‘The best liars are people who’ve had to do it often and consistently. And Benji has been wearing his façade since he was a little boy, not even five years old, and ashamed of where he’d come from.’ Ava gave Sierra’s hand one last squeeze. ‘I don’t want to nag. But I am going to demand that you stop sneaking about and that you wear your love for him with pride.’
‘I never wanted to hurt him, Mom.’ She sighed, at a loss for the words to describe how important Benji was to her, how he made her feel.
‘I know, honey. Benji may be a man now, but he still thinks he has to earn every scrap of love he receives, and we’re the only ones who can show him otherwise.’
Sierra was ashamed she hadn’t seen all that in Benji before. She was ashamed that she’d hidden him because she was proud to behis woman, as he called her. She was going to marry him and have babies with him. She just had a timeline, and she hadn’t wanted her parents to think that she was toying with him.
Her throat burned. ‘We’ll stop sneaking around.’
And she didn’t wait.
Later that day, when all their family and friends gathered around for an impromptu dinner outside, Sierra made her move. She fished two beers from the cooler, opened them, and she waltzed right up to Benjamin Matthews and sat on his lap in front of everybody they knew.
Nobody reacted – except for Benji. He tensed beneath her, and he didn’t move to touch her, to wrap his arms around her and claim her. He whispered, ‘What are you doing?’ and he sounded so scared, so ashamed.
It broke Sierra’s heart.
‘I’m claiming you, Benji.’ She passed him one of the beers. ‘I’m showing the world that I’m proud to be your woman.’
Benji’s green eyes bore into her. ‘I don’t expect you to … I know why you wanted to wait.’
Sierra saw that insecurity in him now, and even though she didn’t understand it, she understood one thing: ‘Benji, if we’re ever going to work in the long run, you’re going to have to learn how to handle me.’ She thought about what her mom had said, ‘Otherwise, I’m gonna to walk all over you.’
He didn’t shrink back. He smiled, and it was so bright, sorelieved. ‘I love you, Sierra.’ Benji said the words at plain speaking volume.
But she was the one who kissed him, right there in front of everyone they knew.
And nobody let her get away with it. They clapped and whistled and said, ‘’Bout damn time.’
And when her mom brought out the camera to record the moment, her eyes brimming with tears, Sierra turned to smile at the camera.
But Benji, he just kept on looking at her.
Chapter 28
Hunt Ranch, Santa Barbara County – January, 2020
Sierra gripped Benji’s arm as she stumbled blindly down the stairs. ‘Benji, is the blindfold necessary?’
‘Yes,’ he laughed. ‘Stop being so grumpy. It’ll be worth it.’
Sierra grumbled anyway, but her heart tapped with excitement even though turning thirty didn’t really feel like a celebratory milestone. Benji’s surprises were always the best – a spontaneous night away at Wrangler’s Clearing with champagne and cheese and charcuterie neatly packed into Tupperware, a sunset ride, a quick weekend away on the coast …
He opened the door and led her outside. ‘Ready?’
‘Yes!’ she practically shouted, unable to hide her excitement.
Benji reached up and removed the blindfold, an old bandana of his.
It fell from her eyes to reveal her birthday gift. Mav held a huge Thoroughbred horse by the lead rope. The gelding was a grey, his white coat glossy. His mane and tail had been braided, and a huge red bow had been loosely tied around his neck.
Sierra’s hands shook.
She had lost her old horse, Jasper, only three months earlier, and even though she knew she would eventually fall in love with another, she hadn’t been in a rush to go looking. Every time she thought she should try, she’d felt sad and ended up talking herself out of going.
‘I know it’s been hard for you,’ Benji said gently when she didn’t move from her spot on the porch. ‘But I went out and met this one, and I just got a feeling. If you don’t click, we can add him to the barn’s riding horses, but—’
‘Benji, stop.’ Because the gesture had been sweet, she turned into his arms and hugged him. ‘Thank you for always thinking about my happiness.’ But because Jasper had been a Quarter Horse and they were her favoured breed, she added, ‘I find it interesting that you think I’m a Thoroughbred girl though.’
