Second on the Right (22 page)

"I am so sorry. I acted terribly. It was
absolutely uncalled for, and I should have behaved better. I had
planned for last night to go a certain way and, well, with this
man's presence, it all seemed to fall apart. I even told Patrick I
thought you might be cheating on me." James gave Eileen a half
smile.

Eileen's eyes widened for a moment. "I would
never—" she replied. "I should have explained, given you fair
warning. He and I have known each other for years."

Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself
for the introduction. "I…I'm not sure how to go about this, but I
probably should introduce the two of you." She continued. "James,
I'd like for you to meet," she winced, "Captain Robert
Benedict."

“Funny, Eileen.” James looked from Benedict
to Eileen. He raised an eyebrow and gave a quick laugh. "Do you
mean the one from your dream or the one from my family line? Either
way, I suppose I deserve a little teasing. Did Patrick put you up
to this?" he asked.

"She be speakin' the truth, whelp!" snapped
Benedict.

"This is incredible. He certainly has a skill
for talking like a pirate!" James exclaimed. Then rubbing his sore
jaw thoughtfully, he added. "And a good right hook as well." With a
broad grin, he asked Benedict, "I
love
the pirate
accent."

Benedict rolled his eyes at Eileen. "Are ya
goin'ta tell 'im, or shall I?" he asked.

Eileen gestured for Benedict to explain.

"Accordin' ta what Miss Davis’ been tellin'
me, I be yer ancestor. Ye are part o' the Benedict lineage, tho'
can't imagine what part…'cept maybe a highly diluted one," he
grumbled, looking at James as if he were the village idiot.

"James, remember what I told you…about my
experience aboard the
Mistral Thief
?" Eileen asked.

"Yes, of course I remember. That was your
dream, right?" he asked.

"Yes, well, it be true," Benedict interjected
with a slight sneer. "The pendant was left for
Miss Davis
.
Made 'specially for her. A similar one near me heart fits within
hers." Benedict revealed the pendant he wore. “Says ‘True love's
magic is not to avoid changes—"

“—but to navigate them successfully,” Eileen
finished.

James glanced from Eileen to Benedict. When
his eyes came to rest on Eileen who held a look of earnest, he
smiled. Pulling his pendant from inside his shirt, he held it
up.

Benedict took it in hand and turned it over.
A few seconds later he nodded confirmation. “This be tha very same
as I. Miss Davis, if ye please?" Benedict said, motioning for her
to remove her pendant.

Benedict removed his own pendant. James'
smile faded. As quick as he could, James took Eileen's pendant and
fit his within it.

“This is unbelievable!" he exclaimed, again
grinning. "I knew Papa was right. Dad even admitted he was. But
now, here before me in flesh and blood. I am a descendant of a
pirate! How did you even get here? I, I don't know what to say. I
laughed at Patrick when I showed him the black spot and he
mentioned pirates. I thought he had to be joking!"

Benedict's face grew solemn. "Beggin' yer
pardon. Didya say a black spot?"

James met Eileen's look of concerned, but
shrugged it off. "Yes. Some stupid kid at the airport. Kept staring
at me while I was hailing a cab. Then he slapped this decal on the
window of the cab. Hold on, it’s in my car." James ran out to
retrieve his binder.

Eileen and Benedict exchanged glances.
"Captain, what's wrong?"

Benedict smiled, "Nothin', darlin'." Then
mused, "Interestin' tho'."

"What's that?" she asked.

"Interestin' fact ye managed ta find a
descendant o' tha Benedict family line. As if ye were drawn to us
fer some greater purpose," he said thoughtfully.

"And what purpose would that be?" she asked,
rolling her eyes this time. “To further the family line?”

"Don't quite know," he replied
absentmindedly. Regaining composure, he grinned. “But if that be
the case, it coulda been me.”

Uncomfortable silence fell between them.

James returned with an opened binder. He
dropped the decal onto the counter top for the other two to see.
Eileen stole another glance at Benedict, and saw a foreboding look
flash in his eyes only to quickly fade.

"Ah! Means nothin'," he said, picking up the
decal and tossing it in the trash.

Excusing himself, Benedict left. Eileen
pursed her lips. She did not believe him.

Eileen curled up next to James on the porch
swing overlooking the Sound. They sipped their coffee in silence,
simply enjoying each other’s company. The light breeze, the soft
sunlight, the rustle of the trees, all served to enhance the
moment. Every once in a while James would lean over and kiss Eileen
on the cheek, whispering, "I love you."

"James, thank you for apologizing this
morning. You really didn't have to since you more than made up for
it last night," she said, nudging him gently in the side.

James looked at her and smiled. "I was a bit
overwhelmed. I had intended to tuck you into bed. When I saw that
look in your eyes… The kiss was amazing but you really needed to
sleep it off. Luckily, I was exhausted, so it didn't take me long
to fall asleep next to you."

"So we didn't…uh..." she was at a loss for
words. She took another sip of coffee.

Clearing his throat, James could see Eileen
was struggling. "Eileen, on my honor, other than our kiss, nothing
happened last night."

Eileen gave him a quick smile, then leaned
against him and looked out between the trees.

A few weeks crept by with James, Benedict and
Eileen managing to live under one roof without. Once James seemed
to get over his jealousy, he was wild to find out all he could from
the time-traveling relative. He attacked Benedict with questions
about the family, about his history. Benedict, on the other hand,
was not in the least bit thrilled with his descendent. In fact, he
felt James was more of a hindrance than a gift. Benedict planned to
spend more time alone with Eileen, but it always managed to be the
three of them. Benedict developed a tendency to take long walks to
cool down and relax, wishing to be back on the
Mistral Thief
with Eileen.

One particular morning, Benedict returned to
find Eileen curled in a fetal position on the sofa of the living
room. While watching the news reports on the television, she had
fallen asleep. He carefully sat down next to her, pushing her hair
aside. Her head was propped up on a pillow. The television spewed
out information on a current global outbreak:

"The CDC has announced a pandemic influenza
is causing serious illness and spreading worldwide. Efforts are
underway to manage the new flu. The CDC states that the influenza,
or 'flu', feels like any other. Aches, pains, nausea, and vomiting.
Be sure to maintain hydration during this time. We will keep you
updated as the outbreak progresses."

Eileen groaned, pulling her knees up close to
her chest. Benedict could see she was not well. He ran his fingers
through her hair and over her skin. She slowly opened and closed
her eyes. With a start, she bolted up and ran to the bathroom down
the hall. He could hear faint sounds of her vomiting. From their
days on the
Mistral
Thief, he was all too familiar with her
weak stomach.

James strolled to the Sound where Eileen sat.
Her head leaned against a tree. He stopped.

"Eileen?" he called. "Eileen, are you feeling
all right?" He knelt down beside her.

She cleared her throat and looked over at
him. "My stomach has been a bit queasy lately, but I’m fine," she
replied.

The serene view spurred James into action.
“Eileen, I’ve been thinking.”

She turned her head to listen.

Nervously, he cleared his throat. “We’ve been
together for a long while and, well.” James ran his fingers through
his hair, ending at the base of his neck. “Remember the first time
we met?”

“Yes,” she said expectantly. “After the
emergency drill.”

A small smile crept over his lips. “No, my
love. It was before then.”

She frowned.

“You were looking at the ship and I came up
behind you. I said ‘beautiful’ and you assumed I meant—”

“—the ship,” she finished. “Yes, I remember
now. How could I forget? You were so—”

“—idiotic. I was trying to be romantic, but
failed miserably. When you passed by me, it was the first time I
truly understood love at first sight. And quite honestly, I’ve felt
even more in love with you ever since. I had thought relationships
that lasted for years lacked in love, that whatever was there to
begin with had to fade, but I don’t feel that way. When I’m with
you, I get the same rush I did the first time I saw you. I want
that, every day of my life, for the rest of our lives. I want to
make you happy, always.”

“James, why are you saying all of this?” she
asked.

James presented her with a sparkling
heart-shaped diamond ring. Eileen gasped at the sight.

"Marry me," James whispered.

Eileen smiled. She nodded yes and wrapped her
arms around his neck in an embrace. James kissed her and slipped
the ring on her finger. "I cannot imagine my life without you."

No!
From within the trees, Benedict
watched the two. He had been straining to hear what he thought was
James’ rambling. As he observed James kneeling down beside Eileen,
confusion set in, until he heard the proposal. Upon hearing James’
two simple words, he slipped quietly away. He knew her answer.

Patrick spent hours searching the Internet,
making calls and pulling in favors. He discovered odd rumors of a
mysterious boy's skills and abilities. It seemed to range from the
typical to the supernatural. Regardless of who this kid was, he was
obviously a threat to James and the company. Patrick continued to
dig deeper, hoping to come across the reason for the threats. If he
couldn’t solve the puzzle, the situation might grow worse. Having
spoken with James on the phone, Patrick packed up a few things and
headed out.

Meeting that afternoon in the Westport home,
James and Patrick sat in the kitchen to discuss the threats to the
company and to James in particular. Eileen had gone out on a jog
and Benedict was on his usual walk around the woods.

"James, from what I've found, it appears this
kid is acting on his own. He isn't with any organization or gang.
I've got a guy in the precinct helping me out, but all he's found
out are some creepy rumors, possible related kidnappings. Nothing
more. I'm waiting for a call. Maybe we can get his true name,"
Patrick explained, taking a large bite out of a ham sandwich.

"So, what does this mean for the company? For
me? Patrick, I've got Eileen. If this threat is real, I need to do
everything in my power to protect her, keep her safe."