Ben (The Sherwood)

“How exactly do you know what I’m going to say? You’re a mind reader now?” Dad’s tone was biting and angry. “I want to protect my sons. My grandson. My family,” he snapped at Matt. “Listen to Hawk. Give him time.”

Matt snorted. At that point, Rachel reentered the kitchen. She went to Matt and laid her hands on his crossed arms. My brother glanced down on our mother then he looked away. He knew she was going to guilt trip him and he wasn’t having it.

She sighed. “Matt, listen. I know you are angry.”

“That doesn’t begin to explain how I feel,” he declared interrupting our mother. “This shit has gone on for too long. You cross the Babylon Elders and they hide behind their religious fanaticism. They are nothing more than criminals.”

“I know that Matt. Hawk knows it. It’s been worse since Ron Parson came to town. He makes Jameson look like a saint.” Mom squeezed Matt’s arms.

“Mom, I wouldn’t go that far,” I butted into the conversation.

She smiled at me. “Maybe not but he’s bad news. Your brothers got those women out of there and now Ron’s angry. He thinks it was you,” she said to Matt.

“You know why?” He asked.

She nodded. “I do. Your dad told me everything.”

“Tell me why,” I said interrupting the conversation that appeared to be just between the two of them. I was tired of the secrets of this family.

They were all looking at me now. Dad shook his head no, just the slightest bit of a head nod that I detected.

“Fine, don’t tell me.”

I picked up Disa’s hand and tugged on her. She looked at me then she looked over her shoulder at my family. “We’re going home, or to Heath’s to pick up Asia, then home,” I informed whoever was listening.

I let Matt’s screen door slam shut in my wake. Then I cringed. I hoped the noise hadn’t woken Justin. Then, I moved quick across the front porch and down the steps dragging Disa behind me. I wasn’t thinking about her high heels or how hard I was pulling on her. Matt’s voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Ben, come back,” he shouted.

I whirled around and tripped up Disa but caught her in my arms before she fell flat on her face in her beautiful dress. “Why so you can tell me more lies or hide more shit from me?”

The firemen were gone now. Only the investigators remained behind, searching through the rubble where Matt’s barn once stood. I knew that they wouldn’t find anything. The Elders were good at covering their tracks, but the men stopped what they were doing and looked at us.

“Come inside,” Matt repeated. I might be twenty-eight but when Matt used that tone, he meant it.

“Go,” Disa said. “Find out what he wants.”

We walked slower back to the house. When we got inside, Matt asked Seth to pull my truck up to the house now that nearly everyone was gone. He didn’t want Disa to have to walk so far in her pretty gown and the gravel would ruin her shoes.

That was the excuse he used but I knew he wanted my brother to be outside. “Talk to the investigators. See if they know anything while you are out there,” he told Seth. Gullible Seth believed he was helping Matt out.

“I will, Matt.”

Seth was so eager to please Matt that he didn’t realize he had an ulterior motive for getting him out of the house. I handed Seth my keys. Matt held the door open for Seth. Then he watched him go to my truck. When he was sure that he was going to be gone for a while, Matt shut the door behind him and guided us to the kitchen.

“Dad gave you that speech six years ago about dating Disa because Ron Parsons threatened you. Only he, AJ, Heath and I knew about it. He didn’t want to worry Mom.”

She snorted at Matt and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn’t like being kept in the dark anymore than I did. I glanced at Disa. She slipped her arm through mine.

“You made me believe I wasn’t good enough for her.”

I couldn’t keep the hurt out of my voice. The pain I felt for years had made me the man I had become and didn’t like very well until Disa came back to my life. “So, he knew who I was all the time at the park?” I asked my father.

“He knew you were a Hatfield. He didn’t know much else about you. That’s why he questioned Merci so intently. If she had known anything about you, he would have found all of us that night. It was the best for both of you, six years ago to keep you apart. It kept you both safe. He’s obsessed with Disa and Merci Riley.”

We looked at each other then at Dad. “We loved each other,” I declared.

“I didn’t know that at the time. You hadn’t been dating that long. How could I know your feelings were so strong, Ben?”