“Then I better work up an appetite,” he grinned.
Hours later, Ben sat back on his knees and stared at the work he’d done. Everything ached and it had been a long day. The tile was grouted, laid out with spacers, and trim pieces cut. Glancing at the clock, it was going on one in the morning.
He was relieved he’d been able to come out last minute, because his father wouldn’t have been able to do this kind of labor-intensive work. It was brutal and he would feel it tomorrow. He still needed to grout everything and then seal the grout lines.
Shaking his head, he grimaced, getting up from where he’d been kneeling. Maybe he could convince his parents to just let him pay for the work next time; it would be a whole lot easier than trying to do it all himself. Going into the guest room, his old bedroom, he didn’t even bother to shower, collapsing into bed, exhausted.
Chapter 5
Marigold sat perched on the stool in her shop, sipping a cup of coffee out of her favorite mug. The clay fired mug Ben had sent her quickly replaced her other one, just because it fit so perfectly in her hand – and because it was from Ben, she mused, smiling as she took another noisy sip.
It was Saturday, and while she wasn’t normally open on the weekends, this was the weekend after Thanksgiving and all the crazies were out shopping, spending like mad. There was no reason that Marigold couldn’t cash in on the extravaganza at the same time.
She’d made a ton of Christmas centerpieces, as well as some festive orange-themed displays that would still be okay to put out for a little while longer. Her shop had ornaments hanging from the ceiling on little ribbons, candles, potpourri bags and sachets everywhere, making it feel cozy.
A large candle burned in the corner that smelled like balsam and sage, giving the room a heady scent. She had the front door propped open, despite the cool air, in order to silently announce that her little shop was open for the day. A large percolator was keeping apple cider warm for anyone that happened to grace her little shop.
Glancing back down at her iPad, Marigold continued to play mahjong on her tablet.
“This is so crazy stupid,” Ben muttered aloud, gripping the steering wheel of his father’s minivan. This was the fourth florists’ shop in Tyler that he’d been to and was running out of time. It was getting late in the afternoon and he had no idea what Marigold even looked like, much less anything about her.
His mother was having his aunts and uncles over for dominoes this evening to show off the new flooring before he flew out in the morning. They were trying to cram as much into the few short days as possible before he flew out in the morning… but Ben wanted to check off one more box out of sheer curiosity.
He wanted to meet Marigold.
Getting out of the van, Ben stretched painfully and groaned against the ache in his muscles. He hoped he never laid tile again for years to come. Stepping slowly, he felt his anxiety surge, just as it had at the last three shops.
Was this the one she worked at? What would he say? What would she say? This was a bad idea, he thought and then looked up, swallowing hard.
There she was.
Bright golden wavy locks were twisted haphazardly into a knot on the back of her head, sending curls flying in several directions from the loose bun, as it was pulled tight away from her face. The silver earrings he’d bought her dangled from her ears and he couldn’t help but study her profile from afar.
She was by far the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen.
That brown clay mug he’d bought her back home was cupped in both of her hands in an effort to warm her fingertips. He could see the steam coming up from the top of the mug as she frowned, studying an iPad on the countertop. She had the cutest little crease between her eyebrows as her nose scrunched up delicately in concentration, making his heart turn over in his chest.
Marigold could not figure out where to move the next piece in her game. Ugh! She hated to ask for a ‘hint’ and knew that if she stared at it long enough, she’d figure it out.
Her space heater under the desk was working overtime, making her legs feel toasty, and she cupped the coffee mug to keep her hands warm. It was getting late in the afternoon and she would be closing up shortly.
She’d sold several centerpieces, but the day wasn’t nearly as profitable as she’d hoped. A cold front had come through and a lot of people weren’t milling about the square today. Too chilly. A shadow moved before her, causing her to glance up in surprise.
The most gorgeous man she’d ever seen was standing before her in a sweater and jeans. Brown hair, with eyes that reminded her of Ghirardelli dark chocolates, warm and decadent, stared at her. He was clean cut, yet had a rugged debonair look to him… and the poor thing looked completely tuckered out.
“Hi, there,” Marigold said with a wide smile. “Would you like some hot apple cider while you look around?”
“Uh… th-thanks,” he stammered, tugging at his collar. He quickly looked away and started perusing the shelves absently, glancing at her every so often.
She rolled her eyes and held back a laugh. He had turned his back to the percolator full of cider. Marigold hopped off her stool where she’d been perched, cross-legged, playing on the iPad. She quickly poured him a cup of cider into a paper cup and handed it to him. He was fairly tall and his presence seemed to fill up the small shop.
“Here you go,” she said politely. “Please, help yourself. There’s plenty if you decide you want another cup.”
His curt nod as he looked away kind of surprised her. Usually people weren’t that aloof when they were in her shop. They either ‘oooooed’ and ‘ahhhhd’ over things or came right out asking for a centerpiece, corsage, or bouquet. He looked… pained.
“Are you looking for something in particular today?”
“No.”
“Okaayyy,” Marigold hedged, stepping back and allowing him to look around while she studied his profile.
He was dashing.
That was the only description she could think of at the moment that seemed to fit. She found her eyes wandering as she marveled at the shape of his shoulders, his arms, watching his hands as he held the cup, his waist…
“Oh!” Marigold breathed, turning away and flushing nervously as she realized she was admiring his backside. Her cheeks were red-hot as she began to pick at some of the arrangements, quickly turning away from him.
“Are you new here?” she said idly, wincing at how high-pitched her voice was and trying to make conversation to fill the silence between them. Taking a deep breath, she smelled the clean scent of soap and cologne suddenly, making her frown as she turned around to see that he was standing a little too close for comfort and watching her.
“Sorry. I’m crowding you,” she squeaked, backing away and running to the counter to give him room.
“You aren’t crowding me.”
“Are you looking for something special, like for a girlfriend?” she blurted out, trying to keep from groaning aloud at her stupidity and loose tongue. Of course, he probably was! He was too beautiful to be without someone in his life – either that or arrogant beyond belief ‘cause he knew he was goodlookin’! She hated people that were stuck on themselves like that and it would be a travesty for him to have an ugly personality with those pretty eyes.
“I thought I’d get my mother something pretty before I head out of town,” he said, hesitating. “Those are pretty earrings.”
“Thanks!” Marigold said, perking up and smiling at his response. A mama’s boy? How sweet! “My… boy friend, well, boyfriend… well, boy - that’s a friend,” she corrected repeatedly with a nervous smile and a shrug of her shoulders. “He got them for me. I love them.”
“It suits you.”
“I think so, too.”
They both got quiet and Marigold looked away. She cleared her throat nervously and smiled brightly. “I have a few things for Thanksgiving left over and some new table décor for Christmas. Are you looking for maybe something festive for fall or breaking o
ut the Christmas-y stuff already? My family always used to put up a tree right away, so I always ask.”
“May I?”
He pointed at the iPad and a shy smile touched his face, mesmerizing her. Marigold only nodded, unable to pull her eyes away from his expression. The stranger touched one of the pieces and slid it on the screen into place.
“There,” he uttered, smiling even wider.
“Ugh, I didn’t even see that,” she admitted. “Thank you for that.”
“It’s no problem,” he replied. “I’ve got to get going, but I really like your little shop. It’s cozy and suits you. I think I’ll take something for both of the holidays - and a business card.”
“Perfect,” Marigold said brightly, trying to cover the disappointment she felt, knowing he was getting ready to leave. She’d never met someone that she felt an attraction towards… besides her pen pal, Ben.
She knew she was a dreamer but his words, his emails, the way he just seemed to know her, made her feel like something special was there. A wave of guilt hit her as she thought of her heroic soldier overseas, alone for the holidays. She hadn’t heard from her pen pal this week and hoped with the holiday, that he was enjoying something reminding him of home.
She’d mailed him some turkey jerky, dried cranberries, a pack of crackers and a can of string cheese, so that way if they didn’t have a celebration there, he could still have something remotely Thanksgiving-ish on his own.
“Which ones do you want?”
“You choose.”
“Do you have a price range you want to stay under?”
“No. Something pretty that says holiday, will be enough.”
Marigold nodded, coming around the counter. She scanned the walls and floral refrigerators, before her eyes settled on a piece. She’d had such fun putting the large display together. It was a sugar pumpkin filled with floral foam that had bright orange and rust colored roses sticking out of the top. Baby’s breath and greenery filled in the spaces and cascaded down the sides of the pumpkin.
“What do you think of this one?” she asked, picking up the pumpkin.
“Absolutely lovely,” he said quietly.
Marigold shivered at the intimate tone of his voice. She grabbed the one beside it unthinkingly and turned to him.
“This one, too?” she said brightly.
His dark eyes held hers as he nodded. She looked away from him and her heart pounded as she rang up the two items. She put them in a large box and stuffed paper down beside the two display pieces.
“That’ll be seventy-eight dollars and forty-three cents.”
He handed her the cash and picked up the box. Marigold made change and looked at him as his hands were full. Unsure where to put the coins and bills. She quickly stuffed them in the box and smiled politely.
“There you go. I hope your mother likes them.”
“I know she will.”
“That’s sweet of you to get her something pretty like that.”
“She’s a good person.”
“Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and a Merry Christmas,” Marigold said nervously, feeling the urge to email Ben to wash away any guilt she felt in the way she couldn’t help but stare at the beautiful man before her.
He didn’t say a word, only nodded abruptly and turned away to leave. Marigold stared after him, feeling like she was missing something vital in her life, leaving her even more lonely than before. The temptation to run after the stranger was almost overwhelming. Instead, she stood there with her arms crossed over her chest in an attempt to comfort herself as she watched him put the box in the floorboard of a minivan.
“You fool,” she whispered aloud painfully. “He’s probably married with a bushel of children, and here you are, wasting away in the middle of nowhere.”
Marigold yanked the chain on the open sign and kicked the stand away from the door, allowing it to close. She threw the deadbolt and sighed, resting her head against the wall beside the door.
Ben sat in the driver’s seat of the van, feeling shell-shocked. He was already in over his head with this and seeing Marigold was just a brutal reminder of it. She was utterly breathtaking and he was pretty sure he was going to have a heart attack every time she looked at him with those bright green eyes.
He should have said hello.
He should have introduced himself.
But he was scared, Ben chided mentally, wanting to kick himself.
He didn’t deserve someone so pure, so beautiful, so wonderful in his life. No, he would have to live with the sins staining his soul forever and maybe someday, he’d find a way to absolve himself. The moment he confessed that he’d been the one to cause Erica’s death would be traumatic enough, but he’d never told anyone about their baby.
Ben hadn’t just killed one person with his young stupidity and reckless driving. He’d taken two lives in the accident. How could he ever deserve his own happiness when he’d robbed Erica of hers?
He jabbed the key into the ignition and turned on the car, glancing down at the box of the arrangements, he smiled sadly. There were two bright orange arrangements inside, not the orange one and a Christmas one. Maybe he wasn’t the only one that couldn’t focus, he thought wryly and then slapped his forehead.
His mother was allergic to flowers.
This time, he couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped him, nor the tear that slipped from the corner of his eyes. Life just wasn’t fair. It seemed that he always had happiness within his grasp only to have something yank it away. Putting the van into gear, he sighed heavily.
It was time to head home – in more ways than one.
Chapter 6
Christmas 2017
“Parker! PARKER!” Hody yelled across the berthing. “Get your phone and come over here.”
“What are you two knuckleheads up to?” Ben asked quickly. Several men had headed home for the holiday, only to leave a few of them there. He was stuck with some of the biggest and most ornery men that were on the team.
“Dang, Watson! What crawled up your…” Hody began and then sighed heavily, waving him over. “Get over here with us guys and live a little. Loosen up and have some fun for a few minutes. Think of this as a team building or bonding exercise.”
“I don’t have time for this.”
“The sand isn’t going anywhere,” Hody quipped, putting the wig on his head and adjusting it by grasping the two massive swirled buns on either side of his head. Ben stared at the man and the lack of pride he obviously had. He was shameless. His eyebrows shot up and there was the slightest hint of a smile on his face as he realized Tobin was right: Hody was actually falling for some woman he was writing letters to.
Wasn’t he in the same boat as the man brought down low? Hody was sliding a pair of hot pink aviator sunglasses onto his face and making kissy lips as he posed. Was this the photo he wanted to send to his girl?
Shameless.
Ben laughed as Parker set his phone on the footlocker nearby, setting a timer. Maybe Hody was right, this could be a team building moment and if he could fit in with the others, perhaps things wouldn’t be so tough on him all the time. Getting to his feet, he quickly crowded into the photo, all striking different poses. They took several photographs, the last one being the most candid shot that seemed to capture their personalities.
All four were laughing hysterically at themselves, slapping each other on their backs and high-fiving each other. Tobin was sticking out his tongue and winking, Hody had his arms crossed over his chest and one foot propped onto Tobin’s knee as he knelt, posing like a pirate. Ben had never laughed so hard in his life and it was good to let loose for a moment.
“Can you email me those, Parker?” Hody asked, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes.
“No!” Ben said, sobering immediately. Those goofy photos couldn’t get out. If something ever happened, it was proof of them cutting up. Being the base goofball got you no respect and he had enough problems as it was.
“Just delete them,” Ben ordered.
“Don’t do it, Parker. Watson, I swear no one else will see that you cracked a smile, brother. I promise you!”
Ben walked off, muttering an epithet under his breath. Proof again that he was nothing like John Griffin. Griff would probably have been in the photo or wearing the wig instead. The man didn’t have to fight for respect and he just wished he found a way to reach the team, like John did.
Yanking his Rubik’s cube from his locker, he sat down on the bunk and began absently twisting the block, feeling lost. He needed something to help him relax and the little block seemed to do the trick.
He felt like such a jerk, avoiding Marigold. There could never be anything between them and the desire was certainly there! Her last email had asked what he looked like and he chickened out. He didn’t want to fall for her and truthfully, he couldn’t get her out of his mind.
He should have introduced himself weeks ago.
He should have said hello to Marigold.
He should have just…
“Earth to Watkins…” Tobin said, waving a hand in front of him. “Yo! You in there?”
“What?”
“Are you coming with us?”
“What are you talking about? Going where?”
“Hody and Parker didn’t say anything to you yet? Are you on Post’s email list, if not – get him to add you on to the list, dude. We are all flying up to his new place in Anchorage for the Fourth of July. It will be kinda like a reunion.”
“Everyone?”
“Well, most everyone. Some got their leave requests denied but that was because they were out of days already. Do you have time available to take? We are going for a week.”
“I used some of it recently, but I could go for a few days.”
Remember Dreams Page 5
