“I think what’s different about this time is that I have a son now to think about. With his mother dead, I’m his family.”
“How’s Cody? Chloe has kept me informed about him.”
A grin lit his face, forming those two dynamite dimples in his cheeks and putting a gleam in his dark eyes. “Into everything. I walked early. I would be surprised if he doesn’t in the next month or so.”
Ben had a great smile, and when it was coupled with his charm, she could see why women were attracted to him. “And you were probably climbing everywhere.”
Ben chuckled. “Yep. When I was eighteen months, my mom once found me on top of her tall dresser. I used the drawers as steps.”
The familiar sound of his laugh warmed Lucy. When she’d seen him in the hospital the first time, she’d wondered if she would ever hear that again. “Do you remember doing it?”
“Nah. Mamie has told me a couple of times this week when warning me about Cody.” He started toward the smaller horse. “I’ll give you a leg up.”
Lucy lifted her left foot into his connected hands, getting a whiff of his lime-scented aftershave as he helped her mount. Her heartbeat kicked up a notch, only because she hadn’t gone riding in a while. It had nothing to do with the man accompanying her. They were just friends.
When Ben sat on his black stallion, he paused and looked around.
Beneath the shadow of his hat, Lucy glimpsed a neutral expression. She couldn’t read anything in it, which was unusual for Ben. “Are you okay?”
Then he grinned. “Just deciding where to ride. I thought about heading toward Carson’s ranch, but Thunder was the horse that threw me, so going that way might not be the best choice for my first time in the saddle in months.”
“How did your accident happen?”
“I was preoccupied about finding Cody at the ranch and didn’t see the snake until it was too late. Unfortunately Thunder saw it and reacted. I’m just glad the rattler didn’t bite me when I was on the ground unconscious.”
“God was looking out for you.”
“You think? Lately I’ve been wondering if the Lord was giving me a wake-up call. I know I attended church with the family, but to be honest, I’ve never been that serious. I needed to be shaken up. I have a child now.” He pulled his rein to the right and started toward the dirt road in front of the barn.
“You’re serious about changing?” Lucy had known Ben forever and only saw him as the charming ladies’ man that he’d been for the past fifteen years.
“I’m working on it. When I woke up in the hospital, I knew that I had been given a second chance, and this time I don’t want to blow it.”
Lucy had seen others say they were going to change, but they never did. It wasn’t an easy thing to do. Habits were hard to break—and human nature even harder.
“Chloe told me riding would be good for me. Help me get stronger. I feel like a weakling and, you know,” he added, swinging his attention to Lucy, “we macho men don’t like to be weak.” Then he winked at her.
Laughter bubbled to the surface. “You’re incorrigible.”
The dimples deepened as he touched his brim and nodded once. “I aim to please. I’m feeling cautious today. Let’s go toward Tyler’s ranch.”
She rode next to Ben along the road passing by the older original barn. He stopped in front of it. “I’m thinking of hosting a young cowboy/cowgirl camp here this summer and using this barn. It’s still in good shape but a distance from the house, so not used as much.”
“Didn’t your granddaddy move everything to the new location?”
“Yeah. Grandma Mamie still comes once a month to weed the garden she had at the old house. Zed, who lives here, is thrilled she does. As tough as he tries to be, he loves the flowers that bloom in the garden. He told me once coming home after a long day and seeing those bright colors always lifted his spirits.”
“Maybe Mamie would come over and plant a garden like that for me. Of course, she’d probably have to take care of it. I barely have time for housework, let alone yard work.”
“Zed and you aren’t the only ones who love bright colors. Cody almost got hold of the flowers in a vase on an end table. Thankfully I managed to grab him in time.” Ben urged his horse to move forward.
Lucy fell in beside Ben on the road. “Your son is named after your grandfather. That couldn’t be a coincidence. Are you Cody’s father? Is that what the letter I gave Grady from Alana was about?”
All evidence of a smile disappeared. “Yes.”
“I’m sorry Cody’s mother died in the car accident. Was she coming back for him?”
Ben’s mouth turned down, his posture ramrod straight. “No, she didn’t want Cody. I’m just glad she left him at our ranch and not somewhere else.”
Tension poured off Ben for a long moment, and Lucy wished she hadn’t brought up the subject of Cody’s mother. She knew that Ben’s mother had walked away from her marriage and sons. She rarely had come to see them before she died. Was Ben thinking about the correlation?
She wanted to change the subject. Never before had she and Ben had deep conversations, and all of sudden they were talking about the past. “How far along are you with plans for the camp?”
“Before my accident, I’d been talking with Carson about it. I wanted the Lone Star Cowboy League to sponsor the camp as an outreach project. Last week before I came home, I told him I was still interested in doing it. We’ll be getting together about it soon, since the camp could start in June, if we have the time to do it that fast. There will be a lot to do in three months. It’ll be something my son will enjoy when he gets older.”
She slanted a look at Ben as he headed across a field behind the old barn. She’d never thought of Ben as father material. This side of him was interesting, but would it last? Like a hummingbird, he’d flit from one flower to the next, never staying long.
Sitting around the large table in the kitchen, Lucy still felt shell-shocked. She hadn’t intended to stay longer than necessary for her job. The horse ride had been over an hour when she’d thought it would last maybe thirty minutes. And now she was eating lunch with the family. How had she let Ben talk her into staying? He was lethal when he turned his full-fledged smile on her. But in her defense, she’d been starving, and riding the mare had only increased her hunger.
Yes, that’s it. Not Ben’s charm.
But then she looked across the table at Ben. A hard knot in her stomach unraveled. He was feeding Cody, who sat next to Ben in his high chair, and she had a front-row seat to watch. His baby giggled, grabbed for the spoon and flung some sweet potatoes into Ben’s face.
Lucy pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. She couldn’t hold it in and joined the rest at the table while Ben patiently took his napkin and wiped it off his cheek.
“Good aim, son. I guess you aren’t hungry anymore.”
“I always say when a child starts playing with their food, they’re finished.” Mamie grabbed the plate while Ben went for the spoon in Cody’s hand.
But the baby was too quick, and the utensil sailed halfway across the table, landing in the middle of the pasta salad.
Ben moved the high chair back a little so Cody couldn’t get hold of anything else to throw, then took a bite of his turkey sandwich.
Lucy turned to Chloe. “See what you