A Chaunce of Riches
by
Chelle Cordero
Vanilla Heart Publishing
USA
A Chaunce of Riches
Copyright 2009 Chelle Cordero
Vanilla Heart Publishing
www.vanillaheartbooksandauthors.com
10121 Evergreen Way, 25-156
Everett, WA 98204 USA
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to places, events, or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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Also Available in Print
ISBN: 978-1-935407-26-3
LCCN: 2009937164
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Edition
Dedication
Dedicated to my husband and kids – Family is everything.
Acknowledgements
For Reva and Marcy Cordero: I was raised by parents who would give up anything and everything for each other and their children. They inspired me, encouraged me, supported me and loved me – I felt like I was the richest kid in the world. When they passed on too soon and too young, they left me with determination, confidence and a passion for life. It’s through their eyes that I learned to see the empowering possibilities of love.
To Kimberlee Williams of Vanilla Heart Publishing, I’ve thanked you with each book for giving me the chance to share my stories with the world and I can never say it loud enough or often enough. I always said I wanted to grow up and become a novelist, thank you for making it happen.
PROLOGUE
He was sitting in the large den feigning patience while waiting for his new assignment to show up. The room was expensively and garishly decorated and Ben wondered about the owner who lived here. As far as he was concerned, the room was merely a boastful display of riches that screamed, “I think I’m better than you” to all who entered. Ben knew by the address his employer had given him that he was going to be spending some time in the wealthier section of town, but he still had to curb his cynicism when a butler answered the door. People with money had always bugged him ever since he was just a little kid looking, and looking, at all the rich kids’ toys.
He thumbed his way through the file he was carrying again. Even though Ben had already read about the case multiple times, it gave him something to do while he waited for the widow of the late Julian Chaunce to make an appearance. He was growing more disgusted by the minute and he silently fumed that she was so inconsiderate of another person’s time. But then, as far as Ben was concerned, people with money always thought they were the only thing that mattered anyway.
Chaunce had been a very successful tycoon and was renowned in the publishing world. The trade magazine that had started his company, Chaunce Publications, was still out there and very much alive in the roofing industry. He had sold it years ago and used the tremendous profits to establish new magazines that were all equally successful. Even the security agency Ben worked for had a Chaunce publication delivered to their main office every month. The magazines had called him a self-made man but Ben was convinced that he must have help from somewhere.
Only in his fifties, Chaunce had died suddenly while using a treadmill at a private gym. He left a wife and son and loads of business rivals behind. Now someone was sending threatening notes to the company and the house. Flipping through the folder, Ben frowned and shook his head. The family had tried to keep themselves isolated from the public, probably in an attempt to protect themselves from the same kind of journalists their own publications paid on staff. While there was an occasional headshot of Julian Chaunce, Ben had seen no pictures of the family. He was expecting to see a bland middle-age woman when the door finally opened.
“I am so sorry to keep you waiting. My son was having a bit of a crisis...”
She stopped short as Ben stood up from his chair and turned to face her.
After seeing him her face drained of color. Other than that, he could only think how young she still looked in her light blue slacks and the tailored striped man’s shirt she was wearing. Her hips were a little wider, a little womanlier, but she was still as lithe as she ever was. His gaze traveled up to her face. It had been years since he had seen those eyes staring back at him.
“Sam?” His lips felt parched as he managed to say her name.
CHAPTER 1
Samantha Chaunce took a few moments to regain her composure while she settled herself behind the large mahogany desk in the room. She told herself that there was no way that Julian’s assistant could have known about the relationship she once shared with Ben. This was just a cruel coincidence. She felt as if her knees were about to give way just as she sat in the large black leather chair.
She stole a glance at him. He hadn’t changed much. His hair was cut a little shorter; his shoulders were a little bit broader. He still wore jeans that clung to his hips and hugged his groin in the most tantalizing of ways. Samantha Chaunce knew there was no good reason to be looking at him the way she was. Certainly she had no right to be enjoying looking at him the way she was.
When she was sure her voice could sound nearly normal, she smiled sweetly. “It’s good to see you again Ben.” It was difficult to look at him and not remember things she had no right to remember. She didn’t want to remember how it felt to run her fingers through his hair or the feel of his breath against her skin. She absentmindedly played with one of the short tousled brown curls that framed her face. He couldn’t ignore the diamond encrusted wedding band she wore on her left hand.
He chuckled softly and cynically. “Well, now I know why you left.” He wasn’t smiling.
“What do you mean?” Her hand froze in mid air.
“I never realized how much money meant to you.” He couldn’t help it. He would always be bitter. “When I heard that you got married and left for Europe, I thought it was because you thought I could never be a whole man again. But I thought you would have at least waited to see. Now I understand, he probably flashed some bills in your face. That was all that it took, wasn’t it?” Ben was failing dismally at ignoring the stinging pain he felt around his heart.
It sure didn’t sound like he was asking.
Sam’s eyes clouded with tears and she bit her lower lip to keep from replying too soon. She knew that he had been deeply hurt by her abandonment and she truly regretted causing him that pain. She hadn’t been able to give him any explanations. But he was right, it was the money. He could never understand exactly how much the money had meant to her. Ben would never understand how much it hurt her to leave. The last time she had seen him he was lying battered and unconscious in a hospital bed. They had told her he probably wouldn’t walk again. Then Julian was there... and he had money.
She managed to draw in a deep breath and as she let it out slowly, she felt in control of her emotions again. “Well, now that you’ve voiced your opinion of me,” she stopped to swallow as she heard her voice catch. Even though she expected it, it was too painful to hear how much he still despised her. “I’d like to get back to the purpose of our meeting...” There was no way she could let him know that the coldness that crept into her voice was all an act.
Ben snorted and shook his head. “Sam, you know this isn’t going to work.” He knew he should have called her Mrs. Chaunce, but this was Sam. “I can’t stay by your side twenty-four hours a day protecting you.” He had read some of the threats she had received. He had also seen police reports of vandalism and intrusions both here and at her office.
“I don’t want you to protect me. You’re here to protect... my son.” She had been concerned about leaving the care of her son to a stranger. She wasn’t concerned any more. No matter how he felt about her, Sam knew Ben would do whatever he had to in order to make sure that Philip would be safe. She knew he would take good care of him especially once he met the boy. “I know you Ben. I know that Philip will be safe with you.” Any doubts she had about hiring someone to keep an eye on her son were gone. It was good that, no mater how the fates had contrived it, it was Ben who had come.
Even though all the reports had said there was a child, Ben still couldn’t accept that Sam had a child with another man. “I’m not a baby sitter Sam.” It was a relief to know he wouldn’t have to be in her constant company. Almost. She was just supposed to be some rich widow with a kid. He couldn’t get it out of his mind that this was Sam and this was some other guy’s kid.
“I know. You’re a bodyguard. Obviously you’re a good one because Julian’s assistant,” she sighed, “my assistant said your agency came highly recommended. And I know he demanded the best man for the job.”
Ben looked towards the ceiling as he rolled his eyes. He told himself that it would be unprofessional to walk away. But could he really work for her? Maybe he could pull it off if he thought of her as just some rich bitch with a kid that needed watching. It was a kid... and he couldn’t walk away knowing that some kid was in danger. He realized he couldn’t walk away from her if she was in danger either.
“What about you? Who’s protecting you?” The file had indicated that both the widow and the kid were being targeted.
She could still read him and she smiled. She knew he was going to stay. “I can take care of myself. So long as I know Philip is safe, I’ll be okay.” She could see the debate in his eyes as he finally acquiesced. “I’ll let you get settled in your quarters and then I’ll introduce you to Philip.” She pushed an intercom button on her desk phone.
“Where am I going to be staying?” There was still a fair amount of disdain in his voice. It annoyed him when he heard her start to give instructions into the intercom mike to show him to his room. She wasn’t rude to the disembodied voice that answered, but he couldn’t help thinking that she sounded... superior. He was going to have to swallow a lot of pride being Samantha Chaunce’s employee.
“We have a guest house out back...”
“No good. Where is the boy’s room?” He decided he was going to be in charge.
“Upstairs, down the hall from mine.”
“You have an extra room up there?” She slowly nodded. “That’s where I’m staying. I have to stay close to him.”
He was waiting outside of Philip’s room when she came upstairs.
“I’m sorry. I hope you weren’t waiting long.” She ignored the cynical shrug. “Let me introduce my son.” Sam tapped on the door gently before opening it.
The first thing Ben saw was the sullen looking eight year old on his bed. He was wearing earplugs from an IPOD and playing a furious hand-held computer game. It took a moment before the boy even looked up at the two adults entering his room. Then he went back to playing his game. The kid was skinny and gangly. Ben thought he looked a little pale. He was dressed in a white button down shirt and tan trousers.
Ben remembered his growing up years in the foster home, He knew that he was too old to be adopted and he never paid much attention whenever adults came to meet him either. Only he didn’t have expensive IPODs and computer games to occupy his time. He doodled angry stick figures, violent car crash scenes and burning houses into a composition notebook.
“Philip...” The boy pretended not to hear his mother and continued playing his game. Sam sat next to him on the bed and carefully popped an earplug out of place. “Sweetie, I want you to meet someone. This is Ben Johnson, he’s going to be staying with us a while. He can drive you to school and to the park.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.” The boy looked resentfully at Ben. He had his mother’s eyes.
“That sounds great because I’m not a babysitter.” Ben approached the bed and reached out for the computer game. “What are you playing?” He couldn’t help thinking that the kid should be dressed in clothes he could play outside in. He shouldn’t be dressed like he was headed off to some kind of a parochial school.
Philip looked back at his game before showing it to Ben. “Delta Raid.”
Ben nodded. He wasn’t surprised to see that the game dealt with its own brand of violence. “What level have you gotten to?”
“Three.” His face was animated. “Do you know the game?” It was the first time Ben noticed any real interest in the boy’s voice.
“I’ve played it once or twice. In my line of work, sometimes, I need to pass the time playing a game.” He still had his hand out. “May I?”
Philip slowly handed him the game. Ben pushed a few buttons and the little machine beeped. “What kind of work do you do?”
“I’m a bodyguard.” Ben kept his eyes glued to the game. There were a few more beeps and the sound of a blast. “Level four.” He handed the game back to Philip.
The boy looked at the computer screen with amazement. “Wow. You’re good.” He went back to playing.
“Thanks.” Ben quickly surveyed the room. He noticed the desktop computer with its blinking cursor. “This hooked up to the internet?”
Sam answered. “Yes.”
Ben frowned and shook his head gently. Then he went to look out the window. Just one window over, he noticed a balcony. “Where does that balcony lead?”
“My room.” Sam remained seated next to her son.
Ben mentally calculated the distance between the balcony and a ledge next to Philip’s bedroom window. He did the same with the closest tree. They could be vulnerable points but at least they weren’t too easy.
Philip kept playing the game until there was another blast sound and a deep computer voice said “Game over.” He put the game down next to him. “We need a bodyguard?”
“I thought it would be a good idea sweetie. You know there have been some strange things going on since your father died.”
The little boy squared his shoulders at the mention of his deceased father. “Everything would be okay if daddy were still here.” His eyes welled with tears and he tried to hide his face from his mother.
It hurt her to see her son so sad. “I know.” Her voice was quiet.
She looked up to see Ben watching them from across the room. He had a strange expression on his face. He turned away as soon as their eyes met.
That night Ben went upstairs before Philip to check his room. The little boy kissed his mother downstairs and told her he didn’t need to be tucked in. Sam smiled at him and thought of how much he was trying to be a grown-up. She remembered how he had taken her hand at the cemetery and told her he would help to take care of her. The world had gotten so scary for her little boy with Julian’s sudden death and police being called to the house after strange noises and late night phone calls. She only wanted to make the world safe for him again.
Sam forced herself to remain seated in the family room as her child skipped out. She would manage a peek in on him before she went to bed and assuage her need to kiss her little boy good night and tuck him in. Picking up a hard cover book from the end table, she curled her feet under her and threw a fleecy throw over her lap. She planned to just read for a while and relax before heading up to bed herself. Absorbed in the book, she never expected Ben to return to the room.
“I checked to make sure your room was secure as well.” At her look of surprise, he quickly added, “I checked all the upstairs rooms. It doesn’t make sense not to be sure the entire floor is safe and sound.”
She swallowed her discomfort of his being in her room. “Thank you.”
Ben sat quietly and watched her. Sam tried to go back to reading.
“So what happened to you Sam? I really thought we had the same values and the same dreams. When did money become so important to you?”
She didn’t want to have to defend herself to him. It would be too easy to be swept up in a lie. Looking away from him, afraid that he could read her pain, she barely whispered. “What makes you think it wasn’t important all along?”
“I thought I knew you better than anybody else. Just like I thought you knew me better. You were the only person I ever let get close to me.”
Sam had already been in the foster home when Ben came to live there. Her parents had died in a car accident. She had been rescued, orphaned, from the wreckage. There was no family to replace the loving parents she remembered. She had been the only child of two only children. There was an ailing grandmother halfway across the country but no one else. Her grandmother sent what money she could for the few years she lived but she couldn’t take care of a child. Samantha had just started kindergarten when her world was destroyed.
It was a little more than a year later when Ben, already eight, the same age as Philip, was taken away from his drug addict mother. She had tried to sell him for drug money when she came up short but he had kicked the pedophile she was bargaining with and ran away. It angered her and she sent him into the streets to fend for himself. He was scared, homeless and hungry for almost two days when Baltimore cops picked him up and child services got involved. Ben was brought to the foster home; there were six other kids including Sam and two more birth kids belonging to the couple. It was a relief not to have to hide in the closet while his mother turned tricks to get drug money. But the child in him still felt resentment that his mother had tossed him away like garbage. And the child in him was terrified that he would lose the newfound comfort his foster family provided him with. He couldn’t relax, he couldn’t trust. Sam was the only one who could get through to him. She was the only one who made him feel safe.
He had come to the foster home early in the fall, just in time to start the school year. He was lacking in education because his mother never made sure he got to school each day and he was embarrassed. Even though Sam was younger than him, she helped him study and eventually catch up to his grade level. Then, when the excitement of Halloween drew near, he was terrified when the other kids talked of donning costumes and going door-to-door for candy. He refused to go, he was afraid he would have to do more than just ring doorbells. But when the other kids came home happy and laughing and with sacks filled with candy, he felt left out. Sam dumped her bag of candy in front of him and said it was too much for just her, he had to help her and eat some of it.
They were inseparable as they grew up together. He realized in his teen years that he was falling in love with her but that kind of a relationship would have been just too weird. So it wasn’t until after his eighteenth birthday when he was living on his own that he even let her know how he felt. And it wasn’t until she was eighteen and living out of the foster home that he finally asked her out on a date. It was always just the two of them. At least that’s what Ben had thought.
She still couldn’t look at him. “I had just gotten out in the world and I made choices.”
“But why? You told me you loved me. You said you needed me. We were working towards a future...”
A tear rolled down her cheek. She remembered the things they had promised each other and it was sheer torture to hear him reminding her. “What kind of future did we have Ben? I was working selling donuts in a bakery and you were hoping for something better than a sales job at the hardware store. We didn’t have two nickels to rub together.” She never would have had the money she needed to make things right again.
“So it was the money?” Ben sat at the edge of his chair. “And you couldn’t even wait to tell me yourself? You just left.”
It was another car accident that had changed her world... again. Sam had little more than a broken arm and a minor concussion. Ben was in a coma and had a severe spinal injury. He almost died. There were so many complications. She couldn’t look at him. “I did what I had to do.”
“Are you that much of a coward?” She couldn’t answer him “And he was almost thirty years older than you. Was his money so attractive that you didn’t mind being with a man who was old enough to be your father?”
She looked up at him then. “Julian was... good to me.”
“He bought you.” Just like all those johns who had bought his mother. His voice was edged with disappointment and pain. “Sam, you sold yourself. Did you enjoy letting him put his hands all over you? Was it worth it? I really thought you were different from my mother.”
Sam opened her mouth to speak but decided to remain quiet. She refused to debate this with him any more. Putting the closed book back on the end table, she stood and threw the blanket onto the chair behind her. She couldn’t let him do this to her. She couldn’t let him past all those barricades she had built around her heart so long ago.
“I have contracted with your agency for your services. I think that is the only relationship you and I need to have...” She started to walk towards the door. She turned back to him. “Breakfast is at seven, Philip needs to be at school by eight-thirty. Please manage to find it in your talents to be civil with me in front of my son. He seems to like you and I want him to feel safe. But Ben, I won’t hesitate to have you replaced. Remember that.” She left the room without looking back.
Ben remained seated for a few minutes. His lips were tight and his nostrils flared. Finally he couldn’t hold his tongue any longer but he was still quiet when he called her a bitch. He desperately wanted to walk away from this assignment, but he couldn’t. There was something about the boy that made him want to be close, to keep him safe. He kept telling himself he didn’t care about the mother at all.
Ben entered the dining room just before seven to see three places set at the table. Two of the place settings had delicate china cups and saucers beside them. He sat quietly at the table and heard Sam hurrying Philip in.
Sam coolly bade him good morning. Philip seemed much more excited to see him. As soon as the three were seated, the cook appeared to take their egg orders.
“I don’t want an egg today.” Philip protested. “I want chocolate milk and cookies.” His lower lip jutted out. “Daddy always gave me a cookie.”
“You don’t eat cookies for breakfast Philip.” It was obvious that Sam had this argument with her son before.
“I have rice cakes Missus.” The cook whispered loudly to Sam. Sam smiled slightly and nodded her head. “Master Philip, if you eat a bowl of oatmeal with strawberries, I’ll add a nice cookie to your plate.”
The little boy nodded happily. The cook asked Ben how he liked his eggs and then offered him a choice of wheat toast or muffins. A plate with a variety of breakfast meats was placed on the table. He couldn’t help but compare the grandiose setting with the local diner he usually frequented.
When the cook asked Ben if he would like coffee, Sam stood. “I’ll take care of the coffee Sadie.”
Sadie smiled and left the room to tend to the eggs.
Sam walked to the serving cart and picked up a pot of coffee. “Black and sweet, right?” Ben nodded. He was amazed that she still remembered how he drank his coffee.
Philip monopolized the conversation at the table throughout breakfast. He told Ben all about his teachers at school and the games he liked to play in the schoolyard. Ben couldn’t help but notice the love in Sam’s eyes as she watched her son talk so animatedly. He remembered when she used to look at him like that and mentally scolded himself for feeling jealous.
As soon as the meal was over, Sam told Philip to make sure that he brushed his teeth before he left for school. “Ben will be driving you to school today. And he will pick you up later. No one else, remember.”
“I know mommy.” He looked at Ben and rolled his eyes. Ben almost laughed at the young child’s feigned exasperation at his mother’s rules.
Except for the servant clearing the dishes from the table, the room fell silent as soon as Philip left it. Sam fidgeted with her napkin while the servant was in the room. As soon as she left, Sam rose to leave.
“Sam?” Ben’s voice was gentle and just a bit uncertain. “Sam, I want to apologize. I had no right to say what I did last night.”
She looked at him and smiled kindly. “I never intended to fire you. Thank you for the apology.”
He made an impatient snort. “It’s not about the damn job. I’m sorry if my words hurt you.”
She sat back down and looked at him across the table. “But that was what you meant to do...” Her voice was very quiet as she continued. “Ben I can understand your anger. I know how much I hurt you. Last night was just a way to get even.”
“Yes it was. I wanted to hurt you.” He stared at her unable to believe what he had just admitted. “And I was wrong. I was still in shock about seeing you again after all these years. It didn’t give me any right to say the things I did. And I am sorry.”
Sam blinked several times as she felt tears forming behind her eyes. Finally she looked back at him. “Thank you.” She got up and left the room.
CHAPTER 2
Between the letter of introduction that Samantha Chaunce sent to the school and a few personal phone calls she made, Ben had no trouble being allowed on school grounds. He was close by whenever Philip needed him. The teacher even seemed amused when Philip stated that he wanted to bring his bodyguard to class one day for show and tell.
The teaching staff was friendly and so were a few moms of other students. In less than a week, Ben had politely turned down two dinner invitations, a theatre ticket to accompany another mother, and had received assorted phone numbers. He was charming, polite and friendly to all. Each day he kicked himself. Ever since he saw Sam again he wasn’t interested in anything any other woman had to offer. Ben told himself he was pitiful. Not only had Sam dumped him once already because he was broke, but now that she was wealthy on her own, he knew there was no way he could ever be of interest for her again. Then he got annoyed with himself for even entertaining the possibility.
The atmosphere back at the house was surprisingly pleasant. Sam seemed to go out of her way to make him feel comfortable. Cook prepared a few of Ben’s favorite dishes for dinners and he couldn’t help but suspect that it had been more than simple coincidence. He marveled that Sam might actually have remembered such things about him. Ben wondered if his services were really needed though. There had been only one incident since Ben had been there. Sam received a letter at her office mentioning some of the security measures she had arranged. It even mentioned the security agency where Ben was employed. She seemed not to be worried by the unfriendly surveillance. Ben didn’t like it at all. He wasn’t comfortable with the level of knowledge her tormentor seemed to possess about her home and her dealings.
The next afternoon while Ben was waiting for Philip to appear after school, he noticed a strange man wielding a camera on the corner of the school block. The man was watching the front of the little school building intently. As soon as Philip appeared, the camera was lifted and pictures were taken. Ben made sure the teacher would keep a close eye on Philip and he took off after the unknown man with the camera. The guy ran fast, but Ben was faster. He caught him in an alleyway just a block from the school.
Grabbing him by his jacket front, Ben pressed his face close to the culprit. “Who the hell are you and who are you working for?” He moved one large hand to the guy’s throat. Ben was ready to strangle the man if he didn’t answer quickly enough.
“Hey, it’s just a picture.” The frightened man tried to escape Ben’s clutches. “The Chances’ are news especially since the old man kicked the bucket. And who the hell are you?”
Still holding him by the throat, Ben relaxed his stance a little bit. “You’re press?”
The uninvited photographer nodded against Ben’s hand at his throat.
“Let me see your ID. And your camera.”
As soon as Ben read the media identification, he let go of the guy. He flipped open the back of the camera and pulled out the film.
“Hey! What are you doing?”
“My job.” Ben handed the empty camera back and unrolled the film in the daylight.
“Well that’s my job you’re wrecking there buddy!”
“If I ever see you taking pictures again I will break the damn camera. And it will definitely be in the company of some of your body parts. Am I understood?”
After calling Ben several foul names, none of which even made him flinch, the dejected photographer finally left. Ben threw the exposed and ruined film out in a trash can on his way back to the school.
Philip was gently swinging on a swing set on the school’s lawn; he was under the concerned eye of the young teacher. He had no idea that anything untoward had happened and Ben decided to keep it that way.
Sam was late coming home from the office that night. She called and explained that she had a late meeting with the Board of Directors. Ben and Philip had dinner together and he helped the little boy finish his homework before bed.
When Sam finally came home, Ben was waiting in the den. He was amused at her surprise that Ben had seen to Philip’s schoolwork and tooth brushing before bed. Cook offered to prepare her a dinner, she asked for just a simple sandwich. Ben fixed her a cherry rum mixed drink from the simple bar. When he handed it to her, she looked surprised that he remembered her favorite drink. His fingers brushed against hers as she took the glass.
His eyes bore into her at the slight contact. Then he chuckled. “Do you remember the fake ID’s we used because we were too young to drink?”
Thankful that he had broken the tension, she chuckled back. “Yes. I think your name was... Joe... Roberts?”
“Yeah. That was the name on the phony license. You were Linda Cristos and you were twenty-two. At least that’s how old our Miss Cristos was.”
At the real age of twenty-two, Sam had been a mom, living in France and married to Julian. “That was so long ago. Wow.” She sipped the drink slowly, aware that her stomach was empty. They had both shared dreams so long ago. Sitting together sipping drinks and talking made her think of things that could have been, But then, she forced herself to remember, it was Julian’s money that had made any of this possible. Glancing up, her eyes met Ben’s and she got the eerie feeling that he was reading her mind.
He seemed to sober. “Yeah.”
Sam knew from the fire in his eyes that he also remembered the passion they had shared so long ago. So much had happened since. She had given up so much and she never wanted him to know why. In the long run, it had been for the money so it was just as well that Ben thought that.
The cook entered with a sandwich on a plate and Sam sat to eat. While she ate, Ben filled her in on the incident with the photographer. She seemed a bit unnerved.
“And you’re sure that’s all he was there for?”
“His ID seemed valid. I called the paper when I got home and he is on staff.”
“Thank you. Julian never wanted the press to see us too much. He was always afraid of letting our faces become too familiar to the public.”
“He was protective?” Ben didn’t really want to find out anything good about the man that had stolen the love of his life. But he was curious. He found himself being drawn in. He wanted to know everything about her and it wasn’t just on a professional level.
“He did his best to keep us sheltered.”
Ben simply nodded and forced down another pang of jealousy. He sat down on an overstuffed padded leather chair and watched her quietly.
Sam ate some more of her sandwich and sipped her drink. She knew that he was watching her and she knew she should feel uncomfortable. Instead she was comforted just having him near. It was easy to pretend, just for a moment, that this was where they were supposed to be, together after a long and tiring day.
Trying not to let him catch her staring at him, she noticed the breadth of his shoulders and the confidence of his stance. It wasn’t hard to remember the image of him as he grew into manhood so many years before; those memories occupied her dreams every night. Even after so many years, she could still remember the feel of his muscular shoulders, the touch of his naked skin under her fingertips. The silence had become too uncomfortable and just a little too intimate. “What made you go into the security field Ben?”
He sat back and sighed. “After I recovered from the accident I began working out in a gym to rebuild some of my strength. I was... determined. I met this guy there who suggested I might try being a bouncer or something.” His anger at being abandoned once again made him angry and he was always getting into some kind of trouble. He shrugged. “I thought the idea of being able to knock a few heads around sounded appealing. So I got a job in a bar. I met my boss Tony there and he offered me a position.” Under Tony’s tutelage, he learned to control his temper and use his anger to his advantage.
Sam certainly could see and appreciate the effects of Ben’s workouts. She also knew very well that there was a lot more to his physical recovery than he seemed to want to talk about. It was a relief to see that he didn’t even appear to have a limp or any other disfigurement leftover from the accident. She had betrayed his trust by leaving and left deep emotional scars that couldn’t be seen, only felt in the heart. Julian had let her know that there were residual effects to treatments he received in the hospital but she was sure that Ben wasn’t going to discuss his health with her, especially not details he would be embarrassed about. He wouldn’t be happy to find out how much she did know about his condition.
She was remembering that terrible night that had changed both of their lives. They had been busy laughing. Hanging out with friends had been terrific. They had gone to the movies and then to a friend’s cousin’s house party two hours away near Pennsylvania. Even though neither one had been drinking, they still felt kind of giddy on the ride home. Earlier in the evening, they had both said they had something important to tell the other. The discussion never came. They never had the chance. How different things would have been if she had only gotten the chance to talk with him.
Instead the headlights of the other car came right at them and Ben had swerved to avoid a collision. He lost control. The car rolled down an embankment stopping only when it came to rest on its side against a tree. They had both been wearing seatbelts; that was one of Ben’s adamant demands each time they got in the car. Sam was conscious for the whole terrifying tumble down the hill. When they finally stopped, her right arm had been horribly twisted. Her arm was bleeding and she could see bone. The pain was nearly unbearable.
Ben didn’t answer when she cried his name out loud. It was dark and she couldn’t see much, but she could see he wasn’t moving. She unbuckled her seatbelt and tried to pull him from the car, but with only one good arm she didn’t have the strength. Sam had climbed out and then tried to tear the remaining pieces of broken windshield away from in front of him. She gave that up when her palms were shredded from the broken glass. If she looked hard enough, she could still make out some of the tiny scars that were left. The car was propped on the driver’s side and that section of roof was crushed where it leaned against the tree. She couldn’t get him out and she couldn’t wake him.
Sam had no idea how long it took for her to climb back up to the road. She barely felt her arm anymore and had lost so much blood that she was fighting just to stay awake. When she got to the road, she could see that the car that had swerved into their path had never stopped. She leaned against a still standing piece of guardrail and managed to flag down a car almost half an hour later.
Forcing herself back into the present and trying desperately not to remember a past she could never have back, Sam gulped the balance of her drink down. She sputtered as the sweet concoction went down the wrong pipe.
Ben was at her side immediately. “Hey, are you okay?”
She managed to croak a response and nodded.
He waited until she caught her breath and then he laughed. “This isn’t the first time you’ve gulped your drink and then choked. I always had to tell you to take it easy.”
She looked up at him and saw how close his face was to hers. Sam swore he was going to kiss her. She could remember how she clung to his kisses in the past. But then he suddenly got up and went back to the other chair.
He took a deep breath in. “I heard that you went to Europe after you got married.” Ben had to remind himself how she had betrayed him. He had to remember or he was liable to lose himself in her. He promised himself that he would never again allow himself to be that vulnerable, not for anyone.
“Yes. We lived in the French country side for two years.” Julian had wanted to make sure there was enough distance. “Philip was born in France.”
“Do you speak French?” His grin was infectious.
“Un petite. I had to learn quickly just to ask for directions if I went anywhere.”
“I was going to say I don’t remember you knowing the language. You didn’t do too well in school as I remember.”
Sam laughed. “I also speak a little Italian now. We moved there for a year before we came back to the States. You have to learn the language a bit when you can’t even ask where the public restrooms are without it.” Julian had told her that Ben was recovered and out of the hospital. He never told her where he was living or what he was doing. So many years had passed and she stopped asking. “Julian felt he had to be closer to the company’s main office... so we settled here. It’s an easy enough commute.”
Deep in thought, Ben cocked his head to the side. “Wait a minute. Didn’t you work for Chaunce way back when?”
“It was just a temp job.” It was during that time that Julian had first expressed an interest in her, but she told him she was with Ben. It was just a fluke that a temporary in the typing pool even got a glimpse of the big boss. It was only one day that he had stopped in to visit with his underlings and it was a day that she was there. He watched her almost the whole time and then he approached her before he left. She had nearly forgotten about even meeting him until that night he showed up in the hospital.
The doctors had just told her that Ben was in a coma. He had severe spinal injuries and he had lost a lot of blood by the time she managed to flag down help. They weren’t optimistic about his survival. They were even more pessimistic after the ex-rays came back from the lab. Sam was inundated with dire statistics and a dismal prognosis. She was desperate. And then Julian showed up.
She couldn’t understand what Ben was thinking but he was looking at her oddly. As soon as he saw her looking at him, he looked away.
Ben stood. “I think I am going to go up to my room now. Your son volunteered me to go on a class trip tomorrow. It’s going to be a long day.”
She had barely nodded when he was already gone from the room.
Ben and Philip were having dinner together again when Sam called home. The maid called Master Philip to the phone at the request of his mother. She wanted to apologize that it would be a while before she arrived back home and she would miss kissing him goodnight. Then she asked to speak to Ben.
He smiled as the little boy handed him the phone. “Working late again?” Ben watched as Philip left the room to head back to finish his dinner. “Is everything okay?”
“My car has two flat tires. I called the service and I’m waiting for them to come take care of it.”
He was still surprised that she avoided the luxury of being chauffeured to and from her appointments and instead liked to drive the silver BMW sedan by herself. “Where are you waiting? Are you alone?”
“I’m downstairs on the parking level and I’m not alone, I’ve got my cell phone.”
Her answer alarmed him. “Can you go back up to your office? Or at least to the lobby? I assume there is a security guard there all night.”
“I don’t need to...”
Ben cut her off. “Don’t argue with me! I am going to call you back on my cell phone so I can speak with you while you go back into the building. I’m on my way...”
“You don’t need to...”
“Listen, multiple tires is not a coincidence. Now get moving to the elevator. And answer me as soon as the phone rings.”
Ben grabbed his jacket and cell phone. He quickly explained to Philip that his mom had car trouble and they would both be back soon. He was running out to the car when he dialed her cell phone number. It was so good to hear her voice.
She was waiting in her office when he got there.
“I had some work I could do anyway. I let the guard know I was headed back upstairs.”
She completely infuriated him. “Why are you so unconcerned about your welfare? You are smart enough to realize there’s a threat or you never would have hired me to watch Philip.”
“Who, by the way, you should be with right now. He’s just a little boy...”
“And you’re his mom and he needs you. The kid has already lost one parent.” If he sounded angry, he was. Whenever Ben thought of Sam having that old coot’s child he got angry. She should have had his child. “He’s safe. I told the housekeeper not to let him out of her sight and she has my cell number.”
Sam sighed heavily and looked at her watch. She shook her head and the curls bounced. “I can’t believe they didn’t come yet to fix my tires.”
“Call and cancel them. I’ll take care of it. You have a spare and I grabbed one of your winter tires from your garage. It will be good enough to drive on for the short hop back home. I want to get you out of here.”
Reluctantly she did as he instructed and they went back to the parking floor together. His dark blue Buick was parked in front of her car.
Ben surveyed the two flat tires on the driver’s side of the car. He knelt and ran his hand over the lifeless rubber. “These were punctured.” He stood and went to the back of his car to get out the extra tire. “This wasn’t an accident.” Both tires had small slices in them about one-inch from the tread.
“I might have driven over something. They’re both on the same side, which could explain it.”
“Both of your tires have puncture holes and both of them are on the top sidewalls. This was done after your car was sitting here.” With holes that big, there was no way she could have driven all the way into work without the tires going flat.
“So it was a stupid act of vandalism. It was probably just some kids who broke in. If we look, we’ll probably find some other cars they did damage to also.”
“Why can’t you get it through your thick skull that you need to be careful?” Ben was frustrated with her. Then he noticed that her hands were shaking. She was too afraid to admit that she could be in danger and his heart melted. “Why don’t you pop the trunk for me?”
He leaned the spare tire he brought against her car as she was opening the driver’s door to slide in. She pushed a button and the rear trunk lid slowly rose. Ben walked casually to the back of her car. He could see the little doughnut that was meant to be used as a spare in the luxury sedan and bent to move it and look for the jack. Even in a luxury car of this value, flat tires happened and sometimes some poor schmuck even had to change a tire for himself.
Just as he bent over the open trunk, Ben noticed a thin silver colored wire coming out of one of the right rear brake light. He quickly traced its path and saw it threaded under the gas cap. “Don’t move!” He ran to the open driver’s door and yanked Sam out by her arm.
“Ow!” Sam rubbed her arm as she regained her footing. “What the heck?”
Ben wasn’t moving. He stood looking at the car with an odd expression on his face. He didn’t turn to look at her. “Do me a favor, walk away. I want you to walk far away from this car.” His voice was completely monotone.
“Why?” He was confusing her.
“Just do it!”
She started to protest and then shut her mouth. “Okay,” she started walking. “Do you mind telling me how far I should go?” He didn’t answer her. “I’m walking away. Did you hear me? I said...”
“I heard you.” He turned his head and looked past her. “Go stand behind that van over there, but keep talking. I want to know you are there.”
She laughed ironically as she kept walking in the direction of the parked van. “I don’t know what game you’re playing...”
“It’s not a game.” Ben walked to the other side of her car and stopped in front of the fuel port. “Your car was rigged to blow.”
“What?” She stopped and turned to face him.
“Get behind that van... now. It’s just an amateur job.”
She scooted behind the van. “So it’s not really a danger?”
“No, it is a danger. It’s just easy to disarm.” He carefully flipped open the lid covering the fuel filler neck.
“So why am I hiding?” She poked her head around the van.
“Just in case...”
“In case of what?”
Ben slowly unscrewed the filler cap with one hand while he held the wire as still as possible. “In case I’m wrong.”
“Oh.” She frowned as she leaned against the bulk of the van. “Are you?”
He took a deep breath as he flipped open the fuel filler neck. “We will find out soon.” Barely breathing, Ben slowly pulled the wire out of the fuel tank. He seemed relieved when it wasn’t attached to anything. “You can come back now, but don’t touch your car at all.” After he screwed the filler cap back on, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and made a phone call. He turned his back and Sam could not hear the exact words he mumbled into his phone.
When he hung up, he turned back to her. “Get into my car, I’ll take you home.”
“But what about my car?” She motioned towards the car and her open driver’s door but seemed afraid to get too close.
“Don’t touch it. Leave it just as it is. I’ve got a friend coming over to check it out thoroughly and make sure there was nothing else done to it.”
“What else could have been...?” Her words trailed off and her eyes glistened with tears. “Did someone really try to kill me?”
He blew out a breath as he walked towards her. Ben wanted to let her know he would do everything he could to make sure she wasn’t hurt, but she had to stop being so carefree. “Yes. But we didn’t let that happen.” He gently guided her into the passenger side of his car. “You’re safe with me.” The last thing Ben wanted to do was let her know how shaken he felt when he thought of her being hurt.
During the ride home, Ben explained to Sam how the wire went from the tail light to the gas tank. If someone had stepped on the brake pedal an electrical charge would have traveled from the wire into the gas tank and the car would have potentially exploded. “It was an amateur level stunt. It isn’t really victim specific and it isn’t always reliable. But when it works, it can be deadly.” He noticed that her face seemed drained of color.
Sam was quiet for the rest of the ride home.
CHAPTER 3
Sam was scared. She hadn’t remembered feeling that scared since, well, since the night she thought Ben was going to die. And she realized that he had put his life in jeopardy to keep her safe. She couldn’t let him get hurt. Then she worried about her little boy if the threat to her life had succeeded.
“I don’t know if it was such a good idea to leave Philip alone...” She couldn’t hide the tremor in her voice.
“He’s not alone. The housekeeper is with him. She would have called if there was a problem.” Nonetheless, Ben took his cell phone out to call back to the house.
“Hurry. Please. I need to see that he’s okay.”
Ben was already talking into his cell phone. He nodded a few times and then disconnected. “He’s fine. He’s in bed.”
“I need to see him.” She sounded as if she were ready to cry. “I just need to see my little boy with my own eyes.” Her eyes felt watery at the thought.
Ben sighed. He leaned on the accelerator just a bit more. “We’ll be home soon.”
As soon as he drove onto the grounds, Sam barely waited until he stopped the car before she got out and ran for the door to her home.
By the time Ben parked the car and joined her, she had sunk to the floor outside of her son’s bedroom. She was crying silently.
Ben knelt in front of her. “Everything is okay now. You’re safe. Philip is safe.” When she continued to cry, Ben moved next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. She leaned her head against his chest and continued crying softly. “Ssh. I don’t want to wake the boy.” She nodded into his chest and he heard her sniffle.