The Tycoon's Proposition

by Rebecca Winters

  After leaving the information at the nursing station, she left the hospital and took a taxi to the hotel. When she reached her room, the first thing she did was call Captain Ortiz, but he’d turned on his voice mail.

  She gave him the news about Mr. Herrick, then related a brief account of her futile attempt to find Richard at his apartment. If the captain had any information concerning her ex-husband’s whereabouts, would he please call her at the hotel, no matter the hour?

  Having made the call, she hung up the receiver and got ready for bed. Before she fell asleep she phoned Beth and told her the latest developments. Her private thoughts and feelings about Mr. Herrick she kept to herself.

  After asking her sister to tell their mother she’d be home within twenty-four hours, Terri hung up.

  Afraid her mind would dwell on the man lying in the hospital bed, she pulled out a new bestseller she’d brought with her. But she couldn’t get into it. Finally she turned on the television and found another movie to help her fall asleep.

  It worked. She didn’t waken until she heard the phone ring at eight-thirty the next morning. Reaching for the receiver, she said hello.

  “Señora Jeppson? This is Captain Ortiz.”

  Terri sat up in the bed. “Yes, captain.”

  “Thank you for the message about Mr. Herrick. He’s a very important man. If word had leaked to the press that he was missing, there would have been a great uproar.”

  Terri had figured as much.

  “You’ve managed to find out more information than our own police department, and have saved us a lot of grief. Now let us get down to business. Have you talked with your ex-husband yet?”

  “No. But as I told you earlier, Mr. Herrick indicated Richard wasn’t at a hospital so I’m not as worried. This morning I’m going to go to his work. If I can’t find him there maybe you could send an officer to accompany me to his apartment. I need a translator to talk to the woman staying there. I have a feeling she’ll know exactly where he is.”

  “If that becomes necessary, I will drive you there myself, señora.”

  “Thank you very much. I’ll stay in touch.”

  Fortified with a big breakfast, Terri left the hotel for Mr. Herrick’s office. The same receptionist was on duty in the lobby of the building. When Terri explained what she wanted, the other woman shook her head.

  “It’s a long way from here and difficult to locate unless you’re familiar with the area. To save you the trouble, I’ll make a phone call to find out if he reported for work this morning. If he is there, then I will give you directions. A moment, por favor.”

  Terri nodded.

  While she waited, she couldn’t help but wonder if Mr. Herrick had already been bombarded with visitors this morning. At least when they showed up, they would find the same man they knew. Instead of a mummy facsimile.

  Terri had tried to imagine what he looked like under all those bandages. But maybe it was better she didn’t know. Better that he remain her phantom friend. The man without a face.

  Except for a pair of gorgeous gray eyes.

  They were the portals to the inner man with whom she felt connected in an inexplicable way. Yet if she admitted as much to her sister, Beth would tell her she was being ridiculous.

  Maybe she was.

  “Señora Jeppson?”

  Terri turned to the receptionist whose frowning expression clearly meant more bad news.

  “According to your husband’s supervisor, he hasn’t been to work for three days, and didn’t report this morning. He thinks your husband probably quit on him because there’s been some trouble with him lately.”

  That sounded like Richard and didn’t surprise Terri a bit.

  “Thank you for inquiring. Would you do me one more favor?”

  She gave the receptionist Captain Ortiz’s number and asked her to get him on the phone. Within a few minutes he came on the line and made arrangements to pick her up in front of the office. He would drive her out to Richard’s apartment.

  An hour later the captain pulled his police car to the side of the street in front of the building Terri had visited yesterday.

  He turned to her. “You remain here. I will go to the door first. If I think it is necessary, I’ll come back out and signal for you to follow.”

  “All right.”

  Fifteen minutes passed before she saw him walk toward her. When he got back behind the wheel, he turned in her direction.

  “Your ex-husband wasn’t there. The woman in question is named Juanita Rosario. She says she has been living with him for ten months, which could or could not be the truth. According to her, they met soon after he found a job down here with the Herrick Company.

  “It seems he left for work four days ago and never came home from his job. At first she wasn’t worried. She said there are times when he parties with his friends and doesn’t show up until the following day. But he’s never been gone this long before.

  “When you knocked on her door yesterday, she was afraid you were his wife. He’d told her he’d been trying to get a divorce from you, but you wouldn’t let him.”

  Terri shook her head. It sounded like the same old Richard. Lies, lies, lies to suit his particular purpose at the moment. No one hated commitment as much as Richard did.

  “I told her you were his ex-wife from America, that you had divorced him a year ago. At that point she broke down. Now she is afraid he’s gone off with some new woman for a while. But she’s certain he’ll be back because he’s excited about their baby which is going to be born next month.”

  “I hope she’s right,” Terri murmured. “Unfortunately my ex-husband has a pattern of disappearing when he’s really needed. How is the woman supporting herself?”

  “He’s been taking care of her.”

  A groan escaped her throat. “Does she have any family who will help look after her if he has deserted her?”

  “No. She came from an abusive home and boyfriend.”

  “Captain? We’ve got to find Richard. If nothing else, she needs him right now.”

  The other man eyed her speculatively. “At the moment it appears Mr. Herrick appears to know more about your ex-husband than anyone else.”

  Her eyes closed tightly. “I’m afraid you’re right. If you’ll drop me off at the hospital, I’ll try to find out what else he knows.”

  “While you do that, I’ll send some officers to the work site to make inquiries. Maybe one of his co-workers knows something of importance and isn’t aware of it.”

  “Before we go, I’d like to see Juanita for a minute.” She rummaged in her purse for her wallet. “I’ll be right back.”

  He looked like he was about to say something, then thought the better of it.

  She jumped out of the police car and hurried into the apartment building, tiptoeing past the same children who’d been playing on the stairs yesterday. The only cash she had on her was a hundred dollars, but it might help the pregnant woman get along for a few more days.

  This time when she knocked, the door opened a little wider because there was no chain guard.

  “Juanita?”

  “Si?” She sounded hurt as well as angry this time.

  “Captain Ortiz dice que Richard no esta aqui ahora.” Undoubtedly Terri was making every language error possible, but she had to try to communicate.

  The other woman glared at her.

  “Tengo dinero para usted.” Terri held out several bills.

  Juanita didn’t make a move to take them.

  “Por favor.”

  “Por que?” she bit out.

  Why? Because I know exactly how you feel to be abandoned at the last moment.

  Maybe if Terri said it was for the baby. “Es necessario para el nino, verdad?”

  Juanita’s face closed up. She had her pride. This had probably been the wrong thing to do, but if Richard didn’t come back…

  Unable to say the rest in Spanish she murmured, “In case you change your mind, I’ll leave th
e money here.”

  She put the bills on the ground and hurried away without looking back.

  The engine was idling when Terri returned to the car. Within seconds they were off.

  Captain Ortiz drove a few miles before he said, “You are a kind person, but I’m afraid it was a mistake to give her money.”

  “If I were in her shoes, I would hope someone would do it for me. It will buy her food for a few more days. Perhaps by then we’ll have found Richard.”

  “Let us hold that thought,” he muttered, but he didn’t sound as if he believed it any more than she did.

  CHAPTER THREE

  AS TERRI entered Mr. Herrick’s hospital room, she could smell flowers. Obviously the word had gone out he was here because a dozen fabulous arrangements had been brought in on carts. A huge fruit basket stood near his closet door.

  Which gift was from his wife? Had Martha Shaw sent one, too?

  Stop it, Terri. It’s nothing to do with you.

  She looked around. His room held wall-to-wall chairs. Someone had been to visit already. The clothes she’d bought him were no longer visible. As for the man in question, neither he nor the IV stand were anywhere in sight.

  The door to the bathroom had been left ajar. He wasn’t in there. Anxious to know if he was all right, she rushed out of the room and down the hall to the nursing station.

  But before she reached it, an animated group of people turned the corner in her direction. She would have walked right past them if she hadn’t caught sight of the dark-haired man in the center who was dressed in a navy robe and pajamas.

  As Terri’s gaze flew to his, she felt the impact of his piercing eyes and her feet came to a complete standstill.

  It didn’t matter that he had dressings at his hairline and beneath his strong chin. The ruggedly handsome face that went with those unforgettable gray eyes took her breath. No preconceived notion of the features she’d imagined hidden beneath the mask could live up to the vital, living presence of Benjamin Herrick.

  When she realized the group’s conversation had stopped and everyone was staring at her because Mr. Herrick had refused to move on, her cheeks went hot. She knew she had to say something.

  “I-I’m afraid we’re all at a disadvantage. I’m Terri Jeppson.”

  “You’re the woman Martha told us about,” the older man in the Stetson interjected in a Texas accent. “If it hadn’t been for you discovering the mix-up, our family wouldn’t have known Ben was even in here. We’re indebted to you, Mrs. Jeppson.

  “I’m Ben’s father, Dean.” He shook hands with her. “This is my wife, Blanche, our daughter Leah and our son Parker. Our other son Creighton and his wife are on vacation and Leah’s husband Grant couldn’t make it, otherwise they would have flown down with us.”

  Everyone said hello.

  Terri muttered an appropriate greeting, but relief that Leah wasn’t Ben Herrick’s wife dominated her chaotic emotions. Of course it didn’t mean he wasn’t married. Or engaged. Or living with a woman…

  “I’m pleased to meet you,” Parker said with a dashing smile. He let go of the IV stand to shake Terri’s hand. His charm reminded her a little of Richard who knew he was attractive to women.

  Like his father, he wore a Stetson. She thought he looked younger than his brother Ben who appeared to be in his mid-thirties. Both men bore a strong facial resemblance to their lovely mother, whereas sandy-haired Leah took after their father.

  “Is your husband all right?” Mrs. Herrick asked in a compassionate tone of voice.

  My ex-husband.

  “I think so, but I haven’t caught up with him yet.”

  Terri didn’t want to believe Richard would shirk his responsibility for his pregnant girlfriend at this late date. Hopefully he’d show up before too much longer.

  Refusing to look at the silent man for fear he’d read too much feeling in her eyes, Terri said, “It’s been very nice meeting all of you, but at this point I’m sure Mr. Herrick is tired after his walk. He probably wants to lie down. Now that I know he’s with his family, I’ll go.”

  “Don’t worry about Ben. He’s tough.” His father patted his son’s left shoulder. “But since the doctor said this is his first day out of bed, you may have a point.”

  As Terri started to walk toward the elevator around the corner, she heard a distinct groan of protest. It was a familiar sound. Loud enough to wake the dead, but she kept on going.

  Already emotionally involved in ways she wasn’t ready to examine, she knew any more time spent in his company could only backfire on her. The best thing to do was head for the hotel and stay put until she heard from Captain Ortiz.

  “Mrs. Jeppson? Wait up!”

  Terri had just emerged from the elevator on the main floor when Parker Herrick approached. He put a detaining hand on her arm. Then he grinned.

  “You move faster than a nervous filly trying to outrun a twister.” The analogy made her chuckle. “If there hadn’t been another elevator going down, I would have missed you. My brother wants you to come back upstairs.”

  “I’ll visit him again before I fly home to the States.”

  He shook his head. “Not good enough. He’s more upset than I’ve ever seen him. If you don’t show, there’ll be hell to pay.”

  “Tell him I’ll come by later when he doesn’t have family around. I don’t want to impose.”

  Parker pushed his hat back on his head. “We’ve been here six hours and that’s longer than we’ve all been corralled together at one time in I don’t know how many years.”

  In spite of her misgivings, she laughed.

  His gray-blue eyes twinkled. “Knowing my brother, he was ready to throw us out ten minutes after we got here. It’ll be doing the whole family a real favor if you’d be willing to baby-sit for a while.

  “You see,” he said in a confiding voice, “the hospital staff’s been singing your praises. With you here, Mom will feel like we can leave for an hour to grab a bite to eat.”

  After having to fly down here at a moment’s notice, Terri could well imagine how tired and hungry they were. It would be churlish to refuse when she’d come here with every intention of trying to get more information out of Mr. Herrick about Richard.

  “All right. I’ll go back with you, but I can’t stay long.”

  “That’s fine. Anything to appease big brother.”

  They turned and entered the next elevator going up.

  “When will his wife be joining him?” She had to know.

  He slanted her an enigmatic glance. “That’s the question the folks have been asking since the day he left home to do his own thing years ago.”

  Left home?

  “You mean he and his wife are separated?”

  “I mean, there is no Mrs. I figure that’s the reason he’s so testy, but don’t let him know I told you that.”

  Terri’s heart started to thud. “Why not?” she teased.

  “Because it’s a taboo subject with him, and he told me I was a fool to get married. Now that I’m divorced, it’s a case of I told you so. But as far I’m concerned, that doesn’t mean marriage isn’t the greatest while it’s good.”

  Terri didn’t know. Hers had never really gotten off the ground. “Do you have children, Parker?”

  “No, thank the Lord.”

  “I’m glad your divorce hasn’t scarred you.”

  “I refuse to let it. Next time I’ll just make certain I marry the right woman.”

  “Are your other brother and sister happily married?”

  “I think so. How about you and your husband?”

  Thankfully they’d reached the sixth floor. With people getting in and out of the elevator, she was saved from having to answer his question. At this point it was better to remain closed mouth about Richard.

  Terri reached the room ahead of Parker. Ben was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed surrounded by his family. The second Mrs. Herrick saw Terri she looked relieved and stood up.

 
“I’m so glad Parker found you in time, Mrs. Jeppson. We’re sorry if our presence chased you away. Ben acted so upset when you left, I sent Parker after you. Please stay and talk to him as you had intended to do.

  “Darling—” She turned to her unsmiling son whose somber gaze was leveled on Terri. “We’re going to the Ramada, but we’ll be back later to spend the rest of the time with you.” She kissed his cheek.

  Everyone said goodbye and filed out of the room except Parker. He stared at Terri.

  “Are you by any chance staying at the Ramada, too?”

  “No. The Ecuador Inn.”

  “I asked because we’ll be eating an early dinner at the hotel and would have asked you to join us. If you’re going to be here when we get back, we could bring you something to eat.”

  “That’s very thoughtful of you, Parker, but I have other plans. Thank you anyway.”

  He tipped his hat. “Maybe we’ll see you tomorrow then. Catch up with you later, Ben.”

  His brother nodded.

  The minute Parker went out the door, Terri put her purse on the side table, then turned to the man whose mere presence had such a profound effect on her senses.

  “You’ve got a wonderful family, but it’s good they left. You look exhausted.” Without conscious thought, she knelt down and pulled the sandals off his feet. “Come on. Let’s get your legs up on the bed.”

  As she helped lift them onto the mattress, he lay back against the pillow with a deep sigh.

  She quickly covered him with the sheet. “There. I’m sure that feels much better.”

  While she adjusted the position of the IV stand holding his drip, he reached out with his left hand and clasped her forearm. Now that he only had a gauze dressing taped to his palm, he could flex his fingers whose tops were just as bronzed as the rest of him.

  Her gaze darted to his. There was that look of pain and urgency in his eyes again.

  “You obviously have something you’re determined to tell me. Is it about Richard?”

  He nodded.

  “I’m glad. It’s the reason why I came back to the hospital. No one has seen him in four days—not his immediate boss—not even the pregnant woman he’s been living with. She’s almost ready to deliver and needs him desperately.”