The Complete Langley Park Series (Books 1-5)

by Krista Sandor

  “I know! It had to be Able Duran. By the way, he’s living in Hong Kong with his boyfriend! He designs the interiors for Starbucks or H&M or something fabulous like that. Wait? Able asked you out?”

  “No, not really. He was my partner for a biology assignment. We were meeting over at that sub shop near the high school to hash some things out early so we wouldn’t have to worry about doing any work over the Thanksgiving break. A couple of kids came in and told Able about some keg party at a park. One thing led to another, and I found myself riding in a stranger’s car heading over.”

  “I see,” Zoe said. “So, there you are, Miss New Girl, headed to your first Village party at a children’s playground. Wow, we sure know how to live it up.”

  A beat of silence passed.

  “Come on, big brother. What happened?” Zoe asked, leaning in.

  Ben released a breath. “Zoe, you know the drill. The cops came, and kids started running.”

  “What made you run with Jenna? Did you guys even know each other?”

  Did we know each other?

  Ben didn’t know how to answer.

  His mind went back to that November night. He was standing with his friends, talking and laughing when Jenna walked up to the group with Able Duran. She was wringing her hands, and, even in the dimly lit park, he could make out her forced smile.

  Moments later, police cars pulled onto the grass, and bright lights cut through the night, sharply illuminating the group. He should have started running with his friends, but he hesitated and looked back at Jenna. She was just standing there, her head turning back and forth, like a lost child.

  Some protective instinct took over, and he ran to her. “Jenna, we’ve got to go.”

  Those were the first words he had ever spoken to her.

  Jenna snapped out of her confused panic and nodded as she looked up at him with those dark, haunting brown eyes. Even amid all the chaos, he nearly drowned in the depths of them.

  He led her toward the creek and helped her down the steep embankment. The creek separated the park from the main road, and, at this time of year, it was quite shallow with large rocks providing a dry path across. Ben was just about to step onto the first flat rock when he heard footsteps and a police radio chattered above them.

  He stopped and pulled Jenna into him, pressing her into the high side of the embankment behind a tree growing sideways out of the earth. He rounded his body around her, and the tip of his nose brushed against hers. It was cold as they listened, barely breathing, their eyes locked on each other in the darkness.

  Another officer caught up with the one pursuing them.

  “Don’t worry about a few stragglers. We caught a group of geniuses trying to run off with a pony keg.”

  “Ah, to be young and stupid,” replied the other officer.

  Ben stood there, holding onto Jenna and listened as the officers walked back to the park.

  “Are you all right?” he whispered, feeling her shallow breaths against his lips.

  “I don’t know where we are. I don’t know how to get home from here. I came with Able, but he wasn’t the one driving.”

  Jenna was rambling, shaken up by the events. He could hear the panic in her voice.

  He smiled down at her, then took her hands into his. They were so cold and so small compared to his large, warm hands, but they fit perfectly as if they were made for each other.

  He tilted his head toward the gas pumps across the intersection.“Let’s head over to that gas station. We can grab something to eat, and then we’ll walk back to my car—it’s parked a few blocks away from the park. My guess is, that in about an hour or so, the cops will be gone, and we can get back to my car without anyone seeing us. Then I can take you home.”

  Jenna looked relieved and nodded.

  Ben led her up the creek bank. He was still holding her hand when a jolt of heat radiated through his palm and traveled all the way to his heart. Jenna had shifted her fingers and laced them tightly with his.

  “Do you have a curfew? You can call your parents. There’s a pay phone at the gas station,” he asked, forcing himself to focus on the situation.

  “No, there’s nobody I need to call,” she answered.

  They made it up the embankment and were standing under a lamppost. After a few steps, Jenna stopped. “I could really use a Kit Kat right about now.”

  “A Kit Kat, huh?” He asked, his mouth quirking into a lopsided smile.

  Then Jenna smiled at him and time stopped.

  His breath caught in his throat as he watched the warmth return to her eyes like adding cream to a cup of coffee. The darkness that haunted her disappeared. The November breeze blew golden wisps of hair across her face, and, at that moment, he would have sworn she was an angel.

  Even after all these years, the image of a teenage Jenna had never faded from his memory.

  He wanted to kiss her. He wanted it more than he had wanted anything in his entire life. He wanted to put his arms around her and never let go. He wanted to talk to her about everything and nothing. He wanted to tell her how he spent hours thinking about her and sketching her beautiful face. But against every impulse, he released her hand.

  “I think I could handle a Kit Kat right about now, too,” was all he could gather the courage to say.

  Ben picked at the edge of his beer bottle’s label. He couldn’t believe that Jenna, his high school Jenna, was Zoe’s friend and was now living in his carriage house.

  Jenna didn’t come back to school after Thanksgiving break. He looked for her all over campus and even drove past her empty house dozens of times. It was torture. Jenna Lewis had vanished without a trace.

  “Hey, Space Cadet! For the second time, why did you run with Jenna?” Zoe asked, pulling Ben from the past.

  He took a sip of beer and swallowed back his memories. “Jenna and I just ran in the same direction to get away from the police. It’s not much of a story.”

  Jenna’s heart sank at Ben’s abrupt explanation. She told herself their night had happened a long time ago. Of course, he didn’t remember the details. It was just one crazy high school night for Ben, and he probably had many more just like it. She was surprised at how much this hurt because she remembered every little detail about the beautiful boy who had held her hand and bought her a Kit Kat.

  Zoe clapped her hands. “This is great! You guys already know each other. I told you this was going to work out just fine, Jenna.”

  Ben’s posture was rigid as he sipped his beer. He gave his sister a placating smile, but Jenna couldn’t help noticing the smile didn’t reach his eyes, not even close.

  The night passed quickly. Zoe was funny and engaging, but Ben barely said a word. Jenna was concerned he was angry about the carriage house arrangement. His demeanor toward her was cool at best, and he’d hardly even glanced at her after sharing his brief rendition of their night running from the police.

  Jenna reached for her purse. She needed to put some distance between herself and Ben Fisher. “I better be getting back. I’ve got a video conference tomorrow morning I need to prepare for.”

  “Stuff for work?” Zoe asked, her gaze wandering to where Sam was talking to a couple seated at the bar.

  “Yes, I just need to touch base with some teachers. Nothing earth-shattering.”

  “You’re a teacher?”

  Jenna was startled to see the question was from Ben.

  “For all intents and purposes, yes,” she began, keeping her tone professional. “I work for a pair of educational researchers from Gwyer College. I’m part of a small group of teachers who travel from school to school implementing a reading program targeting inner city schools nationwide.”

  Ben seemed to take this in.

  “You walked, right? Do you want me to give you a ride home?” Zoe chimed in, ignoring her brother.

  “I can walk her back,” Ben said.

  Jenna tried not to look shocked. The man had barely acknowledged her existence the entire evenin
g.

  “Great! I’ll stay and wait for Sam. Let’s talk tomorrow. Maybe grab a coffee?” Zoe said, giving Jenna a hug.

  Jenna nodded to Zoe, but her mind was spinning.

  What just happened? Did Ben just offer to escort her back to the carriage house?

  He must have because he gestured for her to walk in front of him. But as they neared the door, she slowed her step as a large group clambered in.

  Jenna reared back, bumping into Ben and took in a sharp breath as one of the men entering the tavern looked her up and down, his gaze lingering on her breasts.

  Aidan Hadley.

  The jerk who tried to corner her outside the bathroom.

  “Fucking cunt,” Hadley hissed as he stepped toward her.

  She wasn’t about to make a scene, but Ben reached out and grabbed Hadley by his shirt collar and pulled him back.

  “I don’t know who you think you are, but you’re going to apologize.”

  “Jesus. Can’t anybody around here take a joke?” Hadley said, slurring and rocking back-and-forth.

  Sam came up and stood next to Ben. Both men, well over six feet tall, had at least a good four inches on Hadley.

  “This jerk’s going to apologize to Jenna,” Ben said, tightening his grip on Hadley as he exchanged a look with Sam.

  “And then you’re getting the hell out of my bar,” Sam added sharply.

  Shrugging off Ben’s grip, Hadley took a step back. “Look at her for fuck’s sake. She’s asking for it.”

  Jenna was wearing a pale green wrap dress and flats. She taught children in this outfit.

  She eyed Hadley more carefully. It was evident from his bloodshot eyes and unbalanced stance that he’d definitely been drinking and was probably on drugs.

  “It’s not worth it. Look at him. I’m not sure how he’s even able to stand,” Jenna said.

  Sam glanced over at Hadley and shook his head in disgust.

  “Are you good?” Ben asked Sam as he placed his hand protectively on Jenna’s back.

  Sam nodded. “I think Hadley and his asshat friends have permanently worn out their welcome at Park Tavern.”

  Jenna gave Sam an apologetic smile then left the restaurant. Ben was right behind her.

  “Let’s go,” he said curtly.

  After a block, Jenna stopped walking. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. “I don’t know what’s wrong with that guy. That was my second run-in with him in two days.”

  “You’re doing a pretty shitty job of making friends here.”

  Jenna’s jaw dropped.

  “It’s late. We should go,” he said and started up the street.

  She didn’t move. “I almost broke his wrist yesterday.”

  This brought Ben to a halt.

  “It was self-defense. He cornered me when I was coming out of the bathroom and tried to get handsy. I did this cross-grab-wrist-lock maneuver a student taught me, and it worked. Stopped him right in his tracks.”

  “Handsy?” Ben asked.

  “Yes, handsy. It’s a word.”

  She was talking to fill the silence. Talking wasn’t usually her default setting when she was nervous, but something about Ben made her feel fidgety and off-center.

  Built like an Olympic swimmer, Ben took her breath away with his dark curls and piercing blue eyes. She’d found him attractive in high school, but seeing him now gave her that tingly anticipation feeling you get right before a roller coaster takes the first plunge.

  Jenna crossed her arms, a useless attempt to dampen her response to him. She continued walking and vowed not to say another ridiculous thing. It was apparent from the cold reception he’d given her tonight he thought of her as some crazy girl from high school who just happened to blow into town and start brawling at the local tavern. This was the absolute opposite of the simple, quiet life she had left just days ago.

  Ben broke the silence. “Zoe said in her text that your mom’s at Midwest.”

  Both Ben’s sister and his mother knew why Judith was at Midwest Medical and Psychiatric Center. There was a good chance he already knew of her mother’s situation.

  “Yes, she’s in the psychiatric center completing a program for mental health issues and substance abuse.”

  There, she’d said it. Those were the facts. Telling the truth almost felt normal. She hadn’t realized how exhausting inventing lies and excuses had been until she didn’t have to do it anymore.

  The way she saw it, this time in Langley Park was going to be a respite from the web of lies she had created to protect herself from the past. She would be in Albuquerque soon enough, and then she’d resurrect the lies and excuses just as she did in every new town.

  Ben didn’t react to her words. They were only inches apart, and the night was quiet all around them. She knew he had heard her.

  “I’m not sure how long I’m going to be here. I guess at least two or three weeks, maybe longer. The garage apartment is great, but I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

  Jenna paused, waiting for Ben to answer, but there was no response.

  “Of course, I’m going to pay you. I was looking online to get an idea of what would be reasonable and—”

  “It’s a carriage house. And I’m not charging you rent.”

  “I’d feel better if we came to some arrangement,” she said, her tone becoming firm. Then added more delicately, “I could also really use your WiFi password.”

  Ben barked out a laugh. “WiFi, huh?”

  An awkward silence descended as the sound of an engine turning over resonated through the night air.

  “Please, Ben. You’ve got to let me do something to repay you.”

  They arrived at the house and walked up the path toward the front door. The porch was cozy and framed by a hedge on each side. A small light cast a warm glow, making it seem like they were the only two people in the world.

  “We’re not going to discuss compensation anymore. You’re my sister’s friend, and you need a place to stay. End of discussion,” Ben said without an ounce of humor as he unlocked the door. “Come in. I have the WiFi password written down in the kitchen.”

  The house was dark, lit only by a few dim lamps as they made their way back to the kitchen. To her left, Jenna noticed a formal dining room and to her right, a study with a large desk, piled high with sheets of construction drawings and rolls of tracing paper. Both rooms were beautifully decorated in the same blues, whites, and grays as the carriage house.

  Ben flicked on a light switch as they entered the kitchen. Jenna found herself surrounded by whitewashed cabinets and stainless steel appliances. The kitchen was gorgeous, the kind of space you would see in a fancy design magazine with a cozy den decorated in the same tones situated opposite the kitchen area.

  “You have a beautiful home, and this kitchen is amazing,” Jenna said, her voice touched with a bit of wonder.

  “You sound surprised about that,” Ben replied.

  “I just didn’t expect it to look so...”

  “So, what?” Ben asked, a bit of amusement in his eyes.

  “Put together, I guess.”

  “I designed it.”

  “Is that what you do? You’re a kitchen designer?”

  That garnered a laugh. “Sort of. I’m an architect.”

  “You did have all those sketches on your notebook covers,” she said, then bit her tongue. She had to stop bringing up the past. Ben barely remembered her, and here she was talking about him as if they had been close friends.

  Jenna never stayed at a school long enough to make friends. But that didn’t stop her from remembering others, and she had spent her fair share of time daydreaming about Ben Fisher.

  Ben went to the counter, grabbed a pen, and started writing on a sticky note. He handed her the paper. It contained a long string of numbers and letters.

  “Here’s the WiFi password and my phone number, just in case anything comes up with the carriage house.”

  Jenna took the piece of paper, careful not t
o let her fingers brush his. Then her gaze was drawn over his shoulder to a large pile of children’s workbooks.

  “You’ve got quite a few of those,” she said, professional curiosity taking over as she gestured to the stack.

  Ben glanced back at the reading workbooks and crossed his arms. “They’re for my daughter, Kate. I’m not sure how much Zoe’s told you about her?”

  “I know she’s six. First grade?”

  Ben nodded and walked over to the stack of workbooks.

  “She’s having a hard time with reading. She gets frustrated easily. Most nights, it’s a fight to get her to read anything. We’ve gone through a string of tutors. My daughter can be…strong-willed.”

  Jenna examined the books. From what she saw, there was no consistency from workbook to workbook. Struggling readers needed a consistent learning plan built on the skills they had already mastered, and Kate’s tutoring looked to be disjointed at best.

  Her educator’s mind flipped on, and she went into teacher mode. “Do you have any family members with dyslexia or a learning disability?”

  “No,” Ben answered, his voice softening.

  “Any significant life changes or health issues?”

  It was a common question. Jenna had asked hundreds, maybe thousands of parents this very question over the course of her career. Often, children having difficulty learning to read had other external factors impacting their learning: a big move, divorce, death. Ben’s wife had passed away, but she didn’t know the circumstances. However, she knew she’d overstepped when his jaw tightened.

  “Kate lost her mother when she was three, and she was treated for carbon monoxide exposure, but the doctors said there was no evidence of any damage. That was also when she was three.”

  Jenna nodded. She took two workbooks off the stack and went to sit at the kitchen table. Ben followed, taking the seat across from her.

  “I hate to tell you this, but I don’t think these are going to help your daughter. The skills in these books aren’t taught coherently and jumping from book to book adds more confusion to the mix. I’m sure Kate’s teacher is doing her best, but I’m guessing there are twenty, maybe twenty-five students in her class. It’s easy for kids like Kate to fall through the cracks.”