Letters of Love (Green Division Series Book #3) Read online

  Congratulations on the new job – Aubrey

  Tiffy told you huh – Ben

  Yeah, all the way in Ridgewood – Aubrey

  I’ll be home on my days off, can’t get rid of me completely ;) – Ben

  Aubrey smiled at her phone.

  No matter how hard I try – Aubrey

  Cold – Ben

  Just kidding :) I’ll see you on our next Three Musketeers day – Aubrey

  You can count on that, ttyl Aubrey – Ben

  Later Ben – Aubrey

  Aubrey slid her phone back in her pocket and smiled.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  Two weeks passed and their next Three Musketeer day had yet to come. Aubrey was busy with overtime at work following a round of sickness among her co-workers and Ben was busy with training. Tiffy wanted nothing more than a day to escape the reality that had become her life. She was unable to go to Boston, her stomach wouldn’t cooperate. Though she tried to hide it, she wasn’t able to. All she wanted was to be normal, not lying in bed…where she laid wide awake curled under her blankets listening to the hushed conversation down the hall. Sleep evaded her and her head spun in dizziness.

  “You need to quiet down, you’re going to wake her up,” Jack said.

  “She’s getting worse day by day. I don’t want to hear what the doctor has to say tomorrow. I can’t take it.” Joanne audibly cried. “Every day Jack, every day is a day closer…”

  “Shhh,” Jack tried to calm her.

  “Don’t—don’t tell me to be quiet. I love my little girl more than anything in this world and I need to talk about it! Pretending it isn’t going to happen, isn’t going to stop it! She’s dying Jack, I don’t think you understand that!”

  “Of course I fucking understand that. She’s my little girl too. And you know I love her just as much as you, don’t make me out to be the bad guy here. But you need to quiet down, now isn’t the time to talk about this.”

  “When am I supposed to talk about this, huh? When you are gone at work? When you are sleeping in the chair at night?”

  “One of us has to work! If I quit we don’t have insurance, then what? What do you want me to do, Joanne? I’m not the one who did this to her!”

  “I didn’t say you were!”

  Tears rolled down Tiffy’s cheek hearing her parents argue about her. Jack and Joanne never argued. They were the picture of the perfect happy family…until she became ill.

  Then it slowly started to crumble, even though they tried to hide it from her, she heard the hushed conversations on a few occasions.

  *****

  Ben reached over and answered the phone expecting it to be work. Ugh.

  “Hello.”

  “Ben, she’s gone!”

  “Woah, woah. Joanne?” Ben looked at the caller ID on his phone.

  “Tiffy is gone.” Joanne fought to get her breath. “I woke up to use the bathroom and when I checked on her, she’s gone. Jack’s out looking for her right now.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “Where could she have gone? It’s four in the morning! Where would a ten year old go?”

  Ben had an inclination.

  “Aubrey,” he said under his breath.

  “I know you’re in Ridgewood, but I don’t know what to do. She’s gone. She’s gone…”

  Ben laced his uniform boots as he simultaneously talked to Joanne.

  “She would go to Aubrey’s,” Ben reiterated. “Let me give you a call right back. Don’t worry Joanne, we’ll find her okay.”

  “Please.”

  “I’ll call you right back,” Ben promised and hit the end button.

  *****

  “Ben?” Aubrey answered surprised.

  “Is Tiffy there?”

  “What?”

  “Tiffy ran away. Joanne went to check on her a few minutes ago and she’s gone. I figured the only place she’d go is to your house.”

  “It’s pouring rain…how would she get here?”

  “She’d find a way.”

  “She’s not here Ben.”

  “Your barn.”

  “Okay, I’ll check.” Aubrey threw on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt and opened the door. Standing stoically in the pouring rain was Gunny, his saddle clearly hadn’t been appropriately tightened as it sagged sideways.

  “I’ll call you right back Ben.”

  “Aubrey—”

  Aubrey hung up and ran outside in her bare feet.

  “Tiffy! Tiffy, where are you? Tiffy! Tiffy!” Aubrey called her in vain and ran to the barn. No one was inside, but her pink bicycle was leaned against Gunny’s stall. “Shit!”

  Aubrey grabbed a flashlight and checked her fields in a panic. “Tiffy! Tiffffffy!” Steam expelled from her mouth and raindrops soaked her cold skin.

  “No, no, no.” Aubrey ran back inside and pulled a pair of muck boots on and grabbed her ATV key. It hadn’t been started in a year, but she hoped beyond hope that it would cooperate.

  “Ben,” she found her voice again to call Ben. “Her bike is in the barn. Gunny is saddled in the driveway. The saddle isn’t tight, I think she might have fallen.”

  “Fuck,” Ben said exasperated.

  “I’m going to look for her.”

  “I’ve got to call Jack.” Ben’s voice broke. “I’ll put some calls in, we’ll get a search party to help.”

  “I’ve gotta get off the phone Ben, I’m going to take the ATV and look for her.”

  “I’m in Ridgewood, but I’ll be there as soon as I can. I shouldn’t have taken this fucking job.”

  “This didn’t happen because of your job, don’t do that.”

  “She alone.” Ben’s breathing was labored. “It’s cold out and raining and she’s sick…”

  “I’ll find her, Ben. I promise.” Aubrey made a promise she could hardly keep. There was nearly a hundred acres of fields and miles of trails. “I’ll call you soon.”

  “Aubrey—”

  “Yes.” Aubrey hopped onto the ATV and pushed the key inside.

  “Thank you.”

  “Thank me when we get her safe and sound.” Aubrey knew Ben would drive like a bat out of hell.

  “Deal.”

  Aubrey hung up the phone.

  “Please start…please start…” Aubrey turned the key and after a little argument, the ATV roared to life. “Thank you.”

  She flicked the lights on and backed it out of the outbuilding. The fields were overgrown with tall grass so she looked for the path Gunny would have walked.

  Ten minutes passed before Aubrey found what she was looking for. Trodden down grass. At the same time she several vehicles drive parallel to the fields. It was the calls Ben promised to make. She wasn’t going to turn to talk to them, not now that she had the trail.

  Through the fields and to the winding path into the woods she followed. Another few minutes passed and she saw something pink huddled up next to a tree.

  “Shit.” Aubrey jammed the brakes and killed the engine. “Tiffy, honey, Tiffy.” Aubrey knelt down next to her. She was absolutely lifeless and had a large gash on her temple.

  “Honey, talk to me.” Aubrey felt for a pulse and found a weak one. Her breathing was shallow. She was alive, but that was all. Her lifeless body was drenched and her skin freezing to the touch.

  “Ben,” Aubrey said with the most composed voice she could muster. “Call Jack and tell him they need to follow my ATV tracks to the trail. We’re only a few hundred yards in on the trail.”

  “You found her!” Ben’s speedometer neared the triple digit mark. “Is she okay?”

  “She’s alive.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “We need to get her to a hospital. Call Jack now and tell them I found her. They need to bring gear to stabilize her back and neck.”

  “O—okay.” Ben hit end and did as he was instructed.

  “Tiffy.” Aubrey stroked her hair. “It’s going to be okay. It’s gonna be alright.”

  She watc
hed her closely keeping a watchful eye on her breathing. “You stay with me, okay. It’s not your time, honey.”

  Aubrey waited impatiently until she saw the heavenly sight of lights approaching from the fields.

  *****

  Ben’s breathing raced as he jogged from the parking lot inside the ER entrance.

  “Tiffany Anderson?” Ben asked an intake worker.

  Ben felt a hand on his back.

  “Ben.”

  And it was followed up by a voice he under normal circumstances loved to hear.

  “How is she?”

  “I haven’t heard anything since they brought her in.”

  “How bad is she?” Ben didn’t hide his fear well.

  “I don’t know,” Aubrey said calmly.

  “You’re a nurse Aubrey, tell me the truth.”

  Aubrey’s face winced and he could tell she too was fighting to keep her composure. She leaned forward into Ben’s chest and wrapped her arms around his back. The action spoke for itself. Ben wrapped his arms around Aubrey’s back and they held each other tightly.

  “I’m sorry, Ben.”

  The hospital grew quiet and time became suspended. All other sounds were drown out as Aubrey and Ben focused on only one another and their fear; the fear of losing Tiffy.

  “I can’t lose her,” Ben said fearful.

  “We can’t lose her,” Aubrey corrected.

  Ben kissed the top of Aubrey’s forehead and held her tighter.

  Four hours passed. Aubrey and Ben sat together on a couch in the waiting room holding one another, comforting one another, neither offering to let go.

  Jack came from behind closed doors and sat next to them.

  “She had an aneurism.” He wiped his face.

  “Jesus.” Aubrey inhaled deeply. “Were they able to stop the bleeding?”

  “They’ve done everything they can.”

  “What does that mean?” Ben asked.

  “It means we wait, pray, and hope for another day with her.” Jack inhaled sharply.

  Ben put his hand on Jack’s knee.

  “You guys go home. We’ll call you if anything changes. There’s no need for you guys to be holed up in the waiting room all day again. Get some sleep.”

  Daylight broke through the dark clouds of gray and time passed slower than Ben could ever remember in his lifetime.

  “We’re not going anywhere,” Ben asserted.

  “Ben, go. There’s nothing you can do sitting in this waiting room. I’ll check in with you later.”

  Aubrey squeezed Ben’s hand.

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yes. You look like hell. Get some sleep.”

  Ben reluctantly stood and hugged his brother.

  “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  “We’ll be back,” Aubrey corrected him again.

  “Thanks.” Jack reached out and hugged Aubrey as well.

  Together Ben and Aubrey walked outside. They hadn’t spoken more than a few words the entire time they’d waited together. It was enough to be held tightly in one another’s embrace.

  Ben’s truck was parked only a few spaces away from Aubrey’s.

  “Thank you.” Ben said before opening his door.

  “Call me when you hear from Jack.”

  “I will.” He nodded his head and stepped into his work truck still in his uniform.

  “Ben—”

  He left the door open.

  “Why don’t you come over?” The words surprised her as they slipped from her mouth.

  Ben nodded his head.

  “I’ll follow you.” He smiled appreciatively to her and closed his door.

  *****

  Aubrey pulled into her yard, Ben right on her heels. They went inside, kicked their boots off, and stood facing one another in her kitchen.

  “I feel like it’s partially my fault, all of this. She took my horse. I don’t even know where she found the strength to saddle Gunny.”

  “No—don’t—none of this is your fault. You found her, you saved her. Thank you Aubrey. Thank you for giving us another day.”

  Aubrey lost her composure completely and began to cry. She hadn’t broken down, she’d been strong and stoic as she could for everyone involved. For Tiffy, for Ben, for Jack, but she couldn’t do it anymore. She couldn’t keep up the front.

  “You’re making me cry too damnit and men don’t cry.” Ben wiped at his eyes before tears could form.

  “If you didn’t cry I wouldn’t think very highly of you Benjamin Anderson.” Aubrey found herself in his tight embrace once again, her head leaned against his shoulder.

  “Why did you invite me over?”

  “Because I didn’t want you to be alone.”

  “Or because you didn’t want to be alone.”

  Aubrey lifted her head from his shoulder and looked into his piercing eyes. “Both.”

  The want in their eyes matched.

  “I don’t want to feel pain anymore.” Aubrey raised her hands from his chest to the sides of his neck.

  “Neither do I.” Ben’s arms lowered to the small of her back.

  “I want to feel something else. Something to make me forget about this hellish reality. The inexplicable cruelty of this world.” She ran the backside of her hand down his scruffy jawline. “Do you?”

  “What happens when we wake up and the pain is still there?”

  “At least we’ll have a temporary escape. I need to escape.”

  “You know I love you Aubrey.”

  “I know.” Aubrey pulled at his neck and their lips met in a soft kiss.

  The fact that Aubrey hadn’t returned his sentiment didn’t escape Ben’s notice.

  “What are these things I needed to know?”

  “Not now Ben. I’m not talking about forever, I’m talking about right now. Right now I want you. Isn’t that enough?”

  “No.” Ben answered candidly. “But I’ll hope for more.”

  Ben claimed her lips in a more wanting kiss. Aubrey pulled him back to her bedroom and pushed him down onto the bed. Standing in front of him she slowly disrobed. Her drenched tee shirt hit the floor, followed by her jeans. She stood in front of him with only her black push up bra and black lace bikini underwear looking unbelievably tempting.

  Attractive would not be a proper adjective to describe her at that moment. Her hair was frizzled and tangled from the rain, her make up gone, her eyes puffy from lack of sleep, but to Ben she was beautiful. His imagination couldn’t match what he stared forward at.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said breathless. Aubrey tugged his shirt motioning for him to stand. Ben followed her lead and she worked at the buttons on his green uniform top. Not able to wait any longer by her slow strip tease, he disrobed leaving only his boxers on and pulled her into bed.

  “Make me forget.” Aubrey said between kisses.

  “I don’t want you to forget this.” Ben unclasped the snap on the front of her bra and disposed of it without difficulty. Starting at her lips, he kissed her sweetly and worked his way south. Down her neck, her collarbone, her breasts, her ribcage, to her stomach and then lingered. He tugged down her bikini underwear and those too hit the floor. Ben lowered himself on top of her and pushed her legs open.

  “I’d have easier access if you’d dispose of yours as well.” Aubrey slid her hand under the elastic of his boxer briefs.

  “That can be easily arranged.” The final piece of clothing separating their bodies hit the floor. Aubrey wrapped her calves around Ben’s and ran her hands down his rigid back.

  “Make love to me.”

  There was no hesitation in Ben’s actions to follow, nor Aubrey’s. They writhed together in ecstasy with no forethought of the future, enjoying the moment, enjoying one another.

  *****

  “Aubrey.” Ben tried to rouse her from her sound sleep. Six hours had passed as they lay wrapped in one another’s embrace, forgetting just temporarily, the same reality that would be there when they awoke.<
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  “Mmmm.” Aubrey opened her eyes and smiled at Ben. “Morning.” Even though it was mid-afternoon.