Montana Cherries (9 page)

“We’re protecting her.”

Ben looked away from his friend, and his gaze landed on Haley. Behind her stood Nick, Jaden, and Max. All three men were watching them.

“Who knows?” Ben asked. He suspected he could guess.

“Everyone.”

He shook his head. “You’re making a mistake. She deserves to know what’s going on before she moves to the other side of the country. And she deserves to be a part of figuring out the solution. She’s put too much of herself into this to be excluded from it.”

“But that’s not how it’s going to happen. We’ve been protecting our sister for a long time. I don’t intend to stop now.”

Gabe’s words didn’t make a lot of sense. It seemed to Ben that if anyone had been bending over backward to watch out for people, it was Dani. From Ben’s point of view, her dad hadn’t even manned up when her family had first fallen apart. Max was a good guy, and he’d worked hard for what they had. Ben had seen that back then. But it had also been clear that Max stayed to the side and let Dani run the show.

What hadn’t been obvious was whether that was Dani’s doing, or Max’s.

But he couldn’t point out any of that right then. Nick had exceeded his ability to keep the girls away. They ran over, both talking faster than Ben could keep up, followed by the remainder of the Wilde clan. Gloria and Megan brought up the rear.

Ben would keep his mouth shut about the family secrets. For now.

But he didn’t know how long that would last. Somebody had to think of Dani.

chapter eight

C
otton candy?”

With the question, Ben waved the sickly sweet treat-on-a-stick in front of her face, and Dani peeked over the top to find him grinning at her. He’d been doing that a lot more lately. Grinning. It probably had to do with his daughter seeming to enjoy his company once in a while.

Or it might go along with him wanting to do naughty things with Dani. She wasn’t sure.

She also didn’t plan to ask. She had to quit thinking like that. She was not going to sleep with him. That had been her decision after they’d danced all around the subject in the study the other night. Sleeping with him wasn’t smart. She didn’t need that kind of distraction in her life right now.

Therefore, no sleeping with Ben.

Which meant no flirting with Ben. No matter how many heated grins he tossed her way.

“No, thanks.” She ignored the thrill of being close to him and pushed the cotton candy away. “You can tempt all you want, but I just polished off a huge cherry tart at that last booth. Nothing else is going in here.” She patted her stomach.

“Your loss.” He popped a large pinch of the sugary fluff into his mouth. “Mmmm.”

She made a face at him, and turned her attention to his daughter.

Michelle and Gabe had stuck around long enough to see the parade before returning to the house, leaving Jenna to spend the afternoon with her uncles, so Dani had decided to hang out with Ben and Haley. She wanted Jenna to have that special time alone with Jaden and Nick. She didn’t get it often enough.

Dani only wished that Nate had come home, too.

She’d called when he hadn’t shown up that morning, but had only gotten his voice mail. Which was so like him to avoid her like that. So she’d reminded him that she
was
moving over two thousand miles away in a matter of weeks, and it would be nice to see her entire family before she left.

She hoped he’d get his crap together and come home, but she’d learned long ago that with Nate, he would do whatever he wanted. Even if “whatever he wanted” landed him in either jail or rehab. Both of which had happened in the past. And the boy was only twenty-four.

Nate hadn’t been the easiest brother to raise.

She and Ben continued wandering through the kids’ section of the festival, trying everything they could think of to get Haley to perk up. They’d had a struggle separating her and Jenna, and since then, Haley had refused to leave their sides. She hadn’t been interested in making her own butterfly at the kids’ craft station, in having a dog balloon that she could walk on her own, or even in the regionally famous magic show featuring The Amazing Lolo.

Dani supposed sticking by Ben’s side was to be expected, though. Haley wasn’t used to strangers, and clearly remained nervous around them. But what got to Dani was the fact that it wasn’t Ben’s side so much as
hers
that Haley was clinging to. The attachment being formed had begun to worry her. It could end up hurting the girl in the end.

She shoved the pink fluff out of her face once again when Ben silently held out his arm, and decided it was time to broach the subject. She nudged her head in the direction of Haley, who’d finally taken more than two steps away. She’d squatted down to look at a toy box made to look like a giant cherry, and was actually talking to the woman manning the booth.

“Do you worry she’s building too close an attachment to me?” Dani asked quietly.

Ben stopped eating and bunched his eyebrows together. “She knows you’re leaving.”

“Yes, but she’s a child. I’m not sure she really understands. I worry it’ll hurt her when I do go.” She stepped closer to ensure only he could hear. “Like her mother did, you know? I don’t want to make things worse.”

Concern slipped quickly over Ben’s features, and the cotton candy was forgotten. He tossed it into a nearby trash bin and took his time wiping his hands. Dani suspected he was delaying in order to think over what she’d just said. Because she had a point. Haley was sensitive to people leaving, even if she “knew” up front they would be.

Dani really should have thought of that sooner.

To help matters, she voiced a suggestion. “I could spend less time with her. Distance myself a little.”

Not take her for manicures and fix her hair every morning.

“No.” The answer came fast and harsh. “You’re good for her, even if you are leaving. And . . .” He paused. “You’re good for me too. You’ve already done more for both of us in a matter of days than I’d accomplished in three weeks.”

“It wasn’t all me. You would have gotten there.”

He took her hand in his. “Don’t lie to either of us. It was you, and we both know it. No,” he said again, and she struggled to focus on his words instead of the heat from his palm. “We’ll talk to her. Make sure she understands that you won’t be here forever. We’ll find her more friends to fill the void. But right now, you’re bringing a life out in her that I didn’t know she was capable of. Certainly more than I’ve seen since Lia left her standing there staring up at me.”

Dani couldn’t bring herself to argue. Because she didn’t want to pull back yet.

They stood in the middle of the street, both watching Haley, each deep in their own thoughts, and in her heart, Dani knew she needed distance. From both of them. She kept finding herself making excuses to spend more time with Ben. And she loved Haley to death.

The little girl wasn’t the only one who would be hurt when Dani had to leave.

Yet, she said nothing.

She did tug at her arm, though, intending to free her hand. But Ben’s grip tightened. He didn’t say anything, didn’t even glance her way. He just didn’t let go.

Fine. She’d hold his hand.

Mostly because she liked it.

But also because she didn’t want to cause a scene. She was not a fan of drawing unwanted attention to herself.

With a squeal, Haley left the booth and skipped back to them. “Do you like it?” She held up her hand. On the back was a tiny butterfly tattoo. “The lady gave it to me. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Haley went into an excited jump, and relief rushed through Dani. Ben’s daughter seemed to be getting back to her earlier self.

“Absolutely,” Dani and Ben said in unison.

Dani smiled her thanks at the mom of three she recognized who’d put the temporary tattoo on Haley, and without additional comment, she and Ben each caught one of Haley’s hands and the three of them continued down the street.

A lively bagpiper passed them, his music entertaining the crowd, and his “funny skirt” making Haley laugh. It was a good day—a beautiful day—to live in Birch Bay.

Ten yards later, Ben stopped at the booth for The Cherry Basket, and Dani watched him study the assortment of items. Quilts, cookbooks, jams, and jellies. All spread out before them, each displayed in either red, cloth-lined handmade baskets, or on cases a local carpenter had built for the store. The manager had done a beautiful job setting up the booth as if a section of the store had been plucked up whole and plopped down in the middle of the street.

“This is your store?” Ben asked.

Dani smiled with pride. “Not
my
store. But the family’s, yes.”

Haley’s eyes widened. “You have a store, too? Will I be able to eat cherries there like I will at your house?”

Laughter rose from Dani. She loved what children found important. Though Haley had eaten her share of fresh cherries throughout the day, she was certain they weren’t nearly as good as the ones that would come from Wilde Cherry Farm.

Dani squeezed the small hand inside hers and winked. “Absolutely.”

“But you started the store?” Ben prompted as if Haley hadn’t interrupted them. “It was your idea?”

“Yeah.” Dani turned back to the setup. “I did. The idea began when I was a kid. I’d just talked my dad into my first cherry lemonade stand.”

She pointed out the fresh cherry lemonade that was for sale at the stand, and Ben said, “You’re going to slay them in New York.”

“Thank you.” The gravity of his statement affected her. It wasn’t that her family hadn’t expressed the same confidence, but they were her family. It was their job to say things like that.

But to hear Ben say it helped soothe the fear that occasionally arose. She knew she could do a good job. She knew she
had
done well. But no matter how aware of that she was, no matter how many of her own awards she’d won, a consistent nagging voice sat inside her head, leading to worry that it might not be enough.

She stepped to the booth and greeted the manager with a handshake. “How are you, Sara? Everything going okay today?”

“Terrific. We just sold out of the new mixes that came in last week. I sent Brandi to the store for more, and to grab up a couple more boxes of brochures. We’re making sure everyone who stops by the booth walks away carrying something with our website printed on it.”

“Good deal.” Thousands of tourists passed through the festival every year, and there were many booths set up along the walkway, all representing different orchards throughout the area. But Dani and her family had something they didn’t. A thriving store and online business. Ensuring that a large percentage of the attendees went home aware they could order additional product online was key to keeping that a reality. “The samples going over well?” she asked, and Sara laughed with enthusiasm.

“You know they are. The team is continuously running fresh batches of the scones and muffins over from the store.”

They talked for several more minutes, Sara offering a cup of cherry lemonade to Haley, before Dani and Ben moved on down the street. The afternoon slowly slipped away. They took in the boats bobbing out on the bay and the water-skiers off in the distance. The festival bumped right up against the water, and the way the sunlight glistened, the lake could look blue or green, depending on the time of day.

Ben pointed out a group of girls about Haley’s age waiting in line by the carousel, and suggested they go over so Haley could talk with them. Haley wanted no part in it. So when they came upon the oversize bounce house, with loud shouts coming from inside, Dani instantly knew it would be too much for the girl.

But she didn’t have time to warn Ben.

“Look at that.” He pointed to the blow-up structure. “That looks exactly like a place you’d love.”

Haley’s grip tightened and she took a step closer to Dani. “Is Jenna in there?”

“I’m not sure,” Ben said. He craned his neck as though he were checking to see if the other girl had made her way to this end of the street. “But plenty of other kids are. Come on, let’s get you inside.”

“Ben,” Dani tried to warn him.

“It’s okay.” He took a step forward, Haley’s hand in his, but Haley leaned back and dug in her heels.

He glanced behind him, and when his daughter didn’t budge, he smiled down at her as if all was right with the world. “Dani and I will be right here the whole time,” he assured her. “I’m sure you’ll find a new friend in there. Don’t you want someone new to play with?”

Ah. He’d apparently taken Dani’s earlier words to heart and was intent on resolving the issue right this moment. “Ben,” she tried again.

Haley inched closer to Dani.

When Ben pulled at the child’s arm once again, Haley released her daddy’s hand, and wrapped both arms tightly around Dani’s leg. “I already have friends,” she declared stubbornly. “Dani and Jenna will play with me whenever I want.”

Crap. Wrong answer.

Dani untangled the girl from her leg, but she could see the damage was done. The child had retreated into her shell. She was scared. Additionally, Ben seemed just as determined.

Stooping to Haley’s height, Dani soothed with her voice. “You don’t have to go in if you don’t want to, Haley. That’s okay. But remember what I told you before? I won’t always be here. Making new friends might be a really good idea.”

“It is a good idea.” This came from Ben. He’d apparently decided that coaxing wasn’t going to work because he lifted Haley in his arms without waiting for her to respond. “Come on. You’ll love it.”

“Ben—”

Dani started to protest once more, but stopped when Haley went into a screaming fit. Arms and legs stiffened, then flapped in the air as if she were fighting for her life. Her small face turned bright red, and fat tears streamed from her eyes.

She reared back with all the strength one small child could muster, and Ben froze where he stood.

“Don’t put me in there! Don’t put me in there!” Haley screamed.

Everyone within earshot turned in their direction, looks on their faces like they were trying to decide whether to offer help or request that the three of them keep it down.

In the next instant, Haley lunged for Dani. Without thinking, Dani pulled her from her daddy’s grasp. The child was terrified. She twined slim arms around Dani, her whole body shaking, and buried her damp face in the crook of Dani’s neck. Her sobs lowered in volume fairly quickly, but the tension in her body was slower to ease.

Several moments and a couple of loud sniffles later, most everything had returned to normal. Except, Haley still clung to Dani.

Ben stood in front of them, arms hanging at his sides.