48. Bennett
FORTY-EIGHT
BENNETT
All the time in the world sounds great, but I’m quickly reminded that space and time are two very different things, and just as Marley is melting back into me, the barn door bangs open and Karl and Nancy step in.
“I knew petting the dogs was part of the job description, Bennett, but I didn’t know your employees were encouraged to do that to people too,” Karl says, laughing as he walks right up to Marley and pulls her out of my arms and into his for a backbreaking hug.
Our confusion must show because Nancy adds some much-needed context. “Teddy is making out with some woman in a car in your driveway.”
“Yes!” Cass shouts from behind us. “Pay up, boss man,” she says, holding her hand out towards me.
“I never took that bet, Cass. And Teddy’s off the clock. I don’t care who or what he pets in his off time, as long as it’s consensual.”
“Oh, it definitely seemed consensual,” Nancy says, hugging Marley with a bit less force than her husband, but not by much. “ I’m so glad you’re back. Now this guy won’t have to bring him any more baby animals.” She gestures between me and Karl.
“The only true way to distract Bennett from his sorrow is with adorable baby animals. Worked like a charm.”
“Yeah, you weren’t very subtle about it, though,” I say, gently pulling Marley back into my arms.
“Didn’t stop you from taking them all in.” Karl’s booming laugh fills the barn.
“Wait, how many?” Marley asks.
“Lloyd, a couple of kittens, and a young deer,” I say nonchalantly.
“A deer?”
“He went to a wildlife rehabilitation place after being here for a couple of days. I already had my hands full.”
“Anyway,” Nancy interrupts, “I’m sure you two have lots to catch up on, so we’re going to take off. I’ve left a lasagna and an apple crisp on the porch. Bake both at 350 for an hour. That gives you time to be doing some… reacquainting while dinner cooks.” She winks, waves, and drags Karl out.
“She’s as subtle as a thunderstorm,” Cass says, shaking her head. “Bennett, I can finish up everything here and deal with some of the emails that came in overnight if you want to go show Marley what you’ve done in the house.”
I thank her and take Marley’s hand to lead her out of the barn and towards the house. I grab the bag Nancy left by the door before opening it and ushering her inside.
“Bennett!” she breathes out as she slips her boots off and takes a look at the kitchen.
“Karl thought I needed more animals to keep me distracted, but this probably helped more.”
“It’s… well, it’s fucking perfect is what it is,” she says running her fingers along the white marble counters and taking in the dusty blue cupboards. Everything but the appliances and one other thing in this room is different. The island counter doesn’t match the rest. When she notices, she turns to me with one eyebrow raised.
“I wasn’t quite ready to replace that yet.” I follow her towards it, caging her in from behind as she smoothes her hand across the surface. “I’ve got a butcher block piece for the island, but I wasn’t ready,” I whisper, dropping my lips to her neck.
“Bennett,” she says quietly, turning to face me before slowly pulling herself up to sit on the counter. She guides me between her legs and hooks her ankles around the back of my thighs, pulling me into her. “It’s perfect. I love it.”
“I love you, Marley,” I say, kissing her deeply. When I pull away, she’s laughing. “Is loving you so funny?”
“Not at all. It’s just… Well, this whole scenario is kind of funny. I feel like I’m stuck in a book or a dream or something. It doesn’t feel real.”
“Anything I can do to make it feel real for you?” I ask, leaning in and placing my lips on the skin just below her ear.
“I can think of a couple of things that might help.”
And then I fulfill one of my greatest desires as I hoist her over my shoulder and carry her up to my bedroom. She giggles the entire way but stops the minute her back hits the mattress. She props herself up on her elbows and openly admires me from the bed. I let her look for a minute before my patience melts away and I crawl over her, pushing her back down gently.
I start at her neck and kiss until I get to her lips, then I drag my teeth over and off that damn bottom lip. “Feel real yet, sweetheart?” I whisper, reaching down to unbutton her jeans.
“It’s starting to,” she squeaks.
“Good.” I grin against her skin as I slide the zipper down.
“Oh, and Bennett?” she says, her hand reaching down to still mine.
“Yes, Marley?”
“Don’t you dare be gentle with me,” she commands as she reaches for the hem of my shirt and rips it off.
“Yes, ma’am,” I say before following orders.
“Is it weird that your employees know that you fucked off to go… well, fuck?” Marley lies back, breathing heavily, after round two. At some point while we were cuddling, I heard the sound of tires on snow and figured that it had been Nellie and Teddy leaving.
“It wasn’t until you said it out loud.” I laugh nervously.
“It’s been good, though? Having help?”
“Yes. I definitely haven’t had as many headaches, which I must admit has been nice.”
“Good.” She kisses the skin over my heart before laying her head down again. “One of my what-ifs was what if I hadn’t sprained my ankle, I would have eventually made my way back to my car, and that would have been it. We never would have met.”
“What a tragedy that would have been,” I reply, playing with her hair.
“I never would have gotten out of the cycle of stubborn independence, and you would have never hired anyone.”
“The rest of it all matters, sure, but I think the whole not meeting thing is what I dislike most about that timeline. I am sorry you had to be in pain for us to meet, but it was kind of worth it in the end.”
“Oh, I’d sprain both ankles again in a heartbeat if it meant having you just like this.”
A beep sounds from below us, and she sits up and scoots to the edge of the bed. “As comfortable as you are, I have gone too many weeks without Nancy’s sauce.”
“Oh my god. If you had never sprained your ankle, you would never know the joys of that Hore’s sauce. ”
“Don’t you dare joke about such a thing, Bennett John Edmund Morgan.”
Once we’ve gotten dressed, something I argued against until Marley made the excellent point about people around here having very few boundaries, Marley hops on my back for old time’s sake.
Sitting at the island next to her feels surreal. If this is a dream, I never want to wake up from it.
When we are done eating, we stand together doing dishes. “I love this,” Marley says as she dries the last plate.
“Doing dishes?” I ask.
“Doing dishes with you, laughing with you, eating with you, existing with you.” She slips the plate into the cupboard and turns fully towards me, reaching for my hand. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Bennett.” She smiles shyly.
I thought hearing her say she was in love with me was the highlight of today. But as it turns out, being not just someone’s best thing, but your someone’s best thing, is the greatest thing of all. I pull her into me so I can just hold her and appreciate how of all the paths I’ve taken in my life, the most unexpected one quite literally led me to her.