“I….” Ben opened his mouth, then shut it again. There was no way Dallas could have found him yet.
Ashton struggled but managed to get to his feet and made his way back to the chair. One of the dogs jumped onto his lap, and Ashton picked up his book before putting it down once more and turning toward Ben.
His gaze bored into Ben in a way that surprised him. It was only a look and probably lasted just a few seconds before he turned away again, but Ben felt it all the way to his toes. His belly fluttered and he grew warm in a way he had never felt in his life. The momentary heat from that gaze was hotter than any fire Ben had ever felt. Ben watched Ashton, willing him to look his way once again just to see if his reaction was real, because maybe it was all his imagination. But the moment passed as Ashton lifted his book again.
There was something about Ashton that Ben couldn’t quite understand. He had a physical weakness, but the guy was most definitely strong. Ben felt so lost and continually wondered what was going on. Ashton’s kind of confidence was attractive. Not that Ashton wasn’t handsome in his own right.
Ben thought he was kind of yummy, in a slightly older, weathered, hard-driven cowboy kind of way. It was pretty clear from Ashton’s face that he hadn’t had a very easy life—and had spent a lot of time outdoors. Though maybe not as much lately, given the state of his leg. “You know, if you wanted, I could massage your leg for you again.”
Ashton put down his book. “Thanks. What you did earlier really helped. I’m hoping some rest and maybe a lack of drama will let me ease up on it for a little while.” He sat back and picked up his book once more. “Would you mind feeding the fire?”
“No problem.” Ben got up and added another log. The dogs shifted and then moved back into place once he sat down again, jostling for position so Ben could pet them. A few moved closer to the fire, lying down on their blanket. “Where did you get the dogs?”
“This one, Poochie, showed up one day as a pup. I found him in the barn, so I fed him and took him in. Dad had those two, and the others I adopted through a friend in town. She rescues dogs and she knows that I have a really soft spot. They’re great dogs. Those two black Labs, Bonnie and Clyde, are the oldest of the bunch—they’re getting to the point where it’s hard for them to get around the way the others do. Daddy loved those old guys. I took care of my dad, and he passed away in the house with those two guarding his bed. They slept on the floor near him and stayed there. Both of them howled when he passed. It was so sad.” Ashton turned away, watching out the window at the whiteout conditions. The snow was falling heavier. “At least the temperature is rising a little.”
“How do you know?” Ben asked.
“When it’s as cold as it was last night, it doesn’t snow. Super-cold air is dry air. For it to snow like it is, the temperature has to have risen. It will help keep the barns warm.” He set his book aside and rubbed his eyes. “The light is going to fade in a few hours.” He sighed and sat up. “I have some emergency lights in the kitchen.”
Ashton got up, leaning heavily on his cane, and went into the other room, opening up one of the lower cupboards at the end of the counter and pulling out a few lanterns. He handed one to Ben, who took it into the living room and set it next to the sofa. Ashton brought one for himself and left the room once more. He moved slowly, returning to the living room with more blankets, which he set on the arm of the sofa before taking his seat once more.
“I have some soup in the kitchen that we can heat up by the fire for dinner. At times like this, we tend to get a little rustic out here.”
“Have you ever thought about getting a generator for the house?” Ben asked.
“I have one on order, and it’s supposed to be installed in a few weeks. Looks like my timing sucks on that.” At least he had a sense of humor about it. “Isn’t the first time I’ve done this.” Ashton brought up the footrest of the recliner and covered his legs with a blanket. “I remember one night when I was a kid, sitting where you are now, with a blanket and Mom’s hot chocolate, watching a storm like this through that window.” His eyes became a little glassy. “We were watching for my dad because he was out at the barns, making sure they were secure. And then when he got back, the three of us, along with some of the hands, built a fire, then brought the table in here and played cards for hours. There wasn’t anything else we could do.
“Dad worked all the time because that’s life on a ranch. There are always things that need to be done, but with a storm, we could only hole up and wait, so he spent the whole day with me and Mom.” He humphed as a dog jumped on his lap and settled down for attention. “It’s one of the best memories I have of them. That evening I slept on the floor, with Mom on the sofa and Dad in his chair, the dogs all around me. I felt so safe and warm, and….” Ashton’s voice became scratchy, and he turned away, peering out the window once again.
Ben thought of sharing stories of his childhood, but they weren’t nearly as nice, and he didn’t want to kill the mood completely. It was already cold enough outside, and just thinking about it had Ben pulling the blankets up around him. The dogs gathered around as he sat and grew quiet. Ben didn’t want to talk too much about himself. The less Ashton knew, the less vulnerable he’d be if Dallas followed Ben here. Besides, he didn’t have many happy memories to share.
Suddenly very tired, he drank his water and lay down with the pups.
BEN FED the fire once again and was about to get back under the blankets on the sofa when he stopped. Ashton was asleep in the chair but seemed to be cold, from the way he curled into himself. Ben grabbed one of the blankets from the back of the sofa and spread it over him. Poochie jumped into his lap and lay down, Ashton holding the little dog. The scene was sweet and gentle and something Dallas would never have done in a million years.
He only had the glow of the fire to see by, but that was enough for him to notice how soft Ashton’s expression was. Gone were the harsh lines and ache that seemed to be such a part of him, replaced by gentleness and maybe even something childlike. Ben wondered just what kind of worries Ashton carried along with him that were big enough to etch the lines that had been present while he was awake. Not that he had any right to ask. Ben had his own troubles that seemed like a weight around his neck, threatening to pull him under at any moment. Maybe he was lucky it was winter. If all that snow had been water, maybe his cares would have overwhelmed him already and Ben would have drowned.
Ben went over to the window, looking out into the blackness. At some point, the wind had ceased the loudest of its howling and now only groaned around the house. The storm was dying, and when it ended, Ben would have to move on.
He thought of putting on his winter gear, maybe borrowing some of Ashton’s to keep him warmer, and then heading out. He could probably take one of the trucks into town and, once there, leave it with someone to make sure Ashton got it back. He hated to steal anything, but Ben was going to have to get moving if he hoped to have any chance of staying ahead of Dallas.
A thud from outside grabbed his attention. The sound hadn’t been the storm, and it was close to the house. Someone was probably out there.
Ben moved slowly toward the kitchen, peering out the window to see what was happening. Of course, all he saw was darkness. Then a flash of light and a face stared back at him. Dallas stared back at him!