Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
Gretchen
“Thanks for doing this,” Liam says as he lets me in the door.
“Not a problem. I love kids.”
I enter their home and Natalie rushes down the stairs.
“Gretchen! You saved me, you have no idea!”
“Seriously, guys, it’s babysitting, I’m happy to do it. Not like I have anything going on that I can’t step away from.”
My life...is boring. I sit around Jackson and Catherine’s apartment, clean, sit some more, clean up again, and stop myself from texting Ben.
That’s my life.
“Still, we appreciate it.” Natalie smiles. “Liam promised me a date three weeks ago and then the kids got sick which led to the man-flu, which is a whole other type of disease.”
I laugh. “Oh, I remember all too well when Harold got sick.”
She rolls her eyes. “What is it with men? I get sick and I still function.”
Liam clears his throat. “Umm, sweetheart, if you need to be reminded of that one time you were sick...”
“One time. One. Not the sniffles, I was on my death bed,” she says with a challenge in her voice.
“See what I deal with?” Liam says to me.
“No way am I stepping in this one.”
Natalie and Liam go over the basics of where everything is. Their home is color coded by child and in bins, which makes my crazy-organized-self happy.
There’s a knock on the door. “Who the hell?” Lee looks at Liam and makes her way to the door.
When she opens it, my heartrate spikes.
There, in a pair of running shorts and a shirt with the arms cut off stands a very sweaty and very sexy Ben. I lean against the wall, needing the structure to keep me upright. The shirt clings to his chest, showing every muscle that I know is hiding under there. His shorts are baggy and for the first time, I get a glimpse of his prosthetic leg. All I can think is, damn. Damn him for being so hot. Damn my stupid hormones for kicking into high gear.
I bite my lip and rest my head to the side, hoping to keep myself from drooling.
“Hey, what’s up?” Liam asks.
His eyes meet mine, watching me watch him. “Hey,” he says to Liam but is looking at me. “I got your text about needing someone to watch the kids and was doing some exercises...”
“Oh, shit. I forgot I didn’t send you a text saying Gretchen was able to help out.”
It’s been three days since we’ve seen each other. After the kiss we shared, he flew out to California to meet with Jackson. I didn’t know he was back or what happened, but I’ve longed to see him.
Which is totally crazy.
Ben and I are a bad idea. I’m a little broken, he’s a little angry—okay, a lot angry. I don’t know anything about his past and while he knows some of mine, it’s just stupid to get into anything.
And yet, I kissed him.
He’s kissed me and all I want is to be in his arms again.
Natalie looks at Ben and then at me. “Ben, why don’t you stay and help Gretchen?”
“Huh?” Liam asks.
“Yeah.” She places her hand on his arm. “It would be great to know that there were two of you in case Shane wakes up. That way she’s not alone. She’s not really familiar with the area, and you know...”
“I’m sure she—” Liam starts but then stops when he catches her face. “…could use the help.”
Ben’s lips turn to a sly smile. “It’s up to her.”
Here’s my chance to stop whatever this is. If I tell him to go, we can go back to being friends or colleagues and move on. It’s what I should do. “Stay,” I say, proving I’m a total idiot.
“Then I will.”
There’s a thickness in the air. Me asking him to stay and him agreeing to do so feels like some sort of admission or surrender, but yet a challenge at the same time.
Our eyes stay locked, neither of us willing to break the stare first.
“Great.” Liam claps his hands together, causing us both to look away. “Shane is asleep and should stay that way, but you never know with him. Aarabelle is watching a movie, and will probably sucker you into doing something she shouldn’t.”
I nod. “Got it.”
Liam turns to Ben. “Okay, and the most important thing though is don’t use any kind of rope, tape, glue, or bungee cords to tie up a diaper. Trust me, it doesn’t work.”
Natalie rolls her eyes. “Not everyone is as extra as you, babe. I’m sure Ben can handle it.”
“He’s a single dude, we’re not all that up to speed on babies. Plus, he’s likely to break things, like the stupid tabs of a diaper.”
“Thanks for the tip, Dreamboat.”
“Anytime, Hulk.”
The whole call sign thing to me is so fun. Sure, we call Ashton an idiot, but it’s not really a call sign. I can only imagine what they’d come up with for the girls. I know Mark has given Natalie one, which is Sparkles and Catherine is Kitty, and apparently, I’m Jilted. Being a part of their team is supposed to have perks. I guess nicknames that make you want to scream is just one.
“Okay, any other questions before they start punching each other?” Natalie asks.
I shake my head. “I think we’re good. I’ll call or text if there is anything else.”
Aarabelle comes out from the living room. “Gretchen! Yay! Uncle Ben!”
“Hey, Peanut!”
She runs to Ben. He scoops her up and she begins to squirm with a case of the giggles. “You’re all sweaty!”
“I was exercising, which is something your Athair fails to do. It’s why he’s getting scrawny in his old age.”
I love how Aarabelle calls Liam that. Since she’s not his daughter, but he is her father in every way that matters, they wanted a name that meant something. Liam is very passionate about his Irish roots so they use the Gaelic term for father. It’s sweet and special between them.
“Athair?” Aarabelle questions Liam. “Are you scrawny?”
His eyes narrow. “No. I’m stronger than your Uncle Ben, that’s for sure.”
“Uncle Ben has big muscles.”
“And little brains.”
Natalie steps in. “Aara, why don’t you show Gretchen the movie you’re watching?”
“Okay, come on Miss Gretchen, I’m watching princesses !”
I take her little hand in mine and smile. I really love this kid, she’s so sweet and respectful. “I love princesses!”
“Me too!”
Natalie clutches her hands to her chest and mouths: thank you.
“Uncle Ben! You have to watch princesses too!” Aarabelle calls.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” he says with a laugh.
The front door closes and Ben makes his way in. Aara and I are sitting on the couch and he sits on the other side of her. She scoots closer to him and tosses her legs up onto mine. “I love Cinderella. She’s the best.”
Ben’s gaze meets mine. “You know, Gretchen loved Belle when we were kids.”
“Really?” she asks with her eyes wide.
“Yeah, I sure did. She was smart, independent, and had goals.”
“She also loved a big beast.”
“She did.”
Aarabelle completely missed the entire reasons why I think Belle is a badass, but sure, love wins all and what not. At least to a six-year-old.
“Uncle Ben, you’re big like the Beast.”
Oh God.
He chuckles. “I think I’m bigger and scarier.”
She shrugs and looks back at me and then leaps to her feet. “We can play princesses. You can be Belle, Uncle Ben can be the Beast and I’ll be...” She seems to ponder what role she wants. “I’ll be the pretty enchantress!”
“Aara...” Ben says and almost as if she knows that he’s going to shoot down her dreams of being the enchantress, she juts her lip out.
Well played, kid. Well played.
“But.” She tilts her head to the side. “Don’t you want to play?”
“Fine,” he grumbles. “You don’t play fair.”
She grins as if she’s well aware of her power over these big, strong men. I could learn a thing or two from her.