“Your roof needs work, boys. Good thing you’re making a little money. We’ll buy the shingles today. Your cousins are coming to teach you to lay them right.” And off he took them to the hardware store in Hanover.
They had spent that weekend running up and down ladder, pounding nails and carrying packages of shingles. Being bossed by their older cousins. They hadn’t had a minute of fishing.
Turned out their house needed a whole lot of work, and all summer long Uncle Pierre made them do it. And pay for every nail and can of paint.
“Me and Joey, we were big kids. Strong and willful,” Len told Erin. “Having a man’s job to do settled us right down. I didn’t relish having to give Mr. Singh a day’s pay to pay him for the stuff we stole, but I was sure proud the Sunday my mom wore a new dress that she bought out of my wages.
“Thing is, Miss Erin, my uncles were setting for us. All our back chat and swagger and shiftlessness—well they had noticed it right off. They were just waiting for us to go our length. Soon as Mr. Singh called, they had a plan. Course we thought our punishment just fell out of the clear blue sky—but for certain they set us up.
“We were cocky, right up till we got caught and made to face up to our thieving and wickedness. But what all did we have to be prideful of? Not a blessed thing.
“Fact is, we learned how to do that summer. And when we knew how to behave like men, and how to replace a windowsill, or fit a door, we were less prideful, knowing how little we really knew—and how we’d shamed our family.” Len’s calm voice rang with conviction.
“You think that’ll work on my brothers?” Erin sounded as doubtful as she felt. Hunter and Cord were not country boys but smart-mouthed, streetwise city kids.
“Don’t see why not. Boys are boys.” Len smiled reassuringly down at his destined bride, willing her to accept his help.
Erin looked torn. “Parkhurst is close to where Pacman—their dad is staying. And it’s about ten blocks from our apartment. Their school is in between.” She thought aloud. “I need to keep them away from their father. He’s such a bad influence.”
“They can walk over after school and they can walk home afterwards.” Len looked at Erin’s worried face. “What?”
“I’ll have to come for them,” she said, trying to explain her reality. “Otherwise they’ll just go to their dad’s place. He’s only been out of jail for three months—he was locked up for the last five years. I’ve been the boys’ guardian since they were six. But they just seem to have fallen under his spell.” Her voice had a break in it.
Len shook his head. “You get to make the rules, Miss Erin,” he told her. “Rule one, Dad don’t get to see the boys unless you’re present. If they break any rules,” he twinkled at her, “It’s the woods for sure.” He pulled out his cell and showed her a picture.
“That’s where you live?” Erin was beyond shocked by the tiny, primitive, unpainted shanty.
Len chuckled expansively and his brown eyes twinkled at Erin, willing her to trust him. “It’s a hunting cabin. Little tumbledown. Seen better days. Wood stove. Water from a well. No electricity. Bet it will scare your pair of rascals.”
“Rascals?” she said in wonder. “You make them sound naughty, instead of deviant.”
“They’re eleven. Their dad’s only had three months to mess with them. Yeah, naughty, not depraved. They may be budding hoods, but some hard work should turn them around.”
“I hope so.” Erin made her fervent words a prayer.
The door opened and Officers Boswell and Hallahan came in with the boys in handcuffs. Ms. Carmichael followed behind wittering.
Hallahan made a great show of uncuffing the boys and then reattaching the cuffs so they were each bolted to the table by one wrist, as if they were dangerous criminals. The shorter boy looked scared. The taller one looked cocky. Erin looked inexpressibly sad.
“Which one is which?” Len addressed his question to Erin.
“This is Hunter,” she waved a hand at the taller boy. “This is Cord.”
“This is highly irregular,” Ms. Carmichael said compressing her thin lips.
Len stood up to his full six five. His genial air did not conceal the authority in his bearing and voice. “Ms. Salter is the guardian of these boys, isn’t she, Ms. Carmichael?”
“I suppose so,” the social worker admitted cautiously.
“She is.” Len stated the fact bluntly. “She has decided that they are to have their day in court. In the meantime, they will be released on my recognizance.” He smiled down at the boys showing lots of big white teeth.
“They are going to make restitution for their criminal actions. To me. I don’t see where you come into this arrangement that she and I have made.” Len smiled at Ms. Carmichael without involving his eyes. She flinched.
Hunter abruptly looked less cocky. Cord looked less scared. Erin looked radiant. Go figure.
Boswell and Hallahan stood up. “We’ll get the paperwork sorted out right away. Get you in front of a judge.” Boswell said. The two officers beat a retreat.
Ms. Carmichael picked up her files and sniffed disapprovingly. “You are ruining these children’s permanent records,” she announced.
Len held the door helpfully. When she had gone, he shut it and returned to the table. This time he sat beside Erin. So that they both faced the little thugs. Uh, rascals.
“Hope you boys are good with your hands,” he said cheerfully. “Your sister will tell you the good news.”
CHAPTER SIX
“You did what?” Joe demanded in disbelief.
“I got the judge to remand the boys to me,” Len repeated. His normally easygoing face hardening into stubbornness.
“So now we got the thieves actually in the house with us,” Joey said. “What were you thinking, brother?”
“What was I supposed to do. Erin is in trouble. How can I go courting a woman when I won’t lift a finger to help her with her troubles? “Len asked his brother.
“One meeting and you think she’s your mate? You don’t know spit about this woman, but you’re sure she’s the one?” Joe’s handsome face was concerned and his bristly jaw jutted in equal parts stubbornness and worry.
“Yep,” Len said with satisfaction. “One whiff of that female and my bear just knew. Every instinct I’ve got was telling me that this woman was my life-mate.
“I know all I need to know about her character, Joey,” Len went on. “Any girl of twenty-three who steps up to take on a pair of half-brothers, rather than see them go into foster care, has a solid sense of family. It’s not even as though she likes the father.
“She stayed away from those boys when they were tots so as to have as little to do with Pacey as possible.” Len explained. “But once he was in jail, she took them on.”
“She doesn’t make much money,” Len continued. “And for sure she’s got no social life being a single parent. She’d have done better to let the state have them. Surely be married up by now, good woman like that.
“But she didn’t take the easy route. And she purely loves those little criminals. I gotta help her reform them. And if I can’t manage to keep two young’uns out of trouble, I got no business marrying any female and asking her to raise two, three litters of cubs with me.” Len folded his arms across his massive chest in a manner that said his mind was made up.
“Your kids would not be thieves,” Joe said with certainty.
“Hunter and Cord aren’t thieves yet. They’re boys who’ve done wrong to please their pa. Trick is to teach them to want to please me. And you, Uncle Joey.” Len chuckled.
“And what happens when Pacey comes around luring those boys with easy money and bad habits?” Joe demanded.
Len chuckled harder. “Well Boswell and Hallahan they decided to help us out a little. They said it would be pretty much impossible to get Pacey convicted for the theft—particularly since I didn’t let those boys put the copper in the van.
“But they decided that getting Pacey ba
ck behind bars on a parole violation was in the public interest.” Len’s normally pleasant face looked mean and satisfied. “Cops busted him for possession with intent to sell. So back he goes, and if they get a conviction on that, he probably will do some serious time. Important thing is he’s out of the picture for now.”
“Those boys know anything about construction?” Joe asked in resignation.
“Not a blamed thing. But no reason they can’t learn. Reckon learning how to pull nails out of wood will build them some character.”
“Or at least some fine blisters,” Joe said.
* * *
Initially Erin had assumed the price of the exorcist she had longed for would be her own ample ass. And she had prepared herself to make the sacrifice. Not that lying underneath ultra-masculine Lenny Benoit would have been any sort of a sacrifice.
Her hasty visit to the restroom at the police station had cured her of that delusion. The man who could be attracted to the androgynous lump in the white coverall who stared back at her from the speckled mirror, wasn’t going to be a man who looked like Leonard Benoit.
That man was pure sex—on steroids. Those broad shoulders and strong muscular arms would give any woman ideas. Add in his old-fashioned courtliness, and you had every woman’s dream—hers for certain. She sighed sadly. But a man who could have any woman, had no reason to settle for a pasty faced, washed out, plus sized female with no looks or money—just the grinding responsibility of two boys. Len was as likely to hit on her as he was to start flying.
She just had to be grateful for what he was doing for her brothers. Len truly didn’t seem to have any hidden agenda. He was just a good man with a simple backwoods ethos. He was paying forward the favor that had been done him in his youth, out of an admirable sense of duty. He treated her with an elaborate courtesy that made her heart stutter, but he didn’t make even the slightest of suggestive remarks to her. And he had completely curtailed those crude, cruel ones her brothers had taken to supplying.
Lenny never raised his voice. He never said anything mean, but he sure was firm. Cord looked up to him already. Hunter was more suspicious, but he had fallen in line too. Both boys were attending school every day and doing their homework. She hadn’t had a call from the principal in three weeks.
She had taken a couple of weeks of twelve-hour shifts to fatten her bankbook after the lean times they’d had while she worked the sandwich line. Three p.m. to three a.m. had only been possible because Len had the boys sleeping at his place. Which was beyond kind. Even now she was back on normal shifts he insisted they continue to board with him.
As for her attraction to Len, that wasn’t going anywhere. Len was unfailingly polite and respectful but he never looked her over. It figured her lust was one-sided. Wasn’t as though a man like that couldn’t take his pick of women. Of pretty women.
Even when she had been young, she had never been pretty. And nowadays she knew she was downright drab. Nothing to see here folks. But even a hefty plain girl could dream of a handsome lover.
Lenny’s big hands always drew her eye. She loved to look at his long tanned fingers and the hair that curled on the backs of his hands. They were so massive, so dexterous for all their muscularity, that they made something deep inside her soften and melt.
You’ve got it bad, girl, she told herself. But the thought of those big competent hands caressing her softness was a pleasure she couldn’t seem to forgo. She just hoped her fantasy life didn’t show on her face when she met him in person.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Len lay on his mattress under the oldest of the blankets that he had brought with him. He was quite proud of himself for giving the better one to the boys. Of course Hunter had snatched the new one from the Walmart, but Cord was content to know that he was using something of Len’s.
“Cool,” he had said with shining, hero-worshiping eyes.
Len wasn’t cold, but he was restless and horny as hell. It had been a month since he had met Erin and instantly recognized her as his destined mate. A month. And he had not even kissed her. She glanced sideways at him when she came to the house to pick up the boys, but she made no moves of her own.
And he could hardly grab her in front of those two boys, even though he could tell she was attracted too. That would embarrass her and set a terrible example to those two rapscallions.
At least she seemed to be eating better. Or she looked better. Without that hideous white coverall, she had turned out to be a tall, pretty, curvy blond. He didn’t much care for the braid she sported now, but in her own clothes she had a bit more shape. Although those men’s tee-shirts she wore were ugly as sin.
Erin had generous breasts and broad birthing hips. Long round thighs. The roundest, sweetest, bounciest ass. He wanted to see her naked, but he had no idea how to get to naked when he couldn’t even get her alone. Not with those two chaperons.
The boys had brought them together, and were keeping them apart. Erin worked long hours and when she was off she looked after the boys. And since he had vowed to put her brothers to work every spare minute, when they weren’t doing their homework at his table, he was monitoring their use of power tools or making them food.
At least they turned out to have a flare for construction—especially Hunter. Show them once, and they pretty much got the idea. They didn’t like do-overs, but he and Joe had made it clear that shoddy work had to be redone. And maybe twice more, if it still wasn’t right. They were getting to be fair carpenters and even the tile work didn’t look too bad.
But he could hardly ask Joey to look out for the boys on Saturdays while he took Erin out. Joe was doing some courting of his own. He didn’t talk much about it, but Len guessed it wasn’t going well. For sure the Benoit brothers were unlucky in love.
Obviously, Erin could not leave the boys to their own devices. They were full of beans and unless they were busy would get up to mischief. Or worse. Besides, when he had told the judge he would be personally responsible for Cord and Hunter staying out of trouble and going to school and showing up in court, well he had taken complete responsibility for them. Including on the weekends.
If anything he had increased respect for Erin. She had only been in her early twenties when she became the twins’ guardian. Just a girl really. And given that the three of them were still living in a one-bedroom apartment, and she was still sleeping on the couch, she had made a great many sacrifices to be their surrogate mother.
She was looking a little less ground down now that she could share her load with him, but maybe that was because the longer he was around her the less it mattered what she looked like. She was so clearly good all the way through, and whatever hormones or pheromones or scent she gave off had him harder than hell by day and by night.
He had responded instantly to her and his attraction was only increasing every time he saw her. He thought it went both ways, but it was hard to be sure when all their conversations were conducted in front of two little pitchers.
* * *
“Dude, I’m hungry,” complained Hunter.
“Hold that timber steady, son,” Len said as he tacked a two by four in place on the work bench.
“Dude,” persisted Hunter with a whine this time. “I’m hungry.”
Len put his nail gun neatly in his tool box. He closed the lid and latched it. He stood to his full six five and stretched his arms over his head and rolled his shoulders and eased out his neck. Then he looked sternly down at the blond boy sassing him. He waited until Hunter looked down before he spoke.
“I thought we had a deal. You can call me Mr. Benoit, or sir, or Boss, but nothing disrespectful. Now, I’ll hear your apology, son.”
“I’m sorry I was disrespectful.” Hunter paused, “Boss.”
Len nodded and turned away. “We’ll get the boards cut for tomorrow, clean up, and then we’ll eat.” He waited patiently for Hunter’s reply.
“Yes, Boss,” the boy said cheerfully. He sounded like any normal pre-adolescent. Len mar
veled again at this kid’s constant testing of boundaries, and the evident relief that followed his discovery that Len’s rules didn’t buckle.
Joe came home to find the kitchen full of steam and his brother and the two little thieves eating spaghetti and meatballs.
“Hey, everyone,” he said dropping his tool chest on the floor. He hung his gimme hat on a peg and went to the sink for a wash and a drink of water.
“Hi, Mr. Joe,” sang out Cord. “There’s plenty of spaghetti left.” He jumped up and ran to the stove. “I’ll get you some.”
Joe met Len’s amused eyes with his own. “Hey, bro,” Len said. “Hunter?”
“Hello, Mr. Joe,” said Hunter petulantly.
Cord brought a plate heaped high with food to the table and carefully set it at Joe’s place. He went to the fridge and brought out a beer and put it beside Joe’s place.
“Thank you,” said Joe. “What did you boys do today?”
“I swept up the living room and made sure all the screws were tight,” Cord told him importantly. “If you leave anything on the subfloor the hardwood won’t lay right.”
“He knows that, dummy.”
“He asked me,” protested Cord.
“Dinner’s over, Hunter,” said Len. “Clear your place.”
Hunter looked at his half-eaten plate in horror. “I’m not done,” he protested clutching the sides.
“Then you can finish it on the floor,” said Len firmly. “You are finished at this table.” He pointed to Tracker’s empty bowl.
Hunter’s pride fought with his belly and he dragged himself over to the bowl and sat with his back to the table to finish his plate.
What was with the kid today? thought Len. Both boys had seemed settled into their new routine. They weren’t exactly much help yet. Couldn’t expect that from a pair of youngsters who had spent their childhoods watching TV.
But they were learning and their manners and attitude had generally improved. It had been a couple of weeks since they had bickered at the table. Sometimes they were even rather charming. But not today.
Bearly Begun (BBW/Bearshifter Romance) (Bachelor Bears of Yakima Ridge Book 1) Page 4
