Love Under Two Benedicts(35)

She’d thought they would have to turn this child over to a nameless, faceless social worker, and she’d almost geared up for that. Now as she got into the back of the Jeep and helped Steven fasten the sleeping little guy into the car seat, she tried to come to grips with the sharp, unexpected turn her life had just taken.

For the next little while, at least, she would be taking care of a child. A little boy child, who on first sight, had reminded her so much of her Sean.





Chapter 12



Benny woke up when the Jeep came to a stop at the ranch. Because it was early summer, daylight still reigned at seven-thirty in the evening.

Kelsey unbuckled the child from his safety seat, but she didn’t get a chance to lift him into her arms.

He’d looked out the window and crowed with delight. “Horsies!”

Despite the gravity of the situation and the emotions and memories that had been bombarding her, Kelsey smiled. Was there a four-year-old alive who didn’t love horses?

“That’s right. Horsies.”

“Can I go see them? Can I ride one? Please?”

“How about we just go and say hello for tonight?” Steven said. “It’s almost the horsies’ bed time.”

Kelsey found herself nodding when Steven looked at her, one eyebrow raised as if he asked permission.

“Cool!” Benny seemed wide awake as he scrambled to get out of the Jeep.

The little boy had no qualms about putting his small hand in Steven’s large one and trooping off to the outdoor corral.

“We have a lot of young ones in the families,” Matthew said when she’d stepped out of the vehicle. He stood beside her, his hand on her back as they both watched Benny with Steven. “Quite often, especially during holiday weekends, we’re up to our asses in kids here.”

Since he said that with a smile she guessed that meant he didn’t mind.

Before long, Benny came running back to her, a huge smile on his face. “Tomorrow I get to meet them all!” He stopped when he got to Kelsey, then yawned.

“Are you hungry?” she asked him.

“I’m thirsty,” he said.

At home here as much as in her own apartment, Kelsey took Benny’s hand and led him into the house to the kitchen.

“Matthew and I will go and make up the bed in the room across the hall from ours,” Steven said.

That was the room Kelsey had been going to suggest they use because it was closest to the master bedroom. “Good. I’ll take care of the tummy issues.”

She lifted Benny onto one of the stools by the center island and opened the fridge. “We have apple juice, orange juice, and milk.”

“I like milk!”

He gave her such a wide smile, she felt her breath catch and her heart squeeze. “Milk it is. Would you like some toast with peanut butter, too?” He’d eaten at her restaurant but that had been a few hours ago. Sometimes, little ones ate like birds and sometimes like elephants.

“Peanut butter!”

Kelsey set a slice of bread in the toaster and poured him a glass of milk. In a couple of minutes, the toast popped, and Kelsey got down a saucer and prepared the snack.

She froze when she saw what she’d done. She’d cut the covered toast into eight finger-like pieces. She used to call them soldiers in an effort to encourage her son to eat them.

Here are your soldiers, Sean. Gobble them down!

Like soldiers, Mommy.

Kelsey yanked herself back to the present.

“Here you are, Benny. Toast with peanut butter.”

The little boy ate only a couple of pieces before he pushed the plate away.

“I don’t want anymore, Kelsey.”

“Okay. Let’s go see if the men have your bed ready.” If she still had him here tomorrow night, she’d bathe him. Right now, she needed to get him into pajamas and into bed. She felt things happening inside her and wanted to get the boy settled. Then she needed to find herself some privacy.

She couldn’t go home. Benny was here, and she was responsible for him, so here she’d stay, too. She’d have to find somewhere to be alone in this house. The place was massive. It shouldn’t be a problem.

They made a stop in the bathroom for necessary matters and so she could at least wipe his face and hands. A typical boy, he scrunched his face in response to having it wiped. Then she took his hand and led him into his bedroom.

“Good timing,” Matthew said. He and Steven had just finished emptying the bags. There were books and toys and clothes as advertised.

The men had the blankets of the double bed pulled back. The little boy looked at it, his eyes wide.

“Big bed,” he said.

“It is,” Steven agreed.

“If you wake up in the night and need us,” Matthew said, pointing, “we’ll be right across the hall.”