Disengaged (Terms of Engagement Book 3)

by Melissa R. L. Simonin

  “That’s hard to believe,” he replied, as he reluctantly let her go, and stood. He offered Samantha his hands, and helped her to her feet.

  “Maybe, but it’s the truth,” she said, as they walked to the living room, and she settled on the couch. Rob added logs to the fire, then joined her.

  “What is it we need to agree on?” he wondered. “If it’s location, I’ll move to Ocotillo. I can do that.”

  “Okay, that’s good to know,” Samantha said in relief. “I would prefer that, to going back to Ashland, where your mother lives. And… there would have to be very strict boundaries set with her, or all she’ll do, is undermine me and our relationship, again.”

  “How does not seeing her at all, sound? I don’t, I can’t see any reason why you should,” Rob replied.

  Samantha’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

  “You don’t… what do you mean, you don’t see her at all?”

  Rob looked back at her seriously.

  “I’m positive she’s the one who sent you that picture. And it wasn’t because she thought you should know. It’s because she wanted to destroy our relationship. That whole thing—having the party when she knew you couldn’t come, inviting my high school ex-girlfriend, seating us together, all of it was ulterior. You were right about my mother all along. So… even though I preferred to blame you, rather than admit my guilt, I had no problem blaming my mother for what she did. I’ll forgive her eventually, because I think I’m supposed to. But that doesn’t mean I want her in my life.”

  “I’m—amazed,” Samantha replied in astonishment, and Rob smiled.

  “Is that it? Or is there anything else we need to talk about?”

  “Yes… there is. Will you include me in decisions, instead of making them without taking my thoughts, feelings, and input, into consideration?”

  “Yes, absolutely.”

  “Are you willing to talk about it, when we disagree on something? Instead of becoming angry, and refusing to?”

  “Like what?” he wondered.

  “Like having a child.”

  A shadow crossed Rob’s face, and Samantha’s heart fell. Dropping her gaze, she turned toward the fire.

  Rob saw, and was filled with alarm. His heart beat faster as anxiety flooded him, and despair threatened to take hold.

  “We can talk about it,” he said quickly.

  Samantha’s mournful eyes looked back into his. The desperation she saw, filled her with sadness.

  “It won’t make any difference, if your mind is already made up,” she said, her voice low.

  “I’ll talk about it,” he insisted. “I will.”

  Samantha shook her head a little, as she stared pensively into the fire.

  “And then what? You’ll give in?”

  “I don’t know, maybe, but you asked if I’d be willing to talk when we disagree on something. I am,” he pointed out. “You didn’t ask if I’d agree to whatever you want, without taking my own thoughts, feelings, and input, into account.”

  Samantha considered that, and nodded slightly.

  “I’m not asking for that. I don’t want you to say yes, if you mean no. Either you do want a child, or you don’t. If you don’t, and you give in… I don’t want our child growing up in an environment like that. Children should be loved and wanted, not resented and put up with.”

  “I agree with that, believe me, I do,” Rob replied. “Look, I’ll think about this, okay? I need some time. And you can talk if you want to, but I need some time, too. I’ve never considered saying yes, so… I need to think about it.”

  “Is there any chance you’ll change your mind?” she asked, searching his face for the answer.

  “I’ll try. But I won’t say yes, unless I mean it, and… Don’t you think we could be happy, just the two of us? Do you have to have this, too?”

  “Yes. I have to have this, too,” she said, as tears welled, and spilled onto her cheeks.

  “Then I’ll try,” he replied desperately.

  He wanted to say yes, and then tell her no, after he was sure they were back together. But that was how he used to be. That wasn’t being unselfish. It wasn’t loving her, so he didn’t.

  That didn’t escape Samantha’s notice.

  “Thank you. That’s all I’m asking, is that you try… That you really, truly have an open mind, and try.”

  “I will, and… you always wanted a cat. We’ll get a cat,” he said in desperation. Maybe that would pacify her. Maybe she already had one. Maybe that’s what she was dreaming about. “We can name it Caleb.”

  Samantha froze, and so did he. They stared at each other, her gaze steady, guarded, and searching, and his with growing concern and uncertainty.

  He wanted to demand to know who Caleb was, and why she reacted to the name as if she was guilty of something. If she wasn’t in love with someone else… was she seeing someone else? Someone who wanted kids! That’s what was going on, she was measuring him against this guy who probably wasn’t any more like the façade he put on, than Rob used to be.

  But she told him she loved him, and she was awake when she said it. And there were tears in her eyes a moment ago. Maybe she wanted to be with Rob, but the kid thing was non-negotiable. Maybe she was horrified at the thought of being stuck with this Caleb guy instead, in spite of the kids he promised her. Maybe…

  “Why Caleb?” she asked.

  It was a simple enough question, and one Rob could ask himself, if he was sure he could handle the answer. He wasn’t. He was determined not to be harsh with her, even if it killed him.

  “It was the first name that came to me,” he said, and left it at that.

  Chapter 16

  ERIK held open the door of the restaurant for Amber, then followed her out. The wind had a bite to it, but the sun shone bright amid the few clouds that dotted the sky. Though there was more snow than bare earth, that would soon change.

  “Thank you for lunch,” Amber said, as they followed the wet sidewalk to his SUV.

  “You’re welcome,” he replied. “And thank you, for coming with me. I had fun.”

  “So did I,” she said, as he opened the door for her, and she took her place in the passenger seat. “What’s next, on our to-do list?”

  “I’d like to talk to Conner, and see if he’s heard anything.”

  Amber thought about that, as Erik joined her on the driver’s side, and started the engine.

  “You don’t suspect this guy, and you use his first name. How do you know him?”

  “He’s older than Rob and me, but we got to know him when he used to work for my grandfather. He has his own contracting company now. If he heard someone was intentionally trying to delay or destroy our work on Pine Mountain, he’d tell us. But, if all he heard was that we’re falling behind, like we think Whitman did, then he wouldn’t.”

  “And how about Sherman? He’s our most likely suspect,” Amber pointed out. “What’s our next step in investigating him?”

  “That may depend on what Conner does, or doesn’t, tell us,” Erik answered.

  He wove through the heavy pre-Thanksgiving Day traffic, then turned down a side street. They came to an L shaped building, which somewhat resembled an adobe pueblo. Doors and windows lined the front, each one leading to a separate office or shop. Some were one floor, and others were two. Christmas lights glittered in many of the windows, and several doors were adorned with wreaths. Erik found a vacant space in the lot, in front of a single-story office.

  “Conner Construction,” Amber said, referring to the sign above the door.

  “That’s the one,” he replied.

  Erik led the way to the door. As he opened it, the sound of laughter, and excited chatter, rushed out to meet them.

  On the other side, gathered around a desk, stood a woman and three men holding glasses of champagne. One of the men looked up, and his eyes lit even more brightly than they already were.

  “Erik Davison! How are you?” Conner Stevens greeted them, with a broth
erly hug for him, and a friendly look toward Amber.

  “I’m great. It sounds like you are, too. Are we interrupting anything?” Erik wondered.

  “No, not at all,” Conner replied. “We’re celebrating. Conner Construction just signed a contract for the Oasis Condominiums. They’re going in on the south side of town. Have you heard of them?”

  “No, but that’s great!” Erik congratulated him. “All my focus has been on keeping Pine Mountain on schedule.”

  Sympathy filled Conner’s eyes. Amber didn’t think she was imagining it, and neither did Erik. She glanced at the rest of the room’s occupants. The first guy wore a paint splattered t-shirt, jeans, and a pair of work boots, and was more interested in the tray of cookies on the desk, than Erik’s and Conner’s conversation. The second guy’s eyebrows rose and his eyes rolled to the side as he turned, and busied himself selecting a bite-size sandwich. Amber took that in, along with his casual attire and toolbelt, then gave the woman a glance. She was probably in her mid-twenties, shoulder-length brown hair, wore a festive fitted sweater, and a short, black skirt and heeled boots. There was concern in the woman’s eyes, as she watched Erik.

  “Yes, I… heard you and Rob have had some problems with that,” Conner said.

  “That’s one way to put it,” Erik replied, then left them to ponder that, and turned to the matter of introductions. “Amber, this is Conner Stevens. Conner, this is my good friend, Amber.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Amber,” Conner smiled, as he stepped forward and offered her his hand.

  “You too,” she said, and they shook. As Conner stepped back, he turned to the two guys behind him, and the woman beside him.

  “This is Franklin, and Joe, my two righthand men. And this is Sheila, my righthand girl,” he said.

  Franklin and Cliff nodded in acknowledgement.

  “Would you care to join us?” Sheila invited, motioning toward the refreshments, before resting her hand on Conner’s arm. She seemed intent on laying claim to him, which was fine by Amber.

  “Sure, why not,” Amber replied, taking Erik’s arm and staking her own claim. That understood, both girls looked a little friendlier toward each other.

  “Thank you, this looks great,” Erik smiled. He helped Amber off with her coat, then hung hers and his, on the rack by the door. He took the plate she handed him, and stocked it sparingly. After their lunch, he wasn’t hungry at all. It didn’t look like Amber was, either. Conner and his righthand men and woman, got back to their own plates

  “So, Joe, what do you know?” Amber inquired innocently, and not at all as if she was gearing up to interrogate the man. “More specifically, what do you know about the development delays on Pine Mountain?”

  Joe looked a little surprised, then shrugged.

  “Only that there have been,” he replied.

  “Really,” Erik said with interest. “Who did you hear that from?”

  “Well, uh… it was a guy named Amos Burns. He’s a foreman, he works for a couple of other builders, mostly. I don’t know how he knew, but he’s the one that said it,” Joe answered.

  “And what exactly did he say?” Amber asked.

  “Well…” Joe looked apologetic. “He said Davison Construction wasn’t fulfilling the contract any more than he thought they would. He said it’s run by a couple of young guys that don’t know one end of a sawhorse from the other. He said the developer would be sure to put someone else on the job, when he found out what a mess it was.”

  Conner laughed shortly.

  “Did you point out that both ends of a sawhorse are the same?”

  “No, but I got a good laugh out of it later,” Joe said.

  “Did he say anything else?” Erik wondered.

  “No… that was about it,” Joe replied.

  “That was all he said, or that was all he said about that?” Amber questioned.

  Joe frowned a little, then laughed briefly.

  “He said if we need another team, to let him know.”

  Franklin laughed, and Conner smiled and shook his head.

  “What?” Sheila wondered.

  “Burns isn’t known for the quality of his work,” Conner explained. “I’d have to be extremely desperate to hire him. I’m not sure I would, even then. I’d rather be behind schedule, than have houses settling, tiles cracking, and gas pipes leaking.”

  “I didn’t bother telling him that, even though that’s what I figured. I think that’s all he said,” Joe added

  “What about you, Franklin?” asked Amber. “Do you know anything?”

  “Not about this,” the man replied.

  “How about you, Conner?” Erik asked.

  “All I know is what Joe just told you. I heard it from him,” Conner replied. He looked concerned. “How are you guys doing? Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Thank you, I appreciate the offer,” Erik said. “However, the reports of our failure are greatly exaggerated.”

  “They’re entirely made up,” Amber clarified.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Conner said. He looked relieved, Joe looked surprised, Sheila looked concerned, and Franklin looked more interested in finishing off the cookies on the tray, than he did in anything else.

  “You’re sure about that?” Joe questioned, as he thought it over. “I guess you would be… if you’re one of the Davisons.”

  “My brother and I own Davison Construction,” Erik replied.

  “I wonder why Burns would say that,” Conner pondered.

  “I don’t know. He seemed awfully sure,” Joe said, grabbing a few more cookies while there was still time. “He didn’t say who he heard it from.”

  “How strange,” was Conner’s verdict. “I’m glad he’s wrong. How else are you and Rob doing?”

  “He’s snowed in, actually,” Erik replied. “He didn’t make it down the mountain in time, but he did reach one of the cabins. He’s thankful for the emergency generator, and the food the cabin is stocked with.”

  “If the storm is even half as bad as it looks in the news reports, that could mean the difference between life and death,” Conner said in concern.

  “It’s at least as bad as it looks, and you’re right. If we were behind and Rob didn’t make it out, he wouldn’t make it at all. But he’s doing alright,” Erik assured him.

  Rob was doing better than alright, he was alone with his wife, and attempting reconciliation. But that wasn’t Erik’s news to broadcast.

  “Good,” Conner said emphatically.

  “It is, it’s a good thing he reached a cabin, and wasn’t stuck in a vehicle, instead,” Amber prompted. If Erik didn’t want to bring up the two dead guys, then she wouldn’t either. But if he did, now was a good time.

  Erik looked appropriately somber.

  “Yes… unfortunately, a couple of guys were. Rob found them during a brief lull in the storm.”

  Conner’s eyes widened. Sheila’s forehead furrowed. Franklin dropped a cookie. Joe choked on his champagne.

  “You’re kidding!” Conner exclaimed.

  “I wish I was,” Erik replied. “Their SUV was buried. Rob thinks they died of carbon monoxide.”

  “How horrible,” Sheila said faintly.

  “It is, and for Rob too,” Conner said with concern. “It’s been a while since we caught up. We can chat in my office, if you like. It’s more comfortable there.”

  “Sure. We’ve got a few minutes,” Erik replied.

  Sheila pushed open the door behind the desk, and they followed Conner inside.

  The modest office held a drafting table, desk, and a small seating area. The walls were hung with photographs of a variety of houses and buildings, most likely those built by Stevens Construction.

  Conner motioned for Erik and Amber to take the loveseat. He and Sheila took the two chairs.

  Amber looked happier with this arrangement than Sheila did. She wondered if Conner and Sheila were a couple, or if it was all wishful thinking on Sheila’s part. Amber
felt a sliver of empathy for the other girl.

  “That had to shake Rob up, finding them like that,” Conner said sympathetically, as he settled into his seat. “Did they work for you? They must have, no one else would be up there.”

  “No, they didn’t work for us,” Erik replied. “But, we think they’re the ones who rigged a gas leak in one of our model homes, and propped the garage door open. And, we think they’re the ones who turned off the gas to the rest of the homes, and turned the water on.”

  “Are you serious?” Conner exclaimed. His and Sheila’s eyes were wide.

  “I am. So, we suspect that the strange glitches in our orders have been intentional. They didn’t set us back, thanks to the connections our grandfather made over the years. The granite counters that were picked up by someone else, would have, but Amber figured out where they were taken. And, who took them.”

  Amber’s heart filled with warmth in response to Erik’s smile, and the glance he gave her resulted in serious melting.

  Maybe the investigation would drag out. She could quit college, who needed a degree, anyway? She and Erik would spend every day together, hunting clues—

  “Because she’s incredibly smart,” she heard Erik say proudly, and brought her attention back to the conversation. “I don’t know what I’d do without her.”

  He didn’t have to find out, she wanted to inform him. But of course, she didn’t. He’d be sure to go back to treating her like a thirteen-year-old kid in need of a mentor, if he had any idea how she felt about him.

  “That’s really something,” Conner said, clearly impressed. “That’s terrible about the attempted destruction, though. And the order tampering.”

  “Do you have any idea who’s doing this?” Sheila worried.

  “We suspect Burns is involved,” Amber replied.

  “He may be working for Sherman,” Erik added. “That’s something we haven’t yet confirmed.”

  A ringtone sounded loudly, and a moment later, Franklin popped his head through the open doorway of the office.

  “It’s my wife. She’s waiting outside,” he told Conner.

  “Happy Thanksgiving, and we’ll see you Monday,” Conner replied.