Ben (The Sherwood)

I knew that was not the right thing to say or do. I had never in my life spoken to Rachel that way. My mother was glaring hard at me right now. I knew that look. I had seen it many times before. She wanted to slap the stupid out of me right now and I deserved it.

“Get up, get showered. Then get dressed. We’re going to Elijah’s.”

“I am not going anywhere,” I replied and rolled over pulling the blankets over my head.

She snatched them from me. I was naked beneath those blankets. “Mom,” I snapped trying to cover myself.

“I’ve seen a naked man, Benjamin. You’ve got nothing I haven’t seen before and I powdered your butt. I am not one bit concerned that you are naked right now.”

“I’m not a baby anymore. Give me my blanket,” I snapped at her.

Then her eyes softened. Rachel was no longer glaring at me. “Asia needs you, Ben.”

I sat up keeping my junk covered with one hand. “What’s wrong with Asia?”

“Shower first. Get dressed. You stink like stale alcohol and sweat. We’re going to Elijah’s.”

She was the most infuriating woman in the world. I got up still covering my crotch with one hand. “Mom.” She had turned to leave my bedroom. She stopped walking. “Mom, is Asia all right? Tell me that much.” I was ready to get on my knees and beg her for information about my daughter before I would let her leave my room after making a statement like that.

That little girl had twisted my heart into pieces from the moment I held her. Danni had sent me a picture of her in Jasmine’s arms right after she was born. Jasmine had cleared it for me to see her if I wanted to, Danni told me.

I had a daughter. I couldn’t fight it anymore. She was here, and her picture was the kick in the ass I needed. Asia was real. I kept looking at the picture then I went to the hospital and held my daughter in the nursery.

For six weeks I had been fighting with myself about seeing her again. Seeing Jasmine. Unsure of anything but my daughter and my love for her. I needed her as much as she needed me.

“Asia is fine, but she does need you,” Mom said then she left my bedroom.

I sniffed myself. I did smell terrible. I didn’t want to take the time to shave when I didn’t know what was going on. I went to the shower and scrubbed myself clean then dressed in a hurry and walked down the hall searching for Rachel.

Seth stepped out of his room in front of me. “What’s going on?” He asked rubbing his eyes. He had worked last night till three a.m. then brought me home with him.

“I’m going somewhere with Mom,” I told him. “Be back later,” I said.

“Okay,” he replied and headed back to bed. I wanted to go back to bed and sleep off this hangover, but Asia needed me.

“I’m ready.” Mom was cleaning the kitchen. She stopped and looked at the mess then she looked at me. “Get your brother out of bed and tell him to clean this shit up.”

“You tell him,” I told her feeling irritated and grumpy from the jackhammer in my skull and being woken so abruptly. “I need a drink of water and some aspirin before we go anywhere.”

My mother frowned at me. “Fine, I will,” Rachel snapped at me.

I ran my hands through my hair, frustrated that I didn’t know what was going on with Asia. Mom returned to the kitchen while I was sucking down water like a dying man. “Seth will have this place spic and span by the time we return.”

“That will be a miracle,” I informed her. I popped two tablets into my mouth and drank more water.

I knew my brother. He was a pig. Housecleaning was not his forte.

“We’re taking Seth’s truck too,” Mom informed me.

“We are?” I followed her out the front door and down the porch steps. AJ, Heath and Seth had helped Granddad, Elijah and I build this porch onto the trailer. We had a nice patio in the back too that faced the woods.

“Yep,” Mom replied marching her happy little self towards Seth’s truck. Her perky little ass was making me want to throw up this morning.

“Mom, what’s going on?” I asked her.

“Let’s wait until we get to the farm.”

She was quiet as she backed out of the driveway. The one thing about Rachel Hatfield that I knew was if she was quiet there was trouble somewhere. That trouble involved my daughter. “Just tell me,” I said. My voice broke.