“When was the last time you went back?” Neil asked, cradling Kathy’s injured ankle in his lap.
“I haven’t been back. I left when I was five after my aunt passed away. But I was planning on going back on my way to…”
“On your way to where?” Kathy asked.
“To Albuquerque. Ballentine’s on the way. That’s where my Aunt Ginny is buried. I wanted to visit her and see if the farmhouse was still there. But now…”
Ben wrapped his arm around her, and she met his gaze.
“We’ll go together,” he said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head.
The table was quiet as Neil, Kathy, and Zoe all shared knowing glances. Sam, on the other hand, set his beer on the table and leaned forward in his chair.
“Those two are together?” he asked, motioning with his hands between Ben and Jenna. “When did this happen? Somebody could have told me.”
“O.M.G, Sam,” Zoe exclaimed. “You never see what’s right in front of you, do you?” Her tone was playful, but there was a subtle edge to her words.
Kathy reached across the table and squeezed Jenna’s hand. “I for one am delighted! What are your plans?”
“We haven’t gotten that far,” Ben answered.
“Maybe I’ll teach at a school?” Jenna offered, excitement radiating off of her in waves.
Worry creased Ben’s face. “Jenna, we don’t have to decide anything now. I don’t want you giving up everything you’ve worked for.”
She looked around the table, taking in the smiling faces. “I don’t feel like that at all. The thing I love most about my job is working with children, and, the last time I checked, there were plenty of them in Langley Park.”
“I think you’ll be fighting the job offers off with a stick,” Kathy said, clapping her hands. “You should talk with Lynn Ramsay. She’s the principal at Langley Park Elementary.”
Jenna shared a knowing look with Ben.
“I met Lynn this morning,” she replied.
“And Lynn nearly blew a gasket meeting Jenna. She already knew who Jenna was from her work with the Gwyer Reading Program.”
“Look at that. Things always seem to work themselves out, don’t they?” Neil said.
Jenna met Neil’s gaze, and he tossed her a little wink.
“And your mother? How are things going with her? Have you told her you’re staying?” Kathy asked.
“Not yet, but I will. She’s doing well in treatment. I think we’re working our way to a good place. I’ve told her I’m going to help her get settled. I’m hoping she’ll want to stay in the area. We could start over, get to know each other again.”
“That’s fantastic news,” Kathy said as everyone voiced their agreement.
Neil held up his bottle of beer. “To Jenna and Ben and what lies ahead.”
They clinked bottles, and when Jenna moved to tap Ben’s, he leaned in toward her. “To us,” he said, cupping her cheek and pressing a tender kiss to her lips.
The next week went by in a magical blur of days filled with picnics, trips to playgrounds, outings to museums, and bike rides. Jenna and Ben would walk Kate down to Kids Camp every morning. Then, instead of Ben heading straight to work as he usually did, they added in a quick morning run, followed by not-so-quick morning shower sex.
There were lots of trips to The Scoop for ice cream and strolls through the Langley Park Botanic Gardens. They also made sure to visit Kathy, who was recovering at record speed which she attributed to meditation and healing crystals much to Neil’s chagrin.
Jenna couldn’t remember a time when she’d been happier.
Eric had called late last week informing Jenna their Monday afternoon family therapy group was going to be postponed until Tuesday, giving her one last afternoon with Kate before she left for Maine with Kathy and Neil on Tuesday morning.
Jenna and Kate decided to stay close to home on their last afternoon together and planned to go geocaching in the botanic gardens. Mondays weren’t as busy as most days at the gardens, and Jenna wasn’t worried about bothering anyone as they searched for treasures. After about an hour of using the geocaching app on her phone, they managed to find two caches: a sparkly bouncy ball and a plastic butterfly ring.
“The ring looks like the butterfly I made for you,” Kate said, admiring her find. Kate had presented Jenna with a small clay butterfly she’d created at Kids Camp. It was lumpy, lopsided, and absolutely perfect.
“It sure does. I love my butterfly. I hung it in my car, so I can have it with me everywhere I go.”
Jenna laid out an old quilt near Lake Boley, and Kate pulled a few books out of Jenna’s bag.
“I think I want to read Henry and Mudge today,” Kate said, settling on the series about the adventures of a boy and his dog.
“Good choice! Do you want me to braid your hair while you read?”
“Yes,” Kate answered in an excited whoop.
Jenna patted a spot on the quilt, and Kate plopped down.
“Jenna?” the little girl said. Her tone had softened.
“What is it, Kate?”
“I really, really like reading with you,” Kate answered, opening the book to the first page.
A surge of warmth bloomed in Jenna’s chest as she divided Kate’s hair into sections. “I really, really like reading with you, too, Kate.”
Back in his office, Ben massaged his temples while listening to the buzz of activity inside Fisher Designs. He had a headache from reviewing, and then redoing, the stair design plans Michael had drawn up himself.
“I’m going out for a bit, Mrs. G. If Michael stops in, tell him I’m about finished with his stairs and also tell him to stick to practicing law.”
“Sweet, Michael! He never did like drawing, even as a child. He was always more into music.”
Ben was almost out the door before Mrs. G called him back. “You should take a walk up to the gardens, Benjamin. I saw Kate and Jenna at Park Tavern when I was picking up lunch today. They were on their way to go geocaching there. I’m sure your girls would be thrilled to see you.”
His girls. He loved the way that sounded.
As Ben entered the gardens, he saw Kate and Jenna sitting on a quilt by the water with their backs to him. Watching Jenna braid Kate’s hair was a sight he would never get tired of seeing. He walked up, listening to Kate read but paused when he heard her stop.
“What’s up, Kate?” Jenna asked, fastening the hair tie.
“I want to tell you something important. Super, major important.”
“Of course. You can tell me anything, sweetheart.”
Kate took a deep breath. “I really, really love you, Jenna.”
Ben held his breath.
“Guess what?” Jenna said, voice cracking. “I really, really love you, too.”
Jenna wrapped the little girl in her arms, and they sat there watching the ducks on the water until the sound of a twig breaking under Ben’s foot made Jenna turn her head. Her eyes were shining, and when their gazes locked, she smiled up at him.
“Daddy!” Kate said, following Jenna’s gaze. “Look what treasures we found today!” Kate handed her father the butterfly ring and the bouncy ball, but she lost all interest when a flurry of ducks waddled across the grass. “Can I go watch the ducks, Jenna?”
“You sure can. Just stay where I can see you, and don’t get too close to the water.”
Ben pocketed Kate’s trinkets and sat down on the blanket next to Jenna. “Looks like you’ve got us both crazy about you,” he said, watching Kate run down to the water’s edge.
Jenna reached out, running her finger down the line of his jaw. He reached for her hand and kissed her palm.
“I never imagined...” she began, tears shining in her eyes.
“Me, neither,” he replied.
He knew what she meant. He never expected to love like this, never expected someone could help heal the wounds he and his daughter carried in their hearts.
As Kate ran back to the blank
et, he had an idea. “I’ve got some time before I need to get back to the office. I just thought of a playground nearby you both may like.”
“Is it a new one?” Kate asked, sliding in comfortably between Jenna and her father.
“Not a new one, but it’s a good one.”
“I don’t know, Kate. I think your dad may be trying to trick us,” Jenna said, meeting his gaze.
“No tricks, I promise,” he said, standing up and helping Jenna to her feet.
Ben insisted on driving to the playground, and Jenna felt an odd familiarity with the scenery. They had passed Village East High School, but many years and many schools had clouded her memories until they pulled up to the park.
The climbing wall.
The creek.
This was the playground from their night all those years ago.
Ben parked, and Kate bounced from the car. “I’ll be on the swings,” she said, running up the path leading from the parking lot to the play structure.
Jenna got out of the car then froze.
Ben walked over and took her hand in his. “Do you know where we are?”
She looked up at Ben’s beautiful face, his eyes expectant and a little unsure. She couldn’t speak, but the tear trailing down her cheek answered his question.
His hands went to her face, and he wiped the tear away with his thumb. “I’ve wanted to bring you here for a while. It seemed right to do it today.”
Jenna couldn’t stop looking at this man who had become so much to her in such a short time. A barely whispered, “Thank you,” was all she could manage.
And then he kissed her, so gently and so sweetly, she thought she might be floating.
“Daddy?” Kate called out, skipping back to the parking lot. She narrowed her gaze. “I bet you love Jenna, too.”
Ben picked up his daughter and wrapped his other arm around Jenna’s shoulders. “I do, Jellybean. I think we both love Jenna. Like really, really, really love her.”
Kate nodded sagely. “Daddy, where are my treasures?”
At first, Ben looked confused, but then he fished the bouncy ball and plastic butterfly ring from his pocket and handed them to Kate.
“You should give this to Jenna,” Kate said, holding up the plastic butterfly ring. “Peter Simms gave Kayla Sanchez a ring he got out of a bubblegum machine, and then they were married for all of the first grade.”
Ben turned to Jenna, and his boyish grin melted her heart. “I was hoping to do this with a real ring.”
“I love plastic butterfly rings,” she replied, the words rushing out and earning an approving nod from Kate.
Ben set his daughter down and whispered in her ear. Then Jenna heard the four most beautiful words that had ever been strung together as Kate and Ben asked in unison, “Will you marry us?”
Jenna sank to her knees, unable to hold back her tears. “Nothing in the world would make me happier.”
Kate took the plastic ring and slid it onto her finger.
“This wasn’t how I saw my proposal going,” Ben said, glancing down at the plastic ring on her finger.
“It couldn’t have been more perfect,” she answered, brushing away tears of joy.
“Daddy,” Kate said, little hands on her hips. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“What do you mean, Jellybean?”
“You’re supposed to kiss Jenna now.”
Ben smiled at his daughter then gathered Jenna in his arms and kissed her.
A few hours later, the trio walked into Park Tavern, a tangle of excitement and smiling faces. Ben never made it back to Michael’s stair design. Instead, they spent the rest of the afternoon playing with Kate on the playground, taking turns pushing her on the swings, and racing each other across the monkey bars.
The dinner rush at Park Tavern had started, and they were lucky to get one of the last outdoor tables, the gentle sounds of the town square fountain across the street filling in the spaces between the different conversations.
Jenna smiled down at her butterfly ring as she retrieved a notepad and pencil out of her purse and started playing a game of tic-tac-toe with Kate.
“If I win,” Kate said, making the first X, “I get to plan your wedding.”
Jenna bit back a laugh and shared a look with Ben. “What kind of wedding were you thinking?”
“Star Wars,” the little girl said with a determined nod. “But your hair’s the wrong color for Princess Leia.”
A waitress set three glasses of water on the table, pulling Kate’s attention from the game and the wedding planning.
“Where’s Sam?” Kate asked.
“He should be back soon,” the waitress answered, retrieving a pen from behind her ear. “He’s picking up a friend from the airport.”
They ordered their meals, and Kate went back into wedding planner mode.
“I think you should carry a lightsaber instead of a flower bouquet.”
Ben chuckled. “What about you, Jellybean? What costume would you like to wear?”
Jenna glanced at Ben. He was smiling that easy, boyish smile she loved.
Kate chewed on her lip. “Ewok,” she said, thoughtfully. “I’m just the right size, and I’d never get cold.”
“I think we may need to talk to Michael,” Jenna said, sharing another amused look with Ben. “Kate is one persuasive girl. We may have a budding attorney on our hands.”
Before Ben could answer, Kate jumped up and waved her hands. “It’s Sam!” she said and went skipping away from the table to greet him.
Jenna heard Kate’s excited jabbering behind her. “And then we asked Jenna to marry us. And she said yes. So now I have to plan the wedding. I’m going to make it all Star Wars.”
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Sam said, extending his hand to Ben.
A man walked up and stood next to Sam.
“Nick?” Jenna gasped, not knowing if she could believe her eyes.
Sam’s gaze flicked between Nick and Jenna. “You guys know each other? Small world!”
“Congratulations on your engagement, Jenna,” Nick said. His expression momentarily flashed disbelief.
She rose to her feet, and Ben was at her side before she could blink. She glanced up at Ben. The easy smile was gone. It had been replaced with a stoic mask of indifference.
“How do you two know each other?” Ben asked. His tone carried a sharp edge.
“We’re old friends,” Jenna said, meeting Nick’s gaze. “Ben Fisher, this is Nick Kincade.”
The men shook hands, but Ben’s expression remained neutral.
“How do you know Sam?” Jenna asked Nick, feeling Ben’s arm wrap around her waist.
“We met in Central America.”
Jenna’s eyes went wide. For as much time as she had spent with Nick Kincade, she knew very little about him.
“Nick and I both spent the year after we graduated from high school helping to build schools in Honduras,” Sam added. Sam glanced at his watch. “We should probably head inside, Nick. I need to get to work, and you’ve got to be starving.”
Nick nodded to his friend.
“Wait,” Jenna said, reaching out and touching Nick’s arm. She felt Ben’s eyes on her, but she needed to say this. “It’s good to see you, Nick. I wish you well.”
Nick held her gaze, and something passed between them. A mutual understanding that, what they had, whatever that was, it was over. His blue eyes warmed, and he gave her a genuine smile. “I wish you well, too, Jenna.”
Back at the Tudor, Ben listened as Jenna helped Kate brush her teeth. Kate had asked Jenna to help her get ready for bed, and Ben was grateful for some time alone to pull his thoughts together.
They’d left the restaurant shortly after the encounter with Nick. He knew Jenna could feel the tension coming off him in waves, but he couldn’t understand why he had such a foreboding feeling. Could it be the echoes of his years with Sara, always waiting for something to go wrong? Was it the fear that anytime anything g
ood happened, it was always followed by heartbreak?
The stairs creaked as Jenna made her way into the kitchen. God, she smelled good, a mix of lavender and spring and home. Her scent alone made him want to take her right there on the kitchen table. But he needed to know who this Nick was to her.
“Was that guy an ex-boyfriend?” he asked, staring at the table.
“No,” Jenna said, pulling one of the chairs closer to Ben and sitting down.
“You dated, at least?”
Now he knew why this hurt. He’d told Jenna everything about Sara, and she never mentioned having anyone serious in her life.
Jenna put her hand on top of his. His gaze went to the butterfly ring.
“We did, sort of date. For many years we used each other to...” She paused. “To temporarily fill the empty spaces. I think we both had demons in our past we weren’t willing to acknowledge. Nick’s not a bad person, Ben. He’s kind. But I never loved him. I love you. You and Kate mean everything to me.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, leaning his forehead against hers.
“I love you, Ben Fisher. Don’t you ever forget that.”
He closed his eyes. “You’re everything I’ve always wanted and never thought I could have.”
Jenna tilted her head and pressed her lips against his. They stayed there for a long time telling each other the things only kisses can reveal. His hands found their way into her silky hair while her hands cupped his face.
Ben pulled back, eyes heavy and hooded. He brought her left hand to his lips and kissed each knuckle. He smiled before kissing the butterfly ring.
He’d never doubt her love again.
They walked upstairs and entered Ben’s darkened bedroom. The only light came from the moon shining dimly through the window. Ben removed Jenna’s clothes, letting the garments fall to the floor. Coming down to his knees, he dropped kisses on her stomach and wrapped his index fingers around the lace band of her panties. He kissed a trail down her inner thigh as he pulled the panties down, inch by inch.
“Ben,” she moaned, twining her fingers into his hair, each tug making his cock jump in anticipation.
“I’m going to lick and suck every inch of your body,” he growled into her thigh.
The Complete Langley Park Series (Books 1-5) Page 22
