Chapter 4

Two days before the wedding

Nexus Ranch

Harborton, Washington

Ben shook his head at the image in the mirror as he finished shaving. He had never really pictured being married much less being married 5 times- simultaneously! Now it was almost here. A final run-through today and tomorrow he’d be hitched. As a lifetime bachelor, he should have felt terrified but for some reason, he wasn’t even nervous.

A year ago he’d pretty much given up on finding anyone to share his life with in any way. Now thanks to a series of near-impossible events and a well-meaning minor god he was about to be wedded to 5 incredible women. He knew he didn’t deserve it but to paraphrase a common saying- ‘Better to be lucky than good.’

Ben finished shaving and then crossed into the bedroom to where his dreaded monkey suit was laid out for him to try on. As he reached for the pants he heard the doorbell downstairs. It must be the caterers or the event people or who knew what. There was so much commotion going in that he wouldn’t have been surprised if it were a goat herder delivering the dowries. He’d been a part of major amphibious operations that had taken less planning. Thank Gods that the Fae had taken on the major part of putting on the actual wedding.

He’d just managed to get one leg on and was awkwardly hopping on the other when Lizzie flew, giggling into the room. She unceremoniously pushed him onto the bed and straddled his torso as she planted a sizzling kiss on his surprised face.

“Ben sweetie pie, you have some visitors downstairs,” said Lizzie as she laughed, bounced off him, and whirled back down the stairs like a mini feminine tornado.

Ben lay there stunned for a moment. Fighting Hellhounds was one thing, but sometimes his girls just had way too much energy for his old bones to deal with. Something must have wound them up.

As Ben made his way down the old polished wood staircase he was astonished to see two Marine enlisted men in immaculate class A uniforms awaiting him. The closest to him, wearing First Sergeant’s stripes was a veritable fireplug of a man with shoulders nearly as wide and as solid as the oak doorframe behind him. Next to the First Sergeant was a slim, muscular, dark-complected Staff Sergeant with an elegant (but regulation) mustache holding a uniform suit carrier.

As the two caught sight of him, they snapped to attention.

“Captain Clarkson sir! I’m First Sergeant Diamond and this is Staff Sergeant Dalrymple. Sergeant Major Winters sends his regards and congratulations on your upcoming nuptials,” said the First Sergeant formally.

“At ease gentlemen, please. I haven’t been a Marine Officer in many years, just call me Ben.” Ben could see that the Marines must have been Force Recon at one point due to having both Jump Wings and Diving Qualification badges as well as chestfuls of ribbons indicating service all over the globe.

“Well about that sir ... I believe the Marine Corps disagrees with you, and pardon me, I misspoke- it should be Major Clarkson now.

“Uhhh ... say again?”

The First Sergeant glanced around him with a look Ben immediately picked up on.

“It’s okay Top, everyone here is read in.”

“Well sir, we work for a small off-the-books intelligence unit out of Headquarters Marine Corps and through the Field Office recently became aware of an operation you were running. Our boss just happens to be a certain retired Sergeant Major and he thought that it might be helpful to you and the Marine Corps both if you stayed on the reserve roles, retroactively so to speak. It turns out that somehow, someone ‘forgot’ to put your commission on the list for expiration. The Boss thought that maybe a little official cover and access to some of our resources could be useful. And, since you had the time in, a reserve promotion to Major was overdue.”

Ben chuckled. Like the great NCO he was Sergeant Major Winters was still looking out for a clueless junior officer after all these years.

“Dang, alright First Shirt, but what specifically brings you here today of all days?” said Ben. “I’m sure that they don’t send you two out to meet and greet old retirees as a regular thing,”

“Uh, not exactly sir. We’d also like a moment of your time at your earliest convenience. There’s some information we need to pass on to you. The Sergeant Major thought we could kill two birds with one stone.”

“Umm, Ben? Darling. I can explain ... promise you won’t be mad” said Kelly with a small lip quiver as she held up a hand to halt the First Sergeant’s continued explanation.

‘Ah here it comes,’ thought Ben. He knew Kelly was play-acting, he could never be really mad at any of his girls no matter how gruff he pretended to be.

“Okay, so what did you all do this time? Do I have to report back to boot camp or something? Cuz I ain’t going, no matter what the Top has to say,” said Ben with a chuckle.

“Well, we and the Fae knew you were once in the Marines and they insisted that as an honored warrior, you should be wearing a dress uniform instead of a tux, which we all know you hate anyway. But you didn’t have any uniforms anymore except for your sword and we didn’t know how to surprise you with one. Jean contacted a few people she knew in Quantico and at Headquarters Marine Corps. A very lovely older gentleman called us shortly after and assured us it would be taken care of. He gave us a phone number and we sent the measurements the Fae had taken for your tux and the tailors in Quantico promised it would be done in time,” said Kelly.

“And here we are sir, delivery with a smile. We picked it up on our way out here,” said Staff Sergeant Dalrymple with a wry grin as he lifted the uniform carrier and unzipped it. “We knew you’d be pressed for time so we took the liberty of racking your medals and badges for you sir.”

A Marine Officer’s Dress Blue uniform complete with medals and the golden oak leaves of a major was revealed. Prominent among the medals was the one he knew he would never deserve. A simple cross shape that to him symbolized his failure to take care of those that were entrusted to him. Ben paused, carefully determined not to show his uncertainty. His girls had gone to extraordinary lengths for him and he would sooner face the Taliban again than to let them think he was hesitant to accept what they had done with such love.

“Thank you Top Diamond and Staff Sergeant Dalrymple. I appreciate the effort it took to get it here on time. And please convey my thanks to the Sergeant Major. I’m sure we can make time to talk later today.” replied Ben. Then turning to where his girls were arrayed around the breakfast table with barely suppressed expressions of glee, Ben continued “Girls you’ve outdone yourselves, I’d never thought I’d wear one of these again. I’d love to put it on one last time.”

In that moment Ben knew he had finally come to an uneasy truce with the demons of his past. He would never feel that he had earned that cross, but for the wedding, he’d wear it proudly in honor of those not present, who had.

“Joe says you are really pretty momma,” said Daisy as she sat on the fence rail stroking the neck of a magnificent appaloosa.

“Ah- tell him thank you,” replied Donna. She wasn’t sure what to make of Daisy’s sudden imaginary ability to talk to animals but it made her child happy and Donna didn’t think it was harmful. Daisy continually amazed her with depths of imagination that she herself had never achieved.

“Silly, he can hear you. You just can’t hear him,” said Daisy.

“I see. Ahem, well thank you, Joe- you are a very handsome young man yourself,” said Donna to Joe.

Donna laughed as Joe took a step back and sketched a bow. It was true, Joe was a magnificent horse. Donna’s people had created Joe’s breed and made them famous across the plains so she was well aware of what a fine specimen he was. The tracery of scars across his cabled muscles didn’t detract from that, in fact, they indicated he was the epitome of a war horse. Donna was very hesitant at first to let Daisy get too close, war horses could be very temperamental, but one look into his deep brown eyes and Donna could sense the great loving heart within and Daisy wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer anyway, so as soon as she could, she had pulled her mom out to the pasture fence to see the latest wonder of the ranch.