Rancher For The Holidays (Love Inspired) (8 page)

She should be happy Ben had obviously grown more invested in the fund-raising event than he’d initially intended. But now she had to weigh her concerns about personal privacy against Spirit Outreach’s goals.

Shifting higher in her chair, she jiggled her empty soda can on the tabletop. “Maybe Thanksgiving weekend wasn’t such a great idea, after all.”

“We can’t change it now,” Pastor Chris stated. “Ben’s right. Let’s get the word out in Marfa, Fort Davis, Presidio, Fort Stockton—any town within a hundred-mile radius.”

With the rest of the committee in agreement, Marley couldn’t argue. She listened and took notes during the rest of the meeting, relieved when they finally broke up around ten thirty.

Ben caught up with her as she walked out to the parking lot. “Long night.”

“We had a lot to cover.” Stifling a yawn, Marley dug through her purse for her keys.

“I hope I didn’t step on your toes with the publicity thing, but I know how badly you want this event to succeed.”

“No, you’re right. We need to get the word out.” She unlocked her car and set her purse and tablet computer inside.

Ben didn’t seem in any hurry to head to his own car, on the other side of the lot. Marley noticed he tended to park his cute red Mustang well away from other vehicles. He rested an arm along the top of her door, which stood open between them. “Seen much of your friend Lucas lately?”

She cast him an odd look. “Not really. Why?”

“Just asking. I haven’t seen much of you except at these meetings, so I wondered where you’ve been keeping yourself.”

“Trying to make a living. What else?” She regretted her tart tone the moment the words left her mouth. “I’m sorry, Ben. That sounded terrible. I should be asking you how the job search is going.”

He sagged against the car door. “Going nowhere fast. Which is why I’m glad to have this trail-ride stuff to keep me occupied. Plus Uncle Steve never has any problem coming up with chores for me around the ranch.”

“From what I’ve seen, it looks like you’re enjoying your time at the ranch. Have you ever thought about staying, maybe working for your uncle?”

Something between a groan and a laugh rumbled in Ben’s chest. “How much did Uncle Steve pay you to say that?”

“I promise, not a cent.” Marley couldn’t suppress a laugh of her own. “I take it he’s made the offer?”

Ben’s mouth twisted. “More than once. I keep telling him it’d never work.”

Or did Ben simply not want to admit it might? Another yawn crept up on her. “I should get home.”

“Right.” With a quick breath, Ben cleared his throat and stuffed his hands into his pockets. “So, uh, what’s on your schedule this week? Besides the studio and the trail-ride stuff.”

She mentally flipped through her calendar. “I’m finishing up a magazine assignment, and this weekend I’m covering a rehearsal dinner and wedding.”

“Sounds fun. Uh, you wouldn’t possibly be in the market for an assistant, would you?”

“Not in the budget.” Marley arched a brow. “Wait. Don’t tell me you’re volunteering—again?”

“Might be.”

She studied him, unsure whether he was serious or just being nice. Then her gaze slipped to his quirky grin and a tingly feeling tickled her insides. She should give him a quick “thanks, but no thanks” right now and be on her way, but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate. “Okay, sure,” she heard herself saying. “Meet me at the studio Friday afternoon at four.”

* * *

Playing photographer’s assistant for the Stratton-Leonard rehearsal dinner and wedding gave Ben a whole new appreciation for Marley’s talents. She didn’t require all the extra stands and lighting equipment she’d brought out to the ranch to photograph Uncle Steve and Aunt Jane, but Ben ended up toting three different camera bags full of fancy lenses and flash attachments.

The hardest part, which Marley handled with the utmost tact, was corralling the bride, groom, their twelve attendants, the minister and two huge extended families for a variety of individual and group poses, plus lots of candid shots during the rehearsal dinner and wedding reception.

With music, dancing and a three-course sit-down dinner at the reception, it was close to midnight before the bride and groom departed and the party broke up. The bride’s aunt made sure Marley left with several containers of leftovers and offered some to Ben as well, but he declined except for two hefty slices of cake to take home for Aunt Jane and Uncle Steve.

Ben had driven them to the wedding in the Mustang. He pulled up next to Marley’s Honda in the parking lot near the studio. “I could fall asleep right here. That was exhausting.”

Marley felt around the floorboard for the shoes she’d kicked off the moment she got in the car. “Having your help made my job tons easier. I can’t thank you enough.”

“It’s always fun watching you at work.” Ben gave her hand a quick squeeze. “You’re good, Marley. Really good.”

Even in the darkened car, he glimpsed the uncertainty in her crooked smile. “I love what I do, but...” She straightened, as if shaking off an unpleasant thought. Her smile widened. “Thank you. It’s nice to be appreciated.”

He had a feeling this wasn’t the time to probe her emotions. They were both dead tired, which meant Marley was vulnerable, and so was he. Clearing his throat, he opened his door. “Let’s get your gear unloaded so you can head home and get some sleep.”

Marley unlocked the back door of the studio and after they stowed her camera equipment, Ben walked her back to the parking lot. As she climbed into her Honda, he thought how natural it would be to give her a good-night kiss on the cheek. Except lately he couldn’t seem to shake the idea that he’d like to get to know Marley as more than a friend. And since he didn’t know how much longer he’d be in Alpine—

“Got any plans for tomorrow?” Ben blurted out.

Looking up from buckling her seat belt, Marley covered a yawn. “Sleeping in is my number-one priority. I’ll probably go to the late service at church, then chill out for the rest of the day.”

“You want to chill out at the ranch? Maybe try another ride on Dancer?” When she hesitated, Ben offered a persuasive grin. “Just you and me. No rowdy committee members bouncing around and getting the horses all tense.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Can you guarantee there won’t be any cars backfiring or other scary noises?”

“Hey, there are no guarantees in life.” He tapped the hood of Marley’s car. “At least think about it. If you feel like coming out, great. If you decide you’d rather not ride, we’ll watch TV or something. Like you said, just chill.”

Marley sighed and quirked her lips. “I’ll let you know. Right now, I’m too tired to think straight.”

Watching her drive away, Ben suspected he wouldn’t see her again until the next Spirit Outreach meeting on Monday night.

She surprised him by showing up at the ranch shortly after two on Sunday afternoon.

He leaned against the door frame, enjoying the shy glimmer in her eyes as she stood on the front porch. She looked amazing in a Sul Ross State University sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers, and he couldn’t suppress a grin. “Nice to see you looking a little less bleary-eyed.”

“I could say the same about you.” Marley poked her hands into her back pockets. “I was thinking I’d really like to see the wildflower ridge again. Is your offer for that ride still open?”

Warmth spread through Ben’s chest. His grin widened. “Thought you’d never ask.”

Twenty minutes later, Ben gave Marley a boost into Dancer’s saddle, then climbed on Skeeter, the Palomino he usually rode. Marley showed the same nervousness as her first time on Dancer, but with the horse’s calm nature and steady gait, it took her even less time to relax and enjoy the scenery.

The ride gave Ben a chance to show Marley the trail he and Uncle Steve had been working on to clear away overgrowth, fill holes and smooth over gullies. “We’ve added two or three more miles since the committee rode the trail. Lots of great photo ops, too, which you’ll appreciate. You should have brought your camera.”

“What makes you think I didn’t?” Marley winked as she tugged a compact digital camera from the pocket of her sweatshirt. “This little baby is my favorite tool for when I can’t haul a bunch of camera equipment along and want to be prepared.”

“Should have known.” Laughter bubbled up from Ben’s chest. He still had his mouth open when Marley turned the camera on him and snapped several pictures. “Hey! Give a guy some warning.”

“What makes you think I was taking your picture? There’s a really cute cow behind you.”

Ben swung to look over his shoulder. There was indeed a herd of cattle on the other side of a barbed-wire fence, but none close enough to be discernibly cute.

Marley chuckled. “Gotcha.”

“Funny, Sanders. Very funny.” Ben held out his hand. “Here, let me snap some shots of you.”

She drew her lower lip between her teeth and shook her head. “Oh, no, that’s okay.”

“What, you don’t trust me with your fancy little camera? It has an automatic mode, right?”

“Yes, but... I’m not used to being on the other side of the lens.”

“Then it’s about time.” Ben kept his hand steady until Marley reluctantly changed some settings on the camera and laid it in his palm. While he centered her in the display, she struck a pose and an artificial smile. “Oh, come on, be natural.”

Ben kept up a teasing banter while he snapped several pictures. With each one, Marley grew more at ease, but it took her almost as long to get comfortable having her photo taken as it had to relax on Dancer’s back.

“Now for a selfie.” Ben guided Skeeter close beside Dancer and held the camera facing them at arm’s length. He stretched one arm toward Marley to get her to lean closer, then pressed the shutter.

“Okay, you’ve had your fun.” Marley grabbed the camera and switched it to display mode. “Let me see how many of these I’m going to delete.”

He was afraid she’d start deleting before he got a chance to look, but her finger slowed as she browsed through the shots. Something changed in her expression, a kind of wistful sadness filling her eyes. Her chest rose and fell as if she held back tears.

Ben touched her arm. “Marley?”

“It’s just weird seeing pictures of myself. Even when I was a kid—” She forced a laugh. “Never mind. I’m being silly.”

“Wait, what were you about to say about being a kid?”

“Nothing.” She turned off the camera and shoved it into her pocket. “Hey, don’t you have more trail to show me?”

They rode for another hour before circling back, both working to keep the conversation light. But Ben couldn’t shake the growing sense that Marley carried a lot of baggage from a difficult past. He wondered if she’d ever trust him enough to share it with him.

Chapter Eight

T
he weeks leading up to Thanksgiving kept Marley too busy to think about much besides work and the Spirit Outreach fund-raiser. Just as well, because after letting Ben see her get teary-eyed over a few photos of herself, she needed to regain some perspective. She liked Ben. A lot. But enough to trust him with her past? Not when she hadn’t even found the courage to confide in her closest church friends. Besides, any day now, Ben could land a new job and move on.

As they had for the past few years, Ernie and Angela invited Marley to spend Thanksgiving with them. Angela’s parents and an older brother and his family arrived from out of town, so the Coutus’ dining room table was full. Everyone gorged on turkey with all the trimmings, then napped in front of the TV while occasionally rousing long enough to cheer for their favorite football team.

Friday morning dawned mild and sunny, a perfect day for the nearly twenty volunteers who met at the Whitlow ranch to begin setting up for Saturday’s trail ride and cookout. They arranged tables and chairs under the party tent beside the barn, with a flatbed trailer serving as the stage for the band. Steve Whitlow had designated the pasture across from the house to be used for trailer parking. Tomorrow was predicted to be sunny and mild, a gorgeous day for the event, and with the publicity Ben had secured in a variety of West Texas news outlets, rider registrations had almost tripled.

At least the extra coverage hadn’t brought any unwanted attention on Marley. Her father’s reelection had gone without a hitch, and Missouri State Representative Harold Sanderson would serve another term.

As Marley and Judy Jackson tested power connections in the stage area, Steve Whitlow’s red four-wheeler pulled up beside the tent. Ben climbed off the back and strode over. “You ladies need any help?”

“Almost done,” Marley said. “How’s the trail looking?”

“Ready to ride. Uncle Steve and I just drove the whole length of it to make sure all the trail markers are in place.” He whipped off his ball cap and drew his denim shirtsleeve across his forehead. “I need something cold to rinse the dust from my throat. Can I bring y’all anything?”

Judy tipped her head at Marley. “You two go on. I’ll finish up here.”

Marley had been up since dawn and was more than ready for a break. She walked with Ben to the Whitlows’ back porch and sank onto a deck chair while Ben dug through a cooler filled with ice and canned drinks. “I’ll take a diet soda if you can find one.”

He handed her a frosty can and popped the top on a root beer for himself, then collapsed into the chair next to hers and gazed off toward the activity around the party tent. “Tomorrow’s the big day, huh?”

“Can’t believe it’s finally here.” She offered Ben a heartfelt smile. “In case I haven’t said it often enough, thank you. Your promotion expertise made all the difference, I’m sure.”

“Pshaw, little lady,” he said in his pathetically fake John Wayne drawl. “Weren’t nothin’ at all.”

They sipped their drinks in comfortable silence for a few minutes. “How was your Thanksgiving?” Marley asked.

“Quiet and lazy. Naturally, Aunt Jane cooked up way too much food for the three of us.”

Marley studied him. Careful to keep her tone casual, she said, “I thought maybe some of your family from Houston might come out.”

The grimace on his face told her she shouldn’t have brought it up. “Let’s just say the family situation is a bit touchy these days.” He glanced her way. “You have a nice day with the Coutus?”

“Very.” He didn’t want to talk about his family, she didn’t want to talk about hers. Time to get back to the business at hand. Finishing her drink, she tossed the can in a plastic recycling tub. “I need to find my checklist so we can wrap things up. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

As Marley crossed the gravel drive on her way back to the tent, a silver pickup drove up. Neil Ingram, the feature writer who’d been covering the event for the
Alpine Avalanche
, signaled to Marley. “Got time for a quick interview? I’d like some feedback from you and a few other volunteers so I can get a head start on my article for Sunday’s edition.”

“Sure.” Marley described some of the tasks the set-up crew had been working on, then gave Neil a chance to talk with Pastor Chris, Ernie and Judy.

When Neil finished with his questions, he snapped a few photos of the crew at work and said he’d be back tomorrow to get shots during the event. “I imagine you’ll be taking photos, too, Marley. If you send me some I can use, you’ll get the paper’s standard freelance rate.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Neil.” Any amount would help to keep the studio afloat. The January rent increase loomed large in her thoughts. Her constant prayer was to make enough profit not only to stay open in her current location, but also to end the emotional tug-of-war with her father once and for all.

* * *

Late Saturday afternoon, Ben leaned against the porch rail and looked out across rows and rows of pickups, SUVs and horse trailers. Most of the riders had returned by now and were unsaddling their horses and packing up tack. Ben would have enjoyed heading out on the trail himself, but between directing traffic and taking his turn in the barbecue trailer flipping burgers and grilling brats, he’d had plenty to keep him busy right here.

Music from the country-and-western band drifted his way from the party tent. The trail ride had proven a huge success, and last time Ben had seen Marley and her Spirit Outreach friends, they were toasting each other with soft drinks and sharing a lively discussion about what they could do to make next year’s event even better.

Ben almost felt sorry he wouldn’t be around to see it.

Aunt Jane came out with another tray of brownies for the concession counter. “What are you doing here all by your lonesome?”

“Just taking it all in. Quite a day, huh?”

“With all the money they raised, looks like it’s going to be a wonderful Christmas for Candelaria.” Aunt Jane handed him a brownie. “And did you meet the man from Big Bend Assistance Alliance? Marley told me BBAA’s making a sizable contribution to Spirit Outreach.”

“That’s great.”

“I hear BBAA might even open a branch office in Alpine.” Aunt Jane slanted him a look. “Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“Mmm.” Ben bit off a chunk of brownie.

In an obvious stalling tactic, Ben’s aunt tucked the plastic wrap around the edge of her tray. “You should think about going down with them.”

Now he wasn’t following her. “What—you mean to Candelaria?”

Her smile spread. “It would be so good for you.”

Good for him. Right. “You know I’m taking things one day at a time. Any day now—”

“Yes, yes, I know.” Aunt Jane groaned. “You’re starting to sound like a broken record with all this job-hunting rigmarole.”

“But I—”

His aunt seized his hand and shoved the rest of his brownie into his mouth, silencing him. “God will provide the right job for you when He’s good and ready. And maybe a change of attitude, to boot.” With a saucy twist to her blue-jeaned hips, she marched off the porch and across to the tent.

Ben tried not to choke on the brownie. He hadn’t tasted brownies as good as Aunt Jane’s since his mother was alive. Mom’s sudden death had pretty much sealed his opinions about God, too. He probably did need a change of attitude, but it was nothing the right job offer wouldn’t fix. And no matter how much coaxing and cajoling Uncle Steve and Aunt Jane dished out, he simply couldn’t picture himself living and working on the ranch for the rest of his days. He knew little enough about horses and even less about cattle.

Before he got chocolate frosting all over his jeans, he went inside to wash his hands. As he tore off a paper towel, Marley entered the kitchen with a dishpan full of used serving utensils. He reached across the counter to take it from her. “How’s it going out there?”

“The last of the riders just came in and got some chow. We’re about to shut down the serving line.” Marley cast a longing gaze toward one of the kitchen chairs.

“Sit down, for crying out loud. You’ve been running yourself ragged all day.” Ben filled a tumbler with ice water from the fridge and gave it to her. They both took chairs. “Have you had a chance to eat?”

“I nibbled here and there.” Her fatigue couldn’t hide a satisfied glow. “We did good today, Ben. Really good. Those kids are going to have the best Christmas ever.”

A gnawing emptiness settled in his belly. When the time came to move on, he’d miss the deep-down satisfaction his involvement with Spirit Outreach had brought. The work had become more than a passing interest or a way to keep busy while he didn’t have anything better to do. In a few weeks’ time his concern had strengthened even more for Marley’s little border town and the people who didn’t share his advantages in life.

Marley’s hand rested on the table near her water glass. Slowly, Ben slid his hand closer until their fingertips touched. Keeping his eyes lowered, he studied the swirling wood grain in the tabletop. “I was thinking, if I’m still around when your team goes to Candelaria, do you think I could tag along?”

Her quick intake of breath spoke her surprise.

“I’d make myself useful.” Glancing up to gauge her expression, he chuckled softly. “You should know by now I can take direction and work well with others.”

She raked him with an appraising stare, but humor lit her eyes. “I must say, Mr. Fisher, your résumé is impeccable.”

“So am I hired?”

Growing serious, she asked, “Are you sure, Ben? Because I promise you, a trip to Candelaria will change your life, whether you want it to or not.”

He drew his fingers into a fist, knuckles resting uneasily on the table as his doubts kicked into high gear. “Like I said, it all depends on if I’m still around at Christmas.”

* * *

On Monday evening, the Spirit Outreach committee met to review income and expenses from the trail ride and assess the event’s overall success. Marley noticed Ben was conspicuously absent. True, his part was finished, but Marley had hoped he’d care enough to share in the glow of what they’d achieved. Guess she’d misread his interest in getting more involved. Obviously, Ben only cared about what was in it for him. Hadn’t she nailed it the day he’d asked her to stay for supper after the Whitlows’ anniversary photo shoot? A distraction. That’s all she, Spirit Outreach and Candelaria meant to him.

When Pastor Chris quoted their net profit from the trail ride, everyone applauded. “So now we need to go shopping,” he stated. “Angela, you’ve got the list of children’s names and ages, right?”

“I do.” Angela opened a folder and took out several printed pages. “Lucas Montero brought an updated list when he came for the trail ride. I thought we could divide into teams of two and split up the names for buying gifts.”

Pastor Chris agreed, and the committee members started pairing off. Marley expected either Angela or Judy would partner with her, but then Angela decided she and Ernie would shop together, and Judy and Pastor Chris teamed up. Since there was an odd number at the meeting, Marley found herself left out.

With a regretful smile, Angela whispered to Marley, “I thought maybe you and Ben...”

Marley shook her head. “Not a good idea. It’s okay. I don’t mind shopping by myself.”

“Why don’t you at least ask him? He’s one of the team now, after all.”

Surely Angela had noticed he hadn’t come to tonight’s meeting—or was she jumping on the matchmaking bandwagon along with Jane Whitlow? “I’ll think about it. Do you have a list of names for me?”

Angela winked and handed her one of the printouts. “Saved this one especially for you.”

Scanning the list, Marley read Isabella’s name and warmth rippled through her. Oh, yes, she’d have to find an extra-special Christmas gift for one of her favorite Candelaria children.

The meeting broke up, and Marley gathered her things. Settling into her car, she remembered to turn her phone off silent mode and discovered a voice mail waiting.

It was from Ben.
“Sorry I missed the meeting. A heifer got caught in the fence, and I had to help get her untangled. Then the vet came out to stitch up her leg, and—well, you don’t want to hear all this. Anyway, congratulations again on a great fund-raiser.”
He paused, as if unsure, then continued.
“Call me sometime, okay? Uh, bye.”

What
was
it about the man, surprising her at every turn? Her heart flip-flopped, and before she could count off all the reasons she should
not
call him back, she hit Redial.

He answered on the first ring. “Hey. How’d the meeting go?”

“Fine. Everybody’s thrilled with how well the ride went. I—that is, everyone missed you.”
Way to put your foot in it, Sanders.
“How’s the cow?”

“A little worse for wear, but she’ll heal. I, on the other hand, may never again walk without a limp.”

“Oh, no! What happened?”

“The heifer wasn’t real happy about the vet’s big needle, so while I was helping to hold her still, my foot kind of got in the way of her hoof.”

“Ouch. Is anything broken?”

“Don’t think so, just bruised. I’m propped on the sofa with an icepack on my big toe.” The snickering in the background sounded like Ben’s aunt and uncle. He snorted. “You can tell what kind of sympathy I’m getting around here.”

Marley couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for him, herself. “How long before you’ll be up and around again?”

“Unless gangrene sets in and they have to amputate, I should be fine in a couple of days.”

“Glad to know it’s not serious.” The urge to laugh nearly choked Marley. She cleared her throat. “So, um, one of the things you missed at the meeting was dividing up a list of kids’ names for buying Christmas gifts.” She couldn’t believe she was really going to ask this. “Any chance you’d like to be my shopping partner? That is, if you think you’ll be up to traipsing around a few stores later this week.”

As his silence stretched longer, she held her breath. At last, his tone low and earnest, he replied, “Yeah, I’d like that. Thanks for asking.”

* * *

With another wedding on the schedule for the upcoming weekend, Marley decided Thursday morning would be her best time to close the studio for a shopping trip
and
give Ben’s toe a chance to heal. Ben planned to pick her up at the studio around nine thirty, so she arrived an hour early to take care of a few things in her office.