by Robyn Carr
This was what perfect love felt like, when there was trust and devotion and passion. Beau tried to count the number of satisfied emotions every time they made love. There was blinding pleasure, there was unparalleled contentment, comfort, excitement, a need quenched, a desire gratified. Body and soul came together for him and he knew complete fulfillment.
“I can’t believe you’re mine,” she whispered.
“Oh, I’m yours,” he said. “I’m yours like I’ve been waiting for you my whole life. This is how it’s supposed to be.” With his lips on hers, his hands all over her, filling her, moving with her, it wasn’t long before she came to a thundering climax in his arms. It was so quick; it was always quick. Her body responded to his body and together their love was powerful yet easy. Then his favorite part, holding her as she came back to earth, as her body trembled and her breathing evened. He gave her a flood of small kisses to mark the way home and she held him to make sure they were together for the ride.
“That was so nice,” he whispered. “Hard to believe you had trouble with orgasms before. They come to you very easily now.”
“Hm, now. The second you touch me, I have to hold back so you can come with me.”
“Loving you is the best part of my life,” he said.
She touched his handsome face. “I never thought I’d have this,” she whispered. “I was planning to be alone. Alone and quite content.”
He chuckled. “So was I. But at least neither of us was planning to be a priest.”
“Weren’t they the most beautiful couple? The chemistry was rolling off them in waves. It was really hard for me to imagine Tim that way, lusty and sexual and...”
“And not a priest?” he finished for her.
“There was nothing priestly about him at the wedding,” she said, snuggling closer. “Every time I saw him, he was kissing Angela. I think he’s thoroughly in love.” She kissed him. “I’m thoroughly in love, too. In case you’re interested.”
They made love again, the urgency sated. It was slower and sweeter but no less wondrous. Wrapped in each other’s arms, they began to drift into sleep.
Then there was an explosion that shook the house.
* * *
Beau’s truck in Lauren’s drive was ablaze and he acted quickly. He didn’t go outside and told Lauren to stay in the kitchen, far away from the windows. He called 911 and explained that his truck was on fire and there was no explanation for it, but there had been a loud explosion. He heard sirens before he completed the call and within a couple of minutes there were fire trucks, a paramedic rig and lots of police vehicles.
“Get dressed, Beau,” she said, handing him his jeans.
He saw that she’d hurriedly pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt and some slip-on tennis shoes. While he was getting into his pants and T-shirt, there was pounding at the door.
Lauren opened the door to a firefighter. “Everyone in here all right, ma’am?”
“I think so,” she said. “We woke to the explosion...”
“I’m going to need you to evacuate for now. You can sit in one of the police cars. The bomb squad and arson investigators are going to take over when the fire is out. Then I’m going to suggest they have a run through the house.”
“The house?” she said, her hand going nervously to her throat.
“It looks like it was some kind of bomb. I have no idea how sophisticated it might be. Anyone looking to hurt you?”
Beau came to the door while tucking in his shirt. “It seems preposterous, but you never know. We’re both going through divorces and the exes aren’t happy. And before you ask, no, we’re not the reason for the divorces.”
“Right,” he said. “You can explain all that to the cops.”
“They’re a pain in the ass, our exes, but... This could have hurt someone!”
“You need to get jackets,” the firefighter said. “It’s cold tonight.”
They were relegated to the back of a squad car and all attention was focused on evacuating the neighbors on either side of Lauren. “My neighbors must hate me,” she said.
“We’ll talk to them together,” Beau said. “We’ll explain we don’t have any idea what this is about and promise to give them the details when we have more information from the police.”
“They’re going to hate me just the same. This was a quiet, well-kept little neighborhood until I came along.”
“Have you had any contact from Brad?” Beau asked.
“Nothing,” she said. “I told you what Lacey said, that she thinks Brad somehow managed to get me put out of a job, but she can’t be sure. It could be the things he was saying meant he thought he’d finally outsmarted me and will get even in the settlement. I have no reason to suspect him of blowing up your truck. Oh God, what if that was meant to hurt us? Or kill us?”
“Let’s not go there until we get more information,” he said.
“But what if one of them, probably Brad, wants that level of revenge?” she asked.
“Come here,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “We’re going to figure this out. We’re going to be okay.”
They spent the rest of the early morning in the police department, answering questions. What was left of Beau’s truck was towed to a special section of the impound lot for examination by detectives and the arson investigator, although the remnants of a pipe bomb were discovered. It appeared the pipe bomb could have been tossed in the bed of the truck, which actually brought Beau and Lauren a small bit of comfort. Had it been wired to explode while they were occupants in the cab, it would have been so eerily terrifying.
They were separated and answered many questions for about three hours before they were released and asked to remain available to police. The first order of business was a nap—at Beau’s house. Then they visited the neighbors on either side of Lauren’s house to explain as much as they could and Lauren packed a small bag.
There was a devastating black charred mark left on the driveway.
“This is so scary,” Lauren said. “Is there any way to clean that away? Just looking at it is a horrible reminder.”
“I’ll find a solution to that,” Beau said. “I think you have to stay with me now. Just to be safe.”
Drew was shocked and agreed, Lauren should stay with them. No one was sure who the target was—Beau or Lauren or both of them or just the property—but no one was willing to take any chances. Beau had installed security cameras a few years earlier. He looked at the footage surrounding his house for the past month. There was only one suspicious figure—Christmas Day, a little after 3:00 a.m. It was a female in a disguising hoodie. He wasn’t 100 percent sure, but the woman moved like Pamela.
* * *
Lauren was a bit surprised by how easily she slipped into living in Beau’s home. From the very first morning after a full night’s sleep, when she was sitting at the table in her robe, working her crossword puzzle and Drew came into the room. He said a pleasant good-morning as though this was a typical routine. He began rooting around for cereal and toast and Lauren said, “Let me make you a couple of eggs. It’ll only take a minute.”
“Um, you have time?”
“Right now I have nothing but time, but when I get back to work you’ll be on your own again. I’d love to right now.”
“Um, sure,” he said.
She turned a couple of eggs in the pan, microwaved a few slices of bacon, made him some toast and presented a plate in five minutes or less. She filched a piece of bacon for herself and opened a yogurt.
Drew dug in. “You sleep okay?” he finally asked.
“I did, but I admit, I woke up a lot. Every little noise.”
“Try not to worry,” Drew said. “Dad’s got this place wired. No one’s getting in here without a lot of bells and whistles.”
“I’m relieved by that,” she said. “Are you off to school?”
“I don’t have classes today so I’ll run by my dad’s office and see if there’s anything for me to do around there. When I’m not working with landscapers, I do stuff around the office. Then I’ll meet Darla after her classes. I don’t know if I’ll be around at all today. Do you need anything?”
She shook her head and smiled. “Thanks, Drew. I’m fine. I have a few errands.”
“Be very careful,” he said. She had to remind herself that Beau was not Drew’s father—he looked so much like him, especially when he was solicitous.
“Believe me, I will,” she said.
Beau was planning to try to buy a new truck but Lauren was going to see Sylvie Emerson. It was so coincidental that Sylvie had called yesterday and asked if she could manage lunch. Lauren didn’t say anything about their adventure with the bomb and couldn’t imagine Sylvie knew.
Lauren genuinely admired Sylvie. She would be like her if she could, giving so much to so many important causes and reigning over society with such grace and kindness, yet having that no-nonsense grasp of reality. Just the way she had admitted Brad had never fooled her—that wisdom and intuition—if Lauren aspired to anything, it was that.
Sylvie was a lot like Honey, Lauren realized.
Even given all that, Lauren didn’t feel like a close friend, but rather a friendly acquaintance. That was all right; Lauren didn’t run in Sylvie’s circle, nor did she want to. All she really wanted was Sylvie’s respect and she believed she had that.
The day was dark, foggy and wet. Lauren took the ferry to the city and a cab to Sylvie’s large home. Sylvie answered the door herself, even though there was staff in this house.
“Lauren,” she said, giving her a friendly hug. “So good of you to come out on a day like this!”
“While I have the time, this is my first choice of things to do. Thank you for inviting me.”
“I’ve looked forward to this and I finally had some free time. We’re set up in the library. Let me take your coat.”
Before Sylvie could take the coat a casually attired woman Lauren recognized from her last visit took the coat and whisked it away. “Thank you, Mary,” Sylvie said. “Come with me,” she said to Lauren.
They walked down the hall past a sitting room, an office and a dining room to the front corner of the house. Lauren had been here a few times but had been unaware of the library. It was beautiful with floor-to-ceiling bookcases, a couple of ladders, a leather sofa and a blazing fireplace. A small table occupied the center of the room and was appointed with a linen tablecloth and delicate china. The chairs were leather captain’s chairs, comfortable and deep. The room was dimly lit and without windows but there were a couple of flickering candles on the table.
Lauren was mesmerized. “Sylvie, this is beautiful!”
“I thought it was best for today, since the garden is out of the question.” She flipped a switch and bookshelf lighting came on. “It’s a dark room but I find it cozy, especially in winter.”
“Do you use it much?”
“Not as much as I’d like,” she said. “I carry whatever book I’m reading around with me. I read in the living room, the bedroom, wherever I happen to be. Now and then I’ll come in here and just remind myself what books I’ve hoarded and kept.” She pulled one off the shelf. A copy of Treasure Island, tattered and yellowed. “I read this to the kids. I could replace it but is there anything quite as lovely as a book that’s been well read?”
“I read it to my kids, too,” she said.
“Sit down, Lauren. Did you drive into the city?”
“No, I took the ferry and a cab. The roads were destined to be clogged with traffic on a rainy day and I like the ferry, even in weather like this.”
“Well then, let’s have a glass of wine, shall we?”
“Perfect,” she said.
“And you can tell me the latest in your life,” Sylvie said.
“By now you should be afraid to ask,” she said.
“Oh no,” Sylvie said, pouring them a glass of wine. “Has something happened?”
Lauren first toasted Sylvie and said, “It’s so good to see you again.” Then she explained that Beau’s truck had exploded and that the police said it was a bomb of some kind.
“Oh dear God,” Sylvie said. “Do you suspect Brad?”
“I have no idea what to think, but to be safe, I’m staying at Beau’s house. I don’t know if it was meant for one of us—the truck was parked in my drive—or if it was just malicious mischief. It’s just that there’s so little crime on the island and we both have hostile exes.”
“And what of this man, Lauren?”
“Oh, you met him. It was almost a year ago at the fund-raiser. I had barely met him myself at that time—the landscape architect who creates rooftop gardens.”
“I remember him!” Sylvie said.
“After knowing him about six months and with my divorce dragging on and on, we started dating. He has two grown sons, I have two grown daughters and we have nothing and everything in common. He’s a lovely man. I certainly hadn’t intended to be living in his house, but circumstances being what they are...”
“Listen, if you ever feel vulnerable and without options, or even if this is merely the best option, you’re welcome to stay here. This house is a fortress.”
“That’s so generous, Sylvie. I also have my sister and she’s married to a police officer. She also has two messy, loud sons so her house is safe but crazy. But once I decided to take a chance on Beau, whose youngest son is still living at home, I realized this is an opportunity to really get to know him. The real Beau. Rest assured, one red flag and I’m gone. I am certainly not afraid to get out of a bad situation now. I so regret staying in a terrible marriage for so long.”
“Is there any hope of this being resolved anytime soon?”
“My lawyer has a court order for him to produce his financial records by the end of the month so in one respect, yes the end is in sight. In another—he might be a problem for as long as I live. But it wouldn’t be better living with him.”
Mary brought a couple of salads and ice waters, then quietly left.
“I have something to tell you,” Sylvie said. “I spent a little time at Merriweather with corporate officers I knew from my time on the board. I have no proof of this but I believe Brad convinced the VP of marketing to eliminate your position, a position he is now advertising to fill. There is no memo, no email chain, no witnesses that I know of. Just one very guilty and remorseful VP who has offered to get in touch with you and reinstate you to your former position.”
Lauren’s fork was on its way to her open mouth when it stopped. Her first bite of salad was hovering inches from her mouth. “Stu Lonigan? I can’t believe it!”
“Believe it.”
“I always considered Stu Lonigan to be a smart and fair boss. My boss also respected him. My daughter spent Christmas with her father and grandmother and she has no details, just that she believes Brad somehow convinced someone to fire me. She said something about a deal made on the golf course.”
“It may be as simple as that or even more complicated, I don’t know. But Stu Lonigan may find his job in some jeopardy. You were given an exit package, were you not?”
Lauren returned her fork to her salad plate. “No.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you decided to go back to Merriweather. It’s familiar, no doubt you have friends there, and despite all this I’ve always considered Merriweather a good company. Believe me, I checked them very thoroughly before agreeing to sit on their board. As a local philanthropist, I can’t associate with a corporation that discriminates or abuses employees. This situation is unusual. And, I think, personal. If it’s a corporate habit, they’ve hidden it well. I don’t believe it is. Still, it’s so disturbing.”
“Is Stu in trouble now?”
“When some
one terminates an employee without cause, without negotiating a healthy exit package, leaving the company open to lawsuit, you can bet the board has an issue with that. Your lawyer contested the termination so everyone knows. Mr. Lonigan is on very fragile ground. And, it’s my opinion that your soon-to-be ex-husband has been risking his medical license. I know he settled two lawsuits. They were not for malpractice. They were for abuse and harassment.”
“You know about that?” Lauren asked. “They never went to court. I only know what Brad told me.”
Sylvie took a forkful of her salad. She tilted her head and chewed slowly. “Well, when you’re in the habit of giving away a great deal of money, you soon learn not everyone is your friend. We have to research individuals, charities and foundations very carefully. It’s routine, I’m afraid.”
“And you researched Brad?” Lauren asked.
“In a way,” she said. “I hope you won’t be horribly offended. I had good reason. We researched you. I uncovered the extent of your injuries at his hand, the order of protection, the lawsuits. I knew Brad rubbed me the wrong way, but I admit I had no idea things were that bad. I’m horrified. Don’t worry—it’s all confidential. It’s meant to protect our foundation. That money is meant for people in need.”
In spite of herself, Lauren blushed. “Why would you research me?” Lauren asked. “Were you afraid I was lying about the divorce? About anything?”
Sylvie laughed. “Not at all. I asked my assistant to do the research. She’s so good, so sensitive. I asked her to do that because I liked you. I thought you were smart and I guessed you had a personality I could mesh with. Then things tumbled a little bit, you had a lot of stuff happening at once. Your divorce, your job loss. I was thinking along these lines anyway. My assistant, Ruth Ann, is planning to move out of the Bay Area when her husband retires. We’ve been scouting around for her replacement. It’s not easy. Ruth Ann has been with me for ten years. Several people have been suggested and they just aren’t meeting my expectations. Perfectly nice, very professional, but... I’m looking for someone I admire, someone I like, someone with the kind of perseverance and heart I can respect, a devoted mother and loyal employee. And someone who can keep a confidence. It’s a hard job sometimes. It can get very busy, it can involve travel. There are also easier weeks. It pays well. And there are excellent benefits and a retirement fund.”