by Molly O'Hare
Ben’s eyes went back to Holly playing with the dogs.
“She was taken from me too soon.”
Ben understood that. He felt the same way about his father. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. Even though, I ache for her every day. I would rather that, then not have had her at all.”
“That’s pretty deep.”
Henry stared Ben down. “Love is deep.”
Ben lowered his head. Yeah, it was.
“Holly doesn’t remember her mother as much as I’d like her too. I made sure I always brought up stories with her, and pictures to try and help her. She’s a lot like her mother. Even acquired the clumsy gene.”
Ben chuckled. “So, she does get it from somewhere?”
“Most definitely.” Henry eyed him. “Helen was known for her clumsiness. I can’t count the number of times I’d be talking to her at eye level, and the next minute she was on the floor after stumbling over an invisible rock.”
Ben snorted. “Sounds exactly like Grace.”
“It was adorable.”
Ben sat back watching Holly again. “It is. It makes me want her more.”
Both men sat in silence for a few minutes before Henry decided to speak. “You never know how long you’re lucky enough to have someone,” he whispered. “My only advice I can give to anyone is don’t wait around. Take that leap and follow your impulse. We are all living by a time clock, and no one knows when that clock stops.”
Ben listened to the words and let them sink in. After last night’s condom scare, he thought he’d be more on edge, more cautious. Even more reserved about settling down. The exact way he’d always thought when it came to his future.
However, he found himself following Holly in the backyard. His mind instantly pictured her swollen with their child. That image ignited something inside of him. Something he’d never realized he wanted.
“Food for thought,” Henry remarked.
Ben watched as Ripley jumped onto Holly and stole the ball out of her hands.
“Get back here!” she hollered running after Ripley. Waffles with his little legs ran alongside
Holly trying to herd her just as Corgi’s do, causing her to stumble in her steps.
Ben didn’t know if it was too soon or not, but he knew for damn sure he was starting to fall in love with Holly. Hell, he might already be there.
“Go get your girl,” Henry mumbled. “Seems as though she needs a little help.” He jutted his chin towards Holly in the yard.
Ben jumped from his seat hopping down the steps to help steal back the tennis ball. “My pleasure.”
Chapter Thirteen
Holly maneuvered her way around the endless bookshelves, trying to avoid Mildred’s prying eyes. So far, she’d done a pretty good job of it.
Placing a book in its rightful spot, she turned to her cart ready to grab the next book.
“Holy crap!” Holly held her chest trying to get her breathing under control.
Mildred stood next to the cart with her arms crossed over her chest. “Are you done avoiding me?” she asked raising her right brow.
“I wasn’t avoiding you.”
“Liar! Now tell me everything.” Mildred took the footstool at Holly’s feet and sat.
After a few second standoff, Holly blew out a deep breath. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
“I’d say Friday night after you left is a good place to start.” Mildred took her pad and pen out of her pocket, as she always did when gossip was involved. Crossing her legs, she readied herself to take notes.
“You’re something else.” Holly felt the corners of her lips turn upwards.
“Never said I wasn’t.”
Forty-five minutes and an inquisition later, Holly was back at her desk cataloging overdue books. Mildred was off in the romance section scouring to find tips. For who? Holly didn’t know, but it was best to leave Mildred to her research when she was on one of her kicks.
“It wasn’t hard to find you.”
Holly looked from her task to see Ben’s mother Barbra walking towards her.
Wonderful.
“Hello, Mrs. Richman. Can I help you find anything?” Holly placed a smile on her face and did her best not to scowl at the woman.
Barbra marched towards her like she had a stick up her ass. At this point, Holly wouldn’t have expected anything else. “No.” Barbra sized her up. “You cannot help me find anything. What I need you to do is stay away from my son.”
Holly recoiled in shock which instantly melted into anger. Who the hell did this bitch think she was? “I’m sorry, Mrs. Richman, but that’s not something I am willing to do.” She squared her shoulders.
“It’s money you’re after, isn’t it?” Barbra reached into her purse ignoring Holly’s now stunned expression.
Holly’s body shook with anger. Crossing her arms over her chest, she raised her brow in challenge. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me, young lady.” Barbra closed her purse in a huff, before looking down at Holly. “Are you only with my Benjamin, because he has money?”
That sealed the deal. Yes, this bitch was crazy. “First off, old lady, I am not only with your son because he has money. I didn’t know he had money when I first met him.”
Barbra narrowed her eyes. “Likely story.”
“What’s your freakin’ deal?”
“My deal?” Barbra asked. “I’ll tell you what my deal is. I cannot have my Benjamin be seen with the likes of you. You’d only ruin the reputation he’s worked so hard to achieve. If word gets out he’s with someone like you; all my hard work would be for nothing.”
Holly shook her head in disbelief. “Wow. Some mother you are.”
“I am the best mother. I will do anything I can to protect his name.”
“You mean your name.”
Opening her bag once again, Barbra removed her checkbook. “I am here to offer you ten thousand dollars to stay away from my son.”
Holly’s mouth fell open, while her eyebrows shot to the ceiling. “Are you kidding me?”
“I do not kid.”
“Wow.” Holly shook her head in utter disbelief. “If you’re not joking then you are seriously messed up in the head. You can’t buy me, Barbra.”
“Everyone has their price,” she stated matter of fact. “And, I just so happen to know yours.”
“Listen here, you crazy whack-a-doo, I will never take a dime from you.”
Barbra placed her checkbook back in her bag. “Are you sure about that?” She sneered. “I know your father’s medical bills are piling up. I also know if you don’t pay his back mortgage by the end of the month, his precious little home will be set for foreclosure.”
All of the blood drained from Holly’s face. “How did you know that?”
“I own this town, Holly Flanagan. I know everything.”
Holly stared at her as her heart felt as if it’d frozen in her chest. Could Ben’s mother honestly be this evil? Taking a deep breath, Holly squared her jaw. “I don’t appreciate you going through my father’s financial records. “
Barbra’s eyes lit as she chuckled. “Do you think my regard for others got me to where I am now?”
“You mean a cold-hearted bitch? No.”
“Glad you think so.” Barbra turned on her heel before looking over her shoulder. “I wonder if you understand four out of the five members of the library’s board of directors are personal friends of mine. I do hope you hadn’t had your heart set on working here much longer.” Barbra started walking towards the door.
“Excuse me?” Holly’s eyes widened.
Barbara turned back. “You heard me, you little whore.” Barbra then threw her head back in laughter. “Maybe I should say big whore. Stay away from Benjamin. You’re not what he needs, and you’ll never be good enough for him. You’re nothing but a poor unfortunate excuse for a human being. Mark my words, Holly Flanagan, if I so much as hear you’ve been seen with Benjamin…” She stopped talking
while a creepy smile spread across her face. “All it takes is one phone call. You can say goodbye to your precious little job. Hmm, I wonder what will happen to your poor disabled father? There’s no way you’d be able to pay all his bills.” She placed her finger on her chin looking at the ceiling. “Oh well.”
“You wouldn’t?”
Barbra laughed. “You don’t think I will?” Her expression hardened. “Hear this missy, I will do anything I need, to protect my son from the likes of you. I have no problem destroying your life and the life of your poor sad sack of a father if I need to.” Without another word she turned on her heel and marched out of the library.
Holly sat there frozen as the implications of Barbra’s words swam around her head. Her palms started to sweat and her heart rate increased.
How could there be someone so awful, such as Barbra? Panic started to creep in. She looked at the picture of her father on her desk.
Her dad meant the world to her. In every way, shape or form. She’d never do anything that could potentially, hurt him in any way.
What if Barbra followed through on her threats? If Holly lost her job, there would be no way she could pay her father’s bills and keep him out of a nursing home. She couldn’t fail him. She wouldn’t fail him.
“What a bitch.” Mildred walked from behind a bookshelf. “What crawled up her ass?”
Holly couldn’t form words.
Even though she still couldn’t help having doubts about Ben, she foolishly thought she was on the right path for once. But now, with even the mere thought of her father suffering, caused bile to rise in her throat.
Panic set in. This couldn’t be happening.
“Holly, honey, are you okay? You’ve lost all the color in your face.”
Snapping out of her trance, Holly looked at Mildred with tears pooling in her eyes. “She demanded I stop seeing her son and if I don’t, she’ll have me fired.” Holly’s heart felt like it was on the verge of exploding from her chest. “I can’t lose my job, Mildred. More than half of my paycheck goes to my dad. If I lose my job, he’ll lose everything.”
Mildred placed her hand on Holly’s shoulder. “Calm down, honey. I am sure we can come up with a solution. One where you don’t lose your job, and you can still see that sexy man meat.”
“What solution! You heard her. She owns this town. She could destroy me and my dad in one phone call.” Holly held her hand against her stomach willing the bile to stay down.
“I understand you’re panicking right now, and I would be too,” Mildred calmly replied. “I think you should call Ben and talk to him.”
Holly jerked out of Mildred’s grasp. “Call Ben? Did you hear what just happened? I can’t call Ben. If she finds out it’ll all be over.” Holly grabbed her purse and ran towards the door.
This couldn’t be happening.
Once she made it outside, she looked down the street. Her first instinct was to run to Ben’s clinic and into his arms.
Her phone started to ring, so she blindly answered. “Hello?”
“Hi, Pumpkin,” her father’s voice came over the line.
“Dad.”
“Holly, I wanted to know if you were coming over tonight? I got a strange call from the bank and wanted to talk to you about it.” Holly’s heart shattered into a million pieces as she clenched the phone to her ear. She looked down the street towards the direction of the clinic. She knew she had a choice.
She swallowed before closing her eyes, allowing a stray tear to slide down her cheek.
She could go to her father, the man who raised her and had been there forever through everything in her life. The father, who’d become her best friend. The father she owed her life to. Or, she could run to the man who she knew she’d already fallen in love with?
As the tears freely cascaded down her cheeks, she already knew the answer.
Chapter Fourteen
Ben placed his hammer on the ground before wiping the sweat from his brow. He’d spent the better part of the morning, replacing wood on Henry’s porch, and the sun’s heat made sure to make its presence known.
Henry was a good man. Ben could see why Holly loved him so much.
That’s why on Sunday, he personally called all his scheduled clients and rearranged them throughout the week leaving his Monday completely free. Thankfully, his clients were more than happy about the “inconvenience” if it meant they’d get free service when they did come in for their appointment. He did, however make it clear if an emergency arose, he’d be at the clinic in a heartbeat.
Ben wasn’t quite sure what compelled him to show up at Henry’s doorstep at seven in the morning, but he knew after Holly’s near accident over the weekend and the look of devastation that ran across Henry’s face, he knew he wanted to help. If that meant getting up early to get a crash course in home improvement then so be it.
Glancing around the porch, he felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards. Over the watchful eyes of one Henry Flanagan, the porch was looking ten times better, if he did say so himself.
Ben chuckled when he saw Ripley sprawled out on her back in the shade, doing her best to keep herself cool.
“I brought you some water,” Henry announced handing the glass to Ben with his good hand.
Thankful for the gesture Ben gladly took the glass. “Thanks.” Taking a huge swig, he let the cold water slide down his throat.
“I still don’t fully understand why you’re here, but I’m grateful for the help.” Henry plopped onto the front step. “It still drives me batshit crazy I can’t fix these things myself anymore.”
Ben understood that. How could he not? Sitting back onto his ankles, he placed the glass on the ground.
Henry stared at the porch. “After Holly’s near fall, I knew something needed to give. I planned on coming up with a course of action this week.”
“I guess it worked out that I was free today.” He smiled. “I’m here to help, and you seem to be enjoying bossing me around with the right way to do things.” Ben chuckled, hoping to lighten the mood.
“Son,” Henry said, looking at him. “There is a right way and a wrong way to do things. In this household, we always did things the right way. Even if that took more time.” He puffed out his chest.
Ben’s smile grew wider as he held up his glass. “I couldn’t agree more.”
They were both silent for a few moments while Henry leaned his back onto the handrail and watched as Ben worked to remove a rotted piece of wood. “Thank you, Ben.”
“It’s really no problem.”
Looking away, Henry focused on a nearby tree. “I know I should start looking into a nursing home. That’d be the right thing to do. Especially, now that Holly’s has you. I don’t want her feeling obligated to be here all the time or help fix broken crap around the house.”
Ben raised his brow. “Holly doesn’t seem the one to fix items around the house without injuring herself.”
“Oh, I didn’t say she went about it unscathed, but she does do anything she can.” Henry’s eyes lit. “I think she’s been saving some money to hire someone.”
“I’m glad I came around, then. Neither of you will need to worry about fixing up this place or hiring some whack job to do it. Once we get the porch done, we’ll make a list of all the things you’d like to fix up and improve around the house. We’ll tackle everything one step at a time. And, with you overseeing everything, this place will be good as new.”
Henry scrutinized him. “Why are you so eager to help me fix up a house that’s seen better days?”
He knew this was coming, it was only a matter of time. “I like you, Henry, and I know if the roles were reversed, you’d do the same for me.”
“Are you sure that’s your only reason for helping?” Henry asked.
“I am.” He didn’t mention he wanted any obstacle in Holly’s way eliminated. He knew the old man tried to do right by his daughter, but with his predicament, the house wasn’t as safe as it could be for one accident pro
ne walking disaster.
His mind quickly took a path it’d recently grown accustomed to. What if Holly had been pregnant when she fell out of the door? He shuttered at the thought.
When she did become pregnant, he was wrapping her in bubble wrap from head to toe.
“You’re right,” Henry admitted. “If the tables were turned, I’d help out a decrepit old man get his house back in order.”
“I wouldn’t say decrepit.” Ben laughed.
“But you would say old.”
“You said it, not me.”
Henry chuckled. “Does Holly know you’re here?”
Ben sat back on his ankles once again. “Actually, she doesn’t.”
“Are you keeping it from her?” Henry’s brow rose in question. Ben had to bite back his laugh. No one could ever question Henry’s love for his daughter. He’d go head to head with anyone in a heartbeat.
“No, sir, I’m not.”
“What did I tell you about calling me, sir? It makes me feel old.”
Ben’s face lit, before smirking. “Sure thing, sir. Won’t happen again, sir.”
“What does my little girl even see in you?” Henry laughed along with Ben.
“Hopefully a long future.”
Henry’s face hardened. “You love her, don’t you?”
Before Ben could answer him, the phone rang. “Oh hell,” Henry mumbled. “Hold that thought. I’ll be right back.” Henry slowly righted himself before rushing into the house to get the phone.
Ripley, who’d been watching them, made her way over and plopped herself in front of Ben demanding scratches. “You know, young lady, I think you’ve been hanging around Lord Waffles too much. You never used to be so demanding.” Ripley in response rolled onto her back giving Ben her belly. “Yes, your highness. I didn’t know I had two divas on my hands now.” He started ruffling her belly, making her kick her legs out. “I can’t wait to blame Holly for your newly found bossiness.”
Ripley quickly turned away from Ben, ignoring his comment while moving back to the area in the shade. “I’m only good for a few measly scratches before you retreat back to your spot?” Ben narrowed his eyes at her before he laughed shaking his head.