All of Your Business, page 14
“And you?” Ben rested a hand on Didi’s shoulder. “How have you dealt with this?”
“You grow up holding your breath.” As the quaver resurfaced in Didi’s voice, she folded her arms like she might feel a chill. “Every day you wake up wondering if this is the day when your parents don’t come home. If you’ll have to figure out how to fend for yourself. If you’ll be the one raising your baby brother and taking care of a house full of boys. I would have sacrificed all my plans for them, but I thank God I didn’t have to.”
That last confession cut her deeply, Ben could see. He would do anything to help his brother who had been in dire straits once or twice. But even Kip’s most difficult years never required Ben to set aside his own life. His future at RE was a foregone conclusion regardless of whatever else changed.
For Didi, nothing had been certain. Her aspirations, like her parents, could have been yanked away in the span of a breath. To dream and fail was one thing. To be denied the chance to try was quite another.
“Have you been to visit your father?” he asked.
“Just once. Josue goes as much as he can. Sometimes he takes the other brothers with him. Mama is undocumented, too, so...” As Didi’s words trailed away, she looked down.
“She can’t visit her husband,” Ben finished.
“And she could still be deported. Because Mama overstayed her first visa, she can’t apply for another. Mexicans aren’t eligible for green cards, and you have to be a legal resident to be nationalized which my mother isn’t.” Didi dug at the soft ground with the toe of her boot. “A few years ago, we hired a lawyer to exhaust every possible option – which he did with zero success. All we can do now is hope and pray that Mama won’t be deported.”
Once more, Ben found himself unable to relate. His mother was as invulnerable as Churchill’s bunker. As immovable as the Himalayas. Neither he nor Kip paused to consider her frailties because she refused to have any. After losing their father, she transformed into an unshakable force of nature.
“Logically, I know that Mama is breaking the law.” Didi blinked to contain the tears in her eyes. “But she’s my mother. Love isn’t logical. And she worked so hard for all of us. It’s our turn to take care of her, especially if Papa won’t be there anymore.”
Ben wrapped his arm around Didi. How often did she discuss her family’s business? And why was she choosing to trust him? They’d known each other for less than three days. That fact made him all the more grateful.
He debated how he might help her. Alone, he couldn’t do much to assist. But with his financial resources plus a few legal experts, perhaps there were options the family hadn’t considered.
Then again, was it wise to draw attention to their plight? One reckless word could find her mother deported.
And Didi worked for the grandmaster of reckless words.
“Does Thomm Montgomery know about this?” Ben asked.
“I don’t think so. I’d like to keep it that way.”
Ben agreed wholeheartedly. He cringed at the idea of what Monte might do if he learned of Didi’s situation. “Is it wise to keep working for someone like him?”
“I have my reasons.” Didi held up a separate finger as she listed each one. “Good salary. Challenging projects. High employee turnover which means I’ve been able to advance more quickly. I’m playing the long game at DEI. It’s chess, not checkers. And if we get the Ashanti mine, then I become a vice president. That gives me a major leg up when I start looking for my next job.”
The mere prospect of it thrilled him. “And how soon might you be looking?”
“I’ll start sending out résumés this summer.”
“I do hope you’ll keep Richmond Enterprises in mind. Unless, of course, you get a better offer.”
She laughed. “That won’t happen. You know, I applied for a job at RE a few years ago. I sent your mom a cover letter and résumé. I never heard back.”
“Plainly our loss,” Ben noted.
Leaning into him, Didi slid an arm around his waist. “It was a shot in the dark. I had just split up from Daniel, and Monte was driving me crazy. I wanted to feel like I still had control over my choices. Daniel broke off our engagement because of DEI, because of how hard I worked to stay there. I guess that’s the trap,” she added.
Ben didn’t understand. “What is?”
“You stay at one place for so long, you begin to expect it to love you. You think it owes you for all the effort. You want it to notice the sacrifices you make and say thank you. But it won’t. It can’t. It’s just a building, a place. A business isn’t the same as a person.”
Ben glanced back at his father’s gravestone. Is that what he’d been doing at the office? Waiting for a place to love him? Kip often accused him of hiding from life at RE. Perhaps both theories held some truth.
“What’s the solution?” Ben asked.
“Find someone to love, I guess. Someone who’ll love you back. The real you, not the you they want you to be.”
“And what if it’s not the real you whom they love?”
Didi tilted her head. Her ponytail swished. “What do you mean?”
Ben searched for a way to explain. “When we met on the airplane, I didn’t give my surname. I was trying to put you off. But if I had told you I was Ben Richmond, would you have recognized me?”
“Not your face. But your name and reputation – yes.”
“And what would have come to mind?”
“Richmond Enterprises. Your mom. And money. Lots of it.”
Ben nodded. She proved his point entirely. “I am never simply Ben to anyone, not after they google me. I can’t help but question people’s motives. Not professionally, but personally.”
“I get what you mean,” she conceded. “You’ve probably met your fair share of gold diggers.”
“Catrella Delcombe chief among them.”
Didi’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “That woman is not a gold digger. She’s an extortionist. There are laws against that kind of thing. Why don’t y’all just take her to court?”
“It would only gain her more publicity. With people like her, it’s never a question of right or wrong. It’s always about notoriety. I’d rather not feed the beast if it can be avoided.”
Didi rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this, especially since your brother is out of town.”
“Par for the course,” he said blithely.
“Maybe you could call me on Sunday? Get your mind off what is happening?”
Ben smiled down at her. “I’d like that. Very much.”
Her suggestion tempted him to go one step further and invite her to stay the weekend. He could reserve her a room at the tower. Or at Farhaven, she could take her pick. Much as Ben loved London, he could use a few days away from its mayhem.
But the countryside might be too sedate for Didi’s tastes. He didn’t know her well enough to judge. Which meant he probably shouldn’t ask her to stay.
Ben eased away from her. “Would you like to see the back garden?”
Chapter Seventeen
Didi strolled beside Ben up the sloping lawn toward the gardens at the back of the house. The grass, which was greener than she expected, crackled beneath their heels. Feathery clouds flecked the horizon. Sunshine warmed her shoulders.
As the ground leveled out, they veered to the right, heading for a fence made of juniper hedges. It stood slightly taller than Ben did, blocking any view of the garden. The house and its grounds were designed for privacy – and security as well. Cameras were mounted discretely on trees and under eaves. No one was breaking and entering at Farhaven without getting filmed in the act which guaranteed a conviction and jail time.
Lydia Richmond wasn’t playing.
And if either of her younger brothers had been kidnapped, Didi would do the same. She’d put up a barbed-wire fence and post guard dogs in the yard. Anything to keep her family safe.
Tucked within the towering hedge was a slender gate made of metal and wood. It reminded Didi of The Secret Garden. As a kid, she loved that movie. She never thought she’d get to see one for real. Maybe as a tourist, but not as a friend.
Is that what Ben was? A friend? Technically, he was a frenemy until Akamba made his decision.
And after that? What then? If this was their first date, when and how would they go on a second? She might have enough vacation days saved up to visit Ben in London, but transatlantic plane tickets weren’t built into her yearly budget.
“Who takes care of the landscaping?” she asked.
Ben opened the gate and gestured for Didi to go first. “We have a groundskeeper. I’m sure he’s about.”
Didi stepped through. “About what?”
Following, Ben smiled. “He’s somewhere nearby, I imagine. He sets his own hours.”
“I figured your mom would run a tight ship.”
“Only for herself.” Ben closed the gate behind him. “She expects a lot from her employees, but she also trusts them. If the work gets done well, she’s satisfied. She also notices when they excel.”
Didi spun around. “That sounds refreshing.”
“We’re always hiring,” Ben reminded her.
When he caught up to her, Didi started walking again. “Maybe I’ll leave my résumé with HR.”
“Or you could hand it to my mother directly.”
“Because that’s not intimidating.”
Ben actually laughed. “Are you truly intimidated by her?”
Didi stopped dead on the path. “Ben, your mom is a legend.”
“Which means she knows quality when she sees it,” he replied. “As do I.”
Despite the cold weather, Didi felt her cheeks grow warm. Who would have guessed that Simply-Ben could flirt? Maybe being at Farhaven relaxed him.
It was a slice of heaven on earth. Even in the winter, its hidden garden teemed with blooming flowers. In one bed, ivory blossoms drooped from dark, glossy leaves. Yellow rosettes burst from another. Tiny white flowers with wing-like petals resembled birds in flight.
At the garden’s heart was an ornamental pond with a life-sized statue of a woman at its center. Water dribbled merrily from her marble urn to harmonize with the birds.
“I can’t believe you grew up here,” Didi murmured.
“You should see it in the summer.” Ben motioned to the left, steering Didi beneath an arched trellis draped with velvety vines. Beams of sunshine snuck past tiny gaps to scatter pinpricks of light across the ground. “It’s magnificent. Still tidy, but also a bit wild.”
“Kind of like its owner?” she teased.
“Well, I don’t know about that.” His lips twitched with embarrassment. “And I’m not the owner.”
“But you will be someday. Would you sell it?”
Ben halted at the heart of the arbor. “Sell Farhaven? Of course not. It’s the family home.”
“But you said you don’t live here. Not anymore.”
“I’d like to. I simply don’t want to live here alone.”
Didi brushed her hand across the waxy leaves curtaining the arbor. “I’d rather be alone than unhappily married.”
“As would I,” Ben agreed. “But I’m hoping it won’t come to that.”
“It won’t.” She edged closer to him. “You just need to meet the right person.”
“Do I?” He hesitated. “And what if I have? At least, I’m starting to wonder. Early days, but still.”
Cielos. That was honest. “Well, you could kiss her. That might tell you something.”
When Ben’s long arms encircled her body, Didi welcomed his warmth. Beneath the arbor, the air felt colder. Its trellis hid them from the world. Despite the differences in their heights, they fit perfectly together.
Didi wrapped her arms around Ben’s waist. “Just so you know, I don’t usually kiss on the first date.”
His handsome face hovered an inch from hers. “Neither do I.”
She rose up on her toes. “For you, I’ll make an exception.”
“Likewise.” Ben dipped forward until their mouths met.
Didi gave a tiny moan of approval. She’d been waiting for this since the gala, and Ben made it worth the wait. His kiss was anything but stuffy. So much for stiff upper lips.
As satisfying as kissing Ben was, this wasn’t some random fling. A hundred dizzy crushes couldn’t hold a candle to what Didi knew was happening. She felt weightless and floaty like she was halfway through her second Top Shelf margarita.
Even if Ben didn’t feel the same way about her, Didi wanted him to know she liked him. Not his fortune. Not his family business. Not his future with the company.
Didi poured every ounce of herself into their kiss hoping it would send the message. She didn’t know Ben well enough to love him yet, but she knew it would be easy to do. She already loved that he didn’t hide his wild side from her while they were hidden from the world.
Which they weren’t, Didi learned, when a prolonged cough boomed outside the arbor.
Hopping back, she glanced around. Outside the trellis hovered a man in a brown canvas overcoat, a flat plaid hat, and knee-high rubber boots. He held a garden spade in his left hand. This must be the groundskeeper that Ben had mentioned. Couldn’t the man have kept on walking?
If Ben was as flustered as Didi felt, he hid it well. He marched clear of the arbor and extended a hand. “Mr. Hughes. How are you?”
“No’ bad for a Thursday.” The man’s bristly eyebrows danced as he talked. “No’ as well as you, I ween.”
With zero chance of salvaging her dignity, Didi joined them in the sunshine. She prayed her cheeks hadn’t turned beet-red while Ben took care of the introductions.
“Stuart Hughes, this is Didi Velasquez. She’s from the States.”
“Och, anither one?” The man shook her hand like he primed a pump. “Didi – that’s an American name, tae be shuir.”
And you sound like Groundskeeper Willie, she thought. Ben’s translation skills might come in handy. Subtitles would be even better.
“Didi’s a nickname,” she clarified. “My first name is Dahlia.”
“Like the flower?” The handshake showed no sign of stopping.
“That’s right.” She managed to slip free of his grasp. “How long have you worked at Farhaven?”
“Since our man here wis a wee laddie. And whit’s your business, Miss Didi?”
Didi hesitated. Did he mean with Ben or in general? She went with the second. “I work in acquisitions for an oil and gas company. My job is similar to Ben’s.”
“Two peas in a pod, then?” Stuart bobbed his head like he approved before shifting toward Ben. “And hae’s the wee scunner?”
“Kip’s well,” Ben said. “Still in the States with Lou. They’re flying home in a fortnight.”
“I’ll be shuir to ring the police.” Stuart waved a calloused finger at the conservatory. “Mrs. Mickles sent me to fetch you. Your dinner’s ready.”
Ben thanked him. “It’s always a pleasure to see you, Mr. Hughes.”
“And ye.” As Stuart trundled toward the fountain, he hoisted the spade. “Dinna be a stranger!”
“Too late for that,” Ben murmured when the man was out of earshot.
“Not too late to change it.” Didi touched Ben’s arm. “He’s definitely glad to see you.”
“He’s practically family,” Ben said. “My grandfather on my mother’s side was a groundskeeper also. Mr. Hughes was his apprentice.”
“Your granddad wasn’t a businessman?”
“He was a gardener. Salt of the earth. All muddy knees and green thumbs. My mother’s apple fell far from her family tree. Launched with a catapult, Kip likes to say.”
“Wait a second.” Didi tightened her grip. “Does your mom know we’re here now?”
Her guilty tone made it sound like they were breaking a rule. It wasn’t too far from the truth. How would Lydia Richmond feel about someone from DEI snooping around her country estate?
“Not unless one of the staff tells her.” Ben acted unconcerned. “Even then I don’t think she’d mind. I might not be the owner, but it’s my home, too.”
Ben’s definitive tone eased Didi’s concerns. “How often does she come down here?”
“Once a month if she can manage. It depends on her schedule at work.”
Didi’s phone buzzed in her pocket. Monte’s texts had their own assigned rhythm – fifteen rapid-fire pulses. The alert tone was persistent and frenzied, just like him.
She already knew what it said. What the hell, Didi? It was Monte’s favorite salvo before he launched his latest offensive.
Without checking, Didi turned off her phone.
“That won’t make things worse, will it?” Ben asked.
“You can’t fall off the floor,” she told him. “I’ll deal with Monte tomorrow. Today is my day off.”
As much as she enjoyed working – although not for Monte – she liked feeling detached from her routine. Not one iota of urban life had followed them down the drive. Farhaven seemed like another world. If she were Ben, she’d be here every weekend.
Their stroll along the gravel pathway dead-ended at a sizable back porch. The structure was made of glass and white metal, not screens and wood. It looked more like a greenhouse than an enclosed patio, but it was filled with furniture, not plants.
Didi peeked through its windows. “This is cute.”
“It’s the conservatory,” Ben said. “I thought we might have lunch here.”
“Lunch sounds great. I could use a good meal.” Her stomach agreed with a growl. “I haven’t eaten a whole lot since I got here. I’ve been too preoccupied, I guess. I can’t seem to find my rhythm on this trip, maybe because it’s such a quick one.”
Ben inhaled like he meant to say something.
Didi waited. Was there a problem?
“Mrs. Mickles is an excellent cook.” Ben stepped ahead to open the door. “She’s been with us since Kip was born.”
Before she entered, Didi made sure to wipe her boots on a doormat that read WALCOME. Either it contained a massive typo or someone needed to explain the joke.
