out, his mind circling in an endless spiral of conflicting arguments. He should tell Silver himself; she’d believe him—wouldn’t she? She’d asked for honesty, but right now she thought he’d gone behind her back and sided with her father and might not be amenable to him trying to justify what had happened with Cassie. He wasn’t very good at keeping people around or keeping them safe, so why the hell would Silver want to stick with him anyway?
He went up to the suite, packed his bag, and paced the carpet in an agony of indecision. Eventually, he picked up his phone, and called the last person in the world he really wanted to talk to, but the only person who knew the whole story of what had gone down in his teens.
“Dad?”
“Who else? What’s wrong, son?”
Ben sank down onto the couch where he’d recently made love to Silver.
“I need your advice.”
Jeff snorted. “First time in a long while you’ve needed that, but go ahead. What mess have you gotten yourself into now?”
“Silver’s dad found out about what happened with Cassie. He’s threatening to tell Silver unless I come home and never talk to her again.”
“Well, crap.”
Ben waited for what seemed like an age before his father started speaking again.
“Why can’t you just tell her yourself?”
“Because she’s already pissed with me because she found out I was keeping an eye out for drug use on our trail ride.” Ben hesitated. “She’s going to hate me when she finds out about Cassie. You know what the Walkers did to me in the press. Now it’s all been turned up again and I look like a complete shit.”
“Then come home.”
“Without trying to sort it out with her?”
“Yeah.”
Ben waited hopefully, but there was nothing but air. “That’s it? That’s your advice?”
“No point beating a dead horse. Come home, take that job with Pablo, and get yourself together.”
“But what about Silver?”
“You care for her, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then if she’s as smart as you think she is, she’ll work it out and come and find you. If she doesn’t, then you’ve lost nothing.”
Ben opened and closed his mouth a few times, and then shook his head even though his father couldn’t see him.
“Thanks for nothing.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you later today and you can get started on the eastern fence line. You’ll get a lot done before the light fades.”
* * *
Silver finished her workout and went back up to her suite to take a shower and change. She’d asked her trainer to make things tough for her, which had stopped her from thinking too hard about both her dad and Ben’s behavior. But she couldn’t avoid the subject forever, and she still didn’t know what to do.
Ben hadn’t been honest with her about his role on their trip, but she had flat-out denied they were in a relationship to her father right in front of him. She was fairly certain he’d been about to say yes, and she’d almost shouted over him to get her father’s attention.
It hurt that despite their closeness, he hadn’t told her that he’d been both guide and watchdog. She’d thought he was different—that he valued her over Team Meadows. But, now that she’d calmed down, she was still willing to listen to his side of the story—if he wanted to give it to her. She might have overreacted a bit to get her dad from thinking there was something going on between them.
“Ben?” She walked into her suite and immediately knew he wasn’t there. She forced herself to check out the bedrooms and bathroom before she returned to the couch beside the fireplace and noticed the note with her name on it. She picked it up, her hands trembling, and unfolded it.
Dear Silver, thanks for everything. I mean it. You are an amazing woman, and I’m proud that you allowed me to get to know you. I’m sorry for letting you down and I wish you nothing but the best. All my love, Ben. X.
She refolded the note and dropped it onto the couch, her mind slowing as she struggled to deal with the fact that he’d gone without saying good-bye to her.
“How could you?” she whispered. “Why aren’t you here giving me some lame-ass excuses that I’ll believe because I care about you?”
She turned around and went back down the stairs to her office where Ayla was typing away on her tablet.
“Silver!” Ayla jumped like the guilty person she was. “Is everything okay?”
“You know it isn’t.” Silver kept her voice low