Josh had taken some time off to take care of Ben at home.
"Ben, Lunch is ready and stop trying to itch your leg."
"Sorry can't help it." He then hobbled into the dinner room.
"You need to go back to work. Zane needs you." Ben said.
"No, he is fine you need me right now more." Josh said.
"I'm alright."
"But I'm not. All this scares me to death. This was the second time I thought I lost you." Josh was almost in tears.
"Then what do you want to do?" Ben asked.
Josh sat there with his fork in his mouth thinking. "I want to marry you." he finally said.
Ben was shocked. "Will that keep me safe?"
"No but I was thinking if..." He paused.
"If what?"
"If we got married then you would be mine and I could be the one to get the calls instead of your real family. Right now we are just roommates that kiss."
"Let me think about this please, it's a big step." Ben said.
After Lunch Ben went to take some pain pills and to lay down. He pulled the black box out of the nightstand and opened it. Two rings he had bought the week Josh was gone. Both were identical with rosewood and gold. In Josh's ring it said forever mine.
He then took out his phone, "Hey it's payback time. Come over."
It took Bella no time to hurry over to see Ben. When she got there Ben talked Josh into running to the store for icecream.
"Ok now that he is gone. Help me plan a proposal." Ben said taking out the black box.
"What do you have in mind?" She asked.
"You take the ring. Bake it into a cupcake and then bring it back to me." He said.
"That's it? No grand ordeal?" she was disappointed.
"This is how he wanted it. Please Bella help me. You know I can't bake."
Bella agreed but started the batter there. It took no time to make a dozen cupcakes. She colored them each a different color with the ring in a blue one.
Josh came back with the things Ben asked for.
"What is Bella doing?" He asked.
"I wanted cupcakes." Ben smiled.
"I can make cupcakes, you did not need to ask her to do it." Josh was a little hurt.
"Not these cupcakes only Bella could make these."
"What ever, I'm going to go clean the bathroom call me if you need me." Josh then left the room .
Bella finished and she showed Ben which one was the ring cake and kissed him good bye.
Josh finished cleaning and started dinner.
Ben was having a hard time waiting but he wanted this to be special.
Josh had made mulligan stew.
"Time for a cupcakes give me the green one and you eat the blue one." Ben said.
"I don't want a cup cake." Josh said handing the green on to him.
"Josh please Bella baked these for us. Please try the Blue one."
Josh could not stay mad at this man so he got the cupcake and bit into. When he hit something hard he pulled it out then looked at Ben.
"I can't get on one knee but will you marry me?" Ben smiled.
Josh started crying and he flew into Ben arms, "Yes Thank you"
"I love you and wanted it to be a surprise that's why I needed Bella. But know if we get married my real family becomes your real family too." Ben said.
"I love you too and I love them. Sorry I got so upset."
Ben then sent Bella a text...
[He said yes, thank you] Big Ben
[Congratulations, love you both] Tinkerbell
◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇
Bella looked at her message and a tear fell down her cheek.
"What's wrong?" Zane was feeling angry at seeing Bella cry.
"Nothing, Everything is great. First Dad and Mary Ann are getting married, You and I will be getting married, and now Ben and Josh will be getting married. I just happy."
Zane calmed down when he heard the news. Bella should only cry tears of joy.
He pulled her into his lap and picked up her book to read.
◇◇◇♡♡♡◇◇◇ THE QUEEN OF QUOK
One who counseled his king so foolishly was likely to ruin his own prospects as well. So the king, having nothing more to live for, died suddenly and left a ten-year-old son to inherit the dismantled kingdom, the moth-eaten robe and the jewel-stripped crown.
No one envied the child, who had scarcely been thought of until he became king himself. Then he was recognized as a personage of some importance, and the politicians and hangers-on, headed by the chief counselor of the kingdom, held a meeting to determine what could be done for him.
These folk had helped the old king to live riotously while his money lasted, and now they were poor and too proud to work. So they tried to think of a plan that would bring more money into the little king's treasury, where it would be handy for them to help themselves.
After the meeting was over the chief counselor came to the young king, who was playing peg-top in the courtyard, and said: "Your majesty, we have thought of a way to restore your kingdom to its former power and magnificence."
"All right," replied his majesty, carelessly.
"How will you do it?"
"By marrying you to a lady of great wealth," replied the counselor.
"Marrying me!" cried the king. "Why, I am only ten years old!"
"I know; it is to be regretted. But your majesty will grow older, and the affairs of the kingdom demand that you marry a wife."
"Can't I marry a mother, instead?" asked the poor little king, who had lost his mother when a baby.
"Certainly not," declared the counselor. "To marry a mother would be illegal; to marry a wife is right and proper."
"Can't you marry her yourself?" inquired his majesty, aiming his peg-top at the chief counselor's toe, and laughing to see how he jumped to escape it.
"Let me explain," said the other. "You haven't a penny in the world, but you have a kingdom. There are many rich women who would be glad to give their wealth in exchange for a queen's coronet—even if the king is but a child. So we have decided to advertise that the one who bids the highest shall become the queen of Quok."
"If I must marry at all," said the king, after a moment's thought, "I prefer to marry Nyana, the armorer's daughter."
"She is too poor," replied the counselor.
"Her teeth are pearls, her eyes are amethysts, and her hair is gold," declared the little king.
"True, your majesty. But consider that your wife's wealth must be used. How would Nyana look after you have pulled her teeth of pearls, plucked out her amethyst eyes and shaved her golden head?"
The boy shuddered. "Have your own way," he said, despairingly. "Only let the lady be as dainty as possible and a good playfellow."
"We shall do our best," returned the chief counselor, and went away to advertise throughout the neighboring kingdoms for a wife for the boy king of Quok.