A Perfect Forever (Leap of Love Series, Book 1)

by Paige Powers

  He could always be direct and ask her out to dinner. He did feel a bit of guilt about bringing Jonathan into her life. Telling her that would be telling her the truth. But he could not apologize for doing his job, and that was something he hoped she understood. Dinner and a stroll would be wonderful, but he had to calm his nerves and think of the proper way to approach a woman like Amelia Smith.

  Flowers would be necessary, and he would have to make sure to win her trust and let her know that spending time with her had nothing to do with the job he was on. First things first. He would go and pick some flowers for her and come over to her school to leave them there for her with a note asking her to have dinner with him. Hopefully, things would go well from there.

  *

  Ben could not think of the last time that he called on a lady. He had had many women in his bed, but he had not called on a lady for courting since Alexandra. She had been the apple of his eye, but things had not worked out between them. She had moved to New York with her family, who also made it very clear that Ben was from the Abbott clan and was not good enough for their daughter.

  So he spent the next few years of his life masking the hurt by using the machismo persona that his brothers had built for the Abbott clan. It was easy to hide behind. Everyone knew them as fighters, drunks and womanizers. No one took him seriously as someone to court, and he could have the luxury of not worrying about getting his heart stomped on.

  Ben had not felt any butterflies in his stomach since Alexandra. No other woman had moved him until he laid eyes on Amelia. And what he felt for her had nothing to do with her money. She was kind and gentle, but still the kind of woman who could hold her own against any man. That was a complete turn on.

  He put on his best shirt and cleanest pants, just in case he crossed paths with Amelia. Remembering a garden close to the hotel, he stopped and picked some wild lilies. He gathered them, and tied the stem with a white silk ribbon from the general store. He also purchased a small stationery card and wrote a note to Amelia, asking her to join him at the tea room later that day for lunch.

  As he approached Ms. Amelia's Finishing School for Girls, his heart began racing and anxiety rose from the pit of his stomach. Gently laying the flowers on the doorstep, Ben stepped away to leave.

  "Mr. Abbott. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?"

  The front door swung open, and Ben's heart almost dropped out of his chest. He was not expecting Amelia to be there, and he certainly was not expecting to have to ask Amelia in person to spend the day with him.

  "Ms. Smith." Ben took off his hat and bowed his head in a greeting. "I wanted to bring you these flowers and this note. I was not anticipating you being available."

  "What does the note say?" Amelia's eyes traveled from the note to looking Ben directly in the eye.

  Ben was intrigued by the challenge she presented, but anxiety took over. His mouth went dry and he could not remember what he had written in the note.

  "Uh…" he began to stutter.

  A smirk came across Amelia's face as she waited. Suddenly Ben remembered, and he blurted the words out.

  "I wanted to invite you to the tea room for lunch today."

  "Really?"

  Ben detected the flirtatiousness in her voice.

  "Yes. I would love nothing more than the opportunity to spend the afternoon with you, Ms. Smith."

  She waited for a brief moment, teasing him.

  "That sounds nice. What time shall we meet?"

  Ben thought quickly on his toes. "If you have a little time now, I would love to go for a walk first. Then we can stop to eat at the tea room."

  After the words came out, the anxiety began to subside. He felt like he could speak and be a bit more calm and confident.

  "I think I'll grab my things."

  She disappeared inside of the school and emerged holding her parasol.

  "Are you ready, Mr. Abbott?"

  He took her arm in his, and they began their stroll.

  *

  Conversation was easy. Ben loved her laugh. It was like she tried to show some kind of restraint, but could not maintain control. She would begin giggling at something he said, and then it would turn into an all-out laugh.

  Ben continued to try and make her laugh. He noticed their stroll slowed down as if they each did not want it to end.

  The day was beautiful. Brilliant sunshine and people walking to and fro enjoying the crisp air.

  "Thank you for joining me today, Ms. Smith."

  Amelia twirled her parasol. "Call me Amelia. And you are welcome."

  She batted her eyes, and he could see that she was blushing.

  "I have to say, I was extremely nervous. It was a long shot to ask you to have lunch with me."

  "Why would you say that, Mr. Abbott?"

  "Since we are on a first name basis, call me Ben."

  She nodded. "Okay, Ben. Why would you think that asking me to lunch would be such a long shot?"

  "You are, well…" he paused trying to find the right words.

  "Ben, I am well aware of my status and well aware of my financial situation."

  "I know that. And so I thought that you would never be interested in talking to me, outside of work."

  "Hmm. Are we working together on something that I am not aware of?"

  Ben stopped and looked at her. "No. Not at all. But considering the link between us, I was not sure if you would be willing to speak with me, let alone spend any time with me."

  "Life is always full of surprises, Ben. I've learned that much. It looks like we have arrived at the tea room."

  Ben looked up and saw they were standing in front of the tea room. He opened the door for her, and as soon as she let down her parasol, she walked inside.

  They took a seat at a small table in the back of the room. They dined on tea and cakes and small sandwiches. Dining conversation was reduced to small talk and after they ate, Amelia opened up and made a suggestion.

  "Can I take you to my favorite place?"

  Ben was surprised. "I would love that if you did."

  "Let's go."

  Ben had no idea where Amelia would lead them. He did not want to ruin it by asking her where they were going. So he played along.

  When they ended up at the pier, he was joyous, but tried not to let it show. Instead, he let her speak first.

  "As a child, I loved coming to the pier and watching the ships sail. It made me feel like I had the freedom to do anything. I felt like I could go anywhere and do anything because those ships freely sailed the open seas. That meant that there was other life out there. I wanted to explore. I knew that there was more to life than living in Boston. And there was definitely more to life than living under my parents' rule and being a pampered socialite.

  "When they sent me to boarding school in Switzerland, I just knew they did not love me anymore," Amelia chuckled to herself. "I just knew it was their way of shipping me off so that they could be more absorbed in their own lives. Now, I'm not so sure that is what they were doing. Now, I am thinking that it was their gift to me. They were allowing me to see some of that world that I craved so much.

  "So when I came home and found out that they were deceased, I was – well, I felt so many things. I was hurt and lost and unable to understand why things had happened the way that they did. Instead of pitying myself and my situation, I took the opportunity to come out here to San Francisco and start over. But now I have this one thing looming over my head."

  "What would that be?" Ben asked curiously.

  Amelia stared at him as if she was trying to size him up. There was a long pause before she spoke again.

  "My father left a provision in his will that I must marry within a year after his death."

  "Well, that sure is a lot to handle. While grieving, you also have to marry."

  Amelia nodded.

  "So when is the big date for you and your fiancé? What is his name?"

  Amelia looked at him knowingly. "Let's not pretend that
you have not done all of your research on me. You know that his name is Alfred Sharp and that he is an accountant for the grocer."

  "I'm afraid you have that right. I did know that."

  "Thank you. Alfred and I have decided to forgo a relationship."

  Ben raised his bushy eyebrow. "Are you telling me the truth?"

  "I am afraid that I am. We recently ended our courtship."

  Ben let out a sigh of relief.

  "What is that for?" Amelia questioned, with a tinge of irritation in her voice.

  "It's not what you think."

  "Ben, you have no idea what I’m thinking at this moment."

  "Enlighten me."

  "You first. What was that sigh all about?"

  Ben had a split second to figure out how he would explain to Amelia. He realized the only way to tell the truth was to tell it.

  "As a Pinkerton, I have some access to finding out about people's past lives. It appears that your fiancé, or should I say former fiancé, has been run out of a few cities for stealing money and tampering with the books at his former places of employment. As an accountant, he has access to numbers and information and he took that access for granted. Fortunately for him, he has not had any warrants out for him. The employers just wanted him gone. Each of those situations could have ended differently."

  Ben almost regretted revealing the information to Amelia. Her complexion went pale.

  "Are you all right, Amelia?"

  She stared straight ahead. "I thank you for that information, Ben." She spoke in a slow, even tone.

  Ben did not know what he should say, so he just sat quietly.

  "It is nice to have some confirmation on the thoughts in your head."

  Her reply was simple enough.

  "So what is going to happen now?"

  Amelia picked up a pebble and skipped it across the water.

  "You skip pretty well for a girl," Ben joked.

  "Really now?" Amelia giggled, and handed Ben a smooth pebble. "Your turn. You can tell a lot about a man by the way he skips his pebbles."

  Ben, never one to shy away from a challenge, skipped the rock.

  "Impressive," Amelia replied.

  She grabbed his hand, beckoning for him to come with her. He was taken aback by her forward nature. Women were not normally this forward. The only women that Ben had heard were this forward were women of the night.

  But that certainly was not the answer to Amelia's behavior. She was everything that he wanted in a woman, but this was all happening way too fast. And it was certainly unexpected.

  "Can I tell you something?"

  Amelia nodded. "Certainly."

  "I love coming to the pier. As a child, I spent all of my time down at the pier in Charleston, watching the ships go by for hours. My older brother used to have to come and fetch me because I had not come home for dinner. I wanted to be a seaman when I grew up, but I guess life had other plans."

  "Mr. Abbott, do you find it interesting that we have so much in common?"

  "I do."

  "I have never met anyone that I've had so much in common with."

  They stopped walking and turned to each other.

  "And I've never met anyone that I have been so attracted to."

  Ben pulled her chin up so she was looking him in the eyes.

  "I want to kiss you right now, Amelia."

  He had to resist the urge to aggressively pull her to him and inhale her being. Ben knew that the key with Amelia was being gentle.

  His lips brushed hers lightly. When she did not move, his kiss became more powerful. In moments, it was as if a fire was beginning to smolder. Ben's tongue danced on Amelia's and her lips felt velvety smooth. She tasted like sweetness and felt perfect in his arms.

  They were both breathless.

  "What just happened?" Amelia looked to be in a haze.

  "We just happened. Right here, Amelia. And I think you know it."

  She closed her eyes, as if she was trying to savor the moment.

  "How crazy would it be if I told you that I think I am in love with you, Amelia?"

  She squeezed his hand, and he saw her cheeks burning pink. "I would believe you because I feel the same way."

  Ben's heart swelled. It was the first time in his love life that things were on track. And he would do anything to make sure things stayed that way.

  *

  Amelia was beautiful. Naturally beautiful. She was all that he wanted and more. They spent their days strolling along the pier, eating salt water taffy, and laughing with one another. It had only been a few weeks since they started spending time together, but it felt like a perfect forever.

  When Ben got his next assignment, his heart sank. He had not been ready to leave San Francisco. He definitely did not want to leave Amelia.

  He was proud of himself because his first assignment had gone well. Jonathan even left town, and word was that he went back to Boston. Amelia's lawyer McGill filed some paperwork barring Jonathan from touching her money or asking for any of what he claimed was his inheritance. There was no evidence to support Jonathan's claims, so he was court ordered to leave the Smith family alone.

  At first, Ben felt sorry for the man. If Jonathan's story was true, he was owed a stake in the claim. Unfortunately, his mother had chosen the wrong time to clear her conscience, and there was no way to support her claims, so they ended up with nothing.

  Ben, on the other hand, hit the jackpot. He'd won the girl, and completed the job. Things could not be better in his universe.

  He had a plan that he thought could benefit him and Amelia both. Ben just hoped that Amelia would agree.

  Ben arrived by carriage to pick up Amelia. The night was cool and crisp, and he wanted to take her on a carriage ride to propose his idea.

  She was waiting on her doorstep when he arrived. Dressed in an elaborately detailed skirt and an overcoat, she was a vision of beauty.

  "You look stunning." Ben stepped out of the carriage, and offered his hand to help her inside the coach.

  "Thank you."

  Her smile warmed him and he knew that what he was going to propose would be best for both of them.

  The carriage was off, and they rode through the streets of the city. The carriage stopped at the pier.

  "Our favorite place," Amelia exclaimed.

  "Yes. And candies for my sweet."

  Ben handed her the candies and one single red rose.

  He kissed her hand as he held it so she could step down the steps of the coach. She held on to the rose and the candies as they strolled.

  "I have something that I would like to propose to you."

  "Really? Tell me more."

  Ben squeezed her hand tightly. He turned her around to face him.

  "I have gotten my next assignment. I should be leaving in the next two weeks."

  The look in her eyes made him want to kiss her.

  "Oh. I had no idea."

  Ben tried his best to reassure her. "It will be okay. I will be in California. Actually, the Pinkerton office decided that I could head up some of the operations in the west here. I told them that I have found a reason to stay west."

  Her expression softened.

  "So I think I have something that will benefit both of us."

  Amelia was staring at him with her soft brown eyes, melting Ben's heart.

  "I want to marry you, Amelia."

  She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. When she did not speak, Ben scrambled to find the words.

  "I just thought that if you were a married woman, that would offer you some sort of protection and I could know that you were safe. And besides, you need to be married according to the trust your father left you, so I thought it would benefit us both. Give us both peace of mind."

  The words flowed so quickly as he pled his case.

  "And Amelia, you can rest assured, this marriage would be in name only if that is what you prefer. Either way, I do not want to lay claim to your money. I will sign pape
rwork to state that fact. I love you."

  And then she spoke the words that Ben had been waiting to hear.

  "Ben Abbott, my answer is yes. Yes, I will marry you."

  Chapter 10

  Two months later….

  Amelia could not believe she had agreed to become Mrs. Benjamin Abbott. In the past year, life had sure sent her on a whirlwind of emotions. From dealing with the death of her parents, to moving to San Francisco, to starting Ms. Amelia's Finishing School for Girls, life had been a myriad of emotions.

  Now she was set to marry Ben, the man who had come in and swept her off her feet. He was like a knight in shining armor. Not only had he helped her clear her situation with Jonathan Montgomery Smith, he had come in and shown her unconditional love.

  Love was something that Amelia had not anticipated to happen. Just a few months ago, she was willing to live life with Alfred Sharp. A life void of love, and nothing more than a business arrangement. She just assumed that she would grow to love Alfred, and that he would grow to love her.

  When she thought of that situation, it seemed like it had happened ages ago. She was elated that it was over, and that she no longer had to deal with Alfred. She was not sure how things would have turned out if she had married Alfred. Her life would have been completely different for sure.

  Amelia had sent word to Mr. McGill that she had found the man that she was to marry. She gave him all of the details, and Mr. McGill and her uncle did their own investigation on Ben Abbott. When he came back clean, both Mr. McGill and her uncle gave their blessing and agreed to come to San Francisco to witness the nuptials.

  Ben's proposal was unconventional. Then and again, Amelia and Ben led quite unconventional lives. Now she understood that she could grow to love Ben because she already loved him. There was no forcing the situation or making love appear from nothing like it would have been with Alfred. Being with Ben was completely natural. She did not have to work hard at it.