Dressed in a walnut-colored shirt and leather chaps, Ben dismounted at the hitching post.
Charlie wrapped his arms around the dust-covered man. “You made it back.”
“Missed you too.” Ben squeezed Charlie’s shoulders as Jack yelped at their heels. “No one to ask me any questions.”
Cora’s steps faltered to a halt. They looked so much like a father and son—the type of father she couldn’t even remember. The kind of father Charlie needed. Her heart swelled.
Ben lifted his gaze to hers. Deep hazel irises drank her in. A thin covering of dark beard shadowed his usually clean-shaven cheeks. His lean muscles filled out the shirt more fully now than a month ago when he’d emerged from his sickbed.
Her belly fluttered all the way to her chest.
Ignoring Charlie’s questions, he smiled at her. “I got you eighty-seven cattle. Your family’s brand and their mavericks. Hired a couple of locals to help drive them to Goodnight’s herd.”
“That’s wonderful.” She beamed and clasped her hands to her mouth.
“That’s a whole big bunch.” Charlie scooped Jack up and wiggled as the dog licked his face. “Did you have to lasso any?”
“Thank goodness, no.” Ben held out his fingers to Jack’s eager tongue. “I probably need to practice on a fencepost before I try it on a longhorn.”
“You probably just gave them orders, and they fell in line like your cavalry troopers,” Cora teased as she drifted closer.
Ben nudged his slouch hat off his forehead. “I know it’s nothing compared to the herd your family used to have.”
“You did better than I dared imagine. After all these years, and too many stray cowhands helping themselves, I’m thankfulto have any. I’m sure Mr. Goodnight will look after them well and getusa good price at market.”
His nose twitched, not quite a flinch, but still enough to destabilize his smile for a second. A reaction to her use of the wordus? More likely to the mention of Goodnight. How would he react if or when he learned Arthur had come calling?
She should have told Charlie not to mention it. At least not right away. She could still do it. Tell him to keep secrets from Ben? What kind of example would she be setting? Besides, Ben had that perfumed letter waiting for him up in his room. What right did he have to get his back all arched up over her having a gentleman caller?
“Did you see any buffalo?” Charlie set the squirming dog down.
“No, but Juan, the cowhand who helped me, told me about how he’d seen miles of them last spring, west of here in Young Territory. Hundreds of thousands. Watched them from a mesa.” Ben unwrapped his canteen strap from his saddle and took a swig. “Maybe we’ll see something like that someday.”
“On a cattle drive.” The boy bubbled. “I have to stay around the ranch and help Cora this summer, but next summer, I could come with you.”
Ben’s gaze jerked to Cora. His smile dimmed.
Her swallow stuck in her throat. Ben wouldn’t be here next year. He had a life to get back to. Did he want her to say it? Correct Charlie before he built his hopes further? But his lips didn’t move, and neither did hers. Charlie’s voice faded into the background.
Ben broke eye contact and reached into his saddlebag. “I brought you something.”
Who was he talking to?
“What is it?” Charlie tried to peak around Ben’s back.
“Close your eyes,” Ben commanded and placed a length of greenish-tan scales into the boy’s outstretched hand.
Charlie’s eyes flew open. “A rattlesnake skin.” He smoothed a finger over it as if it were silk. Silver-like fragments shimmered in the sunlight. “Did you shoot it?”
“You better believe it. The thing tried to crawl into my bedroll one night. Thankfully, I saw it before I stuck my feet in.”
Cora shivered.
Ben pulled a grayish stick-like object out of his pocket and shook it. The hiss-like rattle jarred against her nerves.
“Is that for Cora or me?” Charlie eyed it.
“Definitely not for me.” Cora waved it away.
