He hadn’t seen Claire since the family barbecue because the next night, the entire volunteer fire brigade had been called in on a drill. Zaz had watched him like a hawk the entire time like he was waiting for Benton to screw up. Benton didn’t meet his previous best times, but he didn’t force any errors either. It was almost as stressful as a real fire.
The next day he was grilled like a forgotten steak on the barbecue while he, Clay, and Paul spent the morning moving the herd from one pasture to another. His brothers were all about getting to know everything about his new girlfriend, even after Benton pointed out that no news had appeared online about their private announcements.
“How well do you really know her?” Clay had pressed.
“Really freaking well, Clay. We’ve been friends for two years. She’s a good person and a good friend. I really wish you’d trust me about this.”
“You may have met her two years ago, but you haven’t really known her that long. All I’m saying is that after a handful of dates two years and two provinces ago, you should ease into things since she turned up here out of the blue. You don’t have to slip a ring on her finger the first month she’s in Hopewell,” Clay said.
Benton rolled his eyes, and he didn’t care if it annoyed his eldest brother. “Yes, because taking it easy is exactly how it worked between you and Marki.”
“Marki is different,” Clay said seriously. “And I’m a decade older than you. You’re young. You should still be playing the field.”
“Think about it,” Paul urged.
There was no arguing with them when they were in this kind of mood. “I’ll think about it,” Benton finally agreed.
The next afternoon the stupid conversation was still on his mind, and he was as annoyed as ever. He’d been dealing with attention-seekers ever since Tyler had won the lottery. He wasn’t an idiot. Was it so unreal for his brother to believe that an intelligent, attractive woman wanted to be with him?
As he stood in line at Flour Power, he smiled at the pretty brunette in front of him. Unlike Claire and the women in his family, she’d be considered petite. Dainty, even. Mrs. Werner was in a full-fledged discussion with Joni about birthday cake options, so he had lots of time to answer when the young woman asked, “What’s good here?”
“Everything, but I’m a little biased.”
“Are you dating the owner?”
“No, but my brother is.”
She beamed. “Then you must really know what you’re talking about. I’ll happily take biased advice. I’m Melody. Melody Maclean.”
“Benton Lawson. Are you in town visiting someone?”
“No, I’m moving here. My brother got some breakfast take-out from Ruth’s Diner the other day, and the woman who works there says they get their baked goods from here, so we’re cutting out the middleman. I’m getting tired of cooking breakfast on a camp stove. Sometimes you need some muffins and breakfast pastries to start your day on a sugar high.”
“I completely agree.”
Mrs. Werner made her choice, and Melody stepped to the counter. Benton eavesdropped to hear her say, “I need a dozen assorted breakfast pastries, please.” Joni grabbed a large box and began the process of talking the newcomer through the options.
Melody was very pretty. She had what his grandfather would have called an English rose complexion, pale skin with pink cheeks, and she had a lilting voice to match. If he were unattached, he would have made conversation, maybe even tried to ask her out before one of the other local single men put the moves on her. But that wasn’t the situation, and as pretty as she was, she wasn’t nearly as gorgeous as Claire.
Benton’s attention shifted when he spied a big black pickup pull to the curb in front of the bakery. A tall, dark-haired man was behind the wheel. Melody looked over her shoulder when she heard the loud rumble of the waiting truck. “That’s my brother,” she said. “Can I have a thirteenth pastry to throw at him, so he doesn’t gnaw my arm off before we get home?”
Joni laughed and dropped a blueberry muffin into a paper bag, then finished sealing the box. “No problem.”
Benton held the door open for her. “If you’re in town for lunch, Ruth’s Place is the place to go. It’s the only place, to be honest, but it really is the best restaurant in the area.”
“Maybe I’ll see you there?” Melody asked hopefully. Her smile was a little brighter than it had been earlier.
“Maybe. I’m there most days. My girlfriend and I would be happy to give you more biased recommendations,” he said, returning her smile. It was his chance to put the idea that Claire was part of the local landscape into her head without making a point of introducing her. He was certain it was the right call because what were the odds that two new people in town were driving a vehicle that matched the description of a gang from out of the province? Benton hadn’t heard a word about anyone new moving into the area. The last three families had been featured on the Hopewell Leader webpage with little bios written by Desmond Wisher. Melody Maclean and her mysterious brother were more than idle gossip. It was real news.
When it was his turn to order, Joni rounded the counter. Expecting a hug, Benton opened his arms and was rewarded with a slap to his arm. “Why did you flirt with that girl?”
“I didn’t. I was just being friendly.”
“You asked her to lunch, or as good as asked.”
“Yeah, with me and Claire.”
“What are you going to do when Claire finds out?”
“I’m more concerned what my brothers are going to do. They’re the ones who told me that I should be playing the field. What will they say when I tell them I turned down a date?”
If Joni had been on the fence about his relationship with Claire, that comment tipped her firmly on his side. “They said what?”
Benton shrugged, trying to keep a grin off his face. “Bye, Joni.” He didn’t feel an ounce of guilt for throwing Clay and Paul under the bus. Let them explain their irrational distrust of Claire to their partners. He knew that Claire would not only be understanding of him talking to Melody, she would approve. He’d probably also get a kiss from Claire as a thank-you for providing information on potential suspects. Yes, he’d promised not to get involved, but it wasn’t like he went looking for it. The opportunity had presented itself. He would have been a fool to ignore it.