Letters of Love (Green Division Series Book #3) Page 10
“Mmm, I’m okay.”
“Are you telling me the truth?”
“Yes. I’m okay. I know I can’t ride, but can I still go to the horse show with you?”
“Have you talked to your parents about it?”
“Um, no...”
“If they are okay with it, I’ll bring you to show.”
“Great! They’ll be okay with it. Hold on, I’ll ask. And Uncle Ben has to come too.”
Aubrey expected as much.
“Hi Aubrey,” Joanne answered. “It’s fine with us if you want to take her to the show, but if you have plans don’t feel obligated. We can take her, but she’s telling me right now if you’re available she’d rather you do. Thanks Tiff.”
“I’d be glad to take her.”
“Thank you,” Joanne said.
“AND UNCLE BEN!” Tiffy said in the background.
“I swear you’d live with Uncle Ben if you could.” Joanne teased Tiffy. “What time is the show?”
“It’s eleven on Sunday.”
“What time should we drop her off?”
“Anytime between nine and nine thirty would be okay.”
“We’ll see you then.”
Aubrey hung up and headed off to work. She had to work on Sunday too, so it would be a short night. Home at three, up at eight to get ready. Tiffy wouldn’t get to cross off competing in the horse show from the list for the time being, but she seemed happy enough to attend it. She was such an easy girl to get along with.
*****
“They belong together,” Tiffy said out of the blue to Joanne when she hung up the phone.
“Who?”
“Uncle Ben and Aubrey.”
“What makes you say that?” Joanne hitched her eyebrow up.
“Uncle Ben looks at Aubrey, like Daddy looks at you. He loves her.” Tiffy hopped around to a Kelly Clarkson song that played on the radio in the living room.
“You think so.”
“I know so. And I’m gonna help ‘em.”
“Don’t you be meddling in Uncle Ben’s love life. He wouldn’t appreciate it.”
“Mom, I know what I’m doing here.” Tiffy put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. “They’re gonna get married someday. They’re soul mates.”
“I think you should let them decide that for themselves my little angel.”
“We’ll see.” Tiffy shrugged her shoulders. “Miley! No! Put my shoe down! That’s not a chew toy!”
Miley trotted by with Tiffy’s favorite ballet shoe in her mouth.
*****
Ben had his house back. No muddy boots. No dishes in the sink. No frat boy. Ahhhh, it was home again. Ben sat in his office tweaking his resume. Kerr called him to let him know the position would open the following week. Ben would be ready. His resume was impeccable and he already knew a majority of the wardens.
Ben’s phone rang.
“Hello.”
“Uncle Ben.”
“Hi gorgeous.”
“Are you working Sunday?”
“I might pick up an overtime shift. What do you have planned?”
“Aweee. But you need to come watch the horse show with me. Can you please come?”
Ben couldn’t say no to her.
“What time?”
“Eleven. I have to be to Aubrey’s at 9:30.”
“Aubrey’s taking you?”
“Yeah. You and Aubrey.”
“You’ve already decided for me, huh.”
“Yup. So you hafta come.”
“I don’t know...”
“Please Uncle Ben,” she pleaded.
“Alright. You talked me into it. I’ll pick you up after nine. Does your Mom and Dad know your master plan?”
“Yup, she talked to Aubrey already.”
“Alright.”
“I gotta go, ugh, Miley! She keeps eating my shoes!”
Ben laughed. “You better go put Miley in her playpen.”
“I’m going to. Bye! Love you!”
“Love you too.”
“Miley, stop!”
Tiffy was such a little ham.
His phone immediately rang after talking to Tiffy. It was Kevin from Green Dispatch. There was a hostage situation in Limington so he was going to work. Ben was a member of the SRT (Special Response Team) which responded to hostage and high risk calls. It no longer was his day off.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Knock, knock.” Tiffy looked through the screen door. “Aubrey, you awake?”
“She gets out of work late, she might have overslept.” Ben didn’t see any movement.
“Come on in. I’m not quite ready yet.” Aubrey’s voice came from the back of the house.
Ben opened the door and he and Tiffy went inside.
“I love her house. It’s so cute. But, she needs a dog. I’ll give her Miley.”
“You would not.”
“She ate another pair of my shoes.” Tiffy scowled.
“She’s teething, like you did when you were a baby. That’s how all my shoes looked.”
“I did not chew on your shoes!”
“Oh, I have a few pair in the closet still, I can show them to you.”
“No!”
“What is all the ruckus out here?” Aubrey appeared from the hallway.
“Uncle Ben says I chewed his shoes.”
“What?” Aubrey laughed.
“She did. Little teeth marks through all of my duty boots.”
“Then show me.” Tiffy did her signature hands on hip pose.
“You guys will have to finish your little tiff in the truck, we’re running late.”
“I didn’t chew shoes.”
Ben shrugged his shoulders.
“Hmph.” Tiffy turned and walked out to Ben’s truck.
“She chewed your shoes?”
“I’m kidding.”
“Poor kid, you picking on her.” Aubrey grabbed her purse.
“Treating her like she wanted me to. Like I always have.”
“Good.” She tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled. Her smile...what a smile. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m tired, guess I spaced out for a moment.”
“Alright...” She opened the door. “We should get going.”
They bailed into Ben’s truck and headed south. It was an hour and a half drive, but Tiffy would keep them entertained. Two cups of coffee and an apple juice and they were on the road for good.
“Oh, turn it up, turn it up, I love this song!” Tiffy leaned over looking between them.
The song Call Me Maybe played by Carly Rae Jepsen.
“I love her!” Tiffy flipped her hair off her shoulder.
“Hey I just met you, and this is crazy, but here’s my number, so call me maybe.” Tiffy sang surprisingly well and swiveled around behind them.
“You’re good.” Aubrey looked at her.
“And all the other boys, they try to chase me, but here’s my number, so call me maybe.” Tiffy continued.
Aubrey jumped in and the two sang together bouncing around.
“Boy you came into my life,” Aubrey sang and pointed to Tiffy.
“I missed you so bad, so bad, so so bad.” Tiffy took the next line, then they both looked at Ben and pointed at him.
“Call me maybe?” He chimed in at the wrong time.
Aubrey put her hand on Ben’s forearm and laughed, then she and Tiffy continued to sing together.
Ben smiled watching them together. Like sisters. A few decades between the two, but very much family.
“You’re a good singer.”
“I like to sing. This song is good too.”
The song was What Makes You Beautiful. Ben even chimed in on this one. He knew the words and both Aubrey and Tiffy had a few laughs at his expense.
“You better stick to your day job Uncle Ben.”
“I can rock out, this isn’t my type of music.”
“Rock out?” Aubrey repeated his punk
words.
“Hold on.” Ben flipped through the channels and stopped on the song Whistle. He started jamming to it in full on white Maine boy style.
“Can you blow my whistle baby, whistle baby
Let me know
Girl I'm gonna show you how to do it
And we start real slow
You just put your lips together
And you come real close
Can you blow my whistle baby, whistle baby
Here we go.”
Ben pumped one hand up in the air like the dork he was.
Aubrey cleared her throat.
“What? I’m on a roll.” Ben asked in response to Aubrey trying to get his attention.
“I haven’t heard this one before.” Tiffy chimed in from behind.
“Do you know what this song is about?” Aubrey had a shit eating grin on her face. The chorus played again and Ben listened.
Can you blow my whistle baby, whistle baby
Let me know
Girl I'm gonna show you how to do it
And we start real slow
You just put your lips together
And you come real close
Can you blow my whistle baby, whistle baby
Here we go.
Ben hadn’t paid attention to the lyrics, not to what they actually meant. His eyes widened and he quickly changed the station.
“I liked it, what was wrong with that song?” Tiffy asked curiously.
“It ah, it’s not an appropriate song.”
Aubrey took a drink of her coffee.
“All it’s talking about is blowing someone’s whistle.” Tiffy commented seriously. Aubrey lost it and began to laugh her ass off, choking on her coffee at the same time.
“Aubrey, you okay?” Tiffy asked.
“Yeah,” Aubrey said hoarsely. “I’m fine.” Her eyes watered, but she still couldn’t stop smiling.
“So, why is it bad?”
Ben’s face flushed. The one song he picked to sing was about falacio. He was simply awesome.
Aubrey continued to look at him and laughed.
“You’re not helping.”
“What?” Aubrey asked innocently. “I didn’t put it on that song.”
“Helllllllo. I’m waiting. What was so bad about that song?”
“It ah, it’s about...” Ben wiped his forehead. “Um....” He looked over at Aubrey in a silent plea for help.
“It’s about yucky things like a girl kissing a boy. It’s bad stuff.”
“Yuck.” Her face puckered. “That’s gross. Thanks for changing it.”
“No problem.” Ben breathed a sigh of relief. Aubrey switched it onto a country station and Tiffy relaxed into the back seat. Ben mouthed a silent thank you to Aubrey.
*****
The weather wasn’t very cooperative for the outdoor horse show. As soon as they put the truck in park, it started to drizzle. The show went on as planned though. The third exhibition was the event Tiffy would have partaken in.
“They did well.” Tiffy said after the last competitor finished. “I think I could have won it though.” She sighed.
Aubrey ran her hands through Tiffy’s curly hair. She could tell how much Tiffy wanted to compete. If not for the worry of her passing out and falling off the horse, they would have allowed it. But after discussing it together, the three of them, Jack, Joanne, and Aubrey decided it was best to not let her ride alone. It was one thing to fall ground level, another to fall from a horse’s back.
“You can ride with me anytime you want.”
“I’d like that.” She looked up at Aubrey. “And Uncle Ben can bring me over like he did for my lessons.”
“Anytime.”
Ben returned from his bathroom reprieve just as it started to downpour and thunder followed.
“Time we head for the truck ladies.” Ben coaxed Tiffy and Aubrey to follow him. They reached the truck, but not before the torrential rain had thoroughly soaked the three of them.
“I’m famished. What about you?” Aubrey looked back at Tiffy.
“I’m starved too. We need some McDonald’s. I could have me some french fries and McNuggets right about now.”
“You eat like me.” Aubrey almost started to say something about eating unhealthy, but the point was not one to be made to Tiffy. “All the good stuff, right.”
“I’ll be the one saying yuck this time.” Ben started up the truck. “But, it’s two against one.”
“Yup. McDonalds, right Aubrey?”
“Right. Good and good for you food.”
“Good for a heart attack,” Ben chimed in.
Aubrey saw the change in Ben. He wasn’t the same man who’d pulled her over two months prior. The way he looked at her was different too. It was all different. Their dynamic, their give and take. It was fun, not spiteful.
Ben pulled onto the road and they headed for Killington. There would be enough time to stop to grab fast food, go home, shower, and go back to work. It would be a long night at work with the amount of sleep she had, but it was worth it. It was all worth it for the smile on Tiffy’s face.
*****
“Thank you. I had a super good time.” Tiffy hugged Aubrey. “And ‘member my birthday.” She pointed her finger at Aubrey. “I expect to see you there.”
“I’ll be there.” Aubrey pointed her finger back at Tiffy.
“Good. I’ll talk to you later.” Tiffy’s grin spread across her face and she hopped down the stairs back to Ben’s truck.
Aubrey let out a deep sigh.
“She’s adopted you, you know. You’re her adopted sister.”
“So that makes you my Uncle Bennie?” Aubrey said smartassedly.
“Oh, that’s a low blow. If I remember right, you’re older than me, old lady.”
“Old lady?” Aubrey’s jaw lowered.
“Stating the facts.”
“You better be moving along.” Aubrey opened the front door to her house.
“If it makes you feel any better, you don’t look like you’re in your thirties. I’d put you at twenty six, tops.”
“Hmmm...why are you being so nice?”
“Just telling the truth.” She very much didn’t look her age.
“Nice try at redeeming yourself, but you failed. Miserably. Bennie.”
“Bennie...” He repeated, trying to decide if he liked the pet name.
“I have to get ready for work.” She hovered in the doorway.
“Right. Well, thank you for coming along with us to the horse show. It meant alot to us...it meant a lot to Tiffy.”
“No problem.”
“Night, Aubrey.”
“Night Bennie.” She smiled. He merely shook his head and walked down the stairs. All he could do when he was around her anymore was smile.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“Seriously, we haven’t heard from you in weeks. What is going on with you?”
Aubrey surfed around on Ebay looking for vintage signs and decor for the bakery on her day off.
“I’ve been busy.”
“Spill. Are you and that trooper involved?”
“His name is Ben,” Aubrey said in his defense, then realized she’d incriminated herself.
“Be honest with me Aubrey, are you two...”
“NO! God, no! I haven’t done anything with him.” She wasn’t going to tell Jill about passing out on top of him. She’d never be able to convince her they weren’t involved if she told that story.
“You seem different.”
“Why don’t you and Taylor come over tonight and we can have a girls night. Then you can stop harping about how I’ve been a hermit.”
“You don’t have any plans with Ben?”
“I never have plans with Ben. I have plans with Tiffy.”