Cowboy Casanova (Rough Riders #12)(181)

cozied up to that ex-stripper last week—”


“Dani is not a stripper!”


“Hence the term ex-stripper.” She drained her coffee and lifted an eyebrow. “Not

going to deny it?”


Ben counted to fifteen. “Mom. What does this have to do with anything? Why are you

here?”


“To meddle, naturally.”


“Doesn’t Dad get after you for that? I thought you promised to knock that crap off.”


“Ah ah ah. I promised no more meddling in Quinn and Libby’s life. Chase and Ava aren

’t around enough for me to meddle. So that leaves you, my dear middle son, as my man

in the meddle.”


“Great.”


“So no bullshit. What happened between you and Ainsley?”


Defeated, and tired of playing the denial game, he ducked his face from her probing

gaze. “We were involved but she…” Brought everything inside me alive. Created hope

in me I hadn’t felt in years. Then she validated my biggest fear: no woman I wanted

would ever want me, as I am, long-term.


“Bennett. Look at me please.”


Maybe he’d gotten his Dom tendencies from his mother, not his father. He glanced up

and she was standing in front of him. “Oh, son, come here.” She opened her arms and

Ben walked into her embrace without hesitation. He might tower over her now, but her

hugs hadn’t changed from when he was a little boy. There was fierceness in her hugs.

Protectiveness. Unconditional love. Funny how he’d forgotten that. Ironic how she’d

known he’d needed the reminder.


“You are a good man. If she can’t see that…” She eased back and fussed with his

collar. “Then she’s a blind fool.”


“Thanks.”


Ben expected her to leave. But she chatted away about Adam and Amelia’s latest antics.

His father’s upcoming birthday. Chase and Ava. Quinn and Libby. Gavin and his

daughter. The situation with Casper. When she talked about tattoos, Ben tuned her out.

He had a shit ton to do and daylight was wasting.


“And so I have to go…but I have a confession to make. There’s another reason I

stopped by today.”


Here it comes.


“I don’t want you to get upset if I pursue a friendship with Ainsley.”


His jaw dropped. “What? How can you be buddy-buddy with a woman you just called a

blind fool?” With the woman who rejected me?


“Because she and I have a lot in common. Besides, I’ve been trying to widen my social

circle. Vaudette can be such a self-righteous pain in the patootie.”


Typical of his mother to carry on three conversations at once and expect him to follow

each one. What the devil did her best friend Vaudette Dickens have to do with anything?

Wait. Was she trying to tell him something? “When did you talk to Ainsley?”


“I had lunch with her today.”


Stunned, he just stared at her.


“I got the impression she’s looking for people to connect with outside her job as

bank president.” She shrugged on her coat. “Sounds like she’s under a lot of stress.

She’ll be busy in the next six months trying to bring new business into National West.