They changed clothes after lunch. Something shifted inside Treeny when Ben closed the truck door behind her. He crawled in behind the wheel and started the engine. Some of the kids came to see them off.
“Are they very mad at us for not taking them along?” she asked, wringing her hands a bit. The kids would have loved tromping through the woods, but she and Ben wanted some quiet time together. They wouldn’t see quiet if they took the herd.
“Probably, but we’re going to ignore them. I don’t feel like babysitting today,” he answered. Again. They already had this discussion, but she felt the need to tease, anyhow.
“Hmm, why not?” She heard the brattiness in her voice. Ben had to notice it. Of course, he was a male. He could miss her subtlety.
He slanted a reproving look at her. “Like you don’t know, Aunt Treeny. How often do you end up babysitting?”
“Pretty often, I suppose. But it’s not like I have anything better to do in the evenings.”
“You baby sit every evening?” The situation sounded bad when he said it like that, but looking back she shrugged.
“I’d probably watch TV anyway, so what’s the difference if I watch it alone or with a bunch of kids?”
“What if you want to watch something different?”
“I don’t usually. And I can record whatever I want to see.”
“Let me guess, you watch all the Morrison kids. Not just Will and Rachel’s.”
“Of course I do. But it’s not like I’m the only one. We all help one another out. And I like kids. Again, beats watching TV alone.” As she spoke, Treeny believed everything she said. She didn’t like watching TV or movies by herself, and there were always kids who were willing to keep her company. All of them proved to be excellent company. They got her jokes and made comments that inevitably caused her sides to ache from laughing too hard.
“We don’t spend all our time in front of the TV. We play outside, especially if the weather is nice. They’re a pretty decent workout. Running after all the Morrison offspring keeps a woman fit. They’re a cheap fitness plan.” She flexed a biceps.
He laughed. “I don’t doubt that. So long as you don’t mind being the babysitter, I won’t either.”
“I don’t mind. Besides, it’s not like I don’t reap some benefits. If I need something, someone in your family will see I get it.”
“Like what?”
“I needed a laptop, but since I was in medical school, there was no way I could afford one. Within a week of mentioning to Rachel that I needed a computer, one showed up in the mail.”
“Lainy or Ed?”
“I don’t know who sent it, but I do know whoever sent my computer, also built my computer. The minute I have trouble with it, I only need explain the problem, and someone fixes said problem. I’m definitely spoiled.”
“What else did you need that you got?” Ben’s eyes were intense when he looked at her before returning his eyes to the road.
“Last year I got really sick. I couldn’t go to work. I barely had the energy to leave my bed even to find the bathroom. At the time, I was interning, which meant the money was hourly. So, if I didn’t work, I didn’t get paid.
“Not only were all my bills paid, on time that month but someone was there with me until I was able to function on my own.”
A smile twisted Ben’s lips. “My mom would have been there.”
“Oh yes. And Monica, well, all the aunts. I remember General Emma actually slept there for at least a weekend, if not longer. She set everything aside to take care of me.”
“That sounds like them.” He nodded as he slanted another look at her. “You’ve been a member of my family for a long time.” There was a new awareness in his eyes.
“Yes. I think since Rachel married Will, and I shuffled between their house and my mom’s.”
“You probably get to the lake more than I do.”
“Probably. And I’m not apologizing for that.”
He laughed and heated her with a long sweep of his eyes. “I’ll take it out in flesh later.”
Treeny’s insides burst into flames. “Stop.”
“Nope,” he quipped and she glared at him.
He pulled into the parking lot of a popular hiking trail and cut the engine, so she held her peace. Although she admitted to being sorely tempted to kiss that smirk off his face. But temptation turned into want, which soon turned into need, and leaning over, she pressed him into his seat with the kiss she laid on him.
They eventually climbed out of the vehicle and she glanced up at the sky. Where the day had been bright and sunny, but not too hot or humid, now the sky showed an overcast, sullen color. And the humidity had increased, because her shirt stuck to her back.
Ben must have noticed where her gaze led because he also glanced up at the sky. “Looks like rain,” he said, but since he didn’t sound concerned about that prospect, she decided not to worry either.
“Yep.”
He tugged a bottle of sunscreen from behind the seats and beckoned her to him.
She went willingly and allowed him to spray her down. He handed her a bottle of insect repellant after he sprayed that over her. She sprayed him with the stuff and then he tugged a small backpack from his stash and inserted his arms through the straps.
After witnessing his preparation she couldn’t resist a dry comment. “This hiking idea came to you after church, did it?”
He didn’t even look sheepish. “I usually keep this stuff in the truck. But I thought of hiking last night.”
They sauntered toward the beginning of the trail, holding hands. It didn’t surprise her that he turned out to be a good hiking buddy. He paced his steps to hers and tended to know the plants and trees she couldn’t identify. He also recognized many of the animal tracks.
“Are you sure those are fox tracks?” She sent him a dubious look.
“Of course they’re fox tracks. What else could they be?”
“A small dog?”
“Don’t think so. It’s possible, but I doubt it.”
“Whatever you say,” she said, not meaning what she said, which of course he picked up on. He poked her, but she danced away, laughing.
His hand wrapped around her wrist and he hauled her into his arms. She went willingly, thankful for the moist pressure of his lips against hers.
She doubted she’d ever tire of kissing this man. His lips seemed to beckon hers to come and play. Which she had already proven she wasn’t good at resisting. Ben Morrison was far too sexy for his own good.
A few drops of moisture separated them. Glancing up into the sky, Ben frowned. “Looks even more like rain.”
“Maybe we’d better turn back. We’ve come pretty far.”
“Are you getting tired?” His eyes scanned her.
“No, I’m fine. But I really don’t relish the idea of getting wet.”
“Wimp.”
She poked him. “It’s your truck that’ll get soggy if we’re rained on.”
He nodded. “True.” He laced their fingers again and they turned around to head back the way they’d come.
Around the same place they first saw the fox tracks, Treeny thought she heard something, but couldn’t identify what it was. She cocked her head for a better listen at the same time he did. She grinned, but he missed her gesture.
A frown returned to his face. He stopped in the middle of the path. “Do you hear that?” His voice was just above a whisper.
She nodded. “But I don’t know what it is.”
“I think I do,” he said and left the path. Intrigued, Treeny followed him into the stand of trees. He didn’t make a sound as he stepped around rocks and ducked under tree branches. Treeny knew that couldn’t be said about her. She probably sounded like a bull moose in rut.
Ben stopped so abruptly she careened into him. “Ummfftt.” She noticed he didn’t budge, even with her weight knocking into him. He crouched low and slid into a space between two rocks. The noises were louder here, and now she identified the sound as that of an animal in distress.
He reached into a cubby formed by another boulder and one of the trees and extracted a yipping, squealing ball of fur. “A puppy.”
He turned and grinned as he pulled the cowering dog close. “He’s scared.” She said the words softly, so as not to further frighten the shaking ball of fur.
“Well, wouldn’t you be if someone brought you to some unknown place and dumped you?”
Treeny recognized the steel in his voice and recognized the anger he kept at bay. She was angry someone had dumped a puppy in the woods too.
She reached out and stroked the matted black fur. Ben murmured to the little guy and that seemed to help the puppy settle. He kept the dog firmly against him and she started a soft croon as her fingers spread over the small, wriggling body.
“You’re a doctor, not a vet.”
She tweaked his nose and kept up her examination. “I don’t think anything is broken, but we’d better take him with us.”
Ben nodded. “I’m not about to leave him here.”
“Good, because I wasn’t either.” They grinned at each other before setting off.
They made it to the truck right before the spurting rains ceased and the heavens opened. He settled her into the passenger seat before he placed the puppy on her lap. The pup cowered into her, but she saw his little pink tongue slip out to lick her hand. Treeny had to work to keep her anger under wrap. If they hadn’t found this poor animal, he would have suffered through this rain storm.
She cuddled the little guy and patted him, and soon he fell asleep. Ben drove steadily through the rain, not bothered by the deluge at all. She’d have been a nervous wreck, but since she also wasn’t a SEAL, figured she could cut herself some slack. Besides, didn’t SEALs like water?
He pulled as close to Max and KC’s house as he could before he zipped out and sprinted around to her door. Ducking his head, he scooped her and the puppy into his arms and after slamming the door shut with a foot, ran up onto the side porch.
Max must have seen them coming because he flung the door open just as they reached it. He moved out of the way so they could enter the house and then shut the door behind them.
“You two don’t look as wet as we suspected you’d be.”
“We reached the truck just as it started to rain,” Ben explained as he set Treeny on her feet. She kept the puppy cuddled against her. KC appeared with a bundle of towels, which she offered them. She left just as hastily, as though she’d forgotten something.
“Thanks,” Ben said, and set to work drying her first.
“What do you have, Aunt Tweeny?” Ryan asked. Treeny sank to her knees and showed him the puppy.
“A puppy!” Ryan shouted.
“Ryan,” Max said easily, “Your sister is sleeping.”
“Sowwy, Dad,” he said absently and danced around her. “A puppy, Daddy. Look! A puppy!”
“I see that. You two leave together and three of you return.” Max let out a long suffering sigh and shook his head sadly.
His wife reappeared through the door from the kitchen. “Did I hear Ryan yelling about a puppy?”
“You did. I checked him over. I think he just needs a bath and something to eat,” Treeny answered.
KC joined her in examining the puppy again before they entered the downstairs bathroom together. Ryan bobbed along beside them.
“Ryan, where’s Spuds?” Treeny asked, not seeing his dog.
“He’s sleeping under a chaiw.”
“Which chair?” KC asked.
“The one in Macy’s bedwoom.” He peered over the top of the sink where his mom had run water.
“Oh, right. He does like to be near her, doesn’t he?”
“Yep. So she doesn’t get huwt.”
Treeny and KC exchanged smiles before KC turned back to her son. “Spuds does like Macy, but not as much as he likes you.” KC’s attention was on the puppy, but she still noticed her son’s scowl.
“He likes me best.” Ryan’s chest puffed out. Treeny hid her smile as his mother agreed with him.
They filled the basin with warm water then Treeny eased the puppy into the water. KC had some dog shampoo so they used that on the matted fur.
It took effort from both of them to clean the little guy.
“Where did you find him?”
“Along the trail. Someone obviously dumped him. Can you imagine doing something like that?” She heard the disgust in her own voice.
“No, I can’t. But it looks like you have yourself a new pet.”
She started. “I guess you’re right. I do. There’s plenty of room in my apartment and Rachel’s kids will love playing with him. She’ll enjoy looking after him while I’m at work.”
“I get visiting rights,” Ben said from the doorway and Treeny turned to smile at him.
“You may have all the visiting rights you want.” She heard the husky note in her voice and figured he must have, too, because he bent and kissed her.
KC cleared her throat and Ben laughed. “Excuse me, you’re married, kissing should not make you blush.”
“It doesn’t. But my son has no idea what you’re doing.”
“He’s never seen his mommy and daddy kiss?” Ben sounded dubious.
“Of course he’s seen us kiss. Max catches me all the time, so Ryan sees us. But he’s never seen Uncle Ben and Aunt Treeny kiss before.”
“Gotcha.” Treeny looked down at Ryan and saw his eyes were huge. “You didn’t know Uncle Ben and Aunt Treeny like each other, Ryan?”
He shook his head, his expression very solemn. Ben laughed and crouched down. “Well we do, so you might see us kiss sometimes. Is that okay?”
Ryan nodded. Then he looked at his mom. She grinned at him. “Your daddy kisses me all the time. And he’s male, just like Uncle Ben. Men like ladies, sweetie. But that doesn’t mean Uncle Ben will stop playing with you.”
“Will Uncle Ben make babies with Aunt Tweeny, too, Mommy?”
KC slapped a hand over her mouth, but the laugh still escaped.
“They haven’t reached that point in their relationship yet, Ryan,” Max answered from the doorway.
Treeny shot a quick glance at Ben and caught the expression in his eyes. They promised so much, and she could tell that he was amused by Ryan’s guilelessness.
“Why don’t you go with your dad while we finish washing the puppy, okay?” KC gave Ryan a little push toward Max.
Max took his son’s hand and exited the bathroom.
KC turned to them. “Should I apologize for that?” Her voice was nearly as guileless as her son’s.
“No.” Treeny laughed, and Ben shook his head.
“While we definitely like each other, we haven’t reached the point where we’re ready to talk about making babies,” he added.
Treeny grinned; secure in the fact that Ben appeared to be on the exact same page as her.