Flawlessly Executed (Dark Horse Guardians Book 3) (2 page)

Ben knew she had no idea how miserable he was on his last mission without her for seven long weeks. There were times when he wanted to confide his feelings of helplessness and weakness to her. It wasn’t often that he cried himself to sleep, or would even admit doing so, but he had fallen into a state of depression while on the last mission.

For the last few days eating and sleeping normally and making love to her brought him out of the despair he had fallen into during that time. For the past couple of days he was on the high end of the roller coaster. Being with Lara, comforting her, brought him out of his own misery. She needed him and he wanted to be the one and only shoulder she leaned on for love and support,
always
.

“Do you have a meeting at the university today?” She inquired.

“Yes. The usual.” He smiled as he finished his coffee but noticed her downcast eyes as she spoke.

“I’d like to go to the office today to discuss the status of Stone and Associates. You know, I want to try to get back to a normal routine...as soon as possible,” she whispered.

Concerned, Ben felt he needed to revisit the idea with her, “Are you
sure
want to jump back in today? The funeral was two days ago. I can come home after classes and we could take Einstein for a walk, then go for a motorcycle ride.” He watched as she moved her finger along the rim of her coffee mug in thought.

“No, I think the sooner I get involved with business, the better. It may as well be today.” Ben knew she was struggling with feelings of despair regarding Eliot’s death.

He whispered, “I know, darlin…I’m just thinking of what’s best for you.” He noticed she fell silent for a moment.

“It’s not just about me any longer, Ben. There are hundreds of people thinking about their jobs at the firm. I want to assure them that things will go on as normal,” Lara whispered.

~ Lara ~

If only Ben knew that book of Shakespearean sonnets was a gift from Hawk, he’d probably blow a gasket. He seemed awfully sensitive lately whenever Hawk was around. Ben leaned in and she gave him a peck on the cheek. She watched as he slipped the strap of his leather bag across his body.

“I’m off. Text me and let me know how your day goes. I’ll be thinking of you, darlin.” She loved his Irish brogue.

As he reached the doorway he returned and she rose from the chair, “Did you forget something?” she asked.

He crossed the room and pulled her close for a moment, his blue eyes searching her face. “I want a
real
kiss,” he whispered, and his lips were on hers, warm and wet. God, she loved him. He had been so patient with her the last few days. She noted his dimpled smile just before he departed for the driveway. She heard the Indian motorcycle rev and he was gone.

Slipping into dark green linen pants with a matching top, she grabbed a cotton cardigan and pulled her hair into a side pony tail. Rummaging through her jewelry box, she found the antique teardrop diamond earrings and slicked on a shimmery nude lipstick.

Staring at her reflection in the vanity mirror she didn’t think she had changed at all. But in the last few weeks she had undergone an internal transformation. She was still the same person, but she now carried a serious burden of responsibility. And there was a curtain of grief that seemed to smother her. The tears were gone, replaced by a numbness that made simply breathing a chore.

More importantly, she never realized how much she would ache for Ben. When he left on the mission she felt he took her heart along with him and experienced an emptiness during his absence that she could not describe. In addition, she was missing Eliot, a friend who had helped her; Ben didn’t understand that. He hated Eliot Stone and never let her forget it, in a passive-aggressive way. As she got into the Fiat, she steeled herself for the first day on the job since Eliot’s death.

She looked forward to talking with Finn Murphy, Eliot’s right hand man. Over the course of her two-year internship, she had gotten to know Finn and trusted him. He was a loyal and hard-working employee who helped her out of a predicament more than once. Yet Finn never let Eliot know; he lavished praise on Lara whenever possible even though he was behind some of her early successes.

She drove to the historically perfect 1902 building that housed Stone and Associates and parked in the same spot next to Eliot’s empty one in the parking lot. As she got out of the vehicle, she inhaled the briny scent of the sea and noticed the leaves on the tree-lined street had just begun their transformation to bright red and yellow.

Autumn was Eliot’s favorite season. He often sailed during sunny autumn days wanting to enjoy the last warmth of the sun, as he’d say, before putting the boat up for winter. The stately dark blue clapboard three-story building loomed in front of her. Everything looked the same. She imagined walking inside and Eliot’s dark brown eyes greeting her as he waved her into his office. Memories…two years’ worth…flashed through her mind in a matter of seconds.

As Lara moved through the elegant front entry, Eleanor, the ever-present grandmotherly receptionist, seemed surprised to see her come through the front door.

“Good morning, Lara,” she spoke in a muted tone. Eleanor came from behind the desk and embraced her momentarily.

Lara whispered, “Good morning, Eleanor.” Pulling away she noticed tears forming in the older woman’s eyes, and felt the need to comfort her, “Everything will be fine, Eleanor.”

Lara climbed the grand staircase to the second floor. Eliot’s office was closed and locked. His attorney, John Maxfield, was to meet her there at 9:00 AM to go over the details regarding the firm. Her attention was fixed upon the office she had as an intern, which was now empty. She tried the door and it opened. Slipping inside she felt the eyes of a few employees on her.

For a moment she was transported back in time as her eyes wandered over her old office. Everything was the same. Her old desk, two chairs and the long wooden table underneath the wall of windows seemed cold and lonely. She closed her eyes and remembered the first time Ben sent her flowers – peonies – and they were sitting in the middle of her desk. That was the day Eliot stood watching as she opened the card and slipped it into her pocket. That alone should have given her the hint that Eliot was in love with her, but she was too naïve to notice it or believe it.

A tap on the glass window startled her and she turned to see John Maxfield. He gave her a little wave and she opened the door. They were now standing in front of Eliot’s private office and Maxfield declared, “Here’s the key. It’s yours now.”

Lara opened the door as employees lingered in the hallway. John Maxfield entered the stately office with her and closed the door. Only the soft whir of the central air conditioner and the ticking of a clock could be heard once the door was closed.

Filled with priceless antiques and rare paintings, Eliot’s office was exactly as he had left it. The attorney informed her, “We are having all of these items appraised, Lara. It’s up to you whether or not you want to keep them or auction them off. You can let me know.” Lara sat on the sofa and John Maxfield sat across from her in an upholstered chair. He opened his expensive leather briefcase and pulled out reams of paper and sorted them on the coffee table in front of her. “Are you ready for this?” he tentatively asked.

“Yes, I’ve got to start sometime.” Lara exhaled.

A long conversation ensued and Lara was bombarded with decisions to make. The major focus of today’s meeting was the ownership and day-to-day operation of Stone and Associates. Maxfield wanted to give the employees and contractors a report on the state of the business and inform them of Lara’s plans. The attorney asked her pointedly, “What are your intentions for the firm? Do you want to keep it and run it in the same manner?”

Lara didn’t hesitate, “Yes. Tell the employees and contractors that nothing will change, except there will be a new contractor that may be joining the group. But please assure them everything will continue as it has for the past thirty years.” Maxfield made notes and laid paperwork in front of her. “These are insurance policies and legal documents relating to your ownership.” He walked her through each document with a thorough explanation.

After two hours, Maxfield sighed, “Well, that’s it for today. You are in charge here. If you need anything, give me a call.” Lara tapped her phone and added his number to her long list of important people. John Maxfield collected the paperwork and slipped it into his leather briefcase. He shook Lara’s hand and his dark eyes met hers. “I feel that Eliot left this place in good hands with you.” She felt herself blush momentarily, and Maxfield added, “Oh, we need to sit down and talk with Finn Murphy about a long list of items. When are you free?”

Lara looked at her calendar, “How about Friday at 8 AM here?” Maxfield nodded and added the meeting to his busy schedule. Lara was pleased that Finn would be there to talk with her. She knew he was making the rounds at each project keeping everything afloat; not an easy job.

After the attorney left, the only sound in Eliot’s office was the ticking of the beautiful antique clock on the fireplace mantle. Lara sat in Eliot’s worn leather chair and wheeled toward the window overlooking the back of the building and the parking lot. An old radio sat on the windowsill and she turned it on. Soft classical music filled the room. She spent the rest of the afternoon setting up her computer and cleaning out Eliot’s desk. A few times she felt tears stinging her eyes. She found a collection of notes she had written to him, just bits and pieces jotted down about projects or clients. He saved everything. A flash of grief ripped through her.

She even found photographs of her in his desk. There were thirty or forty of them taken throughout her internship. In Eliot’s closet was an old pink sweater that she had left in her office. Maybe he had saved the sweater intending to return it to her, but never had the opportunity.

Disturbing her daydream, Betty knocked on the door, “You ready for something from the deli?”

Lara smiled and said, “Yes, I’ll have a tuna melt with a big pickle.” The ever-efficient Betty left with Lara’s request. It was business as usual. For a moment she felt like she had never left Stone and Associates.

Lara spent the rest of the afternoon calling contractors and setting up meetings with each of them although a permanent sorrow seemed to weigh her down. She also called Tony, Ralph and Monique, her employees for Dark Horse Renovations and ran through progress reports on the phone. Her company was now folded into Stone and Associates. She had to get back into the swing of things in a big way. No longer was she managing eight or ten renovation projects. Stone and Associates was managing sixty projects at the moment and some were enormous. Plus, there was more business in the pipeline.

The phone rang and it was Finn. “Lara, you’re in the office. I’m driving through Portland. Would you like me to stop in?”

It was a relief to hear his friendly voice. “Yes, please do. I just ordered lunch. I’ll split it with you.”

Finn laughed, “Great, I’m starving. I’ll be there in five minutes.” The call ended and she disappeared into the private powder room to splash her face with cold water and reapply lipstick.

Within ten minutes, lunch had been delivered by Betty and Finn was standing in the doorway. “Perfect timing,” Lara smiled.

Finn embraced her immediately without speaking. She sensed the raw grief flowing through him for a moment as he whispered, “I’m sorry I couldn’t be at the funeral. I was in the hospital with Marcella. I went to the wake, but didn’t see you there.” When he released her, his hazel eyes held hers and he whispered, “It’s good to see you.
Really good
.” Finn closed the door softly and sat on the couch beside Lara and they made quick business of their lunch. Lara listened as Finn ticked through the list of contracts in play and he knew with great detail the status of each one.

His black curly hair was unkempt and she detected a few silver strands. Finn’s hazel green eyes were surrounded by creases when he smiled. Although his sturdy build appeared a bit underfed lately, Finn looked the same. He was a man of habit in his way of dressing; she imagined he had five or six suits all made of the finest Donegal wool from Ireland. He was the type of man that looked
good
in a suit ~ but it was more because of Finn’s personality than his slightly better-than-average looks. He wasn’t handsome, but pleasing to the eye. He always smelled like he just stepped out of the shower and was clean shaven, although his five o’clock shadow was ever present. He looked directly into the eyes of the person he was speaking with, which made them feel like they were the only person in the universe. Lara always teased him saying he had a little of the blarney in him.

Although he was forty-five, Finn Murphy had the energy of a twenty year old. He was Irish and loyal but most importantly trustworthy. He had his hand in every area of the business and she knew he was a workaholic.

“How is Marcella?” Lara asked about his wife. Finn was short and sweet with his answer, “She’s doing well for a woman who’s just given birth to her sixth child! She has a positive attitude, but she’s tired. Her sister came to stay and help for a few days, God bless her heart! And, my older daughters help, too. Hey, when are you coming by?”

Lara nodded, “Soon, I promise. What’s the new baby’s name?”

He smiled mischievously from ear to ear, “You’ll never guess.”