Letters of Love (Green Division Series Book #3) (13 page)

*****

Got called out at 4, check in with me later - Ben
A quickly scribbled note read on her table.  Aubrey stared at it and then moved onto making her coffee.  She’d slept on Ben again.  This time she didn’t have the alcohol to blame it on.  
 

“What are you doing?”
 She asked herself aloud.  
 

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
 

“We’re leaving for Disney in a few days.”
 Tiffy said as she skipped over to the barn.  “And we’re going to swim with the dolphins and go to some big water park.  Then we’re going to stay with Grammy and Grampy for a week and then I don’t know what we’re doing.  They won’t tell me.”
“You’re going to be a busy girl.”
“Super busy.”  Tiffy climbed onto Gunny’s gate.  “Hiya Gunny.”  Gunny came to the edge of the stall and leaned his head outside to let Tiffy love up with him.
“He misses you.”  Aubrey gave Tiffy a few apples to give to Gunny.  
“I miss him n’ Trixie too.”
“Sorry about that, it was a business call.”  Ben joined them.
“Do we have to leave?” Tiffy asked obviously hoping the answer was no.
“No, we don’t have to go anywhere.”
“Good.”  Tiffy turned and redirected her attention to Gunny.  “Aubrey, what do you have planned today?”
“Oh I have big plans, see that furniture over there?  I’m going to sand it down and paint it.  More exciting than your plans for the afternoon I’m sure.”
“We’re supposed to go see the movie Little Princesses.”
“That was my pick,” Ben lied.
“You should come with us,” Tiffy said.  
“I can’t.  Look at me, I’m all ready to paint.”  Aubrey pointed to her plain white tank top, overall shorts, and tan construction style boots.  She looked like a farmer.
“Uncle Ben and me could stay and help you paint.  I like painting.”
“Uncle Bennie probably would rather take you to the movies.  You guys already had plans for the day.”
“Uncle Ben will understand.”  Tiffy looked back at him.  “Can we stay and help Aubrey instead?”
“Ah, if Aubrey wants our help, sure.”
Aubrey looked at Tiffy’s smiling pleading face.
“If you guys want to help me that would be great.”
“Good.  It’s settled.  We paint.”  Tiffy hopped down from the stall.  “Where’s the brushes?”
“That outfit is far too cute to ruin.  You hold on for a moment and I’ll get you something so you don’t get paint all over you.”  Aubrey looked at Ben.  “I might even have something that will fit you.”  
Ben shook his head.  
Aubrey disappeared inside and returned with clothing in hand.  
“This is for you.”  Aubrey held a shirt up for Tiffy to put on over her clothes.  “And this is for you.”  Aubrey passed him a tee shirt that had the phrase “I Love My Little Ponies” across the chest.
“Really, this is the only shirt you have that you could find for me?”  Ben held it up.  Tiffy giggled in the background.
“The only shirt I don’t mind getting covered in paint.”  Aubrey tried to keep a straight face.  She may have picked that shirt out on purpose.
“I think I’ll take my chances on getting paint on my favorite shirt.”  
“Uncle Ben, I think it will look cute.”
“Very cute Tiffy, I agree.”  God love Tiffy’s sense of humor.
Ben looked at the shirt and scowled at her.
“No pictures.  I’d never live this down with the guys.”  Ben stripped off his polo shirt.
DAMN.  That was underneath that polo?  
Aubrey gawked at the lean muscles.  He looked like a Calvin Klein model, his chest and abs were delicious.  Aubrey tilted her head to the side and stared shamelessly.
“How does it look?”  Ben looked down.  “This is wrong, so wrong.”
“I think it’s very flattering.”  Aubrey joked but was very serious.  It was snug against him and showed every muscle and ripple under the shirt.  She audibly sighed.
Ben gave her a knowing look.  
Aubrey cleared her throat.  “This stack is already sanded down and ready to be painted.”  Aubrey passed both of them paint brushes.  
“Let’s get to work.”  Tiffy knelt down.
For the next hour the three kept busy painting diligently.  
“Where are you from Aubrey?”
“I’m from Fort Kent.  Way up no’th.”  Aubrey and Tiffy worked on painting the same chair together.
“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“I have an older brother named Mack.  He’s in the Army.  He just came home from deployment in Afghanistan.”
“Where are your parents?”
“They’re retired and live in Florida.”
“You didn’t go with them?”
“My life is here.”  Aubrey took her paintbrush and dabbed a spot of paint on the tip of Tiffy’s nose.  
“Hey!”  Tiffy took her brush and swiped a swatch of paint down her arm.
“Oooo I just put a spot on you, you painted me!”  Aubrey put another dab on her cheek.  
“You’re in for it now!”  Tiffy swished her brush down the side of Aubrey’s jaw.
“Children, behave.”  Ben worked on his own chair.  
Tiffy and Aubrey looked at one another and had the same idea.  
“Let’s get him.”  Tiffy whispered.  They dipped their brushes in paint, stood up, and walked over to Ben nonchalantly.
Ben was in a sitting position which immediately put him at a disadvantage.
“What?”  He looked at them suspiciously.  “No, no...”  He tried to get to his feet, but Tiffy and Aubrey jumped him.  Aubrey got a swatch down his cheek to his neck, Tiffy covered his mostly exposed arm.  Ben tried to grab at Tiffy, but she was quicker and darted away.  Aubrey wasn’t quick enough.  Ben grabbed her and wrapped one arm around her waist so she couldn’t run away.
“No, no, don’t do it Ben.  Don’t!”
Ben freshened his brush with paint.
“No!”  Aubrey begged between laughs.  She wiggled in his grasp.
“It’s only fair.”  Ben took his paint brush and brushed it down her exposed thigh, then painted the other one.  Aubrey reached for his paint can and dipped her brush in again.  
“Game on!”  Aubrey turned and wiped the brush down his other arm.  When she went to dip her brush again, Ben pulled her back so she couldn’t reach the paint.
“Oh no you don’t.”
“Put me down!”  Aubrey laughed.  “Benjamin Anderson, you let go of me this minute!”
“Put the brush down slowly and push it over to me.  Keep your hands in sight at all times.”  
“No!”  Aubrey swiped the brush over his hand.  
“I’ll get it from you one way or another.”
“Oooo I’m scared now.”
Ben tickled her sides.  That worked.  Aubrey was terribly ticklish and she flailed in his grasp.
“Stop it, Ben, stop!”  She laughed while protesting.
She leaned back as he continued to tickle her and Ben was forced to the ground on his back, she came back with him.
“Ben!”  
“So you’re ticklish, huh.”
Aubrey didn’t respond, she was too busy squirming and laughing from his relentless tickling.  An elbow came loose and she accidentally jabbed it into his ribs.
“Ooop,” Ben made a noise indicating pain.
“Whoops.”  
“Shit that hurt.”  Ben writhed and rolled to his side, Aubrey went with him onto her side.  “You have bony elbows.”
“I’m sorry.”  Aubrey turned to her other side and faced him, both laid on the old wooden floor.  “But you had it coming to you.”
Ben held his side.  Aubrey felt guilty.  Only slightly though.
“You sound sorry.”  He closed his eyes, but didn’t look mad.
“Are you alright?”  
“I think you cracked my rib.”
“No I didn’t.”  Aubrey did feel bad now.  She’d really hurt him.
In one quick smooth motion Ben reached around her and pulled her atop of him.  They were face to face so she wouldn’t be throwing elbows in his side.
“You can’t elbow me now.”  He got even with her by tickling her more.
“Stop!”   She fought to get loose of his grip. She didn’t hurt him after all, the faker. “You didn’t learn your lesson!”
Aubrey rolled over, but Ben went with her.  The only things she’d accomplished was switching their positions so Ben laid atop of her.
He stopped tickling her.  Aubrey stopped laughing.  He was looking at her like he wanted to...no, he wouldn’t.  Aubrey got butterflies in the pit of her stomach.  It was a feeling that had become foreign in her nun like life.
Ben leaned his weight on one arm and used his other hand to push the hair away from her face, then held onto the side of her neck.
“Truce.”  Ben said in a low calm voice.
“Truce.”  Aubrey agreed, her voice shaking with nerves.
Tiffy watched her handiwork from the barn door.  She was good.  
Ben started to lower his lips toward Aubrey’s.
“We should get back to painting now that we’re done fighting.”  Aubrey patted the back of his shoulder.  She tried to play it off as though she didn’t know Ben was going to kiss her.  “And get cleaned up.  You’re a mess.”
Ben lingered for a moment and the look he gave her was hard to resist.  
“You’re a mess too there champ.”  Ben slowly lifted himself off of her, offered his hand, and helped her to her feet.
“Tiffy, you gonna help us finish up painting?”  Aubrey asked her.
“Are you done paintin’ one another?”
Aubrey felt her face flush.  “We’ve called a truce.”
Tiffy came back over and they resumed their job.  Every once and awhile Aubrey would glance up from painting and look over at Ben.  Whatever had almost happened, couldn’t happen.  It would complicate their relationship and the one she shared with Tiffy.

*****

Ben nearly kissed her.  He’d apparently misread the vibes he was getting from her because he sure as hell thought she wanted him as much as he wanted her.  Obviously, he was wrong.
“We better get cleaned up kiddo.  I have to get you back by six.”
“Awe, I don’t want to go.  Aubrey still needs help with those chairs.”
“I can finish up.  You guys have been a great help.”
“But, Uncle Ben.”  She looked up at him pleading.
“This one’s non-negotiable.  Mom and Dad have plans for you tonight.”
“I won’t get to see you guys for like three weeks.”  Tiffy kicked a rock.  “Can’t we stay a little longer?”
“I’ll see you when you come back.  Me, Gunny, and Trixie will be waiting.”
Tiffy managed a half a smile.
“And I’ll be waiting at the airport for you when your plane comes in.”
“You two should still hang out even though I’m not gonna be here.  It’s like a tradition now that we all spend at least a day together every week.”  Tiffy bared her wide grin.
“Don’t worry about us.”  Ben put his hand on her shoulder.  “Come on, say goodbye to Aubrey.”
“Bye Aubrey.”  She reached up and hugged her.  “I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too.  But you have fun and take lots of pictures for me to see.”
“I will.  Night.”  Tiffy let go of her, waved, and walked back to the truck.
“If you want help with the furniture, I’ll be available,” Ben offered.  Three weeks of not seeing her would seem like an eternity.  For more than two months, the three of them had spent two afternoons a week together.
“We got more paint on us than we did on the furniture.”  Aubrey laughed.
“We did, didn’t we.”
“I need to get ready for an OT shift.”  She pointed inside.
Ben nodded his head.  “Night.”  
Aubrey lifted her hand and waved, giving him an innocent smile.
Ben dropped Tiffy off at home to her curious parents.  They were used to Tiffy being covered in some kind of mess, she was a kid after all.  Usually the mess involved Miley though.
He got home just before dark and went about doing chores around the house, but no matter how hard he tried to busy himself he couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened in the barn.  Almost happened.

*****

Aubrey was distracted at work.  Though she tried to deny it, Ben had an effect on her.  Damn him.  
“Aubrey, you seem distracted tonight,” Nancy pointed out.
“What?  No, I um, I’m just tired.  It’s been a long week.”
“This isn’t a distracted like you hate your job distracted, this is distracted like you have your head in the clouds.  Who is he?”
“Why does everyone always assume a man is involved?”
“Because it’s always a man.”
“It’s not a man.”  Aubrey continued down the hallway.  “It’s not Ben.”  
 

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
 

“Another month and she’ll be yours to finish.”
 That’s what Aubrey’s contractor told her.  Excited, oh she was excited.  In a matter of a few more months she’d have her bakery.
She pumped her fists in the air in excitement.  Just then her phone beeped.
Are you busy this Saturday? - Ben
Aubrey hadn’t talked to Ben for two weeks, since Tiffy left.
Depends... - Aubrey
I was wondering if you weren’t busy if you’d go with me to Kip’s wedding.  Just as friends, not a date, no pressure.
Aubrey stared at the screen.  A wedding?  A wedding date was a serious marker for a relationship....they weren’t in a relationship.
It’s okay if you don’t want to come, I just thought maybe if you didn’t have plans...
Aubrey bit her nail.
I don’t know...I don’t like weddings.
Join the club.  I hate them.  We can hate them together.
What should she do?  Did she want to see Ben?  Yes.  She’d found herself missing his company over the two weeks they hadn’t talked.
I don’t have a dress.
I’ll buy you one.
He wasn’t giving her an escape clause.
I guess I’ll go...I’ll find a dress...
It’s okay if you don’t want to...
I’ll come.  Will do me good to stop focusing on the bakery for a night.
You’re a lifesaver.  I’ll pick you up at two this Saturday.
Okay.  I’ll see you then.
Aubrey was nervous already.  A wedding...why did she agree to a wedding?  Because she wanted to see him, that’s why.