by Miranda Lee
‘What a lovely place,’ he said straight away.
Jess smiled. ‘We like it. Mum will be in the kitchen, preparing the salads. You can meet her first. This way…’
‘I presume that’s the office,’ he said as he walked past a converted double garage which had sliding glass doors at the front with ‘Murphy’s Hire Car’ in big, black letters engraved on it.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘That’s mostly Mum’s domain. I help out when Mum’s shopping or plays bowls or just needs a break. Mum, we’re here,’ Jess called out as she opened the front door.
A woman appeared at the end of the hallway, light behind her forming the silhouette of someone much shorter than Jess, and somewhat plumper.
‘Goodness, but you made good time. I didn’t expect you till four-thirty at least.’
When she came forward, Ben saw her more clearly. She looked nothing like Jess, being short, with ash-blonde hair and blue eyes. Attractive for her age, though.
‘Hello, there,’ she said, smiling as she looked him up and down. ‘You must be Ben.’
‘And you must be Mrs Murphy,’ he replied, stepping forward to give her a kiss on the cheek. ‘Lovely to meet you.’
Jess could not believe the look on her mother’s face. It was the kind of look you saw on the face of a female fan of a rock star. Truly!
‘Oh, don’t call me that.’ Her mother fairly simpered at him. ‘Call me Ruth.’
Jess gained some satisfaction in the thought that he wouldn’t charm her father so easily. Joe Murphy was a tough nut to crack. He wasn’t going to be impressed by a New Yorker who’d never had dirt under his fingernails in his life.
‘In that case, Ruth,’ Ben said, flashing those brilliant white teeth of his, ‘would you kindly point me to the nearest bathroom?’
Her mother didn’t point. She escorted Ben herself to the small powder room next to the family room, leaving Jess standing there in the hallway like some shag on a rock.
Jess sighed, then trudged upstairs to use the toilet in the main bathroom. By the time she made it downstairs, Ben was ensconced on one of the kitchen stools, chatting away happily to her mother whilst she worked on the various salads.
‘That’s a terrific new name Ben’s come up with for Fab Fashions, isn’t it?’ she directed at Jess as she joined them.
‘Fantastic,’ Jess agreed, at which Ben slanted her a narrow-eyed glance. Had he heard the slight sarcasm in her voice?
‘You might get your job back there soon,’ Ruth rattled on.
‘You never know, Mum. I presume Dad’s in the shed working on that blue Cadillac?’
‘Yes, the seats finally came yesterday. He’s been working on them all day.’
‘I think I should take Ben out to meet Dad before the others get here, don’t you?’
‘Oh, but I just put the kettle on for a cup of tea. Ben says he likes tea more than coffee. Same as me.’
‘We won’t be long, Mum,’ she said, then gave Ben a look which brooked no protest.
He slid off the stool and followed her back down the hallway and out of the front door.
‘You are bossy and controlling,’ he said as she marched in the direction of the shed with him in her wake.
‘And you’re a serial charmer,’ she snapped.
He laughed. ‘Better than being a serial killer.’
‘I suggest you curtail that silver tongue of yours with my sisters-in-law. The Murphy men are known to be extremely jealous.’
‘What about the Murphy women?’ he threw at her.
‘Them too. So watch yourself.’
‘I like your being jealous.’
‘Of course you do. It suits your male ego, which is insufferably large.’
‘So will something else be if you keep that up. I get turned on by feisty women.’
She gave up at that point, throwing her hands up in the air in defeat.
She was glad that her father chose that moment to walk out of the shed, wiping his hands on a towel as he did so.
‘I thought I heard someone,’ he said, coming forward. ‘You must be Ben,’ he said, and held out his hand.
Ben shook it, thinking that this was where Jess got her striking looks. Joe Murphy was one handsome fellow, with thick black hair sprinkled liberally with grey and the deepest, darkest brown eyes, which at that moment were surveying him with considerable thoughtfulness.
‘So, how did your weekend go?’ he asked Ben, not Jess. ‘The wedding go off okay in the end?’
‘It was close to perfect,’ Ben said. ‘Jess here was marvellous, the way she stepped in. You heard about what happened, did you?’
‘Oh yes, Ruth told me all about it. Look, I just have to finish a job here and I’ll be over to clean up and get the barbecue ready. You ever cook on a barbecue, Ben?’
‘Lots of times,’ he said. ‘I was brought up here in Australia.’
‘No kidding; I didn’t know that. So that’s how your best friend turned out to be Australian.’
‘Yep,’ Ben said, sounding more Ocker by the minute. ‘We went to school together in Sydney.’
‘Fancy that.’
‘So, what’s this job you’re doing, Mr Murphy? Can I help?’
‘I doubt it. I’m just putting some new seats into an old Cadillac convertible I bought. The kids like to hire cars like that for their graduation night.’
‘My dad collected vintage cars at one stage. Which model Cadillac is it?’
Jess could not believe it when they went off together, talking cars. Spluttering, she whirled and stormed back to the house, only just managing to have her exasperation under control by the time she reached the kitchen.
‘Where’s Ben?’ her mother asked straight away.
‘Helping Dad with the Cadillac, would you believe? I’ll have tea, though, if you’re making it.’
‘Can you get it yourself, dear? I really need to go spruce myself up a bit. I can’t wear this old thing when we have a guest like Ben.’
‘He’s just a man, Mum, not some movie star.’
‘Well, he looks like a movie star. I know you said he was handsome, Jess, but he’s beyond handsome, with that smile and those eyes. I’ve never met a man quite like him. I dare say you haven’t either. He makes Colin look very ordinary. And I thought he was good-looking.’
When Jess sighed, her mother gave her a sharp look.
‘Did something happen with Ben over the weekend that I should know about?’
Jess kept a straight face with difficulty. ‘Like what?’
‘You know what, girlie.’
‘I think, Mum, that my sex life is my private business, don’t you?’
Her mother looked at her for a long moment before smiling an understanding smile. ‘Of course it is. You’re a grown woman. But let me just say that I don’t blame you, love. If I were thirty years younger I would have done exactly the same thing.’
Jess stared after her mother as she walked off. She’d been expecting the third degree, or disapproval, or something! She certainly hadn’t expected her mother’s reaction to Ben to be so blindly approving. Couldn’t she see that her daughter’s leaping into bed with such a man was fraught with danger to her happiness? She should have been warning her off him, not saying she would have done exactly the same thing!
Jess sighed. The man was a devil all right. With way too much sex appeal. And way too much charm. Even her father liked him. No doubt her whole family would fall under his spell in no time flat.
Still, if they did, she would at least be able to relax a bit and enjoy the barbecue instead of being on tenterhooks all the time. This last weekend might have been exciting but it hadn’t exactly been relaxing!
CHAPTER TWENTY
BEN WAS HELPING Joe with the barbecue when Jess joined them, a huge black-and-white cat in her arms.
‘You haven’t been plying Ben with too much beer, have you, Dad?’ Jess said in a teasing but loving voice which Ben could never imagine using with his own father. Or his mother,
for that matter. He’d thought he had a good relationship with both his parents but seeing Jess interacting with her parents was a real eye-opener.
So was her interaction with the rest of her family. She was so warm with them, caring and considerate, asking after their well-being when they arrived with real interest, not just giving lip-service. He could see how much they loved her back as well. The children had flocked around her, vying for her attention. Even the damned cat loved her, yet he’d been warned by Joe not to touch Lazarus, as he was known to scratch. When he’d commented on the cat’s name, he’d been told that Lazarus had been stillborn but Jess had resurrected him with the kiss of life.
Ben didn’t doubt it. She was a girl of many talents, and a wealth of stubbornness. He still could not believe she’d refused to come to New York with him. But he had no intention of giving up on that score.
‘The boys want Ben to go play cricket with them and the kids,’ Jess said. ‘I’ll take over for him here,’ she offered before dropping the cat gently onto the paved pergola which stretched across the back of the Murphy house.
‘Can you play cricket?’ Joe asked as Jess took the fork Ben had been using to turn the steak and sausages. ‘I gather it’s not a popular sport in America.’
Ben grinned. Could he play cricket or what? He’d been captain of his school’s A-grade cricket team. But best not mention that. That would be bragging.
‘Don’t forget, Joe,’ he replied, still smiling. ‘I went to an Australian school. A boy’s boarding school, where sport was compulsory. We played footie in winter and cricket in summer.’
‘Right. Off you go, then. Just don’t go hitting the ball into that thick bush over there. Can’t count the number we’ve lost in there over the years.’
Ben resolved to peg back his batting ability a bit. No need to be a smart Alec.
Jess watched Ben stride off, a wry smile on her face. If she knew Ben, he would be anything but an ordinary cricket player. He wasn’t ordinary at anything he did. He was an exceptional man, with exceptional abilities and exceptional social skills.
She was still amazed at how he instinctively knew what to talk about with every member of her family. He talked cars with her father, sport with her brothers and the advances in technology with her very smart sisters-in-law. He didn’t mention his wealth when he was introduced, or sit back and play the role of honoured guest. He was happy to help with the food and very happy to drink beer. She imagined that over in New York his social life was very different. He’d go to fancy restaurants and fancy parties where they’d eat caviar and drink the most expensive champagne.
Jess frowned at this last thought. She would be uncomfortable with that kind of life. It was shallow, in her opinion. And snobbish. And way out of her league. She was a simple girl at heart with simple wants, like love, marriage and a family. She wasn’t cut out for the high life.
Such thoughts renewed her resolve not to go to New York with him, if and when he asked her again. Jess suspected she would not enjoy the experience. The sex part, yes. And possibly some of the sightseeing. New York was a fabulous city, she was sure. But she shrank from the idea of meeting any of Ben’s American friends or ex-girlfriends; shrank from being looked down upon by the type of people he mixed with.
* * *
The barbecue finished early, as the younger children got tired and the older ones had to go to school the next day. Ben seemed reluctant to leave, however, staying to help clear up and to have a final beer with her father. It was after ten before Jess could drag him away.
‘You have a wonderful family, Jess,’ was the first thing he said on the way back to Blue Bay. ‘You’re very lucky.’
‘Yes, I am,’ she agreed. ‘By the way, my mother knows about us.’
His head jerked her way. ‘You told her?’
‘No, she guessed. Like I said, she’s very intuitive.’
‘How much does she know?’
‘No details. Just that we’ve had sex.’
‘That’s good, then. She won’t worry if you get home late.’
‘She’ll still worry. That’s a mother’s job. Frankly, I was surprised at how calm she was over my sleeping with you.’
‘That’s because she knows I’m one of the good guys.’
‘Hmm. I doubt that’s the reason. Now, I’m not coming inside with you tonight, Ben,’ she went on firmly, determined not to weaken and be seduced by him. Again. ‘I’m dropping you off and going straight home.’
‘Fair enough.’
She blinked her surprise at his easy acceptance of her stance. Maybe he was tired. Yes, that was probably it. He’d had a very tiring weekend.
In no time she was pulling into the kerb. She did get out to open the boot and, yes, she let him give her a kiss goodnight after he’d placed all his things on the pavement. Not too long a kiss, as it turned out, both their heads lifting when his phone rang. Frowning, Ben rifled the phone out of his pocket and stared at the ID.
‘Damn,’ he said. ‘It’s Amber.’
‘Aren’t you going to answer it?’ Jess asked, trying not to sound as sick as she was suddenly feeling.
‘I might as well,’ Ben said. ‘She has to know sooner or later that it’s over between us.’
He put the phone to his ear. ‘Hello, Amber. I thought you said we weren’t to contact each other till I got back.’
Jess just stood there, listening to a one-sided conversation, her stomach tight with tension.
‘What?’ he suddenly snapped. ‘Say that again?’
Jess watched as Ben suddenly lost all his normal glow, his face going a ghastly ashen colour. Whatever Amber was telling him had to be dreadful.
‘No, no,’ he choked out. ‘I’ll come home straight away. Tell the funeral home to delay things till I can be there to make the arrangements.’
Jess’s heart sank. She could think of only one person’s funeral which would make Ben look this way. His father must have died. Oh, dear God, poor Ben…
‘No, I don’t want you to help,’ he was saying, his voice under control again. ‘No, Amber, I don’t want to marry you either. I’m sorry but I’ve met someone else… Yes, an Australian girl… Yes, yes, I do,’ he said and looked a startled Jess straight in the eye. ‘I’ll be bringing her back with me.’
Jess’s mouth fell open. It was still open when Ben put his phone back in his pocket.
‘Please don’t say no, Jess. My father died of a massive coronary last night. I can’t bury him alone,’ he said brokenly.
Jess’s heart turned over at the raw grief in his face. Even if she had decided not to go to New York with him if he asked again, she would say yes to this. How could she turn her back on the man she loved when he was at his most vulnerable? Because, of course she loved him. She couldn’t deny it any longer. Not to herself, anyway.
‘Yes, of course I’ll come with you,’ she said gently.
‘Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if you’d said no. I need someone I care about by my side, Jess. If you’re there, I’ll make it through.’
Jess’s breath caught at his words. ‘You really care about me, Ben?’
‘Yes, of course I do. You care about me too, don’t you? I refuse to believe you’re just with me for the sex.’
‘Of course I’m not!’ she blurted out, shocked that he would think such a thing.
He sighed a deep sigh. ‘That’s a relief. Let’s go inside and start making plans.’
His mother’s apartment was as she’d imagined it to be. Very spacious and modern with large windows, polished wooden floors and Italian leather furniture.
‘I’ll get onto the airline,’ Ben said, ‘whilst you ring your parents. You do have a current passport, don’t you?’ he added sharply.
‘Yes,’ she answered.
‘Good. I’ll make my calls from the kitchen. You stay here.’
Her mother answered on the second ring, her voice anxious.
‘What is it, Jess? Have you had an accident?’
‘No, Mum,’ she said, then launched into an explanation of events.
‘And you’re going to go back to New York with him?’ her mother said, sounding shocked.
‘Yes, Mum.’
‘When?’
‘As soon as possible. Ben’s on to the airline now.’
‘But you hardly know the man, Jess.’
‘I know him better than I ever knew Colin.’
‘You love him, don’t you?’
‘Yes, Mum. I do.’
‘Does he love you back?’
‘I’m not sure.’
‘You do realise that with his father dying he’ll be a very rich man.’
‘Yes, Mum. I’m not stupid.’
‘But…’
‘We’ll talk more when I get home, Mum,’ she said as Ben walked back into the room. ‘Gotta go.’
‘Well?’ she asked Ben straight away.
‘Our flight leaves first thing in the morning. We’ll have to leave here around four to be there on time. But we can sleep on the plane. We’re flying first class.’
First class, Jess thought with less enthusiasm than most girls would have had. She’d never flown first class before. But that was what Ben probably did every time.
‘What clothes will I need?’ she asked, trying to be practical in the face of her mounting concern.
‘Something black for the funeral, I guess. It’s cool in New York so make sure you have a jacket. Other than that, just trousers and tops and a dress for going out at night. I can buy you anything else you might need.’
Jess conceded that he could certainly afford to buy her anything she needed, now that he was a billionaire. But she didn’t want him to do that. She didn’t like him thinking he could buy her as well if he wanted to.
Just what was she supposed to be by his side? Girlfriend or mistress?
She doubted he had fiancée in mind. But who knew? Love did make one hope.
‘How long will you want me to stay?’ she asked, doing her best to sound nonchalant.
