Unexpected Inheritance

7

She sighed. "Tuck is fine. And, Ben is—" She glanced at Ben, who was watching her with amusement. "He's... someone important to me."

Ben raised an eyebrow at that, clearly entertained.

"Important how?" William pressed. "Because if this man's going to be in my grandson's life, I need to know exactly who he is to you. Now you told me he was the groundskeeper that came with the house. How does that translate to playing dad to Tuck?"

"Ben is a good man. He's been helping me since I moved out here, he's great with Tuck, and—" She hesitated. "And we're seeing each other."

There was a beat of silence before William spoke again. "I see."

Miranda braced herself for some fatherly disapproval.

"And what does this Ben do, exactly?"

Ben leaned in again, whispering, "Tell him I wrangle horses, make a mean barbecue, and protect your honor."

She swatted at him and spoke into the phone. "He helps run the general store, does farm work, and, believe it or not, has a biology degree."

William made a thoughtful sound. "Huh. So he's smart?"

Miranda smirked. "Yes, Dad."

"And you trust him?"

"Of course,"

"And you're serious about him?"

She hesitated, then glanced up at Ben. He gave her a small wink.

"...Yeah," she said quietly.

"Alright, then. I suppose I oughta meet him."

Miranda exhaled, shaking her head. "I figured you'd say that."

Ben mouthed, Bring it on.

"Fine," she said. "I'll let you know when."

She hung up and looked at Ben. "Well, you just got summoned."

Ben grinned, slipping his arms around her waist. "I ain't scared of your daddy."

She lifted an eyebrow. "You should be."

He just kissed her again. "We'll see."

Just as their kiss deepened, Ben's phone vibrated in his pocket. He groaned against her lips, pulling back just slightly to grab it.

"You gotta be kidding me."

Miranda laughed against his neck. "See? It's not just me."

It was his sister.

"Sorry, I gotta take this," he said, quickly answering the call. "Roz, what's up?"

Rosalind's voice was tight, a little panicked. "There's this guy at the bar. He won't leave me alone, Ben. Keeps saying stuff I don't like."

Ben's jaw tightened. He could already feel the protective anger rising in him. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the Blue Moon," she said quickly, clearly trying to keep it together.

"Alright, stay put, I'm on my way," Ben said, his voice firm. He ended the call and turned to Miranda, his brows furrowed. "I gotta go get Roz."

Miranda stepped closer, grabbing his arm. "Ben, don't go doing anything stupid. Just get her and leave, alright? Don't let your temper get the best of you."

"No promises, darlin'."

"Ben—"

"I'll be careful, I swear. But that man's gonna know not to mess with my sister." His eyes softened as he looked at her. "I'll be back before you know it."