A Shepherd Afield Pt. 03

"That's great to hear!" Ben said, a feeling of relief sinking in.

"He's been asking when you would be back. Said he needed to talk to you. I'm hoping he's not going to ask you how to tell me he's leaving." Dominic said honestly.

Ben raised his eyebrows then spotted the young man in question. The eyebrows stayed up as he saw the shiner.

"Who gave you that?" Ben asked him and Jayden ducked his head with embarrassment.

"The brother of one of the girls I dated... before," he said quietly. "I went to the houses of the girls I... dated and apologized. A few had brothers that decided a beating was in order. After the first one," he pointed to his eye, "I started bringing along some friends," he pointed to the crew walking past, "who waited for me on the sidewalk and kept an eye out for angry family members. I took the slaps from the girls if they needed it."

Ben looked at the young man standing before him, seriously impressed. "What brought this on?"

"You said I had to ask myself what kind of man I had been and to be honest. I thought a lot about that. When I was honest with myself I could see how self centered and callous I'd been. I knew I couldn't take back what I'd done but I could apologize. I could see it made a difference for them. I also learned that slaps from angry women hurt. The guys I had with me started rating the slaps after we left."

"How many..."

"Five. Just five but that was enough," the young man said looking ashamed.

Ben nodded.

"I was hoping that if I could be a better man... I might be good enough to date Karen," he said looking hopefully at Ben.

"Let's go inside where it's warmer so we can talk," Ben said.

They made their way into the house and Ben was very happy with the open layout of the living room, dining area and kitchen. They went into the living room by the huge picture window.

Before they began Jayden lifted his pant leg and Ben saw the ankle monitor was gone.

"How?" Ben asked.

"Mr. Selleni went with me to my interview with the judge last week and said some really nice things about me and how integral I'd become to his team. He really impressed the judge."

"You must have done a little of that as well or he wouldn't have trusted you." Ben admitted.

"Well, you did say they weren't the enemy."

Ben paused to look at the young man, surprised. That felt good!

He collected himself then looked back at the nervous expression on Jayden's face. "Karen is a special woman. What she's been through... no one should have been treated like that. She's just now learning she has value, her place in the world, and how she's good at something real. Her culinary skills are very good and I want her to expand upon them by going to school to learn more. She's really excited about that." Jayden was beginning to look a little deflated. He was starting to hear a 'no' in Ben's words.

"She's also lonely. I think it would be very healthy if she were to have a boyfriend in her life right now. Someone who could show her what it is to have someone who truly appreciates her as a person. Someone to be proud of her accomplishments to help build her confidence in herself. She's going to need patience and to be patient herself, even if that means her boyfriend controls the pace. She doesn't know what it means to be treated as a person. Dating, flirting, first kisses, holding hands, taking the time to build a relationship. Then and only then should sex be introduced. She needs to learn these things. Do you think you can be that kind of boyfriend?"

Jayden was vibrating with excitement. "Yes, sir."

Ben gave him one more critical look. "Then I'm ok with you dating my daughter."

Jayden's smile was brilliant. "Thank you! I won't let you down. And I won't let her down!" he finished when he saw Ben's eyebrow go up.

Ben nodded with a smile. "I'm still learning what it means to be Karen's dad. Being her boyfriend will have its own challenges. Please know you can talk to me about anything."

"Thank you." Jayden actually looked like he was about to hug Ben but settled with shaking his hand.

"I'll let you get back to it then. Dominic said you wanted to speak to me about something. Was that it?" Ben received a nod so he patted Jayden shoulder as he turned to go. As Ben was leaving the room he heard cheering behind him and glanced back to see some of the crew coming in to congratulate Jayden.

He smiled and continued out to see Dominic. He filled him in and saw the big man sag with relief. That made Ben feel even better about his decision. They said their goodbyes as Dominic went inside.

Ben looked down the street and saw Luis Hernandez pulling into his driveway. When he last spoke with the man there had been some issue with the wedding of his son so Ben wasn't sure when he should do the renovations on Tina's house. He wanted to be able to finish the updates to the bathrooms and the kitchen before the newlyweds moved in. He walked down the block and knocked on the man's door.

Jaclyn Hernandez opened the door and a wide smile burst onto her face. "Mr. Shepherd! How nice of you to visit! Please come in!" She was a short woman with a happy round face and a plump body. Curly black hair reached her shoulders and she wore an abundance of gold. He'd never been able to get her to call him Ben.

She led him into the living room where Luis was just getting up from his chair. He was grimacing in pain.

"What happened?" Ben asked in concern.

The older man just waved it off and shook Ben's hand. "Just a sore back from moving some things at Bianca's parent's home." Ben recognized the name of their son's fiancé.

Juan was just a little taller than his wife and had the stocky build of someone used to heavy labor. Greying hair and square jawed he still looked very fit. He owned a chain of autobody shops and liked to get his own hands dirty working on the more challenging jobs. Seeing Ben's eyebrows go up he smiled. "Books. So many boxes of books. Terrible things for the back!" Everyone took seats, Juan back in his chair and Ben next to Jaclyn on the couch facing the chair.

"What can I do for you Ben?" Luis asked.

"I was just following up on our last conversation. You mentioned there was an issue with the wedding?" he asked gently.

Luis and Jaclyn shared a sad look. "There was a tragedy in Bianca's family. Her father suddenly passed away. Rita has no other family in the States and her friends moved to a retirement home two streets west of here but far from her home. She's all alone. Bianca is still living at home and leaving now is not a good idea," Juan said.

"How does Ramon get along with Rita?" Ben asked.

"Very well! The woman is very sweet and quiet. Her husband was the loud and commanding one in the family." Jaclyn said.

"Have they considered a mother-in-law suite in the house?" Ben suggested.

"Rita's house is too small for the three of them especially if they start a family," Juan explained.

"No, I mean in the new house. There is a lovely room at the back of the house that's currently set up as an office. It could easily he redone as a bedroom. It already has a private three piece washroom with a toilet, sink and shower. I could replace some of the built-ins with wardrobes for clothes.

The couple blinked at him.

"Bad idea?"

"No! No, it is a very good idea! We did not think of it! We were keeping the house as a surprise but this solves everything! Would it be alright if I called Rita to ask?" Jaclyn asked excitedly.

"Of course! I'll need a week to do the renovations on the place. When was the wedding going to be again?"

"November the twenty-third." Luis said.

"That's do-able. I will talk with my contractor friends to see if they are willing to make a little extra money," Ben said with a grin.

Luis looked uncomfortable. "You have been too generous Ben. I feel like I should-"

"Please. Let me do this. To be able to keep our little neighborhood filled with good people brings me a tremendous sense of satisfaction! The idea of more kids coming to the street makes me especially happy!" Ben said and the couple grinned at him.

"They will pay rent!" Luis said with a firm voice.

"And I will be very fair. I don't need to make a profit from these homes. As long as the tenants are taking care of the home and the rent covers the utilities and property taxes. I'm good," he replied. "As a young couple they need to save as much as they can. Especially if they plan on starting a family."

"You are such a good man, Mr. Shepherd!" Jaclyn gushed and leaned over to hug Ben on the couch.

"Woman, you are embarrassing the man!" Luis exclaimed but his eyes held only amusement and love for his wife.

She sat up from the couch with a broad smile and a blush as she rushed away to make the phone call.

"How many homes do you own in the neighborhood now?" Luis asked.

Ben thought about it. "Five? First mine, then Trish's, Tina's, Ashley Beaumont's, then Barry Walker's place."

The older man nodded thoughtfully. "I'm surprised you didn't buy the White's home."

"I put in a bid but the bidding war got crazy. I hope she got a good price for it. I haven't seen the new owner yet," Ben said.

Luis smiled. "You haven't seen them because every winning bid failed to arrange their financing. Three failed deals so far. The home remains unsold."

"Really? Huh. Give me a second." Ben tapped out a quick note to Joanne to see if she was still entertaining offers. He indicated his offer of 1.15 million was still on the table. He hit send and looked back at Luis.

The man struggled to get out of his chair. Ben moved forward to pull him to the edge.

"Ah. May I suggest a soak in a hot tub?"

"That sounds lovely but we do not have one." Luis said with a smile and a small shrug which tweaked his back.

"I do and I insist you come use it to heal your strained muscles," Ben said with a smile. Luis looked like he wanted to say no but his back really was bothering him. He finally nodded with a grateful smile.

Jaclyn returned with a huge grin on her face. "You have made many people very happy today Mr. Shepherd. Ramon and Bianca are overjoyed with your offer and Rita gladly accepts. The wedding will proceed and we will have a special blessing to her father during the ceremony!"

Ben grinned happily. "That sounds lovely!

"They would like to come see the home if that is alright with you?" she asked.

Ben unhooked the key and handed it to Jaclyn. "I'll come back for it later. Luis and I will be heading to my place so he can soak his muscles in my hot tub. Of course you are welcome to join us."

Jaclyn burst into a fit of giggles. "No, I could never get into a hot tub with others!"

Luis leered at his wife and said something that made her shriek and burst into laughter. She swatted at her husband and headed back to the kitchen. "I expect to see my husband back in full working condition Mr. Shepherd," she said smiling over her shoulder.

"Will do!"

Luis retrieved a pair of swim trunks and followed Ben back to his place. He greeted Tina and Ben explained they were going to soak their muscles in the hot tub and handed Luis a guest robe.

He pointed Luis to the guest bathroom in the hall and Ben got his trunks on in his bedroom. Pulling his robe over his shoulders he grabbed a couple of towels from the linen closet and led Luis to the deck off the kitchen. While the air outside was chilly the water was nice and hot and soon the two men were easing their bodies into the steamy waters.

"Ah, this is wonderful! I must get one of these for my deck!" Luis sighed as he felt the knots in his back relaxing. He slowly stretched his muscles and they were definitely loosening.

"Ramon's house has one. Seems like a good reason to visit," Ben said with a smile. Luis nodded thoughtfully.

The two men settled back and enjoyed the heat. Luis brought him up to speed on the plans for the wedding and how Rita and Jaclyn had struck it off so well. "Unfortunately I cannot say the same about me and Bianca's father, Rafael. I will not speak ill of the dead but I will say we did not see eye to eye on many things. I am sorry his parting brought pain to his wife and daughter but it might have also relieved them of... other pain." Luis was holding Ben's eye as he said this and Ben nodded grimly.

After they'd soaked for a while the timer on Ben's phone chimed and he looked over at the man. "That's our signal to get out. How are your muscles feeling?"

Luis smiled. "So much better!"

They climbed out and dried off with the towels and put on their robes which had been on the heating rack. They went back inside and Ben said he could use the shower to rinse off if he wanted. He also pointed out that the shower stall was similar to what he intended to upgrade Ramon and Bianca's house with.

Ben quickly rinsed off in the master bathroom and got dressed again. He checked the time and saw he just had enough to go over to the milling shop and get back to take Tina to lunch. He met Luis coming out of the bathroom and accepted his towel and robe. He put them in the basket in the laundry room in the hall then walked the man to the door. They could see a car in the driveway of Tina's place so the tour was going on. Luis shook his hand and hustled away to join his family in looking at the new place.

He closed the front door and went into the living room where Tina was typing on her tablet. She shut down the app as he sat next to her.

"A less trusting man would be suspicious and jealous right about now," Ben said looking down into Tina's mischievous smile.

"I am glad you are not that kind of man," she said sweetly. Ben couldn't stop himself from smiling.

"Why don't you come with me when I go to the milling shop? It won't take me more than fifteen minutes then we can go directly to wherever you'd like to go for lunch. Where are we going by the way?"

"I'd like to go to the mall," she said.

"The mall? There's a restaurant you want to try there?" he said with raised eyebrows.

She shook her head with a smile. "There is a Korean take out booth in the food court. You can get what you like from one of the other booths. We can eat in the food court and watch the people go by."

Ben grinned. He liked that idea, a lot. He nodded.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked and the doorbell rang. "Hang on a second."

He got up from the couch and made his way to the front door. When it opened a petite, dark haired young woman with large teary eyes stepped in and hugged him tightly. She began to cry. Ben looked down in surprise then looked over her head at Ramon who was smiling lovingly at his fiancé's emotional display. Standing next to him was another brunette, older but equally petite with shorter hair that only reached the top of her shoulders. She also had happy tears in her eyes. This must be Rita. Behind them, smiling at Ben's expression, were Juan and Jaclyn.

"Come in from the cold, please!" Ben said and gently moved himself backwards, the crying woman moving with him as he guided her with a gentle hand on her back.

Finally Bianca got control of herself and pulled back from Ben's chest. Large eyes looked up at him and he smiled gently at her. Her bottom lip was trembling. Ben looked to Ramon for assistance and he came to collect his fiancé.

They all went into the living room and Ben introduced Tina to the group. Eyes widened when they saw her baby bump and the cast on her leg. Bianca and Rita suddenly froze and glanced at Ben.

Tina picked up their unease immediately. "A reporter trying to get a story on Ben attacked me at the grocery store. He knocked me down over a display and I broke my ankle. Luckily the baby was not hurt in the attack," she said and the two women immediately relaxed once more. Ben shared a look with Luis.

Ramon was taller than his father and slimmer. Luis had explained to Ben that he was studying to be a lawyer and working as a paralegal at a small firm downtown. He came forward and shook Ben's hand.

"I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am for your generosity. It is a rare thing in the world today and it could not have come at a better time. I had lost all hope of ever finding a place we could afford to live. Then Rafael was taken from us and all our plans had to be put on hold. This house will not only give us room for us but for Rita as well."

"And children!" Jaclyn added.

"Mom!" Ramon groaned. "Please let us get married first!"

The parents chuckled at this. Ben smiled. "As I said to your father, I'm happy to be able to bring and keep good people in our neighborhood." That earned him smiles.

"The house is currently furnished." Ramon said.

Ben winced. "Yeah, probably not to your style. That's how Tina's mother-in-law decorated it. You are welcome to keep anything you want and the rest can be taken away to a charity we use."

Bianca looked like she was going to cry again and Ramon gave her a squeeze as he could see this was distressing their benefactor.

Ben tore his eyes away from her large teary eyes to look at Ramon. "I'll talk to my contractors and see when we can schedule in the renovations. I'll need to pass some ideas of what you'd like to see in Rita's room. I also plan on upgrading the kitchen and bathrooms. If you want to see what I'm talking about you can take a look at my kitchen and the guest washroom in the hall," he said pointing to the two rooms.

Bianca and her mother walked off in the direction of the kitchen while the others followed Juan to the guest washroom he'd just showered in. Tina smiled at Ben at the excited sounds coming from the kitchen. He smiled in return. The groups switched rooms and more excited noises issued from both directions.

Juan had a resigned look on his face when they all rejoined Ben and Tina in the living room. "Do you think I might be able to hire these contractors to upgrade our kitchen as well?" Ben glanced over at Jaclyn and saw the hopeful look on her face as she clasped her hands together before her mouth.

He smiled. "Yes, I'll ask him about that as well." Jaclyn's face lit up with a smile and Juan rolled his eyes but kissed her cheek.

"Our kitchen is going to look like that?" Bianca said wide eyed.

"Close to that. I think the shape of the rooms is a little different. It will have the same quality fit and finishes and appliances."

"New appliances? What happens to the existing ones?" Rita asked timidly.

"They go to charity or a reclamation center if they don't work," Ben answered. "I'll get in touch with you once I speak with the contractor."

Ramon shook his hand again and Bianca gave him a hug. Rita gave him a hug too though it looked like her face was going to burst into flames. Juan shook his hand and Jaclyn gave him a hug and giggled as she followed her husband outside. Then it was just Tina and Ben. He carried her to the garage and sat her in the passenger seat of his truck then went back for her crutches. Once they were settled he opened the garage door and got them on their way.

The drive to the custom milling shop didn't take too long and Tina used her crutches to go inside with Ben. The staff made a big fuss over Tina as it was the first time their long-time customer showed up with someone from his life outside. Tina was secretly pleased with the attention but kept her eye on Ben. If he started to feel uncomfortable she would put an end to it.

Ben sat down with the machining tech and they went over the specs. Ben was conscious of Tina's presence so he made sure he kept them on track and they were done in twenty minutes. The tech was sure they had the raw materials in stock and would be able to machine the piece he wanted by Friday at the latest. Ben thanked him and he led Tina back out to the truck. He helped her in and drove them to the mall. He parked by the entrance near the food court. There was an info kiosk inside the doors and Ben signed out a wheelchair for Tina. She sat and he wheeled her down the hall towards the food court.