The Rancher's Surprise Baby. Trish Milburn

       Chapter Three

      Mandy stared at the back of Ben’s head. “You know you’re being ridiculous, right?”

      “You don’t seem overly concerned that a mountain lion walked across your front yard. You don’t even have a vehicle here in case something happened.”

      “I figure if he didn’t try to eat me after hearing me squeal at the sight of him out the window or when I made all that racket with the pots, I’m safe. He probably hightailed it away from the crazy lady.”

      “Maybe.” He didn’t sound terribly convinced.

      “You’re not seriously going to sit there all night, are you?” She wouldn’t get one wink of sleep. Of course, after seeing a mountain lion only a few yards away, she doubted she would anyway. But Ben didn’t need to know that.

      “I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone, especially since it’s my fault you’re stranded here,” he said.

      “If I consent to keeping the gun here, will you stop worrying?”

      “I’d feel better.”

      “Fine, then. Now, I’m sure you have better things to do than sit on my front porch and stare at nothing.”

      A long moment passed before he said anything. “I’ll leave in a bit.”

      As he continued to scan the darkness surrounding her home, Mandy wondered when she’d ever had such an insane day. The ringing of her phone drew her back inside. This time it was her mom.

      “Hey, Mom.”

      “Hi, hon. Wanted to make sure you got home okay.”

      “Yeah, Ben dropped me off on his way home.” She wasn’t about to tell her mom he was currently playing sentry on her front porch because she’d seen a mountain lion lurking about. Her mom would be out here in no time, despite the fact she needed to go to sleep soon in order to be up early for work. Mandy had planned to talk to her mom tonight about cutting back her hours, but it was a conversation best had in person.

      “Have you heard how bad the car is?”

      “Not yet.” Even if she had, she wasn’t going to divulge those details either and give her mom something else to worry about. “It’s not too bad, though.”

      “I’m more than happy to come get you in the morning.”

      “Mom, it’s taken care of. You don’t need to worry about me, okay? I’m a big girl—have been for a long time.”

      Her mom laughed a little. “Old habits die hard, I guess. Well, I’ll let you get back to whatever you were doing. Have a good night, hon.”

      “You, too. Love you.”

      Her mom reciprocated the sentiment then hung up. No doubt she was tired from another day of cleaning rooms at the Wildflower Inn followed by a shift as a dishwasher at a café over in Fredericksburg.

      Mandy placed her phone back on the countertop and stared at it for several seconds before glancing toward the porch. She could barely see the top of Ben’s head through the glass in the front door. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and put an end to a day filled with one frustration after another. She was normally a cheerful person, and she hated feeling irritated at every turn.

      She closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath, then let it out just as slowly. It was still within her power to make something positive out of what was left of the day. She should just do that in something other than her skimpy summer pajamas. She wasn’t even wearing a bra!

      After hurriedly pulling on a T-shirt and gym shorts, and replacing the bra she’d ditched about five seconds after Ben left earlier, she grabbed a couple of bottles of water from the fridge and went back outside. She plunked herself down beside Ben and extended a bottle toward him.

      “Figured if you were going to sit out here, you at least should have something cold to drink.”

      He took the bottle. “Thanks. And sorry if I came across as bossy. Been one of those days.”

      She smiled. “Yeah, I know.”

      A grin tugged at the edge of his mouth, and that small change in his expression made her middle feel funny. Not funny as in ha-ha or “I’m going to be sick,” but rather “Oh, that’s a nice hint of a smile on a really nice face. I wonder what those lips would feel like on mine.”

      Yep, she’d officially gone bonkers.

      “Guess we both could use a do-over,” he said.

      “My mom has always said if you’re having a bad day, don’t focus on it. Just remember there’s a brand-new one coming in a few hours.”

      “Your mom sounds very Zen.”

      “Just practical. She doesn’t see the point in wallowing in self-pity. Chances are it won’t change anything and will only make you feel worse.”

      “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade?”

      “Oh, great. Now I want, like, a bucket of lemonade.”

      “I’m not sure you have room for a bucket in there,” Ben said, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb.

      “That’s it. It’s now my mission to make you a tiny-house fan.”

      He shook his head and chuckled as if she was setting herself up for a Sisyphean task.

      “Was that Greg calling again?”

      Again? “No, my mom.”

      “Guess I didn’t get to that part earlier. Greg called and said that it would be a few days until he could fit your car into his schedule.”

      She sighed. “Well, that’s about par for today. Why didn’t he call me instead?”

      “He said he did, that you didn’t answer and that your voice mail was full.”

      Mandy’s forehead wrinkled. “No, it’s not. And there were no missed calls.”

      Ben shook his head.

      “Let me guess. Greg is messing with us.”

      He nodded. “Guess he got infected with the matchmaking virus that seems to be spreading all over town.”

      “You say that as if it’s the bubonic plague.”

      “At least people don’t go around trying to give you the plague.”

      “Wow, remind me to tell the single ladies of Blue Falls to give you a wide berth.”

      “And there went my dating life, pitiful as it is.”

      Mandy laughed. Who knew Ben Hartley