Stumbling Into Forever (Stumbling Through Life Book 2)

by Molly O'Hare

  Jimmy stood beside Henry as he tried to make sense of the situation. He had Twitch in his arms, as they both looked at the pile of cookies.

  Henry looked to Ben then back at the cookies. He knew what his father-in-law was suggesting in order to ward off Holly’s tears.

  One bite, that’s all you have to do, Ben told himself. He looked back at Henry, who took a small step back. What happened to team effort?

  When Ben tried to take a piece of the pile’o’cookie from the sheet, it didn’t budge. Did she use cooking spray?

  Knowing Holly, she probably hadn’t.

  Fuck.

  Ben grabbed a kitchen knife and chiseled out a small piece. He brought it to his mouth before taking a deep breath. Please don’t kill me. He shoved it in his mouth.

  Holy fuck! Nope. Nope. Nope!

  He couldn’t do it. He spit it out so fast he was sure he’d won a world record.

  “Ben!” Holly cried.

  “I tried, I really did, babe.” Ben used the back of his hand to wipe the god-awful taste out of his mouth. That’s it. Holly is now officially banned from the kitchen.

  Jimmy’s laugh brought Ben from his thoughts of death by poisoned cookie. He saw Henry bent whispering something into Jimmy’s ear.

  Ben was positive it had something to do with never eating Holly’s cooking.

  Good advice if you asked him.

  Ben pulled Holly into his arms, but she jumped back glaring at him. He bit back his smile.

  Carol laughed. “This is going in the books as one of my best placements.”

  The corner of Ben’s mouth turned up. He agreed.

  Waffles trotted into the kitchen cocking his head at Ben, judging.

  Don’t look at me that way, Bub. I was trying to be nice to your mother.

  Ben held up a piece of the whatever the hell this thing was – he refused to call it a cookie, in Waffles direction. The appall on Waffles’ face had Ben laughing.

  I’m right there with you, Waffles.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “What are we doing at the police station?” Jimmy asked Ben as they made their way up the steps.

  Ben couldn’t hide his smirk even if he tried. Although, he was moderately sad he couldn’t get John on board for this bonding experience. John had to arrange some things. Whatever that meant. John had been strangely absent the past few weeks, but nonetheless, he was excited to finally put his plan into motion. “Let’s call it a harmless prank.”

  Jimmy cocked his head to the side trying to understand Ben’s logic. “What does going to the police station have to do with a prank?”

  “You’ve been with us a few days now, so you’ll understand when I say Holly overreacts with a dramatic flair.”

  “Like Lord Waffles.”

  Ben’s grin spread from ear to ear. “Yes, exactly like Lord Waffles.”

  “So, are we going to prank Holly at the police station?”

  Ben looked at Jimmy’s curious expression. There was a part of Ben that said not to corrupt little Jimmy, but there was a bigger part of him that screamed pranking Holly was of utmost importance.

  A good responsible adult would say forget it and take Jimmy out for some ice cream, but then… ehh, a little adventure never hurt anyone. “Holly got a little, how should I say it… high-strung when she met a particular officer a while back which ended with her in handcuffs and a promise to never go near the officer again.”

  “Are we going to get her in trouble?”

  The concern on Jimmy’s face had Ben questioning his decision. “Not really. I’m going to see if that same officer wouldn’t mind playing a tiny prank on her. Nothing that will get her in trouble,” he hoped, Holly did tend to go half-cocked at times…okay, all the time.

  Jimmy stopped walking up the steps as he looked at Ben biting his bottom lip. “What about the baby she’s carrying in her belly? Would you be pranking the baby too?”

  Whoa, Ben had to take a step back. The concern Jimmy had for their baby had his heart tighten. How could this little boy have gone through so much hurt and still be so caring? Jimmy deserved the world, and even if it was the last thing he did, Ben promised to give it to him. “I’ll make sure the officer understands it’s just a little prank and not to cause any harm to her or the baby,”

  “Good!” Jimmy face morphed into joy. “I want to meet Peanut.”

  Holy shit we hit the jackpot. Ben ruffled his hair. “Me too, squirt.”

  Ben held the door open letting Jimmy through. “Hi Emma, it’s good to see you again.” Ben smiled at her as they made their way to the reception desk.

  “Doctor Richman!” Emma jumped from her seat startled to see him.

  “Ben,” he corrected. “How many times do I have to tell you, it’s Ben?” Emma’s gaze dropped to the ground.

  “Hey, it’s okay, you’re a friend now, Emma. Holly hasn’t stopped talking about your lunch dates.” He smiled warmly at her.

  Panic flashed through Emma’s eyes. “Holly talks about me?”

  Shit. “Only good stuff,” he was quick to add. Holly hadn’t gone into much detail about Emma’s past, but he knew it wasn’t good.

  He also knew that John hadn’t left Emma alone. He wasn’t quite sure if that was a good or bad thing? Hell, he and John were shooting some hoops a few weeks ago and Emma was all John could talk about. “Emma’s beautiful… Emma has a strange dog… Emma has these dark brown eyes you can get lost in… Emma this and Emma that.”

  He wondered if that’s how he sounded when Holly came into his life.

  It was nauseating.

  But there was something John wasn’t letting on to. Every time the word dating came up, or anything about relationships, John would get this stormed look in his eyes.

  Ben wanted to know more, but he knew when John was ready to talk, he’d come to him.

  “This must be Jimmy,” Emma said changing the subject.

  Ben pulled the little boy in front of him. “You’d be correct. Jimmy meet Emma, she’s a family friend.”

  “Hi,” Jimmy said as he looked a little unsure at Emma.

  “Do you want to know something really cool about her?”

  Jimmy snapped his attention back to Ben as he nodded his head excitedly. “Yeah!”

  “She has a dog the size of you.”

  “No way!”

  “Yes, way, she has a Great Dane. And he’s this tall.” Ben held his hand up to show how tall Bruce was.

  “That’s so cool.” Jimmy turned to Emma. “Do you ride him?”

  Emma burst into laughter at Jimmy’s question. “No, I’m afraid I’d hurt him.”

  “Why?”

  “Uhh…” Emma looked down at her body and then back to Jimmy. She then looked at Ben at a complete loss.

  “Sometimes Great Danes can have really bad back problems, squirt,” Ben replied.

  “Ohh,” Jimmy gazed at Ben in wonder. “You know all about animals.”

  “That’s what happens when you become a veterinarian.”

  Jimmy’s next words had Ben’s throat tighten. “I want to be a veterinarian just like you when I’m older.”

  An arrow right through the heart. Holy shit.

  “That way I can know all about the animals too and take Lord Waffles and Ripley with me to work.”

  “Ben is the best vet around,” Emma chimed in.

  “Then I’ll be the best vet around too.”

  Emma smiled warmly at Jimmy. “I bet you will.”

  “Can I meet your dog?”

  Emma looked at Ben. “I’m sure one day we can arrange it.”

  “You bet, squirt.” Ben pulled Jimmy into his arms. There was still so much to learn about him, but there was one thing he knew for certain, Jimmy had a heart of gold. Even after losing his parents and being shuffled around in the foster system.

  Jimmy’s newfound joy probably had a lot to do with Lord Waffles. Ben smiled.

  “What can I do for you two boys?” Emma asked with a bright smile on her fa
ce. “Are you here to see Detective Bower?”

  “Not exactly, we are actually here to see Officer Jones if he’s around.”

  Emma gave him a sideways look. “Should I be worried?”

  “Not at all.” Ben smirked.

  “I feel like I should be worried.”

  “We’re going to play a tiny prank on Holly, but not on the baby.”

  Emma narrowed her eyes at Ben. “Is that so?”

  Ben held his hands in surrender. “Nothing too crazy, you know just some good old-fashioned bonding between me and Jimmy.”

  “Mmhhhmm,” Emma said before looking at her computer. Ben was going to have some explaining to do, he could see it now. “Officer Jones actually got in not long ago, he’s probably at his desk,” Emma remarked still giving him the eye.

  Clearly, once you were Emma’s friend you were under her protection, and if that look she was giving him said anything, it was he better keep this short and simple or her and Holly were going to murder him.

  Good to know.

  Ben hurried Jimmy along the way. “Thanks, Emma.”

  Maybe this was a bad idea.

  As they rounded the corner Will appeared. “Ben! It’s good to see you. What are you doing here?”

  “You too, Will.”

  “Hey Jimmy, do you remember me?” Will asked crouching down to get on Jimmy’s level.

  “Yeah, you were the one that came to ask me all the questions.”

  “That’s right,” Will softened. “How are you doing, Jimmy?”

  “Did you know Mr. Ben and Mrs. Holly have a dog that thinks he’s human? He’s so much fun, and then there is Ripley, she’s really smart and sleeps with me at my feet every night. Twitch does too because Twitch doesn’t leave Ripley’s side. Waffles comes in every once in a while, but if I don’t pet his belly enough, he gets mad and leaves in a huff. It’s a lot of fun. And, I have my own room.” He beamed at Will.

  “It sounds like you’re having a good time.”

  “The best. I really like living with Mr. Ben and Mrs. Holly.”

  “We like you living with us too, squirt. But you can just call us Ben and Holly. You know that.” Ben crouched pulling him into his arms. Giving him a squeeze. He knew it was hard for him. He hadn’t opened up about his parents yet, and Ben suspected it would be some time before he did, but while Jimmy was learning to trust them, he would do whatever he could to make him feel comfortable.

  “I know.”

  Just then Officer Jones walked by. “Exactly the man we came here to see.” Ben stood grabbing Officer Jones attention.

  The officer turned to face them, his brow arched. He looked at Jimmy and then back to Ben. “What can I do for you?”

  Ben pulled Jimmy to stand in front of him. “Jimmy and I were wondering if you wouldn’t mind helping us play a prank on Holly.”

  “Just a tiny one and only on Holly, not the baby,” Jimmy reiterated.

  That got Officer Jones’ attention. “You’re wife?”

  “Yes.”

  “What kind of prank?” Ben saw Officer Jones’ smile start to appear.

  “How about we sit down for a few minutes and discuss it?

  A wicked smile formed on the officer’s face. “My pleasure.” He turned leading Ben and Jimmy to his desk leaving Will shaking his head as he walked into his office.

  Holly was late. Super late.

  She was supposed to meet Ben and Jimmy at her dad’s over thirty minutes ago.

  And Holly was blaming her lateness one hundred and twenty percent on Mildred. If the woman hadn’t stopped going on and on about babies and then running after her to feel her stomach, she would have gotten her work done in time.

  But no, Mildred blocked her path every single step of the way today. If Holly didn’t know any better, she would have thought she did it on purpose.

  And now… Now, Holly was late and the worst part was Ben had sent her a text letting her know they’d picked up donuts.

  So, in the grand scheme of things Mildred stood between her and her delicious donuts. And that wasn’t okay.

  You don’t keep a pregnant woman away from her tasty treats. That was just wrong.

  Holly looked in the back seat. She would have already been at her father’s if she didn’t have to run home and grab his holiness, and Ripley.

  God forbid they had dinner at her dad’s and the dogs weren’t there.

  Sure, Jimmy would have been upset but it was the meltdown from her dad she didn’t want.

  No one denied him his visitation to his grand dogs and lived to see another day.

  As Holly saw her father’s house come into view, she looked down at her belly. “Peanut, I swear please on all things peanut buttery and delicious, please I beg you, take most of your genes from Ben’s side.”

  That’s when she heard the siren and saw the flashing lights out of the corner of her eye.

  “You have got to be kidding me!” Could today get any worse? Not in her book. She looked over at her father’s house that housed the three men she loved… but more importantly her donuts.

  Holly pulled over onto the side of the road directly in front of Henry’s house. The moment Waffles realized they were stopped and at grandpa’s he started to whine. She narrowed her eyes at him. “Could you not?”

  Waffles glared at her, before huffing his response.

  Universe, if you have any mercy inside of you, I beg you to take me now. I’m done with today, Holly pleaded as she looked to the roof of her car.

  “License and registration, ma’am.”

  Holly jumped as soon as the all too familiar voice hit her. “Holy fuck!” She turned slowly to see her arch nemesis Officer Jones cocking his brow in her direction over his dark sunglasses. “Excuse me, ma’am?”

  “Uh oh,” Holly started to stammer.

  “License and registration,” he said again.

  This cannot be happening. Play it cool, Hol, maybe he doesn’t remember who I am.

  “Threaten anyone lately?” he asked causing a cold sweat to break out on the back of Holly’s neck.

  He remembers.

  “I’m not sure what you’re referring to,” she did her best to sound calm as she reached for the glove box.

  “I have to ask you to keep your hands where I can see them.”

  Holly snapped her attention to Officer Jones. “Well how in the hell do you expect me to get you my registration if you won’t let me go into the glove box?” Waffles barked from the back. “Exactly!” She caught Waffles’ eye in the rearview mirror and nodded at him in solidarity.

  “Ma’am, have you been drinking?”

  Oh, hell fucking no!

  “Have I been drinking?” Holly pointed to her belly. “I’m almost six and a half months pregnant. Do you think I’ve been drinking?”

  Cop or not she was going to strangle him. How dare he insinuate she’d be so careless to harm her child. Her blood boiled.

  “I’m going to have to ask you to step out of the car, ma’am.”

  “If I step out of this car it’s only gonna be to punch you in your throat.”

  Officer Jones pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head as he stared her down. “Is that another threat? Are you threatening an officer?”

  Holly unbuckled her seatbelt as fast as she could before throwing open the door forcing Officer Jones to take a step back. “It’s a promise.”

  When Holly saw a smirk appear on Officer Jones’ face, she cocked her arm back.

  “Grace!”

  Unfortunately, as she geared up for the hit, the sound of footsteps running in her direction accompanied by Ben’s voice distracted her. On her unsteady footing, she turned toward the house too fast.

  Before she knew it, she was tumbling over.

  Holly couldn’t even blame it on her new center of gravity.

  Nope.

  Look out ground, here I come.

  Officer Jones was fast, though. Within seconds he had her in his arms, catching her before anyt
hing happened.

  “Fuck!” Ben ran to her. “You weren’t supposed to get hurt.”

  “What are you talking about?” Her adrenaline rushed through her.

  “And you wonder why I bring up the damn bubble wrap every other day?”

  “Benjamin Richman, you are not wrapping me up in that shit. I’d suffocate you with it first.”

  Ben shook his head before taking her from Jones’ grasp. “Thank you for catching her.”

  “Anytime.” He nodded. “I didn’t think she’d actually try to hit me though?” He arched his brow at him before giving Holly the once over.

  “Me either.”

  Just then, Holly could hear little footsteps running their way. “You tried to hit a police officer?” Jimmy asked once he was next to them.

  Oh crap.

  “Ummm.” Holly was at a loss for words. She was blaming her reaction on the pregnancy hormones. Normally she would never have threatened anyone, no less actually move to take a swing.

  “No,” Officer Jones stepped in. “She was playing around.”

  Did he really just save her? Thank you, Officer Jones!

  “Oh, like how we pranked her?”

  Holly watched as Ben’s eyes widened at Jimmy’s declaration.

  “What did you say?”

  “Way to let the cat out of the bag, squirt.”

  “This was your idea?” Holly sent Ben an evil glare.

  “It was a bonding experience.” Ben shrugged before winking at her.

  Oh, I’m going to kill him. Didn’t he understand he almost gave her a heart attack? “And you thought it was a good idea to recruit this big lug to help you?” Holly jerked her thumb over her shoulder to point at Officer Jones.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Lay off it, Mr. Scary Police Officer, dude.” Holly snapped her attention to Jones. “You’ll get your wish and be able to arrest me seeing as your about to be a witness to murder.”

  At that, Ben burst into uncontrollable laughter as he pulled Holly into his arms giving her a smacking kiss on the lips. “Love you, Grace. You make each day better than the last.”

  “Hate you.”

  Ben kissed her lips again. “No, you love me.”

  “Sometimes.”

  “All the time.”

  “You’re not supposed to hit people or murder them,” Jimmy announced bringing their attention to him.