Ben’s cell phone rang as he crawled into bed that night.
“Morrison,” he answered before he comprehended that the caller was Treeny. “Miss me already?”
“Yes,” she answered and he heard the truth in her voice. “What’s wrong?”
He blinked. “Why do you think something’s wrong?”
“I can’t sleep and I keep thinking about you, so I decided to call. Now that I hear your voice, I can tell something’s wrong, so tell me what’s up.”
He grinned at the order. She obviously wasn’t planning to sleep until he told her. Well, maybe now would be the time to ask her about her childhood.
“I’m wondering something.”
“Yes?”
“Treeny, why would your parents send you to live with your sister when you were only a teenager?”
Silence. The air had grown heavy and Ben wondered if he treaded on ground he shouldn’t have. Would the earth open to reveal quicksand that would grab his foot and refuse to release him? Or would he learn something important? Something he was certain caused the doubts circulating through his thoughts.
He heard her sigh and just as he opened his mouth to tell her to forget the question, Treeny spoke. “My dad, Rachel’s and my dad, died the year I turned fourteen. He died in the line of duty. Dad had special police training, but he still wasn’t impervious to a bullet.” Her voice quavered and Ben shut his eyes at the cloaked despair he heard in her voice. She continued after sucking in an audible breath. “His death came as a huge hit to our family. We scraped along, trying to figure out how to live without him.” Her voice grew softer and he heard the pain in her voice. Old pain. His heart clenched.
“When I finally thought we’d figured it out, Mom brought a new man home. My reaction? Complete and total denial. Rachel wasn’t as concerned because she’s ten years older. She’d just gotten engaged to Will and was excitedly planning her wedding. Looking back now I realize I never gave Mom’s new boyfriend a chance. His name is John. He’s a cousin to my dad. That’s why his name is also Deveau.”
“You couldn’t handle another man in your mom’s or your life.”
“I guess not because I wouldn’t give John a chance. On the same token, I loved Will and his family. They embraced me at a time when I needed family. Will used to sneak up behind and hug the stuffing out of me.” The smile in her voice made him smile.
“I remember Will doing that. He still grabs his kids,” Ben replied.
“Yeah, he hasn’t stopped the attack hugs on me, either.” He pictured her grin as she rolled her eyes. She went on, her voice intense. “Will accepted me. He didn’t try to tell me what to do, or how to do it. Instead, he accepted me, teenage neurosis and all. So did his parents and siblings, all of them. Lainy and I met and were almost instantly friends.”
“Acceptance is a big thing.”
“Yes. Why don’t I remember meeting you that year?” He heard the frown in her voice.
“I was in France. Doing the exchange student thing.”
“Oh yes, that’s right. I kept hearing about you, but I’m glad I had a year with your family before you came onto the scene. I think you would have caused sensory overload.”
“I hope so,” he teased, and she laughed. As he intended.
“Will and Rachel offered to keep you for the summers?”
“Yes. And then when I pushed to go to school here in Hershey, my mom knew I wasn’t dealing well with Dad’s death, so she made a really hard decision and let me come. I moved in with Will and Rachel, and haven’t left since.”
“You went to Penn State,” he reminded her.
“Yes, but I always spent holidays with them.”
“I overheard Rachel telling one of the rellys that had it not been for you, she would have never made it up here.”
“She told me that too. Will said once that one of the reasons he was so eager for me to come and live with them was because Rachel is a southern girl, and he thought she’d have some trouble adjusting. But with me here, she had someone from home.”
“Rachel also needed someone to mother,” he said with a grin and she laughed.
“Yes, she did. And I was here to help her with each baby.”
“Mom said if you hadn’t taken turns getting up with the kids at night, Rachel and Will would have both gone insane.”
“Well, think about it, they had six kids in eight years. Of course they would have gone insane.”
“Right. Since I’m just an uncle, I wouldn’t know, but from the sound of things, they needed you as much as you needed them. I’m glad things worked out the way they did.”
“I am too. If not for Rachel and Will...”
“You would have still survived. Do you get along with John now?”
“Yeah. My mom’s husband is actually a wonderful guy, but it took me looking at him from an adult’s perspective to understand that. I couldn’t believe she’d replace Dad so quickly.”
“I listen to other people’s childhood stories and think, “Wow, I had such an abnormal upbringing.”
“Define abnormal.”
“My parents love each other and us. They care and aren’t afraid to show their love. They’re both still alive. They wanted all of us. And none of us ever doubted that from the time we were small.”
“My parents wanted us, too. It’s not that. But losing Daddy so suddenly like that...” Treeny sighed. “It was hard. Rachel was an adult but she still had to work through his death. Of course, she was ready to walk down the aisle, so that was extra hard.”
“Who walked her down the aisle?”
“Granddaddy,” she said with a smile. He could hear the emotion in her voice.
“Is he still alive?” Why didn’t he know this information?
“No, he died about a year ago. But he saw me graduate from medical school and he saw all of Will and Rachel’s kids born.”
“Didn’t he move up here?”
“He did. He owned the house next to Will and Rachel, actually.”
“So what happened to the house?”
“Rachel and I rent it out for now. Someday I’ll probably move there. I suppose. I’d love to now, but I don’t think that’d go over well with Will or Rachel.”
“They couldn’t afford for you to move?”
“Oh, no. They don’t need the money. But they’re both really protective, and I think neither would like to see me live by myself.”
Ben didn’t follow her logic. “You live by yourself now.”
“I know that, and so do you. And my living right next door wouldn’t put me much further from them, but neither sees that. I think I’ll have to get married first. Then I’ll be able to move.”
“Even if you marry a Navy SEAL?” Ben heard the intensity in his voice, so he figured she probably also did.
“I think the only prerequisite will be my marrying,” she answered, with the smile back in her voice.
He wanted to ask how she felt about marrying a SEAL, but held back. He didn’t know if it was because he didn’t want the answer, or couldn’t face the answer if it varied from what he wanted.
She yawned.
“Are you satisfied with your phone call now?”
“Yes, I’m satisfied. I should be able to sleep now.”
“I don’t mind putting you to bed,” he said huskily. He resisted the urge to clear his throat.
“Me, either. Ben...” her voice trailed off and his heart lurched.
“What?”
“You...” she broke off to clear her throat. “You mean a lot to me. More than I ever thought a man could mean. I...I just wanted you to know that.”
He heard fear in her voice. Did she worry she’d lose him like she had her father? There was a possibility. He did have a dangerous job. No one could predict when their card got punched. But he couldn’t give up on this relationship with her, even if that was selfish of him.
“You mean as much to me, Treeny. I can’t imagine you not being a part of my life now.”
“I’m glad,” she whispered.
“Me, too,” he whispered back.
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” They disconnected.
Unease spread through him until he stopped the viral movement. Right now he couldn’t think of problems. What he and Treeny had was right. Nothing was going to interfere. He kept up that litany until he fell asleep.
***
Treeny’s heart flipped as she watched Ben saunter into the room Sunday morning. His eyes scanned the area until he located her and he strode across the expanse of floor. He sank into the chair beside her, with a subtle display of coordination and muscular control.
She leaned over and whispered, “You’re late.”
His lips tripped up at the sides. “We had some technical difficulties this morning.”
“Oh?”
“Macy’s diapers didn’t fit, she’s grown that much. Emergency measures were required; then Ryan lost Spuds.”
“He lost his dog?”
“Yeah, but we found him.”
“Sounds like you’ve had a busy morning.”
“We did, but it’s gotten better.”
She smiled at him in response and his eyes warmed several degrees as they swept over her. Her cheeks heated and she sent him a scolding grin. Ben’s lips turned upward briefly in amusement before he turned his attention to the other occupants of the room.
Soon the service began and they both turned their attention to that, but she was aware of his solid presence beside her the entire time. Janine had seated herself beside him and Treeny saw she looked regal and serene as usual.
Women with those qualities had to have been born with them, Treeny figured. Because she certainly didn’t have the capability to resemble visiting royalty. Janine also brought a subtle power with her. A force Treeny doubted she even realized she possessed.
But everyone from children to the elderly responded to the subtle command. KC had once explained how Janine could coax a laugh from a six year old as easily as she brought a gleam to the eye of an eighty year old. The cadence to her lilting voice brought peace to those who were anxious and infused calm to situations that might have otherwise spun out of control.
Treeny suppressed a sigh. Like she could ever accomplish those things. But Janine had never made her feel lacking in any way. An additional superior trait owned by Ben’s sister.
Her eyes slid to the man seated beside her, and she realized he possessed similar character traits. She had always believed his power came from the training he received as a Navy SEAL, but now she wondered. Remembering back to their teenage years, she realized he’d always carried that force with him.
The Navy had simply honed the ability. She wondered what he’d be like as an enemy, but quickly quelled the thought. Now was not the time or the place to be entertaining such thoughts.
After the service, Ryan ran up to them. Janine scooped him up first to hug and kiss the little boy. He squirmed and twisted in her arms, but she handed him over to Ben, who teased him about losing his dog. Treeny gave the little boy a kiss while he was in his Uncle Ben’s arms.
“Aunt Tweeny, is Aunt Wachel hewe?” he asked from his high vantage point in Ben’s arms. She could hear he was very close to pronouncing his R’s now. How quickly they grew up.
“She is, sweetie.” Treeny scanned the room. “She’s over there by the window.” And she pointed her sister out to him.
“Thanks.” When Ben set him on his feet he took off, aiming for her sister.
“Why would he want your sister?” Ben asked. Janine turned to hear her answer, too.
“I think his interest has more to do with the stickers I suspect are in Rachel’s bag than Rachel herself.”
“Right,” Janine said and nodded her head sagely.
“Stickers?” Ben’s brow pleated in a very sexy way.
She lost the thread of conversation. Janine cleared her throat, but Ben’s eyes went hot when he noticed her reaction.
“Ben asked about stickers,” Janine prompted.
The conversation swelled back into her brain, and she blinked. “Right. He’s only six, so he still likes stickers.”
“Ah,” Ben said and nodded. Her explanation seemed to appease him.
“Besides, I think Ryan uses them to distract Destiny’s boyfriends,” she added.
Ben laughed. Janine stared at her.
“How does he do that?” The disbelief in her voice was only diluted slightly by the humor Treeny heard lurking there.
“Ryan’s not too sure about this boy-liking-girl thing. And for some reason he’s especially dubious of any boy who likes Destiny.”
“Destiny’s the best,” Ben protested.
“Exactly. I think Ryan believes there isn’t a male good enough for her, so he watches them.”
“Stevie’s been helping, too,” Lainy’s voice said from behind them. The three of them turned for hugs from her and Treeny was heartened to see Janine received as much a love-filled hug as any of them.
She saw Ben’s sister surreptitiously wipe a tear from her eye. She reached over as subtly as possible and squeezed her arm. Leaning over, Treeny whispered, “Welcome to the Morrison family, where you’re not only welcomed, you’re loved.”
Janine sent her a teary smile. “I can’t believe I’m here, and then to be so accepted...” She shook her head.
“It takes a little getting used to, but before long, the warmth and love will be second nature, and you’ll be taking it for granted like the rest of us.”
“Don’t count on that.” Janine’s voice cracked. “When you’ve never known this type of outpouring...” she shook her head again.
Mitch enfolded her and nodded. “I’ve been a part of this family for some time now, and I’m not taking it for granted either. I’m thankful every day I wake up for this family.” His eyes moved to Lainy as his tone deepened. “For my wife. For my daughter.”
She sent him a sweet, loving smile. “We feel the same way about you, big guy.”
He tugged her into his already occupied arms, and Lainy and Janine butted heads. Which made both of them laugh. Treeny noticed Janine didn’t seem the least bit out of place or awkward residing there in the protection of Mitch’s arms. And Lainy wasn’t the least bit jealous, even though Janine was one of the most beautiful women she’d ever seen.
Trust. That’s why Lainy didn’t seem jealous. Because she knew Mitch came home to her every night. Treeny figured Mitch had probably ensured she knew he loved her. Perhaps he was still working to show her. Besides, she could tell Mitch loved Lainy simply by the way he held her. The way he looked at his wife.
She wanted that. Treeny wanted Ben to love her the way Mitch loved Lainy. Or the way Max loved KC. Both men were unapologetic about their feelings for the women they had married. She knew the jealous feelings intimately because she wasn’t sure of Ben like Lainy and KC were sure of their men. How had they lost the jealous feelings?
While those thoughts raced through her brain, a strong arm snaked around her midsection. Ben hauled her back against him with ease and she sank into his warmth, savoring the time she spent there. She didn’t have what Lainy and KC had. Yet.
“Aunt Monica has asked us all over for lunch,” he murmured against her hair.
She nodded. That’s what they often did on Sundays. One of the sisters hosted lunch, and this time appeared to be her sister’s mother-in-law’s turn. “Sounds good.”
“Do you have any idea what you’d like to do for the rest of the day?”
Treeny turned in his arms and looked up at him. “Yes, I want to spend the day with you.”
He grinned and pulled her closer for a quick kiss. “Besides that.”
“No, I haven’t given what we’ll do much thought,” she started, but at his raised eyebrow laughed. “I mean, what we’ll do besides the obvious. You’ll receive more kisses than you know what to do with, but I haven’t thought of anything else.” She wiggled her brows at him.
“For a minute there, I thought you were gonna let me down.”
She mock punched him.
“What about taking a small hike?”
“That sounds like fun.” She hadn’t been hiking in a long time, but she normally enjoyed it. Hopefully she could keep up. Please, don’t let me embarrass myself, she hoped silently, with fervor.
“Good. I suppose we’ll have to stop off at Will and Rachel’s house to pick up some clothes for you?”
“No. I think I have everything I need in the car.”
“Good.”
They left, trailing between family members together, their hands intertwined, and Treeny felt their relationship was right in her very soul. Ben made her feel womanly and powerful. He seemed to complete her. Like he was her other half.
That’s what had always been missing with any other man. No male besides Ben made her feel so complete. She liked herself when she was with him. She liked him. Wanted him like she’d never wanted anything or anyone else.
But were these feelings real or a figment of her imagination?