Teaching Ms. Riggs

by Stephanie Beck

“You are such a thoughtful man.” The meds were dragging her down with every moment she was on her back surrounded by his scent. “I think I’ll like being in love with you. You won’t mind not having more babies?”

  “I’ve done it twice, honey. Of course I’d love to have more if you want to adopt, but I’m also happy to share Thomas and Kira with you. I could definitely use a partner who has your wonderful way of dealing with the monsters.” He tucked a curl out of her eyes as she smiled a little at his words.

  “They’re nice monsters.”

  “Yeah, they sure are. I’ll bring you some cool packs for your eyes. You just rest. Need anything else before I go?”

  “A blanket?”

  * * * *

  Mark returned her goofy smile. It was at least partly drug induced, but he didn’t care. “Of course you can have a blanket. This one’s my favorites. Mom made it for me when I was a kid.”

  He pulled his covers over her body, careful to make a tent over her leg and swollen toes. She’d be sore, but for now she would sleep and heal. Even though the situation was an ugly one and the circumstances were harsh, it was still amazing to see Ben lying between his sheets. Content in seeing her there, Mark just sat and stared for a long moment, watching her breathe.

  It would be all right with him if she spent the rest of her nights right where she was. Soon he hoped he’d be welcome beside her.

  A woman in his bed was a novelty. He hadn’t had one there since Thomas came to live with him fulltime. There’d never been a woman in the past he’d been willing to endure the kids’ questions for. Ben was different. She was changing things, changing him. He said a little prayer that she would heal quickly and then left her to sleep.

  The kids had a bowl of soup and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich waiting for him on the counter when he entered the kitchen. It wasn’t the supper of champions, but the soup had vegetables in it and he’d bought wheat bread so it wasn’t a total loss either.

  He took a bite of his sandwich and turned to them. They both looked concerned. There wasn’t much more he could do to reassure them though.

  As he chewed, Mark grabbed two little ice packs from the freezer. They were covered with princesses and were the ones he used in Kira’s lunch bags. He grabbed a towel and then snuck back into his room. Ben only moved slightly when he put the ice packs in place and since he wanted her to sleep, he didn’t engage her more than he had to. He left her resting and headed back to the kitchen.

  “So is Ben moving in, like, permanently?” Kira asked after he closed his door. She scowled at her brother who must have kicked her under the table. “What? You said if I wanted to know, I had to ask. So I did. You’re a butt, Thomas.”

  “Enough kicking and name calling. And yes, Kira, for now Ben’s going to stay here.” Despite Ben’s drugged admissions Mark hesitated to make any announcements on the timeline, especially to Kira. “You guys know all the rules to help keep everyone safe, right? You both know how to arm the security system? Even when we’re all home, I want it on.”

  “Yep, and we can’t tell the passwords to anyone,” Kira added. “Not even Missy Ann and Lena. Not even to Melody, Thomas.”

  “I know,” Thomas growled at his sister, his new girlfriend a popular point for teasing now, especially when Kira thought he was spending too much time with the older girl instead of playing with her. The dynamics were changing as they got older, but every new stage was one Mark enjoyed.

  “Okay.” Mark nodded, slurping the rest of his soup straight from the bowl. “I love you guys, and I can’t let anything happen to either of you.”

  “Not that Kim or Pierre would care,” Thomas muttered.

  That was truer than Mark would ever admit to either of the kids, especially with Kira still wanting contact and change with her parents. “I would care, Thomas. The diapers and puking are finally over and you two are getting pretty fun to be around. If anything bugs you or anyone approaches you, run like hell. Scream bloody murder, and if you’re wrong we’ll apologize later. I’d rather have you overreact a hundred times and have to apologize than have you hesitate even for a moment. Kira, are you coming with me to do chores?”

  “Yep.” She wiped her face on the bottom edge of her t-shirt. “I love you too, and I’m good at screaming. Don’t worry.”

  “Good.” He kissed her head when she hugged him tight around his waist. “Thomas, can you stay in with Ben? I gave her the radio, but she’s pretty out of it.”

  “Yeah, no problem. I’ll work on my chem lab.” The teenager ambled over to grab his full backpack off its peg, on the way bumping shoulders with Mark. “I don’t like all the new rules, but I’ll be careful. I’ll keep an extra eye on the brat and on Ms. Riggs at school too.”

  “I know you will.” Mark squeezed his nephew’s shoulder. Hugs still happened on occasion but more and more the shoulder pats and handshakes were becoming more appropriate. It was a transition Mark had made with his own father in his teens, but there were times he missed the hugs. “Use the radio if you need anything while I’m out.”

  “Will do,” he replied, and plopped back into the kitchen chair, ready to work. “Have fun with the cows.”

  “I always do.”

  Chapter 9

  Ben wondered how far she would have to push before Mark’s patience wore out. She sat at her desk, her foot on a stool, and blew out a breath. Mark hadn’t wanted to drop her off at school, but when she’d insisted, he’d relented. He’d also kissed her before she left the car. It had been sweet, barely on the mouth with just a little nibble of tongue, and she’d really, really been a fan.

  It had been over seven months since she’d been kissed, and Mr. Mark Dougstat did not disappoint. She was a sexual woman, and even though Mark was big and strong and had a nice body, she hadn’t been sure if they would sizzle. He was a good man, so if there hadn’t been fireworks, she would have been happy to put effort into firing up a little chemistry between them.

  She shivered at the memory of his kiss alone, the spark far more potent than ‘little’.

  Patient and a good kisser. She was toast.

  That wasn’t the tragedy it could have been. The police were sure they would catch Victoria and her accomplice. Victoria, such a pretty name for such a crazy person. Ben shifted, uncomfortable as flashes of the attack ran through her mind. She shook her head, not willing to indulge those thoughts. The attack had been too bold and too much evidence had been left. The police would catch them both and then she and Mark could have peace.

  “Ms. Riggs?”

  Ben looked up from the test she should have been grading. She’d zoned out again, something she’d been doing on and off all day when not actively teaching. The kids were being easy on her, and while she knew that wouldn’t last, she appreciated the reprieve.

  Melody Ramsey, Thomas’s girlfriend waited at the end of her table with a stack of notes. She had a sympathetic look on her earnest, round face. She wasn’t the prettiest girl in school, but she was certainly one of the sweetest. Ben was glad Thomas had seen beyond the baby fat and bottle cap glasses when he’d looked for a special girl to spend time with.

  “Thanks, Melody. Do you need a pass?”

  “Nope, I’m on secretary duty,” she answered. “Oh, and Mr. Dougstat called like four times just to check on you. Mrs. Murphy said to tell you until you’re officially engaged he needs to keep the calls to twice a day.”

  Ben laughed. “I’ll tell him she said so. Thanks.”

  Her room was quiet, the kids at a school-wide assembly the principal had excused her from. It was no wonder she’d zoned again. Exhaustion crept in and she wanted her pills, but until the school day ended, she’d have to make do. The notes from Mark were an unexpected bright moment, and she laughed as she flipped through them.

  She picked up her phone after reading Mark’s second message, the same as the first; Just Checking and called his cellphone. He’d made her memorize the number the night before. It hadn’t been hard with her steel-t
rap mind for numbers, but she’d let him drill her on it for an hour while they cuddled on the couch during a movie after the kids were in bed.

  “Hello.” Mark’s brisk tone was his normal greeting, never looking at the caller ID on his phone before answering.

  “Hey, farmer man.” She winced at the tired, scratchy quality of her voice.

  “Ms. Riggs.” His tone instantly warmed.

  A smile emerged between yawns at his quick change. She loved how she affected him. “Mrs. Murphy says you can’t call so much.”

  “She told me I can have two calls a day until we are engaged, then it turns to three a day until we’re actually married. It goes back to two a day until you’re pregnant, after which I’m clear for every hour,” he replied, and she could nearly feel his amusement across the line.

  “That’s nice she has a system down.” Her heart clenched at the reality of never having Mrs. Murphy’s permission for hourly calls. The unexpected jolt hurt, and her pain must have shown in her voice.

  “Ben…” His hesitance made it clear he knew what was on her mind.

  “So, did you call for a specific reason, or just being nosey?” She couldn’t talk about babies and that stuff, not now.

  “Mostly nosey,” he admitted, allowing the change, but she knew his patience was matched with persistence. If he wanted to expand on the baby conversation one day, he would. “But I wanted to let you know, I’ll be there at three-thirty after I pick up Kira. Does that work for you?”

  “It does. You can drop me off at my apartment, so I can grab some more clothes and pick up my car.”

  He was quiet on the other end, and Ben waited without comment. It was a pretty fair compromise, she thought. She wasn’t trying to leave his house, but she was asking for more than he’d ideally like to allow.

  He had to remember she was a grownup; a hurt, troubled one, but still a capable adult. Since she was feeling a little better, she needed to remind him.

  “Okay, no problem. We’ll stop by your place for clothes and your car. I was going to offer to change your oil anyway. How about we get your stuff and have some dinner? Thomas can run over after practice and drive my car home while I check yours out.”

  “Yeah, that would work.” She hadn’t thought about the possibility of her car being a danger. She’d never forgive herself if someone got hurt because of her, and though the police had been watching the apartments and her car was in the garage, she’d learned there were no guarantees with safety. “You know, maybe I’ll just grab some clothes and leave the car.”

  Silence met her reply, and she thought for sure Mark would jump at winning his way. “No, I can look it over and make sure it’s safe. It’ll be better for you to have your transportation available when your leg heals. Even if you can’t drive it while you’re in your cast, it’ll be safer locked in my shed than in town.”

  “I don’t like that it’s just there waiting for her or someone to tamper with it. Maybe we should have Teddy help too.”

  She could almost hear him nodding over the phone. “Sure, he can help me change the oil while we’re under it checking the brakes and everything.”

  “Thanks for the offer on the change but it doesn’t need oil. I had a full tune-up before I drove south.”

  “That was smart.”

  “Yeah, don’t let all the schooling fool you, I’ve got a little sense,” she teased, because thoughts of cut brake lines and people intentionally trying to hurt her and others made her ill and she couldn’t take any more negativity. She’d devoted too much time to it already. “I’ll wait by the office doors for you at three-thirty.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you in forty minutes.”

  “Forty minutes it is. Goodbye, Mark. Drive safe.”

  “I will. See you soon.”

  She thought he might say more, and waited, but instead he hung up and that was okay too.

  Good to his word, Mark arrived at three-thirty on the dot. Kira waved wildly from the backseat of the older model Buick. He jumped out of the car and gave Ben a peck on the cheek before taking her backpack and purse.

  “Thanks.” The gentleman treatment and attention made her feel a little shy. She’d been thinking about him all day and seeing him face-to-face again, more handsome than her imagination gave justice for, made her want to blush and giggle.

  “You’re welcome. Did you have a good day? Pain okay?”

  “I did have a good day. We had a quiz and started the second half of our chapter,” she explained. “I feel pretty rough, but I’m okay enough.”

  “We’ll get you fed, then back to the farm to put your leg up with a few ice packs.”

  Mark helped her with her crutches and cast, and she eased down into the car. “You’re such a nice man.”

  “For you, I’ll be the nicest man you’ve ever known,” he promised quietly, and brushed another kiss to her cheek. “Buckle up, sweetheart.”

  “Hi, Ben,” Kira said from the backseat though she didn’t look up from the worksheet she was working on.

  “Hi, Kira.”

  Mark shifted back into drive and checked all his mirrors for kids still milling about after school. “We’ll finish things up quickly so you’re back in time for your next pills. By then I know you’ll want those ice packs.”

  “That sounds amazing,” she admitted.

  “Far from amazing, honey, but we’ll do the best we can to help you feel better.”

  Amused and feeling really warm and special all of a sudden, Ben enjoyed the quiet for two minutes. Then she listened with a half ear as Kira detailed her entire day from debating what to wear, to which questions she’d answered in class and how she’d known the answers. She ended with the number of cookies she’d snagged from her friend’s lunch box because Mark had forgotten to pack her some.

  When the pizza arrived at the apartment, Kira finally stopped talking, but only because she was half-starved and had her mouth full. Thomas barely nodded at Ben when he arrived, and like his sister, dove into the food. The siblings headed out in Mark’s car as soon the meal was finished . It was for the best they not be near her vehicle.

  Teddy Williams’s deputy car pulled into the driveway as Ben and Mark made their way to the shared garage behind the building. One of them had a lock, so the manager had given her that one. They were also replacing all the windows and doors in her apartment so she could return. If she ever did.

  “Hey, Teddy.” Ben was tired and worried, but she smiled for him. He was a good man and was doing a big job in confronting Victoria on her behalf.

  “Evening Ben, Mark. How are you two tonight?”

  Mark stayed beside her as she navigated her way to the garage in the grass. The gravel path he walked on fouled up her crutches and made it impossible to stay upright. He kept a hand on her elbow. It didn’t help much, but it was nice to have it there. The grip tightened a little in Teddy’s presence, and she couldn’t imagine why.

  “Doing well tonight, Deputy.” Mark’s stiff, formal answer confused her more. She couldn’t see any reason why Mark wouldn’t like Teddy. “Ben wants her car, so I’m going to give it a thorough going over before we take it out to the farm.”

  Teddy nodded and removed the aviator style sunglasses he wore nearly constantly. “Not a bad idea. I just took a class for vehicle tampering in KC. Can I offer some help?”

  An hour later, Ben sat at the side of the dingy garage on an old five-gallon paint can and watched Teddy and Mark shifting around under the car. Teddy had rigged a mirror tool to see underneath and when nothing showed, they’d laid in the dirt to check everything else.

  “No, damn it, boy, what did they teach you in class?”

  She bit back a giggle at Mark’s exasperated tone when Teddy once again pointed out a wire. The young deputy’s intentions were good, but from what she was hearing he wasn’t knowledgeable enough about automobiles to be much help.

  “Son, that’s the brake line, intact and complete. We do not want to monkey with that.” Mark�
��s instruction was back to patient, and though Teddy’s reply was muffled she was sure she heard some stammers.

  The difference fifteen years could make, she thought. Teddy was a fine young man, sweet, kind and strong. But Mark was also all those things, along with having life experience and seasoning. The trials of his life had left him a little gruff at times, but always willing to find joy and help others. Teddy would get there one day.

  When both men pushed out from under the car, grease and grime clung to their faces and clothes. Guilt bubbled, but she pushed it down. They’d offered, and she had to accept help to keep everyone safer.

  She plastered a smile on her face. “So?”

  Mark grabbed a roll of paper towels the apartment manager had left in the garage and tore off a bunch, rubbing at the grease on his hands. “Looks good. Nothing out of the ordinary. Right, super cop?”

  Teddy’s face turned so bright red she could see it even in the dim light. “Yeah. Looks good.”

  “That mirror thing you made was a really good idea,” she said.

  Mark wasn’t being mean and his light teasing wouldn’t hurt Teddy, but she still wanted to prop him up a bit.

  “Yeah,” Mark instantly agreed much to her growing pride in the man she cared about. “It took a load off my mind knowing there wasn’t anything hanging down here. I bet Jack Jensen down at the auto shop would give you a quick lesson on the basics, so you can tell the difference in brake lines and trip wires.”

  Teddy coughed a little and stood to his full height, two inches taller than Mark. “I think I’ll do that. I spent a week in the darn class, I’d like for it to be more useful than knowing how to duct tape a hand mirror to a hockey stick.”

  “That was smart, though.” Mark tossed his paper towels away and held his palm out to her. “Keys, please.”

  She dug in her bag and found them. Her heart pounded at the thought of Mark driving her car if anything was wrong. For all they knew, Victoria could be a master mechanic and top bomb maker. She could have hidden something tiny in there that looked like another part of the engine.