He shook his head. “They suck, Ben. If they’d even take two days off, just to spend a single day here, it would mean everything to Kira. I thought maybe since it would be Mark’s wedding, Kira’s birthday and Christmas all within days that they’d make the trip. It would be the first Christmas we ever spent together. Kira thought since the wedding and everything…”
He trailed off, and the reason behind his anger became glaringly clear. Kira wanted her parents to be close for Christmas, and she didn’t have the years of disappointment Thomas did to know better than to ask. He wasn’t angry for himself; he was crushed because he was going to be the one to tell Kira they weren’t coming. It wouldn’t be the first or last time she was sure.
“She asked me and Mark for two things this Christmas,” Thomas continued. “She wanted to keep you, and she wanted our mom and dad to come for Christmas. Mark took care of the first part and I tried–”
“You did try,” she interrupted. “You tried, and that’s all you could do in this situation. We’ll all make sure Kira has a really great Christmas.”
“Now I don’t know what to get her.” He looked defeated. “I would have really liked to give her this one thing. It shouldn’t have been a big deal.”
It shouldn’t have, but Ben knew he hadn’t expected his parents to come, yet had hoped for a miracle. He’d probably prayed about it too and would deal with that faith question himself as well. It was hard to be sixteen with so much happening, but she was willing to help.
“You know, Mark wasn’t the only one who helped with getting me for Kira. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’m getting the best part of this Christmas. I’m getting a whole family.”
“Right, which Uncle Mark made happen.” Thomas still didn’t perk up. “I mean, I’m glad about it, but now I’m going to have to get Kira something really good.”
He’d shared a lot of confidences with Ben in the last few minutes, and from the way he fidgeted she could tell he felt insecure. What sixteen-year-old boy didn’t? They were going to be closer than that though. She was going to be his aunt and with adulthood coming fast, they needed a little common ground.
“I can’t have kids,” she blurted.
He looked up and cocked his head in question.
“I mean physically, my former husband and I tried, but I was never able to conceive, so chances are, babies aren’t in my future. That’s one of the reasons Mark was so special right off the bat. He had you and Kira and loved you so much, and I just thought it was wonderful that he’d raised such a nice, intelligent young man.”
“Oh, and you did meet me first.” Thomas’s grin showed the cocky pleasure of the young man she’d come to know and love.
“That’s right,” she said. “Without you and your smarty-pants I don’t know when Mark and I would have crossed paths. So technically I’d say you were the matchmaker and reason behind the wedding taking place in three short days.”
He looked excited a moment, then his face fell a little. “Kira still won’t get to see Mom and Dad.”
She put an arm around his boney shoulder. “I know, buddy.” He was tall, and for a moment he stiffened but then relaxed into a half hug. “We’ll make Christmas good though. I bet you boys have made it a good day from her first year.”
“And it’ll be better with you here.” The missing confidence was back in his firm reply as he turned the half hug into a full one. His arms squeezed her a little too tight, but it was nice.
“Okay.” She pulled back before the tears she was fighting escaped her. They were close to the surface, and she didn’t want them to soggy up the moment. “Well, if you don’t have any hairspray I’d better get working on my hair. It’s going to take a little longer without it.”
“Want me to run to town and get you some?” he offered, always looking for another reason to drive.
“I don’t think that’s necessary.” She laughed, and if he hadn’t been so tall she would have ruffled his hair like the boy he was quickly leaving in the dust. “By the time you’d get back, I’d be done and it would be time for chores.”
“I bet the cows would appreciate it if your hair had hairspray in it,” he replied, his charm directly inherited from his uncle, and Ben laughed again.
“I’ll tough it out tonight, but tomorrow morning you can be my chauffeur if you want to drive in with me to get groceries.”
“Cool. We need fruit snacks.”
Of course they did.
Chapter 15
The internet was one of Victoria’s favorite things. From all over the world a person could get intimate community details with just the click of a mouse. She was able to keep tabs on old friends in New York City as well as in Chicago. Her new favorite was checking in on Flathead Falls. The news there was always thrilling.
Ben’s car had been a mess of deliberate, unnecessary chaos according to the writer. Victoria grinned as she reread that wording and thought it suited her mission in life. ‘Deliberate, unnecessary chaos.’ It had a nice ring to it.
She giggled at the mention of chickens burning alive, animal cruelty cited in the list of charges for the culprit should they be caught. The sheriff’s office was working diligently and would find exactly jackshit and that was okay with her.
If they did happen to find any evidence it would be from Steven, not her. It was his equipment and fingerprints that would have been left behind. She’d been snug as a bug in the car at the end of the driveway that night.
The thrill of her life had been when the light in the house turned on as Steven was rigging the bomb in the car. She’d actually seen Ben walk through the house and look out the window. For a split second she’d thought they were caught, and it had been a delicious second.
Lucky for Victoria, Steven was no longer an issue. The dumbass had mistakenly assumed she’d intended him to join her in her hideout. As if she would ever restart a life with a giant pile of fat and stupid. She’d let him believe he had a place in her life while he drove the car he stole toward Arkansas.
For about two minutes he’d been the big, strong man putting the little woman in her place. She’d let him drive, let him order for her at the cafes they stopped at along the way out of Missouri. Every time she played meek and mild, his dominance grew until as they were driving down the interstate, he’d demanded a blow-job. She’d given it without complaint, and he’d come with a shout and rough pull of her hair. When she’d looked up he’d been grinning.
It never ceased to amaze her how close stupid and mean were to sadism and homicide. He’d taken to evil like a fish to water, and she felt supreme satisfaction knowing she’d played a part in introducing him to the truth of his nature.
At least she had in the moments before she shot him in the face. It seemed right to destroy her creation. Really, she couldn’t have thought of a better way to end their acquaintance. After all, he would never do better than her, and she didn’t want him breathing any more of her air.
Destroying his mouth and both hands eliminated any chance of identifying the ravaged corpse she left somewhere on the back roads of Missouri. She’d waved goodbye and driven off to parts unknown.
Well, not too unknown, more like Las Vegas, and she loved it. For the last three months she’d been in the city that never stopped, where men were a dime a dozen and sex paid for nearly everything. If things got tight, she knew where to find the best johns and cash-heavy drunks after dark.
With the whole Bennie situation finally satisfactorily wrapped, Victoria was ready for bigger and better things. Maybe she’d head to Phoenix, once she had her nest egg built up. She loved the sand and heat. After living a year in Chicago she needed the heat to purge the dank, cold, and humidity. Maybe she could watch the kids hunt Easter eggs in the sand.
She flipped pages ahead in the Flathead Falls Forum, past the pitiful Thanksgiving Day parade, pausing at Christmas when the front page caught her eye. She stopped, cold fury growing with each word under the half-page picture. Newlyweds Mark and Benfri Dougstat
; Married Christmas Eve in a Sunrise Ceremony.
It was unacceptable, absolutely unendurable. She read the article twice. The short announcement didn’t give much information, but its very existence exposed her failure. The picture of the happy couple burned away every ounce of contentment Victoria had felt only moments before.
She couldn’t possibly move on without finishing Bennie. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone. They both deserved closure after all Don had done. Victoria’s closure would be completely destroying anything that reminded her of the bastard. That included Bennie.
Victoria brought up a travel site and began to plan. Some things in life a person just had to accept and let go into the universe. Wiping out Bennie wasn’t one of those things.
Chapter 16
“Uncle Mark! Aunt Ben, we’re home!”
Ben was much too sated to care about the interruption. Three orgasms did that for her, but above her, determined for a fourth that just wasn’t going to happen, Mark swore.
He liked pacing himself, and it was going to bite him in the butt this time. She held back a giggle as he groaned in frustration. He was at the point where he’d been holding back for so long he’d have to really focus to finish, and with the kids in the kitchen she knew that would be a challenge.
“Sorry, handsome.” Ben gasped and tried not to laugh out loud.
“Where is everyone? Aren’t Uncle Mark and Aunt Ben here? I saw his car outside and the truck. Why is their door shut? We haven’t had dinner yet, so it’s way too early for bedtime.” Kira’s voice carried like it always did, and Ben heard her backpack fall to the floor.
“Come on, squirt,” she heard Thomas say, another clunk from the kitchen as he set his even heavier pack down. “They’re probably taking a shower or something. Let’s go outside. I saw kittens in the creamery yesterday.”
“Kittens already? But I’m hungry.” A cupboard squeaked and closed a little hard. “Okay, but then I want supper. Aunt Ben said we’re having a roast, and I can smell it.”
“So much for the vegetarianism, ya quitter. Come on, it’ll take ten minutes,” Thomas said loudly, and the door closed.
“I’m raising his allowance,” Mark promised and leaned back on his heels. He looked Ben up and down, his eyes glowing in appreciation. With a big hand, he tapped against her hip. “Turn over, pretty girl.”
“You are so romantic.” She laughed and rolled over onto her knees, knowing full well his appreciation for her backside.
“You know it. Romance is my middle name.” He moved up behind her, his hard hairy thighs tickling the backs of hers deliciously. His warm hands moved up and down from her shoulders to the small of her back, the calloused quality of his palms making her arch for more. “You aren’t too sore, are you, honey?”
“Nope, whatever you’ve got, handsome, I want it.” She rested her face in his pillow, breathing in the scent of him while he took his place and slipped inside. The position did very little for her, her favorites were on top or missionary where she got the most stimulation, but after three orgasms she was more than content to just enjoy the feel of him enjoying himself.
Being with Mark was always good. The newness and sweetness of every coupling more than made up for the moments of taking one for the team.
Ten minutes meant ten minutes, so Ben didn’t demand any more finesse, knowing in that time she wanted Mark to finish, to have a shower, and to be able to get a start on finishing supper. She had papers to grade, and Kira had said something about a school project she needed help with. Thomas also had some things to go over from his guidance counselor.
“Hey.” Mark smacked her butt just a touch more than gently, demanding the attention she was ashamed to have let wandered when he was doing such good work. “Pay attention, woman.”
“I am, I am.” She wiggled her butt and pressed her hips toward him. “You just spoiled me earlier, that’s all, and the timing...”
“Okay, okay. Just keep thinking about me for another, ah, ah, damn, Ben.”
She smiled into the pillow, loving the sounds he made during sex. He was vocal, loud even at times, and for a good ole farm boy who’d never gone beyond local, he knew sex and was really good at it. She already had a list of new favorites, and it grew nightly.
Since their wedding night he’d been making her completely happy and satisfied and made no show of slowing. The abstinence played a part in that, she figured, but it wasn’t all. She would still want him in forty years, fresh from the pasture all sweaty and masculine and handsome.
He collapsed into her, never treating her like she might break, but always conscious of her needs and desires.
“Damn, you’re a fine lay,” he muttered, sinking his teeth into her shoulder before licking the sore spot. “Even your freckles taste good.”
“Again, you say the sweetest things to me, husband. And did you just say my freckles taste good? You’re so weird.” She giggled and pinched the skin around his middle.
He jerked away, laughing too. Their affection-filled camaraderie was what she cherished above all else. Being a princess was great, but being his best friend, the one he wanted to laugh with, was priceless.
“They are delicious. How about this for sweet? I love you, wife.” He kissed the bite spot and licked another freckle.
“I like it,” she admitted, smoothing his hair with a sweaty hand. “I really do, and it beats the hell out of tasty skin blemishes. And I happen to be able to reciprocate the love and compliment on the laying skills.”
“I’m glad you love me, and yeah, I am a good lay,” he said breezily.
“I just can’t wait to hear what you say next.” She shook her head.
“How about ‘if you let me get into the shower first, I’ll do the dishes tonight’?”
“Okay, that one’s iffy.” The thought of dinner cleanup reminded her of how tired she’d been since she’d picked up an early morning tutoring session with a group of seniors. “You can have the shower first, but then you have to preheat the oven for the potatoes and wash the salad before dinner.”
“Deal.” He hopped out of bed with his usual stamina.
He wasn’t a snoozer after sex. Cuddling and talking in afterglow were his favorite things, but if they did indulge in a quickie when they had the time, he had no problem jumping on to his next task. Even while she wanted to lounge and sleep off the high.
He turned to her on his way to the bathroom and grinned. “Rest up, beautiful. I’ve got plans for a repeat performance later.”
She couldn’t help the smile that held on even after he was out of sight. He was an amazing husband, every single thing he’d promised before they’d exchanged vows just before Christmas was proving true.
The ceremony had been perfect, mostly borrowed and lent, but Mark had butchered a beef so there’d been lots of good food and friends, and at the end of the day she’d gotten the best Christmas present ever. She relaxed in bed until the shower turned off and gave Mark a few extra minutes to dress. With spring break only two weeks away, she hoped they’d find more quiet afternoons for fun.
“All clear, sweetheart. I’m going to wash the salad and take the kids out to get a few chores done before dinner.”
“All right. Thanks.”
Lying in bed sounded great, but a hot, uninterrupted shower after the long day and sweaty lovemaking was too tempting to miss.
The smell of roasting meat was heavy in the air when she stepped out of the bathroom after her shower. An overflowing salad bowl sat on the counter, and even though Mark was already outside, the oven was on, so she added the potatoes. The roast she’d put in the slow cooker before work was nearly done, and she pulled a frozen apple pie from the freezer to bake while they ate.
Thomas and Kira often ribbed Mark about the better food since she’d moved in. It was funny because she’d never taken a whole lot of pride or pleasure in cooking, but having a very appreciative group of eaters made the mundane task more fun. She glanced out the window and saw Mark and th
e kids heading for the barn. It would take the potatoes a while to cook, so she wasn’t worried about anything being ruined. He’d always been good with his time, but she liked to think his change in habits came from wanting to spend more of it with her. She often graded over her lunch break so she didn’t have to bring work home. Maybe if she got a jump on the dishes while the potatoes finished, they’d really be able to have a nice evening together with the kids, followed by a repeat of their afternoon fun. With that in mind, she ran hot water into the sink with a smile.
Just as she transferred the beautifully roasted potatoes into a serving bowl, the back door opened. Laughter and the sound of running water soon followed, and Ben hurried to get the rest of the food on the table. Everyone was always happy to help, but a sudden urge to spoil them came over her. Since catching her latest cold, fatigue had dragged her down, so the idea of making dinner a little special made her smile.
The phone rang, but with her hands full, Ben let Mark answer it.
“Hey, Rick. We’re just about to sit down for dinner, what do you need?”
She quickly set the table and giggled when Mark snagged her around her waist. It was a wonder she ever got anything done with him close by, not that she’d ever complain about his random showings of affection. He pressed kisses to the back of her neck, sweet reminders of their stolen time earlier, but when he started talking about grain again, she swatted his hands and escaped to finish putting dinner together.
It should have been the perfect meal, one of her favorites definitely, but even though everything looked amazing, Ben looked on with little appetite. She’d caught Thomas’s cold and had been feeling crappy the past two weeks. Spoiling the family with a good dinner had been a nice thought, but now, her burst of energy gone, Ben wished she’d made herself a can of chicken noodle soup instead. She needed to get more hand sanitizer to protect her students from the mutant germs that kept latching onto her.
Teaching Ms. Riggs Page 13
