Letters of Love (Green Division Series Book #3) (21 page)

“It’s Tiffy.”  

Ben knew he couldn’t go anywhere.

“What’s wrong?”

“She’s taken a turn for the worse.”

“I’ll leave as soon as I can.”

Ben would talk to Mike when he got there.  In the meantime there was nothing he could do but his job.  Time ticked by slowly, his mind clouded as he performed his duties.

As soon as Mike pulled in Ben called him over.

“I need to go.”

“Tiffy?”
 Mike said immediately.  Everyone was familiar with the situation.

“Yeah, she’s bad.”

“Go, Kip can jump in with me.  We’ll square this away and I’ll catch up with you later.”

It would be a long drive back to Jack’s house.

*****

Aubrey’s phone buzzed in her pocket, but she was too busy with her rounds to attend to it so it went unnoticed until hours later.

“Call me.
 Tiffy’s asking for you,” the voicemail said.  She immediately ducked into the break room.

“I just got your message.”

“Can you come over?”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can, Jack.”  Aubrey already knew.  Jack didn’t need to tell her why Tiffy was asking for her.

Aubrey tracked down Nancy, the head nurse and told her she was cutting out for the day.

It was an equally long drive for Aubrey as it was Ben, but he had a head start on her.

Aubrey pulled into the driveway and it was full of vehicles.  The majority of their family arrived a week prior to spend time with her.  Family was all around.  Family and Aubrey.

Ben sat on the front step, his head between his knees.  

“Ben...”  Aubrey’s stomach sank upon seeing him.  “Tell me I’m not too late.”

“I wish I could.”  He picked up his head and wiped his eyes.  

“I can’t be.”  A sudden wave of sickness came over her.

“She passed an hour ago.”  A single tear streamed its way down his cheek.  “She was asking for you.”

Aubrey collapsed on the step next to him.
 “I didn’t check my messages...”

Silence settled between them as the reality hit her.
 Tiffy had been asking for Aubrey—literally asking for her on her deathbed.  And she didn’t make it.

“She wanted me to tell you how much she loved you,” Ben took a deep breath.  “And Gunny and Trixie.”
 

Aubrey cried freely no longer able to keep her composure.

“I love her too.”
 The words were barely audible.  “I’m so sorry Ben.”

“Me too.”  Ben stood, opened the front door, and walked inside.

Aubrey sat alone on the front step staring out into the rolling fields.
 The cold fall air was bitter, but she was numb to it.  

“I’m sorry Tiffy.”
 She looked at the sky above her.  “I’m so sorry.”  Never had Aubrey felt so guilty.

Memories of Tiffy flooded her mind.
 All of their lessons.  The trip to the horse show, singing with one another.  The paint fight in her barn.  The memory of her shining spirit even when she was in the worst of health.

“Sorry…”  Aubrey said breathless and wrapped her arms around herself.

After expressing her condolences to the family Aubrey excused herself to leave them with their grief.  Without Ben she suddenly felt alone.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

A day passed.

Aubrey lay around in her pajamas all day, her nose bright red, her eyes permanently welled.

KNOCK KNOCK

The sound at her door jarred her from the comfort of her couch.             

“Hello?”

Aubrey rose to her feet and padded to the door.

“She left this for you.”  Ben stood in doorway, had his hand held out to her.  In it was an envelope; “
Aubrey”
was written on the outside, clearly in Tiffy’s handwriting.

“What is this?”  Aubrey took it from his hand.

“She wrote a letter for each of us.”  Ben turned to walk back to his truck.

“Ben, wait.”

“Jack and Joanne are waiting for me, I can’t stay.”  Ben continued his stride without looking back.

Aubrey closed the door and retreated to the couch.  Holding the letter in both hands, she inhaled a deep breath and prepared herself.  As she opened the letter heart shaped confetti fell out of the envelope littering her lap and the couch under her.  Hearts adorned the plain white paper the letter was written on. 

Dear Aubrey,

If yer reading this it means I’ve gone to heaven.  I want you to know how much I love you.  You’ve been my best friend since we met all that time ago and when you gave me lessons on Gunny and Trixie.  I love them so much too.  Some of my best times were with you and Uncle Bennie I had so much fun when we were together like at the horse show and painting chairs and riding the horses.  We are the three musketears.  It’ll just be you two musketears now but I know the third musketear will be in your hearts <3

Aubrey put the paper down and tried to get her composure.  Tears clouded her vision, a few dripping onto the paper.

I may have lived a short life but it was happy and I want you to know it was happier because of you.  The only thing that would have made it happier is if you and Uncle Bennie would listen to me and see you two are ment to be together.  You still are.  If a ten year old can see it you two should be able to but you both are so stuborne.  That’s the Anderson in you both :)  I’m going to stop writing, but don’t worry about me.  I’ll be with those horses we saw in the sky that day, looking down upon you from heaven above.  I love you with all my heart Aubrey.

Love,

Tiffy

Aubrey clenched the paper and leaned her head back against the couch.  Heaven gained an angel, but earth certainly lost one. 

Aubrey’s thoughts spun quickly, about Tiffy, Ben, and her.  The Three Musketeers.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Months later.

“She’d love this you know.”  Joanne looked at the sign above the bakery,
Tiffy’s Corner Bakery
on this, the Grand Opening.
 

“I loved her.”

Aubrey hugged Joanne and they walked inside together. 

Christmas was descending quickly upon him.  The storefront was decorated accordingly, white lights lined the windows, garland draped over the glass display cases and backs of the booths.

“How’s Ben?”  Aubrey stepped behind the counter as a customer perused her goods.

“He leaves for the warden academy after Christmas.”

“How does he like living in Ridgewood?”

“He’s happy, finally.”

“Good.  I’m happy for him,” Aubrey said convincingly.

“I don’t know what it is with you two, why you can’t talk.”

“It’s—”  Aubrey started.

“Complicated.  I know.”  Joanne smiled.

“Ben...”  She squinted her eyes.  “He told you that.”

“When I gave him a hard time about you two’s relationship that was the only explanation he would give me, then he said no more.”

“It is complicated.”

“Tiffy didn’t think so.”

“I know.”  Aubrey smiled at their memories together then swiftly decided to shift the conversation.  “Listen I made this for you and Jack to sample, I need someone’s opinion.”

“What is it?”

“Strawberry raspberry pie, my own recipe.”

“Mmm sounds good.”

“Report back tomorrow.”

“I certainly will.  And Aubrey, talk to him.  Tiffy was right.”  Jill took her pie and went on her merry way.

Aubrey sighed deeply and thought about Ben.  Fact was she couldn’t forget him no matter how hard she tried.

*****

Ben moved the boxes about in his new house.  His old abode sold quickly, its idyllic location and decent price were conducive to a fast sale.  The new house sat at the northern tip of Moose Lake and was desolate to say the least.  A cute two bedroom small log cabin to support his current bachelor lifestyle. The closest neighbor lived a half a mile away from him on the shared dirt road. 

“I’m hard to love, hard to love,

No I don’t make it easy,

I couldn’t do it if I stood where you stood.”

“You certainly don’t make it easy,” he mumbled slightly under his breath and shut the annoying radio off.  Why he bothered to listen to music at all he didn’t know.  All they talked about was love, loss, blah, blah, blah.  Assholes.

Back to his task he went. Moving, such fun.

Bzzzzzzz

Ben’s phone buzzed on the coffee table next to him. 

Aubrey.  Why the hell was she calling him after all that time?  He hesitated in answering it.

“Hello.”

“Hi Ben, its Aubrey.”

“I know.” He tried for a soft approach even though the sting of rejection was still underneath.

“How are you?” 

Aubrey’s nerves were clearly displayed.

“Great.  Leave for training down at the academy after Christmas.”

“I heard.”

“And I heard you opened the bakery today.”

“Yeah, it was a good first day.”

Silence.

“So what brings this call out of the blue, Aubrey?”

“Can we talk?  I mean in person.”

“I’m in Ridgewood right now unpacking.”

“I’ll come up there.  It’s not that far.”

Ben stopped unpacking and settled into the couch cushion.  It was a two hour drive, she seriously wanted to talk.

“If you’d rather, I’ll be home in a couple days to finish packing if you’ll be free.”

“Are you busy tonight?”

“Ah, no, I don’t have any plans, it being 9pm and all.”

“Can we talk tonight?””

They hadn’t talked for months, but all of a sudden she couldn’t wait a few days.

“Um, sure.  Come on up.” 

“I’ll leave in a few.”

“Do you need directions?”  Ben laughed.

“Oh yeah, that minor detail.  I have a GPS, what’s your address?”

“224 North Ridge Road.”

“Okay, I’ll see you in a little while.”

“Alright.”  Ben hung up the phone and stared at it in disbelief.  After two months she was ready to talk to him out of the blue?