Flawlessly Executed (Dark Horse Guardians Book 3) (16 page)

Her eyes were drawn to an image that brought a smile to her face; Ben holding newborn baby Liam. The baby had his little fist wrapped around Ben’s pinky finger and her rough and tumble husband was smiling into Liam’s face as he spoke in the voice he often used with Einstein, “Aw, what a big tough guy you are, Liam!” For a moment he didn’t see Lara standing in the room and she enjoyed the domestic scene more than he could have imagined. Then, in a flash, his blue eyes connected with hers. Ben smiled with his whole face, “Look, it’s a boy!”

Molly, Sarah, Rosie, Emma and Cora took Lara’s coat, gave her a ginger ale, and showed her where she would sit at the table. The girls were all chattering at once vying for her attention. “She’s sitting next to me!” Molly announced.

“No, she’s sitting next to me!” Sarah argued.

Marcella stepped in, “Girls, Lara is sitting next to
both
of you. She will be right in the middle. Now mind your manners, please.”

Lara embraced Marcella and noticed how tired she looked, but showered her with compliments, “You look wonderful. I’d never know you just had a baby two weeks ago!”

Ben was still holding little Liam and swaying around the kitchen as Finn sang a little Irish song. The tune was familiar to Lara, but Ben knew the words and was singing along. The baby was oblivious to it all, but a few times he smiled and his big blue eyes stared at Ben.

Marcella took the baby to the corner of the room and draped her breast with a small blanket. “I’ll feed him first and put him down so I can have dinner with you folks. Go ahead and help your da put the food on the table, Molly.”

Ben and Lara were separated by Sarah but Ben winked at Lara over the child’s head. Finn brought the dishes loaded with corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes. The food just kept coming. Freshly baked Parker House rolls topped it off.

Lara heard Ben’s excited voice, “Oh, Parker House rolls, how’d you know? I love these!”

Marcella joined them at the table after putting the baby into a bassinet. She sighed, “There, I have at least an hour of freedom now to eat.” The banter at the table was all about the new baby and which sister performed specific tasks to help their mother.

Ben engaged in conversation with the girls, “It’s great that your Ma has helpers like you. I’m amazed you do laundry, cook, vacuum and make the beds!’ The delicious meal was consumed in a matter of twenty minutes, but the savory taste remained with Lara. She wondered how long it took to prepare and thought she’d ask Marcella for the recipe. Ben was smiling and putting a second helping onto his plate. She laughed as she watched him eat like a linebacker.

“Hope you can stay for dessert,” Finn teased. “Marcella and the girls made a special one tonight, just for you two.”

Ben made an exaggerated wide-eyed face of wonder and whispered, “Oh, I wonder what it is…” He placed his finger to his lips and the girls giggled.

Finn’s four eldest daughters cleared the table and within a few minutes the dishes and eating utensils were loaded into the dishwasher. The entire family moved into the parlor and Marcella wheeled the bassinet in, too. The woodstove in the parlor was filled with hot coals radiating warmth into the huge room. Ben sat in an overstuffed chair and pulled Lara onto his lap. The girls giggled as he kissed Lara’s neck. Then Lara giggled because it tickled. Molly did the honors of serving up fresh strawberry shortcake with whipped cream.

“Ah!” Ben let out a cry, “My favorite!” Then, he whispered in Lara’s ear, “But my
real
favorite is cheesecake with blackberry sauce…
especially the blackberry sauce
.” Lara blushed a little.

Molly and Sarah took turns playing the piano. Lara noticed there were no phones, electronic devices or television, not tonight anyway. Then, the girls lined up to say goodnight and headed upstairs to their respective bedrooms. Some of them had homework to do. Molly was in charge of washing up and making sure her younger sisters brushed their teeth.

Finn plopped onto the sofa and put his feet on the ottoman, “Thanks for coming by for dinner. It was great to see you two. It’s been too long.”

Ben spoke softly, “Thank you, Finn. Lara and I needed a night of fun and this was a terrific break from our usual routine. Your children are amazing. The meal was delicious. We loved it.”

“My pleasure,” Finn smiled. Lara, if you are alone on Thanksgiving, we’d love to have you.”

“Thanks, Finn.” She nodded. “I’ll take you up on that.”

Out of the blue, Finn exclaimed, “You two would make
great
parents, you know…. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

Ben squeezed Lara and she nearly choked when she heard his response, “I can’t
wait
to have a baby with this gorgeous woman.”

Good old humorous Finn quipped, “Well, you can sure have a lot of fun practicing!”

Marcella entered the room with fresh coffee and glanced around, “What are you guys laughing about now?”

Finn announced, “Ben is practicing.”

Marcella asked the obvious question, “Practicing law?”

Ben’s face flushed and Lara couldn’t stop herself from snickering.

Finn came to the rescue, “They’re training to be parents.”

Marcella smiled, “Oh, you’d like to babysit?”

Ben laughed harder, which made Finn roar.

Then, Finn composed himself somewhat and explained, “They’re practicing the fine art of reproduction, to put it delicately…”

Marcella joined them in their amusement. “Oh, the fine art of
making babies
! Just remember, they go in a lot easier than they come out!’ The old adage made them all laugh.

~ Ben ~

Ben hadn’t had this much fun with a big Irish Catholic family since the Fourth of July. The evening brought back images of his childhood. It just dawned on him that he had revealed his desire to make a baby with Lara without ever sharing that intimate thought with her first. He hoped he didn’t embarrass her. But she was laughing, heartily, he noticed. A few times she lost control and snorted she was laughing so hard. It was good for her to be away from the pressures at the firm.

As Ben observed Finn and Marcella he realized how wealthy they were in love. Six children, all healthy, they were blessed. And he noticed the spark still burning when Finn looked at Marcella. It was obvious he loved his wife more than life itself. And it was obvious that she worshipped Finn.

This was what Ben had been searching for all of his life: enduring love. Love that spanned the ages, the sort of love that was written about in poetry, the subject of songs, movies, and expressed in ancient paintings. He examined Lara’s animated face, she was laughing again. He knew he had enduring love with her and the most perfect expression of his love would be to create a tiny life together, and teach him or her about love.

His private thoughts were interrupted as Lara pulled him up to leave.

Finn slapped him on the back, “Get it on, old man. You need to get to it if you’re going to catch up with us!”

Outside Lara waved goodbye and Ben climbed onto the motorcycle and they started the drive home. Ben wondered what was going on inside that pretty head as she was driving. Was Lara thinking of him? Was she toying with the possibility of a baby? If not now, when? Ben couldn’t think of a better time. They were financially on sound footing and Finn was right; he wasn’t getting any younger. And, what if something happened to him? He didn’t want to leave Lara alone in the world. With his child, it would be as if she always had a piece of him with her, the ultimate expression of remembrance.

~ Lara ~

As Ben tossed his keys into the bowl on the kitchen counter, Lara turned to face him with Einstein at her heels. “That was a bit of a surprise tonight…watching you hold the baby then tell Finn you want a baby…were you serious?”

Ben’s eyes met hers, “What’s wrong with wanting a baby?”

She sighed, “Now, at this time in our busy lives?”

But Ben persisted, “It’s the
best
time in our lives. I’ve never felt this close to anyone, ever.” He opened the door to let Einstein outside and his large hand grasped hers. “Come on. There’s a full moon.”

They trudged along the beach in the moonlight pulling their jackets snugly against the cool ocean breeze. Einstein was running about in the newly installed garden, doing his thing. Lara thought, oh no, if only Hawk could see that right now.

Ben jarred her back to the discussion, “So, you think we should wait?”

Lara wanted Ben’s child more than he could imagine. But she had the lingering image of Abby sitting on his motorcycle with her boobs on display. And, still no explanation of why Ben had those pictures. She wasn’t one hundred percent sure he was telling her everything. But if she said that to him, it would only serve to offend him. She stuffed the thought away and finally answered him, “Yes, I think we should wait a bit longer.”

Ben stopped walking and looked into her eyes, “Why?”

The moonlight highlighted his handsome features. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t. Finally she weakly replied, “There’s too much turmoil right now…you know?”

They continued walking and Ben murmured, “I’m packing for Langley tomorrow. We’re flying out earlier than planned. I’ll be gone for work-ups. Maybe when I come back, we can talk about this more.” He stopped her again, and embraced her, “because I want a family with you, Lara.” His lips were on hers and the kiss he gave her was filled with intensity.

Damn him. He never gave her time to say goodbye. Then the awful thought crept into her mind, what if he
didn’t
come back? In the master bathroom while Ben was brushing his teeth and washing up. She slipped behind him and hugged his back, “I’ll miss you, my darlin.”

He turned around and pulled her into his solid core. “Not as much as I’ll miss you.” His lips found hers and he kissed her gently at first. Playfully, she parted her lips and invited his French kiss. Surprising him, she pulled her clothing off and let it fall to the bathroom floor.

She loved it when he swept her into his arms and carried her to the bed. It was as if she lived in a romance novel for that instant. For the first time since she knew him, she was naked before he was. Not that it was a race. But she felt bold tonight and decided to take matters into her own hands. He plunked her onto the bed and scrambled atop her. She squirmed beneath his fully clothed body. There was a dreamy intimacy in his kiss as her hands worked at the buttons on his shirt.

Then he tossed the shirt on the floor and gazed at her in the moonlight. “God, you’re beautiful.” She fumbled with the button fly on his jeans, enjoying his frustration for a long moment.

Sliding his jeans down she looked up at him and said, “God,
you’re
beautiful.” His blue eyes were charged with mischief. He was kissing her again and gently touching her in all the right places. She pushed him back to a seated position and slid off the side of the bed, touching her lips gently to the scars on his legs from the shrapnel.

Her long silky hair tumbled over the lower half of his body and her hand expertly grasped him, right where he was willing her to. She looked up at his face and whispered, “I want you to remember this night while you’re away on your mission.”

For what seemed like hours, Lara took great satisfaction in making him moan with enjoyment. They made wild passionate love sometimes pausing to drink water or gasp for air. With the moonlight glowing on his muscular body, Lara’s eyes drank in the sensual image of Ben. She realized this was a night
she
would remember…over and over…while he was away.
And, how she would miss him
.

~ Abby ~

Hawk was picking her up today and Abby wanted to look perfect, not just for Hawk. So far, he was like a well-trained puppy begging for her attention. It was important for her to demonstrate her powers to Lara Keegan. Abby would be touring Hawk’s recent garden installations and he was taking her to dinner after.

She chose her clothing carefully. A navy blue skirt short and flirty with a little flounce around the hem and pink thong undies. Sexy sandals showcased her long shapely legs. To top it off, she wore a clingy navy and white striped top that revealed the fact that she wasn’t wearing a bra. Then she pulled on a mid-length white cotton cardigan. She stared in the mirror – perfect. The combination of sexiness and innocence that she wanted to embody was achieved. She found the perfume that Lara wore, Blackberry and Vanilla; it was expensive but she knew it would draw Hawk and Ben to her.

As she combed her long dark hair and finished her subtle make-up, Abby heard the old-fashioned buzzer and skipped down the stairs to open the door for Hawk.

But, it wasn’t Hawk standing there but Ben. “Oh, Ben, come in…” Abby said softly.

He seemed to be frozen in cement, “No, I’ll say what I have to say standing right here. I don’t know what you have planned, Abby, but I have a feeling you are trying to cause problems.
Don’t do it
. I love her. No, I don’t just love her, I worship her. Don’t mess with my marriage.” His blue eyes were cold. He turned and was gone within a minute.

Abby leaned against the door wondering what provoked that little tirade. She heard a truck pull up and saw Hawk through the wavy glass of the porch door. He looked so handsome, she couldn’t wait to see him.

She opened the door before he rang the buzzer. “Hello! Let me grab my purse and I’ll be right down.” She scurried upstairs as Hawk waited patiently.

When she slid into the truck next to him, he informed her, “Ben didn’t think it would be a good idea to go to Clearwater Farm to see the garden. So, I’ll take you to the Henderson place…and another installation that I did. Actually, it’s Eliot Stone’s estate. I did his botanical garden.”

Abby was angry that she would not have the opportunity to parade herself in front of Lara, but figured she’d make the best of the day. She still wanted to draw information out of Hawk, and what better way to do that than to spend time getting close to him? Really close…

~ Ben ~

He had said goodbye to Lara, but he told a white lie when he said he was going to Langley. He had to make a stop
before
Langley. The look on Abby’s surprised face at the pink Victorian said it all. He hoped his words were forceful enough to deter her. But, he doubted it.

As he drove to the airport the person on his mind was Doctor Duncan Norris. This guy had covered Abby’s ass for inexcusable behavior for too long. And, when Bettencourt gave him the photos regarding her sessions with the good doctor, he knew the whole thing was a sham.

Apparently, the doctor was a real psychologist but he was willing to risk his license and livelihood in order to prey upon Abby. Duncan Norris was getting Rohypnol and using the drug on Abby during her visits. He shuddered to think a man, any man, would have to resort to such a heinous act just to get laid. Good Lord, there were prostitutes everywhere. Norris could order them on-line. But the sick bastard preferred to prey upon Abby.

For a moment he entertained the thought of paying a visit to the good doctor, slapping him around, telling him he knew about his sick little game with Abby. But reason prevailed. If he did pay the guy a visit and roughed him up, what would the end game be? Would Norris stop preying on Abby? Or, was Abby a willing participant? All he knew was he hated the bastard for what he was doing and wondered how many other young women suffered the same fate on his office couch.

It didn’t matter at this point. He was stuck in traffic on his way to Logan Airport. If he was going to visit the son-of-a-bitch, he’d missed the opportunity, and hoped he’d made the right decision.

Ben’s battered rental car came to a complete stop in a snarl of traffic near Logan. For a moment he cursed the gridlock, but then realized it was an opportunity. It was going to be a long wait. He tapped the phone number for William and heard his cheery voice answer.

“Dad, hey, how are you?” William sounded breathless.

“How are you?” Ben queried unable to stop a smile.

“I just finished running on the track. Time to hit the homework,” William sounded animated, full of life. “But I have time to talk with you, Dad. What’s up?”

“Oh, not much. I miss you, that’s all.” Ben had a hard time laying that on the line. But he sensed William’s response would be positive. It usually was.

“I miss you, too, Dad. Hey, the last time you called you mentioned the new house, Clearwater Farm. How do you like it? How’s Lara? She e-mailed me a few weeks ago, but I haven’t heard from her since.” William informed him.

Ben felt he had to tell William about Eliot, not sure if Lara had shared that information, “She lost a close friend. He had a car accident. She’s been depressed lately. I think a visit from you might be just the thing she needs. Would you like to come for Christmas? Maybe stay a week?”

William seemed unable to restrain his excitement, “Wow, Christmas in Maine with you and Lara? Yes, I’d love it. But what about Mom?”

Ben deliberated, “Why don’t you talk with her first. You are old enough to ask for what you want. Then in a week or so, I’ll call her and ask if she’s made a decision. That way she’ll know that we’ve invited you and it will give her time to think it over.”

William agreed. Ben was now approaching Logan, “Hey buddy, I’ve got to hang up for now. But, I’ll keep in touch. Love you.”

William said the words Ben longed to hear, “I love you, Dad. Hey, be careful out there.”

The traffic jam dissipated. His vehicle hurtled towards Logan Airport. He had an hour’s wait before he’d be wheels up heading for Norfolk Virginia to take a shuttle to Langley. The team would spend the night at Langley in preparation for departure the next day. He knew some of the guys on the SEAL team accompanying them and looked forward to hanging with them to catch up with the details of their lives. He pushed the thought of Duncan Norris out of his mind.

Ben pulled into the long-term parking area and used the credit card with his alias identity. As he sat in the first-class lounge at Logan, he scrolled through the photos of Lara on his phone. It was his ritualistic way to say goodbye, silently. He was letting go of her physically for now, and he’d rather take a beating than feel the pain in his chest as he held back the strong emotion overtaking him.

~ Doctor Duncan Norris ~

He had never been in trouble with the law and lived a boring routine existence. He remembered the first time he met Abby, she was in her late twenties and had come to him during the time of her divorce. She was certainly depressed. But she had other issues, too. And, after a few sessions, he knew she was vulnerable and would be compliant to his authority.

Norris looked at the photos he had of Abby on his computer. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He counted the hours before he could have her every Sunday night at 7:00 PM. She was the best he’d ever had. She was up for wild, crazy stuff. He tied her up and did everything imaginable and she liked it. Well, she liked it after he gave her a little injection to get her relaxed.

Problem was, she constantly talked about this guy named Ben Keegan. She was obsessed with him. He was her high school sweetheart. The one that got away. She even brought him a flash drive with photos of the guy on it. Ben Keegan was her obsession and he was ruining Abby’s life.

Duncan Norris was in love with Abby. He would do
anything
to try to erase this guy from her mind. Thus far, nothing had worked, except the injections. When she was in that relaxed state, she forgot about Keegan and Norris felt she was his, completely.

The last time he saw her, he told her to put the
Abby and Ben
thumb drive into Ben’s bag with the hope that his wife would find it. Then maybe he’d end up getting a divorce and Abby could have him. It was just a crazy idea. Norris said it to pacify her. He didn’t want Keegan to have her. She was
his
.

~ Lara ~

Although she hadn’t been to Eliot’s mansion since his funeral, Lara was still in charge of the enormous renovation. Nearing completion, Tony asked her to stop by and go through the final punch list with him.
Details
. That seemed to be her life lately. But it was a lovely autumn day and the trip to the renovation would serve to take her mind off Ben, if only for an hour. She felt dead inside when he left to go on a mission. It was as if he had her heart in his pocket and she couldn’t really breathe until he returned.

As she pulled into the driveway of the Tudor mansion, she noticed Hawk’s truck parked in the driveway and wondered what he might be doing there. Emerging from her vehicle, she heard laughter coming from the garden. Curious, Lara padded down the slate path that wound through the botanical garden overlooking Casco Bay. A meandering two acres with wall-to-wall plantings and small areas for sitting and relaxing, she rounded a boxwood hedge. Lara could see Hawk. He was speaking with Abby, of all people, and it was her laughter that she heard. Abby’s back was to her, but Hawk’s eyes spotted Lara the moment she appeared and he yelled and waved. “Hey, Lara.”

Lara watched Abby turn around and smile like the Cheshire cat that she was. Abby waved and shouted, “Hello again! My goodness, this garden is absolutely stunning! Hawk is such a talented artist!” Lara noticed Abby’s voice was over the top with enthusiasm, dripping with sweetness.