Maggie - Uncle Benny the bachelor
My first thought when I woke up that morning was that I dreamed up talking to Ben last night. Because I was a little more groggy each time he woke me up.
But when I turned to the side, my heart melted.
There he was, still slumped in the recliner chair wearing a black henley and gray sweatpants. He looked so boy-ish and innocent in his sleep. So different from the take-charge, no fears guy he was just yesterday when he was dragging limp bodies out of a crumbled up car.
His poor neck fell at an angle that I knew couldn’t be comfortable, and I wondered if he got any good sleep last night.
I quietly rolled out of bed, dragging my comforter with me, and carefully wrapped it around him before padding out of the room to take a shower.
In the hallway, I could hear Coleson snoring like a chainsaw from where he fell asleep on the living room couch.
As I showered, thoughts of Ben consumed my brain. He tried to be robotic, like nothing phased him, but I knew him better than that now. He felt deeply. He cared. He worried. And I could’ve sworn he kissed me last night– on the top of my head, but still, that counted, didn’t it?
And while I wanted to make a move, the fear of ruining the comfort we had right now stopped me.
Because I’d take this little comfort with him over a full blown relationship with someone else.
And that realization was kind of daunting.
________
After driving about an hour south, Ben mumbled, “We’ve gotta make a quick stop first.” He had those damn sunglasses shielding his eyes, also shielding what he was feeling from me.
He dressed slightly differently today– I was used to his work clothes– aka him wearing only joggers and henleys or a t-shirt. But today, he had on jeans that hugged him perfectly, workboots, a t-shirt with a flannel overtop, and a hat slung backwards over his hair.
I changed about five times, not knowing how dressy to go for the party, but after seeing his outfit, I relaxed and settled on jeans and a v-neck cable-knit sweater.
“Ah, Mama Banksy’s favorite. Trying to butter her up?” Coleson snickered from the back seat right as Ben pulled into the Dunkin Donuts drive-thru.
“Trying to avoid the lecture, more like it,” Ben grumbled.
“Lecture?” I pipped in.
“For not coming home enough.” He opened the window and rattled off two coffee orders, and then mine. For some reason, it shocked me that he knew my coffee order.
But before he passed me my medium iced coffee with extra caramel, no cream, he paused and held it out of my reach. “I’m trusting you to drink water after this, got it?”
Such a sour patch kid. I rolled my eyes and pulled the coffee from him. “Thank you, Ben.”
He just grunted his response.
“Wait,” Coleson said from the back, his eyebrows tugging together. “You think I should’ve gotten one for…” he gulped, “her?”
Ben made eye contact with him in the rearview mirror. “Probably wouldn’t hurt.”
Coleson hopped out of the car and ran into the Dunkin.
“What was that about?”
“You’ll see,” he said.
“So… are we keeping this situation a secret?” I whirled a finger between us.
His body stilled. “Situation?”
“Yeah, ya know, the bodyguard situation?” I asked.
His muscular shoulders kind of deflated. What was that about? His lips tugged up in a boy-ish grin. “Well, you already heavily implied that you were mine.”
A laugh popped out of me “I did do that, sorry.”
He shrugged his large shoulders. “You already started the ruse, you little liar, we can’t backpedal now.” He took a sip of his boring black coffee. “Guess we have to act the part.”
“Guess so,” I said, taking a sip of my delicious coffee, all the while knowing that the only thing I’d be lying about today would be the so-called “acting.” Because God only knew that I truly wanted him.
__________
As soon as we pulled up to the ranch-style home at the end of the cul-de-sac, a bunch of kids ran out to the driveway.
Three little girls in dresses with dark hair ran up to Ben. The boys, two blondies, plowed into Coleson, knocking the iced coffee he was holding to the ground.
“You monsters destroyed my peace offering!” he hollered at the little guys while mock-wrestling them to the ground.
Ben snickered as he picked up the smallest girl in his arms. The little girl adorably patted his cheek as he talked to her, and I had to squelch the tugging sensation in my heart.
Ben turned to me then. “These are Addie’s girls, those are Conor’s boys.” He walked ahead, but kept glancing back to make sure I was following.
“Where’s the birthday girl?” Ben called out as soon as he entered the house.
The older woman with short auburn hair, who I guessed was Eileen, came out of the room and gave him a hug and reached up to pat his cheek.
Ben handed her the coffee.
“You know the way to my heart, don’t you, my dear?” she said with a bright smile. Then her bright eyes settled on me. “And you must be Maggie?” She gave me a mischievous grin.
“Hi, yes.” I reached out for a handshake, but she harrumphed and pulled me into a surprising hug instead.
The toddler, stuck in a highchair and wearing nothing but a bib and a paper crown over thin auburn ringlets, gave a squeal, demanding everyone’s attention.
“There’s the birthday girl,” Ben said with an adorable grin, making his dimple pop out. He stalked over and dropped a kiss on her head, just to pull back immediately. “Oh God.” His nose scrunched in a way that reminded me of the day he led Archie to the office after the fire drill. “Is that barf? In her bib?”
“Ah, yeah, she’s a little sick.” A woman with long auburn hair came out of the kitchen holding a large platter of raw hot dogs and hamburgers.
“You weren’t gonna tell us she was all pukey?”
“She’s probably not contagious.” The red-head shrugged casually. “If we waited ‘til every kid here was healthy, we’d never have a party.”
“Yeah, well, I already had lice this year, don’t need the pukes too.” Ben shuddered.
“Ah that explains it,” Eileen said, reaching up to snatch his hat away.
“Explains what?” He rubbed a hand over his buzzcut and gave Eileen an indulgent smile.
“Where your pretty hair went,” she grumped.
“That’s what I said,” I chirped in, which earned me a grin from Eileen.
“Yeah, yeah.” Ben rolled his eyes and stole his hat back to put backwards over his hair. “You need help with that, Pen?”
“If you don’t mind,” the auburn-haired woman, Pen, said.
Ben easily whisked the platter from her and made his way to the backyard. Eileen followed him out and gave me a wink and mouthed we’ll talk later to me.
“I wish he brought me a coffee,” she pouted before turning to me. “And you must be Maggie.” She gave me a dazzling smile as she walked over to her toddler. “I’m Penny, and this is my daughter, Tilly.” She planted a kiss on Tilly’s head.
Ben’s conversation about his family after I epi-penned myself came roaring to the front of my mind. Pen married a Navy Seal. I think she met him through Conor. He passed away. She has a two-year-old, Tilly.
“Hi.” I gave her a warm smile and waved at the toddler, who just stared at me.
“So how did you and Ben meet?”
I hesitated for a second because lying to his family suddenly felt all wrong.
She gave me a knowing smile. “Don’t worry about it, we all have our secrets.”
Coleson walked in holding both young boys upside down in his arms. The smile immediately dropped off Penny’s face.
“Penny.” Coleson’s voice sounded strained.
Penny recovered quickly, giving a pleasant, but slightly manic-looking smile. “Mind if you watch her for a minute?”
I pointed at myself. “Me?”
She nodded and scurried outside without waiting for an answer.
I looked back to Coleson, who’s eyes were still on her retreating figure.
I was about to ask about the awkwardness between the two of them, but another guy came barrelling into the room.
“Ayyy.” The built blonde guy pulled Coleson into a bro-hug back slap.
“What’s up, Banksy?” Coleson’s easy smile slid back onto his face, but didn’t make it up to his eyes.
“Not too much, I see you got my boys, here.” He started tickling his boy’s stomachs and they wriggled to escape. He turned to me then. “And you must be the famous Maggie I’ve been hearing about? Conor Banks,” he said, extending a hand out to me.
“Hopefully all good things,” I said with a nervous smile, returning the handshake.
Conor laughed and stood back to assess me. He cocked his head towards his buddy. “You’re totally right, Coleson.”
Totally right about what?
Coleson just wagged his eyebrows mischievously.
________
We were all in the backyard, enjoying the sunny, slightly chilly, fall day. Most of the adults were seated at the patio set on the deck. Coleson and Conor were playing football with the boys– they were mainly playing football with each other while the little ones tried to tackle them. I was down here on the grassy lawn because the little girls wanted to show me their jump roping tricks.
I clapped for the girls after they finished jumping to each nursery rhyme they sang, and I even taught them a “new one” aka “fudge, fudge, call the judge.”
I could sense Ben behind me, I knew him by his pine needle and fresh laundry scent. His muscular arm came around my waist, shocking me. And then he dropped a kiss on my shoulder, his scruff grazing my skin in the process, making my breath hitch.
“Wh-what are you doing?” I whispered, angling my neck to see his eyes.
“Playing the part,” he said casually. He tipped his beer up to take a sip. “I hate lying, I suck at it if you haven’t noticed.”
I swallowed hard. “Well, you’re playing this part pretty damn well.” My heart screamed: Are you lying? Or is this what you want too?
His eyes sobered. “Maggie, I–”
Tilly waddled up and tugged at my pant leg.
Ben eased back by a fraction and my heart deflated a little.
“That’s her way of saying she wants up,” Ben said.
“Can I?” I asked, smiling down at the adorable toddler, trying not to feel crestfallen that he completely backed away.
“Yeah, why not?”
My cheeks heated. “Well, what if her mom doesn’t feel comfortable with that?” I hadn’t picked up a baby in literal years. I wanted to hold her, but I was nervous.
“She won’t care.”
“How do you know?” I quipped.
“Penny!” Ben’s voice boomed across the lawn. I immediately elbowed his stomach, making him “oof” and then grin.
“Don’t make me sound like a weirdo,” I hissed.
He rolled his eyes. “You are being a weirdo.” He directed his attention back to his sister. “Mags wants to know if she can pick up Tilly.”
“Yes, please!” Penny laughed. “She always wants up and my back needs a break.”
“See.”
Tilly started opening and closing her hands, trying to get my attention. It kind of made me feel special that she wanted me .
Ben gave my hip a squeeze. “Careful with your wrist, Jinx.”
The care in his words made my heart stutter.
As soon as I picked her up, Tilly wrapped her little arms around my neck and rested her cheek on my shoulder and I all but melted. I never wanted to let her go.
Ben snorted a laugh at my expression
“Don’t be mean,” I shushed him. “I need all the baby cuddles I can get.”
He readjusted his hat, making his biceps bulge. “Whatever you say, Jinx.”
I reached out to swat him, but he swiftly backed away. “You’re just asking to hurt your wrist again, aren’t you?”
I gave him a playful eye roll. “It’s fully healed. Doctor cleared it and everything.”
He reached down and intertwined his fingers with mine, then lifted our joined hands to study my wrist. In a shocking move, he brought my wrist to his lips and lightly kissed it. “It’s still delicate. I don’t want you to get hurt again.”
Those damn butterflies erupted in my stomach. Over his words, over the way he said them.
Maybe he was just playing the part, but it was obvious that he truly cared. He cared more than just a regular old bodyguard. I wasn’t crazy, the evidence was all over his face.
“Dude, are you burning our food?!” Conor yelled across the lawn before his little boys ran and tried to tackle him.
“He’s gonna be more whipped than you,” Coleson said, throwing the football back to Conor.
“I’m not whipped,” Conor hurled the football back at his head.
“Yes you are, honey!” his wife, Mallory, called out from her place on the deck, making the other women laugh.
Mallory skipped down the deck steps and moved towards me then. “Please drink this for me,” she said, shoving a red solo cup in my hand. Tilly lunged for her and Mallory happily caught her and bounced her on her hip.
“Huh? What is it?” I chuckled, staring down at the drink.
“Jim beam coffee liqueur and vanilla faygo. It tastes amazing, but it’s probably strong as hell because Coleson made it.”
“You don’t want it?” I asked, sniffing it.
She rolled her lips together and wagged her eyebrows, her eyes twinkled happily.
“Oh?”
Her hand drifted to her abdomen.
My eyebrows flew up. “Oh!” I wanted to grab her into a hug and congratulate her, but I also didn’t want to make a scene considering she seemed to be keeping it hush hush.
“Did Cap okay that?” Coleson said behind me, making me jump.
“ Okay it? ” Mallory’s hands went to her hips. “She has her own mind, Joseph.”
“She? Me?” I asked incredulously.
“Yupp, Cap’s not gonna be happy about that, Jinx,” he said, nodding to the red solo cup in my hand,
“Hey, she’s concussed, don’t give her alcohol,” Ben said, his eyes narrowing on the cup in question.
Coleson gave Mallory a told you so look.
“I am not concussed,” I told Ben with a laugh, taking a big sip just to rattle him a little.
Mallory was right, while the drink was very sweet, it was extremely strong, and the whiskey burned the back of my throat as it went down. I tried my hardest not to make a face as I swallowed.
Ben shook his head at me. “Be careful with that,” he grunted before turning back to the grille.
“I’d get drunk if I were you,” Mallory said with a laugh, “just to push his buttons.”
That was maybe a good idea… Maybe the alcohol would make me stop overthinking every move Ben made in his tight-fitting jeans…
When we all sat around the table eating the food Ben prepared, somehow the conversation made it back to Ben getting lice.
“Can we not, guys? I just want to enjoy my food,” Ben complained.
“Aww,” I patted his shoulder, making the others laugh.
“You should see the picture Maggie has of lice boy,” Coleson pipped in.
“No.” Ben glared at Coleson.
I was already retrieving my phone to find it for them.
“Maggie,” Ben warned.
I quickly tossed my phone to Coleson. “Oops.”
“Ooh, Ben’s mad!” Addy, the oldest sister, laughed.
“You’re right. That little vein in his throat is popping out,” Eileen joined in.
“It is!” Penny laughed, pointing at the wobbly vein.
Ben slapped his hand to his throat and glared at me. I shrugged my shoulders at him, struggling hard not to laugh in his face.
“This is gold,” Conor chortled.
“Okay, enough.” Ben reached across the table and stole my phone back.
After dinner, Conor started a bonfire, and all the adults started slowly trickling outside. Penny and I were having a conversation about romance novels, so I followed her out to continue talking.
When Ben finally came out, he was carrying a blanket, but there were no seats left. Without hesitating, he walked over to me, swiftly picked me up, then slid me on his lap.
I draped the blanket around us and he held my waist and rested his scruffy chin on my shoulder. It felt so natural, being with him. And he claimed he didn’t lie, so what did that mean? That this was real? I was so confused, but my heart fluttered at the possibility… The possibility that we could fall into such an easy rhythm of this, that we could be a team, and do things for each other without asking because we just knew each other that well.
“Yeah, well, he’s gonna be the most whipped husband of us all,” Conor said, pulling me from my thoughts.
“Me?” Ben asked incredulously.
“Yeah, you. Can’t wait to see the day,” Conor laughed.
Ben scoffed. “You’ll never see it because I’m never getting married.”
And there was the sour punch of reality. I practically winced. We were pretending to be together, fully pretending. He didn’t owe me anything. so I don’t know why hearing him say that hurt for real.
Reading my emotions all too perfectly, Penny inconspicuously patted my hand.
When people started saying their goodbyes, I found myself not wanting to leave the warmth of the fire, and their family. I missed family time, I missed being around people who loved each other, and I made a mental note to call home next week.
“I’ll get our jackets,” Ben said, easily sliding me off his lap.
And that left just me and Penny sitting there together in front of the crackling fire.
“He likes you,” she said quietly.
“Oh,” I chewed on my bottom lip nervously. “We’re not actually… we’re kinda just…” I had no clue what to say to her, but I desperately wanted to drop the lies and confide in her.
“Oh we all kinda know,” Penny laughed. “Ben is a shit liar. But from the way he looks at you, I think he wants to believe the lie as much as he wants us to.”
I replayed her words about five times, clinging to the possibility that she could be right.
“I’ll see you next time,” she said, standing with a sigh. “I gotta go check on Tilly.”
Bitter reality punched into me at the prospect that I might never see any of them again. As soon as I testified, Ben would be gone, and all of this would be over. “There might not be–”
“I’ll see you next time,” she said more firmly with a smile.