“I realised how much you mean to me, Ben, and how selfish of me to want to see him.” Tessa paused and drew a deep breath. “I should have made the decision straight away instead of toying with the idea for so long. I think I was being just a little stubborn, too, Ben. I’m so sorry.”
A moment of silence passed between them. Tessa’s heart beat faster when Ben lifted her chin and caressed her face as he did.
“I was so scared of losing you, Tess.” Ben’s voice caught in his throat.
Tears pricked Tessa’s eyes and tumbled down her cheeks.
Ben wiped them gently with his thumbs, and then pulled her closer until their lips met in a kiss that left her in no doubt of his love and forgiveness.
Half an hour later, Ben went up to Jayden’s bedroom to tell him to come down for dinner. Instead of hearing the rock music that would normally be playing, all was quiet. When he opened the door, Jayden jumped at the sudden interruption.
“What are you up to, Jayden?” Ben stepped closer and tried to look, but it was too late. Jayden slammed his MacBook Air shut.
“Studying.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We’ve got a big algebra test next week. Most of the class is still struggling with some of the formulae, so the teacher set up a system on Facebook that lets us chat with one another if we need help.”
“Sounds like a good idea.” Ben ruffled Jayden’s hair. “Well, come on down. Dinner’s ready and Tess is waiting.”
Jayden jumped off his bed and followed Ben into the dining room.
Miles away in sunny Palm Beach, Florida, Kathryn hugged her knee-length cashmere sweater closer to her body and made herself more comfortable on her daybed. She stared at the Facebook message screen on the notebook computer, tapping the keyboard impatiently as she waited for Jayden to respond. After a few minutes of waiting, she typed: ‘Are you still there?’
Again receiving no response, she closed out of the screen and looked at the wall clock. It was easy to forget they were in different time zones. While it was early morning in Florida, it was night-time in New Farm, Queensland. Either Ben or his new wife must have made Jayden go to bed. Kathryn didn’t know whether to be happy or sad about Ben remarrying. She couldn’t be angry. After all, she’d been the one to leave him for Luke Emerson.
Luke. The wealthy play boy golf legend who’d left her starstruck after their initial meeting, sweeping her off her feet and into a new, glamorous lifestyle she thought would only come true in her wildest dreams. He’d showered her with affection and attention and made her feel more special than she’d ever felt in all the years she’d been married to Ben. But that affection had been waning of late. Luke was playing a golf tournament in Ireland and she hadn’t been invited. Sure, they’d had their little spats before, but this was the first time he’d left to play without taking her to watch him and to be by his side for the media photo ops afterwards.
Kathryn sighed and rested her cheek in her palm as she stared out of the floor to ceiling windows looking out onto the magnificent Mediterranean estate. When she’d first seen it, the size of the grounds and the grand opulence had blown her mind. When they moved in, Luke laughed with her as they ran around like children exploring the estate. Not a very grown up or mature thing to do, but they didn’t care. The lake sitting between the front entrance and the house gave only a hint of what was to come. In the back their private beach beckoned them. A private beach! How many people have one of those? Italian style Loggias framed a courtyard containing fountains, two pools and a Spanish garden. A seven-car garage topped it off. And that was just the outside.
Kathryn suddenly became morose. How she wished she could wind the clock back. She wanted to be close to Luke again. To have him hold and kiss her like he used to. To look at her with nothing but love in his eyes.
Kathryn heard the maid call her name and snapped out of her reverie. She turned away from the sunlit window. One of the five Spanish maids stood in the doorway with tea, a sponge cake and the morning paper. “Thank you, Camila.” Kathryn took the acacia wood tray. “Just what I need.”
“You’re welcome.” Camila’s soft, caring voice always amazed Kathryn. “Are you all right, Ma’am? You don’t look your normal self.”
“I didn’t sleep very well last night, so I guess I’m just a little tired.”
Camila smiled warmly and nodded. “Well, if that’s all, I’ll leave you now, but let me know if there’s anything else I can get for you. And perhaps you should take a nap later.”
“I think I will, thank you.” Kathryn appreciated the consideration the maids showed her even though she was only Luke’s girlfriend and not his wife. She often wondered what it was like to live one’s whole adult life as a servant to someone else. Kathryn couldn’t imagine herself as a maid. After one week she’d become bored with the work and want to move on to more exciting things. Like lazy luncheons with other high society women that often stretched into the evening.
She took a sip of the hot orange spiced tea and lapsed back into thinking of Luke. Lately, she’d been pressuring him to marry her, but he always responded with the same lame excuse, “I’m not ready to settle down, Kathryn.” Maybe that was why he hadn’t taken her with him to Ireland. He didn’t want her pestering him about marriage when he had an important game to play. Kathryn sighed, a heavy weight sitting in her chest as she bit into the sponge cake. If he’s not ready now, will he ever be?
Opening the thick newspaper, she flipped to the sports section. She scanned through the soccer scores, but stopped to look through the golf stories in full. There was a feature about Luke. Kathryn gasped and nearly dropped her tea cup as she stared at the picture of him and a blonde bombshell hanging on his arm as they left some sort of club. The photo was slightly blurred, like many she’d been captured in as the paparazzi snapped away at them whenever they were out in public. Despite the blurriness, Luke’s features were unmistakable.
Kathryn’s eyes watered as she swallowed the lump in her throat. This can’t be happening. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed a shaking hand to her forehead. When she opened her eyes, the photo still stared back at her. Kathryn put her tea cup down, snatched up the paper, and flung it across the room, her heart racing with anger.
She jumped to her feet and began pacing. This couldn’t be happening. She was Luke’s one true love. How many times had he told her that? A whole range of possible scenarios ran through her mind, but as Kathryn thought about and rejected each one, there was only one explanation left.
Luke had cheated on her.
Kathryn’s skin tingled and she felt winded. She sank to the couch and her body was racked with gut wrenching sobs that came from deep within. How could Luke have done this to her? He’d told her he loved her. She sobbed until she could sob no more, and her anger gave way to a deep sadness that sat heavily in her heart.
She slowly sat up and wiped her face before reaching for the gold inlaid cigarette case Luke had given to her early in their relationship. Her hands shook as she took out a cigarette and lit it. As she drew long and deep, her hands steadied, but her heart was broken and she knew it would never recover.
She would confront Luke. As soon as that double-crossing piece of filth returned, she’d be waiting. And he’d pay. Oh yes, he’d pay.
Chapter 19
Tessa woke to the alarm as the first rays of sun poked through the small gap between the curtains. She rolled over and placed her arm gently on Ben’s chest. “Are you ready for this, my sweet?” She reached her hand up and slowly turned his face to hers.
“Do we have to go, Tessa?” Ben’s eyes were still closed, and his voice trailed off as he slipped back into sleep.
“Poor baby. Yes, we do. We promised Jayden.” She leaned forward and kissed his cheek before jumping out of bed. Her stomach convulsed and she raced for the bathroom, just making it. When she returned a few minutes later, Ben had rolled over and was snoring. She let out a soft sigh and was tempted to climb back in with him, but
she couldn’t. They’d promised Jayden, and a deal was a deal. She’d leave him for a few minutes while she showered and dressed. Jayden wasn’t up yet anyway.
As the hot water splashed over her body, Tessa’s mind turned to the camping trip. The week had been so busy they’d packed the car only the night before. Ben had been so particular about how to pack everything, they’d almost had a full on argument. It had taken all of Tessa’s patience to let him do it his way, but it took forever. They would definitely need a bigger car when the baby was born.
At least the day was sunny. How would Ben have coped if it had been raining? He hated dirty shoes; what would he do with muddy ones? Tessa let out a small giggle as the warm water flowed over her body. She so hoped the camping trip would be a fun time for them all. “Oh Lord, please let us have a great time. Let it be full of fun and fellowship, and Lord, please help Ben cope with everything. And please keep working on Jayden. Thank you that he’s continued coming to church, now I pray he’ll see the magnificence of your creation and will reach out to you as a result. Thank you for my family, God, and for this new little baby. Please bless us all, in Jesus’ name, Amen.”
When Tessa stepped out of the shower, the alarm was bleating and Ben was reaching out to turn it off. Yawning and stretching, he pulled himself upright and leaned against his pillows.
“Hey there, sleepyhead. Time to rise and shine.” Tessa slipped on a comfy pink T-shirt and her new denim shorts with the elastic at the back and threw open the curtains.
Ben covered his eyes against the bright sunlight. “Guess I don’t have a choice?” He peered at her between his fingers and raised an eyebrow. The corners of his mouth lifted slowly into a mischievous grin.
Tessa laughed and hit him playfully with a pillow before falling into his arms. Propping herself on her elbows, she tapped Ben on the lips. “No, you don’t. We told Neil we’d pick him up at eight, so you’d better get moving.” She leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on his lips before jumping up and running down the stairs to pack the last minute things.
The drive up to the rain forest hinterland took several hours. Jayden and Neil sat with headphones on listening to music most of the way and Ben and Tessa chatted about things in general. Neither had been to the hinterland for many years, and never together, so they enjoyed the changing scenery and just being out together, away from the everyday hustle and bustle of living and working.
Expansive acreage lots with horse paddocks and hobby farms soon gave way to sub-tropical foliage and winding roads snaking up the mountains to where it was cool and lush. The camp ground they’d chosen was surrounded by towering ghost gums and tree ferns, and was only a short walk from a large waterhole where the sounds of children jumping and splashing greeted them as they piled out of the car.
Tessa stretched as she gazed around and breathed in the cool, crisp mountain air. Someone’s campfire still smouldered, sending a thin spiral of smoke across the campsite dotted with a range of tents in all different shapes and sizes. A spot on the edge of the clearing took Tessa’s eye. It was perfect. A small fireplace sat to one side of a flat area just big enough for their two small tents. They could lie in their sleeping bags and look out into the forest in the morning. What better way to wake up?
Ben had walked with the two boys to find the toilet and they were on their way back. Tessa’s heart fell as she saw the unimpressed look on Ben’s face.
“You didn’t tell me they’d be drop toilets, Tessa. They’re the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen.”
“Yeah, they smell gross.” Jayden held his nose and made a face.
Tessa shook her head and laughed. “You boys! What do you expect up here in the mountains? Flushing toilets with full facilities?”
“That would be nice.” Ben was serious.
Tessa hit him playfully on the back. “Don’t let a silly toilet ruin our weekend, Ben. Come on, let’s set up.” She headed to the back of the car and went to open the boot, but was surprised when Ben offered to do it.
“Boys, come and set up your tent.” He threw them the small bag holding Tessa’s old tent, while he carried the larger bag to the cleared area. Jayden and Neil opened their bag while Tessa helped Ben.
“Yew!” Jayden threw the tent on the ground and jumped back.
The tent, covered in powdery mildew, disintegrated before Tessa’s eyes. Her jaw dropped, and she slapped her hand over her mouth. How could this have happened? Last time she and Stephanie used it, it was fine. But the weather wasn’t… it had rained and she’d meant to put it out to dry. Tessa gulped. I should have listened to Dad and checked it.
“Now what are we going to do?” Jayden flung his arms out and had an incredulous stare on his face.
“Yes Tessa, what are we going to do?” Ben’s eyebrows arched as he stood there gazing at her with an amused look on his face.
Tessa drew in a deep breath as she quickly thought of options. “Jayden, Neil, I’m sorry. I should have checked the tent. We’ll think of something, even if we have to drive to town and buy a new one.”
“We could just sleep out, Mrs Williams. I’ve done it before.” Neil’s face lit up. “Sleeping out’s cool.”
“It’ll be cool all right. You’ll freeze.” Ben shook his head and stood with his arms crossed.
Tessa placed her hand on her hip. She wasn’t going to let this ruin their weekend. “No Ben, I think it could work. We could put the tarpaulin over them. I think they’d be fine. It’s not like it’s mid-winter.” She slipped her arm around his waist, tilting her face towards his, hoping to convince him. “Come on Ben, relax. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect to have a good time. It’ll be an adventure for the boys to sleep out.”
Ben’s eyebrows drew together. “You really think they’ll be okay? What if something happens to them?”
“Like what?
“Oh, I don’t know. They could get bitten by a snake.”
“Snakes don’t normally come out at night, Ben.”
“Well a spider, then.”
“They’ve got their stretchers, so they’ll be off the ground. They’ll be fine, Ben. Loosen up a bit, hey?”
“You should have checked the tent, Tessa.”
“I know, Ben, and I’m sorry.” Leaning up, she pulled his head down and kissed him. “Come on, let’s get it sorted.”
Tessa breathed a sigh of relief as the two boys busied themselves setting up their outdoor sleeping area. Before long, Ben and Tessa’s tent was up, and Jayden and Neil had finished their makeshift arrangement and were keen to find the waterhole.
“Why don’t you go with them, Ben? I’ll finish off here and then come down.” Tessa glanced up from sorting the basic cooking equipment as Ben packed the empty bags back into the car.
Ben closed the boot and walked over to join her. Slipping his hands around her waist from behind, he kissed her on her neck, bringing goose bumps to her skin. “I can wait, Tessa. Besides, I don’t think I’m in to jumping off cliffs.”
“Go on, you’ll have fun. It’ll do you good to spend time with the boys.” Tessa turned and grabbed his shirt with both hands, gently pulling him towards her. She leaned up and planted another kiss on his lips. “I’ll come down soon.”
Ben’s eyes twinkled. “I’d rather stay here with you.”
“Ben!” Tessa’s eyes widened and she glanced sideways to where Jayden and Neil were standing and snickering.
Ben chuckled. “All right. I’ll go.” He held her gaze before lowering his head and kissing her more passionately than she thought he should with the boys watching. “But I’d rather be here,” he whispered into her ear.
Tessa slapped him playfully and pushed him away. If only it was just the two of them…
Left by herself, Tessa sat on one of the folding camp chairs and smiled to herself at Ben’s unexpected display of affection. She’d wondered if Ben would be game to make love to her in a tent, but after that kiss, she had no doubt whatsoever. Ever since she’d told him she wasn�
��t seeing Michael, he’d been so much more at ease, and it warmed her heart.
She breathed in the fresh air as she finished the coffee brought from home, and flicked through a magazine before wandering down to find the boys.
They weren’t hard to find. She followed the yelling and yahooing and soon found the waterhole where a dozen or so children and teenagers, and a few adults, were climbing along a rock wall and leaping off into the water twenty or so metres below. As they clambered back up the rock face to do it all over again, some were blue in the face and others held their arms around their bodies and shivered, but all seemed keen despite the freezing water.
Apart from Ben.
Tessa laughed. Ben sat, arms wrapped around his knees on a flat rock in the sun, with his shirt still on. Jayden stood on the opposite side with Neil beside him, both ready to jump.
“Hey Dad! Watch this!” Jayden leaped into the air, pulling his knees up and wrapping his arms around them, before landing heavily and making a large splash in the water. He bobbed up out of the water with a huge grin on his face.
“Come on Dad. It’s great.” He couldn’t wait to get back up there.
Tessa sat beside Ben and slipped her arm through his. “Go on, Ben. Go with him.” She squeezed his hand and if she could, she would have forced him up.
Ben’s shoulders slumped. “Tessa, this isn’t me. I don’t go jumping off cliff faces into the unknown.”
“I know you don’t, Ben. But do it for Jayden.” She squeezed his hand again and when he dragged himself up, she gave him a smile brimming with encouragement.
Tessa gazed lovingly at him as he clambered along the rocks, following Jayden and Neil, who both kept looking back to make sure he was still coming. She couldn’t wait to see him leap off into the air.
Michael would have had a ball. In fact, he would have jumped and dive-bombed all day if he could. Tessa’s heart grew heavy. She shouldn’t have thought about Michael. No doubt he would have read her email by now, but he hadn’t replied, not that she expected one. He would most likely be in Brisbane right now, staying with Sabrina. I hope he had words with her… Funny she hadn’t seen Sabrina since that night in the car park. Seemed like Sabrina was avoiding her.
Tested Love: A Christian Romance (The True Love Series Book 2) Page 11