Ben (The Sherwood)

She tilted her head to the side and waited. The words just wouldn’t come out. I cleared my throat. “Man, this is hard with everyone watching us.” Those words rushed out of me.

“What is it, Ben?”

“My grandfather told us when you find the woman who makes you a better man, who loves you like no other snatch her up and make her yours, so she doesn’t get away.”

She smiled at me giving me courage to continue. “He was a pretty smart man. He was married to my grandmother for a long time. I want what they had,” I told her. “I want that partnership and caring. I want that with you. I want to take care of you Disa. I want to have a home with you. A family. My daughter needs a mother.”

She lowered her eyes at that statement and I wondered if I had gone too far.

“I need you.” My voice was low. So low I wasn’t sure if she had heard me. “I walked away once…foolishly. I’m so grateful you gave me a second chance.” We weren’t moving at all any more. The song had changed but we hadn’t noticed. We were caught up in the conversation going on between us.

I stepped back and held Disa’s hand in mine. The disco ball swirled over our head making the diamond shapes dance over our faces.

I reached into my pocket to pull out the ring. My finger grazed the stone when the deputy guarding the lot burst through the front door. It slammed open against the wall making a loud sound, which startled us both.

It tended to do that if you didn’t hold onto it. He ran inside and went straight to Hawk, so he could speak with him.

“What now?” The moment was ruined. Disa clutched my hand tighter. I knew she was afraid. I don’t think she had seen Ron Parson standing by the side of the road, but she didn’t need to, to be scared.

Hawk listened to his deputy. A guy I knew from high school then he looked at me and nodded. I knew that he wanted to speak to me. “I’ll be right back,” I told Disa.

She released my hand and went to Danni’s side while Walker followed the rest of us out of the pub. My dad and brothers came too.

“What’s wrong?” Dad asked him before I could say anything to Hawk.

“A call came in from Matt’s house about people lurking outside the farmhouse. Shouting things that Sarah Hanks couldn’t make out. They set fire to one of his barns. The fire department is on their way there,” the deputy explained.

The woman who watched Justin was terrified. She locked all the doors and secured herself and Justin in his room. She had loaded Matt’s hunting rifle and taken it with them to Justin’s room for protection.

Matt tore off across the parking lot. His dress shoes pounding a loud sound against the driveway. Dad shouted at him to stop and wait on us, but he wouldn’t listen.

I couldn’t blame him. I know how I would feel if it was my child. He was already in his truck. Walker yanked open the passenger door just as he started to back out. He wouldn’t let his friend go there alone.

Matt’s tires squealed on the asphalt as he headed home to be sure his son and Mrs. Hanks were all right. The crop in the barn was a loss for sure. Maybe the barn too, but he was insured. I knew him, he was more worried about Justin and the baby sitter than the barn that was burning or the crops inside it.

“We’re going to the farm,” AJ told Dad.

He nodded but he didn’t look happy about it.

AJ walked across the parking lot followed by Seth and Elijah. I wanted to go too but Dad grabbed my arm. “Stay here with me.”

I watched them all pile into Seth’s truck feeling like a weight was sitting on my chest. It was a helpless feeling watching everyone leave while I stayed behind. Letting them fight my battles for me.

Hawk told dad he would follow Matt and the others in the Escalade. He turned to his deputy and told him to stay put. “Mac, I don’t want anyone to get onto this property or it’s your ass. Do you hear me?”

“Yes, sir.”

Dad turned to me. “I’m sorry Ben. I know you wanted this night to be special for Disa.”

“I did but all that matters are Justin and Mrs. Hanks are all right.” I was filled with so much anger, but my voice wouldn’t have relayed that. It was soft and low. That is when I was most dangerous.

Dad nodded at me. Then he pushed me to go back inside. He went straight to his office and grabbed his rifle that he kept here in case of a disturbance. In the sixty years of Ike’s history, only three times had he or my grandfather shot off the gun that my dad walked out of the back with. That sound ended every disturbance going on at Ike’s at the time.

I glanced at the ceiling. I saw all three of the bullet holes that was still there. It went with the legend of the place and our family. Never mess with a Hatfield or his property.

Disa touched me. “What’s wrong? Where are the others?”

I glanced at her and I smiled with sadness. Her party was ruined. “Heading to Matt’s. His barn was burned down tonight. Mrs. Hanks was terrified by some men.”