“I wouldn’t want to impose!” the man exclaimed.
“It’s no imposition at all. I work from home so I’m home all day,” Ben insisted.
Jack looked back at his truck. “That would be very generous of you. I think the missus would prefer sleeping in a bed than in the car.”
“Sure. I’m just right here. You can pull into my driveway and I’ll meet you out front,” Ben suggested.
“Will do,” Jack said with a nod and headed back to his truck.
Ben went up his driveway and slipped inside his front door. Gretchen met him with a brilliant smile. “Hi, could you ask Lucy to change the sheets and pillow cases on the bed in the guest bedroom. We’re about to have guests and they’d been driving all night so they’ll need to sleep in there.” She nodded and rushed off to find Lucy as Ben stepped back outside.
They were getting out of the truck and Ben got his first look at Catherine’s mom. She was petite, maybe 5′ 5″, and a smaller version of her daughter. Obviously Catherine got her height from her 6′ father. Based on Catherine’s age both parents had to have been at least a year or two into their sixties but they both looked like they might only be in their fifties. He smiled at them as Jack carried some luggage with him up to the door.
“Welcome! I’m Ben. Come inside where it’s warm.”
“Lynda,” she said shaking his hand and stepping into the foyer.
Ben followed Jack in and noticed Tina, Lucy, and Gretchen had gathered in the hallway to greet their visitors. “Let me introduce Tina Lee, Lucy Bennett, and Gretchen Hahn. Ladies, this is Jack and Lynda McGovern, Catherine’s parents.” Three beautiful smiles beamed back at the surprised parents.
“Oh my! Such lovely women and I look like a train wreck from driving all night.” Lynda fretted.
“That’s silly! You’re gorgeous! I can see where Catherine gets her looks,” Ben said with a smile.
“Already flirting with my wife?” Jack said with a fake snarl. Lynda playfully slapped his arm and smiled at Ben.
She looked closer at the women and noticed the casts. “Oh! Was there an accident?” she gasped.
Tina shook her head. “I was pushed over a store display by a nasty reporter almost six weeks ago.”
Gretchen, taking a cue from Tina, answered next. “My husband broke my arm. He died,” she blurted and blushed furiously. She looked at Ben nervously. She still wasn’t comfortable around people.
Jack’s eyebrows went way up and he glanced at Ben.
“He was abusive and was beating her when he slipped and fell off the boat we were on and into Sydney Harbour. Sharks got to him,” Ben said with a grim but satisfied expression.
Lynda then noticed Tina’s baby bump. That was a happier topic! “Ah! When are you due?”
“March,” Tina replied with a happy smile.
“June,” Lucy blurted then her mouth dropped open in embarrassment as her face flushed a deep red.
Confused and surprised eyes turned to Ben once more. “Lucy just discovered this morning that there’s a very good chance she’s pregnant. It’s been an exciting day and it’s not even noon,” he said with a chagrined smile. “Listen, we can have a more formal introduction later but I think you both should get some rest. The guest room is just down the hall, the first door on the left. The guest bathroom is across the hall. Fresh sheets on the bed and fresh towels,” he looked at Lucy and she nodded, “are on the bed for your use as well.”
“That’s very kind of you. Sleep sounds like a good idea,” Jack said guiding his dazed wife along towards the bedroom. “A few hours of shut eye are just what the doctor ordered.”
“There are guest robes on the back of the door as well,” Tina offered.
“Thank you,” Lynda replied as she passed. The couple went into the bedroom and closed the door. Ben smiled at the ladies as Lucy walked up to him and leaned her head on his chest.
“I royally fucked up that introduction. I’m sorry,” she moaned.
Ben chuckled and gave her a hug. “Don’t be silly! They seem like good people. It’s fine.”
Gretchen was standing before him, looking anxious. “Did I ruin the introductions?”
“Not at all. You did very well,” he replied and she smiled timidly at him.
“Lucy has an appointment with my obstetrician Monday morning at 8:30AM,” Tina said. “My appointment to get my cast removed is on the following Friday.” Ben nodded.
Lucy looked up from his chest. “You and Gretchen have a 10AM appointment next Wednesday at a fertility clinic. I wrote the address down for you on the pad in the kitchen. Did you know Gretchen has never used the Internet?”
“It is most wondrous! So much information at your fingertips! So many things to see!” Gretchen gushed, wide eyed.
“Not all of it is safe to look at,” Ben suggested and Lucy grinned at him. “I suppose I should pick up a tablet for Gretchen… and a cell phone.” Lucy nodded.
“I get my own tablet and cell phone?” Gretchen asked incredulously.
Lucy snorted quietly and moved to the living room with Tina as Ben took Gretchen’s hand and drew her to stand close before him.
“Yes… Gretchen, you’re part of my family. We’re going to be married and we’re going to try to have a baby. Buying you some electronics is the least of it.”
She blushed then looked at his mouth. “May I ask for a kiss?” she asked quietly.
He smiled and took her face between his hands as he caressed her mouth with his. She caught her breath and he kissed her a little more firmly, nibbling her lips with his. She really did have wonderfully soft lips. He avoided touching the spot that Rainor had split as it was healing nicely.
Her eyes were dreamy when he pulled back and she was breathing hard. She bit her lip as she watched his mouth.
“We should probably stop now and pick this up later,” Ben said, adjusting himself in his pants.
She trembled seeing him do that and dark eyes looked hungrily into his. “I feel so tingly,” she whispered.
He smiled. “Me too.” He kissed her nose making her blink then walked into the living room with her following close behind. He picked up his laptop and settled on his chair. Gretchen found a spot on the couch beside Lucy who was using her tablet. Tina was on Lucy’s other side using her own tablet.
He worked for a moment then felt himself being watched. He looked up over the screen and saw Gretchen smiling back at him. Tina and Lucy were lost in their own worlds. Ben snorted softly and shut down his laptop. He stowed it away in the case and stood up. “Let’s go buy you a tablet and phone.”
Gretchen climbed off the couch and rushed to get her jacket and boots. Ben gave Tina and Lucy a kiss and headed over to get his jacket, boots and keys. “We’ll be back shortly.” They nodded happily.
Ben maneuvered his truck around Jack’s as he pulled down the driveway and they were off. They drove over to the big box electronics store and parked. Ben held out his left elbow and Gretchen put her right hand through to rest it on his arm. She flashed him one of her brilliant smiles which gleamed against the dark lipstick she’d applied before they left the house.
They made their way to the tablets and Ben picked out one that matched the ones Tina and Lucy had but in black to make it different from their white and gold ones. Then he brought her over to choose a cell phone. He pointed to a touch screen phone and she nodded happily. She picked the black one to match her tablet. Ben asked her to pick out a protective case for it and told her the make and model of the phone so she would find one that fit. She walked off to find one while Ben sat with the salesman while they set up her cell number and linked her account to his. Gretchen returned with a blinged out case which was encrusted with crystals to make it look like it was covered in diamonds. There was certainly no way her phone would be mistaken for anyone else’s at home. She looked at him hopefully and he just chuckled and added it to the purchases. He paid and they left the store.
“I’ll set up the tablet for you when we get home but the cell is ready to use. Ask Tina or Lucy to help you add important numbers into your address book,” he said handing her the phone and the bling case. They got in the truck and she worked on getting the phone into the stiff case. They made it home and she was still struggling to get it in. She looked at Ben with a pout and handed it to him. He ran his thumbs along the edge and popped it in. She grinned excitedly when he handed it back. They went inside and she immediately rushed off to the living room to show the women her new phone.
He made his way there and spent the next fifteen minutes running the set up on the device. Soon he had it configured for his network and she was online. The machine restarted and was ready for use.
“It’s ready. Please get instructions from Lucy on safe surfing practices and good sites to use,” he said handing over her tablet. She looked at him hopefully as he looked up at her expectantly. She tentatively touched her lip and he smiled and nodded. She immediately dipped her face down to kiss him. Then she rushed over to the couch to sit with Lucy.
Ben spent the next three hours corresponding with Bill Freeny who had received the contract, signed it and couriered a signed copy back to Walter. When Ben told him about the meeting with the Colonel the next texts from Bill were quite excited. Ben did his best to calm Bill and bring him back to earth. In his opinion he wanted to keep the unit prices of the filters low enough that they would be affordable to a wider market than just the military. This volume method had worked for him in the past when he believed the product had a wide application base.
Ben was shutting down his laptop when he heard a rumbling sound. He stood up and looked out the picture window at the circle court. There was a convoy of military vehicles coming around the circle. In the front was one of those bulky personnel carriers like the bigger brother of the truck Don Blake drove. The second vehicle was a black SUV with tinted windows and the last vehicle bringing up the rear was another personnel carrier. Ben’s eyebrows rose up as the convoy stopped in front of his driveway with the SUV parked at the end.