Forgotten Chance: Book Three (Forgotten Trilogy)

by Virginia Wine

  It was our last full day before we traveled home tomorrow, and as the memories poured in a flood of happiness and joy followed. We spent most of the last three days on the beach which was the best stress reviler with its peaceful serenity, and quiet tranquility.

  The gritty sand beneath our bare feet, the smell of saltwater releasing a spell-like hypnotic trance, coupled by the emotion we got whenever we looked out far into the ocean as the waves lapped on the shore and sparked with a whole new level of promise.

  “Another perfect day in paradise.” I said as I climbed out of bed.

  “I’m looking forward to seeing you in that black bikini again.” Nathan said still half asleep, while I was getting ready for the day.

  “Hurry up so we can relax.” I said, but he only chuckled low and throaty. “Well?”

  “I heard you, sweetie-pie.” He said ignoring the half-hearted grumbling. But then he followed me into the kitchen, as the scent of freshly brewed coffee hung in the air. Poured two cups, then he brought it over, his and mine. I could see every day of my future right before me and I wanted it all, with this man.

  “Did you sleep well?” I asked.

  “What do you think?”

  “No, I’m being serious.”

  “So am I.”

  I sneaked a cinnamon sugar Malasadas, a rich buttery donut from the freezer and popped it in the microwave for forty-five seconds. “Want one?”

  “Don’t tell me you’re having another?”

  “Who’s counting?”

  “Not me.” He said, his subtle smile and soft gaze faltered as I plunked a rather pathetic-looking breakfast down in front of us.

  “Mmm, breakfast of champions.” He smirked.

  “Hush you.”

  Instead of enjoying my sweet treat, I watched as Nathan whipped up an omelet with everything from the refrigerator thrown in, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms and onions even left-over mystery chicken, it was lethal. He slid it from the skillet onto his plate with a ‘thunk.’

  “Yummy.” I said.

  “Like I said, breakfast of champions.”

  We focused on the fun on our final day, escaping the last day of vacation blues. We made our way towards the beach, the feel of the sand between our toes, the brightness of the sun in our eyes, the sounds of the waves, children playing and the scent of ocean water.

  We located a large umbrella with two chaise loungers and sat our belongings underneath. The ocean was an aqua blue, the sand a pale taupe and the sun a fierce hot yellow.

  A strong sense of peace and calm resided over us, with the infinite blue sky above promising sunshine and big fluffy white clouds adding a touch of fantasy.

  “Here.” I said, handing him a bottle of sunscreen. “Will you put some on my back?”

  “Gladly.”

  A warm breeze swirled around sending my long golden strands in all different directions.

  “Sorry I’m getting it in your hair too.”

  “Who’s complaining?”

  His hands turned adventurous, first running down my back then up to my shoulders tugging me to turn over. His mouth found mine in a blazing kiss, his very persuasive mouth, in complete control of my desire.

  Falling deeper in love with him as the day lingered watching the waves as they rolled in and disappeared into the sand, the sunlight making it sparkle like a thousand tiny jewels. I relaxed onto the chaise where I could marvel at his powerful biceps and washboard abs.

  All the noise faded to the background as the day and time passed slowly. The sunset was the perfect way to round out our trip, a sense of completion witnessing such beauty, as if the final curtain was drawn and the day’s activities were coming to an end. The golden hour was kicked up a notch by a bottle of wine that was specially delivered.

  The sunlight started to fade, Nathan closed his eyes and smiled.

  “See this is why I love you.” He said in a low voice. “A partner to share each horizon.”

  “For life.”

  Our vacation was winding down squeezing in an extra hour of relation at the finish line. But it didn’t end there, we found hidden gems and unique experiences that made the trip unforgettable, there was so much to see and only so much time in which to see it.

  Nathan scheduled a day off at home after our return, that extra day made the trip that much better. To acclimate back to our real life, catch up on jet lag and transition back to reality. But at the last minute he received an urgent call from Mr. Stone the attorney and rushed away to meet, which left me alone at the house.

  I heard the knock on the door and rushed to look through the peep hole. A man filled the doorway. He had the face of a stranger, but oddly familiar. So, I slowly opened the door.

  “Are you Bryer Reid?”

  I paused.

  “How can I help you?” I calmly and respectfully asked. Perhaps it was more in the way he stood in his own personal space, larger than life, something about his self-confidence put me at ease.

  “I’m Detective Moore.” Then held up his badge. His stare never wavered. His gravely tone flowed like a calm river. Despite his efforts there was a sudden tightening of his jaw, whatever he was here for worried him.

  I looked up. “Yes, but it’s Bryer James, now.” The police never just showed up at your door for no reason or generally made social calls. Either they got a call or they were acting on an investigation, or simply on a fishing expedition.

  “Mind if I come in?”

  I kept my face neutral; I shouldn’t assume whatever he had to say would be bad news. “Um sure.”

  He hovered at the threshold; the door already opened a blast of cool air streamed past me and drifted into the room.

  “Thanks.”

  He inserted his hand in his pocket and pulled out a card, his fingers closed around the paper-stock as he read it and then glanced up at me with curious wide eyes. Police officers always seem like they’re in control of the situation, and this was no exception.

  “Are you David Reid’s daughter?”

  There was cause for panic, my breathing suspended, I began compartmentalizing things in my brain. This man was the salt of the earth come to pull my world apart with his soft-spoken words.

  “That’s kind of an open-ended question.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “We had an understanding.”

  “What kind of an understanding.”

  “When he left my sick, dying mother I was officially no longer his daughter.”

  That stopped him in his tracks. There was a long silence, no awkwardness, not even a hurry to fill the void. He lowered his eyes with a wariness of one who was trained in these matters.

  “He was found dead last night.” He said empathically. “He had your information in his wallet.”

  My eyes gradually lifted to his as my brain slowly registered his words. He was dead, my father was dead.

  “Are you sure?” I asked instinctively, knowing it was useless but I did it anyway, trying to suppress the truth for a few more moments, although I knew I couldn’t. “Um…How did he die?”

  “He was shot.” He said then paused. “Under mysterious circumstances. We were hoping you could answer some questions.”

  “Shot?”

  A chill slid down my spine, and my hands began to shake and now the scream in my mind was the enemy. Memories came rushing back, the noise unbearable as it took me to places broken and jagged.

  “This must be very hard on you, Miss Reid… James..”

  It felt like a punch in the stomach, desperate for something to wake me from this dream. Save me from this nightmare. It was if the world conspired to keep me in the dark, refusing to whisper the reassurance I needed.

  “Do you mean, mysterious circumstances. Murdered?”

  “It’s too early to tell.” But I felt the tension as it hung in the air. “How long has it...”

  “Years.”

  My head snapped in an instant, my blood pressure spiked. How quickly loved turned to
hate all those years ago. I lived through every terrible thing I had predicted would come true, and he ran like a coward. That was an unforgivable betrayal, his lack of willingness to fight to stand by her side and love her, hold her hand until the end was too much for him.

  I ran towards the pain, helped as much as possible until it drained me, broke my heart with grief. He chose to abandon us in our time of need. Justified his action with his own discomfort. That was the beginning of the end, a total loss of everyone I loved.

  “There are still questions surrounding your father’s death. So, I’ll be in touch. If you think of anything here’s my card, call me.”

  I nodded, took his card trying to keep my hands from shaking. But once the door closed, I crashed and burned, I was falling and all I could hope for was a soft place to land. There were circumstances beyond my limits, and the trauma surrounding my mother’s death was a glimpse back in time I never wanted to revisit. I stared at the darkened windows with unfocused eyes as he drove away.

  Then I ran upstairs and reached for her journal.

  I cannot buy you a set of morals; I cannot build you a sense of responsibility; I cannot hand you appreciation of beauty; I cannot manufacturer for you concern and compassion ; I cannot make yours a compelling, faithful, loyal spirit; I cannot give you the ability to love.

  I own no secret formula for success or any new philosophy. I’ve never written a book of wisdom. One day you’ll leave home and step into new relationships, the apron strings that have been lengthened as you mature must be cut. You will have learned about independence and freedom, you will have proven yourself trustworthy, dependable and mature enough to try new things, but I will be on call throughout my life.

  I can only send you into the world on your own with what I’ve showed you, how I’ve led by example. How I’ve grown and became more because of my strength. That is what I wish for you, find your strength, and your happiness will follow.

  Mary.

  I stood on the concrete walk, surrounded by iron, steel and glass. A crisp breeze blew across my face as I found myself in the midst of tall buildings their tips hidden in the clouds. It was a symbol of modern urban civilization; it was a distinctive feature in the downtown city. The skyline, hundreds of feet above the ground, their tops scraping the sky. A vertical expansion became the most desirable solution for the city’s businesses. And today standing at their foot, my nerves were frayed to the quick.

  The automatic sliding doors welcomed me into the lobby which led to the bank of elevators. Once on the correct floor I walked through the double glass doors. The room grew quiet and a few people shifted uncomfortably. The woman behind the reception desk looked up and gently closed her binder.

  “May I help you?”

  “Yes, I’m Nathan James, here to see Alexander Stone.”

  “Of course. Have a seat, he’ll be right with you.”

  As I waited impatiently my mind was elsewhere. My life could be turned upside down in a split second. I knew that I had everything I ever wanted, I just had to hold on to it.

  “Mr. James, Mr. Stone will see you now.” So, I followed the woman who had a sort of slow swagger, her shoulders held back in confidence. A sort of style that whispered professionalism.

  “Nathan.” Alex extended his hand and I shook it palm to palm. “Meet my brother, Ben, of Stone Enterprises, I brought him in for council and to help facilitate the buyout.”

  Ben was decked out professionally in an Armani suit that was tailored precisely to match the contours of his form, giving him a lithesome appearance. He was relaxed perfection the lines and fit caught an air of quiet confidence.

  “Have a seat. I trust your nuptials went according to plan?”

  “Right. I almost forgot.” Then I let out a long breath. “It was fantastic.”

  “Glad to hear it.” I watched Alex as he eased a hip onto his desk and folded his arms across his chest. “There’s a problem.”

  “What kind of problem?”

  “Harrison won’t budge.” Ben dropped into the leather chair behind the desk, and chimed in. “We up’ d the ante. But he’s not selling Tranquility design. Besides the usual negotiation process our team encountered a ruthlessly ambitious man who considers himself very important and overly clever.”

  “I’m not surprised.”

  “Despite our initial reservations we eventually recognized our plight was useless. Our time would be better served more efficiently by investigating why he had such a tight hold and how he was benefiting from it.”

  “Are we really going to give control over without so much as a fight.”

  “For now. The pressure to push quickly might back fire. We need to understand what his true motive are. Based on what you’ve told me so far, it sounds like there’s no limits to his treachery.”

  “Exactly.”

  I stared down at my hands twisting and knotting them as if doing so would hold back the turmoil inside me. Despair roamed the room, expelled on a breath of worriers like me all doing their best to bite down on the problem that brought me here.

  “There’s more.” Alex said then glanced over his shoulder at Ben.

  “Have you ever heard of a provisional patent?” Ben said then opened a file marked M&M. And I closed my eyes and blew out a long breath then studied him for a long second as dread crept up my spine.

  “No.” I answered understandably nervous. “What does it mean?”

  “Cash has inserted himself into all potential patents involving M & M. A provisional application allows you to file without a formal patent claim, allowing the term Patent Pending. That’s why you didn’t know about this change, I’m sure Max didn’t either. I think Tranquility is a diversion to keep tabs on your wife, or maybe even a personal vendetta.”

  “Okay, hang on.” I raised my hands to put a stop to this chaos. “We can’t stop him?”

  “Point is, he controls all future medical findings that require patents. It’s completely legal, which is no surprise. I’m sure he knew what he was doing, he’ll own the most valuable asset in the company and no one will be the wiser.”

  “And we sit back and do nothing?”

  “We can fight the application, Nathan.”

  “How so?”

  “A provisional application for patent has a pendency lasting twelve months from the date the provisional application is filed. That twelve-month period cannot be extended. He’ll be establishing proprietary rights claiming the patents.” Ben explained. “There’s a small window between the temporary patent and the official one.”

  “That’s where I come in.” Alex said. “We go court and that’s where things get serious.”

  “And why’s that?”

  “Harrison may control the company’s daily procedures of Tranquility, and the potential patents of M& M, but your father owns it all.”

  “That makes no sense, why would he be involved?”

  “That’s what we’d like to know.” And with that clip tone he sounded as frustrated as I was. At this rate I was going to lose my mind. The nagging voice in the back of my mind spoke of nothing but doom ahead. “Let’s face it, Nathan, there are no guarantees. But there’s nothing more satisfying than bringing down a parasite like Cash Harrison.”

  “I’m all in, do whatever it takes, and thank you both.”

  I checked my watch for the umpteenth time, I had to get home, I was in an emotional hurricane in full force and to avoid being pulled under I had to share this new information with Bryer.

  I pulled the door open and stepped inside to a dimly lit room. Ahead of me Bryer was no more than a silhouette in the shadows sipping wine. I navigated my way towards her and as I approached, I could see the worry in her eyes, but I couldn’t imagine why.

  As I studied her carefully her uncharacteristic behavior was cause for alarm, her hand trembled as she brought the wine to her lips.

  I dropped onto the couch beside her feeling the walls moving in on me, the sense of the ground beneath my feet tilte
d. So, I readied myself like an anchor in the storm and found my strength.

  “What is it?”

  “You’re not going to believe it, I’m not sure I believe it myself.”

  “Try me.”

  My focus intensified, nervous anticipation seeped into my pores, climbed inside and twisted my gut. She starred back long and hard and I knew right then there was something in her tone that caused my spine to stiffen.

  “The police were just here.”

  “What?” I asked, shocked then reached for her. “Woah. Back up.

  A sad smile crossed her mouth. “Um,” she said softly, “my father died.”

  “Died?” My eyes widened as sweat broke out and slid down my back. “How?”

  I wanted to shield her from the pain, keep her safe in my arms forever. I couldn’t fully comprehend the pain because their relationship was so complicated, her trust had been cut, broken and torn apart. Her face was drowning in sorrow yet not one single tear had fallen.

  “He was shot.” She said and squeezed her eyes shut.

  “Shot? Christ, so his death wasn’t natural causes? Was it an accident? Or…”

  “I’m not sure.”

  I didn’t know the entire story concerning her father, only that he left because he wasn’t strong enough to stick it out through her mother’s illness, and finally her death. But marriage, even fatherhood was not a temporary thing, it was a lifetime commitment. It required presence and hard work. If he tried to conjure up a justification for abandoning his family it would only depreciates the value of fatherhood.

  “Oh baby, are you okay?”

  “I don’t feel anything I just feel cold.”

  “C’mere.”

  Her expression closed up, paled so I wrapped my arms around her and spoke in her hair.

  “We’ll get through this, together.” She gave a half shrug. “Say you believe me.”

  She raised her chin and balled her fist in my shirt then glanced up, her eyes swam with tears.

  “There’s a part of me that will always remember how it felt to be abandoned, clearly he had no idea what love was.”