Hi.
Speak of the devil.
Bens head poked through the neck of his T-shirt and he stared down at the pint-size version of Kate. Light reddishblond curls lay in bright disarray around the childs shoulders.
She held out a brush. Mommy told me to brush my hair.
Without thinking, Ben took the brush from the girl. Hed brushed Sarahs hair so many times he could have done it with his eyes closed. He knew just how to ease the tangles free without making her cry.
His throat closed as an image of his dark-haired daughter flashed into his memories. God, he missed her.
Lily looked up at him, her green eyes so like her mothers. Please? She turned her back to Ben and fluffed her mane of red-gold hair out behind her, waiting expectantly.
Just like Sarah had.
All of the air left Bens lungs as if hed been kicked hard in the gut. Yet his hand moved, reaching out to lift a lock of silky red-blond curls. He dropped to his haunches and ran the brush along the strand, picking out the knots with care.
He hadnt felt this emotionally wrung out since Sarah and Julia had died. But the more he brushed Lilys hair, the more his shoulders relaxed and the tightness in his chest loosened.
By the time he finished working the tangles out of the childs hair, he could swallow again. All done, he said just like he had when hed brushed Sarahs hair.
Thank you. Lily turned and hugged him tight, her fresh, baby-shampoo scent filling Bens senses.
Over the top of Lilys head he spied Kate standing on the bottom step, her eyes round. Was that a tear trickling down her cheek?
Kate ducked her head, a hand swiping at the moisture. Seeing Ben brushing Lilys hair had hit her like a Mack truck. Lilys father had died before she was born. Kate had been a single parent from day one. Seeing someone else, especially a man, brushing her daughters hair sent a flood of longing through her, for Lily and herself.
Lily didnt know what it was to have a daddy. Just like Kate. Kate swallowed hard on the lump forming in her throat. Lily, sweetie, go get dressed.
Her daughters face lit. Are we going outside to play?
Kate smiled and patted her daughters head. You can play, but I have work to do outside.
Yay! Lily darted up the stairs, her bright curls bouncing as she went.
Kate descended from the last step and held out her hand. My father left this key for me and a video disk.
She dropped the key and the disk into Bens hand.
What does the key go to? Ben turned it over in his fingers.
I dont know. Ive tried to watch the disk, but I couldnt get it to work. The letter from the attorney had a note from my father to contact Hank Derringer for help.
Maybe Hank can get someone to look at the disk and see if they can pull the information off.
Lily was down the stairs again, wearing shorts, cowboy boots and pulling a shirt over her head.
Stop, young lady, Kate ordered, afraid her daughter would miss a step and tumble the rest of the way down the stairs. You cant go out without me, and Im not dressed.
Please, Mommy. Lily looked up at Kate with a slight pout on her pretty pink lips.
Ill take her, Ben offered. We can discuss the key later. He handed it back to her, setting the disk on an end table.
Kate curled her fingers around the key. Ill be ready in a minute. I need to finish unloading the rental van and get it back to town.
Ben smiled and raised his hands palms upward. Im here to help.
Kates heart skipped several beats as the mans smile transformed his face from frowning, brooding darkness to sunshine. You should smile more often, she said without thinking.
Immediately, his face changed back into the brooding cowboy, his forehead creasing. I find little to smile about these days.
Kate wondered what made him so sullen and sad but didnt want to push the issue, not when hed thrown up a no-trespassing sign in the way his body stiffened and he turned away. He took Lilys hand in his. Ready?
The two left through the front door.
Yes, sir, the cowboy had issues. Hell, didnt everyone?
Kate climbed the stairs, her footsteps slow at first and speeding up as she neared the top. For the first time in months, she wanted to get outside and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. She refused to believe the hired hand had anything to do with her sudden surge of energy.
A pair of jeans, a snug-fitting ribbed T-shirt and tennis shoes completed her outfit. After she pulled her hair up into a ponytail and settled a baseball cap over her head, she hurried out to join Lily and Ben, her steps light, eager to finish unloading and settle into her new life.
Ben and Lily squatted beside the moving van, pointing at something on the ground.
Thats a scorpion, Lily, Ben was explaining. Dont try to touch or pick one up, they have a really bad sting.
Lily hunched over, staring at the insect crawling across the ground. She looked up and spied Kate. Mommy, come see the scorpion.
Kate smiled and squatted beside her. With the three of them all gathered in a circle so close, her stomach knotted. This must be what it would feel like to be a family unit. Mommy, daughter anddaddy. Troy would have been a good father to Lily. Hed been so excited about the arrival of his firstborn, only to be robbed of ever seeing her.
Lily was a beautiful baby and an even prettier little girl with a grown-up sense of responsibility and a childs joy of exploring.
The days not getting any longer. I guess we better get this van unloaded so that I can return it to the rental center in town. Kate stood, pulled the padlock key from her pocket and unlocked the back of the van.
For the next twenty minutes, Kate and Ben worked in silence, carrying boxes and furniture into the house. Lily helped a little, then lost interest and wandered around the yard, picking flowers and investigating her new home.
Kate kept a close eye on her. After last nights break-in, she wasnt feeling exactly trusting of her new environment.
Lily had strayed to the corner of the house when Kate and Ben hauled out the sofa with the repaired cushions shed brought with her from her apartment.
Getting the sofa through the door took them several tries, tipping it in multiple directions, before they finally shoved the item through. When the sofa cleared the door frame, Kate tripped over a throw rug and landed on her bottom, the edge of the sofa coming down hard on her ankle. Ouch!
Are you all right in there? Ben called out over the top of the sofa.
Yes, just not very graceful. Kate stood and put pressure on her ankle and felt pain shooting up her leg. She swallowed a yelp and lifted her end again. There was no time for injuries. The van needed to be back before three oclock or shed have to pay for another days rental.
Once they got the sofa settled into the living room, Kate headed toward the door, trying to hide her limp.
Ben shook his head and pointed to the sofa theyd just placed. Sit.
Im fine, just a little sore. Itll work itself out. When she tried to walk past him, he grabbed her arms and made her stop.
Let me see. His grip was firm but gentle and his tone the same.
The warmth of his hands on her arms sent shivers of awareness throughout her body. Really, its fine, she said, even as she let him maneuver her to sit on the arm of the couch.