Chapter 16

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Jody didn’t think she’d be able to concentrate after Baker left, but surprisingly, she found that once she sat down in front of her computer each morning, she had a focus she never would’ve thought possible. She realized it was because she wanted to do just as Baker had suggested…get ahead with her projects so when he returned, she could concentrate on just him for a few days.

She texted Mustang every day, letting him know that she and Ben were doing fine, and she’d heard from Elodie and the rest of the women daily as well. Elodie had opened a group chat and it was fun to read all the banter going back and forth between the women.

Jody thanked Kenna and Carly for the Duke’s food, which had started a day-long conversation about hula pie and if it was better fresh or a couple days old. The consensus had been that it didn’t matter. Duke’s hula pie was amazing no matter what.

They’d wanted to set up another lunch, but with all the work Jody was trying to get done, she said she didn’t think she’d be able to make it. Everyone had understood, but Kenna had warned that she wanted to have a sleepover, soon, and she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

Ben’s relationship with Tressa was progressing slowly, from what he told her, and Jody encouraged him to do what Baker had suggested, invite her over for dinner. He had—and tonight was the night.

Jody had put a pot roast in the Crockpot and made a cheesy broccoli casserole. Since Ben had said he liked it, Jody figured now was the time to make a dish with the vegetable Baker hated.

Ben was nervous, which Jody thought was pretty cute. He’d left a while ago to pick up Tressa, and she expected them back anytime now.

Ten minutes later, she heard Ben’s car pull into her driveway and smiled in the direction of the front door.

They walked in—and despite Ben’s description, Jody was still taken aback by how pretty Tressa was. She had long, straight black hair and dark eyes. Her skin was flawless, and she was only a couple inches taller than Jody. She wore a pair of dark jeans and a white short-sleeve blouse. She looked casual, but also as if she’d put in the effort to look nice for her date.

“Hi,” Jody said, walking toward her. “I’m Jody. I’m so glad you could come over.”

“Miss Jody, this is Tressa. Tressa, this is the woman I’ve told you so much about. You know, the one who makes awesome breakfast sandwiches and who cracks the whip to make sure we all get out of the ocean and to school on time.”

Tressa smiled shyly and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Jody.”

“I hope you’re hungry,” she said warmly. “Without Baker, my boyfriend, being here to help us, we’ve got a lot of food to eat.”

“It smells delicious. Can I help do anything?”

Jody internally nodded approvingly. Tressa was pretty, polite, and it was easy to see Ben was completely besotted. “I’m good. Why don’t you guys go hang out on the back deck while I finish up?” She wanted to give the teenagers some privacy, because there definitely wasn’t anywhere in the small house they could go to talk without her overhearing, and Ben’s room was absolutely not an option. He might not be her biological son, but she wasn’t going to give him carte blanche to seduce Tressa under her roof.

While she made a salad, Jody kept one eye on the teenagers on the other side of the sliding-glass door that led out to her small backyard. The deck wasn’t much of a deck, really, just some boards nailed together and two beach chairs. But she thought it was adorable how Ben held Tressa’s hand as they quietly talked.

When the casserole was finished, Jody called the pair back inside and they all loaded up their plates before taking them to the table.

“So…how’d you end up in Hawaii?” Jody asked Tressa once they were all eating.

“My dad’s Japanese and my mom’s American. My mom was working over in Tokyo when she met my dad, and they fell in love. We’ve been splitting our time between Japan and California for years, but my dad got the opportunity to work here in Honolulu and so…here we are.”

“And you live up here at the North Shore?” Jody asked.

Tressa nodded. “My mom isn’t a huge fan of cities. I think living in Tokyo cured her of ever wanting to permanently live in one. My dad wanted to make her happy so he found a house up here to rent. He drives down to the city every day.”

“That’s tough,” Jody said.

Tressa shrugged. “He says he doesn’t mind. He leaves really early, like four in the morning, so he misses the worst of the traffic, and that also means that most days he’s home by the time I get out of school.”

“That’s great, at least.”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re in band?” Jody asked. She was aware that she was carrying the conversation, but Tressa didn’t seem uncomfortable with her questions and Ben was content to observe.

The girl nodded. “I play the trombone.”

“Cool!”

Tressa smiled. “Yeah, in sixth grade when we had to pick instruments, I didn’t want to be like all the other girls and pick the clarinet or flute. The trombone seemed unique.” She shrugged.

“She’s really good too,” Ben chimed in. “She made second chair, ahead of almost all the other guys.”

“Do you have a favorite subject in school?” Jody asked.

The rest of dinner went by smoothly, with Tressa answering all of Jody’s questions and Ben interjecting here and there to praise something Tressa had said or done. It was more than obvious he was head over heels for the girl, and Jody couldn’t be happier for him.

After they ate, Ben volunteered to do the dishes, and while Jody took a seat in the living area, she watched as the teens laughed and flirted while they filled the dishwasher.

They watched two episodes of a true crime show on television, and got into a spirited discussion about how stupid some people were and the best ways to get away with a crime. By the time Ben had to take Tressa home to meet her curfew, Jody was one hundred percent supportive of the relationship.

Tressa was shy, as Ben had said, but the longer she’d been there, the more she’d loosened up. She was funny, and she couldn’t keep her eyes off Ben. They were cute together, and Jody loved that for him.

“I’ll be back soon,” Ben said as he led Tressa to the door. He had his hand on the small of her back, like Baker always did with Jody when they walked somewhere.

“Drive safe,” she warned.

“I will.”

Jody was sitting on the couch when Ben returned thirty minutes later. She tilted her head back and watched him lock the front door after he entered. He came into the living room and plopped down on the couch next to her.

Jody smiled. “She’s cute.”

“I know.”

“And really nice.”

“Yup.”

“You like her a lot.”

Ben nodded. “She’s different from most of the girls at school. She doesn’t seem to care about being popular. She’s got her own style, and she’s funny when you get to know her.”

“You need to treat her with care,” Jody advised.

Ben looked at her with a frown. “What do you mean?”

“Just that. Look, this isn’t my place, but I can’t not say it. That girl thinks the world of you. She couldn’t take her eyes off you all night. I have a feeling she’d do anything you asked. So, you need to be careful about that. She’s shy, and I have a feeling she hasn’t had many boyfriends.” Jody knew she was beating around the bush, but she felt awkward saying what she really wanted to say.

“I know all this, Miss Jody,” Ben said.

“All I’m saying is that I don’t think you should rush anything…physically, I mean. She seems a little naïve, and not ready for sex.”

Ben sat up straighter and Jody could tell she’d irritated him. “I know that.”

Jody nodded. “You have plenty of time for that, Ben. I’m just suggesting you two enjoy being together without the pressure.”

“I’m not a virgin,” he said…sounding almost angry.

Jody swallowed hard. Yeah, she probably shouldn’t’ve have started this conversation. “Okay.”

“On my fourteenth birthday, Al brought some girl home, left us alone, and the next thing I knew she had her hand on my dick and was undoing my pants.”

“Ben…” Jody started, really not wanting to hear the story about how he lost his virginity, but he ignored her protest.

“She pushed me to my back, put a condom on me, and we did it right there on the damn couch. After, she taught me how to remove the rubber, kissed me on the cheek and left. I was still kind of dazed and feeling almost proud of myself, like an idiot.” He shook his head. “I decided that I was hot shit, and I wanted to get her number so I could see her again. I foolishly thought that sex meant we were dating or some bullshit, so I followed her. I saw Al giving her money in the doorway before she left.”

“Oh my God,” Jody breathed, not liking Ben’s stepdad at all right then.

“Yeah. He hired a prostitute to make me a man—his words, not mine. I was too young to understand what was happening. He stole that from me, and I’ll never forgive him for it,” Ben said in a low, tortured voice. “There’s no way I’d ever rush Tressa into something she’s not ready for. And I know, Miss Jody, that she’s not ready for sex. I like being with her. I kissed her goodbye tonight, and I swear that was her first kiss. And…I like going slow. I want her to know I respect her enough not to pressure her.”

Jody could hear shades of Baker in Ben’s words and tone. He hadn’t been around him all that long, but his positive influence was rubbing off regardless.

“I’m trying not to be offended that you even think I’d be that kind of guy,” Ben said.

“I don’t. I just…you’re important to me, and I didn’t want you to do something either one of you would regret. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

Ben was silent for a while, then he said, “I appreciate it. In the last few weeks, you’ve been more of a mom to me than my own has been in years.”

That made Jody feel good and sad at the same time. She opened her mouth to reply, but a loud knock on the front door made her jump in surprise. Looking at her watch, she saw it was past nine at night. Way too late for anyone to be there to see her.

“You expecting anyone?” she asked Ben.

He shook his head.

Jody got up and went to the door. She looked through the peephole and frowned. There was a man at her door, and she could see a woman standing about eight feet behind him, on the walkway leading up to the small porch.

“Benjamin! It’s time to come home!” the man shouted.

Jody glanced at Ben in surprise. The look on the teenager’s face made Jody’s heart hurt. He was scared.

No. Terrified.

“It’s Al,” Ben said softly.

Well. Jody had some things she wanted to say to Ben’s stepfather. The story about how he’d hired a woman to take his stepson’s virginity fresh in her mind, she unlocked the door and jerked it open. She stood in the doorway, making sure the man knew he wasn’t invited inside. She might be small, but no way was Ben leaving with this guy. No freaking way.

“Can I help you?” she asked a little belligerently.

Al Rowden looked down his nose at her. “Yeah. My son has had his fun, made his point, and now it’s time for him to come home.”

“First of all, he’s not your son,” Jody told him. “Secondly, you think it was fun for him to sleep in his car and have to scrounge for food?”

Al smirked, as if Ben’s struggle amused him. “He needed to learn a lesson.”

“What lesson was that?”

“That he’s not as smart as he thinks he is, and that he needs to listen to his parents.”

Jody shook her head at the level of assholery coming from this jerk. “He’s not going anywhere.”

“Pack your shit, Ben. You’re coming home,” Al said, looking over Jody’s head.

“Did you hear me? He’s not going with you. He’s fine here. Better, in fact.” Jody glanced at Ben’s mom. Emma. She was looking at the concrete under her feet as if it was the most interesting thing she’d ever seen. She wasn’t even trying to see her son, to make sure he was all right. Her lack of emotion disturbed Jody more than she wanted to admit.

Al took a step forward, and Jody spread her arms out, blocking his entrance. “You aren’t welcome here. And if you take one more step, I’m calling the police.”

Al sneered. “You think you can keep me out?”

“Probably not. You’re bigger and heavier than I am,” Jody said in a voice more calm than she felt inside. “But I’m not surprised you’re trying to use your size to intimidate me. That seems like something you’d do.”

He glared at her. “You don’t know anything about me,” he said.

“I know enough,” Jody insisted.

“Ben’s been talking, I see,” Al said. Then he looked at Ben over her shoulder. “No one likes a tattletale.”

Jody didn’t dare take her eyes off the man in front of her, but she had a feeling Al was threatening Ben in some way. “It’s late. You need to go,” she insisted. Her heart was beating a million miles an hour. She had no idea what she was going to do if he pushed his way inside her house and tried to manhandle Ben to get him to leave. But there was no way she was letting Ben go without a fight. She might be small, but she was a scrapper. And she had a loud voice. If she screamed loud and long enough, one of her neighbors would definitely call the cops.

But to her surprise, Al took a step backward. His hands were clenched, but he didn’t make a move toward her. “Fine. But don’t think the police won’t hear about how you kidnapped my son.”

“It’s not kidnapping when he wants to be here after you kicked him out of his home,” Jody said, not bothering to correct the man about calling Ben his son.

“You think he’ll tell the police that?” Al asked with a small laugh. “He knows better.”

Jody didn’t like the way Al sounded so sure. She turned her attention to Ben’s mom. “Why’d it take you three weeks to come for him?” she asked. “He was living in his car. He had heat exhaustion because he was sleeping in it with the sun beating down on him. He wasn’t going to school. Wasn’t eating properly. From what I understand, you worked your butt off to make sure your little boy had food on his plate when he was young. What changed?”

The woman looked up, and for a moment, Jody saw anguish in her expression. But then it was wiped clean and the blank look returned. She didn’t speak.

“The little shit’s been coddled and spoiled for too long. Learning what the real world’s like is good for him. He should’ve been left to learn that lesson, not taken in so he could mooch off someone else,” Al said, stepping to the side, blocking Jody’s view of Ben’s mom.

“He’s your son,” Jody said, still aiming her words at the other woman. “I’d give anything to have one more day, hour, minute with mine. But you’re throwing yours away…for what? Why?”

“We’re leaving,” Al said abruptly, turning and stepping down from the porch. He took Emma’s arm and jerked roughly, spinning her around. He looked back at Jody. “But this isn’t over. He can’t hide behind you twenty-four hours a day.”

“Is that a threat?” Jody seethed, genuinely shocked.

“Of course not,” Al said with a smirk, then he yanked his wife closer to side as he marched her toward a Mercedes sitting at the curb.

Jody felt Ben come up beside her, and they both watched as his mom and stepdad drove off. Then she closed the door, locked it, and took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry,” Ben said, but Jody held up a hand, stopping him from saying anything else.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” she said firmly. She gently cupped his cheek. “You’re an amazing man, Ben. I can’t pretend to know what your life was like in that house, but if that little chat was any indication, it obviously wasn’t fun.”

“You’ve made him mad,” Ben said, his voice shaking.

“I don’t care,” Jody said.

“You should.”

“I’m not afraid of him.”

“He can make your life miserable,” he warned.

Jody studied the boy in front of her. He sounded completely freaked out. “What’s he got on you?” she asked softly.

Ben’s eyes closed, and for a second Jody thought he was finally going to speak his truth. But when he opened his eyes and met her gaze, she knew he’d gotten his emotions under control, and the moment was lost. “It doesn’t matter. I should leave.”

Jody moved her hand to his shoulder, squeezed tightly, and said, “No.”

“The last thing I want to do is make shit harder for you.”

“I can handle that jerkface,” Jody said. “And when Baker gets back, he’ll make sure your stepdad doesn’t bother you again.”

It took a moment, but Ben’s shoulders finally relaxed a fraction. “Jerkface?” he repeated with a small forced smile.

“Yeah, I would’ve used a bad word, but since I got on Baker for swearing in front of you, I didn’t figure it was appropriate.”

“I think when talking about Al Rowden, it’s absolutely appropriate,” Ben said.

“You’re probably right.”

“About what you said to my mom,” Ben added. “I didn’t notice the change in her until it was too late. She lost herself…and in doing so, she lost me.”

“I’m so sorry, Ben,” Jody said quietly, stepping into his personal space and wrapping her arms around him. She hugged him fiercely, pleased when he returned her embrace. Then she stepped back.

“I’m sorry about your son,” Ben replied.

“Me too. But having you here has done me a lot of good. For the record, I like having you here, Ben. You aren’t a burden, and you have plenty of time to learn how to be an adult. For now, your only worries should be your grades and treating Tressa right.”

“I wish that was all I was worried about,” Ben said quietly.

“Me too,” Jody whispered.

He took a deep breath. “When’s Baker getting home again?”

“I’m not sure. He said he thought he’d be gone about a week. So hopefully only a few more days.”

“What’s he doing?”

They were still standing in her foyer, but since Ben was actually talking to her, Jody didn’t want to risk him clamming up by asking him to move back to the couch. “He works with the government. He’s an information seeker of sorts.”

Jody didn’t know exactly what it was that Baker did, but she didn’t think telling Ben he worked with extremely dangerous people was smart right now. Though, as Ben stared at her, it was as if he could see right through her vague words.

“Maybe I’ll talk to him when he gets back.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” Jody agreed. She wouldn’t be upset if Ben opened up to Baker and not her. The teenager seemed to really admire the man, and who wouldn’t? He was an admirable guy, that was for sure.

“I think I’m gonna stay up for a bit and watch TV, but you can go on to bed if you want,” Ben said.

Jody narrowed her eyes. “If you step one foot outside this house, Ben Miller, I’m gonna lose my mind.”

His lips quirked upward. “I’m not going to leave,” he told her.

Jody raised a brow.

“I’m not. Promise. I have no desire to go back to that house. Ever. If I have to wear the same ten outfits I took with me when I left for the rest of my life, I will. If my mom ever gets her head out of her ass, she’ll have to come see me. I just…the night’s been so good, perfect. I got to kiss my girl for the first time, then he had to ruin it.”

“No one can ruin memories, Ben,” Jody told him. “Those are all yours.”

He nodded. “I need to think. He’s gonna try something, Miss Jody, and I have to be ready when he does,” Ben said.

She didn’t like the sound of that. “Baker will help when he gets back,” she assured him.

“Yeah,” Ben said.

Jody felt as if she’d said all she could for tonight. She’d do what she could in the morning to try to reassure him once more. “All right. I’ll turn in. But if you need anything, I’m just down the hall.”

“Thanks, Miss Jody.” Then he shook his head. “I can’t believe you stood in front of him with your arms out…as if that would keep him from getting by you.”

“You might be taller and bigger, Ben, but you’re still a kid. Over my dead body was he going to get to you,” she promised.

Ben swallowed hard and looked down at his feet as he took a deep breath.

Jody gave him time to gain his composure. “You aren’t Mana. I know that, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to protect you with everything I have. I know he could’ve pushed past me, but I was willing to risk being hurt in order to stand up for you, Ben.”

“I wish you were my mom,” Ben whispered.

It was Jody’s turn to have to swallow hard to prevent herself from bursting into tears. When she felt she had herself under control, she said, “I might not be your biological mother, but as far as I’m concerned, from this moment on, you’re my adopted son. You need something, anything, you come to me. Water, food, a roof over your head, a shoulder to lean on, girl advice, or just a place to chill where you don’t have to think…my door will always stay open for you.”

“Thanks,” Ben said. He stepped toward her, hugged her hard once more, then turned and went back to the living area.

Jody took a deep breath, then headed for the hallway leading to her room. “Good night, Ben. Don’t stay up too late.”

“I won’t,” he said as he sat down and picked up the remote. “I’ll check the doors and windows before I go to bed, so don’t worry.”

Yes, it was safe to say Ben was soaking in all of Baker’s goodness. “Okay. Thanks.”

“Good night, Miss Jody.”

“Good night, Ben.”

Jody got ready for bed, crawled under her covers, and pulled the pillow Baker used into her arms. She buried her head in it and finally let go of the tears she’d held back. She cried because she’d actually been terrified of what Al might do. Cried for Ben. For Emma Rowden, who had no idea what she’d thrown away…or maybe she did. Cried because she was worried about Baker.

When her tears dried up, Jody felt as if she’d been through the wringer. She had no idea what was up with Ben’s stepdad, but it wasn’t good. Ben was terrified of the man. He had some hold over his stepson, that was clear, and Jody desperately wished she knew what it could be.

She hoped Baker would be able to figure it out. Maybe with his connections, he could sever whatever hold Al had on Ben and the teenager could live his life without the black cloud of worry that seemed to be hovering over him for months. It had disappeared for a while tonight, when he’d been with Tressa, but now it was back.

The thought that Ben might back off his pursuit of Tressa to try to protect her ran through Jody’s head. The more she thought about it, the more she suspected that was exactly what he was going to do. She made a mental note to talk to him tomorrow. It would crush Tressa if Ben tried to break up with her now. She’d think it was because of something she’d done tonight, or because she wasn’t a good kisser, or some other nonsense, not because Ben was trying to be noble.

Lying there, unable to sleep, thinking about Ben and how to help him, was overwhelming and made Jody miss Baker all the more. He’d know exactly what to do in this kind of situation. If he’d been there tonight, there was no way Al would’ve said all those horrible things. Jody was proud of how she’d handled the guy, but she wished Baker had been here all the same.

It was scary how she’d been muddling through life, feeling almost disconnected for the last five years, and now suddenly in the last month her life seemed to go from gray to Technicolor in a nanosecond. It was uncomfortable and kind of scary, but Jody couldn’t deny that she’d much rather have this life…with Ben and Baker and all the uncertainty that went along with both…instead of drowning in grief and missing Mana with every breath.

As if thinking about her son somehow conjured him, the dull clank of keys hitting his dresser sounded almost loud in her room. Sitting up, Jody tilted her head. Was she dreaming once again?

Then she heard footsteps on the hardwood floor in the other room. Ben.

Jody lay back down and smiled. Ben wasn’t Kaimana, but having him here felt right. “Miss you, Mana,” she whispered.

Jody swore she felt a brush against her cheek after she said the words.

Her son’s soul was here. Watching over her. For the first time in ages, she felt comfort when she thought about her son, rather than an overwhelming grief.

She curled onto her side once more and cuddled Baker’s pillow against her chest. He’d be home soon, but until then, she’d be all right. She and Ben would figure things out as best they could, and when Baker was back, Ben would talk to him and he’d do what was necessary to handle Al Rowden.

Jody fell asleep with Baker’s scent in her nostrils and the hope that he’d be home soon.