She gives me a wide grin and pulls me through the rest of the downstairs, leaving Ben standing in the foyer by the door, staring after us.
11 Ben
I jolt out of my trance as a large palm lands on my shoulder, pulling me out of my thoughts and into the present.
“Benjamin.” My dad’s loud voice reverberates through the large foyer of the house.
I turn into his warm embrace, and we pound each other on the back.
“Hey, Dad,” I say.
“How’s Mark doing?”
I knew he would bring this up. I was just hoping it wouldn’t be at the very beginning of our visit. I haven’t quite gotten around to talking with them about Mark moving out.
“I don’t know, Dad,” I say with a thinly veiled sigh.
“You don’t know?” My dad’s face twists in confusion.
“Have you not heard from him in the last couple of days?”
It’s just like Mark to leave the hard stuff to me.
Why should he take responsibility for his own actions and call his parents to ask for money? Why does this always fall on my shoulders?
“No. What are you not telling us?”
I look at him and then walk us toward the kitchen. We need to sit down for this conversation. I can hear Mom leading Pepper up the front staircase for the grand tour of the second level, talking her ear off.
After taking a seat at the table, I wrap my hand around the cold glass of water that Dad grabbed before sitting across from me.
“What’s going on, Benjamin?” He levels me with a stare, and instantly, I’m a child again, telling him I got my fat lip from defending Mark from the school bully.
“Mark needs money. I’m not entirely sure where he’s staying right now.” My shoulders slump, and I avert my gaze. “I told him to talk to you.”
“We haven’t heard from him. Unless your mother isn’t telling me. Betty!” his voice booms out, causing me to jump.
“Wait, no. Does Mom need to know?” I protest.
Dad stops me with a seething look. “I don’t keep secrets from your mother,” he says.
Of all the days for Pepper to be here.
I hear them clomping down the stairs before Mom sweeps into the kitchen, Pepper right behind her, holding a family picture.
“Ben, you didn’t tell me you have a brother,” Pepper says with a smile aimed at me, and I groan.
Speak of the devil.
“Ben says Mark needs money.” Dad sits back and crosses his arms.
“What? Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Mom turns a scowl on me.
“He didn’t want you involved,” I tell her.
I look over to see Pepper’s eyes are wide and darting between the three of us. She looks like a deer caught in headlights.
I swipe a hand down my face.
“Look, Mark and I got into a fight, and I haven’t seen him since, but I have talked to him. He wanted money … to cover some debts.”
“How much?” Mom asks.
I try to scrunch lower in my seat.
Damn you, Mark.
“Ten.”
“Ten thousand dollars?” Dad sits forward, and I hear Pepper gasp.
“Yep,” I say.
We’re silent for a moment before Dad gets up and stalks out of the room.
“I’m just going to go hang outside for a while,” Pepper says, standing at the door.
I nod, watching her leave. I’ve barely known her a week, and she’s already getting to see a small, intimate moment in my life.
“Oh, Benny, why didn’t you call us?” Mom says, sinking into the seat next to me.
“Mark said he was going to. I thought maybe, for once, he would be an adult. I told him I could get five but that he needed to talk to you and Dad to try to cover the rest. I can’t keep bailing him out, Ma. I’m going to go broke.”
“I know, sweetie. I know. He needs help.”
I nod. What else could I add to that?
Mom’s eyes are glistening with unshed tears, and it’s like a knife to the gut to see it. I want to shield her from this. I want her to go on believing that her children are doing okay out in the world.
“I’ll talk to your dad, and we’ll figure something out.” She leans over to pat my arm.
I stand up, needing to move and not feel so caged in. I walk to the front door, open it, and peer out, looking for Pepper. Not seeing her, I let the door slam shut again. Walking to the back porch, I hear a rocking chair creaking, and just barely, I can see the top of Pepper’s dark hair sticking above the back of it from her messy bun. I pull the door back and step out, grinning a little when I see Danger perched on her lap, letting her rub his belly while his tongue lolls out of his mouth.
“Has Danger already conned you into some belly rubs?”
Pepper looks over and smiles at me, stopping my breath for a moment. The way the sun frames her body, highlighting her face, makes me want to run a finger over her smooth skin.
“How could I resist a face this cute?” She reaches up to rub his head.
Danger eats it up, leaning up to lick her cheek and making her giggle.
“You’re cute, Danger, but your breath could use some freshening up,” she tells him.
I take the chair next to her. My dog doesn’t even give me a second look before laying his head back down and lifting his front paw, prompting Pepper to keep rubbing. I give him an evil eye before glancing back up to Pepper.
“You know, I was worried he might not like me,” she says, a little smile on her face.
“No one could dislike you,” I tell her honestly, and her smile falters as she looks at me.
“Thank you,” she says softly, looking out at our backyard. “That’s nice of you to say.”
“Sorry you had to hear that,” I say, reaching up to scratch the back of my neck, lightly tugging on the hair at my
