The Cowboy's Unlikely Match by Lisa Childs

Author:Lisa Childs
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-12-23T12:52:26+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

LATE THE NEXT AFTERNOON, everyone gathered in the kitchen, where brightly colored balloons floated nearly to the beams of the tall ceiling. They probably would have, had Taye and Emily not tied them to little bags of candy.

Ben and the boys had helped set up for the party too. But Taye and Emily hadn’t trusted any of them with the chocolate. They’d made the sign that dangled from the mantle of the fireplace: Congrats on Getting Rid of the Cast.

Of course, they’d started running out of room near the end of the line, so GettingRidoftheCast was one mashed-up word now with the letters scrawled nearly on top of each other.

The boys had been pretty much on top of Ben all day. Ian and Little Jake had accompanied him and Caleb to the barn. Fortunately, nobody had gotten hurt this time, which was nearly a miracle with as tired and distracted as Ben was.

Since Little Jake hadn’t woken up screaming last night, Ben should have been rested. But that conversation in the kitchen with Emily had left him even more unsettled than his confrontation with her in the hallway had the previous evening. He knew she’d only meant that kiss on his cheek as an apology, but it had felt like so much more to Ben, like a promise of how a real kiss would feel between them. Electrifying...

Passionate.

Overwhelming...

He’d been overwhelmed with the urge to really kiss her then, but he’d held back, not wanting to ruin the moment. Not wanting to press her for more than she was willing to give him. He’d been surprised that she’d actually apologized to him, but he had no doubt that she’d been sincere.

He should have left it at the apology; he shouldn’t have kept talking because then he’d upset her. The tears shimmering in her beautiful blue eyes had affected him like a fist tightly clenching his heart. When he’d reached out to comfort her, he’d been seeking comfort himself.

But it was clear that Emily hadn’t wanted anything from him. Not his comfort and definitely not his touch.

He wanted hers. He’d lain awake reliving the sensation of her lips brushing across his cheek and of her warm hands pressed against his chest; it was almost as if he was still able to feel them. As if she’d somehow branded him...

Which was crazy, because Ben had always avoided serious relationships by making it clear to his dates that he was too busy and too focused on his career to ever get married.

Maybe he was the liar that Emily probably thought he was because his career wasn’t the real reason he didn’t want to marry. It was his heart...

His mother had left nearly twenty years ago, but his heart hadn’t healed yet. Then losing Dale and Jenny—and his mother not even returning for their funeral—had intensified the pain he still felt over her leaving.

“They’re here!” Caleb yelled as he came running down the hall from the foyer to the kitchen.

This party was definitely worth the work it had taken.

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