Honeymoon Mountain Bride. Leanne Banks

      No matter, she thought. Maybe she should take the moment to take a breath. Leaning back in her chair, she closed her eyes again and heard the distant sound of the ball game on TV, but also the sound of a soft breeze rippling the leaves. She concentrated on that, enjoying the peacefulness. But then her restlessness grabbed at her again and she stood, wandering around the small courtyard.

      “Pinot Grigio,” a deep male voice said, and she instantly knew it was Benjamin.

      Vivian turned around and stared into the brown eyes of Benjamin Hunter. She took in the whole of him in one glance. Unfortunately, he had not become soft and potbellied. In fact, he was leaner and harder than she remembered, and somehow his shoulders seemed even broader.

      “Hi, Vivian,” he said, giving her glass to her as he studied her face. “I’m sorry about Jedediah.”

      She swallowed and tried to find her voice. Why did she suddenly feel fifteen again? “Thanks. I got to see him a week before he passed. None of us really realized how sick he was even though he made sure we all came to see him,” she said and took a sip of her wine.

      “He told me,” Benjamin said.

      A slice of resentment cut through her. “He did?”

      “Just a few days before he passed. He made me swear not to tell anyone.”

      She took a deep breath and nodded. “That sounds like him. I’m just glad my sisters and I got to see him one last time. We’re here this weekend, too. Since he didn’t want any kind of memorial service, we toasted his memory on the dock.”

      “That’s what he would have wanted,” Benjamin said.

      “I know,” she said. “It just feels odd not to have an official service.”

      “I think he liked the idea of drifting away. People are going to miss him. He taught me a lot about fishing and some about being a man. Since my father wasn’t around much, that counted for a lot. Lord knows I could have gotten into a lot more trouble than I did.” Benjamin chuckled to himself. “I remember the time he told me he would skin me alive if he ever caught me with one of his daughters. Scared the living daylights out of me.”

      Surprise caught her off guard. “I didn’t know he’d warned you off. So that’s why you didn’t give any of us a second look.”

      “Oh, I took more than a second look. I just made sure you didn’t know it. There were plenty of times I thought about you long after my polite Jedediah-approved chats with you.”

      Vivian saw the dark hunger in his eyes she’d been sure she’d imagined all those years ago, and her heart started to hammer in her chest while her stomach took a big dip. It was as if she was fifteen again and all she wanted was for Benjamin to look at her. And maybe want her a little so she didn’t feel like such a fool.

      “I always regretted not...” His voice trailed off. “No one here to throw me in the lake. I’d say we’re overdue. What’s one kiss?”

      Vivian stared at him in shock. He wasn’t really going to—

      Benjamin lowered his mouth, inch by excruciating inch. She could hardly breathe, and thinking was out of the question. When his lips touched hers, she couldn’t stop a soft sigh. He must have taken that as an affirmation, because then he slid his hand behind her neck, deepened the pressure and explored her mouth as if he’d been waiting a long time.

      Vivian felt herself sinking into the taste and sensation of his hunger. Her body reacted like lightning, taking her completely off guard.

      “Mr. Hunter,” a male voice called from behind Benjamin, throwing cold reality at her.

      Vivian stumbled, backing away and staring at Benjamin. She didn’t know if she was more surprised by his action or her reaction to him.

      Not turning from her, Benjamin responded. “Yeah, what do you need?”

      “You got a phone call. Somebody wants to hold a party here,” the server said.

      Benjamin glanced over his shoulder. “Thanks. Take a message. Get the number. Tell them I’ll call right back.”

      He turned back to Vivian, and she was thankful the darkness would cover the heat in her cheeks. “I—uh, I need to go. I just brought Millicent into town because her car isn’t working properly.” She tugged at her purse. “I’ll just pay for my wine.”

      “It’s on me,” he said.

      She took another deep breath, still trying to get rid of her jitteriness. “Thank you. I’ll be going, then.”

      “I look forward to seeing you around town,” he said.

      She shook her head. “No. My sisters and I have decided to sell the lodge.”

      He lifted his eyebrows. “Sorry to hear that.”

      “Yeah, no,” she said, discombobulated. She needed to get away.

       Chapter Two

      “I’m glad I stopped in to see my friends at the bar. Cheered me up. I coulda used just one more beer,” Millicent said, her words slightly slurred.

      Vivian thought Millicent appeared to be quite relaxed, so she tried to make easy conversation. “I haven’t visited the bar in years. It looks like Benjamin has made several changes.”

      “Oh, yeah,” Millicent said and hiccupped. “He’s a go-getter. He would have made it far if his mother hadn’t taken ill when he was in college. And then his sister...”

      Benjamin’s family was none of Vivian’s business. “His sister?” she prodded, because she couldn’t resist.

      “Well,” Millicent said, “she’s gotten into trouble a few times.”

      “Hmm,” Vivian said, remembering that Benjamin hadn’t talked about his sister much when they were younger. “I saw him briefly at the bar.”

      “He’s nice enough, but he gets one lady friend, then moves on to the next. I heard he was engaged a long time ago and got burned. Never recovered from it. He’s handsome, but he’s not the kind to rely on. Your father would tell you the same thing,” she warned her.

      Vivian, however, was filled with more questions and curiosity than ever. What did Benjamin’s sister do to get into trouble? What had happened during his engagement? Who were all these lady friends?

      And why did she care?

      Vivian tamped down her curiosity and drove up the mountain to the lodge. She had enough on her mind. She didn’t need to add Benjamin to the mix.

      * * *

      Benjamin returned to the bar, wondering what in hell had possessed him to kiss Vivian like that. She was still beautiful in a classy, natural way. Honey-blond hair, blue eyes, creamy skin that burned far too easily and a full pink mouth that had always tempted him. He shook his head. Must have been all those years of denial and restraint, he told himself, and picked up his messages as he headed for his office.

      One message was from the McAllisters. They wanted to hold a party on a Sunday night. That would work, he thought. He just couldn’t set aside Fridays or Saturdays unless it was a dead weekend. The second message was from his sister. His heart clenched. “Please come get me,” the voice mail from Eliza said. “I ran out of gas.”

      Benjamin took a deep breath. She seemed coherent. He could only hope she was okay.

      Benjamin immediately responded to his sister’s message. His stomach clenched as it always did. “Eliza,” he said. “Are you okay?”

      “I’m mostly good,” she said. “But I decided to go for a ride and ran out of gas.”

      He stifled a groan. “Where are you?”

      “I