by Lee Rose
“Hannah,” Ben said, hugging her gently as if afraid she would break. “I have no right to put pressure on you so I don’t expect an answer right now, but will you forgive me—again? I want to be your shield from the things that hurt you. I want to be the man you can turn to in times of trouble and I want to be the one that puts a smile on your face. I’m only human and I make mistakes, but I’d rather you yell at me and kick my ass when I’m wrong. I don’t ever want to see that look of devastation I saw on your face that day at the shelter. I will never forget it as long as I live. I’m so ashamed that I was the one to put it there.”
Hannah felt the tears slipping from her eyes as she closed them and leaned on Ben’s chest. He tilted her head up and she felt his lips touching hers. In this sweet, tender moment there were no doubts, no problems, just two people in love. When the kiss was over she searched his face. He looked sincere and she could see how sorry he really was but she was afraid to put all her trust in him only to be disappointed again. Could she be that brave?
“Let’s take this slowly. We’ll concentrate on getting you better for now and save the heavy conversation for later,” he suggested, leaning his chin on her head. He looked around at her pink bedroom walls and smiled, looking at her pictures of her favorite horses. There were a few of her, Jackson, and him from when they were younger and one of her and Grace taken at the Fourth of July fair over the summer. “I used to glance up at this window sometimes and see your frilly curtains flowing in the wind and I wanted so badly to climb the tree and kiss you. But I knew your dad and Jackson would kick my ass all over the yard for messing with their princess.”
Hannah giggled at his words. “I would have let you kiss me. I always wanted to kiss you but you ignored me and agreed with my brother when he shooed me away. That’s why I was always trying to tag along with you two.”
He put her radio on low and just laid in bed, holding her in his arms with her head pillowed against his chest. “What was I supposed to say, honey? Your sixteen-year-old sister is so hot, Jackson. I would never have been allowed over again, so I admired you from afar, the princess that was out of my league.”
They fell asleep holding each other until a knock on her bedroom door woke Hannah up. Why did she feel so warm and comfortable? She turned her head to see Ben lying next to her snoring. “Yeah?” she answered in a low voice, not wanting to disturb him.
“Dinnertime,” Grace said softly, followed by a bark from Molly.
Ben groaned and sat up, rubbing his tired eyes and looked around confused for a few seconds. He yawned and kissed Hannah’s forehead. “We’ll be right down.” he answered for her.
Hannah heard Grace and Molly’s footsteps going down the stairs. Hannah sat up, looking down at her nightgown. “I’d better get dressed. I do feel hungry.”
Ben looked at her with his sleepy eyes and soft smile and her stomach did a flip-flop. “I’m hungry, too, very hungry.”
She got the feeling he wasn’t talking about food. Oh boy, she shouldn’t be feeling all this sexual attraction right now. Wasn’t she mad at him? She cleared her throat and got out of bed quickly. “Well, good. Give me a few minutes and I’ll meet you in the dining room.”
Ben smiled and shook his head, staring at her with his sexy green eyes. “I’ll wait for you. What if you get dizzy while going down the stairs and fall?”
Hannah grabbed some soft jogging pants and a T-shirt. “Okay.” She went into the bathroom to change.
Everyone was already seated when they reached the dining room. Ben seated Hannah first then sat down in the chair next to her.
“Well, we didn’t hear yelling or things breaking so that’s a good sign,” Jackson blurted out, looking at the couple with curiosity.
Grace rolled her eyes but smiled. “Way to be subtle, babe.”
Jackson shrugged carelessly, not at all concerned with his manners. “What? I’m not the only one who wants to know if they are making up, or do I have to take Ben behind the barn and kick his as—I mean butt.” He finished, looking at his aunt Ida’s glare with a wink.
“There will be no butt kicking tonight, so let’s eat,” Hannah answered firmly, not wanting to discuss her relationship with Ben, not yet.
She was still feeling confused at his sudden about-face concerning Dorothy. She grabbed the bowl of macaroni and cheese. “I’m hungry and the food smells awesome as always, Aunt Ida. But I have to save room for those delicious strawberries waiting for me in my room.”
They began to eat and talk about other subjects. Ben asked Jackson if they had set a date for their wedding yet.
Jackson nodded, not looking too happy with the subject. “Christmas. We’d be married by now if Grace had run away with me like I suggested. We could get married in Vegas, honeymoon, and gamble all at once. Simple.”
Grace laughed, showing she wasn’t offended by Jackson’s grumbling. “My family would be mad at us for a long time if we did that. They are moving here soon, you know, and you’d have to face their disappointment on a daily basis.”
Hannah felt like her old self all through dinner, surrounded by Ben and her family. They talked casually about the ranch and the upcoming wedding of Grace and Jackson. She wished things could always stay this way but life was unpredictable.
“Well, if I get married,” she began stressing the word if, letting Ben know he wasn’t completely off the hook yet. “I want a simple, no fuss wedding. I don’t have the energy to worry about fancy dresses and all the other million little details that go with it.”
“Just don’t get married in your jeans, dear, and I’ll be happy,” Aunt Ida said and everyone laughed.
After dinner Hannah and Ben walked over to the stables and just watched the horses lazily moving around the grass. There was a soft breeze to the evening air.
“How about tomorrow I bring a picnic lunch and we eat by the creek?” Ben suggested, kissing her forehead and whispered in her ear. “Maybe I can finally see if you sunbathe in the nude.”
Hannah jabbed her elbow into his stomach and he grunted. “Okay, we’ll just relax and eat, no fooling around.”
Hannah gave him a sultry smile. “What if I want to fool around, sheriff? Will you arrest me for being bad?”
Ben grabbed her by the shoulders and devoured her mouth in a passionate kiss, making her legs feel shaky. “It’s not nice to tease a hungry man, honey.”
“But Ben, we just ate,” she said in an innocent voice holding in her laughter.
“But I didn’t get my dessert, baby.” Ben winked at her, making her blush. “Maybe tomorrow?” he asked hopefully.
Chapter Fifteen
Hannah walked into the doors of the shelter feeling like she had been away for longer than three days. She had really missed Amy and Richard and all the animals. A fat orange tabby cat rubbed himself against Hannah’s leg and meowed as if happy to see her again. He never stayed in the back like he was supposed to. He roamed around instead like he owned the place and Hannah figured he would be a permanent fixture here.
Amy looked up from behind the counter with a polite smile but shrieked happily when she saw Hannah walking in instead of a customer.
“I think you broke my ear drum.” Richard playfully pushed Amy and went and hugged Hannah gently as if she would break.
Hannah laughed. “I won’t break, Richard, I swear. I am all rested and doing so much better.”
“Well you look all rosy and glowing,” Amy commented with a sly, curious smile. “Could it have anything to do with those chocolate-covered strawberries Ben had Mabel Johnson make the other morning?”
“Or the chicken he got from Flo’s café for a romantic lunch?” Richard added with a laugh, arching his eyebrows curiously.
“Who told first?” Hannah asked, laughing at the town gossipers and their tales of what was happening in everyone’s private life.
“Mabel told Ruth who told Louise—” Amy started saying and Hannah waved them off with a laugh and walked behind the counter. She spo
tted the little TV that showed what the security cameras were seeing. It covered the front, side and even the back of the building.
“All that fancy spy stuff your brother insisted we have.” Richard showed Hannah how everything worked. “But it has been quiet around here so maybe it worked.”
“I hope so,” Hannah said although she felt like Dorothy would be raving mad if she heard the gossip that her and Ben had made up. But she had already decided Aunt Ida was right. She needed to put her fears of the future away and embrace the present. She loved Ben and he loved her, so if Dorothy wanted a fight, she was ready.
Yesterday she had spent hours with Ben at the creek and they had really talked. She opened up about her parents and her doubts because Dorothy always looked so perfect while Hannah lived in her jeans and lab coat.
“Hannah, you are the sexiest woman alive. I don’t care what you wear,” Ben explained to her, laying on a blanket he had spread out on the grass. He played with her hair, taking it out of her ponytail, while he talked. “It’s not what a woman wears or how revealing her clothes are that make her sexy. I look at you and see a bright beautiful smile that rivals the sun for my attention. I see the laughter and joy in your eyes and my heart starts feeling like it wants to jump out of my chest. If you walk by me my body gets hard in two seconds flat. That is pure sexiness to me, being confident in who you are. Dorothy can walk by in designer gear and my body doesn’t give a rat’s ass. I knew she was lonely and desperate and it made me feel sorry for her but that’s as far as my feelings for her went. I even regret feeling that for her now.”
“You shouldn’t, Ben. You’re a good man with a heart of gold and you truly care about the people in this town. I love that about you. I should have been more open from the very beginning about my doubts and fears. I’m sorry, too. From now on, if you piss me off, I’ll let you know.”
Hannah felt her eyes water at the memory then she blushed when she remembered Ben had finally gotten his slow and gentle lovemaking and his dessert.
Hannah got back into the routine of work. She noticed every time she looked out the window Stan or Billy was driving by and she felt safer that they were all on the lookout. Dorothy had stopped calling Ben, but Hannah feared she was just gearing up for something big. After being so obsessive over Ben, Hannah couldn’t believe Dorothy would just quietly go away and leave them alone.
* * * *
Ben picked Hannah up from work with the promise of a home cooked meal at his house. He had even set the table and put candles in the middle remembering how much she had liked the atmosphere at Romeo’s.
“You’re spoiling me, Ben,” Hannah whispered, kissing his lips in a light caress.
“That’s my goal, honey,” he said, seating her in the chair and serving the food for her.
They ate and talked about their day. Ben made her laugh with stories of how the ladies of the town began speeding in hope that Billy was the one who stopped them and the ridiculous stories they made up for him to keep him talking to them.
After dinner Ben led her to his bedroom. He gently removed all their clothes and laid her on the bed. She was finally gaining weight and her tummy was slightly rounded. “I can’t wait to see you grow bigger with our child, honey. I read you can feel them kick soon. I ordered a book on the internet and have been reading it.”
He caressed her stomach with such fascination that all her doubts of her growing bigger and disgusting him flew out the window. A nice breeze entered the window but her skin still felt hot and tingly with Ben slowly exploring her. Her breasts were more sensitive now and she gasped as he tweaked on a nipple and grinned and her moan and her back arching up. He leaned down and twirled his tongue around her hardened tip. “Sensitive?”
Hannah just nodded, closing her eyes and letting the sensation of Ben feasting on her breasts take over. He nudged her thighs wide open reaching for her pussy. He leaned down and swiped his tongue on her vagina making the wetness flow more. “Mmm,” he mumbled but didn’t stop. Her body moved frantically around his bed and her hands grabbed on to the sheets and tightened into fists. “It feels too good Ben. It’s torture.”
He chuckled. “I think it’s supposed to or I wouldn’t be doing it right.”
“I need you inside me now, Ben,” she demanded in a throaty voice filled with desperation and desire for him to be inside of her when she came.
Ben entered her pussy in one stroke, feeling the tightness and wetness that allowed him entry right away. He lifted her legs higher making her say “Oh yes, I like that. I can feel you so deep inside of me.”
Ben pumped into her over and over setting a rhythm that drove them both crazy. He closed his eyes and letting the fire building inside of him wash through his body and engulf him. He couldn’t get enough of her body or the passionate little noises she made that showed him she enjoyed his touch. There was no pretense in Hannah, she didn’t play games. If she like what he was doing she let him know and sometimes loudly. He loved that about her. Who was he kidding? He loved all the parts that made Hannah who she was, strong and fiery like a tornado yet so soft she melted at his slightest touch and bold enough to demand he make love to her.
“I love you, Hannah,” he said once he was calm enough to talk again. “Always have and always will.”
“Me, too, Ben,” she whispered back, feeling completely relaxed and fell into a deep sleep in his arms.
* * * *
The phone ringing woke them up in the middle of the night. Hannah mumbled and snuggled back into the pillow tiredly, letting Ben deal with it.
“Boss, it’s Billy. You’d better get to the shelter. Someone set it on fire,” the voice said grimly.
“Shit,” Ben said, jumping out of bed, and putting on his jeans, and looking over at Hannah, who had overheard the conversation and was now wide awake and looking scared. “I’ll be right there.”
Hannah sat up, ready to get dressed. “I’ll go with you.”
Ben sat next to her on the bed and kissed her forehead. “Baby, I will take care of everything. I’d rather you stay here and be safe and not get upset. First thing in the morning I will take you over there, I promise. Right now it will be chaos and you’re just getting better.”
Hannah sighed knowing Ben was right. The last thing she needed was to get her blood pressure back up. She’d never be out of this bed again. “Okay, Ben. I love you, be careful.”
“I love you, too, honey. I will lock the door behind me.” He kissed her lips lightly. “Thanks for trusting me to handle this.” He left in a hurry with the cell phone in his hand.
Hannah laid back down but felt too agitated to fall asleep. She got up and dressed. She sat on the couch to wait for Ben, feeling scared for all the poor animals. Who would do such an awful thing?
Hannah was holding a pillow to her chest and dozing off when a noise disturbed her. She opened her eyes and looked around the quiet living room. There was a thunderstorm coming so it could be the wind was picking up. She got up and peeked out the living room window. It was dark and quiet out there but she felt apprehensive for some reason. She was about to close the curtain when a shadow passed by the back porch. She looked closer. Someone dressed all in black was creeping up the back porch.
Hannah gasped and closed the curtain. She ran for Ben’s bedroom, closed and locked his door. She grabbed the bedside phone and dialed Ben’s cell with a shaky hand while throwing her shoes on in case she had to run for it.
“Hannah?” he answered. “What’s wrong, honey?”
“Someone is outside of the house. I just saw them through the window but it’s too dark to see their face. What should I do, Ben?” she whispered into the phone with fear. She was more worried about the baby than herself. She could defend herself but not at the cost of hurting her baby.
She heard Ben yelling to Stan and Billy then he answered her. “Where are you?”
“In your room. I locked the door,” she whispered into the phone, hearing her own heart frantically beating and
feeling sweat gather on her forehead.
“Good girl. Me and Billy are on our way so just stay there. If you hear them breaking in, just hide in the closet so they won’t find you,” he told her. She could hear his Jeep turning on and he was driving as he spoke. “Don’t come out until you hear my voice.”
Hannah hung up the phone. She quietly listened for any noises. She heard footsteps in the kitchen. A lot of the floorboards creaked when you stepped on them. How was that possible? She had never heard glass break or the door kicked in?
“Hannah? I know you’re here alone. Ben is at the shelter so save us both a lot of trouble and come out and face me.”
“What the hell? Was that Dorothy?” Hannah said to herself. That woman had to be looney to break into Ben’s house like this. Hannah debated whether or not to go out and confront her or stay hidden. She could take Dorothy in a fight but now she had a baby to worry about and obviously Dorothy was insane.
She could hear Dorothy opening doors and yelling in frustration. “Hannah, just come out here and we can talk. That’s all I want to do is talk. I promise not to hurt you.”
Hannah stayed quiet, deciding to wait for Ben. Her instinct was to go out and confront the woman who had caused her so much grief. She couldn’t take the chance of harming the baby so she stayed put.
Dorothy finally reached Ben’s bedroom and turned the knob but it was locked. “I know you’re in there, Hannah, so just come out. Ben is mine. You trapped him by getting pregnant and that’s not fair!” Dorothy yelled, kicking at the door in a crazy fit of temper.
Hannah looked around for a weapon but there wasn’t much on Ben’s dresser or nightstand. Maybe the lamp would have to do. From now on she was keeping her shotgun with her at all times. This was the second time she had needed it and it was sitting at home. You’d think a sheriff would be armed to the teeth.
