likely part of Ben’s ultimate plan to steal a little more sleep. But the vibrating pads linked to Ben’s alarm clock system were enough to shake even the deepest of sleepers back to reality. With a groan, Ben reached out and slapped the alarm clock on the nightstand at his side of the bed to stop the shaking.
Bull chuckled as Wooky bounded into the room and pushed his big head against Ben, nudging him to wake while Ben retreated deeper under the covers. Wooky was on a mission. On those mornings when Ben had the morning shift and their bed shook with the alarm, that shaking was the equivalent of a starting pistol for their pup. He wanted to play their morning game…and Wooky would win where Bull and the bed shaking alarm had failed.
With the bedsheets firmly locked in his jaw, Wooky yanked and pulled the fabric as Ben tried to keep them covered. After a failed tug-of-war, Ben jolted up the moment the cold air hit his skin. He sat still, a blank expression on his face as he slowly woke while Wooky sat next to the bed with a triumphant look on his face and his tail thumping against the hardwood floor.
“Good boy,” Bull said to their pup just as Ben reached out and petted his large head.
With a dramatic pout and a final grumble of protest, Ben finally rose from the bed, gave Bull a quick peck, and stumbled into their bathroom to get ready for work.
Bull smiled, wondering if Ben would ever get used to waking early. “C’mon, boy,” he said, getting out of bed and setting Wooky free into the backyard. Even though it was still dark outside, he heard a few more chirps coming from their tree and the distant sound of a car starting.
He strolled into the kitchen and started the pot of coffee.
The world around them had awakened.
And it was time for Ben to share his sugary goodness with the world.
= ♥ =
Ben covered the freshly mixed icing in the bowl and pitched his gloves in the trash bin. Glancing up, he took a few seconds to enjoy the event. Matt chatted with Shaw and Drayton under the canopy, smiling and nudging each other as Julian watched over the catering staff at the grill and Wooky patiently waited to see if anything fell to the ground.
Cal stood in the distance with Rachel, holding hands and whispering into each other’s ears. Over the last few months, they had gotten closer. After a full renovation and heightened security improvements, they had moved in together—into Gabriel’s old penthouse. It hadn’t taken much convincing to get Rachel to move down to South Florida and relinquish some control to Anthony at the corporate office. And while having a record had been a hindrance in Cal finding a traditional job, his skills had provided unexpected insight and perspectives when it came to security. Enough to transition him into taking over Gabriel’s role doing security assessments for the company.
Anthony had formally welcomed Cal to Davenport’s lead security team.
And Rachel had welcomed him into her heart.
Ben couldn’t have been happier for his friend.
A huge red ball rolled across the grass, stealing Ben’s attention.
He smiled at the kids running across the field, throwing the large ball and chasing each other. Wooky quickly joined in on the fun, running circles around the children and shoving the ball with his oversized head. Ben wished he would have had a place like this growing up. Now, because of Shaw, the neighborhood had a youth center. It had taken years of county hearings and tireless work. But Shaw had ultimately won over the neighbors who had initially protested the loss of their golf course. Ben had barely been able to hold back the excitement the moment Shaw had asked if they would cater the groundbreaking event.
To prepare for the task, Shaw had tagged on a few warm-up jobs—all of which had ended with success. They were now the official caterers for the local D&V Infinity events—both in-house corporate events and those they sponsored. It was daunting yet exciting. And the more events they catered, the greater the number of referrals and new agreements they secured.
Ben didn’t know the extent of the referrals or number of companies. They left the business side of things in Gabriel’s capable hands.
A tap to his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts. Turning, there was Natalie with a huge grin on her face.
“We’re out of a few of the cake