Unexpected Inheritance

12

Ben's expression softened as he took another step toward her. "When I said I needed to move, I meant in here with you. Not out in that cabin. In here with you. With the woman I love and that boy I care so much about. I knew you broke up with him. Of course I knew. And I want to move in with you if you want me here"

She looked up at him, her heart pounding in her chest. She had let him go once. She wouldn't make the same mistake again. She reached out, pulling him into her embrace, feeling the warmth of his body against hers. "I want you here," she whispered, her voice breaking.

Ben held her close "Then I'm here"

Miranda pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him. "What about Marina?" she asked hesitantly.

"I broke up with her after Tuck stopped by and asked where his dad was."

"Tuck did what?"

"Yeah. Showed up at my cabin, saw Marina in my clothes, and instead of just leaving, he decided to stir the pot. Called me his dad, just to see how she'd react."

"I didn't know he did that."

Ben nodded. "Just being his usual mischievous self. But it made me realize something." He met her gaze, his expression serious now. "I didn't want Marina. I want you. I want to be in Tuck's life. I want us. Forever. And Marina couldn't offer me that." He shrugged. "So I let her go."

She didn't know what to say, so she just stared at him. He smiled at the look on her face, cupping her cheek with his hand and whispered to her "I love you" just before meeting her lips with his.

A few weeks after they had gotten back together, Ben was sitting on the couch, Miranda curled up against him as they watched a movie. During a quiet moment, he spoke up.

"My stuff is nearly packed up from the cabin" he said, rubbing small circles on her back.

She hummed in response, half paying attention, half dozing against him.

"Maybe it's time we talk to Tuck about me moving in" he said. "Like we talked about weeks ago."

That made her sit up a little. She turned to look at him. "Ben, we just got back together."

He smirked. "Yeah, and we spent months together before. If you add it all up, we've been together for nine months and a few weeks. We don't have lost time, just a pause."

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "That's some real interesting math."

He chuckled. "I'm just saying, I don't see the point in sleeping out there when I could be here with you."

"Okay I'll bring it up to him. Especially since he found out about us dating in a less than ideal way"

Ben nodded. "And that's why I want to talk to him about it"

That made her pause. "You want to be the one to ask him?"

Ben shrugged. "Yeah. Man to man"

"Man to man?"

Ben chuckled "You know what I mean"

Miranda studied him for a moment before nodding. "Alright," she said. "You can talk to him."

That weekend Ben and Tuck went out, just the two of them. They started the day working outside. Tuck had another horse riding lesson after that, and this time, he did much better—more confident in the saddle, less nervous about guiding the horse. Ben watched with a mix of pride and amusement, shaking his head when Tuck shot him a smug grin after completing a clean trot.

After the lesson, Ben tossed him the truck keys. "You wanna drive?"

Tuck's eyes widened. "For real?"

Ben smirked. "As long as you promise not to tell your mama."