New Year's Negotiation

by Kate Allenton

  “I never threw my bait in the water.” I smirked. The way this day was going, I was beginning to question that decision.

  “I see.” Ben handed both of us glasses of tea before leading us to follow him out onto the deck.

  The lake water was crystal clear, so blue and beautiful…glittering as the sun’s rays danced across the surface. Crickets chirped somewhere nearby. We took a seat at the patio table, and in that instant, I noticed the similarities between Ben and his grandfather. Not only did they have the same chiseled cheekbones and chin, but they had the same mannerisms. Both men released identical sighs as they relaxed into the seats. They liked it here, and who could blame them?

  “So, Elizabeth is going to arrest them, and you’re going to try your best to get them out of jail. I’m sure there’s some pretty heated fights in your future.”

  The Michaels men seemed to have one-track minds. I tried spelling it out for them. I wasn’t dating Ben. I didn’t have a future with him, and there was no way in hell I was going to let his job affect mine. I’d worked too hard to get to where I was. “I don’t think that will be a problem seeing how, after today, he won’t be in my personal life.”

  Malcolm raised his brow as a slow smile split his lips. “She’s going to make you work for it, son. I hope you’re up to the challenge, because I really like this one.”

  “Nothing to work for.” I smiled, letting my gaze pass from one to the other. “I’m not rebound material.”

  “That’s good.” Malcolm tipped his cowboy hat and grinned. “You’ll keep him in his place.”

  “His place is the total opposite of mine. We aren’t even friends,” I added, feeling the need to drive home my point.

  “We were more than that once.” Ben raised his brow in challenge, daring me to contradict him. “And we will be again. You can count on it. Gramps, do you have what I asked for?”

  Malcolm nodded back inside the house. “Yeah, it’s in my room. Why don’t you run in and grab it while I get to know my future granddaughter-in-law.”

  Oh for the love of God. The sheriff was just as delusional as his grandson. Old age must have done a number on him. Was this day ever going to end?

  Malcolm waited for Ben to leave before the attack began.

  “He’s grown up into a good man.”

  “I’m sure he has.” Maybe.

  “He’ll be good to you.”

  “Not interested.” Not happening. “I have two loves in my life: my family and my career. I don’t want a boyfriend. You of all people should understand I’m aiming for brass.”

  “Ambitious.”

  “Determined.”

  “I see.”

  “Do you?”

  “Hold your ground, but let me ask you this. Is your job going to be enough at the end of the day?”

  I didn’t reply. I was beginning to question my choice.

  “It’s a lonely place to be. Let’s look at the facts. Your job won’t keep you warm at night. Won’t dry your tears, and won’t ever have shoulders for you to lean on.”

  “I’m not going to date Ben because I’m lonely. Sure, it sucks, but so does having my heart broken. He’s done it once, and he’ll do it again. I’m certain of that.”

  “Now we’re getting somewhere. You have a broken heart that never mended. Is that why you’re a cop?”

  “I don’t understand the question.”

  “You arrest people who break the law. You’re the one in control of the outcome.”

  I leaned forward and rested my hand over Malcolm's. “I’m a cop because I believe in justice and doing the right thing. I’m a cop because I want to protect innocent people from the evil in this world. I’m a cop because I will always chose right over wrong.”

  “And he wronged you?”

  I sat back in my chair. I wasn’t having this conversation with one of my heroes. A man that I’d aspired to be in my future.

  “You know how I became brass?”

  “How?”

  “I asked the hard questions and didn’t stop until I uncovered the truth, no matter how uncomfortable it was. What’s your truth, Elizabeth? Are you willing to dig deep enough to find the answers? Because you’ll never make brass until you do. Life is meant to be experienced; life is full of choices and lessons to learn. Sitting on the sidelines isn’t really living at all. You want to know why Ben and Helen went after what they wanted?”

  I could hardly wait. “Sure.”

  “They wouldn’t ever let anyone dictate what made them happy. If Ben doesn’t do that for you, then, by all means, keep his butt on the sidelines. But if he does, I mean truly does, think of what your future might be missing without him in it.”

  Ben chose that time to return. Thank freakin’ God. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could sit without squirming under his grandfather’s scrutiny. It was like taking love advice from my boss. Neither was on my bucket list.

  “Thanks, Grandpa.”

  I quickly rose from my seat. “Thanks for the advice. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

  Malcolm chuckled as he stood. “You two enjoy your day. Come back and visit anytime.”

  No way was I planning to do that. Malcolm Michaels was like a human lie detector. I could see it in his eyes, the way he watched me as we talked. I’d even venture a guess that Ben had the same trait, and that was what made him such a great attorney. I followed Ben out of the house and was heading to the car when he took my hand and steered me to the barn instead.

  “Now for the real reason we came here.”

  Six

  He led me inside. Stacks of hay climbed the back wall. Dust motes danced in sunbeams let in through the door and tickled my nose. The stall door held back a stunning black stallion that neighed and stomped his hoof as we neared. Ben grabbed two apples from a bucket and handed me one before holding the other in the palm of his hand for the horse to crunch.

  “This is King,” Ben said, running his hand down the horse’s face. “I’ve had him for a little over a year.”

  “He’s beautiful,” I said, feeding my apple to the horse. “So what is this? Are you trying to tell me you’re a closet rancher in your present life or maybe giving me a glimpse of the future life you want?”

  “Neither.” Ben moved me back and unlatched the hook on the gate. Entering the stall, he brought the horse out. He placed a blanket on her back before adding a saddle. “This is how I unwind. I’ve never shared my secret with anyone, until now.”

  “Riding a horse is hardly a scandal,” I said, watching as Ben mounted the horse. He held out his hand.

  I shook my head. No way was I getting on that beast. He was huge. “Not happening.”

  “There’s something I want to show you, and it’s too far to walk. I won’t let you fall. Trust me.”

  Trust him. That was a foreign concept. The conversation with Malcolm about living life, not watching it go, by flashed in my mind. I’d never been on a horse. Why was that?

  I grabbed his hand, taking the olive branch and adventure he offered, and put my foot in the stirrup, swinging my leg over King’s back and holding on to Ben’s waist for dear life. “If I fall, I’m taking you with me.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He clicked his tongue and nudged his heels, and King started in a slow trot out of the barn.

  My grip tightened, and I closed my eyes. Maybe Malcolm had been right. I was a control freak, and it was evident that I had no control over the powerhouse horse between my legs. It was like riding a roller coaster without a brake.

  As the horse continued to gallop, and I felt the rise-and-fall rhythm of its strides between my legs, I slowly opened my eyes at the beauty passing me by.

  The rush of my heartbeat, and the thrill I felt stepping out of my comfort zone had me smiling. Truly smiling.

  Fifteen minutes into the ride, Ben reined in King until we came to a full stop.

  “We’re here,” Ben announced and held out his hand to help me dismount before he, too, jumped d
own.

  “Judging by that smile on your face, I think you enjoyed it.”

  “I did,” I said while turning in place. “Now where are we? Is this where you bury all the broken hearts?”

  Ben’s smile slipped. I’d struck a nerve. It was about time.

  Ben tied King to a nearby tree before returning to grab my hand. He led me up a hill before he sat down and gestured for me to do the same.

  I cautiously sat down and stared over the rocky ledge. It was a long drop. One that I wouldn’t survive.

  “This is my favorite place,” he said. “It’s beautiful on a clear night when the stars are shining above. I come here to think. It helps clear my head.”

  “I can see why. It’s peaceful.” I smacked at a blood-sucking mosquito attacking my neck.

  He slipped his fingers through mine. “I’m not a saint, Lizzy. I don’t have everything figured out, but I try my best.”

  “None of us have things figured out,” I said, jostling him with my shoulder. “We’re all a work in progress.”

  He gave me a sincere smile. “I’m sorry I hurt you.”

  My heart clenched at the memories.

  “I’ve changed.”

  “I’m sure you have. I’ve changed too.”

  “My grandfather proposed to my grandmother here. My dad did the same with my mom.”

  No, no, no. That had better not be the reason I was sitting on this cliff. If it was, one of us was going down that hill.

  “No,” I answered before he could ask.

  His lips twisted into an amused smile. “I wasn’t going to ask you to marry me… yet.” His sparkling eyes belied his words. “But I was hoping this could be the spot of our first kiss.”

  “Nope.” I hopped up. “That ship sailed. Our first kiss was behind the stacks of rental skates.”

  He rose to his feet and gave me a smile that sent my pulse racing. “I was testing to see if you remembered.”

  I smacked his arm. “That’s just wrong.”

  He rested his palm on my cheek and ran his thumb over my lip, making my breath hitch. “I was teasing, but I am going to kiss you now.”

  “This…we won’t work.”

  “We already do.”

  He inched closer, as if testing the waters for my reaction.

  “I may bite.” My lips quirked.

  “I’ll take my chances.” He covered my mouth with his. His hand tangled in my hair as I leaned into his embrace. The heat from his body pressed into mine. Ben’s kisses were like a forbidden fruit that steals memories and inhibitions. His touch, his taste, had a way of making me beg for more.

  He slowed the kiss and rested his forehead against mine.

  “I’ve missed you,” he whispered.

  I struggled to calm my racing heart and remember why this wasn’t a good idea. God, I’d missed him too. “We can’t do this again, like ever.”

  “I agree.” He kissed me again, more tender and less frantic. Caressing my mouth with his until I was once again on the verge of begging for more. “Never again.” His words were whispered against my lips before pressing tender kisses down my neck.

  “This is a bad idea,” I said, tilting my head to give him better access as he continued on the path.

  “The worst.” His lips disappeared from my skin, and his gaze met mine. “Marry me.”

  “No.”

  “Date me.”

  My mouth parted. Had he asked the first question so dating him would be a less severe option? I shook the lusty fog from my head. “Why?”

  “Because you want to. Because I want you to.”

  “Not good enough.”

  “Okay, then how about a counter offer? We’ll take it slow.”

  “You don’t do slow. It’s not in your vocabulary.”

  “You’re right,” he said, pulling something from his pocket. He held a diamond ring up for me to see. “So let me be honest with you.”

  “Please. It will be a nice change.”

  “This ring was my grandmother’s, and I have every intention of one day putting it on your finger.”

  “You’re crazy. We’re exes for a reason.”

  “A stupid reason,” he said, sliding the ring back into his pocket.

  “Real mature,” I said, watching Ben untie the horse.

  “Marcia and I weren’t kissing that day. I was being her friend. She needed one. Her father was in the ICU. You’re the one who gave up on us. I called you, several times, and you never called back.”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “Yes. I. Did. Ask Johnathan. I left the messages with him.”

  “You left the message with my brother and expected him to tell me? You can’t be serious.”

  “When you didn’t call me back, I came to your house.”

  “I don’t remember that,” I argued, crossing my arms over my chest.

  “You wouldn’t. You weren’t there. Johnathan told me you were on a date.”

  My mouth briefly parted before I snapped it closed. “And you believed him?” I tossed my arms in the air and turned to walk back to the hill. Lowering my head, I clenched my eyes closed. Anger stirred in my gut. Anger with Ben. Anger with my brother. Anger with myself for being too stubborn to entertain the idea that there could have been a plausible reason.

  “You should have asked me if I’d gone on a date,” I said.

  “And you should have trusted me,” he said.

  He was right. I should have. I was just as guilty as he was for not being smart or brave enough to ask the questions. I turned to find Ben sitting on King with his hand held out. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”

  The ride back to the sheriff’s house wasn’t half as enjoyable as the ride to the cliffs. I was acutely aware of the man I was hanging on to as my mind tried to process what he’d said. All this time, and we’d both been too immature to realize a simple conversation might have changed everything.

  When we neared the house, Ben yanked King to a stop. “Oh no.”

  I tried to look around his broad shoulders but wasn’t willing to fall off, so I couldn’t see a thing.

  “Hang on.” He grabbed hold of my clenched hands and kicked King into a fast run, not stopping until we reached Malcolm's back porch.

  Ben hurried me off before he jumped down and handed me the reins. In an instant, Ben bounded the steps, and that was when I got my first glimpse at the reason for Ben’s urgency: Malcolm lay face down on the wooden deck.

  “He’s not breathing,” Ben yelled, rolling his grandfather over.

  I reached for my pocket, only to realize I didn’t have my cell to call 911. It was still in Ben’s car. I tied up King to a post and hurried to his side. “Go inside and call 911.”

  I started chest compressions, counting out loud and only stopping to administer breaths in between. I didn’t stop until the paramedics arrived and ushered me out the way.

  I moved to Ben’s side and slid my fingers through his. “He’s going to make it. He’s stubborn like that. All you Michaels men are.”

  If Ben heard my words, he didn’t acknowledge. He took the keys from his pocket and handed them to me. “You can take my car home. I’m going in the ambulance.”

  I stood helplessly, watching as the ambulance doors closed. Running a reassuring hand down King’s mane, I untied him and led him back in the barn. “He’s going to make it. I know he is.”

  I hoped.

  Seven

  I took my time shutting up the sheriff’s house and locking it after grabbing the keys. It was the only thing that made me feel useful under the circumstances. My crazy day would be one for the record books. I slid into Ben’s car and started the long drive back into town. No way was I going home, not if I could offer Ben some support. He was like family, even if he was stubborn to a fault. It made him who he was.

  Ben’s phone rang, and I glanced at the caller ID. My brother, Johnathan. Just perfect.

  I answered on speaker. “Hello.”

  “Lizzy? I mus
t have dialed the wrong number.”

  “You didn’t. This is Ben’s phone.”

  The line went briefly silent. “Why do you have his phone?”

  “Why did you lie to me?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You told me he was dating Marcia. You kept his messages from me. How could you do that to me? To him?” Angry tears welled up in my eyes.

  The line was silent again.

  “Why, damn it? I deserve an answer.”

  “He was…is my best friend, Lizzy. You’re my little sister.”

  I swiped at a rogue tear that slipped free. “Not good enough. Ben is on his way to the hospital, and so am I.”

  “What? Are you hurt? Is he hurt?”

  “We were out visiting his grandfather, and we think he had a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t know. I did CPR until the ambulance arrived. That’s all I know.”

  “Shit.” My brother growled. “I’ll meet you there.”

  The call disconnected before I could argue. The thought of seeing my brother in this moment had me pressing harder on the gas pedal. At least we’d be in the hospital where they could patch him up after I beat the living daylights out of him.

  Twenty minutes later, I pulled into the busy parking lot of the ER. Grabbing Ben’s phone and his grandfather’s keys, I slid out of the car and hurried inside, pausing just beyond the electric doors. Ben was nowhere to be found. I headed straight for the nurse sitting behind the plexiglass window. She was the gate keeper, the one woman I would need to convince to buzz me in.

  “I’m looking for Sheriff Malcolm Michaels. He was just brought in via ambulance.”

  “Are you family?”

  “No.” I knew the procedure. I knew what came next, and I hadn’t thought I’d need my shiny badge that got me entrance to most places.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t disclose any information.”

  I rested my hands on the counter and dropped my head before I exploded. One way or another, this woman was giving me answers.

  “I’m a cop,” I said, lifting my gaze.

  “Can I see your badge?”