Ben (The Sherwood)

“Have a good night Mom. Remember save your tips and do something responsible with them,” I teased her. That’s what she always told us when we had to work at the pub. She burst out laughing.

“Thanks Ben. I will.” I thought she would hang up now. I heard the door of her SUV shut. Then she hesitated. “Ben, I love you and I’m proud of the man you’ve become,” she told me.

“Are you all right Mom?” I asked.

She huffed at me. Had I been in close, proximity to her, I might have gotten whacked. She still had a way of losing her temper that was quick and when she did, her fist or the closest object tended to fly with her anger. Then she was fine. Her temper cooled as quickly as it flared.

“I’m perfectly fine, Benjamin. Can’t a mother compliment her son?” She grumbled other things, I couldn’t understand and didn’t ask her to repeat.

“Yeah, Mom she can but you usually don’t. Thanks for the compliment.” I rolled my eyes at her ramblings in the phone most I couldn’t hear because she was walking, and the phone was bouncing around near her mouth making the words unintelligible.

“I’m inside now, Ben. Talk to you later.”

“Bye Mom.”

I laid the phone down beside me and waited for Disa to come outside. I was starting to get worried when she finally appeared with a suitcase in one hand and a canvas bag in the other. I assumed the canvas bag was her painting supplies. I hopped out of the truck and helped her with her things.

The canvas bag was huge, and I was right. Inside was her painting supplies. I wanted to tease her and ask her if she was moving in with me for good, but I didn’t dare. I didn’t want her to think I didn’t want her because I did. I wanted her to stay with me and Asia for as long as she wanted.

I lifted her canvas bag into the bed of the truck. Then I put her suitcase in with it. I turned, and she was standing behind me. Disa slipped into my arms. I could feel the slight tremble of her body and I knew that she was afraid.

“It will be fine,” I promised her.

“You don’t know him,” she replied.

Mom had given me a similar dire warning. “I don’t but I’ll protect you.”

“I hope you don’t have to,” she declared. “Let’s go,” she urged me. Disa walked out of my arms and glanced around as I had when we stopped here. I knew then that Disa would be looking over her shoulder now. Looking for Elder Ron. She was afraid for herself as much as I was.

Chapter 14

Disa was bathing Asia while I cooked dinner when my brothers AJ and Heath arrived. I wasn’t surprised that they walked through the door without knocking, startling me. I was surprised that they were here on a Sunday night at seven o’clock when they both had to get up at five a.m. for work the next morning.

AJ peeked into the pot I had on the stove. I was making homemade chili. He started to dip his finger into the thick, meaty chili and I slapped his hand away. “Get a spoon.”

He grumbled at me but reached into the drawer and pulled out a spoon. AJ dug out a heaping spoon of my chili and stuck it in his mouth. He moaned as the flavors tickled his tongue. “I love your chili. Can we stay?” He begged.

“Of course, you can,” Disa said. She entered the kitchen carrying a freshly bathed Asia. My baby was snuggled in her arms.

“I’ll take her,” Heath said when Disa started to pass by him with Asia. She backtracked a few steps and handed off my daughter to my brother then she came to me. Disa wrapped her arm around my waist and laid her cheek against my bicep. I kissed the top of her head and went back to stirring my chili.

“So, tell me what happened this afternoon,” AJ said.

“At the park?” I asked.

He nodded. I wasn’t sure why he was so interested in what had happened in the park, but I told him all the details of running into Elder Ron. AJ glanced over his shoulder at Heath who didn’t appear to be listening, but I had the feeling Heath had missed nothing about what I had said.

“Disa, do you think he’s been keeping an eye on you since you left the compound?” Heath asked without taking his eyes off my daughter.

She nodded at Heath not that he was looking at her. He was focused on Asia. “I’m pretty sure that the few times I ran into him at various places in town, it wasn’t an accident. He never spoke to me until today when I was with Ben. I think curiosity got the better of him. The congregation wouldn’t be happy with Elder Ron for speaking to me.” She swallowed. “As I walked out of the compound, they turned their backs on me.” Her eyes met mine. “Literally, every member, including the small children. It’s a devastating feeling when people you have known your whole life let you know they know longer care if you are dead or alive.”

I stopped stirring and glanced over my shoulder at Disa. Not that we were talking much until recently but what she had told me about this man hadn’t led me to believe she thought he was a stalker.

“I didn’t want you to worry,” she said reading the question in my eyes.

“Should I be worried?” I asked.

“Yes,” she replied. “I had more reasons for not wanting to marry Elder Ron than his age. Ben, he’s sadistic. That’s why I need to check on Merci.”