“She’s hoping Nick will make you jealous.”

  “That’s just plain stupid.”

  “It might be stupid, but her intentions are clear as day.”

  “Does she scare you?” he asked, eyes on her mouth.

  “No.” Collins’ brow furrowed a bit. “She doesn’t scare me, but…”

  “But?” he prodded.

  She shrugged. “I work in a world where drugs and addiction are commonplace. I’ve known people, good friends, who fought against those kinds of temptations, and I know how hard it is to get clean. To be sober in a world where alcohol and smokes and pot, and drugs are everywhere. I’ve seen what it’s like for them to realize what they lost because of their bad choices. And I’ve seen what they’re willing to do to get it back.”

  She moistened her lips and the sight of it damn near drove him crazy.

  “None of her shenanigans will work on me. She’s my past. I’m looking for something else now.”

  She smiled and put her hands on his chest. “I’m really happy to hear that, cowboy. But you need to be gentle with Daisy Mae. Not because she’s Nora’s mother. Not because you have history and at one time, I’m assuming, loved her. But because she’s overcome a lot. And I admire her for that.” She shrugged. “You should, too. She’s hurting. She wants all the things she lost when she was in the thick of it, and one of those things is you.”

  He smiled at that.

  “What?” she asked, moving closer so that now her body was pressed against his.

  “You’re something else, you know that? Daisy Mae went out of her way to make you feel uncomfortable today, and not only did you not let her win, but you also showed empathy toward her. Not many folks would be so kind.”

  Collins lifted her mouth to his, her words a whisper against his lips. “I don’t want to talk about Daisy Mae anymore.”

  His answer was to kiss her until her knees went weak and the only thing keeping her up was his arms. She tasted like strawberries. Smelled like summer. And she felt like heaven. He could have kissed her for hours. Taken his time and let his mouth get reacquainted with every inch of her body, but they were on the front porch of Duffer’s Place, and he caught sight of the curtains swishing. No doubt Miss Willie got more than an eyeful.

  Inhaling a big gulp of air, he reluctantly let her go.

  “You’re good at that,” she said, breathlessly.

  He took in the sight of her mouth bruised from his kiss, and it did something to him. That He-Man part of him roared to the surface, and he wanted to pound his fists against his chest. Leave a mark on her that said she was his.

  “Keep looking at me like that, and I swear I’ll melt into a puddle of lust right now. You’ll have to scrape me off the floor, and just like Humpty Dumpty, I don’t know if you’ll be able to put me back together.”

  “I’d take my time,” he murmured against her mouth. “I’d get you back to one piece eventually. I’m good with my hands, remember?”

  “I remember,” she replied throatily. “When will I see you again?”

  “Come to the ranch tomorrow for dinner. I’ll wrangle us up some steaks and break out a bottle of expensive wine.”

  “What time?”

  Benton took a step down, he gave a nod at the window, and grinned when the curtains swished once more. “Four?”

  “I’ll see you then. Can I bring anything?”

  “Nope.”

  Her eyes were shiny. He liked that.

  “I had a nice time today,” she said before she disappeared inside the house, and whistling, he made his way back to the truck. Nora was still out, snoring like a champ. He didn’t turn on the radio for the drive back to the ranch. Instead, he thought about the things that Collins had said. She was right about all of it. Daisy Mae had managed to claw her way out of a life that wasn’t pretty. That deserved some kind of respect and acknowledgement. Two things he’d given freely. But he didn’t trust her. He knew Daisy Mae better than anyone, and when she wanted something, she played dirty. If Collins was right and she wanted her old family back, who knows what kind of trouble she’d wrestle up trying to get there.

  “Shit,” he thought, as he turned into the Triple B. Since when had his life become so damn complicated? Dumb question.

  It started on a night, not unlike this one, at a bar in Nashville. Go figure.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Collins slept in.

  The birds were chirping, and the sun was fully awake when she opened her eyes and rolled over. She grabbed her pillow. She hugged it and smiled like the silly girl she was. The previous afternoon had been a bit bumpy, but with dinner at the ranch to look forward to, she was happy and excited and nervous.

  She jumped out of bed, brushed her teeth, then pulled on an oversized sweatshirt that hung to her knees. It more than covered up the skimpy pajama shorts—made them somewhat respectable.

  Her phone buzzed, and she peeked at it. There were several messages from her mother and a few from Kip. She didn’t have the energy for her family yet, so she left her phone behind and wandered downstairs.

  The smells coming from the kitchen were heavenly. They made her stomach rumble, which she ignored, because she needed caffeine more than food.

  “I just put on a fresh pot.” Willie stood by the stove flipping pancakes. “I have some old friends staying with us. Checked in last night. So we’ve got some company to look forward to.”

  “Do you want a cup?” Collins held up a mug.

  “Sure. Cream is on the table. One dollop and⁠—”

  “Two teaspoons of sugar.”

  Willie chuckled. “Keep that up, and I might let you stay for free.”

  Collins couldn’t wait for the entire pot to brew. Once it was half done, she quickly removed it and poured two cups before placing the pot back. The brew was strong, but she needed it. Any form of fortification was welcome.

  She handed Willie her cup and stood beside the woman, sipping from her mug, while her stomach continued to rumble like it was being neglected.

  “The chafing dishes are full of goodies. Since we have additional guests, I’ve set them up in the dining room. Help yourself before your stomach runs away on you.”

  “That obvious?”

  “Sounds like you’ve got a pride of lions inside of you.”

  Collins smoothed her sweatshirt and wandered into the dining room. It was currently empty, so she set down her mug, grabbed a dish, and went to town. She filled up on waffles, bacon, eggs, and toast. Then grabbed a small bowl of fruit to keep things balanced. She had just put her plate down when an older man and woman walked in. Deep in conversation, they didn’t notice Collins until she cleared her throat, and they glanced over.

  “Oh,” the woman said, surprised. “You must be Collins. Willie told us about you last night. I’m Bunny, and this is my brother, David.”

  “Hi.” Collins smiled. Willie arrived with fresh, hot pancakes and then sat down across from Collins.

  The four of them made the kind of small talk people in a Bed & Breakfast usually discuss. The weather (hot sunny days for the next week), the local news (a bear was spotted outside of town). Some popular television show Collins had never heard of, but one that the couple and Willie were addicted to.

  “My goodness, you need to give it a try,” Bunny said with a chuckle. “The actor who plays the lead detective is quite delicious, I don’t mind saying.”

  “It’s a television show, sis. He’s not real.”

  “Why, I know that, she teased, “but it doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a well-written, handsome, manly character now, does it?”

  Her brother looked bemused. “I suppose not. I’ll never understand you women and the larger-than-life men you like to read about or watch on the telly.”

  “Like a cowboy?” Collins asked with a grin.

  “Yes. I bet none of the cowpokes in these parts look anything like the make-believe men on that there Yellowstone show that’s so popular.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” Willie responded with a glint in her eye. “Big Bend has more than its fair share of handsome men, and Collins seems to have found one.”

  “You have?” Bunny leaned over her plate, clearly invested in the conversation. “Tell me about him.”

  Collins dropped her gaze and pushed her eggs around her plate. She knew her cheeks were red. “He’s a rancher.”

  Several moments passed.

  “That’s it?” Bunny asked, clearly disappointed.

  “That’s it,” she replied softly. She wanted to keep Benton to herself. Didn’t want to share him with strangers.

  “I can see from the expression on your face that he’s a lot more than just a rancher, but I will leave you to your privacy. And one day, if you can, share him with me. I’m looking for a real hero to base a character off of in my next book.”

  Book?

  “You’re a writer?” Collins asked.

  Bunny nodded and raised her eyebrows at her brother, who had a long-suffering look on his face. It was clear the two of them were close, and Collins figured she was looking at her future. Bunny and David could be an older version of Collins and Kip.

  “I write romance novels and am currently working on a new idea set in the great state of Montana, which is why I’m here. Research.”

  “Do you write as Bunny?” She’d never heard of her.

  “Oh no, though I love my name. The publisher thought it was too cute, I suppose. Maybe if I wrote children’s books.”

  “Which you do not,” Willie interjected with a laugh.

  “No.” Bunny shook her head. “I do not.” She looked at Collins. “I have a pen name.”

  “Do you mind if I ask what it is?”

  “Not at all.” Bunny smiled. “Avery Hanes.”

  Holy. Cow. It took a lot to impress Collins Lafferty, and Avery Hanes was a lot.

  “Avery Hanes,” she said.

  “Yes.”

  “The Avery Hanes that wrote the Black Tattoo series?”

  Bunny nodded.

  “The Avery Hanes who wrote the Skull Riders?”

  Again, the woman smiled and nodded.

  “I take it, you’re a fan of my sister.” David’s eyebrows rose.

  “You could say that.”

  Bunny winked. “You’re surprised that I’m a middle-aged woman with grey hair and wrinkles.”

  “No, I⁠—”

  Bunny laughed and sat back in her chair. “Most folks think that Avery Hanes is a young woman, maybe in her mid-thirties, with a handsome husband for inspiration. Maybe she rides a motorcycle on the weekends and jumps from planes in her spare time.”

  Collins blushed because the woman wasn’t wrong. She was not the author Collins pictured. “I love your books,” she managed to say. “Especially Abe and Talon’s story. That one nearly broke me.”

  Bunny smiled, clearly pleased to hear this. “Thank you.” Her expression shifted a bit, like a cloud rolling across the sun. “Abe is based on my late husband. He’s special to me as well.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Some of us are only given a small window of time to spend with the love of our life.” She nodded toward Willie. “Us old friends know this, don’t we?”

  Willie nodded. “That we do.” She turned to Collins. “So when you meet someone who makes you smile when no one is looking, who kisses like a storm and holds you like you’re the most precious thing in the world, you grab hold of him with all you’ve got and don’t let anything keep you from him.”

  Her meaning was clear. Benton Bridgestone kissed like a tornado.

  Collins finished her plate while the others chatted about upcoming plans. When she was done, she got to her feet. “So nice meeting you, Bunny.” She paused. “If I manage to get a couple of copies of your books, would you sign them for me?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Well, I’ve got a bunch of things to get done today, so I’ll head up to my room. Have a great day, everyone.”

  “Nice meeting you,” Bunny replied. “Maybe I’ll get to meet your cowboy.”

  “Let her be.” David shook his head and reached for his coffee cup. “You’ll have to excuse my sister, but she’s obsessed with romance.”

  “It’s okay,” Collins replied. “So am I.”

  Collins spent the rest of the morning and afternoon doing the things women do to make themselves feel beautiful. She had a long shower, exfoliated her skin, then slathered on an expensive cream she’d bought in Paris. She applied a mask to her hair and painted her toenails. She shaved all the things that needed shaving and took her time blowing out her hair until it shone and fell past her shoulders in a perfect, silken line. She applied her makeup carefully, using all the tricks she’d learned from the top makeup artists in the world, and when she was done, she stood back and studied the reflection in the mirror.

  The face that stared at her was the same one she’d been looking at her entire life. Same nose. Same mouth. Same cheeks and jawline. And yet, there were subtle differences. Her eyes popped. Her mouth glistened. Her skin glowed. It wasn’t just the makeup. It was a state of being.

  She was completely and utterly happy. Excited. Blissful was another good word to describe how she felt. She was also one thousand percent in love with Benton Bridgestone. She knew this. Would stand on the mountain and shout it if she could. It’s why she’d come to Montana in the first place. Yet seeing him the day before with his daughter, watching how this larger than life man treated his child with gentle hands…Hell, her ovaries exploded. Her heart expanded. Like the hopeless romantic she was, Collins could envision her future with him. Could see the children they’d make. The life they’d have.

  All of which meant that she may or may not be in over her head because life wasn’t a romance novel. Not everyone found their happy ever after. She would guess it was a good number of folks that settled for what felt okay and safe. They accepted a life that wasn’t big or grand, but one that was quiet and stable.

  There’s nothing wrong with that, she thought. But I want more. I want a big life. The problem was, she couldn’t see past Benton. He was her big life, and if this didn’t work out, what then?

  Collins banished the negativity. She wouldn’t contemplate a bad ending. Because he did kiss like a tornado. She smiled. And I’m his storm.

  By now, it was after three o’clock. She quickly dressed. Pulled on a pair of jeans and a cute pale green, sleeveless blouse. She slipped her feet into flats, grabbed her purse and cellphone, then headed downstairs. The lobby was empty. No sign of Bunny, David, or Willie, for that matter. With one last glance over her shoulder, she pushed out into the late afternoon sunshine and ten minutes later was driving out of town, headed for the Triple B.

  This part of the world was beautiful. In fact, for a person who’d done as much traveling as Collins had, she could say, equivocally, that it was one of the prettiest places she’d been to. They called Montana Big Sky Country, and it was an apt description. The mountains followed her all the way to the ranch, and she enjoyed every minute of the ride.

  She parked by Benton’s truck, checked her watch, four o’clock, and jumped from her rental. She headed for the porch and was about to knock when she heard an excited squeal and a tumble of laughter that could only belong to Nora. Collins turned toward the outbuildings and the large barn. She spied the little girl walking alongside her father, the two of them unaware of an audience.

  Nora held something in her hands. Something furry and small. When they made it to the house and spied Collins on the porch, the little girl ran ahead of Benton.

  “Collins! I get to feed a baby kitten.” Nora’s face was smudged with dirt. Her hair braids were loose, and her clothes were covered in bits of straw and coated in dust. “Look.” Carefully, she showed Collins the little ball of orange and white fur. “His mommy didn’t want him, so daddy said I could feed him.” The little girl shook her head while cradling the little bundle of fur. “I don’t want him to die, so I named him. Daddy says if you give a new kitten or puppy or even a horse a name, it has a better chance of not going to heaven before it should.” She looked up at Collins. “Do you want to know my kitten’s name?”

  Benton had joined them. She felt his presence and met his gaze.

  “What’s his name?” she asked softly.

  “Hero. Just like my daddy when he saved him.”

  Literally, the sweetest thing she’d ever heard.

  “That’s a good name,” Collins replied, unable to take her eyes off Benton. The two of them stared at each other for so long that neither one noticed Nora had moved until she opened the door.

  “Are you guys coming?” The door slammed shut behind her, and Benton finally took that last step up. It brought him close to Collins. Her heart fluttered. Her lungs constricted. She broke out in a sweat.

  And he hadn’t even touched her yet.

  “I’m glad you’re here.”

  “Me too.”

  “Is Ryland or Cole around?”

  “Nope. Gone for a couple of days.” A pause. “Shall we?”

  She nodded. Finally managed to exhale. And followed him inside.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Rosie had been around since before Benton had been born. She’d been in and out of this house in some form or another, had been a huge help when Nora was younger, and was as much a Bridgestone as any of them. Blood didn’t always mean family. Some folks were just meant to stay. And Rosie was one of them.

  She was in the kitchen when he walked in with Collins.

  “Hey, you,” he said, walking over to plant a kiss on her cheek. Her silvery hair was pinned back neatly, and her warm brown eyes glistened as they moved from him to the woman standing just inside the kitchen.

  “This is Collins,” he said, and moved aside.

  “We met last December,” Collins replied, a soft, hesitant smile on her face.

  “That we did. You were so lovely to little Nora. I remember her messing about with that bunny.”

  “She’s got a kitten to feed tonight,” Benton said.

 

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