Evidently feeling the need to change the subject, Caden then asked, “So what’s going on with you and wonder-woman?”
Jace jerked his head around and met Caden’s stare. “You can’t believe everything Dalton tells you.”
Caden chuckled as he leaned against a post. “That’s just it. Dalton isn’t telling me anything. Any other time, he’s known to have loose lips, but he’s keeping them sealed for some reason.”
About time, Jace thought. “If Dalton didn’t mention anything, why are you asking?”
“Because I’m not as dumb as you evidently think I am. Remember that incident with you beating on that vending machine while taking out all your sexual frustration? Trust me, I know the feeling, and I know who’s the reason.”
“Do you?”
“Yes.”
“What if I said you’re wrong?”
Caden smiled easily. “You have the prerogative to tell me anything you want. And I have that same prerogative to take what you say with a grain of salt if I choose to do so.”
“Then I plead the fifth.”
Caden threw his head back and laughed. It felt good to be home.
* * *
“And you’re really going out of town with him?”
Shana glanced over at Jules, who’d arrived in town that day. Shana was glad to see her sister, and after catching her up on what was going on with their father, she proceeded to come clean and let her in on what was going on with her, as well. By nature, Jules was curious, which was why she was perfect for what she did. She also had the ability to read a person like a book and knew immediately when someone was lying about something or trying to be evasive. That was one of the reasons Shana had decided not to waste her time doing either.
“Yes.”
For the next few seconds, Jules just stared at her. Finally, Shana had enough and asked what her problem was. Jules’s entire face spread into a smile when she said, “You like being in control. I’ve never known you to relinquish that control to a man.” She saw Shana about to refute what she’d said, so she threw up her hand to stop her.
“No, Shana. Listen to what I’m saying for a second before you get all pissed and flustered. Sometimes letting go of control is a good thing, as long as the man is worthy. Evidently, you think Jace Granger is. I wish I could find a man I thought was so worthy.”
“It’s purely a physical thing, Jules.”
Her sister chuckled. “Hey, I’d take that, too. Like I said, the man would have to be worthy on all accounts.”
Shana sipped her tea as she thought about what her sister had said. Was Jace worthy? She knew the answer without thinking too hard about the question. Yes, he was. If she’d had any doubt, it was removed from her mind the night he held her in his arms and hummed her to sleep after settling on a kiss and nothing more. Any other man would have had her blindfolded and handcuffed to the bed for a night of fun without caring how exhausted she was. But not Jace.
“You know this is a bummer, don’t you?” Jules asked.
“What?”
“My first weekend back and both you and Dad are deserting me.”
Shana gave her sister a pity look. “If you’re trying to make me feel bad, don’t waste your time. If the shoe was on the other foot—”
“I’d wear it proudly, keep stepping high and not give you a backward glance.”
“I figured as much.” Shana chuckled. She loved her sister and would do anything for her, and she knew it was the same for Jules. When their mother died, all they had was each other...and their dad. He had been their rock, their tower of strength. Their hero.
“Speaking of shoes, you know what I think I’m going to do this weekend, Shana?”
“I’m almost afraid to ask.”
Jules gave her that mischievous grin that had gotten them in trouble more than once during their lifetimes. “Pull out my favorite pair of stilettos, find my shortest dress and go barhopping.”
“Will you be looking for anyone in particular?” Shana asked.
“Yes, it’s a new case I’m working on. Some lowlife who’s turning one-night stands into movie night on the internet.”
“You’re kidding!”
“Wish I was. He uses a different alias with each woman and takes them to a different hotel each time. Unfortunately, they aren’t aware the entire thing is being filmed until the DVD shows up somewhere and they are recognized.”
“What an asshole,” Shana said angrily.
“Yes, those are my feelings. Four women joined forces to become my clients after the police claimed lack of manpower due to budget cuts as the reason they haven’t brought him in. He’s known to hang out at different bars looking for his next easy conquest. I got a good description of him. He’s drop-dead gorgeous and uses his looks to get women to drop their panties and their guard.”
“Sounds interesting. I hope you catch him, and please take care of yourself.”
Jules gave Shana a cheeky grin. “Don’t I always?”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“I want to see through your eyes, Ben. Tell me what you see.”
Ben glanced across the blanket at Mona. They had arrived at the beach around ten, early enough to claim a section of the beach before the lunchtime crowd arrived. The spot was perfect and shaded by the shadows of endless hotels, restaurants and cafés spread out along the oceanfront.
He reached out and captured her hand in his. “It will be my pleasure.” For the next ten minutes, he spoke, letting her see through his eyes. He saw how her smile widened when he told her about the teens playing volleyball in the sand not far away, about the colorful Jet Skis and the beautiful clouds overhead.
“And last but not least,” he said, tightening his hand on hers, “I see this beautiful woman who is wearing a beautiful yellow sundress that goes perfectly with her golden-brown eyes. Then there’s her hair that frames such a gorgeous face that can light up my whole world with her smile. And a pair of lips that I’ve been tempted to taste from the first, because she has to be the most beautiful woman I know.”
“Oh, Ben,” Mona said, wiping at the tears forming in her eyes. “You shouldn’t say such things,” she whispered brokenly.
“I should, and I will, Mona, because I plan to pursue you the way a man pursues a woman he wants in his life.” And he wanted her in his life. He felt he’d gotten to know her over the past months. He had watched her when she hadn’t known he’d been doing so. He’d talked to her, held pleasant conversations with her. He admired her.
He loved her.
“But you don’t know me, and what you do know is what you can see. You’re a wonderful man who needs a woman—”
“Like you,” he finished. “Like you,” he repeated. He leaned over and kissed her trembling lips.
“I want my eyesight back, Ben. I don’t want you to be a blur in my eyes. I want to see the man who’s cared enough to reach out and accept me as I am. I want to see the man who has made me feel special.”
“You are special, and you will see again, sweetheart. I believe you will. Those flashes of light are something positive. Your doctor’s appointment this week confirmed that. But if you don’t ever see again, then that’s okay, too, because I’ll be here regardless. I’ll be by your side. Always.”
Ben knew what he was saying, the commitment he was pledging, and meant each and every word. He was getting used to telling Mona to watch her step, used to telling her where things were and being her eyes. He felt it wasn’t an inconvenience but an honor. Not a burden but a privilege.
“You ready to take a walk on the beach?” he asked, pushing tendrils of hair back from her face.
“Yes.”
He reached down and unhooked her sandals, brushing his hands against her ankles. He heard her sharp intake of breath. He smiled. Sight wasn’t needed when it came to chemistry between two people. Especially when that chemistry was fueled by feelings and emotions.
Ben helped her up and tenderly continued holding her hand as they
began walking underneath the brightness of the sun. It was a beautiful day, and they would enjoy it.
* * *
“Look around. Make yourself at home.”
Gripping her overnight bag in her hand, Shana stepped into the living room and glanced around. She wasn’t sure what she would find after traveling several miles past the entrance to Shenandoah National Park and then driving another hour through miles and miles of wilderness as they made their way up the Blue Ridge Mountains. According to Jace, he’d called ahead to tell the caretaker he would be arriving and to have the cabin ready.
As Shana glanced around, her thoughts, the same ones she’d had when they’d pulled up to the cabin, were confirmed. This was not the cabin she thought she would find. Instead, it looked more like a beautiful château in the mountains. It had two stories with the second floor overlooking the first. The walls were made of stained wood and the downstairs was spacious, with an open concept. The kitchen belonged to someone who loved to cook and the dining area to someone with a big family. The living room was enormous, with a huge fireplace on one solid wall and a wide-screen television on the other. Rugs scattered about on the floor gave the place a lived-in look, while the silk plants that looked almost real added foliage that wasn’t grown in this area. The greenery enhanced the inside scenery to complement the outside. What she liked most was that the entire back wall was made of glass and provided a panoramic view of Streater Lake and the rest of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
“So what do you think?” Jace asked, joining her after closing the door behind him with the heel of his boot. His arms were full of grocery bags. They’d made a stop at one of the general stores at the foot of the mountain. He claimed he could cook, and she was dying to see if he was telling the truth. She had no problem admitting that cooking wasn’t her specialty.
“I think it’s beautiful. How long have you had it?” she asked, setting her bag on the sofa.
She tried not to notice how sexy he looked in a T-shirt, scruffy jeans and battered boots. He’d arrived at her place bright and early at seven, and when she’d opened the door, her heart had gone pitter-pat. He’d been smiling, and as soon as he’d stepped inside her house, he had pulled her into his arms and kissed her. If she hadn’t been wide-awake before, that kiss had definitely done it.
“I’ve had it for a couple of years now. My family owned one about four miles east of here,” he said, moving toward the kitchen. “After Mom died and Dad was sent away, no one wanted to come here, so Granddad sold it.”
He placed the bags on the counter. “Dad used to take us camping a lot, and I’ve always liked being close to nature. I heard about this place going up for sale and grabbed it. This is only my third time coming here.”
She joined him in the kitchen, and without asking if he needed help, she assisted in going through the bags and putting items away. Although the kitchen was large, it seemed they would occasionally bump into each other, making the simmering sparks inside of her flare even more.
It had felt odd pushing a grocery cart around in the store while he filled it. It had felt as if they were a married couple. He had teased her about her lack of knowledge when it came to spices and couldn’t believe the one time she had cooked spaghetti, the sauce hadn’t been homemade.
They put away the items quickly, and then he gave her a tour of the place. She saw the bedroom where they would spend the night and thought the view of the lake and mountains was spectacular. The bed faced a huge window, and she could imagine waking up to see the sun rise each morning.
“You want to take a walk?” Jace asked when they walked back down the stairs to the living room. “I’d like to show you a favorite place of mine.”
“All right.”
Taking her hand, he led her out the back door and down a wooded path. “This is what sold me on this place,” he said, opening a wrought iron gate and then leading her through thick foliage. They hadn’t gone far before they reached a clearing and glanced down at the meadow below. It was simply breathtaking. Covered in all kinds of wildflowers, and in the center of it all was a huge geyser with water gushing upward toward the sky.
“It’s not a part of my property, but as long as I can view it from here whenever I want, I feel that it is. I’ve even built this bench,” he said, easing down on it.
Shana wondered what thoughts had plagued him so much that he needed this place, a place of peace and solitude, to escape to. He’d had a lot of unhappiness in his life. It had to have been hard going through what he and his brothers had. He hadn’t just lost one parent; in a way, he’d lost two.
She joined him on the bench, and for a minute, neither said anything as they looked down at the meadow below. She’d never been one who liked the outdoors but had to admit that this was something she could get used to. Grassy green slopes covered in wildflowers of every color in the rainbow. She couldn’t imagine anyone not being able to see such beauty, and her thoughts shifted to Mona.
“What was that deep sigh about?”
Shana glanced over at Jace. She hadn’t been aware she’d made it. “I was thinking about Mona, the woman my father has fallen in love with.” There. She’d said it, and in saying it, she was basically accepting it. The verdict was still out for Jules, but Shana was convinced. She had seen their father on Monday and saw the way his face lit up whenever he mentioned Mona’s name. Yes, Ben Bradford was definitely in love.
“What about her?”
“She’s blind as a result of an auto accident a few years ago. The doctors think her sight might come back, but there aren’t any guarantees. But it wouldn’t matter to Dad one way or the other. He loves her and will take her with sight or blind. Now, that’s true love.”
“True love,” he scoffed. “Is there such a thing?”
Evidently, you don’t think so, Shana surmised. “My father believes there is. Says he’s been in love twice in his life. With Mom and now Mona.”
“What about you? Have you ever been in love?”
She was surprised by his question and immediately thought of Jonathan. “Yes, at one time I thought I was in love.”
He lifted a brow. “Thought?”
“Yes. I was intentionally swept off my feet, treated like a queen and led to believe I was the woman of his dreams,” she said bitterly.
He’d hung on her every word. “And?”
“And...it was a deliberate setup, and I was too taken with him to know it. I didn’t read the signs until it was almost too late.”
He didn’t say anything, and when she felt his arms circle around her, she moved closer into his embrace. “What happened?” he asked softly.
She started to say she didn’t want to talk about it, that he didn’t need to know what a fool she’d been. But Jace had of way of getting to her at every angle. He was the perfect lover, and when it came to caring for others, he could be the most unselfish person she’d met in a long time. She watched him with his brothers and his employees. She’d heard how he spoke lovingly of his grandfather and the housekeeper who had been in his family since before he was born. But still, her past personal life was none of his business. On the other hand, maybe she should tell him so he’d know that she would never be any man’s fool again. But then she was susceptible to falling in love and truly believed she was close to the mark with him. Now, that was something he would never know.
“Jonathan and I met at a party and were immediately taken with each other. Not so much on a physical level as it was on an intellectual level. He engaged me in a conversation about Aristotle, and I was a goner.”
At his questioning look, she explained, “I’m a fan of Greek mythology and philosophy. We dated for about nine months, and then I found out the truth. It was a setup, and I was part of this well-orchestrated, diabolical plan. One of my clients was an oil tycoon and had me on retainer for a year. Jonathan’s job was to get close to me and obtain information to feed to his client, who happened to be my client’s biggest competitor.”
“How
did you find out?”
She could hear the anger in his voice. “I didn’t. Kent did, and Bruce came to me with the proof. Jonathan’s intent was to have evidence to use against me in case I found out what he was doing and broke things off. Then he would resort to blackmail. Lucky for me, Bruce wiped out every piece of electronic data Jonathan thought he had on me as well as my client.”
“Good for Bruce. Where is the asshole now?”
“Don’t know. He moved away from Boston months before I did. My involvement with him was a valuable lesson only to take affairs at face value.”
She didn’t say anything else for a minute, and then it was her time to be inquisitive. “You were married once, so I assume you’ve been in love.”
Yes, she could assume that, Jace thought. But it hadn’t taken long to realize his marriage to Eve had been a mistake. However, he was a man who knew how to deal with whatever hand he was dealt, and with Eve, God knows he tried. But as far as he was concerned, Eve had betrayed him in the worst possible way, and he doubted he could ever forgive her for it.
But there was no way he could tell Shana that he’d never been in love because for a short while he had...or at least he’d thought so. “Yes, I’ve been in love.”
“What happened?”
He knew she had every right to ask him that. After all, he’d dug into her business by asking her. Besides, he could wrap up what happened with him and Eve in one sentence. “I discovered love wasn’t all it was cracked up to be, and therefore, I won’t ever indulge in such madness again.”
There. They understood each other, he thought. He understood what drove her, and she now knew what didn’t drive him. Their affair was about the physical and nothing else.
“Ready to go back?” he asked, tightening his arms around her.
She lifted her face toward him. “Not if you’re going to make me help you in the kitchen.”
“You really don’t like handling pots and pans?”
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