As long as she knows how much I love her, how much I love her dad too. That’s all that really matters.
I’m eager to get her home, and even more eager to have her heal fully so I can show her just how much I love her.
It’s a long drive from the hospital, but the sun’s shining and it really looks like the weather cell that threatened to come back is gone for good.
I can almost feel the dozen questions Stacey has as we get closer to home.
Her rental car, her dad’s car. All those hospital bills.
“All taken care of,” I tell her quietly, registering the huge silence that follows until her hand slips into mine and I let it rest on my knee while I keep my eyes on the road.
“You’re pretty amazing, Ranger Ben,” she tells me, the slightest hint of pride swelling in my chest.
“You do pretty well on your own,” I reply. “But there’s nothing like someone who’s got your back,” I tell her, meeting her eyes in the rearview mirror.
“Or my front,” she adds quickly, shivering as she draws my hand up her thigh, letting it rest between her legs.
“You must be feeling better,” I quip, not even trying to move my hand, glad to feel the warmth radiating from between her legs as we drive home.
“Oh, I think I know what will have me up and around in no time,” she observes, squeezing her thighs together, letting me feel all of her and just how ready she is for some more of my bedside manner.
I make a low sound of satisfaction, careful though not to rush us home.
We wouldn’t want any more accidents.
Chapter Twenty-One
Stacey
Ben doesn’t waste any time in proving he’s a man of his word, as well as putting my own testimony of wellness to the test.
He can be the gentlest lover as well as the most active, depending on what I need.
And our first night back home sees him handling me with kid gloves, until that moment we both sense how close we are. And then, he lets me take over.
Confining me to bed afterward, and definitely banning me from the kitchen until it’s rebuilt, he makes us both a simple meal which we share in bed as he updates me on each set of questions I have for him.
“Is my dad really that mad at me?” I ask, worrying about him and having forgiven everything he said and did.
The memory of our own recent trauma setting in.
“He was never really mad at you,” Ben assures me. “Just with me. He clipped me good the other night, which I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing, but no. He’s only shocked I think, not mad. Not with you at any rate,” he explains.
He collects our plates and piles them up on the bedside table, not worrying about when or even if they’ll be cleaned tonight.
“We’re just both glad you’re in one piece, and although he wouldn’t agree to everything I wanted, I think your dad will come around to my way of thinking, eventually.
“What did you ask dad? I mean. What do you want?” I ask, turning to look up at him, my hand resting on his naked chest.
“Let’s just see how you feel about everything by the time your dad’s well enough to be out of the hospital and you’ve made a full recovery yourself. Then we can talk about it,” he says cryptically.
“So you want me to stay here, with you I mean?” I ask, and he frowns.
“Of course I do, Stacey. You know I do. I never should have let you go in the first place, but I did tell your dad you’ll be here until he gets out of the hospital. Unless you really want to go back home alone?” Ben asks. I don’t even have to think about it.
“No, I don’t want to go there,” I assure him, nuzzling into him and sighing heavily.
“I am home, aren’t I? I mean, you do want me to stay even after dad’s better, I mean,” I ask.
“You know I do,” Ben murmurs, taking a breath to say something else, but thinking better of it.
“And you haven’t quit your job either, have you?” I ask, looking up at him again, glad when he shakes his head.
“Not exactly,” he responds after a moment. “But I do have some long service leave I’m gonna use. Maybe a few months’ worth,” he says casually.
“A few months? Gosh, what will you do all day?” I ask, resting easier against him, hoping I already know the answer to that.
“I think you know exactly what I intend to do,” he chuckles softly.
“A whole lot of whatever the hell we both feel like, plus fixing up the kitchen,” he adds on a side note, making me cringe inwardly.
“Am I really banned from the kitchen?” I ask, feeling him squeeze me tighter as he chuckles again.
“Yep. Not even to make yourself a sandwich or get a glass of water. Everything like that is up to me, plus it’ll be a bit of a construction site in there.”
“Sorry. For everything,” I murmur, feeling bad about it all still. Like it’s all my fault.
“You did nothing wrong, Stacey,” Ben assures me, comforting me with his hands as well as his words.
“Everything turned out for the best, and we got through it, didn’t we?” he asks as I feel my head nodding.
“Now, you can tell me everything you want to do. I still haven’t even heard about what you studied in college, or what plans you have for your future,” he adds, easing himself back on the pillows and waiting for me to talk all about myself.
Something he knows I’ve never been very good at.
“Well… Although I majored in law, I’ve actually only ever really wanted to look after animals.” I end up telling him after thinking about what I really want.
“Animals?” he asks, looking almost disappointed.
“Why not?” I ask, figuring he’d share my enthusiasm. “I mean, why’d you want to become a ranger? Must’ve been something to do with wanting to help and preserve animals, right?” I ask.
He agrees, but I can tell he’s fishing for something else.
My own instincts telling me he wants to hear about my interest in little, two-legged animals instead.
The kind that mommies and daddies make.
Maybe it’s the age thing, me being so young. But I’ve never really seen myself with a baby.
Unless they all looked like Ben.
The thought makes me gasp.
He asks me what’s wrong, but I start to think about it, purring and humming to myself.
A whole house full of little Ben’s staring back at me all day every day. I think I could handle that.
“Raising and looking after animals is hard work though,” I reason aloud.
“We’d need plenty of help,” I add.
“We?” Ben asks, almost snorting until he cottons on. “You mean, like little helpers?”
“Exactly,” I beam. “Little helpers.”
“Tell me more,” Ben asks, turning to face me, propping his head up with one hand as he suddenly becomes interested.
“What about your though?” I counter. “What use would you have for little helpers or even animals about the place?” I wonder aloud.
“Oh, those parks and wildlife people. Always crying out for helpers,” he adds with a grin, leaning over to kiss my nose.
“No rush though?” I half ask, half explain. “I mean, we’d have to see exactly just how many helpers we’d need, right? And they couldn’t just come from nowhere?”
“Exactly,” Ben agrees, seeming to look more content before he kisses me again, wishing me goodnight.
“No rush,” he says again, a smile on his face as I lean over to turn out the light telling me everything, his huge hand resting on my belly.
“Goodnight, baby,” he whispers, kissing me softly and leaving me to wonder exactly who he’s talking to.
“G’night,” I echo back.
“Goodnight.”
Epilogue
Three Months Later
Stacey
“I’ll be right out,” I call to Ben. I can hear him starting his truck which means he’ll be waiting.
&n
bsp; I know he doesn’t mind waiting, but it’s a long drive to town and our weekly trip for supplies takes up most of the day there and coming back.
And I know Ben has things he wants to finish, like the kitchen.
And his secret room.
Well. Not really a secret, but the room next to ours he won’t let me go in, even when he’s not working on it. Not to mention all that time he spends in the basement
“It’s a surprise,” he tells me every time I ask. I will be the first to see it once it's done with his only condition being letting him work there without me snooping, I just have to wait it out now.
Something I’m doing right now, willing the damned two-minute pregnancy test to tell me one way or the other if I’m going crazy here or if I might actually be—
Holy shit.
The little blue plus sign flashes to life.
Holy fucking shit.
I shouldn’t really be surprised. I mean, three pant sizes in three months?
And all that baby making exercise Ben and I do every day, sometimes twice a day. I’m no dummy, I know where babies come from and I never even worried once that I might get pregnant with Ben’s child.
I guess I secretly wished for it, we both did.
Throwing up every morning and my ass getting bigger than my belly?
I thought it was just all Ben’s cooking, which there’s a lot of. But really?
It’s good to know in a way, but I’m only gonna get bigger and bigger. And what if Ben doesn’t like me that big.
He always tells me it’s just more of me to love, but he never gains a pound, and only seems to look more muscular and fit by the day, which I can’t say for myself.
I jump, startled when I hear the blast from his truck’s horn outside again.
He’s never honked at me to hurry up before, but I have kinda lost track of time here, just staring at the pregnancy test, wondering. Even worrying a little now but I know it’s not just my imagination now.
Although, I have to say. After our first time. That first night. I think Ben and I felt something really special did happen, and not just us finding each other or me losing my virginity.
I think we both just knew.
Now I have proof.
My hands are trembling though, nervous now as well as excited.
Maybe I should tell him later? I don’t want to hold us up anymore, Ben did mention he has to get to the hardware store too as well as the general store for our supplies.
I hear another blast from the horn, then voices. The familiar sound of my dad’s voice of all people.
He’s calling out to Ben and tooting his own car horn, making me groan loudly.
I love my dad, but he has the worst timing. He never said he was coming up, and if I hadn’t spent so long in the bathroom, we would’ve missed him.
Ben never mentioned he was coming. Neither did dad.
Still growling to myself, I figure I should head out, tucking the test into my pocket and walking through the house before pulling the door closed behind me, I can hear Dad and Ben greeting each other like old times, which makes me smile.
It took a few weeks for either of them to even start to look each other in the eye again, but once dad could see how happy I was with Ben, he took a shine to the idea of me living with Ben.
Now, it’s like they’re best buddies all over again, with dad never letting Ben forget how he saved both our lives every chance he gets.
Seeing him myself though, and not remembering how long it’s been, I can’t hold a grudge for dad just turning up. I walk over to meet him, glad to see him fully recovered and smiling again, like old times.
His eyes scan me though, and I can tell he’s thinking the same things I am, about me getting so big but he doesn’t say a word.
He only hugs me tight, trying to lift me off the ground as he tells me how much he’s missed me.
Missed us both.
“We’re just heading to town,” Ben adds, glancing at his watch, which means we’re all going if we’re gonna make the stores in time to be back before dark.
“You okay, honey?” Ben asks, helping me up into his truck while dad lifts himself into the back seat.
“I’m fine,” I tell him, my eyes may be telling a different story, but one I’m sure I can tell him later when we’re alone.
After three months, another few more hours won’t make any difference.
“So… Anything new?” My dad asks from the back and Ben thinks a moment before listing off his latest achievements on the home renovation front.
But looking into the rearview, I can see my dad’s eyes shining, boring into mine.
“And how about you, sweetie, anything new?” he asks with a strange grin, making me shift my gaze to Ben, but his eyes are on the road, barely noticing the conversation.
It’s not until we reach the town that Ben interrupts my dad, who hasn’t stopped yapping the whole way, that he needs to stop off for lumber and hardware supplies first before they close early being the weekend.
“Fine by me,” Dad drawls, easing himself back into his seat. “Stacey and I can wait here if you want?” he suggests, with no argument from me.
I’m a little tired of the smell of sawed lumber and paint, to be honest.
Once we pull up, and Ben hops out, I can see my dad shift from pretending to nap to hanging over the seat, his face next to mine.
“Does he know yet?” he asks excitedly, making me wonder if I’m such an open book.
“Know what?” I ask innocently.
Dad chuckles. “C’mon, Stacey. I’m no doctor, but have you seen yourself lately?” he cries out. “Sorry,” he adds, apologizing in advance for my hurt feelings. But I don’t really mind.
It’s kind of a relief really.
“How am I gonna tell him, dad?” I ask, feeling myself tearing up, fidgeting to get the test out of my pocket, showing him, which he says politely with his hands that I can keep to myself for now.
“You didn’t know?” he asks. “Ben doesn’t know?”
I shake my head and watch his eyes roll, thinking he’s upset but he only seems more delighted by the second.
“This is great news, honey. Oooohhh, I’m so proud of you!” he adds, leaning over to plant a wet kiss on my cheek.
“Your mom… she’d be so proud,” he adds, his own eyes misting up.
I gasp, wiping my own eyes as I see Ben coming back to the truck so soon.
He opens his driver side door, fishing his wallet from the console. “Can’t buy much without this… Baby, what is it?” he asks, noting my tears and glancing back at my dad.
“Is everything alright? I mean, clearly, it’s not… What’s going on here?” he asks defiantly, giving my dad a firm look, angry that he might have upset me somehow.
“You may as well show him honey, coz I won’t be able to keep my mouth shut,” Dad says, beaming again, but still with tears in his eyes.
I hold out the test for Ben to see, letting him take a moment to piece together what’s actually happening.
“I didn’t pee in the car, Ben,” I tell him. “This is what I was doing when you were honking for us to leave. Before dad…” I start to say, but his look says it all.
It almost feels like Ben and my dad knew all along, with me the last one to figure it out, even though I’m the one carrying our child.
“Oh, Stacey,” Ben says, moving over to open my door, hugging me, his own voice breaking with emotion.
“This is the happiest moment of my life. I’m so proud of you.”
My dad clearing his throat after a few moments interrupts us, and for a second I even forgot he was even there.
“Well, this settles it,” he announces.
Ben and I look over at him.
“No daughter of mine is having a child out of wedlock. Your permission for my daughter’s hand, Ben is well and truly granted,” he says with a smile, but he can’t wait to free himself from the truck and hug us both.
“I’m so prou
d too, darling,” he gushes. “And I guess you played your part, Ben,” he adds.
“I guess this doesn’t have to hide any longer either,” Ben murmurs, pulling out a small velvet box from his pocket.
“I was gonna ask you once we got home,” he explains, slowly opening it, my dad taking a good step back so Ben can have his moment as he gets on one knee.
“This ring belonged to my great, great grandmother, Stacey. It’s been in the family for over two hundred years, and it’s the closest thing I have to a family seal. A promise. And I promise to love you, and our baby, every second of every day, but like your dad says, I can only do that if you’ll promise to be my wife.”
It’s a shock, a surprise, but I can see Ben’s been planning this for some time and I half-wonder if he asked my dad up just for the occasion, but he shakes his head briefly to let me know.
“No, I didn’t ask your dad up, but I can’t stop a dad from his own instincts either… Just say yes, baby. Say you’ll be my wife. Be mine forever, officially.”
“Of course I will, Ben. Yes, oh, yes!”
I say yes, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Our history, but really our future. Our family’s future.
Daddy Ben and Mommy Stacey, with Grandpa Greg showing his face at the most inappropriate moments.
I guess this is what true family is all about.
Extended Epilogue
One Year Later
Ben
“Okay boss,” I sigh. “But I’ll need to run it past the real boss,” I tell him signing off and pushing my chair back from my desk.
The bank of computer screens and radio equipment in our basement reminds me of the years I spent at the old Ranger station.
It’s the same setup, just at home now, and I can do most of my work remotely, using satellites and radio technology.
All while being within shouting distance of the nearest baby when needed, which is usually every hour or so, even on a good day.
“Ben,” Stacey calls, letting me know when I’m needed, and I smile.
Ranger Ben: A Steamy Standalone Instalove Romance Page 12
