Page 52 of Blame It On Midnight

For someone who’d spent most of the night making love to a man with an insatiable thirst, Collins was surprisingly refreshed when she finally opened her eyes. She stared up at the dove gray ceiling and smiled. She couldn’t help herself. There was so much happiness inside her, she could barely contain it. The window was open, and a slight breeze stirred the hair on her pillow, bringing with it the fresh scent of grass and flowers.

She didn’t have to turn over to know she was alone. She felt Benton’s absence like a physical thing. A glance at the old digital clock on the dresser told her that it was nearly eight o’clock in the morning. She rolled out of bed and winced. She had pains and sore muscles in places she didn’t know existed. Screw Pilates, she thought with a grin. Sex did more work for the body. Bonus points, because it was a hell of a lot more fun.

There was a pile of clothes on the pillow beside her. Jean shorts (cutoffs with frayed edges) and a large T-shirt with a bronco on the front and Taz Pulman’s face on the back. The shorts were men’s, though on the small side. They weren’t Benton’s, and she figured they might have been an old pair that belonged to his youngest brother, Ryland. Either way, it didn’t matter. They were clean, a little large in the waist, which meant they hung low, but the T-shirt kept things respectable. She hopped in the shower, kept her head away from the spray, and was out in less than two minutes. She hadn’t had the foresight to bring an overnight bag, so she went commando on the bottom.

A new toothbrush sat on the sink in the bathroom, and she quickly brushed her teeth, then splashed water on her face. Despite all the exercise and bedroom antics, her hair looked decent. She gave it a quick detangle with her fingers and headed for the stairs.

She smelled bacon and eggs, and when she walked into the kitchen, Nora greeted her excitedly. “Daddy said you were too tired to go home last night and slept in the spare bedroom. I’m glad you’re here. We’re going to go fishing, right, Dad?”

She eyed the man who was casually turning over sausages in a pan while wearing nothing but a pair of jeans and his moccasins. Something bloomed in her chest, her heart no doubt, and she murmured a good morning before helping herself to a cup of coffee.

“Sleep well?” Benton asked, sitting down across from her.

“I did.” She tried to keep the smile from her face, but wasn’t sure she was successful. “The mattress is delightful.”

“Good to know. No one ever sleeps on it.”

That comment pleased her.

He passed her a plate loaded up with food. “You’re probably hungry.”

“I am.” She glanced over the top of the mug. “You?”

“Famished.”

“Sore at all?” He was enjoying himself and making no effort to hide it.

“A bit.”

“You guys are talking weird.” Nora looked from Benton to Collins, then back to her father.

“Sorry, sweets. I guess we don’t have many overnight guests around here, and maybe I’ve forgotten how to make polite conversation.”

“Just Angel sometimes.”

Collins’ belly did a weird flip. “Angel?”

The little girl poked at her eggs and shoved as much as she could into her mouth, while holding onto her kitten.

Benton nodded. “Right, I forgot about Angel. She’s a girl I’ve known my whole life. Trains and rescues horses. She does work here from time to time, and on occasion, instead of a late drive home, she sleeps in the house.”

“She’s pretty like you. And she wouldn’t like the bunkie,” Nora piped in.

“Bunkie?” Collins looked at Benton.

“Bunkhouse.”

Nora made a face. “It smells like farts in there.”

Collins laughed, though she made a mental note about this Angel person. She’d ask Jo about her. As it was, she didn’t have time to ponder sleeping arrangements or overnight guests.

The three of them spent the morning out at the creek where the fishing was good. Benton insisted he had no ranch business that couldn’t be put off, despite a young man called Haimish who’d ridden over more than once to confer with him. They’d packed a picnic, caught some fish (though they tossed them back in the river), and lazed around in the sun.

Haimish appeared yet again, this time leading a second horse with no rider. By now, it was mid to late afternoon, and clearly, something was up. Benton dropped a kiss on Nora’s cheek and glanced at Collins. “I’ve got this situation. A pack of wild horses has found its way down, and the stallion is causing trouble.”

“Go,” she said. “Nora and I will be fine. We’ll walk back to the ranch in a bit.”

She wanted to jump into his arms and make him remember some of the things they’d done the night before, but with Nora and Hamish standing by, she gave a small wave instead.

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