Here for You Ch. 09-10

Author's Note: Thank you for all the love and support!

***

Chapter 9

On Wednesday, Karen called Ben to tell him that she had found a suitable hospice for her father and that they could move him in on Saturday morning.

"Sure. I will come over as soon as I got stuff settled at the diner," Ben said. "What does James think of the place?"

"He's... not thrilled," Karen replied and laughed once. "But Christine and I have talked to him about it this past week. We reminded him of his last stay at the hospital. He had been lucky that a neighbor happened to walk by his house and found him lying on the porch and sent him to the hospital. He won't be so lucky every time and in the end, he agreed to it."

"Does River know his granddad's going to stay at the hospice?"

"He does; somehow he kind of figures things out himself, I think," she said. "He says things along the lines of 'granddaddy's staying at a sick person's home'. It breaks my heart to hear him say that."

"Maybe we should tell him now, Karen, break it to him slowly," he said.

"I know, I just... don't know how to do that," she said. "Maybe later, okay, after we got Dad settled at the hospice?"

"Okay," he agreed. "Text me the address and the time and I'll see you guys then."

Ben disconnected the call and looked down at the pile of papers in front of him. There was a list of stocks that needed to be updated into the accounting system and accounts and bank statements to be reconciled but he couldn't concentrate. It had been three days since he'd seen Elle and he missed her. He shook his head; he went out all but one date with her and he was already in over his head. He wanted to call her badly, but she would be working now, and he didn't want to disturb her. With a sigh, he opened the accounting program on his laptop and settled down to do the mundane but necessary work.

When the last of the accounts had been reconciled, Ben let out a relieved groan and stretched his back. It was already close to five and he shut down his laptop. Happy that he had finished what he had set out to do, he got up and went out of the office to make sure all the electrical appliances except for the necessary ones were switched off and the back door locked. Returning to the office, he picked up his phone to call Elle; she would probably have finished work by now.

"Hello, Ben," Elle said.

"Hi, are you off from work yet?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm just about to head downstairs," she replied.

"Oh, good. Uh, do you have any plans later?" he asked.

"Not really. What's up?"

"I'm just wondering if I can take you to dinner," he said. "I want to see you." He hoped he didn't sound desperate.

"Okay," Elle said. "Where shall we meet?"

"Is it okay for me to pick you up at work?" he asked.

She hesitated for a moment before answering, "I'll wait for you by the security booth next to the employees' parking lot. You'll be able to see the sign clearly."

"I'll see you in a moment," Ben said before clicking off his phone and hurried to lock up the diner. Twenty minutes later he arrived at the designated spot and watched as Elle hurried to his car.

"Hey," he greeted as soon as she was seated beside him.

"Hi," she replied with a shy smile. "Where are we going?"

"I don't have a plan, really. I just wanted to see you," he said.

Elle's smile widened, apparently pleased by his answer. "How about we go to that Indian restaurant we talked about last time? I'd promised it would be my treat."

Ben returned her smile. "I'd like that."

"To tell you the truth, I was pretty surprised when you called," Elle admitted as Ben drove them towards downtown.

Ben grinned, but kept his eyes on the road as he asked, "Is that bad?"

She laughed. "No, it was a good surprise. It's just that I know you'd be busy at work. I thought I'd only be able to see you this weekend."

"I have stuff to do on Saturday and I don't think I'll be able to make it at the diner," he said. "And I didn't want to wait for a whole week to see you again."

Elle smiled and looked down at her hands clasped together on her lap. She was very happy that Ben apparently harbored the same feelings as her. "I missed you too," she said softly. Ben's hand came into her line of sight and settled on top of her hands. She looked up at him to see him grinning and she couldn't help but laugh.

They arrived at the restaurant and placed their order with the server. Ben looked at the colorful artwork on the walls with interest and breathed in the aroma of different spices wafting through the air. He turned to Elle with a smile.

"I'm ashamed to say that even though I'm in the food and beverage business, I've never eaten Indian food before," he said. "I've tried Thai food when I was in college and had spent the rest of the night hugging the toilet. So, I've been quite put off with spicy food ever since."

Elle was startled. "Why hadn't you said anything just now? We could have gone somewhere else."

He shrugged. "I figured it's time I overcome this invalidated fear. I can't let one bad experience ruin my passion for eating delicious food." Elle hoped this dinner wouldn't turn into a disaster later for him. Their food arrived and Ben took a bite of his lamb masala.

"My God, this is good," he moaned.

"Yeah?" she asked with a grin. "Not too spicy for you?"

Ben chewed and swallowed his food before answering. "I like it."

"I'm glad you enjoy it. This is one of my favorite places to eat when I crave spicy food," she said.

"How did you know this place, anyway?" Ben asked.

"My aunt and her family brought me here once," she replied, "To celebrate my graduation."

Ben tilted his head. "Where is your family? I remember you mentioned briefly about your brother."

"My parents are divorced when I turned eighteen and my dad left soon after. My mom still lives in our old family home," she said. "My brother Evan...he died a long time ago." She kept her eyes on her plate, her brain chastising her for ruining the atmosphere. Ben slid his hand across the table to close over hers, making her look up again.

"I'm sorry," he said softly.

She nodded. "Thanks."

After giving her hand a squeeze, he released her and they resumed eating. Soon Elle felt relaxed as their conversation steered to lighter topics.

"If you don't mind my asking, why hadn't you gone for a college degree?" Ben asked.

"I'd liked to but not for the time being. It takes a higher level of commitment and I want to save up more money before I attempted it," she said. She caught the questioning look on his face, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he took another bite of food. Elle decided to enlighten him. "When my parents divorced, my dad left all the savings and the cars and the house with my mom. The only thing he kept was his own personal savings. My parents had saved enough for college for both Evan and me, but my mom had made this condition that if I was to use the money for college, I would have to live with her." She sighed. "The situation in our home was... unbearable and I couldn't make myself deal with her alone. It was not a hard choice to make."

Ben was quiet and Elle chanced a glance at him. He was looking at her with a smile and what looked like admiration in his eyes. She smiled back at him.

"I hope I didn't scare you with the deeper insights of my life," she said half-jokingly.

He shook his head. "No, you didn't. I appreciate your honesty. Thank you."

His words made her earlier misgivings talking about Evan's death easier to bear. Even though they were only on their second date, she wanted to open herself to him. And Ben's calmness and lack of judgment assured that she had made the right choice.

"Thanks for bringing me out tonight," Elle said when Ben walked her to the front door of her home later that evening. "I've had a great time."

"The pleasure's all mine. Thank you for going out with me on our second date," he said.

Elle laughed. "Are you counting the dates until we can kiss?" she asked jokingly.

He grinned. "Honestly, yes." He watched as Elle's teasing smile morphed into a pleasant surprise. "I want to kiss you and I want to hold your hand in public."

Elle was stunned by Ben's confession. She never expected that he would want to commit so soon. A sense of elation rushed over her which she quickly tamped down. She didn't want to rush into things just because his feelings were apparently the same as hers.

"Um, so, uh, I hope I'm not coming on too strong," he muttered awkwardly when she didn't say anything.

Elle smiled and shook her head. "No, you're not," she assured. "Honestly, I'd like to kiss you too, very much."

The brilliant smile etched on Ben's face was the answer she wanted. "Can I hold your hands when we kiss?" he asked, his voice light with teasing.

"I don't know, I think you're cutting it a bit too close, buddy," she said, teasing him back.

"What if I ask nicely?" he asked and took a step closer, making her breathing quickened with his proximity. "Please, may I hold your hand, Ms. Bronwyn?"

A giggle escaped past her lips. "Well, since you asked so nicely, I'm not gonna say no." Ben laced his fingers through hers. Her voice trailed off as her breath caught in her throat.

"Thank you," his whisper was warm against her cheeks and Elle closed her eyes as she felt his warm lips brushed lightly over hers. Ben pulled back slightly until the tips of their noses were touching.

"Um... if I ask nicely, will you kiss me again?" she asked breathlessly.

"Just tell me," he murmured.

"Please kiss me," she said, and Ben kissed her once more and ended it too quickly for her liking. "Please," she repeated; her voice stronger now, more demanding. With a knowing grin, Ben gave in and this time, he slid his tongue along the seams of her lips. She opened her mouth and caught his tongue between her teeth as their kiss deepened. Elle caressed his cheek before pulling away.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she whispered. "Good night."

"'Night," Ben said with a smile. Elle unlocked her front door and stepped inside. She gave Ben one last smile before closing the door behind her with a sigh.

"Somebody's got it bad," Zoe said in a singsong voice. Elle turned around to see her best friend seated on the couch with a book on her lap.

"Oh yes, they did," Elle agreed easily as she plopped down on the couch beside her roommate.

Zoe put the book aside and rested her cheek on one hand. "Why didn't you invite him in?" she asked.

"It's late and we still have to work tomorrow," Elle said.

"So? Who says you can't wake up bright and early next to a major babe?" Zoe asked.

"Believe me, the thought is tempting. But there's no need to rush things along; we're only on our second date," Elle explained.

Zoe snapped her fingers. "That's real smart. Keep your head in the game."

"And what are you doing home tonight?" Elle asked.

"Lizzie is working on an account. She's one of the candidates up for a promotion so this is her make-or-break project," Zoe answered and looked at her watch. "I think she's still in the office."

"That's great, Z! Wow, we must go out together sometime to celebrate," Elle said.

Zoe grinned. "It's still too early to celebrate, I think. But yeah, I am really proud of her." Her phone rang and she looked at the display. "Speak of the devil," she muttered before answering.

Elle smiled at her before getting up to go back to her room. A few minutes later Zoe knocked on her door to tell her that she was heading out to fetch Lizzie from work and spend the night at her place. Elle flopped onto her bed once Zoe left. She touched her lips and grinned as her mind drifted to the kiss she had shared with Ben. She wondered if he was thinking of her right now.

Her phone beeped an incoming message and her stomach gave a jolt. Could it be? She quickly grabbed her purse and pulled her phone out. It was a text from Taylor, asking if she was free tonight. That was his way of asking if they could hook up. She replied telling him that he should find another fuck buddy from now on. If there was one thing she knew about him, it was that he was a straightforward person who didn't have the patience to dick around. And as predicted he replied a few minutes later with a message with hearts and lips emoji and 'Good night', which meant he was not offended in any way.

Elle put her phone on the side table, glad to close this chapter of her life with Taylor.

Chapter 10

Two months had passed since Ben and Elle agreed to be exclusive and Ben considered talking to River about Elle. Even though he had dated after Karen, he had never introduced his dates to his son, so he didn't know how he would go about it; he didn't even know if River knew what 'dating' was. Fortunately, River liked Elle so Ben hoped that it would ease him into accepting Elle as a part of his life. So when Friday evening came around and River came over to spend the weekend, Ben mustered up the courage to talk to him about it.

"Son," he said, "I want to talk to you about something."

"Mm-hmm," River acknowledged with his eyes on the toy train he was playing with.

"What do you think of Ellie?" Ben asked.

"Ellie's great. I like her," River said.

Ben licked his lips nervously before asking, "How would you feel if I... dated Ellie?"

River looked up at him. "Sort of like you two going out for dinner together?"

Ben nodded slowly. "Yeah, dating usually involves going out for dinner together."

"You'll hold her hand and kiss her too, right?" River asked, surprising Ben.

"Where did you learn that?"

"Nana dates," River said almost haughtily. "She told me." Ben sighed. He'd have to remind his mother to watch what she said to River. River moved to stand in front of his father. "Daddy, are you happy?"

"Of course I'm happy, River," Ben answered.

River reached out to give him a hug. "Then I'm okay with you dating Ellie."

"Thank you, buddy. That means a lot to me," Ben said, returning the embrace.

***

The next morning, Elle heard the jangle of bells hitting against the front entrance of the diner and turned around in time to see River running up to her excitedly.

"Ellie!" he cried when he saw her. Elle dropped to her knees as River ran into her open arms. "I missed you!"

Elle laughed at his enthusiasm and she returned his hug just as tightly. "I missed you too, buddy." She released, only noticing Ben was standing at the door with an amused grin on his face.

"I'm staying with Daddy this weekend," River told her.

"I bet you're excited to see Colty again, aren't you?" Elle said.

"Yes, I am!"

"River," Ben said. "Paul's made the special waffles for you."

"Oh yeah!" River cried excitedly and ran off towards the kitchen.

Ben shook his head and let out a chuckle. "That guy's a hurricane," he said as he walked closer to Elle. "Do you need to go to the shelter later?"

"No, I'm not scheduled today," Elle replied.

"That's great," Ben said and hesitated, unsure. "Can I talk to you for a minute in my office?"

"Sure," Elle said. She followed him to the office and asked, "Ben, is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he replied. "It's just that I had a talk with River last night and he's okay with us dating."

Elle smiled. "You told him about us?"

"I hope it's okay," he said.

"Oh, Ben, it's more than okay," she said softly. She put her arms around his waist and hugged him close. "Thank you."

"I know this sound completely out of the left field," Ben said, "But I'm wondering if you wanted to spend the day with us today." Elle pulled back to look at him and he grinned.

"Is River okay with this? I mean he's used to having you to himself," she said.

"This is his request, actually. You've heard him: he missed you."

Elle was glad to hear that; at least she knew Ben hadn't sprung that request to her without River's knowledge about it. "Do you guys have anything particular planned for this afternoon?" she asked.

"Normally I take him out for a late lunch and then we would just hang out. Then we would have dinner together at home," he said.

"You will cook dinner?" she asked.

Ben shrugged. "If you want."

She perked up. "Hell, yeah!"

Ben laughed and shook his head. "It's nothing fancy. And we'll need to buy some ingredients."

"Okay."

Elle enjoyed the rest of the day with Ben and River. She was glad that River seemed comfortable with her position as his father's girlfriend. When it was time for Elle to go home later that evening, River requested her to spend the next day with him and his father. Elle looked at Ben and he smiled back at her with reassurance, so she agreed.

On Sunday, after closing up the diner, Ben took Elle and River to a restaurant by the lake to have lunch. Then they took a stroll around the lake and River took the pieces of bread he had saved from their lunch and fed them to the ducks. Ben laced his fingers to Elle's as they walked behind River and he would give her shoulder a quick squeeze or a peck on her cheek that there would be no mistaking to the other people that they were together. Elle kept looking at River, worried that he might not like their public displays of affection, but he went about his usual chatter and cheerful self.

Later, Ben drove them back to his house, where Colt was already waiting in the hallway, tail wagging. River rushed upstairs to his room to pack his bag as his mother would be picking him up after dinner.

Ben led Elle to the back of the house. "I have a little garden," he said and showed her a fenced-off section at the corner of the backyard where various herbs were planted in little pots alongside what appeared to be a vegetable garden. Elle could see a blooming greenery of cabbages, lettuces and cilantros.

"So you're a chef and an avid gardener," Elle said, feeling impressed. "Good combo."

Ben laughed. "If I was an avid gardener, I would have sunflowers for summers and Christmas roses for winters. I keep this herb and vegetable patch out of frugality, I can assure you."

"I can plant some Christmas roses for you, maybe some poinsettias if you want," Elle offered.

"That would be awesome," he said and moved closer, bending his head towards her.

"Daddy!" River called out, making both of them jerked back. The boy came running towards them, holding a baseball and a mitt. "Can we play ball?"

*

It was nearly six o'clock before Ben and Elle were in the kitchen preparing dinner. River had just awakened from a short nap after a rambunctious ball game which turned into a wrestling match right there in the back yard. Elle cut up the meat and vegetables whilst Ben took out some pots and pans from the cabinet and set them to heat. They worked in companionable silence and soon dinner was served.

Elle took a bite at the beef and pineapple tacos. The flavors of the tender meat and pineapple sauce mixed beautifully and she almost let out a moan.

"Do you like it, son?" Ben asked River.

River nodded. "It's awesome. I wish I can eat here every day." He looked up at his father. "I'm still trying to talk Mommy into letting me stay here every weekend."

"But I have to work on weekends sometimes," Ben reminded.

"Ellie can take care of me." River looked at Elle in earnest. "Right, Ellie?"

"You'll have to ask your parents about it, buddy," she replied with a smile.

River shifted his gaze to Ben. "Can Ellie take care of me?"

"We'll see," Ben said. "We still have to ask Mommy about it." River gave a groan in disappointment and returned to his food without saying anything further. Ben served up some ice cream as after-dinner dessert while Elle listened patiently to River's chatter from about his friends at school to race cars and trains to video games as they shared a page in a coloring book.