Bettencourt could see Abby and Ben’s reflection in the glass of the door. Abby was now stroking Ben’s cheek, “I’m sorry, Ben. I’ll try to remain in the background out of sight. I don’t want any trouble.” Abby made a melodramatic exit with her head down. God, what a drama queen! Bettencourt waited until she had gone to her office and he heard her door close.
Stepping into Ben’s doorway, Bettencourt startled him. “Hey, I need to talk to you now…with this door closed and locked.” Ben looked surprised to see him and seemed a bit tongue-tied. Bettencourt knew this chick was trouble. He moved close to Ben and spoke in a serious tone, “You’ve got to put a stop to whatever is going on here. This Abby has an agenda. Do you know what she’s been up to since you two last smooched in high school?”
Ben became animated, “No, I haven’t had any contact with her for thirteen years. What the hell are you doing here? Spying on me?”
Bettencourt responded, “No, you idiot. I’m trying to save you a lot of heartache.” He then filled Ben in on the details of Abby’s background, “She’s up to something, Ben. Don’t trust her. Lara’s beside herself with worry.”
Ben listened intently to the details of Abby’s troubled history as Bettencourt spoke. At one point Ben wrinkled his brow, “How the hell does Lara know all of this?”
Bettencourt rolled his eyes, “Lara’s my friend, too, you know. She asked me to do some research.”
With a serious countenance, Ben concluded, “Lara’s hardly said a word to me about Abby, until this thumb drive surfaced. She started crying last night and told me to take care of this. She saw the photos, all of them. She has been distant lately; I just thought she had a lot going on running the firm. She seems consumed by it. She leaves early and comes home late, exhausted.”
Bettencourt stared into Ben’s eyes with a somber gaze, “I think you’d better have a look at some of the stuff I have here.” Bettencourt rummaged around in his jacket and slipped out an envelope, “Burn after reading. Let’s just say it’s some intel I collected off the record. There’s a lot here, Ben. Of special interest are the so-called medical records from the good doctor she’s seeing, Doctor Duncan Norris. I hacked into his computer. You should see the photos of her on there. I’d name him Doctor Feel Good. But what he’s doing with Abby is against the law, not to mention morally and ethically depraved.”
For a few minutes Ben was silent as he scanned the notes made by the psychologist. Then his eyes opened wide as he viewed the photographs pilfered from the computer of Duncan Norris. There were photos of Abby having sex with the psychologist. And videos of Abby posed in all sorts of positions appearing to be in a state of drunken stupor, with the good doctor having his way with her.
After viewing enough, Ben locked eyes with Bettencourt, “This is not good. Abby’s got some serious problems, but I’d say from reading this stuff and looking at the videos, the doctor has some issues himself.”
Moving toward the doorway, Bettencourt nodded to Ben, “Burn that stuff, but put it into that magical memory of yours. You’ve got trouble, man. Take care of it. You shouldn’t be putting Lara through this shit.”
~ Lara ~
It was nerve wracking to schedule the yacht club dinner with Finn and two unhappy major clients, but Lara knew it had to be done. The only way they could understand every detail of their extensive renovations was to listen to Finn, in person, and look at renderings and timelines. Finn could charm the devil himself.
Lara was at the club early making sure the staff set the room up exactly as she wanted it. The sun was setting earlier now, so she arranged for a cocktail hour at 4:00, at which time Finn would make his presentation to them. Then dinner would be served at 6:00 and nothing would be left to chance. Lara arranged for a limo service to pick up the clients and drop them off afterward. She had also done a little homework and discovered their favorite dishes. Chef L’Abbe at the yacht club would prepare everything perfectly.
Early, as always, Finn arrived bearing gifts for the clients. Freshly showered and shaved, he set up his laptop to project on the wall of the private dining room. Lara was thankful to have his help. These two clients were spending millions on their renovation projects and the firm could not afford to have them dissatisfied. Word traveled quickly in this circle.
“Thank you for taking the time away from your family to do this tonight.” Lara touched Finn’s arm, “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“It’s my livelihood, my dear. I’d do anything for you, but I’m a self-serving bastard when you really get down to it.” Finn smiled.
His Irish brogue and funny commentary made Lara laugh. She greeted the clients at the entrance of the yacht club and escorted them to the private dining room. Finn’s magical presentation did wonders. He somehow explained how the same set of contractors would work on both projects. It was genius getting the two couples together so they could discuss their renovation projects. It formed a kinship between them and they made plans to meet again. When the evening ended and the limo pulled out of the yacht club driveway, Lara squeezed Finn’s arm. “Oh, good, Finn…I think you succeeded.”
“You’re welcome, my dear.” He smiled at her as he slipped on his coat. Finn Murphy was off like a rocket to kiss his six children goodnight.
~ Abby ~
Pouting, Abby struggled through the first week of teaching at the university. She was now banned from Ben’s office and he wouldn’t even make eye contact with her in the hallway. She had hoped the photographs would have wreaked havoc on his relationship with Lara, but her psychologist had been wrong. The marriage was a strong one. Abby was contemplating her next move.
Maybe she was going about this all wrong. It was Ben who was insanely jealous of men who got too close to Lara. At least that’s what she garnered from the landscaper. Hawk gave subtle hints that Ben was not to be trifled with, especially when it came to his wife.
In fact, Hawk did a lot of talking about Ben and Lara, especially Lara. He mentioned revealing the Victorian garden to her and giving her his deceased wife’s favorite book of sonnets. He told Abby it was a perfect setting, like stepping back in time. When he talked about Lara, he reminisced sweetly. Abby was having dinner at the bungalow with Hawk tonight; she made a mental note to delve into his feelings for Lara more deeply. There had to be more to the story. To hand a woman a first edition of Shakespearean sonnets in a hidden Victorian garden sounded pretty serious to Abby.
~ Hawk ~
For the first time since he could remember, Hawk was cooking dinner for a woman. The tiny kitchen in the bungalow was just big enough for two and even then it was crowded. He bought candles that smelled good and happily prepared his only signature meal, Chicken Parmesan. Not exactly romantic, but it was easy to prepare with a frying pan and two small pots. He stopped at the store and picked up fresh flowers and a loaf of Italian bread right out of the oven.
The knock on the door was barely audible, but Hawk moved to the entryway and saw Abby in the sidelight window. Dressed in white, she was stunning. Her long dark hair flowed over her shoulders and the top she was wearing clung to her and drew his eyes to the cut-outs. It was an off-the-shoulder type of thing, sexy as hell, even though she had herself wrapped in a cashmere shawl. He wondered if he’d be able to restrain himself tonight.
“Hello, handsome!” Abby smiled when he opened the door. “I brought wine. I hope that’s okay.”
“Abby, that’s great.” Hawk caught himself staring and snapped to attention. “I’m cooking Italian tonight.” He took the wine and held her hand as he led her into the tiny kitchen.
As she sat in the kitchen chair, Hawk noticed Abby had on a short white mini-skirt. When she gracefully crossed her long legs Hawk couldn’t help but glance at them. He felt stupid when he asked, “Do you like Italian food?” His mind wasn’t on the food, and he suspected she knew that.
He watched her lips part into a gorgeous smile, “I love Italian food. How did you know?” Hawk was mesmerized for a long
moment as he watched her kick off her shoes. She wasn’t wearing hosiery and he imagined she wasn’t wearing anything else either. He could plainly see she didn’t have on a bra. Oh God, the food. He had to stay focused. This wasn’t going to be easy.
Without warning, Abby asked him a question out of the blue, “If Ben Keegan wasn’t in the picture would you be with Lara?”
Hawk froze for a moment. He didn’t know how to respond to that or if he even should. He busied himself pushing the bread into the oven to warm it slightly. Then he responded with a question of his own, “Why do you ask?”
Abby looked down and smoothed her skirt, “Just wondering. Whenever you talk about Lara, your eyes light up as if…you know…as if you’re in love with her.”
Maybe too quickly, Hawk countered, “No. I admire her. She has been great to me…as a friend.”
“She’s a very beautiful friend. You mean you didn’t notice that part?” Abby continued.
Hawk didn’t say anything for a minute. He opened her bottle of wine, slid the bread out of the oven, and plated the food. “Dinner is ready.”
Abby sat at the tiny vintage table and he felt her careful observation of him in the candlelight. He poured wine for her and water for himself. “You didn’t answer me, Hawk…”
“Of course, I noticed.” He whispered. “But she’s married. I’d never do anything to hurt her. Our friendship means too much.”
He watched as Abby sliced the meatballs and took tiny bits between her lips. She wound the spaghetti expertly and ate each bite with precision. She was all questions tonight. “Do you think I’m as pretty as Lara?”
Not wanting to answer that question, Hawk deferred, “You are both beautiful women.” There, whatever she had going on in her head about his feelings toward Lara Keegan were hopefully extinguished. He had promised to take Abby on a tour of two gardens he designed tomorrow and steered the conversation to that.
~ Lara ~
After another frustrating day at the helm of Stone and Associates, Lara was driving to Finn Murphy’s house for a big Irish corned beef dinner. Gosh, she couldn’t remember the last time she had that meal, but knew it was most likely at her aunt’s house too many years ago. It was one of her favorites. Ben was to meet her there; it would be an early dinner because the Murphy family had a tag team to put their six children to bed. And at this time of day, little ones were usually hungry and tired.
As she pulled into the driveway of the Murphy residence in the heart of Portland, Lara saw Ben’s motorcycle. Ah, good, he was already there. The house was an enormous colonial which she had participated in renovating during her internship. Built in 1898, the colonial sat on a lot that was about a half-acre; it had an ocean view if you stood in the front yard and craned your neck.
As she stepped around the brick path to the back entry, the door flew open, “It’s Lara!” Finn’s eldest daughter, Molly, announced. “Come in, Lara, and see the new baby.” Five girls ranging from age three to twelve immediately surrounded Lara as she walked through the mud-room into the kitchen.
Her eyes were drawn to an image that brought a smile to her face; Ben holding newborn baby Liam. The baby had his little fist wrapped around Ben’s pinky finger and her rough and tumble husband was smiling into Liam’s face as he spoke in the voice he often used with Einstein, “Aw, what a big tough guy you are, Liam!” For a moment he didn’t see Lara standing in the room and she enjoyed the domestic scene more than he could have imagined. Then, in a flash, his blue eyes connected with hers. Ben smiled with his whole face, “Look, it’s a boy!”
Molly, Sarah, Rosie, Emma and Cora took Lara’s coat, gave her a ginger ale, and showed her where she would sit at the table. The girls were all chattering at once vying for her attention. “She’s sitting next to me!” Molly announced.
“No, she’s sitting next to me!” Sarah argued.
Marcella stepped in, “Girls, Lara is sitting next to both of you. She will be right in the middle. Now mind your manners, please.”
Lara embraced Marcella and noticed how tired she looked, but showered her with compliments, “You look wonderful. I’d never know you just had a baby two weeks ago!”
Ben was still holding little Liam and swaying around the kitchen as Finn sang a little Irish song. The tune was familiar to Lara, but Ben knew the words and was singing along. The baby was oblivious to it all, but a few times he smiled and his big blue eyes stared at Ben.
Marcella took the baby to the corner of the room and draped her breast with a small blanket. “I’ll feed him first and put him down so I can have dinner with you folks. Go ahead and help your da put the food on the table, Molly.”
Ben and Lara were separated by Sarah but Ben winked at Lara over the child’s head. Finn brought the dishes loaded with corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes. The food just kept coming. Freshly baked Parker House rolls topped it off.
Lara heard Ben’s excited voice, “Oh, Parker House rolls, how’d you know? I love these!”
Marcella joined them at the table after putting the baby into a bassinet. She sighed, “There, I have at least an hour of freedom now to eat.” The banter at the table was all about the new baby and which sister performed specific tasks to help their mother.
Ben engaged in conversation with the girls, “It’s great that your Ma has helpers like you. I’m amazed you do laundry, cook, vacuum and make the beds!’ The delicious meal was consumed in a matter of twenty minutes, but the savory taste remained with Lara. She wondered how long it took to prepare and thought she’d ask Marcella for the recipe. Ben was smiling and putting a second helping onto his plate. She laughed as she watched him eat like a linebacker.
“Hope you can stay for dessert,” Finn teased. “Marcella and the girls made a special one tonight, just for you two.”
Ben made an exaggerated wide-eyed face of wonder and whispered, “Oh, I wonder what it is…” He placed his finger to his lips and the girls giggled.
Finn’s four eldest daughters cleared the table and within a few minutes the dishes and eating utensils were loaded into the dishwasher. The entire family moved into the parlor and Marcella wheeled the bassinet in, too. The woodstove in the parlor was filled with hot coals radiating warmth into the huge room. Ben sat in an overstuffed chair and pulled Lara onto his lap. The girls giggled as he kissed Lara’s neck. Then Lara giggled because it tickled. Molly did the honors of serving up fresh strawberry shortcake with whipped cream.
“Ah!” Ben let out a cry, “My favorite!” Then, he whispered in Lara’s ear, “But my real favorite is cheesecake with blackberry sauce…especially the blackberry sauce.” Lara blushed a little.
Molly and Sarah took turns playing the piano. Lara noticed there were no phones, electronic devices or television, not tonight anyway. Then, the girls lined up to say goodnight and headed upstairs to their respective bedrooms. Some of them had homework to do. Molly was in charge of washing up and making sure her younger sisters brushed their teeth.
Finn plopped onto the sofa and put his feet on the ottoman, “Thanks for coming by for dinner. It was great to see you two. It’s been too long.”
Ben spoke softly, “Thank you, Finn. Lara and I needed a night of fun and this was a terrific break from our usual routine. Your children are amazing. The meal was delicious. We loved it.”
“My pleasure,” Finn smiled. Lara, if you are alone on Thanksgiving, we’d love to have you.”
“Thanks, Finn.” She nodded. “I’ll take you up on that.”
Out of the blue, Finn exclaimed, “You two would make great parents, you know…. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”
Ben squeezed Lara and she nearly choked when she heard his response, “I can’t wait to have a baby with this gorgeous woman.”
Good old humorous Finn quipped, “Well, you can sure have a lot of fun practicing!”
Marcella entered the room with fresh coffee and glanced around, “What are you guys laughing about now?”
Finn announced, “Be
n is practicing.”
Marcella asked the obvious question, “Practicing law?”
Ben’s face flushed and Lara couldn’t stop herself from snickering.
Finn came to the rescue, “They’re training to be parents.”
Marcella smiled, “Oh, you’d like to babysit?”
Ben laughed harder, which made Finn roar.
Then, Finn composed himself somewhat and explained, “They’re practicing the fine art of reproduction, to put it delicately…”
Marcella joined them in their amusement. “Oh, the fine art of making babies! Just remember, they go in a lot easier than they come out!’ The old adage made them all laugh.
~ Ben ~
Ben hadn’t had this much fun with a big Irish Catholic family since the Fourth of July. The evening brought back images of his childhood. It just dawned on him that he had revealed his desire to make a baby with Lara without ever sharing that intimate thought with her first. He hoped he didn’t embarrass her. But she was laughing, heartily, he noticed. A few times she lost control and snorted she was laughing so hard. It was good for her to be away from the pressures at the firm.
As Ben observed Finn and Marcella he realized how wealthy they were in love. Six children, all healthy, they were blessed. And he noticed the spark still burning when Finn looked at Marcella. It was obvious he loved his wife more than life itself. And it was obvious that she worshipped Finn.
This was what Ben had been searching for all of his life: enduring love. Love that spanned the ages, the sort of love that was written about in poetry, the subject of songs, movies, and expressed in ancient paintings. He examined Lara’s animated face, she was laughing again. He knew he had enduring love with her and the most perfect expression of his love would be to create a tiny life together, and teach him or her about love.
His private thoughts were interrupted as Lara pulled him up to leave.
Finn slapped him on the back, “Get it on, old man. You need to get to it if you’re going to catch up with us!”
Flawlessly Executed (Dark Horse Guardians Book 3) Page 12
