Flawlessly Executed (Dark Horse Guardians Book 3) (3 page)

Lara squealed, “Oh, tell me!”

Finn puffed his chest out and smirked, “Liam Phineas Murphy!”

Lara slapped him on the back, “Finally, a boy! Oh, I love the name, Liam Murphy, and he has your name, too!”

Finn rolled his eyes at that; then asked, “How’s Ben doing?”

She felt her smile dissipate, “He just returned from a seven week job. I missed him….a lot.”

Finn paused and winked at her, “You know what they say: absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

Back to business, Finn peppered her with questions, “What do you want to change at the firm? You’re in charge now. Are you happy with the way things are? How can I help?”

Lara was caught off guard by his eagerness to get her input. She slowly tossed an idea out, “I was thinking of taking on a new contractor…a landscape designer. We have a ton of requests for landscape renovations and that’s an area Stone and Associates has never explored.”

Finn smiled and immediately guessed, “Someone you know?”

Lara replied, “Yes, he did an enormous renovation on one of my projects and he’s installing my garden at Clearwater Farm as we speak.”

Finn took on a somber air, “Let’s draw up a contract for him, then. What’s this guy’s name?”

When she said “Grant Hawkins,” recognition registered on Finn’s face, “He’s the guy who did Eliot’s botanical garden. Yes, he’s a
genius
. Let’s put together a contract and John Maxfield can review it.”

The pair sat together going back and forth until they had crafted a fair contract. Lara was adamant about protecting Hawk’s best interests.

After going over some other business quickly, Finn scooped up his leather case and disappeared through the door to his next appointment in Southern Maine. “Call me if you need anything…and you know I mean that,” he said it with a sincere tone as he flashed a perfect smile. And, just like that, the tornado that was Finn Murphy was gone. He was back on the road. Lara silently promised herself to stop by to see the new baby. She enjoyed Marcella and all five of Finn’s lovely daughters. He seemed so excited to have a son.

For a long moment after eating lunch Lara thought about Grant Hawkins. He had done such a magnificent job on the Henderson place, producing a $90,000 Victorian garden the likes of which she had never seen. The two of them were compatible in so many ways, especially in the realm of design. She wanted Hawk to work for Stone and Associates, but didn’t want him to feel pressured if she asked him. She just had to know his answer and there was no time like the present. She dialed his number and heard his cheerful masculine voice, “Hawk”.

She took a deep breath and spoke in her professional voice, “Hello, Hawk. How are you?”

~ Grant Hawkins ~

He recognized her cell number the moment he glanced down and felt the phone vibrate. He answered on the second ring even though he was running the excavator on a landscaping project. He was just about to stop for his lunch break anyway, as he shut off the engine. “How are
you
?” he asked back, hoping she was doing well since the funeral.

He ceased moving as he listened to her sweet feminine tone, “Hawk, I have a proposition for you. I want you to work for Stone and Associates. I’ve been sorting through the projects here at the firm and there are many requests for landscaping renovations. I don’t know exactly how many guys you have on your crew, but I’d like to meet with you to discuss the possibilities...are you there?”

Hawk couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He pinched himself to make sure he was awake and not having a wonderful dream. He uttered eagerly, “Sure, when and where. I’ll be there.” Lara gave him the directions to Stone and Associates and asked him to meet with her the next day.

“Morning is best if you can do it. How about 8:00?” She proposed.

Hawk’s brain went into overdrive. He would put another guy on the excavator, and instantly replied, “Yes, I’ll be there at 8:00…and,
thank you
.”

He listened to her laugh as she said, “Well, don’t thank me just yet. You don’t know what I’m going to ask you to do!”

He responded, “I’m ready, willing and able to do whatever you want.” He enjoyed her giggle. Then she said, “Well, that’s very kind of you.” She ended the call and Hawk couldn’t stop the silly smile that spread over his face.

The rest of the day he couldn’t stop thinking:
she wants me to work for her!
A bit of panic set in. He didn’t know if he was up to the task. He was a bit rusty on his social skills, had few decent pieces of clothing and considered her his best friend. Not a good beginning for a business relationship, this much he knew.

But, he respected Lara on so many levels, especially since she had taken him as a confidante. Lara single-handedly brought him out of the deep depression he had been suffering since the death of his wife two years ago. Working with her on the Victorian garden for Henderson and now making visits to Clearwater Farm to install her garden, he was actually interested in living once again.

In fact, he made excuses to visit the project at Clearwater Farm even though he was supposed to be starting another client’s installation. He assigned a few guys on his crew to the other project and they had it underway. For the past week he was wrapped up in listening to Lara play on the beach with Einstein in the morning and talking with her as she lounged on the porch for an hour or so before starting her day. He recognized Lara’s deep depression with the recent death of her friend, and was genuinely concerned about her. He wanted to be a sounding board for her, a compassionate listener. And he was.

For the first time she really opened up and confided in him. She told him about the brutal rape and beating she suffered in middle school and how it altered her life. She talked about the death of her father and meeting Rusty and Don Henderson. The mystery of her obsession with weapons was solved. She wasn’t paranoid; she was ready to kill the next bastard that pushed her around. Hawk began to understand her anxieties and compulsions.
She had finally let him in.
He admired her strength, persistence and optimism.

Hawk felt the one-on-one conversations with Lara were helping her; she talked and he listened. It was as if she had to say things aloud to sort it all out in her head. The last few days he noticed her depression was lifting. Meanwhile, he felt honored that she could have private discussions with him. He had to tear himself away from early morning chats with her. And there were times he could not pull himself away.

He was sure she felt the same bond, but they never spoke of it and he wanted to keep it that way. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly,
she wanted him
to
work for her
. He would meet with her in the morning and listen to any proposal she had. No one had ever given him an opportunity like this, except for Ellen. He valued and cherished Lara’s friendship, trust and loyalty and made a silent promise not to screw that up. He stopped by a men’s clothing store to purchase a real suit and tie, something missing from his closet for too many years. He even picked up cologne, which he spent way too much for, and mouthwash.

~ Ben ~

At the university the first weeks of the semester were always filled with turmoil and confusion and Ben took it in stride. Other professors were stressed out and mumbling obscenities, but he knew it was no big deal. Every student’s schedule seemed to change and the whole school shifted a bit, then settled into a predictable routine. He only had one year under his belt, but could see the pattern clearly, making him wonder why some of these tenured professors were running around pulling their hair out. Was it really that important in the grand scheme of things if their lunch break was early or late? For Ben, his teaching job was all about the students.

Something of more concern to him was Lucy Adams and her annoying habit of probing into his business on a daily basis. She was making excuses to drop by his office and he did all that he could to discourage her little visits. But she was persistent. When in his office it was his custom to keep the door open so new students would feel comfortable dropping by. However, today it was Lucy Adams dropping by again.

“Hello Professor Keegan,” she drew the words out as she lingered in his doorway.

Ben did not look up, hoping his body language would discourage her. However, she didn’t seem to get the hint. She was wearing a tight black mini-skirt with a matching jacket and a bright pink T-shirt underneath. Ben could never figure out why she wore so much make-up and crazy jewelry. The aroma of her cheap perfume hit his nostrils before she was even in the room.

“Why, Professor Keegan, if I didn’t know better…I’d say you’re ignoring me!” She drawled.

Ben felt compelled to look up and she was now halfway across the room perched on his office sofa.

He finally caved in, “How can I help you, Miss Adams?”

Her big brown eyes met his and he sensed she was there for a long visit. She flicked her long red hair away from her face with a well-manicured hand. “I’ve missed your handsome face around here all summer, that’s all I wanted to say,
blue eyes
.”

Ben felt his jaw clench when she called him that. He wasn’t about to engage in a conversation with Lucy Adams or any young woman in his office unless it was university business.

“Thank you, Miss Adams, but I must say I did not miss the university. My summer was busy and filled with work.” There, he thought, that should get her to move on. His head was now back down and his eyes glued to paperwork on his desk.

Without warning, Lucy Adams was now sitting in the chair next to his desk and she placed her hand with long red fingernails on the papers obscuring the material.

He glared at her, “And, how can I help you?”

Lucy smiled in an all-knowing way, something he hated about her. Because she was the dean’s assistant, she was privy to all sorts of proprietary information and would often dangle this fact before him.

“I just happen to know of a certain someone who’s trying to get in touch with you…maybe a past girlfriend?” Lucy let the words roll off her tongue slowly.

Now she had his attention, but not in a good way.

“Exactly who are you talking about?” he countered.

Lucy took a long moment as Ben stared her down. Finally, she uttered the name, “Abby?”

His mind instantly stopped thinking of Lucy and he felt his pulse quicken. Why would Abby be looking for him? He felt beads of sweat forming on his upper lip. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled slowly to fight off the feeling coming over him.

“Is that all, Miss Adams? I’m really quite busy here, you know.” He dismissed her.

Lucy stood next to his desk, her petite frame inches away from him now.

“I thought you’d want to know that Abby is looking for you. She called the dean’s office to inquire about your employment here and we confirmed it. Old girlfriend?” Lucy grinned.

Ben now stared Lucy Adams in the eye, “What’s it to you?”

Lucy looked away and tossed a wrinkled phone message onto his desk. “It’s nothing to me…” And, she sashayed out of his office without looking back.

If she had looked back, she would’ve noticed he hastily grabbed the message and read it. Then she would have seen him lean back in his chair as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. The message read,
Ben, I need to speak with you as soon as possible. Call me.
Her phone number was scrawled on the note.

He hadn’t seen or heard from Abigail Roth since his senior year in high school. She had ended their steady relationship dumping him for a college guy…West Point…Army, which made it even more painful on some level. The day Lara held the photo of Lucy and him in his childhood bedroom, he had quickly snatched it away not wanting to go into the painful details about Abby. But his wounded heart still harbored an occasional twinge of regret for what might have been.

Abby was his first
real
girlfriend and it was love at first sight, at least for him. She was reluctant, at first, but his persistence paid off. In high school, he memorized her class schedule and lurked in the hallway near the door of her next class in an effort to impress her. He was a junior and she was a freshman. He slipped anonymous notes through her locker vent. He sent flowers to her home with the words
your secret ad
mirer written on the card. He followed her around like a puppy waiting to be petted, and it finally worked. He didn’t know if he wore her down or if she really fell for him, but he suspected it was the latter.

Everything flashed through his mind in an instant. Their first kiss after a basketball game, standing underneath a bright porch light with Abby’s parents glaring from the window. Ben drew her close to him and kissed her, slowly and tentatively the first time. But after that he would turn
off
the porch light and push her against the side of the house French kissing her sometimes for twenty minutes before her parents would flick the light on. On those occasions her father would open the door beckoning Abby to come inside and the door would be closed in Ben’s face.

Ben remembered one night in particular; he took Abby on a motorcycle ride after a football game, the first one of the season. It was when he had the 1940’s Indian Chief and the restoration was finally completed. She had never ridden a motorcycle before, but he brought a helmet and goggles for her and he remembered the instant thrill he felt when she wrapped her arms around him. The ride was wild and he was filled with testosterone and anticipation.