you talking about? He helped you the most, dipshit.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
Emmett studied him. “You’re serious? Ma never told you?”
“Told me what?”
“Shit, man, no wonder you’ve been pissed at him all these years.”
Had Ben’s anger toward his father been that noticeable?
The office door opened and his mother walked through.
“Ma,” Emmett called, “you never told Ben about the start-up money?”
Their mother’s eyes went wide as her gaze darted from Emmett to Ben. What the hell was going on?
“Ma?” Ben stood, walking toward her.
She quietly closed the door then turned to face him.
“Well?” Ben raised his brows in anticipation. “Is it true? Did Dad fund my start-up?”
“Your father worked very hard,” she said.
Ben nodded. “I know, he wasn’t home much.”
“He was working to make his firm successful so that he could provide for you boys. Funding six college education accounts isn’t cheap.”
“But I dropped out of college,” Ben said. “If I recall, he reamed my ass about it for months.”
His mother dropped her head and he instantly regretted his harsh words.
“Your father never wanted you to know.” She lifted her hands like it was no big deal. “So, I didn’t tell you.”
“Didn’t want me to know what?” Ben moved toward her.
“The money, the money left in your college fund. He…” she stumbled on the words.
“Just say it, Ma.”
“He invested it in your company, dumbass,” Emmett answered.
“He, he what?”
“Your BFF Patrick was looking for investors, remember?” Emmett asked.
“Yes,” Ben answered quietly.
“You think that hundred grand just appeared out of nowhere?” Emmett said.
“What?” Ben felt like an idiot. He guessed he should have known. He looked from his mom to Emmett and back again. “So, Patrick knew?”
His mother shook her head. “Your father filtered it through another company. Patrick thought it was a group of investors that funded promising new companies.”
Ben shook his head in disbelief.
“I know you don’t think he was proud of you, Ben.” She stared up in his eyes. “But he was. We both were. We both are.”
“Why didn’t he ever say it?”
His mother shrugged. “He always felt bad about the way you all ended things. I guess he thought you’d never forgive him for being so unkind when you dropped out of college. It’s just…”
Ben stared at his mother, waiting for her response. “Just what, Ma?”
“He wanted a better life for you than he had. He dropped out of college when his parents died to care for your Uncle Mark and Aunt Sally.”
Ben knew this. He’d always wondered if caring for his siblings at such a young age had hardened his father.
“Your father went back to night school after the first year and worked hard to graduate. We married and I helped as much as I could but it was difficult. He didn’t want that life for you boys. So, he worked hard to provide above and beyond, to make sure you had a future if something happened to him.
She looked around the office, then put her hand to his cheek. “This place will work, Ben. I promise,” she said. “I need your investment now though.”
That he could do. “I’m happy to invest in the hotel, Ma. In fact, if you’ll let me, I can pay down some of the debt. Maybe we can go to the bank and get them to restructure it if the amount of the remaining debt were smaller. We can get you out from under the covenants.”
“I don’t mean an investment of money.” She shook her head and waved a hand. “I need you to invest in me.” She placed her hand to her chest. “Can you do that?”
He’d give his mother anything but he couldn’t jeopardize her future, and that’s what she was asking him to do.
“Your father believed in me.” She smiled as tears glistened in her eyes. “He believed in you, too. That’s why he invested in your company all those years ago. And look at you now.”
Ben shook his head, unable to fathom his father had actually believed in Ben’s own vision. Couldn’t he return the favor for his mother? He did believe in her. She was a hard worker and a visionary. He’d seen that. Couldn’t he force his concerns to the recesses of his logical brain for just a while to let her try at this? If he needed to, he could always go to the bank if this fell through and try to buy out the debt down the road.
“Okay, Ma,” he said.
“Oh, Ben. Thank you so much.” She threw her arms around his neck. “I’m not saying it will be easy. There’s a lot of hard work ahead of us but I’m prepared for it. It’s what your father would expect of me.”
“I can work hard,” Ben said.
She released him and took a step back. “Oh, I know you can Benjamin. You’ve worked so hard your entire life and your father and I have been so proud of you.”
Ben nodded, unable to swallow the lump in his throat.
“I’m sorry he was never able to say the words
out loud to you, Ben, but please know, he said them every day. To me.”
Ben gazed down. “What did he say?”
“Anytime we’d hear from you or read about your business in the paper or on the internet, he’d say how proud he was that you’d stood up to him and followed your heart instead of listening to him. I think you were one of the reasons he retired and helped me build this hotel. He saw what following your dreams can do.”
Ben’s brows knitted together. “Are you serious? Dad said that. About me?”
“Yes, Ben. I’m serious. I’m just sorry he never said it to you directly.”
Me, too Ben thought.
“If you’re going to stay, I just have one favor to ask,” his mom said.
“What’s that?”
“Be gentle with Maggie.”
Ben drew in a breath, surprised at the change in direction of their conversation.
“She’s had a rough time of it these last few years. It wasn’t easy for her to come work with us. Her father had filled her head with so many lies, about us, about herself. She’s a hard worker. There are things going on with her outside of the lodge that are difficult for her right now.”
Ben understood. He could only imagine having to care for her father and this lodge.
“I know you’re not happy having to work with her,” his mother continued, “I just don’t want you to take it out on her.”
Ben chuckled silently. If his mother only knew where his thoughts of Maggie had been just a few nights ago—him pressed hard against her. He’d been anything but gentle and kind.
“I promise, Mom. I won’t be too hard on Maggie.”
“Yeah, Ben, don’t be too hard on Maggie.” Emmett laughed.
His mother cocked a brow. “Emmett. Daniel. Sumner.” She annunciated each name and Ben laughed to himself.
Emmett had the good graces to look ashamed.
His mother slid an arm around Ben’s waist. “Good. Now that that’s settled, let’s go to the bistro for a slice of your Aunt Sally’s pie.” She glanced over her shoulder at Emmett. “You too, potty mouth.”
“Is Aunt Sally really on board with the whole wedding barn idea?” Ben asked. “She’s not the most romantic person I know.”
“She wants what’s best for the lodge. She understands the sacrifices your father made for her to pursue her dreams. Now she’s dedicated to help fulfill his.”
How was it that everyone knew of his father’s sacrifices except him? Well, Ben knew of some of the sacrifices his father had made. He knew his father had taken in his own brother and sister when their parents had died when they were just teens. Everyone in town knew John Sumner had all but raised Sally and Mark Sumner.
Maybe it was more that Ben hadn’t acknowledged those sacrifices, hadn’t recognized how much his father had given up to build a better life for his family when he was alive. It seemed only in his death that Ben had truly understood what his father had done for him.
“Okay, let’s go build a barn, I guess,” Ben said, opening the door and leading them out.
“Thank you, son.” His mother squeezed him tight.
“Thank you, Ma.” And thank you, Dad.
Chapter Twenty
Maggie slid back the huge doors of the barn and stepped inside. Tugging her sweater wrap tighter against her shoulders, she shined the flashlight into the dimly lit area.
Shawn and his crew had already done so much to the interior, but they still had a way to go if they wanted to begin renting out the venue in six months.
“Ben,” Maggie hollered. Aunt Sally and Valerie hadn’t seen Ben in hours. As the sun set behind Canyon Creek Mountain they’d each been more concerned when calls to his cell phone rolled to voice mail. She’d overheard him talking to Emmett earlier this morning about checking out the progress in the barn. Given the fact Ben wasn’t overly keen on the construction, she hoped he wasn’t out here halting the progress Shawn and his team had made.
“Ben,” she called again, shining the flashlight.
“Up here,” Ben called.
Maggie focused the beam of light toward his voice and gasped when she noticed he was precariously perched on top of a ladder.
“Ben!” she shrieked. “What are you doing?” She raced toward the ladder as if he would fall without her help. Reality was, he’d probably been out here a while without any life-saving intervention on her part.
“I’m just putting in the last window before the storm blows in.” Ben nodded around the upper walls of the barn. The ceilings were nearly three stories high, to accommodate for the bales of hay decades previously. She knew the interior designer had wanted to bring in more natural lighting and John and she had drawn up designs to include lots of windows, some at eye level, some up higher where Ben now stood.
“It’s almost dark,” Maggie warned. “And it’s freezing in here.” She shuddered.
“God, Maggie, you sound like my mother.”
“Well,” she shrugged, “I happen to love your mother, so I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Take it however you want, sweetheart.”
Maggie’s heart skipped a beat at the term of endearment. He was just being sweet. She tried to remind herself. Images of him whispering those words in her ear as they lay naked, tangled together, floated through her mind.
“Maggie.”
She jumped, her thoughts evaporating.
“Shine the light a little to the left, would you?” Ben nodded to the window.
“Oh, uh, yeah, sure.”
Ben chuckled. “Where was your head just now?”
“Nowhere.” She ducked her face to hide the blush. “So, what are you doing out here helping with the barn? I thought you were completely opposed to the idea.”
Ben hammered in the trim then rubbed his brow with the back of his hand as he studied his work.
When had he become so handy with tools?
“Let’s just say, I had an epiphany.”
“Epiphany?” Maggie scoffed. He didn’t say more and she didn’t pry. She was just thankful that he was helping today instead of arguing. She snorted back a laugh. Knowing him, he was just trying to protect the materials they had stacked inside the barn to protect them from the snow and sleet so he could sell them off later when he shut down the barn.
She watched as Ben slipped his hammer into the tool belt around his waist. The weight had his jeans dipping low, revealing the waistband of his boxer briefs. Oh, my. Maggie was thankful for the dim lighting. Her face blushed at her lurid thoughts, thoughts of those jeans slipping lower, revealing—
“Coming down,” he yelled.
Coming up, Maggie thought, speaking of her rising temperature.
Ben skipped the last few rungs and jumped to the ground with a thud. “Thanks, Maggie Mae.”
“For what?”
He took the flashlight from her hands and she wondered why she didn’t fight him more. Shouldn’t they be arguing about something?
“For coming to check on me.” He flashed a brilliant smile that shone bright despite the dim area.
“Your mom was worried. The storm is supposed to roll in soon.”
As if on cue, rain pelted the glass of the window Ben had just installed.
“Looks like you weren’t soon enough.” He chuckled.
Maggie glanced up. The downpour didn’t seem too hard yet. Maybe they could make it back to the lodge before the storm whipped its way into full force. “We should probably go now though,” she said.
Ben bent low and grabbed his jacket, handing it to Maggie.
“What are you doing?”
“That sweater you’re wearing is thin. You’ll freeze to death. It’s over a hundred yards to the lodge.”
“Well, maybe we could stop at one of the cabins if it’s really bad and just wait out the storm.”
“Or we could wait here.” Ben’s hazel eyes twinkled with mischief.
“It’s freezing in here.”
“Obviously not freezing freezing
,” Ben said, “or it would be snowing right now.”
“It’s been such an unusually warm winter,” Maggie said, walking toward the sliding door. “I’ve heard the resort has had to bring in snow machines.”
“That was one of the reasons I was worried about the lodge,” Ben said.
“How so?” Maggie glanced down at her shoulders as Ben snuggly wrapped his jacket around her. She drew in a deep breath, inhaling his masculine scent, then bit the inside of her cheek to keep from moaning.
“It’s hard to predict the weather,” he said, oblivious to her struggle. “A bad ski season for the resort could equate to a bad season here at the lodge.”
“Could we just…not,” she said with a deep sigh.
“Not what?” Ben asked, sliding the barn door wide.
Water dribbled from the roof as a light rain fell in front of them.
“Not go all negative on me. I’ve had more than I can take for the day.”
Ben turned her to face him. “What’s wrong, what’s going on? Is it your dad?”
Maggie didn’t want to explain to Ben that she was now having to look for alternative living arrangements for her father. His condition had gone from stable to serious in just a few short days. He needed more medical attention than the sober living facility could provide so they recommended a skilled nursing facility for a few weeks until his condition stabilized. It seemed that years of hard living had finally caught up to her father. And she was the one paying the price, literally.
“Nothing,” Maggie sighed. “I’m sorry. Let’s just go.” Without waiting for his response, Maggie pulled the jacket over her head and darted out of the barn.
“Maggie!” Ben yelled behind her.
The pelting rain felt good against her heated skin. Being that close to Ben reminded her of how close they’d come to doing more. At times the fantasy of an affair with Ben Sumner seemed like a good idea, an escape. But now her life was so mixed up, she felt like she was constantly out of sorts, not able to make any sane decisions.
Maggie slid on a patch of ice that hadn’t melted in the warmer afternoon sun. The temperature was dropping and she knew soon all the puddles surrounding her would be sheets of ice.
“Maggie,” Ben grabbed her shoulders to steady her but it was too late. Her feet flew up in the air and they both tumbled down, Maggie landing squarely on Ben’s lap.
