Free Mistletoe and Montana by Anna Small Page B

shock to see him in a shearling coat and cowboy boots, until she realized
he looked like almost every other man there. Except they didn’t have broad
athlete’s shoulders like Ben, or that hard, steely look in the eyes whenever
she was around.
    He’d been polite, but distant. She was
glad she’d prepared him that she was escorting the kids and not Sarah. He’d
even held the door to his massive truck open for her, and waited until she was
seated before closing it. That he hadn’t spoken a word to her but conversed
with the kids the hour and a half it took to reach the ranch didn’t bother her.
Well, it did, but she told herself it didn’t, which was almost the same thing.
    She listened to the hold music in her
ear and jumped a little when the airline agent’s shrill voice came back on too
loudly.
    “I still have Buster and Lilly,” Ben was
saying to Ian. “We can ride in the woods. Last time you were too young, but we
can do it now, if you want.”
    Again, the shrug.
    Wait a minute … “What was
that? I’m sorry; did you say my flight was cancelled?” Joely turned her back
slightly to Ben and the kids and twisted a long tendril of hair around her
finger. She was supposed to go back the next morning, after spending the night
at a nearby hotel, which suited her just fine. Anymore stares from the Ice Man
and she’d be frozen through. “When is the next one?” She ended the call a few
seconds later and slipped her phone back into her purse. Ben and the kids were
looking at her. “They’re closing the airport. A big storm, or something.”
            “Probably
another blizzard.” The animosity in Ben’s eyes was gone. His excitement at
having the kids to himself for a month had replaced his anger at her. “When can
you leave?”
    Abrupt. Cool.
    “They said to call back once the storm
passes. How long will that take? Two, three days?” She could only hope that a
hotel other than the Rancher’s Roost was available. They’d passed it on the way
to Ben’s place, and she’d nearly shivered at the idea of sleeping there.
    “This isn’t Malibu, princess.  It
might take a week for the storm to pass, and then another week or so for the
snow to melt. You’d better call your agent and tell her to inform Spielberg.”
    “Mom doesn’t work with him,” Ian said.
Joely smiled inwardly at Ben’s humbled look.
    “I know. Sorry.” He looped his thumbs through
his jeans pockets. “Well, we should settle the kids and I’ll call Mrs. Gomez to
babysit. Then I’ll drive you into town…”
    “Nooo!” Molly’s wail split the air.
“Mommy, stay with us!” Molly jumped up and down. Ian gave her a brief, hopeful
glance before turning his attention to his piece of pie Ben had waiting for him
the minute they entered the house.
    “I…I can’t stay here, sweetie.” She
avoided Ben’s eyes, concentrating instead on her daughter. “I’ll stay in town,
and then hop on another plane once the airport opens.”
    Molly buried her face in Joely’s skirt.
“Don’t go! Please, don’t go! Daddy will let you stay.”
    Her helpless tears only made things
worse. Joely tried not to notice the flush spreading across Ben’s face. He was
probably embarrassed the kids didn’t want to stay with him alone, but that was
how they acted when it was his turn to drop them off with her.
    “Daddy, please!” Molly abandoned Joely
to grip her father around his waist.
    “It’s just for a few days,” he said, not
looking at Joely and smoothing back Molly’s ringlets.
    It wasn’t as if the house wasn’t big
enough. There were at least six bedrooms and enough space so she wouldn’t have
to be in the same room with him if she didn’t want. She hesitated before
responding, but some look of relief in Ian’s eyes confirmed her decision.
    “OK,” she said softly, giving Molly a
quick hug. “Mommy will stay.”
            “Yay!” Molly
cried, then tugged her hand. “Sleep in my bed! Sleep in my