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“Because if I don’t keep up my end, I’ll end up getting dragged behind the bus.”

“You know, we were gonna be partners in this at one point.”

“That was a long time ago, Bennett.”

“And?”

And I can’t let a kiss change who I am.

“Let me help you, Maggie.”

If he were any other man and the late afternoon was any less lovely, she might’ve given in. But there was too much floating between them and the temptation to forget it all was as high as the water in the canyon.

“You can help, but I’ll do my part.”

“Suit yourself.”

They got to work, and like he’d promised, the tools and detritus of their patch job were cleaned up within half an hour. Though her lips still tingled from the kiss, her heart tried to fortify itself against the rest of the feelings that had been drudged up with it.

It failed miserably. The second he smiled at her the dam broke loose.

“Alright,” he said, slamming the tailgate shut with the remnants of her father’s failures. “What’s on the docket for tomorrow?”

She had some ideas, but most of them involved daisies, some candlelight, and steaks on the grill with the man looking at her like she was her seventeen-year-old self again. She kinda felt like that girl, to be honest—free, filled with promise, and with more than a little crush on her neighbor.

The exact girl she’d promised Jill she’d left behind. The thing was, when she claimed her father’s property and Bennett didn’t get what he wanted, the crush would fade. It would have to, right? Because her getting what she wanted meant he wouldn’t. Then the crushing guilt of her father’s would come crashing down around her and where would Bennett be then? Because last time she’d relied on him, he’d let her down in a catastrophic way.

Would this be any different?

Oh boy. She, Margaret Lily Newman, was in so much trouble.

Chapter Six

Bennett’s fingers ached from digging into the rocky flower bed, but he didn’t care. Not when he could still feel Maggie’s creek-soaked arms around him like the ghost pain of a lost limb. Could still taste the lemon and honey on her tongue.

Even though his intentions to leave her to fail on her own were shot to heck, he couldn’t keep the grin from his face. It’d been almost the same as before with Maggie when they’d splashed in the creek the other day.

And he had no idea what to do about it.

He could help her like his mom all but demanded, and at the same time get to know the woman who’d replaced the girl he’d loved, couldn’t he? But what did that do to his end goal? Because owning the canyon and creek and land that he’d worked alongside Maggie all those years ago was still the plan.

Yeah, a plan you made with her when you were eighteen. There’s more than one way to get a cow to water.

Off in the distance, Gander, who’d started by helping him dig, was now enamored with a bird that kept dipping low and teasing the mutt. Bennett sighed and chucked a chunk of dried clay behind him.

“Ow. I know I piss you off sometimes, but that’s no reason to throw rocks at me.”

“Hey, Jax. Sorry.”

Jax knelt beside Bennett and whistled. “What the heck happened here?”

“I’m cleaning up Mom’s flower garden.”

“No. You’re making a mess of Mom’s flower garden. She’s threatened to kill for less.”

Bennett grumbled to himself. “I know. I thought I’d surprise her since she hasn’t had the time with the wedding and all. But that was three hours ago, and I’m no closer to finishing up. It was worse than I thought.”

Jax grabbed a trowel and started digging out more stones. “You make enough money to buy her a garden and have it shipped here from France and you’re still kneeling in the dirt?”