"Don't you know that handsome stalkers are all the rage now," she said with a giggle. "I'm here for you Nate, just don't stay away because you feel guilty for rocking my world!"
He wondered if she even knew how beautiful she was, if she would ever guess how much her words meant to him.
"I wish I could stay." At her questioning look he continued, "I need to get on the road while certain people are otherwise engaged. And before I do something that you might regret."
"Nate, I don't think it would be possible to ever regret you." The certainty in her words, the belief in him that shone through, were like kindling to him, reigniting the fire within and he couldn't resist kissing her again.
One more kiss before he had to leave, one more kiss to sustain him until the next time they could be alone like this. One more turned into five more, both of them breathless when they broke apart.
"I really need to go now my Belle."
"Will you ever tell me why you call me that?"
"Maybe one day." She smiled at him, shyly as if she had more she wanted to say.
"If you keep looking at me like that I won't ever leave, and I don't think Jack would be happy with an uninvited house guest, even one as handsome as me!"
"I don't know, he seems rather fond of you, Mimi too in case you were wondering." Nate didn't think Grace realized how much her statement meant to him, the absolute belief she had in him was priceless. It gave him the incentive he needed to say his goodbyes so that he could get on with the work that had to be done.
He waited until he heard the lock engage and the alarm was set before leaving by the side gate. He had parked his truck away from the house, and away from prying eyes who might have been looking for it, or him. As always before going towards his safe house he checked the camera feed, and ran the scanners for any trackers, but all was clear.
He sent a quick message to Jack to say that he was on the road and that Grace was home by herself. Using the hands free device he took a call from Ms Riley who told him she was almost at the house, she would stay there with Grace until Jack was finished at the office. After ending the call, he kept an eye out for anyone following him, but fortunately the journey home was uneventful.
After a few hours of reviewing video footage, and reading through another stack of legal documents and contracts, he felt as if his eyes were burning. There was so much he and his grandfather had not known about Charles Sinclair's dealings, about the people he had chosen to get tangled up with.
Reckless promises had been made to a group of individuals who would have no qualms about how they encouraged those in their debt to make repayments, yet it seemed as if his stepfather truly believed he was invincible.
When the fallout occurred, and there was no way that Nate could see to prevent it, innocent people would get hurt, would be sacrificed for something they had no knowledge of.
There were choices that he would have make, decisions that no one should ever have to make, least of all him. There could be no warnings, not attempts behind the scenes to renegotiate the terms. For one thing it would alert his stepfather to Nate's investigations, and for another it would put him in the cross hairs of the sharks.
All of which meant that there would be collateral damage, it was inevitable now and the only thing he could hope to do was limit the number of innocents harmed. Innocents like Grace, who now more than ever he needed to stay away from.
With the pressure Charles was under, there was no way that he would be happy with cheap stunts like changing the locks on the house. He needed money and fast, and although he had been able to blackmail local bank managers so that he could take repeated loans using Nate's family home as collateral, it simply wasn't enough. Not any more.
Nate knew that in a few days it would become public knowledge that he was the sole heir of his grandparents foundation, that only he could authorize the transfer of any funds, and if he so wished could reduce or even take away his mother's allowance.
It was a burden he had never wanted, had never asked for, and had been one of the primary reasons for the abuse he had been subjected to when he was younger. The scars on his back, the same ones that hours earlier had felt the gentle touch of an innocent, were his constant reminder of the pain he had endured, that he had survived.
Nate was determined to hold on to the memories of his time with Grace, to the hope they gave him for a future he had never dared to hope could be his. First though he needed to take the fight to the enemy, starting with a long overdue meeting with his mother.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Amelia Elizabeth Henderson had a beauty that was unrivaled in her home town of Silver Glade. Her long golden blond locks, fell in a sheet all the way down her back; her blue eyes were said to dazzle anyone who saw them, and although she was not the tallest, she had made it an art form to walk in the highest of heels.
When she made her debut into polite society she quickly became the darling of the season in the media; her picture graced the society pages and there was endless speculation about who might win her hand in marriage. When asked, Amelia would smile shyly, and deflect the question, and so the mystery around her grew.
Everyone tried to snare her, sending expensive gifts to help their efforts to woo her, and soon there were bets in the old school gentleman's clubs about who would be victorious in claiming her as their bride.
Her breeding was impeccable, her father was known to be generous with her allowance, and as an heiress to a fortune she was all that they aspired to collect. It wasn't exactly difficult to understand just why the majority of those wanting to marry Amelia sought to win her heart, she was a means to an end.
Through their marriage, each man believed they would be granted access to and then ultimately control of the vast Henderson Foundation and all the power and prestige that went with it.
Then Amelia Elizabeth Henderson did the unthinkable. She married without warning, and to none of the hungry pack who had been chasing her. She married someone who cared nothing for her riches, for the people she knew or who her ancestors were.
She dared to marry for love, an idea frowned upon in the social circles she had grown up around. Girls of her status, her friends constantly told her, were meant to marry in a whirl of tulle, lace and the flash of cameras.
They were meant to marry equals, those who knew how the game was played. They were meant to be married in a cathedral by the highest ranking member of the clergy their parents knew, never mind that neither the bride or groom hadn't set foot in a house of worship in years, if ever.
In a shocking twist to the great heiress chase, Amelia married her beloved in front of just their respective parents, the officiant was a judge her father knew, wearing a dress that was at least a season old and barely hid a small baby bump.
Her groom was tall, his olive complexion darkened from working outdoors during the summer. Caleb Garcia was someone she had known for years, who over time became more, someone she couldn't live without.
She had been nervous about telling her parents that she was pregnant, Caleb by her side holding her hand, but as always her father had just swept her into a hug and asked them what their plans were. He had noticed the neat ring on her left hand, before asking if they wanted to be married before the baby arrived.
When Caleb mentioned his plans to enlist, her father had told him that he was willing to offer him a job, somewhere safe, so that Caleb could be with his wife and small child. Amelia knew that her father's respect grew for her fiance, when he spoke about wanting to prove his worth; to know that he could provide for his growing family.
Lia Garcia loved her husband. Loved him for his values, his beliefs and his ability to see past the mask she had worn for so long. She loved that he loved her for who she was, not who her parents were nor their wealth.
He was kind and thoughtful, always putting the needs of others before his own. She loved Caleb even more for allowing her parents to gift them with their first home, for
letting them help with arrangements for their wedding.
For a time they had been happy, they set up their home, and spent the days before Caleb set off for basic training going through baby books for names for their baby.
Her parents had arranged for a scan before Caleb had to leave, so that he would have an image of his unborn child to take with him, as well as the memory of hearing the baby's heartbeat.
Lia would never forget the look of wonder on his face, the steady beat of their child's heart filling the room and the tear that slid down his face. It would become one of her most cherished memories.
Even though she missed her husband, Lia felt free. She could set aside the expectations of others and just be whoever she chose to be. Caleb encouraged her to think about going school, his mother would be happy to look after her grandchild.
Her parents had never made demands of her, but she hadn't wanted to let them down by not being a society darling. She knew that her unexpected marriage and pregnancy had to have caused gossip, and for her parents who did their best to stay out of the gossip columns she regretted the attention.
She also knew that she was somewhat naive, that she had no real idea about what life would be like once her husband finished his training. She hadn't realized that he would not be by her side in her last few months of pregnancy, that he wouldn't be in the same country when their son made his appearance, that he wouldn't ever have the chance to hold their son in his arms.
Caleb never making it home was something that Lia hadn't ever considered as a possibility. Just as she had never wanted to marry someone who would put her on a pedestal, she'd never wanted to marry a war hero.
She didn't want the pitying looks from those who had mocked her choice and then constantly spoke about Caleb as if they had known him. The people who hadn't deemed him worthy in life, were now suddenly falling over themselves to use his death as a way to worm their way back into her life.
She sank into a deep depression; unable to look at her son who reminded her of the man she had lost somewhere on the other side of the world, in a country that she had only ever seen on a map or the news.
She moved back to the home of her childhood, letting her parents care for her son while she lost herself to her grief. And there she stayed; unreachable to anyone until she caught sight of a toddler with a cheeky grin and eyes that shined with mischief. Slowly, as if emerging from quick sand, Lia began to see that not all life had been lost, that she was failing Caleb by not living, by not telling his son about the kind of man his father had been.
Lia Henderson Garcia was, once upon a time, the kind of mother who held her young son close as she told him stories about his father. His father, the knight in shining armor who had answered the call, only to die while protecting his country. His photograph had always been prominently displayed in their home, and a young Nate aspired to be a protector just like his dad.
Then one day something changed. The image of his father in his dress uniform was removed, never to be seen again. In it's place rose up a shrine to a man so dark, that he had cast shadows over what had once been a family's home.
Lia had never quite gotten over her loss. She had tried, oh how she had tried, to put the pieces of herself back together. She had wanted to be the kind of mother that Nate deserved, one who could be enough to make up for the loss of a father he had never met.
As he grew older, and began to show an aptitude for sports she began to panic that she was failing him; that while she could spend hours listening to him read, teaching him about music and art, she had no idea about his new love of baseball.
Her father, who while never into sport, tried his best to help, bringing Nate to games, or what passed for games at that age. She sponsored the team so that they all had the necessary gear and enjoyed watching the friendships that developed between Nate and the other children who played.
As Lia grew stronger, and the fog of grief finally seemed to have lifted, she noticed just how old her parents had become. Her mother was moving more slower and there was something about her that made Lia nervous. She asked her father if there was anything she could do to help, if maybe she and Nate should move out, he was after all an energetic kid.
She remembered noticing the uncertain look on her father's face when he told her the plans he had made. The cruise that her parents had often spoken about but never taken. How he wanted to go soon, while he and his wife were still healthy enough to enjoy it.
Looking back Lia would wonder if she should have asked more questions but she was trying not to panic. She convinced her father to organize the trip, that she and Nate would stay in the big house and would be waiting to receive post cards from all the glamorous places they would visit.
And so time passed, her parents traveled for a time, before settling in a new area, her mother having fallen in love with the town. Lia, while happy for her parents, began to feel a little hemmed in.
Nate was her joy, showing all the traits that she had loved in his father. She still had struggles, days when she had to force herself out of bed, but she had also been able to reconnect with some of her friends from school.
One night, while out with one of her friends, she met someone who for the first time in years made her feel, made her want. There was a spark in his eye that intrigued her. He didn't fawn over her, but when she spoke, she knew she had his full attention.
The night flew by and she was reluctant to leave, but she had Nate waiting for her at home. Shyly she asked for his number, hoping she wasn't coming across as being too forward. It had been so long since she had last had a date, and even then she had never once asked someone out. She almost chickened out of calling him, and three days had passed before she plucked up the courage to make the call.
That first date, led to another, and before she knew it, she was wondering how she might introduce this man who had swept her off her feet to the most important people in her life. She knew that the relationship was becoming more serious, but before she committed to anything she needed to know how Nate would react. If he would be able to welcome another person into their lives.
Charles made her feel so grown up, in a way she had never experienced before. He had an interesting set of friends, who seemed so sophisticated and worldly, something that she had always wanted to be.
In moments of intimacy Charles always treated her as if she were precious, as if he couldn't believe she was with him. He took his time with her, never pushing, but also encouraging her to try new things, to live a little. His words spoke to her in ways she couldn't explain, made her want to be different if only to please him.
It had been a shock to her when the first meeting between Charles and Nate had not gone well. Maybe she should have waited longer, perhaps she had rushed things, but she wanted her son to know who had helped make her feel whole again.
She saw the effort that Charles had made, how he had asked to speak privately with Nate so that in his words 'they could talk man to man'. She watched from a distance as confusion swept over Nate's face followed by some emotion she couldn't name. She wanted to rush over, to help the conversation along, but she had promised Charles a chance to win her son over.
As the visit continued Nate grew more petulant, and while she may not have agreed with the way Charles rebuked her son, she couldn't deny that he needed to be punished. He needed a strong male figure in his life, especially as he grew older and hormones set in.
She ignored the hurt and betrayal in Nate's eyes, instead listening to Charles, who was correct in saying that children needed to know their place. Children needed to listen and respect those older than them. People who had seen the real words and knew that it was no fairy tale. Lia knew how true his statement was.
Amelia Elizabeth Henderson Sinclair married for the second time, another intimate ceremony with only her husband's friends as witness. Her parents and son had not been invited as the groom wanted a day that was just for them.
She listened and
obeyed her husband without question. She knew how lucky she was to have him, was beyond grateful that he had not left her, had not even been put off by her son, who had whispered lies to her father. She didn't need her father any more, not when she had Charles to guide her, to teach her, to show her all she had been missing out on.
It was Charles who introduced her to the magic potion that he promised would make her see the world in a whole new light, and he had been right. So long as she obeyed she could have as much as possible. It never occurred to her that she no longer saw her old friends, that both sets of Nate's grandparents had stopped seeing him.
Charles made changes to the house, and Amelia was happy for him to do so. It was his in all but title, and he had every right to make it in to a home he could be proud of. She felt a pang of grief when the picture of Caleb was removed, but knew better than mention her first husband to Charles.
Nate was becoming increasingly violent and she agreed with her husband that he needed to deal with her son with a strong hand or he would become unruly. He would need to learn manners or he would be a terrible example to his siblings, whenever they should arrive.
Amelia couldn't help but feel like a failure for not being pregnant already. She could tell from the changes in their love making that Charles was becoming more and more frustrated. If he was more forceful with her, then she only had herself to blame for not being the perfect wife.
He was such a considerate husband, he always made sure to give her something to take the edge off before leading her to bed, or to the study or anywhere else he decided to have her. Amelia was glad for the care he showed her, whenever she grew upset about not yet being pregnant he always had a pill or drink for her to chase away the pain, to help her reach oblivion.
If she ever wondered at the bruises that covered her body, or the pain in places that had no right to feel pain afterward, she chose to keep her questions to herself.
Time passed in a haze. She rarely remembered her days, they seemed to blend into each other, but she did her best to remember all her new lessons that Charles taught her.
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