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CHAPTER6
BEN
Ben approached the man who had called out to him and noticed his rugged appearance but happy disposition. The man extended a hand in greeting, a warm smile lighting up his face. The callouses on his palms were rough but his voice welcoming.
"Hey there, I'm Mo," he introduced himself. "I heard you're Paisley's protector. You even fought Gus the snake for her. Impressive stuff."
Ben chuckled, shaking Mo's hand firmly. "Word travels fast. Gus didn’t put up much of a fight but I’m marking it down as a win for me. Just one more skill for my résumé.”
“How about another win out here? You up for some manual labor?” Mo gestured toward the woods behind them, where tools were strewn around the start of a small trench. "I've got a project going on here. We're installing some underground plumbing to upgrade the bathroom situation. Would you mind giving me a hand? I know it’s not glamorous, but we don’t have enough fit young guys living in Cinderhill right now. We’re going to take advantage of you for a little bit. Hope you don’t mind.”
"I'd be glad to help. To be honest, I’m more worried about being bored than working hard. I’m not really accustomed to sitting around and watching the grass grow. Lead the way."
“We don’t do much sitting around here. It takes a lot to keep people fed, clothed, and safe out in a remote area like this. It requires everyone pitching in. But it’s worth it. There are things in Cinderhill you can’t get many other places in the world.”
“Poison ivy? Lost? I can definitely see myself experiencing both those things out here.”
“We won’t let you get lost. Too many people looking out for you. And you’ll be everyone’s favorite if you help me get this plumbing sorted out. We’re all at peace with the land and such, but working plumbing would be a welcome upgrade.”
As they worked side by side, digging the trench and laying the pipes, Ben thought of his brothers. How many days they’d spent sweating at a job like this. Fighting to keep the electricity on at their house. Now things had changed for his family. Everyone seemed to have what they needed finally. And yet, they weren’t as close as they used to be. He’d gladly go back to these back-breaking jobs if it meant his brothers would be in the ditch with him.
When this was over and it was safe for Paisley to step back into her old life, he’d talk to them all. Call a family meeting and insist everyone come. Some kind of regular family dinner needed to be reinstated. Some connection had to be brought back. They could all do the work they loved and still be there for each other. They had to. They’d scraped and fought so long to get where they were, and they’d done it together. He’d lead the charge for getting that back.
“You lost in thought or just asleep on your feet?” Mo asked as he reached for the nearby canteen. He drew in a long drag of the cold water and loudly sighed with relief from the refreshing drink.
“Just thinking about my family. We used to have to work like this all the time and somehow, we’d make it fun. Just screwing around. I miss those days. Nothing was all that serious, now it seems like everything is.”
“I know that feeling. It’s part of how I ended up here at Cinderhill. I needed to lower the stakes. To regroup. Then I fell in love with it and never left. I think people are always searching for where they belong, but really it’s far more about who you belong with than where you end up.”
“I liked things the way they were when we were young and dumb.” Ben chuckled and thought of every disastrous situation they’d gotten themselves into and then found a way out of.
“Did you?” Mo challenged. “Or do you just miss the fact that you were together? Circumstances will always change. That’s how life works. Sometimes for the better, sometimes it’s much worse. You can’t really fight against that. You’ll destroy yourself trying. But you choose who to survive it with. If you want to get your family back together again to weather it all, make it happen. It doesn’t matter where. It doesn’t matter if it looks completely different than you remember it. Just make it happen.”
Ben turned to Mo, curiosity evident in his voice. "You’re right. I can’t keep missing the past, I have to make the future something we can do together. Even if it looks different.”
“Look at me doling out good advice,” Mo said, slapping his dirty hands together victoriously. “I’m usually just the guy who goes around fixing the broke stuff.”
“Can I ask you something?” Ben rested his arm on the shovel and looked at all they’d accomplished in one morning. This place was so unique and there was clearly a sense of relief everywhere he turned. He’d heard only clipped explanations, and now he was curious about what had happened earlier.
“What happened here? Everyone has alluded to some trouble. People look like they’re breathing for the first time in a while. Is it really over? My job is to keep Paisley safe, and I need to make sure there isn’t some other threat going on. Besides all the wildlife, is there something more?”
Mo leaned against his shovel too, taking a moment to catch his breath. He looked conflicted. "I get it. I would be a little nervous coming to the middle of nowhere, thinking maybe there’s another threat lurking in the shadows.”
“There are a hell of a lot of shadows in this place.” Ben gestured to the woods. “You could be hiding anything out there and I sure as hell wouldn’t go looking for it.”
“Nothing hidden anymore,” Mo explained. “It was rough for a long time. Bailey's father and the men who followed him are all locked up. It was nasty business; a cult can destroy so much. The mentality that one person can have complete control over people is like a cancer. Bailey's mother is getting the help she needs at the hospital. We've taken all the necessary steps to ensure the safety of everyone in Cinderhill. There's nothing here that can hurt Paisley."
Relief washed over Ben, his shoulders relaxing. He was up for anything that came his way, but having to deal with old bad blood was not what he needed. Gus the snake was all the surprise he wanted.
"I’m glad you were all able to get free of that. I hope Paisley gets the same. I’m worried she has a hell of a long road ahead of her. I’ve never heard of anything like what she’s been through. I don’t know how she made it this long. I’m learning a little more every time we talk and it sounds like a hell.”
“You’re ready to go ten rounds for her. Is it duty or something more, if you don’t mind me prying? We don’t have much entertainment around these parts. You two could be like a soap opera for us. Drama. Intrigue. Or maybe romance?”
“Nothing like that,” Ben said, waving the idea off. “It’s all business.”
“Right. Risky business maybe.” Mo’s smile was wide as he pulled his shovel from the ground and got ready to start digging again.
Ben laughed it off. He’d have to make sure people didn’t start thinking something more was going on between Paisley and him. He couldn’t steal long looks at Paisley when someone might be watching. He couldn’t put his hand on her back when she was shaking with fear if he was going to convince everyone, and himself, he wasn’t feeling some kind of pull toward Paisley. But they lived very different lives, and when it was safe for her to return to hers, Ben wouldn’t fit in anywhere.
