Would she keep making excuses for both herself and him? And then what?
“Dammit!”
She got out of the truck, checked the code Mrs. Morgan had written on her hand, and tapped it in the padlock, releasing the chain that kept the gate shut. She pushed the gate open and hurried to get back in and drive through before she had to get out and repeat the whole process again.
There was only a single, rutted track, which went upward so she wasn’t likely to get lost. When she pulled up outside the low-lying ranch house, she cut the engine and took a cautious look around. The house wasn’t as pretty as the Morgans’, but apart from that, the layout of the ranch was very similar. House, cow barn, horse barn, and fenced paddocks radiating away from the house. There was also a chicken run where several interested spectators had gathered to watch her arrival.
She checked the time. There were two parked trucks and space for at least a dozen more. Would Ben be back by now? Mrs. Morgan had seemed pretty confident that someone would be there to talk to her. She got out of the truck. She had nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
As she approached the house, wondering where on earth the front door was, someone called out to her.
“Come through this way, and wipe your feet!”
She jumped and turned, one hand plastered to her heart, and saw Mr. Miller beckoning to her impatiently.
“Hi!” she squeaked. “I hope you don’t mind me barging in like this, but—”
Her voice died as she realized he’d disappeared into the house leaving the door wide open for her.
She went inside and took off her boots in the mudroom, walked out into the hallway, and then stopped, confused by the number of doors and passageways leading away from her. Whoever had built this house hadn’t thought things through very logically.
“I’m in the kitchen!” Mr. Miller shouted out.
She followed the smell of coffee and emerged into a huge kitchen that wouldn’t have looked out of place in a magazine spread. It had the most beautiful handmade cabinets she had ever seen.
“This is lovely.” She stroked the wood. “And so unexpected.”
“Kaiden did the work.” Mr. Miller was standing beside a pot of coffee he held up to her. “Want some?”
“Yes, please.” She headed for the long pine table and took a seat.
“Cream and sugar?”
“No, thanks, just as it is.”
She accepted the mug he handed her and waited for him to sit on the other side of the table. Even close up, he didn’t look much like Ben, but there was something in his direct gaze that reminded her of her reluctant lover.
“What brings you to Morgan Valley?” Mr. Miller asked.
“I came to see Ben,” Silver replied. “We parted on bad terms and I wanted to sort things out with him.”
“Why’s that?”
She frowned at him. “I don’t understand.”
“Why do you want to sort things out with him when you’re going to hightail it back to L.A.?”
She sat up straight. “That’s between me and Ben.”
“It’s a legitimate question.” He sipped his coffee. “I don’t want him getting all lovey-dovey about you again, and then getting hurt.”
“He’s a big boy.” Silver met Mr. Miller’s direct gaze head-on and reminded herself that just like her own father, Ben’s dad really did care for his son. “I think he’ll work out what he wants to do.”
“I damn well hope so. That boy’s been scared to make any decisions since he was nineteen and he got tangled up with that other rich girl.” He snorted. “She came here once and complained the whole time about how rural it was, and how basic and quaint. Darn well made Ben ashamed of his roots.”
“I’m not like that.” Silver wasn’t backing down. “I like it here.”
“Enough to stay?” Mr. Miller wasn’t backing down either. “He won’t thrive if you take him away from here for good.”
For a moment, they stared each other down like two gunslingers, before Silver risked a smile.
“Then we’d better think of a way to keep him here, hadn’t we?”
Mr. Miller grinned back and held out his hand. “I knew I liked you. Call me Jeff, and I’ve thought of just the thing.”
* * *
Ben settled Calder into his new stall at the Gomez ranch, made sure the barn was clean and tidy, and walked up to the house to report to his boss. His cell buzzed as he was approaching the side door and he stopped to check it.
Unexpected meeting