The Shepherd of Ashburn Court Pt. 05

"You are such a good man, Ben!" she smiled "Of course I will do this!"

"Proving you are such a good woman, Tina!" Ben smiled.

Ben tried his best to help and not get in Tina's way but she finally kicked him out. Well, as far as the kitchen table. There was something that was bothering Ben and he had to discuss it with Tina before their guests arrived.

"Tina, when I was inviting our neighbors to dinner I mentioned your name and I froze on how to name our relationship. These are new people who are complete strangers. Trying to explain the relationships I'm in felt too daunting."

"What did you finally say?" she asked, her tone carefully neutral.

"I said you were my friend who lives with me with your son." Ben said.

"A safe answer." she said.

"But it felt wrong to me. Like I was cheating you out of acknowledging how important you are to me." Ben looked down at his hands on the table. "I think back on the conversation we had after our first night together. We're not boyfriend and girlfriend I said. Yet we are... aren't we?" He looked up and Tina was standing before him trembling.

"I told you back then that I was your willing servant for as long as I lived to repay the incredible kindness you continue to show me to this day but I had not expected or even dreamed to find myself so deeply loved, ever in my life. I cannot express in words the joy that fills my heart to be included in your life to any degree. Please know that you may use any terms to describe our relationship without protest from me."

Ben felt his heart do a flip flop and he took Tina in his arms. He kissed her passionately and she kissed him back with tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks. Finally she pushed back on his chest.

"I love this but I must finish dinner for we have company coming." she smiled at him. She turned and rushed back to her preparations.

Ben watched her for a few seconds then finished putting his purchases away.

He put the slip cover back on ottoman and it looked good as new. He still wondered at himself. Not long ago he would have considered it an impossibility if someone said he'd have sex anywhere outside the bedroom but he seemed to be proving that it was very possible indeed.

Ben set the table. Then he tidied up a little though Tina kept the house immaculate. He snuck into the kitchen to confirm they had ice cream for dessert. Kids loved ice cream, didn't they? Tina pushed him out again.

Ben sat in the living room banished from the kitchen. He went online and did some research on STURN Enterprises. When he got bored he reviewed the Engineering forums and became engrossed.

When the doorbell rang Ben resurfaced from his reading and Tina passed him with a smile to answer the door.

Standing outside was Ashley carrying her son and the two teen girls. They seemed startled to see the diminutive Asian opening the door. They looked nervous, like they might bolt at any time.

"Hello, you must be Mrs. Beaumont. I am Tina. Please come in."

The ladies on the step blinked a second time when Tina said her name but they moved forward as a group and entered the foyer. Ben appeared in the entrance and smiled at the new arrivals.

"Welcome to my home and the neighborhood!" he smiled. He saw them all breathing in the heavenly scents of Tina's cooking. "Ready for dinner?" he smiled. The teen girls returned his smile broadly and Ashley smiled timidly.

"Please come this way." Tina directed them to the dining room and Ben followed. Christopher was playing in his playpen and giggled when he saw the other boy.

"This is my son Christopher. He will be one year old next week." Tina said stroking her son's hair. Ben made note to have a party for the boy.

"This is Joshua. He turned 1 year last week." Ashley smiled. The teens were introduced as Madison, the girl with the cast, and Savannah.

"If you like the boys may play together or I could get you a highchair." Ben said.

Ashley looked at the teens who looked nervously back. "A- a highchair would be good, thanks!"

Ben brought the chair from the kitchen and set it up next to the guest of honor position at the end of the table where Ashley would be seated. She seemed to be a little taken aback by the gesture. The teens sat next to each other on one side of the table. Ben went into the kitchen with Tina to bring out the meat and vegetables food. They shared a look about how nervous their guests appeared. They returned with large serving dishes containing the roast potatoes, corn, and biscuits. Ben then carried out the large platter of the roast which had been cut into slices. Everyone sat and Ashley and the girls clasped their hands together and bowed their heads. They said a silent prayer while Ben and Tina sat silently waiting.

Ashley looked up gratefully after they concluded their prayer.

"Dig in!" Ben smiled.

Arms reached and the food was passed around until the plates filled and forks began to carry the food to happy mouths.

Ben realized they only had a jug of water on the table. "Would you like something else to drink? We have milk, orange juice..." he looked at Tina and she was thinking too. "I'm sorry that's about all we have except water. I guess I should have picked up a bottle of red wine for this meal but I don't drink anymore so the house is dry."

He saw his guests visibly relax when he mentioned he no longer drank alcohol.

Madison looked at Ashley then back to Ben and said in a timid voice. "Orange Juice?" Ben caught Savannah wincing. "Coming right up." Tina rose first and patted him on the arm to remain seated. She returned in a moment to pour the juice into Madison's glass. Savannah looked at her sister's glass so Tina offered her some as well. Savannah gave her a small smile and a nod.

Soon everyone was enjoying their meals. The look of bliss on the faces of the teens was amazing. They slathered butter on the potatoes, corn, and biscuits but they certainly weren't in danger of being overweight. In fact all of them looked a little too thin.

"There's hot mustard for the roast beef if you'd like to try it. Start with just a dab as it can be a little too spicy for some." Ben said pointing to the small bowl of yellow brown sauce.

Madison was the brave one and scooped a little mustard onto her plate. She dipped a piece of beef into the mustard and placed it on her tongue. Her eyes closed in happiness as she chewed and after a few seconds she swallowed and started waving at her tongue like it was on fire. Savannah and Ashley started to giggle and Ben handed her a roll. "Bread is good for neutralizing the heat." he said with a grin. Madison chewed on the bread and the blissful look returned. Her next piece of beef was also dipped into the mustard.

"What do you do Mr. Shepherd?" Ashley said with a shaky voice.

"Please, call me Ben. I'm a semi-retired mechanical engineer. I do freelance engineering... coming up with solutions for issues for individual and companies. I have a number of patents on stuff I've done over the years. That pulls in enough income to allow me to do the stuff I want to do when I want to do it."

Ashley looked at Tina and seemed unsure what to say so Ben continued.

"Tina is going to University this summer for some preparation courses for the Bachelor of Science in Accounting course she's signed up for in the Fall." he said with a proud smile.

Ashley's expression slipped for just a second. Intense longing showed before she pulled a smile in place. Ben missed it but Tina didn't.

"Your next door neighbor in the house between ours is Catherine McGovern. She's the CEO of Kids-2-Kids. She has three daughters all a year apart, two in University, Sophie and Rachel, and one just finishing high school, Megan who is bound for University next year. On my other side is Gabriella Wallace who has a business importing high end fashion accessories from Milan and Paris. She travels there to make deals with the manufactures. Her daughter Miriam is 16 and her son Daniel is thirteen. Next to them is Beth Wilson who's a Dental Assistant. She has a son John who is... 17 now? Her daughter Jane is 16 and good friends with Miriam. Then there's a retired couple the Walkers. You won't see them much as they spend most of the winter in Florida and the summer in their back yard garden." He smiled thinking of the older couple.

"Next to them is Daphne McKellen and her twins Lisa and Lori. I just helped renovate their house to turn it into a daycare. I expect to see 25 kids in there by summer. There is still space if you were interested in getting Joshua in."

"No, Eli wouldn't allow that. I mean- he's a firm believer of the mother's role and place. You say you renovated the building?" Ashley changed the topic uncomfortably.

Tina picked up the conversation as Ben was stuck on the 'wouldn't allow' statement. She touched his arm to get him to lower his hackles and Ashley caught the gesture.

"Ben is a master at everything he does. He renovated this house when he bought it. Every room! The kitchen is my favorite room as it is amazingly efficient in it use of space and work surfaces. The daycare is beautiful and the twins say it is the best one in the state and they are graduating from University this year in Early Childhood Care & Education. He also renovated the master bedroom, ensuite, and guest bathroom in Trish's home."

Ben was uncomfortable with the praise so he moved on. "Trish Campbell you've met. She lives next to Daphne and has a son Mason who is now or soon to be 12 I think. She has a young woman whose name is Lily, renting out a room in her house. Lily is the daughter of another neighbor two doors to the west of you who put her home up for sale and moved to Florida. Next to Trish is Rochelle King who lives with her daughter Sara and her son Jayden, both adults now. Then there is the Greens and the Robinsons who I haven't spoken with much. Across from the Robinsons at the west end of the street on your side are the Bakers, another retired couple, no kids. Then Luis and Jaclyn Hernandez whose son Ramon is getting married this year. Then there's Jacob and Emma Brown whose daughters Natalie and Victoria will be working with Daphne and the twins in their daycare. Hannah Cooper is next. She has a twelve year old son named Ryan. Hannah is the Hospital Administrator of Western Mercy. A good lady to know." he smiled.

"Yes, she saved Ben's life after he was injured saving Christopher from being stolen from me." Tina exclaimed. Shocked eyes turned to Ben and he had a pained expression.

"I'm sure no one wants to hear that story." he grumbled.

"You are TOO modest Ben!" Tina scolded with a smile. She had everyone's attention so she began.

"The house for sale next to Hannah belonged to Joanne White, Lily's mother. But the house for sale next to yours once belonged to my husband. After he died his mother came from Korea to steal my son. She had a very bad man with her. Ben was outside and saw me crying. He came to help me and the bad man attacked him with a metal club. Ben fought him off and made my mother-in-law flee back to Korea. Ben was hurt. He thought it was just bruising but he collapsed when we got to Catherine's house. Hannah called the ambulance as she knew it was bad. I was told that he died four times but they saved him. When he returned home he found the bank was going to take my home away so he took Christopher and me in."

Now all eyes returned to Ben and he squirmed. "Anyone for more roast beef?"

Madison nodded with wide eyes. Ben placed a slice on her plate and tried to ignore the stares. She took a bite but in her inattention she had a huge blob of hot mustard on it and was soon dealing with watering eyes. Savannah started to giggle at her sister and passed her another biscuit. Madison put the entire thing in her mouth. More giggles ensued.

Ben gave Tina a look to get her to stop with the stories and she dropped her eyes and nodded with a smile. She was proud of her man. Again Ashley caught the interchange.

"So there are two houses for sale on the street?" Ashley asked.

"Yes, but Tina's is tied up in bank red tape so there hasn't been any movement on it. I check every day and I have the bank manager keeping an eye on it. There are some legal issues with the estate of Tina's late husband. Luckily none of them can touch Tina but the house must be tied up in that mess. Joanne White's house went on the market and there was a bidding war. I placed a bid but the other two bidders just kept the bid rising. The last time I looked the highest bid was ridiculously high. I haven't heard if it sold yet. I feel bad for Joanne as it should have sold by now."

"You were going to buy another house?" Madison asked in shock. She surprised herself with her bold question.

Ben smiled at the girl. "Yes, it would be a good investment."

"Ben owns Trish's home and she rents from him." Tina said and saw Ashley's body stiffen and eyes narrow as she looked at Ben. The reaction surprised Tina so she continued. "Trish was going to lose her home to the bank after her husband died but Ben bought it from her so she could pay her debts and continue to live in the neighborhood. Her son and Hannah's are best friends."

Once more eyes turned to Ben and he looked at Tina pleadingly. She dipped her head in apology.

Ashley was getting more and more confused about Ben. His house was the smallest on the block but the inside was beautiful. He lived with a young Korean woman and her son but she couldn't tell what their relationship was. She'd seen that Trish woman enter his home with him when Tina was not there and when she left she wasn't wearing her bra. Did this indicate some kind of sexual activity happened? He owned her house. Was he demanding sexual favors in return behind Tina's back? Then there was that embarrassing event in the drug store. But he came to their rescue at the grocery store twice. Would he start making demands in return? Eli would be there soon and she was worried how they would get along. Either they were the same and life could get harder or they were opposites and life might get ugly. Either way she was getting nervous. She'd have to tell him everything and she was expecting him to get mad.

"Does anyone want more?" Ben asked unaware of Ashley's darkening mood. As the teens pushed back from the table they smiled and shook their heads.

"No room for ice cream and chocolate or caramel syrup?" he said with a fake look of astonishment.

The girls grinned. "Chocolate!" Madison called. "Caramel!" Savannah chirped. Ben looked at Ashley but she just shook her head. Ben headed into the kitchen with some of the dishes. The teens gathered the other dirty dishes and followed Ben into the kitchen.

Tina looked over at Ashley, aware of the woman's conflicted look. "Is everything alright?"

Ashley saw a chance to speak freely but she wasn't sure if she should. Eli would be extremely upset if he found out she was interfering with a neighbor's relationship. Hell, he'd be angry for her speaking to an Asian woman at all. She had a sudden flare of rebellion. "I- I saw Trish go into this house with Ben. She wasn't wearing her bra when she came out." she blurted quietly keeping her eyes on the doorway. They could barely hear Ben's rumbling voice and the teens giggling responses.

Tina felt relieved when she heard Ashley's frantic confession. "It's OK. Trish is a woman of extreme desires. She uses Ben on occasion to 'scratch that itch'? It makes Ben sad because he loves her."

Ashley gasped when Tina admitted that Ben was in love with another woman. Tina smiled again. "Ben is also in love with me and I love him. He is the most kind, generous, loving man I have ever met. He is also the best neighbor you could have. If you have any trouble you can count on him."

Ben walked back in with the girls in tow. The dishes of ice cream they had were loaded with syrup and whipped cream and a cherry on top. They sat and dug in with big grins on their faces. Soon all three were wearing as much ice cream as they were eating as they tried to race each other.

"Ben! Behave!" Tina scolded with a smile.

He put on a hang dog look which triggered more giggles. Then with a mischievous look he returned to gobbling his ice cream. He suddenly stopped when he got brain freeze and the giggles turned into outright laughter.

Ashley couldn't help but laugh along. Then she wondered how long it had been since they'd all laughed together. She couldn't... recall the last time. Her emotions suddenly became too much and she held a napkin up to hide her tears. Her shoulders shook as she stifled her sobs. The room got quiet.

"Momma? It's ok. We're sorry for being noisy." Savannah said.

Ashley shook her head violently. She clamped down on her emotions and dried her eyes. "No baby! It's not that at all. I was just so happy to hear you girls laughing and I was just so tired from the traveling and moving and the problems we had today that my emotions got all mixed up. I love hearing you two so happy! We should laugh more! But right now I think we have to thank our hosts and say our good nights as we still have to put together our beds, find and unpack our linens and get to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day." She put a smile on her lips and turned her attention to a concerned looking Ben and Tina. "Thank you very much for dinner and your welcoming us into your home. I look forward to becoming good friends with you both." The girls beamed when she said this. She turned her eyes to them expectantly.

"Thank you very much Ben and Tina!" they said in unison. Ashley looked at them appalled by their use of the first names.

Ben held up his hand. "I insisted they call us that. If you'd like I'm pretty handy with assembling furniture. I could give you a hand?"

"NO- I mean, no, you've done enough. The girls and I will take care of the rest. Thank you!" Ashley stumbled through her response. Ben nodded.

"Well if you need a lift anywhere tomorrow, I have no plans for the day so feel free to ask." Ben said and Ashley realized that she did have several errands that would be impossible without transportation. Errands Eli would not except excuses for being incomplete.

Tina leaned forward. "I can look after Joshua or we can take the two boys to play at Daphne's daycare while you run your errands."

Ashley was feeling a little overwhelmed again so she just nodded. Ben saw the tears coming back.

"It has been a long day. We'll let you get settled in. Tomorrow if you need anything we're here, ok?" he said gently.

Ashley nodded and smiled. Ben and Tina walked he family back to the front door. Ben had Christopher in his arms and the boy was reaching for Joshua who was in his mother's arms reaching back. "Looks like someone else wants to be friends." Ben chuckled.

Ashley had a sudden stricken look on her face and looked away. Ben saw it but didn't know what to do to help. "Thank you both. Good night!" the woman said and stepped outside. The teens followed and waved at Ben with smiles. He smiled back.

Once they were gone Ben looked back at Tina with a very worried look. She shared it with him.

"Something is not right and I'm definitely getting the feeling it's the husband. There's too much fear-" Ben froze, his mind flashing back to a suppressed childhood memory. For a moment he saw the outline of a man. Large, dark and imposing. He smelled whisky, heard screaming, and felt a flash of heat. Then the memory was over and he was back in the foyer with Tina who was taking Christopher from his arms. She was speaking to him and he couldn't understand the words. He blinked a few times as she touched his face.

"Ben! What's wrong?" she asked, her voice filled with worry.

"I'm ok." he murmured suddenly confused as the memory faded.

"You went still and you didn't hear me for a minute." Tina said her voice trembling.