If there was one surprise on the ride home, it was that Poppy had basically gone silent.Ella surmised it was because she was letting the girls ask all the intrusive questions she herself was dying to ask, but it came off much better from them.Ella was really missing her family, and talking with Lizzy and Lola was filling some of the holes in her heart.
Since Ella had met Ben, he had been singing the praises of a local diner called the Chit, Chat, and Chew Café or commonly known as the 4C.Ben had raved about their drop biscuits, smash burgers, and cheesecake.Ella, who was missing her family more and more by the minute, asked if it would be possible for them to drop by and see it.If Ben’s parents were surprised by the request, they did not show it.Instead, they readily agreed.
The 4C was as different from her family’s diner as it was the same.The Depot was painted a pristine white with white metal chairs.Her parents insisted it glisten white as the pure-driven snow every day.The 4C was dark with a rock-and-roll feel.Cool murals were painted on the walls.Ella’s favorite was filled with drawings and signatures from past customers.But with all their different aesthetics, they were very much alike.Just walking in the door felt like coming home.The wait staff was welcoming, calling out hellos and goodbyes as people came and went.It was obvious that Ben and his family were regulars.The minute they walked in, Doc, one of the waiters, hand delivered Bennett and Poppy each a large coffee and Ben a Diet Coke before they were even seated.Knowing what your customers want without having to ask shows love and dedication to the job and to the people you were serving.It was the kind of thing she and Sophie did all the time for their regulars.Seeing it in action made Ella ache for home.
When it came time to order, Ella went with her standard eggs, bacon, and biscuits.Lizzy begged her to try the grits.She considered it but was later glad she passed once she saw how much butter and sugar were needed to make the dish “just right.”
As they waited for their food, Ella found it interesting watching Ben’s family interact with all the people who came and went.Everyone seemed to know Bennett and the family.Seeing the wonderful relationships they had with many people in his community made Ella sad.She found herself mourning her life back in Napa even more.Ella pushed all thoughts of her family and friends back in Napa out of her mind, lest she open the floodgate of tears that seemed ready to fall all the time now.Instead, she pasted a smile on her face and focused her attention on getting to know Ben’s family.
Luckily, the food arrived quickly.It was delicious.Ella, who would readily admit she was biased in her belief that The Depot had the best breakfast in the world, declared the 4C a close second.Ben, who loved that she had enjoyed herself, added that for him, the two diners were pretty equal, but definitely, Ella’s mom’s cinnamon rolls were the best in the world.That earned a huge smile from Ella.
The family finished up their meal and spent a couple of hours taking Ella around the town showing her the different sites.They drove by the historic courthouse, some quaint shops, the Black House and various landmark churches, and the local college.Ella asked about all of the lights she saw everywhere.Ben explained that the town and university go all out at Christmas with millions of lights and holiday scenes that had been set up at all the parks and town square.He promised to bring her back after dark to take a carriage ride around town to see the city all lit up.Several large murals were painted downtown, and they ended with a visit to Art Alley.The largest collections of art works were in an alley off a side street one block down from the court square.They spent time looking at the various murals done by local artists.
Poppy explained that the artwork was constantly changing.She had two murals that she had done.One was of two little girls running through the waves at a beach, and Ella immediately recognized the girls as Lizzy and Lola at about the ages of three and four.The other was of Bennett standing in front of a podium.He appeared to be giving some kind of speech.His face was so taut and stressed that it was almost impossible to recognize him.He looked very different from the easy going, carefree man Ella had spent the morning getting to know.Ella knew that Ben’s mom often painted from photographs.She wondered what speech inspired the mural.
Ella was surprised and impressed with the town.Even though Ben did not ask her about it directly, she could almost hear him silently asking her if she could see herself living there.He had never said he wanted to move back home to his hometown, but she felt it in every single thing he shared with her.It felt like he was trying to sell her on Searcy.Ella was not sure how she felt about that.
It was mid-afternoon when the family made their way back to the Carrington Estate.Ella was clearly impressed with the house as they drove up the winding drive.Ben had tried to prepare her, but the huge home was out of character with the man she had come to love.Large and imposing, it looked like a French chateau that had been dropped in the middle of a small, Southern town.Ben could sense Ella’s mood beginning to shift.He kept looking over at her as if to silently reassure her that all was okay.She had always known that Ben came from money, but seeing the house he grew up in was a shock to her system.
Walking into the house, Ella whispered to Ben, “You should have told me your parents lived in a mansion.I was not prepared for all of this,” she said, gesturing to the huge house and lawn.
Giving Ella a reassuring hug and a kiss on the forehead, Ben quietly whispered in her ear, “I know it is a lot.But believe it or not, it is much better than when I first saw it.Mom and Dad did a total gut after the first year they were married.It used to be so stuffy with tons of antiques that it felt more like a museum than a home.But Mom fixed that.It is much more homey now.Besides, at the end of the day, it is just a house.The part that makes it a home is the people who live in it, and they are going to love you because I do.”
Ben’s comforting words reassured Ella to some degree.It helped that the house did feel totally different inside than it did outside.The formal chateau demeanor of the exterior was nowhere to be found inside.Instead, it was decorated with bright colors with art covering the walls.Comfortable couches and chairs were littered around the room, offering relaxing spots to visit or read.Ella thought the house was like Ben.He was a rich kid whose dad was a former senator.He was gorgeous and brilliant.He could have been the biggest, most arrogant jerk in the world, but he wasn’t.He was one of the kindest, most thoughtful people she had ever met.
Taking their bags in his hands, Ben bound up the stairs as he casually called over his shoulder, “I will put these in our room.”
Racing up behind him, Ella whispered, “Maybe it would be better if I stayed in the guest room.”She gestured to the one next to him.
Giving her a look, Ben snapped back, “Better for whom?”
Shrugging, Ella replied, “I don’t know.Maybe your folks.My parents would never let a guy sleep in the same room with me under their roof.I don’t want to upset your parents.”
Dropping the bags, Ben walked over to Ella, took her in his arms, and said, “First of all, I am not just some guy.I am your fiancé.Secondly, my folks are okay with this.They are way too cool to be bothered by something so trivial.Besides, I want you close to me.I have grown accustomed to sleeping next to you.Waking up next to you is my second favorite part of every day.”
Smiling up at Ben, Ella, who was not so sure about how cool Ben’s folks were about their sleeping arrangements but not wanting to cause a problem, let it go and instead asked, “Really, your second favorite part of the day.What is the first?”
Giving Ella a very naughty smile, Ben drew her ever closer as he whispered in her ear, “Like you don’t know.”
At that moment, Ella decided to follow Ben’s lead, something that she had been doing more and more of.She was so tired.It would just take too much energy to try and talk him out of it and honestly she did not have it in her.
Stifling a yawn, Ella said, “I am so exhausted.Who knew flying all over the country and meeting your in-laws would be so tiring.Think your mom would mind if I took like a quick twenty-minute power nap?”
“Not at all.You stay here and rest.I will head back down and hang out with them unless you want me to stay with you.”
Ella shook her head no.Ben only had a short time to spend with his family.She did not want him to feel like he had to waste it babysitting her.“No, you go on back down.Your parents and sisters want to see you.I’ll be down soon.”
Nodding, Ben gave Ella a quick kiss.“There is no rush.We won’t eat Thanksgiving dinner until almost seven.Taylor and Greer won’t be here until closer to six.Stay up here as long as you want.”
When Ben returned downstairs, his mom was reminding his father that he needed to deep fry two turkeys.Ben grabbed them each a water, then went outside to help his dad set up the fryers and get everything ready.With the turkeys prepped and ready to fry, Ben and his dad took a seat next to the fryers to wait for the oil to heat.
Bennett very casually broached the issue of Ella, which Ben knew was at the forefront of his father’s mind.“Ella seems like a very nice girl.Beautiful but a bit young.”
Ben laughed and said, “I wondered how long it would take you to ask about that.She is nineteen, but she is an old soul and, in case you missed it, brilliant.Besides, age is just a number.”
“No, I did not miss that.She is obviously extremely bright.How did you two meet?”
Taking a long swig of water, Ben said, “We met at her family’s diner.Remember how I went with a few buddies to Napa in September?”
