24
Ben pulled into the driveway, shifted the car into park, and glanced at Kate asleep in the backseat. Jenna had beat them home, and he watched her close and lock the carriage house garage door. The late spring sun was beginning to set, and it cast her in a warm glow.
The garage didn’t hold the same emotional weight now that Jenna was using it. Images of Sara didn’t hijack his thoughts when he looked at the structure. He cut the ignition, got out of the car, and lifted his sleeping daughter into his arms.
Jenna met him at the car and rested a hand on Kate’s back. “You’ve had a long day, haven’t you, sweetheart,” she whispered.
They walked up the path, and Ben shifted Kate to one arm and opened the front door.
He glanced down at his daughter. “I think she’s out for the count. I’m going to put her to bed.”
Jenna nodded and smoothed Kate’s chestnut locks. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”
It didn’t take him long to get Kate tucked in. Closing her door, he headed down to the kitchen, his thoughts drifting back to the hospital. As he neared the end of the stairs, he heard Jenna speaking in hushed tones.
“I tried to call Officer Stevens,” she said, setting her phone on the counter.
He gathered her into his arms. It took him a beat to follow her words, her lavender scent and the feel of her body momentarily making him forget the events of the day.
“He wasn’t on duty?” Ben asked, moving his hands in slow circles across her shoulder blades.
“Not just that, he’s on his honeymoon. Didn’t he tell us that he just got engaged?”
“Well,” Ben said, resting his chin on her head, “when you’ve found everything you want, you want all that everything to start as soon as possible. Isn’t that the gist of what he told us?”
An easy silence hung between them. It was the kind of comfortable quiet that said there’s no place I’d rather be than right here.
“Did they say anything else?” Ben asked, taking a lock of Jenna’s hair between his fingers.
Those weren’t the words he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her that she was the everything he wanted, but this wasn’t the time.
“The desk officer said I could talk to someone else or leave a message, but I didn’t do either. We’re not even sure what Kate saw. Plus, Stevens knows the situation better than anyone. I’d feel silly reporting a person who may or may not have taken my picture—and all of that coming from a worn-out little girl.”
Jenna looked up and met his gaze. “The desk officer said Stevens is expected back next week. What happened today was weird, but after thinking about it, I don’t believe that it’s urgent. Do you?”
He wasn’t sure how to answer. There were too many odd coincidences, too many events that pointed to someone, if not stalking Jenna, then at least watching her. And even more disturbing was the episode in the woods where someone was throwing rocks at her. Whoever was doing this wanted to hurt her. Could all this be Aidan Hadley’s doing? Something wasn’t adding up.
“Hey,” Jenna said, running her finger down his jawline and pulling him from his thoughts.
“No, I agree. Let’s wait until we can talk with Stevens.” He paused. “What if it’s not Hadley? I know the kid’s a creep, but he’s also young and spoiled. I’m sure his ego got bruised when you put him in his place, but to keep coming after you? You remember what he looked like when we saw him at Park Tavern. The kid was blitzed. He could barely put a sentence together. All these incidents seem like a lot of work for someone who’s used to things coming easy.”
Jenna bit her lip. “If not Hadley, then who?”
“I don’t know. But whoever it is, we’ll figure it out. We’re in this together.”
The last few breaths of late-day sunlight illuminated the kitchen. It was dim, but Jenna could still make out Ben’s beautiful face, gazing down at her with such devotion. Even amidst all this craziness, his touch made her feel a sort of solidness, a permanence.
Her whole life had been one change after the next. Different schools. Different cities. She had lived in all these places, but she’d never made a life anywhere.
Up to this point, her life had been like a theater production. Once the show finished, all traces of the performance would vanish. But not Langley Park. This place would always hold a piece of her heart.
But what if she didn’t have to leave?
“Ben,” she said as if saying his name would make him more real. Her life revolved around so many lies. She needed to know everything her heart was telling her was the truth.
“Hmm?” He kissed the crown of her head.
“What if I stayed?”
He stilled. “You don’t mean just stay the night, do you?”
“No,” she whispered. “The forever kind of stay.”
Before she could take another breath, Ben’s mouth was on hers, kissing her with such tenderness her lips trembled.
He met her gaze. “There’s nothing I want more than for you to stay. You’re mine, Jenna. You’ve always been mine. You’ve lived in my heart since I was seventeen years old. And now that I have you back, I will never let you go.”
She couldn’t speak, but her hands moved down Ben’s hard stomach and found their way to his belt. Her fingers worked quickly, and before she knew it, Ben was lifting her up on the counter. Their mouths locked in a kiss so full of wanting, she thought she might implode into a million tiny pieces.
“Wait! I don’t want Kate to...”
Ben read her mind and carried her into the small kitchen pantry. He closed the door to the tight space, and they were hidden away.
Jenna inhaled the scents of oregano and Pop Tarts and home. “Here?” she asked, her voice a laughing whisper.
But all thoughts of laughter were extinguished, and a rush of desire flooded her body as Ben pushed her panties aside. She reached up, knocking over a box of cereal and tried to steady herself.
He cradled her sex as one long finger slipped inside while he rocked his palm against her sensitive bud. As Ben’s hand ignited a firestorm of want and need, her body bucked forward begging him not to stop. She ran her nails down the length of his back. He kissed her neck, her earlobe. She rode his hand, hips circling and swaying as her core tightened around his finger.
“Ben, please,” she whispered between kisses.
His breath came in hot pants against her neck. “I don’t want anything coming between us.”
He released her, gripped her panties, and pulled.
Rip.
Hot, wet, lace scraps fell to the ground.
Jenna gasped. Lust clouded her mind. He slid two fingers inside her and set a steady pace, working her swollen bud. Her hands went to his pants, her urgent fingers moving deftly at his fly. She pushed his pants down and took his cock into her hands. She stroked him in long smooth lengths, matching his pace as he continued to work her. She was on the edge, her body humming with pleasure.
“Reach back and hold onto the shelf,” Ben commanded.
She released his cock and gripped the shelf. He palmed her ass and lifted her up. Jenna reflexively wrapped her legs around him as he positioned himself at her entrance and thrust inside her. But he didn’t move. He paused, and they stayed connected like that, silent in the darkness.
She caressed his cheek and felt a tremor pass through him.
Ben bent his head forward and rested it against hers. “I can’t imagine a life without you. I love you, Jenna. I love you with everything I am.”
Those words, his words, broke any last resistance she had. All her doubts about her ability to love or to be loved by this man came crashing down.
“Ben,” she breathed. “I want my life to be here, with you. I love you. I’ve loved you since I was fifteen years old.”
The words filled the darkness. Engulfing them. Embracing them.
Her body took over, and she rotated her hips in a slow circular motion.
Ben groaned, a primal sound that cut right to her c
ore.
Holding onto the shelf, she pulled herself up, feeling the loss of him, only to slide back down, the bliss of his fullness causing her to gasp. They were nearly fully clothed, but now it was their souls that were completely exposed.
Ben’s grip on Jenna’s ass tightened as he thrust, their lovemaking going from sweet and slow to wild and frenzied in an instant. Each thrust, each gasp proving this was real, that their love was real. He moaned her name as he worked them toward release.
Their mouths became a tangle of lips and breath as they came hard, two bodies becoming one, moving fluidly together as if they were the ocean itself crashing and rippling with no beginning and no end.
They caught their breath, wrapped around each other, safe in the darkness.
Ben kissed the corner of her mouth. “I will never stop loving you, Jenna. You are the love of my life.”
“And you’re mine. You’ve always been mine,” she whispered.
He set her feet on the floor. Their arms shook from the exertion, and Jenna rested her head against Ben’s chest, listening to his heartbeat, steady and strong.
He released a sated chuckle.
“What is it?” she asked.
“I knew putting in this pantry was a good call.”
Jenna wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed. It was a girlish laugh, an easy laugh. The kind of laughter that comes out when you can’t imagine ever being so perfectly happy. Then she stilled, a sound grabbing her attention.
“Did you hear that, too?” Ben asked.
They listened as the sound came again.
Knocking.
The front door.
Ben fastened his belt, and Jenna righted her dress, both of them tucking and smoothing like teenagers caught making out.
“Who could it be?” Jenna asked as they went to the front door, only to see it start opening.
Zoe stepped inside carrying a paper bag and dropped a set of keys into her purse. She gave him a playful punch to his shoulder. “Ben, you never texted me back,” she said, handing him a bag.
“Kate’s asleep. What’s all this?” he asked, inhaling something heavenly.
“Sam picked up barbecue, and mom had the idea of coming over here to eat. Aren’t you guys starving?”
Zoe turned to Jenna, and she pulled a Cheerio out of her disheveled hair. “I see you’ve been enjoying some breakfast cereal.”
Her gaze flicked back to her brother, and she plucked a Cheerio from his shirt collar. “Lots of Cheerios fans here on Baneberry Drive.”
Ben opened his mouth, ready to throw a sharp comment in response, but he shook his head and smiled sheepishly. “Sorry I missed your text, Zoe. We were organizing the pantry.”
“Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” Zoe asked.
Sam entered the house, and Zoe’s playful ribbing was cut short. He was carrying two large bags smelling even more delicious than the bag he was holding. “Your mom and dad just pulled up,” he said, giving them a nod.
“What’s going on with the Cheerios?” Sam asked. “Were you guys planning on doing breakfast for dinner?”
“No, they were organizing the pantry,” Zoe said, her voice laced with hints of doubt.
“Good times,” Sam replied. He shifted the bags in his arms, seemingly oblivious to Zoe’s skeptical tone.
Ben met Jenna’s gaze, and she gave him a sweet smile.
“Come on in. Let’s eat out on the back patio, so we don’t wake Kate,” Ben said, unfazed by his sister’s words. He was walking on air. Jenna loved him, and she was going to stay. There was no amount of teasing that could deflate his mood. He was in love and wanted to shout it from the rooftop.
Sam must have ordered one of everything off the menu. They sat around the patio table, small votive candles placed here and there illuminating the pulled pork, barbecue chicken, brisket, coleslaw, and fried pickles. A Kansas City feast. There was probably even more than that, but Jenna could barely focus on the delicious food. Her mind kept transporting her back to the kitchen pantry. Ben loved her, loved her, and she was going to start a life in Langley Park.
“Oh, no!” Kathy exclaimed, pulling Jenna from her daydream. “We should have invited Michael MacCarron to come for dinner. He was so sweet to come and help me. I’m sure he’s starving, too.”
“I don’t think he’d come, Mom,” Zoe replied. “He’s probably at home. You know, he likes doing all that techno music mixing stuff.”
Kathy nodded, her smile fading a fraction.
Zoe took a sip of her Boulevard Pale Ale and dropped her gaze to her plate.
There were a few beats of silence before Neil put an arm around Zoe protectively. “We’re still planning on going up to my cousin’s place in Maine next week. I think your mother should be healed up by then. That’s as long as she stays off that ankle.”
Neil paused, then looked at Ben. “I hadn’t even thought about who’s going to pick up Kate from camp while your mom’s recuperating.”
The conversation exploded as Ben, Zoe, Kathy, and Neil discussed their schedules, the light from their smartphones illuminating their faces.
“I could do it,” Jenna said, popping a fried pickle into her mouth.
The four of them stopped their chatter.
Ben gave her a worried look. “I know you’ve got work to do. We can figure this out. I’m just up in Lawrence a lot this week getting this remodel squared away.”
“It’s no trouble. I’m just editing a textbook right now. It’s not that time-consuming. I can get my work done easily while Kate’s at camp.”
She turned to Kathy. “I could keep Kate with me. That would give you more time to rest. We could go to the art gallery and the petting zoo. And isn’t there a Legoland Discovery Center around here, too?”
“You’re sure you’ve got the time?” Kathy asked.
“Jenna, I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this,” Ben said, placing his hand on top of hers.
“Ben, I want to do this.” She was smiling ear to ear. She couldn’t hide how much she wanted this time with Kate.
“A week with Jenna followed by a week in Maine with her grandparents,” Sam said, a wide grin on his face. “I think you’re going to make that girl the happiest kid in Langley Park!”
Zoe stood abruptly. “Well, that’s settled. Jenna, help me grab some more beers from the kitchen.”
Zoe walked over to where Jenna was sitting next to Ben and nearly dragged her from the table. Zoe stopped in the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door and pulled Jenna behind it, shielding them from the others on the patio.
Zoe crossed her arms. “You have totally, flipping fallen in love with my brother, haven’t you, you naughty pantry girl?”
The cold air from the fridge felt good after sitting out in the humid night air, but it didn’t stop the blush warming Jenna’s cheeks. “And Kate, too. I think they’re a package deal.”
“I knew it,” Zoe said, in a whisper-yell. “I mean, I’ve known that he was crazy in love with you since at least Sunday lunch at my parents’ place. Jesus, probably before that. Does he know how you feel?”
“Yes, he does.”
“And he’s told you how he feels?” Zoe’s voice was tentative.
“Yes, he did,” Jenna answered with a smile as her gaze moved to the pantry.
“He told you he loved you in the kitchen pantry?” Zoe whisper-yelled again, reading her like a book.
Jenna put her hand over Zoe’s mouth. “We were in the kitchen...organizing, and we didn’t want Kate to walk in on anything. One thing led to another and…”
“And you ended up knocking boots in the pantry,” Zoe added, finishing Jenna’s sentence. “I may never eat in this kitchen again.”
But the tears in Zoe’s eyes betrayed her snarky comment. “I’m so happy for you guys. A little hanky-panky in the pantry, why not? I’m sure you guys aren’t the first parents to do that.”
Zoe grabbed a few beers out of the refrigerator and han
ded them to her. The word “parent” danced in her mind.
Other words followed—wife, family, roots, community.
Jenna was bursting with happiness. She was back in Langley Park. Her mother was getting better. Travis was out of the picture. Ben loved her, and there were no lies between them. She had never dreamed a life like this was possible.
“I think that’s enough,” Zoe said, closing the refrigerator door and snapping Jenna from her thoughts. “You good?”
Jenna looked out onto the patio and saw Ben, Neil, and Kathy laughing as they listened to one of Sam’s stories. Ben must have sensed her watching him, and he turned in his chair to flash her the boyish smile that made the butterflies in her belly erupt into flight.
“I’ve never been better,” she answered, unable to tear her gaze away from the smile she wanted to wake up to every day for the rest of her life.
25
“You can’t tell me this was your first Kansas City barbecue experience,” Sam said to Jenna, leaning back in his chair.
They had their fill of the barbecue feast, but no one, not even Kathy with her injured ankle, seemed keen on leaving.
Ben lit a few citronella candles, and a cool breeze swept in taking with it the mosquitoes and leaving only the fireflies to dance in the night air like tiny glowing sprites.
“I thought you were a Kansas girl?” Sam continued, his good-natured smile lighting his face.
All eyes were on Jenna, something that usually terrified her, but she wasn’t anxious. Everyone at the table knew the secrets that brought her to Langley Park, and instead of the harsh judgment Jenna had always feared from others knowing her situation, these caring people had given her nothing but kindness and support.
“You’re right. I lived all over Kansas when I was growing up, but my mom and I never stayed in any one place very long. I was born in a little farm town called Ballentine. You’ve probably never even heard of it. It’s in the far southwest corner of the state, west of Liberal.”
The Complete Langley Park Series (Books 1-5) Page 21
