Page 8 of Benedict’s Rejuvenation (Dark Patriots #5)

I settled on making chicken breasts stuffed with cheese and wrapped in bacon. In addition to the chicken, there were scalloped potatoes and a mixture of steamed carrots, broccoli, and asparagus. For dessert, I made a molten chocolate cake, a favorite of mine and Keeley’s.

I didn’t know how she did it, or if she had to hurt someone, but my sister came through the door early.

She was hot and sweaty. She kissed me on the cheek quickly, then ran to her bedroom to shower and get ready for her man.

I didn’t blame her, even though I knew Beau couldn’t care less if she was hot and sweaty.

I’d seen him kiss the hell out of her when she was disgusting and smelled.

Thirty minutes later, she rejoined me, looking and smelling like a different person. She didn’t wear full makeup, but she did apply a little bit on her eyes and mouth.

“Sorry, what can I do to help?” she asked, looking around.

“Nothing, it’s all set. Just waiting for the oven to ding and the guys to get here.”

“They should be here any minute. Beau texted me and said they landed and were in the car.”

“Good. I hope everyone is hungry.”

“How could we not be? God, it smells divine, sis. Is that what I think it is?” She snuck a peek under a dessert lid I had on the counter.

“It is. When we’re ready for dessert, I’ll pop the cakes in the microwave and let them warm up, and we’ll be good to go.”

Keeley squealed, making me laugh. Her squeal grew louder when she heard a vehicle turning into the driveway.

I watched her run for the front door. I followed at a leisurely pace.

I wasn’t getting between her and Beau. You could be trampled that way.

When I reached the door, she was hugging and kissing him in the yard.

Ben walked past them, grinning and shaking his head.

“I damn near didn’t move in time. Your sister is dangerous,” he told me with a chuckle. As he approached, he gave me a one-armed hug and a kiss on the head. Deep inside, I fought down the disappointment that made me feel.

Lately, whenever Ben was near, I needed him to do more than hold my hand, hug me, and kiss me on the head or cheek like he did.

I was shocked and afraid of that feeling.

I shouldn’t want any man to touch me in any way.

It had been a short time since I was rescued.

Yearning for a man’s touch to be more than friendly was crazy and wrong.

It was true, I only had those yearnings with Ben. When it was other men, I was cautious.

Well, I thought those feelings were wrong.

It bothered me enough that Iolani noticed and dug it out of me in one of our sessions.

She assured me it wasn’t wrong, and the right time to allow more intimacy in my life was on my timeline.

There was no right or wrong length of time.

Even though she told me that, I had to accept that while I was feeling them, to Ben, I was a friend at best. I wondered if he kept visiting and talking to me so much because he felt sorry for me.

That he felt he had to do it. I cringed at the thought.

I refused to tell him I liked him more than as a friend because if he were doing it out of pity, it would destroy me.

Shaking myself away from those thoughts, I gave him a practiced smile and nodded. “She is. You noticed I stayed well behind her. Being trampled isn’t fun.”

His eyes scanned my face. His smile became a slight frown. “Are you alright, Kensy? You seem down.”

That was another thing about Ben. He had this inner radar, for lack of a better word, to know when I was hiding stuff, pretending to be happy, or whatever, when I wasn’t. I knew he wouldn’t take “I’m fine” as my answer.

“It’s been a rough week, and I’ve had a lot of things to think about.”

“I’m here if you want to talk it out. I should be around for the next three days.”

“Thank you. I know I have your ears if I need them,” I told Ben. I wanted to add, but I also want your heart.

We moved inside ahead of Beau and Keeley.

Beau called out a greeting, and when we got inside, he approached me.

He cautiously placed a kiss on my cheek.

Beau was always careful to do it slowly and watch to ensure I wasn’t opposed to it.

I kissed him back on his cheek. I truly liked Beau.

He was a man you could rely on, and he adored my sister and made her happier than I had ever seen her.

The conversation started after the guys dropped off their bags in their rooms. Ben stayed here when he was in town. Dad’s old house had room for all of us. When they returned to the living room, Keeley asked the first question.

“How was your flight?”

“It wasn’t bad, but not like flying with Lance or one of the others,” Beau admitted.

Lance was a pilot for the Dark Patriots, who occasionally flew the owners or operatives like Ben, Heath, and Beau around when necessary.

Sometimes, they had to get somewhere fast, so commercial flying wasn’t the way to go.

You couldn’t tote bags or crates of weapons, for example, onto a regular plane.

I chuckled at the thought of what the TSA would do if they were to open them.

They still had to do some kind of check-in, but it was different.

While Beau was answering her, I had entered the kitchen, visible from the living room. The timer was about to ring, so I shut it off. I laughed and commented as I opened the oven door, “You two are spoiled.”

Ben followed me. “We probably are, but I dare you to fly private and return to commercial. Damn, what smells so good? I’m starved.” He craned his neck to see what was in the oven.

“I need room. These are hot. These need to be put on the table.”

I gestured to the dining table in the kitchen. It wasn’t fancy, but it got the job done. I had it set, and all I needed to do was put the food on the table on the hot pads I had laid out.

“I’ll do it. I don’t want you to get burned,” Ben said as he gently bumped me out of the way with his hip, took my oven mitts off my hands, and reached in for the first pan.

I knew arguing wouldn’t stop him, so I got out of the way.

As I filled glasses, I explained what dinner was.

I knew what everyone liked to drink with their meals.

Keeley came and helped. In no time, we were seated, and our plates were being filled.

I loved cooking and having people appreciate it.

There was something about it that made me happy.

The food got great reviews, and we all cleaned our plates.

“I have dessert, if you have room. Or it can wait until later,” I announced.

There were groans from the men. Keeley smiled. I knew she wouldn’t wait. She undoubtedly saved room for dessert, like I did. I hadn’t warned the guys because they should know by now that I always make something for dessert.

“We’re gonna have to hit the workout room tonight, Ben, but it’ll be worth it,” Beau said, patting his flat, muscular stomach. He was referring to the at-home gym he put in the garage. We all used it.

“I think you’re right. What did you make to fatten us up?” Ben asked.

“As if fattening could happen on either of you. You should skip it to avoid ruining your physique and preventing a second workout, which isn’t good for you. All it is is gooey molten chocolate cake, with ice cream if you want,” I teased.

Both men were on their feet, clearing dirty dishes and protesting that they wanted it.

Keeley and I giggled and went to work on preparing the cake.

It wasn’t long before we were seated again with cake and ice cream in front of us.

I baked them as individual molten cakes, so each one was filled with the gooey center I loved.

I listened to the symphony of moans, groans, and mutterings about how good it was.

I had to agree. I’d done well with tonight’s dinner.

When all the eating was done, and we’d cleaned up the dishes, we settled in the living room. The guys had a beer, and Keeley and I had wine. I glanced around. They were all relaxed—time to broach the subject. Waiting wouldn’t make it any easier to do or hear.

“I’d like to talk to you guys about something if that’s alright?” I broke in on the generic chatter that was occurring. My words got three sets of eyes fixed on me. I noted expressions of curiosity and slight worry.

“Go ahead. What’s wrong?” Keeley asked. She was worried.

“It’s nothing bad, sis, so wipe that look off your face. It’s all good. Let me explain it, then you can ask questions. Okay?”

“You have the floor,” Beau replied.

“Let me start by saying that these past six months, while challenging and painful, have had many bright spots. I’ve been working hard to become stronger in different ways.

Everyone in this room and others have helped me tremendously with it.

I can’t say thank you enough. It’s been a drain on all of us.

While I acknowledge I have further to go, and this may never be over for me, I’ve realized I need to make other changes.

“Beau, it’s wonderful to see how you love my sister and how she loves you.

It was a tremendous sacrifice for you to move your life to Montana so she could stay with me.

And you opened up your home to me. You’re a newly engaged couple who should be free to express yourselves in your home, which I inhibit. ”

I saw Beau about to interrupt me. “No, wait, I said let me finish first. Then there’s you, Ben.

You’ve given me most, if not all, of your free time.

You spend more time here than you do at home in Virginia.

And even when you’re away, we talk and you keep in touch.

Your friendship was a shock, but in a good way.

You’ve done so much more for me than you know.