All Chapters of The Love Barn: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

BENJI STOOD BACK AND admired the gleam of the wood floor. Most Mondays he took off work, but he hadn't felt like doing anything else. And after a busy weekend of people trekking in and out of the place, the floors had needed a day of pampering. His back and arms ached, but it was a good feeling. One that he got after a long day of work spent on the business that kept the family taken care of.He checked the time. Once again a kick of adrenaline hit him, making his heart beat just a bit faster.The anticipation was slowly killing him.Dixie would be ready before much longer. He needed to stow his gear and move ass to her place. Even with the events eating up the weekend, he'd spent a good deal of time pondering what she'd say today. He'd almost called her up late Saturday to suggest a midnight drive, but was willing to bet she'd be passed out. She didn't strike him as the night owl type.Benji turned the lights off and secured the doors. Scarlett was still in the office working

DIXIE KEPT HER ARM hooked around Benjamin's and practically dragged him into her house. He didn't protest. He didn't say anything. He simply followed where she directed.She was wiped after this evening. She couldn't begin to imagine how Benjamin felt.Hadn't his father collapsed one day for no reason and died? Could it be hereditary? What about Benjamin?Dixie's father had a massive heart attack a few years ago. The doctors had indicated that the cause could be passed down. After seeing how her parents' lives were upended by the cardiac incident, she'd made changes to her life, hoping to escape the same fate.She stuffed her concerns to the back of her mind and fished out her keys."You got a note." Benjamin reached up and took the folded sheet of paper taped to her door off.Oh, great. Just what this day needed."Don't mind that. Inside." She unlocked the door and nudged him inside."The grass is too high." He frowned at the note.Dixie didn't need to see the note t

BENJI WISHED DIXIE WAS here. She'd know all the questions to ask, what should be written down. All he had was the printout she'd left in her mailbox this morning. He'd picked it up on his way out of town, following the ambulance transferring Garth from their little hospital to the big heart ward in the city.Garth was still laid up in his bed, exhausted from the constant poking, prodding and a battery of tests they'd performed all morning. Scarlett and Cole sat on the sofa under the window, holding tightly to each other. Which left Benji either in the corner behind the machines or seated in the hospital chair that made out into some kind of bed.He tapped the arm rests.Any minute now the doctor was going to give them the bad news."Knock, knock?" a woman called out."It's open," Benji said.A petite Asian woman who had to barely be over five feet breezed into the room. Her jet black hair was pulled into a ponytail that swayed as she walked. Her white coat was tailored and

Dixie's front door swung open.Both girls started and stared at the man looming in the entry.Benjamin stared back at them, his brow furrowed, as if something was wrong."Hi." Scarlett glanced from Benjamin to Dixie, then back again.A familiar, annoying, heat crawled up her neck. Arriving at the hospital with Benjamin had looked suspect, she knew. But him busting in without knocking? Yeah, that was a new level for them."Well that looks like trouble." He swung the front door shut then toed off his boots."Did you forget how to knock?" Dixie released Scarlett's hands, the mushy girl bubble burst, and sat up."Sorry." To his credit he grimaced and at least seemed to mean it."What's wrong?" Scarlett sat forward. "Garth?""Kind of." Benjamin sank down in the oversized armchair and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. He rubbed at his face, the silence drawing out.Dixie swallowed and glanced at Scarlett. Her face had gone pale, and she had her bottom lip pinched betwe

Benji pulled out her chair then sat across from her. "Scarlett and I are taking over a lot of Garth's work. The problem we're running into is that he doesn't write stuff down. He either remembers it, or it's in his email. Trying to share an in-box nearly caused a really nasty fight.""Oh, dear." Dixie passed him tortillas."Yeah." He grimaced. "I've always used my phone calendar for important things, but it's not going to cut it."She stared at him with wide eyes, brows lifted."You okay?" He chuckled."Yes. Go on." She'd put her fork down and the excitement bubbling off her was next level stuff."I was hoping you might have a calendar app or paper book idea.""You want a planner?" She clasped her hands to her chest and grinned."Yeah. I guess." He chuckled."What layout do you think you'd like? How much stuff are you keeping track of? Is size important?"Benji bent forward and laughed. If he'd known asking her about calendars would get this reaction, he might have