“Diet soda,” she told him, knowing he’d find humor in her downing his million-calorie pizza with a diet drink.
“This could take a while,” he said on his way to the kitchen. “The oven’s got to heat up first.”
“No problem.”
There were dirty lunch dishes on a couple of the tables, and because she felt too restless to sit there doing nothing, Mariah cleared them away.
“Thanks,” Ben told her as she carried the dishes into the kitchen. “I meant to do that earlier.”
“Anything else you need help with?” she asked.
“Nah.”
But when she’d brought in the dishes from the second table, she noticed that some of the paper-napkin dispensers were empty. She asked Ben about that.
“I’ve been meaning to fill those, too, but I got sidetracked.”
“I’ll do it,” she said, eager to occupy her hands while she waited for her food.
“I’ve been feeling a bit tired lately,” Ben admitted. “Guess I’d better stop watching those late-night talk shows.”
“I don’t suppose you’d be needing extra help?” she asked hopefully. “Someone to wait tables, wash dishes, fill the napkin dispensers, that sort of thing.”
“You serious?”
More than he knew. If everything went according to Christian’s plan, her boss was about to lure the beautiful Allison Reynolds back to Hard Luck and offer her Mariah’s job.
“I’m very serious,” she told Ben.
“Actually I’ve been thinking about getting some help for a while now. In fact, I was about to ask Christian to pass along some of the applications he collected last year.”
“I thought business was, uh, down a bit.” She spoke as tactfully as she could. She’d heard that a decrease in customers was the reason he’d started the frequent-eater program.
“It’s not so bad lately,” Ben said, leaning against the counter. “I’m here 365 days a year. You can’t blame a man for wanting a break now and then. Have you got someone in mind for the job?”
Mariah nodded.
“Who?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Me.”
“You?”
Despite her best efforts, her lower lip quivered slightly. “Christian’s in Seattle and he...he’s with Allison Reynolds.”
“Listen, Mariah, I don’t know what he sees in that woman, but trust me, your position with Midnight Sons is safe! Sawyer isn’t going to let him replace you with anyone.”
“I’ve known for a long time that Christian would love to get rid of me.”
“I’m not saying whether that’s true or not, but I will say that his attitude underwent a...minor adjustment the week you were away.”
“Well, that’s nice,” she murmured a little sarcastically. “But he’d do anything to convince Allison to move here. He’s been hung up on her all year.”
Ben didn’t argue. Rubbing the side of his jaw, he frowned. “I don’t know what to advise you.”
“If you don’t hire me, maybe Pete Livengood will,” she said. “He might need someone to stock shelves for him.”
“Now don’t do anything rash.” Ben patted her hand. “Sawyer’s always been on your side, no matter how much Christian griped.”
Which was another way of telling her that Christian had done plenty of griping.
The oven buzzed in the background. “Let me get your pizza into the oven and I’ll be right back,” Ben told her, scurrying to the kitchen.
She could apply for a position with the state, too, she mused while he was gone. But if she got a government job, it was unlikely she’d be able to continue living in Hard Luck, which made the idea less appealing.
“You sure you’d want to work in a restaurant?” Ben asked when he returned. His look was thoughtful.
“I’m positive.” The way she saw things, she wouldn’t have much of a choice.
“If you don’t want to stay with Midnight Sons anymore, you can have a job right here.”
Four
The lump in Mariah’s throat wouldn’t go away. The computer screen blurred as her eyes filled with unshed tears. Swallowing hard, she quickly typed out her letter of resignation. Every word was like the end of a dream, the end of her hopes. The printer spewed out the single sheet, and she took a few minutes to compose herself before signing it.
When Mariah was fairly certain she wouldn’t make a fool of herself by bursting into tears, she brought the letter to Sawyer.
“What’s this?” he asked, glancing up from his computer terminal.
“I’m giving you my notice.”
Sawyer’s gaze shot to hers in disbelief. “You’re quitting?”
She nodded, then said with forced cheerfulness, “It’s been a wonderful experience, but as Christian pointed out, my contract is up. I’d agreed to work for Midnight Sons for a year, and—” she shrugged “—it’s time to move on.”
“Is it the money?” Sawyer asked with a dumbfounded look. “Are you unhappy with the benefits package?”
“No. You’ve always been more than generous.”
“But...” Sawyer didn’t seem to know what to say. She realized she’d taken him by surprise, but that couldn’t be helped. She’d made her decision and felt it was the right one.
“In that case, can I ask why you want to leave?” Sawyer asked. “Especially now?”
“For one thing, I can see the writing on the wall,” she told him, struggling to keep her voice even. “I overheard Christian telling you he wants to bring Allison Reynolds back to Hard Luck. There simply isn’t enough work to occupy two full-time secretaries. Allison was the one he wanted from the first. I... I have what I want—the cabin and the twenty acres of land.”
“Now, listen, there’s no way on earth I’m going to let my brother hire Allison Reynolds,” Sawyer insisted. “Your position here is secure, I promise you.” Fire glowed in his eyes as if battle loomed on the horizon and he was ready to take aim. Brother against brother.
“I appreciate what you’re saying, and I thank you, but you and I both know that Christian—”
“It’s not going to happen, Mariah,” Sawyer said from between clenched teeth. “I won’t let it.”
He was making this more difficult than she’d expected. She’d assumed she would hand in her notice, and he’d put up a token fuss, then release her. What shocked her was the vehemence with which he argued.
“Thank you, Sawyer. I’m grateful for what you’re trying to do, but the last thing I want is to cause dissension between you and Christian. It’s pretty obvious that he’d prefer to work with Allison.”
“Why don’t we wait until Christian’s back?” he suggested. “There’s no need to jump to conclusions. I talked to him last night, and he didn’t mention bringing Allison back with him.” He paused and seemed to reconsider. “But then, I suppose I didn’t give him an opportunity to say much.”
“It’s too late, Sawyer. I already have another job.”
This seemed to shock him even more. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened. “Who...where?”
“The Hard Luck Café. I’m going to work for Ben.”
“Since when did Ben Hamilton need a secretary?” Sawyer demanded. He made it sound as if Ben had stolen her away from him.
“Not a secretary,” Mariah hurried to explain. “He needs help in the kitchen.”
“You’re qualified to cook?”
“I won’t be responsible for the cooking,” she clarified. “I’ll wait tables and clean up and...and things like that. Ben’s been running the café on his own all these years. It’s time he relaxed and left the small stuff to someone else.”
“Ben!” Sawyer said the name in a tone that implied his longtime friend had turned traitor.
“I a
sked him about the job,” Mariah pointed out. She didn’t want to cause trouble between Ben and the O’Hallorans any more than she wanted to between the two brothers.
Sawyer reread her letter and frowned anew. “You’re sure this is what you want?”
Was she sure? Mariah didn’t know anymore. From what Christian and the others had said, Allison Reynolds was a real beauty; he was clearly besotted with her. Mariah didn’t stand a chance of winning Christian’s heart. It wasn’t easy to walk away from this job—or from Christian—but she had to, for the sake of her sanity. And for the sake of her pride, she had to convince Sawyer she was perfectly content to give up her duties with Midnight Sons. She had to be certain he’d never know how much it hurt.
“I’m sure,” she said, revealing nothing.
Sawyer pinched the bridge of his nose. “In that case there’s not much I can say.”
* * *
“What do you mean, Mariah quit?” Christian shouted into the phone.
“She gave me her notice first thing this morning,” Sawyer said, sounding none too pleased.
“She can’t do that!”
“Why can’t she?” Sawyer asked impatiently. “It’s a free country. We can’t force her to work for us if she doesn’t want to.”
Christian stood, forgetting that the receiver was connected to the telephone on the hotel nightstand. He started to pace and the phone fell with a discordant clang. For an instant he was afraid he’d severed the connection.
“You there?” he asked his brother.
“Yes. What happened?”
“Nothing. I dropped the phone.” Christian rammed his fingers into his dark blond hair and winced at the unexpected twinge of pain. “You might’ve tried talking her into staying.”
“I talked until I was blue in the face. I tried everything short of out-and-out bribery. I have to tell you, Christian, I blame you for this. You haven’t done a damn thing to help, you know.”
“How can I help when you’re in Hard Luck and I’m in Seattle?” His irritation was fast turning to anger. This whole business with Mariah didn’t make sense. It should’ve been obvious to Sawyer—to anyone with half a brain—how crucial it was to keep Mariah with Midnight Sons. She knew more about the office than the two brothers combined. True, there’d been a time, not so long ago, when he’d have willingly replaced her. But he’d undergone a change of heart in the week she’d been away. And the week he’d been away...
“It seems to me I’m the one stuck here with all the problems,” Sawyer said, his voice hard. “As I recall, last year you were off in Seattle dating your cover model, and I had to deal with the avalanche of problems you’d created. It’s the same thing all over again.”
“Now just a minute—”
Sawyer didn’t allow him to finish. “You’d better remember exactly whose idea it was to bring women to Hard Luck in the first place.”
“Yeah, but if it wasn’t for me you’d never have met Abbey.” Christian played his trump card before this argument with his brother could deteriorate any further.
Sawyer sighed deeply, and Christian could virtually hear his anger drain away. “True.”
“I’ll talk to Mariah myself,” Christian said, feeling confident he’d succeed where his brother had failed. If she’d listen to anyone, it would be him. He felt they’d come to an understanding in the last while. Mended fences and all that.
“Fine, but you should know that it’s because of you she’s decided to quit.”
“Me?” Sawyer must have misunderstood. His relationship with Mariah had taken a dramatic turn for the better. Or so he’d assumed.
“She seems to think you’re bringing Allison back with you, so she’s stepped aside.”
“You’re joking! What made her think that?”
Sawyer’s frustration was palpable. “You did, little brother. You managed all of this single-handedly.”
“Me? How?”
“You told me you planned to talk Allison into giving Hard Luck another shot.”
He’d said that? Christian pressed his hand against his brow. “Well, I didn’t. She’s not coming.”
Christian’s words were followed by a stiff silence. “That wasn’t the impression you gave me,” Sawyer eventually said. “And Mariah overheard the conversation.”
Christian cursed.
“Mariah felt that if Allison returned to Hard Luck, there wouldn’t be enough work for two full-time secretaries.”
“You’d better let me talk to Mariah,” Christian muttered. “I’ll straighten this out.”
“It’s too late,” Sawyer said with a heavy sigh. “She’s already got another job. Apparently she and Ben have come up with this scheme—”
“Mariah and Ben?”
“Right. She’s going to be his assistant, help in the kitchen, wait tables, that sort of thing.”
“You’ve got to be kidding!”
“I swear it’s true.”
“Let me talk to her,” Christian demanded again. He could foresee trouble already—for Ben, as well as for Midnight Sons. Obviously Ben hadn’t remembered how clumsy Mariah was. He’d never known a woman more inclined to trip over her own feet.
“She isn’t here,” Sawyer murmured. “I have a feeling we’re going to lose the best secretary we ever had, and frankly, Christian, I hold you responsible.”
This didn’t seem to be the moment to remind Sawyer that Mariah was the first and only secretary Midnight Sons had ever had.
* * *
No one responded to Bethany’s knock at the back door of the Hard Luck Café. She tried again, then turned the knob—the door was open. She let herself inside.
“Ben?” she called.
No answer. A sliver of light peered out from beneath the door that led upstairs to Ben’s private quarters.
Bethany opened the door and peered up the stairway. “Ben!” she called again. Smiling to herself, she climbed the stairs. More than likely he was asleep in his chair.
She was right. He lay stretched out on the recliner, the television guide on his lap. His head was tipped back, and he was snoring lightly.
“Ben.” Bethany pressed her hand over his.
His eyelids fluttered open, and he blinked. “Bethany? What time is it?”
“Nine.”
“Nine,” he repeated. “That’s early yet.”
“Yes, I know.”
He leaned forward, yawning, then reached for the remote control and turned off the TV. “I must’ve fallen asleep. Guess I’m beginning to feel my age. Soon I’ll be an old man.”
Shaking her head, Bethany sat down on the love seat. “Not you. Never you.”
She could see that her words pleased him. “It’s good to see you. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure?”
She slipped off her shoes and tucked her feet beneath her. “Mitch is on patrol and Chrissie’s spending the night with a friend. She’s been beside herself not knowing what to do while Susan O’Halloran’s on vacation. Those two have gotten so tight that Chrissie’s lost without her. I think it’s a good idea for her to make other friends.”
“Are you ready for school?” Ben asked.
“Yes. No,” Bethany quickly amended, and then because she couldn’t hold the news inside any longer, she blurted it out. “I’m pregnant.”
Ben’s feet slid off the recliner and hit the floor. “Pregnant!”
“Mitch and I are just as surprised—almost.” She nearly laughed aloud at his incredulous look.
“But you haven’t been married very long.”
“I know. We didn’t plan to have a baby this soon, that’s for sure. It was just...one of those things.”
Ben’s eyes lit up. “Unplanned pregnancies are sometimes the very best kind,” he said, nodding sagely.
<
br /> Bethany knew he was referring to her own birth. He’d had an affair with her mother before leaving for Vietnam, and because of a disagreement, he’d never known Marilyn was pregnant. He’d never known of his daughter’s existence. Bethany had learned Peter Ross wasn’t her biological father while she was in college, after her mother had experienced a cancer scare. As the years progressed, Bethany had become increasingly curious about the man who’d fathered her. With a bit of detective work and the help of the American Red Cross, she’d been able to trace Ben to Hard Luck.
Soon afterward, she’d applied for a teaching position in the tiny Arctic community, hoping to meet him.
Bethany had never intended to confront Ben with the truth, but she was relieved—and happy—that she had. In many ways they were very alike, and in others completely dissimilar. No one in town, other than her husband, knew Bethany’s true relationship to Ben, although she wondered why no one had guessed. Ben was fiercely proud of her and staunchly protective; she felt the same about him.
“A baby,” Ben repeated, grinning broadly. “How does Mitch feel about this?”
“When I first told him, he was floored, but it didn’t take him long to adjust. The baby’s due in the spring. We told Chrissie this evening, and she’s thrilled. I can tell she’s going to be a wonderful big sister.”
“Have you told your mother and father?”
“Oh, yes. They’re thrilled.”
“I’m thrilled for you, too, sweetheart.”
“It still takes some getting used to. I’m just becoming accustomed to being a wife and stepmom, and now I’m about to be a mother.”
Ben chuckled. “Try finding out that you’re a father at my age—that’s what I call a bombshell. As for your little one, personally, I think of the baby as a delightful surprise.”
Bethany smiled, relaxing against the cushions. “What’s this wild rumor I’ve been hearing about your taking on an assistant?”
“It’s true,” Ben said. “Mariah Douglas is coming to work with me.”
“But... I thought she was the secretary for the O’Hallorans.”
“She is—was. What I understand, she’s already handed in her notice. Sawyer’s annoyed with me, but it’s not my fault—Mariah approached me. The way I figure it, she already had her heart set on leaving Midnight Sons. I tried to convince her to stay with the O’Hallorans, but she wouldn’t hear of it.”