Ten

“Forget everything I’ve ever said about you being an angel!” Ben yelled.

June laughed and opened the throttle a little more. She navigated the road with the skill of several years’ practice, easily avoiding rock clusters and potholes, but Ben tightened his arms still more around her waist. He certainly wasn’t feeling so cocky now, she mused. Recalling his piece-of-cake attitude about the dirt bikes back at her cabin, June rolled her right hand forward a bit more.

“You’re a devil woman!” was Ben’s response.

Becky’s crow of excitement flew back to them on the wind, and June’s smile widened. She was presented with endless possibilities for teasing Ben. Becky, who’d been a little nervous about learning to ride, was obviously relaxed now, while her uncle held on for dear life.

It wasn’t long before they reached the flat, straight stretch in front of Betty Burns’ store. Luke pulled into the parking area just ahead of June, and they shut the bikes down. Luke and Becky were off Luke’s bike and had taken off their helmets and still Ben hadn’t moved or loosened his grip.

“You can let go now, Ben,” June said finally. “I need to breathe.”

Despite her comment, June rather enjoyed having Ben’s arms around her and was a little sorry when at last he let go and leaned back. The balmy late spring air felt cool where their bodies had been pressed together. Ben was always so warm, and the feel of his body against hers was so comforting… and also arousing.

“I thought you said you weren’t scared to ride,” June said as she unstrapped her helmet and pulled it off. Better to tease you than tease myself with what might or might not be.

“I wasn’t! But you… are a crazy driver.”

“Did we wreck?”

“No.”

“Then I am actually a very good driver.”

“C’mon, Uncle Ben,” Becky piped up. “That was awesome! Can I try now?”

“In a minute,” June replied. “I thought you all might like something cold to drink. And I need to catch my breath. Ben might need a few minutes to—”

“Don’t say it.”

“—regain his composure.”

“You said it.”

A shriek erupted from June’s throat when Ben swept her off the dirt bike, tucked her against his chest, and bit her neck. The shriek tumbled into uncontrollable laughter as delight, pleasure, and need exploded. Waves of desire flooded her, and she dug her fingers into the meat of Ben’s shoulders.

“Like that, do you?” he whispered. Abruptly, he set her on her feet.

“That’s cold, Ben,” she muttered.

“Payback’s a b—”

She kissed him hard on the mouth, then promptly turned away and motioned for Luke and Becky to follow her inside. The teenagers wore matching expressions of amused curiosity. Both were also wise enough to keep any comments to themselves. Ben came in a few moments later, and June treated everyone to beverages. They chatted with Betty for a few minutes out on the covered porch about the doings of the valley. June’s carnal wants subsided slowly, replaced by familiar contentment.

She decided to sit on the porch steps while Luke coached Ben and Becky on the dirt bikes. She sipped lazily on her lemonade and watched Ben and Becky make their first tentative runs back and forth on the flat stretch. June thought about what Ben had said almost two weeks ago on their date and about the mixed signals he’d been giving her since. She knew what she wanted. As a friend, lover, and husband, she wanted Ben.

He was worried about losing their friendship, but hadn’t they nearly lost it in the eleven years between their high school graduation and the night he’d strolled unexpectedly into the Ramshorn a month and a half ago? A few letters, a couple phone calls, and a dinner or lunch here and there hardly resembled their childhood friendship, and in the years after the shooting, they hadn’t spoken at all. What if he hadn’t suddenly decided to come home to Northstar? Would their friendship have continued to fade until it was only fond memory?

Ben wasn’t worried about their friendship fading away, however, and she knew that. He was afraid they would become lovers and it would somehow end badly. A friendship lost to time and distance could more easily be mended than one shattered by mistaken romance. June also knew that if this fire growing between them wasn’t the same as what Pat and Aelissm had found, her friendship with Ben was already in danger of being scarred. Ben had taken that first step the first time he’d kissed her. He’d awakened her passion and stoked it each time he touched her. And each time he stopped, it irritated her anew.

“What was that all about?” Luke asked as he joined her on the steps.

“What was what about?” she asked moodily.

“The laughing and now the scowling.”

“Am I scowling?”

He nodded, watching her with narrowed eyes.

“Sorry. It’s another beautiful day. I should be smiling, shouldn’t I?”

“You were. Smiling like you only smile around Ben.” Luke turned his gaze on the pair of riders and watched them for a moment before returning his attention to June. “It’s the same smile Aunt Aeli has only for Pat.”

“You, young man, are far too insightful.”

“And whose fault is that?”

June stared across the valley at the clear, shimmering blue sky above with unfocused eyes. “I don’t know what’s happening, Luke, and I don’t know what to do about it.” She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. “But whatever happens, you come first. I would never do anything if it made you unhappy. And if Ben’s smart, he’ll figure that one out and not do anything stupid.”

Luke chuckled and hugged her back. “I love you, Mom, but what makes you happy makes me happy, too.”

“You are truly the best son anyone could hope for.”

“I do try.” She felt him take a deep breath before he pulled back, and when he spoke, there was a forced carelessness in his voice. “If we plan to get to riding the mountain trails, we should probably put an end to their frolicking.”

“Yes, we probably should.”

At the moment, it appeared that Ben and Becky were racing each other. And, at the moment, June was grateful to them both. Ben had done his best to keep Luke’s mind occupied, and Becky’s frequent presence over the past couple weeks had kept Luke from dwelling on Carol. He still hadn’t managed to talk to her, so he still had no answers, but he’d already stopped asking questions. June had asked Pete if Carol had said anything, but the girl refused to talk about Luke.

“Dibs on first ride,” June said, bouncing to her feet.

“Ah, Mom… do we have to wait? Becky’s not exactly going to be patient about it.”

“Tough.”

“Make sure Ben doesn’t wreck my bike.”

“I will.”

Half an hour later, Luke and Becky had been dropped—somewhat impatiently—at the cabin. June led the way back down the mountain. Down to Betty’s again and back to the cabin, that’s all June wanted for now. More than enjoyment of the ride, June wanted Ben entirely to herself somewhere she knew no one would interrupt. They hadn’t had more than five minutes alone since their date, and she wanted to kiss him, to see if he would be as restrained when there was no one around to bother them. She hoped not.

The ride down was uneventful. June allowed the blissfully warm mountain air to soothe her worries and frustration, and by the time they started back toward the cabin, June felt downright mellow. Whatever would happen would happen, and it would probably be wise to let the cards fall where they would rather than force the issue and risk making a mess of everything. Ben wanted to be cautious, and maybe he was right. June didn’t know when he’d become so careful—she had always been the cautious one of their trio—but maybe she should follow his lead, especially since she really had no idea what she was doing.

Then again, plunging recklessly ahead had turned out pretty well for Pat and Aelissm.

On a whim, June took the turn to the Sheep Field. The trail was well worn but much narrower than Wellman Creek Road, and even over her bike’s motor, she could hear Ben swearing. Mercifully, the ride to the little clearing beside the creek was short. June stopped, shut her bike down, and hung her helmet from the handlebars. There was a bridge across the creek now, but the banks still showed signs of frequent travel.

“Take a walk with me,” she told Ben, offering her hand.

He threaded his fingers through hers and allowed himself to be led across the narrow bridge.

“We built the bridge for Pat and Aeli’s wedding,” she remarked.

“They got married here?”

She nodded and pointed to the aspen grove that crowned the hill in front of them. “Right up there when the leaves were gold.”

A faint breeze rustled the leaves in the grove, and the trees seemed to shiver. The touch of Ben’s hand in hers brought all those questions fluttering through her again, and she trembled like the leaves on the trees. Memory of Pat and Aeli’s wedding mingled with her desire, and June found it hard to swallow a plea to Ben to kiss her and hold her against him. She wasn’t going to force him, she reminded herself.

“I wish I could’ve been here,” Ben said. “I’m sure it was a beautiful wedding.”

June only nodded, unable to speak. Finally, she found voice enough to say, “We’d better head back before Luke and Becky send out a search party. I know Becky is anxious to ride.”

Disappointingly, Ben didn’t argue. Nor did he move to kiss her or in any other way take advantage of the situation.

Back at the cabin, once again alone with Ben, June gave in to irritation. At the moment, Ben was brushing Casey and Cheyenne on the back porch. He was so engrossed in his task and looked so cute as he tried to duck the dogs’ appreciative kisses that she hesitated. She doubted he knew how beautiful he was with such genuine serenity glittering in his gray eyes. How could something so mundane create such pull on her heart? And what, exactly, was that pull? Was it seeing him finally happy and untroubled again? Or was it something more?

“Ben.”

He raised his gaze, and the faintest smile curved his lips.

“Can I ask a favor of you?”

“Of course.”

“Would you please stop giving me these mixed signals?” So much for not pushing the issue.

“What do you—”

“I mean… don’t kiss me senseless, then turn around and tell me we shouldn’t be doing this because our friendship is too important. If you don’t want to take a chance, I understand why, but—”

“What do you want, June?”

The question entirely ruined her line of thought. After taking a moment to collect the pieces, she dropped to her knees behind him on the deck, turned his face to hers, and kissed him tenderly. She slid her hand across his chest and let it rest over his racing heart.

“I want this,” she murmured. “All of this.”

“June…”

“I know.” She rose to her feet and turned her back on him. “Keep in mind, Ben, that we almost lost our friendship once already.”

Turning on her heel, she strode into the cabin to her desk and straightened the stack of photos she’d been sorting earlier, trying to pretend she was interested in her task. She felt more than heard Ben walk up beside her.

“June, look at me.”

Slowly, she obeyed. All traces of irritation fled when she saw the vulnerability in his eyes. Then she began to truly understand his fears.

“I am keeping that in mind. That’s why I’m so afraid now. I really needed you after the shooting, June.” He looked at the gear on the table and his eyes locked on something. “You wouldn’t have let me fall like that. You would’ve….”

This was something June knew she couldn’t help. So she didn’t try. Instead, she held him quietly and waited for his memories to pass. Just as she pulled away from him, she heard Luke and Becky returning from their ride.

“Why did I hear only one dirt bike?” Ben asked, frowning as he looked out the big windows. “Oh, god. Becky!”

“Pacing is not going to make them come back any faster,” Luke remarked from the floor of the living room. He rolled on to his stomach and started his push-ups. “All you’re going to do… is wear a path… in the carpet.”

Becky stopped pacing just long enough to glare at him. “Sorry. I just really want to go for a ride. That was so much fun.”

“I know it is.”

Finally, she left the windows and sat on the arm of the couch. With folded arms, she watched him silently for a long while. Luke ignored her. There was something on her mind, something that had been bugging her since the end of school, but he’d been too preoccupied with his own issues to ask. Now that he had managed to put Carol’s sudden and still-unresolved rejection behind him—or at least shoved it aside for the time being—he chided himself for not being a better friend to Becky. He had a suspicion about what was bothering her because Shane had mentioned something about her last week when they’d all gone swimming at the Ramshorn together.

“Coach Wells is putting you at quarterback this year, isn’t he?”

“Yup.”

Luke rolled over again and sat up, leaning back on his hands with his legs stretched out in front of him. Usually, she loved pestering him about football, but at the moment, she didn’t have that gleam of curiosity in her eyes. Instead, she drooped a little and scowled.

“Jenny and Andrea will just love that,” she muttered.

Luke lifted a brow in inquiry, but she wasn’t looking at him. “What’s up, Becky?”

“They need to keep their eyeballs in their heads.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Where did that come from? I thought Jenny and Andrea were your friends.”

“They are.”

“Uh-huh.”

Becky opened her mouth, then closed it again. She took a deep breath and said, “Ever since Carol broke up with you, Jenny’s been saying you should be her boyfriend. It’s like she thinks it’s her right because her brother was the starting quarterback and now you are. She said that if I was a real friend, I’d convince you to ask her out.” She paused and dropped her gaze to her hands, which were busily pulling at the loose threads from a small hole in her jeans. The hole grew quickly.

“I’ve never been interested in Mike’s little sister, and I am certainly not her property.”

“I know that, Luke. I told her I wouldn’t do it.” Becky hesitated, lifted her gaze briefly to meet his and lowered her eyes again. “She also said that Carol and Mike are probably gonna start going out again. I told her to shut her mouth.”

Hearing that stung a little, but Luke wasn’t sure if he cared what Carol did anymore. If she could believe he could do to her what she herself had done to Mike, then she didn’t love him enough to understand that he simply couldn’t be that cruel. Whatever meanness he might have inherited from John McKindel had long since been washed out of him by June’s love and kindness. And Pat O’Neil provided damned good example of what a man should be, and Luke fully intended to follow that example. He’d suffered too much pain to ever knowingly inflict it on someone he loved.

“What did they say to Shane?”

Becky blanched and slid backwards, letting her legs dangle over the arm of the couch. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Would it help if I told you he really didn’t like whatever they said?”

“No.”

“What if I said he thought whatever they told him was petty and completely untrue?”

She pushed herself up a little and stared at him. “He said that?”

“Yeah, he did. What did they say?”

“They told him I convinced Carol that you and I are dating so she would break up with you because secretly I wanted to go out with you. It isn’t true, Luke.”

“I know it isn’t, Becky. No wonder Shane asked why you’re still friends with them. If it makes you feel better, he doesn’t believe anything they said. And—not that I’m trying to feed the crush you have on him—he thinks you’re pretty cool.”

She flopped back again and a quiet squeal escaped her. Luke rolled his eyes and went back to his exercises.

It wasn’t long before the heard the dirt bikes. They were both on their feet and out the door with helmets on by the time June and Ben pulled up. With a hurried greeting, Luke and Becky hopped on the bikes and sped off. Luke fully intended to get as much riding in as he could in the hour or so left before he and June had to get ready to work at the Ramshorn. So, stubbornly, he refused to think about his conversation with Becky. Most of it, anyhow. He did come up with a solution to return Jenny and Andrea’s insult.

On their last approach to the cabins, Luke stopped by the mine dumps at the bottom of the driveway. He shut his bike off and looked up toward the cabin, though he couldn’t see it.

“Why’d you stop?” Becky asked after she shut her bike down.

“Invite Jenny and Andrea to dinner tonight.”

“What? Why? Are you insane?”

“Possibly. But if they’re going to act like jealous twits, I’ll give them a real reason to be jealous.”

Becky hesitated, and Luke glanced over to find her chewing on her bottom lip. Finally, she said, “But Carol already thinks you and I…. They’ll just tell her it’s true, even though it isn’t.”

“You know what, Becky? At this point, I don’t really care what Carol thinks. She made her decision and she can deal with the consequences.” He smiled coldly.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Smile like that. Don’t let her do that to you.”

“Sorry.” This time, he offered her a genuine smile. “I’m mostly over it, I think, but sometimes, it still hurts. I don’t want to hurt Carol, but I can’t make her believe that unless she wants to. So, if she wants to believe I feel something for you other than friendship, it doesn’t really matter what I do.”

“Wow. We need to cheer up.”

Luke chuckled and pushed the loose dust around with the toe of his boot. “Yeah, we do. It’ll be a fun evening. Dinner with your folks and the O’Neils, maybe cards later….”

“Mmm. It will be fun. Hey! I know what’ll cheer us up! We could pull a prank on Uncle Ben and June.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“I dunno. Make them think one of us got hurt.”

“It’d have to be you. I’ve been riding too long, and Mom would see right through it.”

Luke’s mind filled wonderfully with the possibilities. It wasn’t often he was able to pull off a prank without June catching him at it, but maybe with Becky’s help, he could do it this time. Ben, at least, would probably fall for it, so it was worth a try. “We could ride my bike up, and I could carry you into the cabin.”

“Oh! And I could hold my leg like I broke it!”

“Sure. Hop on.”

“How? If my leg’s broken….”

“In front, with your legs on one side.”

“Won’t that be really awkward?”

“Just be very… very still.”

To call riding up to the cabin carrying Becky awkward was an understatement. Leaving June’s bike out of the way by the mine tailings at the bottom of the driveway, they started toward the cabin. The balance of the bike was off, but Becky stayed as still as she could, and Luke drove slowly and carefully up the hill so their prank didn’t become a real accident. He decided to stop the bike several yards from the cabin so they could get hold of themselves. Laughter bubbled and Becky trembled with it. As cautiously as he could while trying to give the appearance of haste, Luke lifted Becky off the bike and started toward the cabin.

“Stop laughing,” he hissed. “You’re supposed to be in pain.”

“I’m s… sorry,” she replied.

She buried her face against his chest and laughed outright. Luke rolled his eyes and hoped Ben and June would think she was crying.

“Amateur,” he muttered.

She giggled harder.

“Oh, my God! Becky!” Ben cried as he burst out the front door of the cabin. He bounded off the porch and raced over. “What the hell happened?”

“Ben, wait!” June called after him. She was smiling.

Busted, Luke thought.

Becky let her head fall back as she laughed uncontrollably. Luke grinned broadly, then gave up and laughed with her.

“What…?” Ben asked, dumbfounded. He glanced between Luke, Becky, and June. Then relief washed over his features and color returned quickly to his face. “You two… scared… the life out of me. Becky, I should send you straight back to your mother and ban you from ever coming back to June’s cabin for nearly giving me a heart attack. I should, but I won’t.” Tuning to June, he sputtered, “And you! How did you know?”

“I know my son,” June replied. “And Becky’s clean. If she’d crashed, she’d be covered in dust.”

Ben chuckled and shook his head in amusement. Altogether, it wasn’t a reaction Luke would’ve expected. Now that he’d stopped dragging his guilt around like a lead brick, Ben was turning out to be a pretty cool guy. Luke genuinely liked him. Considering the way June and Ben had been acting around each other lately, that was probably a very good thing.

Becky might not be only his friend… soon, she might be his cousin, too.

Before his mind had time to dwell on all the ramifications, Luke set Becky on her feet. “Mom, can I ask a favor?”

“After that?”

“Can Becky invite her two friends to dinner tonight?”

June raised an eyebrow in question.

“I have my reasons,” Luke said in reply.

“Such as…?”

“They need to see that Becky is a true friend and that she deserves to be treated as such.”

“If you want to put up with the pair of them, it’s your choice.”

“Call them,” he told Becky.

After asking June if she could use the phone, Becky headed inside to make her calls. June slipped an arm around Luke’s waist and around Ben’s and pulled them close to her.

“You know I wouldn’t normally condone what I’m sure you’re planning, but those two need to learn that their feelings aren’t the only ones that matter,” June said after a moment.

He explained exactly what he was planning and why. The more he told, the more strongly he felt. Becky was a great friend, and she didn’t deserve to be treated as she had. Of course, he had another motive: self-preservation. The sooner Jenny and Andrea realized he was not remotely interested in them, the better.

“If I haven’t said it recently, I’ll tell you again, Luke,” Ben remarked. “Thank you. For being Becky’s friend. For standing up for her. She really needed that. A true friend.”

“It’s not a one-way street, Ben.”

June cleared her throat. “I hate to interrupt this wonderful, mushy moment and I certainly don’t like disrupting your male bonding, but Luke and I need to get ready for work.” She pulled his head down and kissed his forehead, then kissed Ben’s cheek and turned to face them. “I really do mean that. I’m beyond glad to see you two getting along so well.”

They watched her disappear inside the cabin, silent.

“You and I may need to have a talk,” Luke said to Ben without looking at him. He followed June without giving Ben the opportunity to question him.

Luke clipped a few more stems of wildflowers and added them to the already full basket. The brilliant red of the Indian paintbrush, sunny yellow of the arrowhead balsamroot, and the blue-purples of the flax, lupine, harebells, and larkspur created a nice palette of colors and textures. The question was, should he group them in multicolored bunches or should he segregate them so each table was unique?

“I think I’ll take option C and let Mom figure it out.”

He tucked the last handful gently in the basket and looked up just in time to see Mike Thompson’s bright yellow Chevy extended cab—his graduation present—roll up the driveway of the Ramshorn. Luke watched from his vantage point on the hill beside the lodge, half-hidden behind a young subalpine fir as Mike stopped in front of the lodge to let Jenny and Andrea out before driving on to turn around in the parking area by the pools. When he continued down the driveway and out of sight, Luke felt a pang of unease. Should he think it odd that Mike hadn’t even stopped in to say hello? It struck him as a little odd because his dirt bike was in plain sight in its usual spot across from the lodge. Then again… maybe Mike was feeling as awkward as Luke about this whole messed up situation with Carol.

With a shrug, Luke glanced at his watch. It was only five-thirty. Mike had dropped Jenny and Andrea off half an hour early. Great. He stood and carried the wildflowers to the lodge. The excited voices of Becky’s friends met him as he strode across the covered porch to the front door, and he rolled his eyes, wishing he hadn’t come up with this idiotic scheme. It was supposed to be a fun evening with his family and Becky’s.

“Oh my God, Becky, I can’t thank you enough!” came Jenny’s voice.

“It was actually his idea.”

“So, where is he?” Andrea inquired.

Luke swallowed his disgust, plastered a smile on his face, and tossed his head to flip his hair out of his eyes as he walked through the door.

“Out getting…. Oh, there he is,” Becky said. “Hi, Luke.”

“Hi, Becky.” He inclined his head to the other girls. “Jenny. Andrea. Welcome to the Ramshorn.”

“Hi, Luke,” they chorused.

It was difficult to resist the urge to roll his eyes. Ben had retreated to the couch in front of the dark fireplace while Becky and her friends sat at the tables June and Luke had already pushed together for their dinner party. Three of the other tables were still occupied, and June had seated a family of three at a fourth. She was taking their order at the moment, so he waited to ask her about the flowers.

“Mom, how do you want me to arrange these?” he asked when she turned toward the kitchen.

“Oh, those are pretty. Nice variety. Just bunch them like that.”

“Becky, would you mind giving me a hand?” Luke asked.

“Can we help?” Jenny asked.

“I think we can get it, but thanks,” Luke replied and took the flowers to the sink behind the bar.

“Thank you again, Luke,” Becky murmured. “That was amazing, with the smile and the flowers and the hair flip. You should be an actor.”

“I’m glad you found it so amusing. Here. Mix a little sugar and vinegar with a lot of water in this jug and use the mix to fill the mason jars. It’ll keep the flowers alive a little longer.”

“Huh. Cool.”

They made quick work of the flower arrangements and even quicker work setting them out. Luke checked on the diners and stepped into the kitchen to see what he could do to help June. He plated the food and carried it out to the waiting patrons, doing his best to ignore the stares and conspiratorial whispers of Becky’s friends. He almost laughed when Becky caught his gaze and rolled her eyes.

Marvin and Mary Struthers walked in a few minutes before six to relieve June and Luke. Jane and Andy Epperson were just a few steps behind. They chatted with Ben and the girls while Luke and June finished their shift. When Luke had a moment between tables, he greeted the Eppersons. Andy shook his offered hand, but Jane gave him a hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered in his ear.

“No thanks needed,” he replied. “Have a seat. Mom and I will be off in a few minutes, and the O’Neils should be here any time.”

Andy set his new straw cowboy hat on the table and pulled a chair out for his wife. She kissed his cheek before she sat. Luke could easily picture Ben and June doing the same and wasn’t sure how he should feel about it. He liked Ben, more the longer he knew him, and June was happier—and a little more irritable at times—than he’d ever seen her. He was inclined to hope they’d fall the rest of the way in love, but it seemed somehow strange that he didn’t feel much at all like the stereotypical son who didn’t want to share his mother with a new man. Ben made her happy, and June’s happiness made Luke happy, so why look for problems where there weren’t any?

Pat and Aelissm’s arrival with their boisterous son and wide-eyed daughter gave him the perfect excuse not to worry about it.

“Sorry we’re a little late,” Pat said, snatching his son around the waist and dangling the toddler upside down. Over the little boy’s shrieks and giggles, he added, “Ant’s being a bit of a pill pot.”

“Pill pot!” Ant squealed.

“No worries, Pat,” June replied from the cash register. “Luke, would you mind clearing that last table while I get these nice folks taken care of?”

He cleared the plates and wiped down the table after depositing the dishes in the kitchen. Marvin thanked him, and he nodded in reply. When he walked back into the dining room, Ben and Becky were telling everyone about their morning adventures.

“You wouldn’t believe what your darling daughter did to me,” Ben said to his sister and brother-in-law. “She decided that she would scare the daylights out of me by making me think she’d gotten hurt riding the dirt bikes.”

“Rebecca Epperson, I don’t believe you—”

“She didn’t do it alone, Jane. My little hellion had an equal share in the prank,” June remarked. “She couldn’t have done it by herself, I assure you. She left my bike at the bottom of the driveway and rode up to the cabin in Luke’s arms.”

Luke watched Jenny’s and Andrea’s heads swivel simultaneously toward Becky with blatant disbelief and envy painted on their faces. Becky’s face was a rather interesting shade of pink, but even her embarrassment couldn’t dampen the smug grin.

“Trust me, Jane, when I say Luke can be a bit of a prankster. Becky didn’t have to twist your arm, did she, Luke?”

“Uh, I need to write down my time for Mary,” Luke said and stepped out of the spotlight.

The door on the bell jingled again, and Luke groaned when Jake Sterling strolled into the lodge. The cowhand’s gaze skimmed the room as if looking for someone. Then he spotted Luke by the bar and Luke’s grip tightened on the pencil in his hand when Jake’s lips curled in a sneer.

“Well, well, well. What’s this? A picnic?”

“Yes, and no one invited you,” Luke replied.

“C’mon, Jake, shit or git,” Pete muttered behind his brother.

Jake took another step into the dining room, his eyes still trained on Luke. Pete stepped around him, greeted everyone politely before heading to the bar.

“Can I get a cup of coffee?” he asked.

“Sure, Pete,” Luke answered and went into the kitchen to pour a cup.

“Make it two, Lukie,” Jake called.

Luke ground his teeth and forced himself to take a deep breath. The realization that Jake had more likely stopped in for the opportunity to harass him than for the coffee—or even to sneak a peek at June—sent a shudder of revulsion through him. This was not going to end well.

“You just can’t leave well enough alone, can you Jake?” he heard Pete ask. “One of these days, that mouth is going to cost you.”

“Whatever, Pete. I just want to make sure Lukie’s doing okay.”

Luke brought the coffee out, his jaw clenched to keep any smart remark to himself. It was going to be a pleasant evening, and he wasn’t going to let Jake ruin it.

“Hey, Lukie, I just wanted to ask… has your daddy come back for you yet?”

Luke stopped in his tracks and glared at Jake, tense and ready to strike.

“Luke,” June warned.

“My father’s dead, and you goddamned well know it, so stop asking.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I guess I must’ve forgotten that.”

“Bullshit.”

“Leave him alone, Jake,” Pete snapped.

“Never.”

Luke handed Pete one of the cups of coffee and looked thoughtfully at the other. “You want your coffee, Jake? Here you go!”

He tossed the hot liquid at Jake, who shot to his feet and lunged.

“You little son of a bitch!” he bellowed and grabbed Luke by the collar of his Ramshorn T-shirt.

Luke shoved hard against Jake’s chest, pushing him back.

“Luke Allen Montana!”

Luke felt the sting of betrayal at June’s words but obeyed her unspoken command. “Sorry,” he muttered.

“Not yet,” Jake snarled. Before he could attack, Ben and Pat wrestled him away. “I see you even have trained body guards! Too afraid to fight me yourself?”

“Not at all,” Luke replied, following as Jake was hauled toward the door.

“Luke! Enough!” June barked. “Pete, you’re welcome to stay, but Jake, I want you out of here now, and I don’t want to see you back in here tonight.”

“You’re kicking me out? I’m not the piss-ant who threw the coffee.”

“You came in here looking for trouble, and you found it, so get out.”

Jake wrenched free of Ben and Pat and stalked outside. Pete drained his coffee quickly and followed Jake out without another word and without paying. Luke took his wallet out of his back pocket, snatched a dollar and slapped it down on the bar to pay for the two cups of coffee. Then, with all eyes on him, he went out onto the porch. Jake tore down the driveway, flipping Luke off as he went. Luke gripped the log railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

He shouldn’t have done that and was more than a little ashamed that he had given in to Jake’s taunts. He was better than that, he reminded himself, though it certainly didn’t feel like it at the moment. More than nearly getting into a fistfight in front of everyone, it was the disappointment in June’s eyes that bothered him. He’d let her down.

She joined him on the porch a few minutes later and studied his face for a while. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her.

“I know you hate him, Luke, but that was uncalled for. We have guests.”

“I’m sorry, Mom, I really am. I am just so tired of his crap.”

“I know you are,” she replied and tucked her arm around him for a moment before kissing his cheek. Then she tucked his dollar in his shirt pocket. “Mary said not to worry about paying for the coffee. She also said that if Jake wants to ‘act like a complete and total ass’ and harass one of her favorite employees, he is not welcome at the Ramshorn.”

“Remind me to thank her,” he said quietly. “I’m not sure I deserve her kindness right now.”

“You always do, even right now. Everyone has a breaking point, Luke. And Jake has been prodding yours for a long time, so really, I should be proud it took you so long to throw coffee in his face. Come back in. Please.”

“I will in a minute. I need to clear my head a bit first.”

It wasn’t thirty seconds after June went back inside before Jenny Thompson stepped outside.

“That guy’s kind of a creep, huh?” she asked.

“He’s something,” Luke replied.

“I was really sorry to hear about you and Carol. I couldn’t believe she did the same thing to you she did to my brother.”

Luke shrugged. The last thing he wanted to talk about or think about right now was Carol Landers. There was still too much unresolved for him to contemplate it with a calm, rational mind, and at the moment, his mind was certainly neither calm nor rational.

“I don’t want to be rude, Jenny, but I really am not in the mood to talk.”

“Did Becky talk to you about—”

“About what, Jenny? About you telling Shane she convinced Carol to break up with me? Let me tell you something about being a real friend. Real friends, like Becky, have your back. They don’t tear you down, especially for something as monumentally ridiculous as refusing to beg another friend to ask you out.”

“W-what? I didn’t—”

“Let’s get something straight right now so it doesn’t spoil the rest of the evening.” He turned to face her fully, gratified by the pallor of her face. “I am not going to ask you out. I am not interested in girls who treat their friends like you treat Becky. I am also not interested in girls who only want to go out with me because I am the new quarterback and captain of the football team.”

“Then why did you invite me to dinner?”

“To tell you that to your face so there would be no doubt that I said it.” Though she didn’t deserve it, he added, “You’re a pretty girl, Jenny, and smart, with a lot more going for you than I think you realize. And I bet, once you figure it out, you’ll find someone you actually like for who he is and not his rank on the superficial popularity scale.”

Luke didn’t wait for her to gather the thoughts for a response. She would either think about what he’d said and realize he was right, or she’d continue following the herd and bemoan him for his cruelty. He really didn’t care.

Dinner was a fun affair with a wealth of carefree smiles and infectious laughter. Jenny sulked for a while but gradually got over it, and Luke was glad to watch her and Andrea engage Becky in what appeared to be genuine, friendly chatter. After they’d finished eating, June turned on some music, and the adults danced. Luke kept an eye on Iris and shared his ice cream with Ant so their parents could indulge in a little marital flirtation. At one point, Pat picked Aeli up and swung her around, then planted a very passionate kiss on her lips.

“Have I told you yet today that I love you?” Aelissm said when they came up for air.

“At least fifty times, but you can tell me again,” Pat replied.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Jane and Andy were no less engaged, Luke noted, pressed tightly together as they swayed to the slow song. Luke wondered if people elsewhere in the world danced like people in Northstar, at the spur of the moment, without a care in the world about who might be watching or what anyone else might be thinking. The other Ramshorn guests seemed amused, and though a few joined in the frolicking, they were a bit more reserved.

Luke danced with Becky a few times, and once each with Jenny, Andrea, Jane, and Aeli. June, it appeared, was too preoccupied with Ben to notice when they all switched partners. The others returned to the table for their dessert and to watch June and Ben. The matching smiles on their faces were for each other only and lit up the room.

“It’s love, all right,” Jane said. “She makes him so happy. Look at him.”

“Mmm, yes. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen two people act so goofy,” Aeli remarked, leaning back against her husband. She curled her fingers lovingly around the arms Pat wrapped around her.

“Oh, I have,” Luke said. “You two.”

“Busted,” Pat murmured. “Although I think Jane and Andy could give us a run for our money.”

“Probably so,” Andy agreed.

“The only time I’ve seen June smile like that was when she adopted Luke,” Pat said. “But her smiles are different… they’re….”

“Hotter,” Aeli finished.

“Are you all right with that, Luke?” Jane asked. “June hasn’t exactly made it a secret that you come first in her heart, so I know she wouldn’t do anything that would upset you.”

Luke frowned and watched Ben and June for a while before he answered. He thought about what it would mean for him if June and Ben were to marry. A family. A mother and father who loved him and siblings he could spoil. Ben had already been living in the cabin long enough that it felt weird to imagine the cabin without him. He certainly hadn’t made any plans to find his own place. Most importantly, Ben made June happy.

“I am just fine with that,” he said at last.

Later, as he, June, and Ben stood at the front door of the cabin to say good night to Becky, her parents, Jenny, Andrea, and the O’Neils after a boisterous card party, Luke caught a glimpse of Ben giving June a peck on the lips from the corner of his gaze. Was he really okay with that? No, I’m not just okay with them falling in love. I want it.