Dragonfly Creek (3 page)

“Where’s Emma?” Zanny asked as they got coats and bags out of the way.

“Back in Georgia. She and Nonny both send their love.”

Sarah directed everyone to the dining room. “Let’s eat, kids.”

As they took their seats around the long oak table, John asked Ben, “Are you just visiting, or are you here for a while?”

“I’m actually thinking about UK, and their landscape architecture program,” Ben confessed. “But I thought I’d hang around Hazard until next fall. Find a job I don’t have to think about too hard, take some time off. I’ve never really done that.”

He’d gone back to Savannah a few years ago after summer break, his tail between his legs, and he hadn’t slowed down except for major holidays spent with the family. He’d plowed through school, not even taking the summers off, and had graduated a year ahead of schedule. He’d gotten the job soon after and had only taken long weekends off since.

From the looks exchanged around the table, he figured there was some speculation going on, but no one said anything.

“Well, whatever reason you’re back, it’s good to have you,” Zanny told him with a smile.

“It’s good to be back.”

And for the most part, he meant it.

Chapter Three

S
arah called Ben into her sitting room later that evening. “Hey, have a minute?”

He hesitated in the doorway. “Depends. Am I in trouble? That’s just about the only time I’ve ever been in here.”

Owen had built the quiet refuge for Sarah after Ben and Emma were born. To this day, no one was allowed in without her permission.

Sarah laughed. “No, silly. I wanted to ask you about your job plans. I’m guessing from what you said earlier that you want something temporary?”

“I do. You have something in mind?”

“Possibly. We have a girl at the library who’s getting ready to go on maternity leave. We’re having trouble finding someone to fill in for her. You interested?”

He crossed to the windows that looked out over the yard and kitchen garden. Sarah watched him stretch his arms up and behind his head, and she was struck by what a handsome man he had grown into. Owen Campbell’s stamp was all over Ben. His hair was a warm honey-brown streaked with gold instead of Owen’s dark-chocolate tresses, and he wasn’t quite as lanky as Owen, but there was no denying he was Owen’s son. Sarah figured if he did take her up on the offer, the library’s usage would go up dramatically, particularly by the female patrons.

“When would I need to start?”

“Week after next.”

He picked up one of the glass paperweights Sarah collected, carefully turning it this way and that. “I wouldn’t be taking someone else’s job?”

“No. Like I said, we’ve had trouble finding anyone who wants to fill in temporarily. You’d actually be doing me a favor.” She’d stepped into the role of assistant director a couple of years ago.

“How long is maternity leave?”

“Typically six to eight weeks. It’s her first child, so she isn’t really sure how long she’ll need yet. And then when she does come back, it will probably just be part time at first. I figure by the time spring gets here and you start getting restless to get outside, she’ll be ready to take her job back. It isn’t like you haven’t done the job before.”

“True.”

The last summer Ben had spent at home before moving, he’d worked at the library with Sarah.

“I want to go up to Lexington, talk to some people at school. Make sure that’s going to be a good fit for me. I made the appointments last week,” he surprised her by adding. “I’d planned to go up there Wednesday.”

“You’ve given this a lot of thought. And here you’d led us to believe you just rolled home.”

Ben’s grin was full of mischief as he traded the paperweight he was holding for another one. “I’m not just another pretty face, Mom.”

“I never thought you were.”

“This is nice. When did you add it to the collection?”

Sarah raised an eyebrow. “This past Mother’s Day. Benjamin. Is there some reason you’re hesitating to take the job? Don’t worry about offending me. If you don’t want it, that’s fine.”

He sat the glass globe down gently and joined her on the couch with a sigh. Arms resting on his knees, his hands clasped between his legs, he shrugged. “The job sounds fine. Perfect, in fact. It isn’t that. I’m just starting to realize that I’m back in town for real, which sounded fine on paper, but I’m going to have to face down some demons.”

“And some of those demons are at the library?”

“Yeah. But that’s part of why I’m back. And that particular demon moved on years ago, so it’s just a ghost I’d be facing.” He reached out his hand. “Sign me up.”

Sarah shook the proffered hand, but held onto it. “When you left here, it wasn’t just a summer fling gone wrong, was it? That girl broke your heart.”

Ben kissed her hand, then gently pulled his free. “I let her get under my skin,” he admitted as he stood. “It’s time to get her out.”

Sarah thought about that long after he went upstairs. Owen found her still sitting on the couch some time later, lost in thought.

“Hey, are you coming to bed? It’s getting late.” He started rubbing her shoulders.

Sarah leaned into his touch with a satisfied sound. “I’ve just been thinking.”

“About Ben?”

“Of course.” She rubbed her face on his hand where it rested on her shoulder. “I didn’t think he’d ever come home, but here he is.”

“Did you ask him about the job?”

“Yes. He’s going to take it.” She stood and turned off the lamp, then joined Owen at the door. He wrapped his arms around her waist as she went past and pulled her back into him. When he nuzzled her neck, biting down gently, she smiled and turned in his arms. “So that’s why you came looking for me.”

Owen closed the door, then backed her into it. “No. I came looking for you because I missed you.” He leaned in and kissed her gently. “Think we can chance staying down here, having a little fun? The kids are both upstairs.”

Sarah started unbuttoning his shirt, enjoying the feel of his body pressed into hers as much as she had nearly thirty years ago, when they’d first been married. “Maybe. If we’re quiet. Or we could sneak out to the studio.”

“Now, there’s an idea.” The farmhouse they lived in had belonged to Owen’s parents. Because the farmhouse had too many bad memories for his comfort, he’d built his own house behind it after they passed away. After their family started growing, though, he and Sarah had renovated the farmhouse and moved in. He kept the smaller, more modern house as his workspace for writing and illustrating the children’s books he authored. They had used it over the years as a lover’s retreat.

His hands roamed her back, undoing her bra as they kissed again. Sarah had almost decided to be daring and hang the studio idea when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

“Mom? I can’t find my blue shirt,” Amelia called. She knocked on the door. “Mom?”

“Go away, child,” Owen grumbled. “Mom’s busy.”

“Seriously? You people are at it again? Gross!”

Sarah could practically see the teenager rolling her eyes, even through the heavy wooden door, but she was laughing, too.

“I can hardly wait until you have children of your own, young lady,” he growled with a frustrated glower at the door. “I hope they’re just like you.”

“I’ll be out in a minute,” Sarah told her with a chuckle.

“Take your time.” Amelia’s laughter echoed back down the hall.

“That girl has always had the worst timing of all our children. She has a gift for it.” He stepped back with a reluctant sigh. “You don’t know how happy I’ll be when she’s in college.”

“Owen!” Sarah laughed as she fumbled back into her clothing. “You will be completely despondent when she leaves the nest. You know it.”

He sat on the back of the couch. “I know. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

“Rain check?”

“Short rain check. Find your daughter her shirt and meet me in the studio. Threaten them with penalty of death if they come out there.”

“You know I have to be up early tomorrow.”

“You will be. I promise.”

As she hurried down the hall to help search for the elusive blue shirt, Sarah smiled. She’d gotten very lucky when she met Owen Campbell. If all her children were as happy with their spouses as she was with Owen, she would know she’d done her job as a mother.

“One down, four to go.”

Chapter Four

T
uesday, Ben found an apartment in the old hotel in downtown Hazard. It was a few doors down from the pharmacy his Aunt Gilly owned and ran and was just a couple of streets over from the library. All in all, things were coming together smoothly.

The pharmacy had an attached diner, and Ben had stopped in to have a late lunch after signing the lease on the apartment.

“You should come down tonight, have dinner with us,” Gilly told him as she refilled his coffee mug. They were alone in the restaurant, and she straightened the counter while he finished eating.

“I might do that.”

Gilly and Jack, Sarah’s brother, lived in the old homeplace where Sarah and Jack had been raised. Located at the foot of the mountain where his parents lived, the Browning homestead was surrounded by Campbell land. Ben and his siblings had grown up in close proximity to Gilly, Jack, and their two children, Rick and Michelle.

“When are you moving in?” she asked.

“Saturday probably. The apartment is furnished, so I don’t have to worry about that. All I have to move in are my books and clothes.”

“Well, it’s going to be nice to have you back, even if it is just for a few months. And it isn’t like Lexington is nine hours away, when you do go. I know Rick and John have missed having you around.”

“I’ve missed them. Though I don’t think we can get into much trouble these days, what with John being married and Rick being a sheriff’s deputy.” Ben winked at her, and Gilly laughed.

“Like the three of you ever got into any real trouble growing up. You were very good kids. Couldn’t ask for better.”

“You wouldn’t happen to be a little biased now, would you?”

“Not at all.”

He left the diner a short time later and walked to the library. As much as he told himself he was being ridiculous, he couldn’t open the door and walk in. Instead, he stood on the corner of the sidewalk and looked around. When the fourth car stopped at the intersection, the driver mistakenly thinking he was waiting to cross the street, Ben cursed and went inside. They’d done some renovating and opened up the space. Not sure where he would find his mother, he opened the glass door that separated the vestibule from the front desk and went inside.

Bypassing the desk, he headed to the back, where the offices had been located. Instead of finding his mother, though, he found the restroom and two closed-off storage rooms.

“Well, hell.”

“Looking for someone, sugar?”

Ben turned, a smile spreading across his face as he recognized the sultry voice. “Callie Barger! Look at you.” He hugged the older woman who’d worked at the library since before his mother had started there. “Still as saucy and beautiful as ever. How are you?”

“Old enough to be your mother, but you’re too handsome for me to care. When are you going to run away with me, young Ben?”

He walked back out to the front with her. “How about this weekend?”

“Sugar, you’d better be careful, or I’ll take you up on that.” She winked. “Your mom is upstairs in her office. I hear you’ll be joining us for a little while. We’ll have to do lunch.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” With a wave, he headed back into the vestibule and up the stairs. A young woman who was very, very pregnant was standing behind the desk, talking to Sarah.

“There’s our hero now. Ben, come meet Lisa.”

After some chitchat, Sarah led him back to the office.

“New digs, Mom. Nice.”

“Thank you. Have a seat, and we’ll get your paperwork done.”

“So how much does this gig pay?” he asked as he filled out the application.

“Not what you’re used to making, I’m sure.”

“No, but it will pay the bills. I appreciate this, Mom.”

“I wasn’t kidding—you’re doing me a favor. Seen your ghost yet?”

Ben froze for an instant. “No. But I haven’t looked, either. She’ll show up, I’m sure.” He didn’t want to think about it. He figured the lonely nights he would be spending after work would give him plenty time to do that.

“I’ll head back to the farm,” he told her when they were finished. “Need me to stop for anything?”

She checked her watch. “It’s after three. If you want to swing by and pick your sister up on your way home, I’ll let your dad know. She’ll be in basketball practice until four. You’d be getting there about the same time he would be coming off the mountain. And I know he’d appreciate the favor.”

“Will do.” He stopped at the door, tapping on the frame. “You know, she’s going to have to start beating the boys off with a stick. She doesn’t have any of us around to do it for her.”

Sarah smiled. “Owen said the same thing recently. And I think she can handle the attention. She just turns them all into friends, and they can’t figure out how she does it. Then she finds them other girlfriends. It’s funny to watch, really.”

“Poor Dad. He’s not ready for her to grow up.”

“Neither am I, but I’ve yet to find a way to prevent it. Get on out of here. I’ll see you soon.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He went out the back door instead of the front, then made his way to the pay parking lot. By focusing his thoughts on picking up Amelia and on his trip to Lexington the next day, he managed to avoid thinking about the girl he used to meet at that back door.

He was looking forward to seeing his sister Rachel. She was in her second year of college and had volunteered to show him around campus as soon as she’d learned he was going to be in town.

He ignored the fact that there was someone else in Lexington—at least she had been the last he knew—whom he wouldn’t be seeing tomorrow. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t be looking closely at every tall blonde they encountered. As much as he had tried to quell that habit, he still did it, no matter where he was. He knew it would be worse in Lexington, though, because she’d fled there that summer.

Ben didn’t know what he would do if he actually encountered Ainsley Brewer. His ideas varied from wrapping her in his arms to wrapping his hands around her neck and squeezing, and everything in between. He hoped, if they ever did have the occasion to meet face-to-face again, he would have the strength to simply walk away.