What Lies Between (37 page)

Naked anger had set hard in his face. Highland honor laced his veins, and I doubted Jason would know how to mount a defense against what lay in Ben MacIver’s blood. Yet he had given me his word to leave it alone. Could I trust him?

He searched my face, his furrowed brow relaxing. “Never you mind. Don’t worry about any of this right now. You have enough to focus on, like keeping Glenbroch out of my family’s hands.”

“Oh yes, that.”

His face grew slack and somber. “Do you hate the idea of working side-by-side with me, Ellie?”

Did I? Whether I hated the idea or not was of no consequence. Ben wasn’t who I would work with—it would be his father. And there wasn’t a chance I would work with John MacIver.

I shook my head. “It’s my inheritance, my history. It’s all I have now. Surely your family understands what that means? I can’t give it up.”

He turned toward the vignette of the sunny Highland day framed in the windows. “Of course you can’t.”

Ben’s gaze didn’t leave the view of the Kintail peaks. “I feel like I’m on a train speeding straight into the side of a mountain, and none of the doors or windows will open. Nothing I do slows it down or changes its course. But still, even though a crash is inevitable, I can’t sit and do nothing. I have to keep trying to find a way to change its course.”

What he said echoed my own experience, and I closed my eyes as my own recurring images filled my mind. For the first time, this train I’d spent most of my life trying to escape was different. For once, I wasn’t the only one on board.

I took his hand, laid the side of my face against his palm, let the scent of his skin fill my lungs and the heat of his touch comfort me.

“Whatever is coming with Glenbroch feels less scary.” I brushed his palm with a kiss.

He leaned close to me. “I gave you my word I would make this right.”

My eyes filled with questions.

“I know you can’t trust me about Glenbroch, and I won’t ask you to, but there is something I need.”

My eyebrows arched with curiosity, and I let his hand fall away.

“Ellie, all I want is for you to let me help you.”

“What kind of help do you mean?”

“Let me sort out a way through the repair and the marketing that doesn’t leave you in partnership with Marks.”

“But he already funded the repair.”

“I need to see your agreement with him, Ellie.”

I didn’t want to give it to him, had no desire to show my hand, and for him to know what I’d promised in exchange for the repair money.

“Please, Ellie. I need to know what the situation is, what we are up against.”

What
we
were up against? I wanted there to be a “we.” If there was going to be, I would have to do this in a new way. My heart argued that fear didn’t deserve to be in the driver’s seat of my life. It was true—I owed courage a chance at the wheel.

“The paperwork is in my office at Glenbroch.”

“Fill me in on the details now and let’s evaluate where you stand. I heard from the crew that Jason offered them a bonus and I’m concerned about shortcuts they might take. Ryan is a good man but he’s under tremendous pressure. One of the things I want to do is bring in someone I trust to review what the crew has done to date and supervise the completion.”

“Yes, I’m afraid I let Jason take over too much.”

His eyes held no judgment. “We’ll sort it all out.”

Ben had an agenda, but so did I—nothing had changed in that respect. The difference was that what we wanted now lay in the same direction. It had taken me long enough to figure this out. Why couldn’t I have trusted him more? Why had I let my anger run wild with me back in the beginning? It had always been one of my biggest problems; I never could manage to get my lessons learned before I messed things up.

“I need to meet my father, and I don’t want you to stay here on your own. My mum will be over at her book club breakfast this morning or you could have spent some time with her, which she would have loved. What about taking Jazz out for a walk behind the house? I’m okay if you have him with you; that dog would fiercely protect you. I completely understand his affections.”

I glanced away, embarrassed under the intensity of his gaze, but secretly content to let his attention and affection wash over me and not fight it, or myself, for once. “I’d love to take Jazz out, but you know, I would be fine on my own.”

“I’m sure you would, but I made a promise I wouldn’t leave you alone. Help me keep it, would you?”

“Okay, you win. Wouldn’t want you to break your word. What would happen? Would the earth split open, the mountains crumble into the loch?” I jabbed, a playful laugh escaping.

His eyes grew intense, serious. “I don’t plan on letting you find out.”

21

Four days after our blowout Jason still hadn’t left Scotland. He had planned to be here only a week and it had now been two. Ryan called to tell me Jason was stirring up trouble with the repair work. Time to confront him.

Ben wouldn’t let me out of his sight and didn’t want me near Jason or Glenbroch. When it was clear I was going with or without him, he jumped in the Beast alongside me.

Henry approached the driver’s side of the Beast as soon as I pulled to a stop in front of Glenbroch. “Jason is here, telling the crew to wrap up and close down work. What’s going on?”

“He and I have a deal, and if he’s thinking of breaking it over what . . .  that’s not going to happen,” I said, ignoring Henry’s question.

I headed toward the back of the house where the majority of the crew would be, and where Jason would likely be playing out his game of revenge. My body began trembling as I strode along the path around the side of the house. I didn’t want to see him again, but I had no choice. Ben and Henry closed in behind me.

Jason’s voice hit my ears before I caught sight of him, and it sounded like he was in an argument with Ryan. My fears were confirmed: they were arguing over stopping the job. Ryan wanted the bonus for completing early, claiming he would be done in ten days. Jason was ordering all work stopped, making it clear he would only provide regular pay for time spent to date, in spite of Ryan running the extra shifts and crews as Jason instructed.

“Please don’t interfere. This is my fight,” I said to Ben and Henry. I didn’t wait for their response as I headed in Jason’s direction.

Neither Jason nor Ryan acknowledged me until I stood next to them.

“What’s going on here?” I asked.

“He’s telling us to close up, stop working. Not planning on paying the bonus. It’s rubbish,” Ryan said, sweeping his hand toward Jason.

Turning to Jason, I forced calm into my voice. “What are you trying to pull?”

A smirk curled his lips. “Ell, it’s clear you and I don’t see eye-to-eye about much of anything.”

My eyes narrowed into my most withering glare. I grabbed Jason’s arm to pull him away and talk to him out of earshot of the others. He wouldn’t budge.

I turned to Ryan. “Hang tight. I need to talk to him.”

Ryan nodded, approached Ben and Henry and began telling them what was happening.

“Not your style, Jason. Listen, being your plaything in bed wasn’t part of our deal. Just keep your word.”

Jason folded his arms, shook his head. “Do you think I came here to invest money in an old house? You know exactly why I’m here.”

“You’re here because you need my help more than I need yours.”

Jason snorted. “You think pretty highly of yourself.”

I angled my head, peering at him with mock confusion. “My track record speaks for itself.”

“You think that’s why I came over to this wasteland full of village idiots?” He studied me a moment then laughed. “You
are
that naive. Incredible. You think this is a simple deal. Nothing’s simple, Ell. Never is.”

“You should have had the balls to write sex into the contract.”

“You’re ridiculous, you know that? Your attachment to this place, and these idiots”—he gestured at Ben, Henry, and Ryan—“would be hilarious if it wasn’t pathetic. These local yokels are trying to take this place from you. Don’t you get it? These people don’t want you around. Lucky for you, I do.”

Jason grabbed my arm and Jim, Ben, and Henry moved toward me, drawing my attention. Jason looked up as well, into the warning stares of all three men.

“This place is messed up,” he spit out. “Everyone here is a head case, and now you’re becoming just like them. If you don’t watch it, Ell, you’ll lose more than your edge; you’ll lose your mind. You need to come home with me.”

“I’m not going back to the States.”

“See, that’s the thing, you’ll lose this old house and come back in the end.” He leaned in close to my face. “I’ll leave the door cracked open, Ell, but know when you come crawling back—and you will—you’ll have enormous penance to pay.” He stroked my face. I jerked away from his touch. “You’ll come to enjoy it.”

“I let this whole thing go too far. You’re right, I might lose Glenbroch, but I’ll never work for you or have anything more to do with you.”

“We’ll see about that, Ell. When this is all gone, you’ll feel differently.”

He grabbed me before I could react.

Someone’s hands wrapped around me and pulled me back, and Jason hit the ground nearly at the same time. I turned to see Ben’s hands around my arms and Henry rubbing his knuckles.

“Henry?” I asked, stunned.

“He practically had him down before Jim or I could move,” Ben said.

Jason climbed to his feet and got up in Henry’s face. “I’m pressing charges and there are at least ten witnesses,” he said, sweeping his arms around at the gaping crew who had witnessed the scene. “I hope it was worth it. None of you idiots are getting a red cent from me.”

Henry reared his arm back again, and Jason flinched, stepping back. Jim grabbed Henry’s arm mid-flight.

“Leave him. He’s not worth it,” Jim said, leading Henry away.

Once Jim finished talking with Henry, I asked Henry to check on the pregnant ewes with me in an attempt to calm him down. I couldn’t bear him getting into trouble; I brought Jason here, and it was me Jason was angry with.

Just as Henry and I arrived back at the house an hour later, Jason strode into view with a police officer in tow.

“Guess the tea we were going to have will have to wait,” I sighed.

Henry said nothing as we neared the group. Ben, Jim, and Ryan stood facing the officer and Jason.

Jim approached us, speaking under his breath, “Don’t say anything, Henry.”

The officer tipped his hat as we approached. “Afternoon Ms. Jameson. I need to speak to you, Henry. This Jason Marks fellow claims you assaulted him.”

“Do your job, Philip, but you’ll find this Marks lad is lying,” Jim replied.

“We’ll see. I need to speak to the crew. Come with me, Henry, and let’s get this straightened out,” the officer said as he waited for Henry to walk ahead.

I fell in behind, spearing Jason with daggers I wished could penetrate his thick skin.

“Mr. Marks here states there was an altercation with Henry Mitchell, and he says several of you witnessed it.” Philip addressed the construction foreman, “Ryan, what happened here?”

“Philip, I don’t know what Marks is claiming happened. We were working here and he came along and ordered everything shut down, yelling and carrying on. As for Henry, can’t say I saw him doing anything. He was standing off over there talking to Ben MacIver. Ms. Jameson here was talking to Marks. Pretty sure she didn’t touch him. Can’t help you, I’m afraid.”

Philip scanned the crew. “Anyone else see anything?”

The men shook their heads.

Ben appeared from around the side of the house.

Philip turned to Ben. “Mr. MacIver, what happened here?”

“Jason was pretty upset, yelling at the crew and Ms. Jameson. I heard her tell him to leave. And he did but came back with you.”

“Ms. Jameson?” Philip turned to me, eyebrows raised in question.

I shook my head. “I’ve known Mr. Marks for a long time, and he’s prone to exaggeration of the facts, isn’t that true, Jason?” I turned a hard look in Jason’s direction. “If you look into his background, Philip, I think you’ll find a line of people a mile long have questions about claims Jason Marks throws around.”

Philip turned to Jason. “I don’t have anything here to substantiate your charges, Mr. Marks.”

“What about my fat lip?”

“Well, I can see you’ve injured yourself somehow, but I can tell you that whatever happened to your lip didn’t happen within the past hour when you claim Henry here punched you. Seeing as you’re looking to blame him for what is not even a fresh injury, I would say Ms. Jameson’s assertion that you exaggerate looks accurate.”

Jason cast a piercing glare at the foreman and crew, Jim, Henry, Ben, then me. “You’d think it was two hundred years ago in this godforsaken place.” He strode over to me, a sardonic smile curling his lips. “I don’t know what I was thinking coming here for you, but at least I’ll leave with the satisfaction you will lose all this.”

Ben stepped forward. “She hasn’t lost anything. Now get off this land.”

Jim shot Henry a look that warned him not to get involved.

When Jason didn’t move, Jim stepped up beside Ben. “You’d best be away, lad.”

Jason sneered at Jim and then turned his glare on Ben. “You think your daddy is going to give all this up? When he finds out you defended her he’ll be more disappointed in you than he already is, if that’s possible.”

Ben’s hands balled into fists and the muscles in his arms twitched with barely controlled fury. I turned my body to shield my words from the others, pushed myself up on my toes, and whispered in Ben’s ear.

“Don’t give him what he’s looking for. Please. Let it go. Everything will be all right.” Ben looked down at me. He took a deep breath and I waited until the anger in his eyes receded enough to know he would walk away.

“Right. Mr. Marks, there is nothing to be done here,” Philip said. “I suggest you move along, go back to where you’re staying, you need to leave the grounds here. I don’t want to see you stirring anything up where there isn’t a problem.”