Chapter Five
“I spent almost a thousand dollars on flowers before she would agree to go out with me.”
“Why would I agree when I was making money off you? A woman’s gotta pay her bills.”
Ben chuckled as he listened to Nolan Wallace and Mona Hillyard go back and forth in describing how they met and what led to their first date. The two were an odd pair, from the way they looked to the way they acted.
Wally was average height with thinning hair and a full mustache.
He was jovial but direct, a what-you-see-is-what-you-get type of person.
Mona stood slightly taller than her boyfriend, with her light brown hair and lovely face showing little signs of age.
She was poised and well-spoken with a hint of mischief in her eyes and voice.
She gave the impression that she knew more than the average person but was too classy to point it out to anyone.
Since stepping into Mona’s home — a very neat one-story cottage-style house with antique furniture and flowers in every conceivable spot — Ben felt the couple’s vibrancy.
The two were obviously in love, and though they teased each other mercilessly, they also never missed an opportunity to show they cared.
A kiss on the cheek, a hand to a back, a caress on an arm…
all signs of a relationship which went deeper than companionship.
“What did you do with all the flowers?” Ben asked, enjoying the tale of romance where Wally met his match in the savvy florist.
“I got most of them,” Charlotte interjected quietly.
Ben swung his gaze to the woman sitting across from him, as he’d done almost constantly since they sat down to eat the feast Mona prepared.
Passing dishes of fresh salad, perfectly seasoned pork chops, creamy mashed potatoes, green beans, and homemade rolls, he’d had many chances to look into Charlotte’s lovely eyes and brush his hands against hers.
She seemed to withdraw from him each time, either because she felt the same pull he did or because she was uncomfortable with his attention.
He wasn’t sure of the reason, but he didn’t like it.
She hadn’t spoken much since they arrived, so the sound of her soft voice now was refreshing.
“Every woman in town got them,” Wally embellished.
“The receptionist at the doctor’s office, the ladies at the senior center, and even some of the guests at the motel.
God knows, I didn’t want them. They just gave me an excuse to talk to Mona.
I would have spent every dime I had if it meant seeing her every day. ”
Mona smiled at him lovingly, her blue eyes sparkling. “You gave the flowers to everybody but me. Did it ever occur to you that I might have said yes to a date if I’d gotten some flowers?”
Wally looked horrified at the suggestion. “I couldn’t give you your own flowers. That’d be like giving Charlotte a vacuum cleaner for her birthday. It’s a terrible gift.”
“You’re saying my flowers are terrible?”
Wally glared at Mona, but Ben saw the corner of his mouth twitch as if he was fighting a smile. “I’m saying you can have flowers whenever you want. I wanted anything I gave you to be special, so maybe you’d thank me in that special way you do.”
Mona rolled her eyes, and Ben laughed. He noted Charlotte’s blush at Wally’s innuendo, and Ben became fascinated with the way the light pink rose up her neck and infused her cheeks.
“On that note, I think it’s time for coffee and dessert. Who wants some of my homemade apple pie? It’s Wally’s favorite.”
“Add ice cream to mine, okay, babe?” Wally requested.
“Of course,” Mona said with a smile meant only for him. “Ben, what about you?”
He nodded in Mona’s direction. “Apple pie sounds great, and I wouldn’t mind ice cream on mine either as long as it’s vanilla.”
Mona scoffed. “As if I would put any other kind on my apple pie. What about you, Charlotte?”
Charlotte leaned back in her seat, a delicate hand placed over her trim abdomen. “I couldn’t eat another bite, so I’ll pass this time. Thanks, though.”
“I’ll wrap up a piece for you to take home for later.”
Charlotte shook her head. “No need. Ms. Miller will have something sweet waiting for me when I get home. Just save the apple pie for Wally.”
“Wally doesn’t need any more meat on his bones the way you do, sweetheart. If you don’t eat it when you get home, you can warm it up tomorrow.”
Charlotte dropped her protest as Mona left the dining room. Ben imagined she knew first-hand what he’d guessed — that no one won an argument with the sassy Mona.
“I heard you mention Ms. Miller before. Who is she, exactly?”
Ben was pleased he achieved what he hoped for with his question.
Charlotte turned her eyes toward him. They were wide set in her face, the depths changing each time he looked at them.
Sometimes they were a bright, almost icy blue.
Other times they were a deep smoldering gray.
And then times like now, they were an intriguing combination of the two, reminding him a bit of Ziggy’s soft fur.
He had yet to figure out how the changing colors aligned with Charlotte’s temperament, and he wondered if he’d have time to figure it out before he closed his case and went home.
“Birdie Miller is a widow who has lived in town since it was founded, I think,” Wally answered for Charlotte.
“She’s a sweet lady, but she lives on a fixed income.
She told Mona she wanted to rent a garage apartment she had on her property, but she was nervous about who might rent it.
So Mona and I help her find tenants when she needs them.
Charlotte has been a perfect fit for her. ”
Mona returned with the dessert, but Ben was too busy watching Charlotte to start eating.
Her blush deepened under Wally’s simple praise, and she shifted in her seat slightly, a sign she was uncomfortable with the conversation.
Mona picked up the dialogue as if she’d been in the room the entire time instead of in the kitchen preparing dessert.
“Birdie has outlived her whole family, so several people in town look out for her. Charlotte helps her with the upkeep of her house and the lawn work. She gives Birdie someone to cook for. Birdie is a fantastic cook. Her chicken cordon bleu will make you want to slap your momma, it’s so good.”
Ben chuckled. “Is it better than your pork chops? Because those were some of the best I’ve ever had.”
“Thank you, and no. Her chicken is great, but my pork chops are exceptional. So is my pie so eat up.”
He felt a little strange eating in front of Charlotte while she sat quietly watching, but one bite of the warm pie and the cool vanilla bean ice cream made the poor etiquette tolerable.
“How long are you planning to stay in Ivy Springs, Ben?” Mona asked after a few moments of comfortable silence.
“At least until the job is done.”
Ben easily slipped into his cover story, a mixture of truth and fiction that he could hold to regardless of who he spoke with. His ability to slip into any persona he needed to be at any time made him better than his brothers at undercover assignments.
“I took a job with Sonny Hartcourt Construction,” he continued. “We’re working on a remodel of an office building on Grand Boulevard. I was looking for a change, so my previous boss recommended Mr. Hartcourt. I’m working for him under a trial basis. If it all goes well, I’ll stick around.”
“Where’s home for you?” Wally asked.
“Alabama. I have some family near Montgomery.” The half-truths slid from his lips convincingly, but he watched the expressions on his hosts’ face for any signs of suspicion.
He didn’t mind them asking questions to get to know him, but if they suspected he wasn’t who he claimed to be, he would have a problem on his hands.
“Tell us about your family, if you don’t mind,” Mona asked. “It’s not every day we get newcomers to town.”
Ben was prepared for basic questions about who he was. If Mona, Wally, or even Charlotte delved too deep into his personal life, he might have a problem keeping his story straight.
“There’s my dad. He’s the one near Montgomery. I have three older brothers. They’re all married and live all over. Two of them have a son each. My mom died when I was young, so it’s just been my dad, my brothers, and me for as long as I can remember.”
Ben felt Charlotte’s eyes on him, and he resisted the urge to meet her gaze.
She had avoided looking at him as much as possible all evening.
He felt her eyes on him whenever she thought he wouldn’t notice, and he figured if he caught her stare, he’d spook her.
He sensed she didn’t trust easily, and though he wasn’t sure why, he wanted to earn her trust.
“Have you worked in construction long?” Wally asked.
Ben chewed his last bite of pie and pushed the plate away from him. “No. I started working in retail. I sort of fell into construction work, and I like the physical labor. It feels good to use my hands and see the finished result.”
Wally raised an inquisitive brow. “How do you like working for Hartcourt? I’ve known his family a long time.”
Ben had picked up on a note of derision in Wally’s tone. “I take it you don’t think too highly of his family.”
“I don’t. His old man is some kind of financial advisor.
A slick son-of-a-bitch. Some friends of mine invested their retirement funds with him, and he lost it all.
Sonny’s mom is a timid little thing. Rumor is she married old man Hartcourt for his money.
They only had two kids, Sonny, and a daughter, Rhonda, I think her name is.
She up and left town. I think she’s married, but she doesn’t come back as far as I know.
I think Sonny does well for himself, but I know his old man was disappointed Sonny didn’t follow in his footsteps. ”