Cowboy Casanova - Lorelei James [95]
“Sold. I’ll take all of it.”
“Great! I’ll just knock the worst of the dirt off and get them bagged.”
“Lemme help ya,” Ben said, digging his hands into the wheelbarrow.
Ainsley wished she’d changed clothes so she wasn’t standing there useless in her business suit. It seemed strange Ben would be here. “Do you help Rielle with her harvest a lot, Ben?”
“Not usually. I stopped by for something else and—”
“I roped him into helping me. Poor man. Ben is always getting stuck doing things around here. No wonder he doesn’t come around as much as he used to.”
Ainsley fought the odd spike of jealousy. “It’s good to have neighbors you can count on. I lived in a condo in Denver for almost five years and I had only a passing acquaintance with anyone in our neighborhood.”
“The McKays and Wetzlers have been tied together for thirty years. We know all of each other’s family secrets.” Rielle winked and went back to digging.
“You didn’t know about Gavin,” Ben pointed out.
“True. But I always wondered why your mom went out of her way to check on me when Rory was a baby.”
That surprised Ben enough he stopped digging. “Really? Vi did that? Without preaching about the high price of sin?”
“Jerk.” Rielle whipped a clump of dirt at him. “Vi never was like that toward me. Or Rory. And you don’t give your mom enough credit, Ben. She might’ve made some mistakes in her life, but she’s owned up to them. She’s changed a lot.”
“I didn’t realize you were so buddy-buddy with my mom.”
Rielle shrugged. “Vi’s a damn sight more interesting than Joan McKay, who was the only other woman close by besides Libby.”
As Ainsley shifted her stance, feeling woefully out of place, three dogs came bounding out of the treeline. Ace and Deuce made a beeline for her, barking happily, no doubt remembering her last doggie bribe. There went this brand new pair of pantyhose.
“Ace! Deuce! Sit. Stay,” Ben commanded.
The dogs obeyed. Heck, she had the urge to obey.
Rielle’s dog cowered by her feet and stared balefully at the man with the obey now voice.
Ben smiled at Ainsley. “Kept them at bay this time.”
“That you did.”
“Not a fan of dogs?” Rielle asked.
“They’re fine. I’m just more of a cat person. Cats are more self-sufficient and easier to leave at home alone for a few days.”
“But not more forgiving,” Rielle said dryly. “Rory had an ornery cat that would shred every roll of toilet paper in the house if she was gone for more than a day. Which is why all our kitties are outside cats.”
“Rory is your…”
“Daughter. She’s getting her master’s at the UWYO.”
Rielle did not look old enough to have a daughter that age.
Ben tapped the side of the wheelbarrow. “You got bags for these someplace, Ree?”
“In the mudroom. I’ll grab them.”
Ainsley watched her duck around the corner. Then she focused on Ben. “I’m surprised to see you here.”
“Why?”
“Just seems…coincidental you’re here exactly the same time I am.”
“I swing by and help Rielle occasionally.”
“You have a standing date with her on Tuesdays at five thirty-five?”
Ben’s eyes narrowed. “If you’ve got something to say, spit it out.”
“Are you trying to hide something about her? Maybe your feelings? Because you’re awful abrupt whenever she’s around. Always trying to get rid of her.”
“You’re imagining things.”
“Like the first time we saw each other at the bank? You shooed her away pretty fast. Then at lunch today, you were uncomfortable when she approached us. And now, you’re here, running interference again. Why?”
He dusted the dirt from his hands as he closed the distance between them. “Because your bank turned her down for a loan. She’s a little sensitive about it and I thought she might try to corner you when you stopped to get produce. So yeah, I’m running interference. Not for her. For you.”
Ainsley got in his face. “Back off, Ben. I don’t need you playing mediator. I’m perfectly capable of dealing with customers who’ve been denied financing. And I resent you riding in here to rescue me, acting like I can’t handle myself in a professional capacity. I can handle myself