The Tycoon's Proposition Read online

  Ben let go of her arm to point at the side table. Other than flowers, all she could see was her purse.

  “Oh—I think I know what you have in mind.”

  As she reached for it, he nodded more emphatically.

  Terri opened it to pull out a pen and the envelope that held her airline tickets.

  “Here. You can write on the back of this. But please don’t do it if it will hurt your hand. We could play the alphabet game again.”

  The noise he made sounded like a definite no.

  She put the pen in his hand before placing the envelope near his knee where he’d bent his leg. She held on to it while he printed a short message with seemingly little difficulty.

  When he’d finished, she took the pen and envelope from him, then read it. “He was knocked unconscious by the boat. Died at sea with two others. Wanted to tell you first night. Forgive me.”

  “Oh, no,” she gasped. “Richard…”

  As the tears sprang to her eyes, she felt Ben’s hand on her arm once more. When she ventured another look into those gray depths, she understood why they’d been filled with pain, why they were alive with it now.

  “You saw them drown?” she whispered, wiping the moisture from her cheeks.

  He nodded solemnly.

  “How ghastly.” Her voice shook. “For all of you.” After her quiet sobs subsided she said, “To think Richard died without even seeing his child born. Juanita will be inconsolable.”

  With startling speed he reached for the pen in her hand.

  When she realized his intentions, she placed the envelope on his leg once more.

  He printed another message.

  “Baby probably not his.”

  “That’s what Captain Ortiz said. Juanita told him she’d been living with Richard for ten months.”

  “Came to work for company four months ago.”

  She pursed her lips. “Do you think it’s possible they got together someplace else first?”

  Terri felt his hesitation before he wrote, “Prior job in Baton Rouge.”

  “I doubt Juanita was ever in Louisiana. Dear God. When she hears the news that he died, it might bring on a miscarriage. At eight months, that would be so unbearably painful. I—I suffered two miscarriages, but at least they happened in the first trimester.”

  Suddenly she felt his hand reach out to cover hers. He squeezed it gently and would pay a painful price, but the gesture sent a healing warmth through her body. She lifted her eyes. His brimmed with concern and compassion.

  Terri was swept away by emotions so intense, she was afraid of them. Removing her hand she said, “D-do you have a rule about employees having to be married to work for you?”

  He shook his head.

  “I can’t figure out why Richard said he was still married to me on his job application.”

  Once more he took the pen from her other hand and put the envelope against his leg. He wrote, “Wishful thinking.”

  “No,” she declared in a firm voice.

  After eyeing her for an overly long moment he put, “Have idea. Wait till I can talk.”

  Guilt assailed her. For a moment she’d forgotten how absolutely miserable he was. His hand was probably killing him.

  “Forgive me, Mr. Herrick. I’m sure all this writing couldn’t have been good for your burned palm. In fact I’m afraid I’ve worn you out with my questions. While you rest, I’m going back to the hotel. I have phone calls to make to Captain Ortiz and my family.”

  She put the pen and envelope in her purse.

  “Is there anything I can do for you before I go?”

  He tried to talk. It sounded like “come back.” His throat had to be a lot better, thank heaven.

  “I’ll drop by tomorrow. On my way out, I’ll ask one of the sisters to look in on you. Now that you’ve unburdened yourself, there’s nothing more for you to worry about except getting well. Please try to sleep. Your family will be back here before you know it.”

  As she turned to go, his phone rang.

  “I’ll get it,” she volunteered.

  Hurrying around the other side of the bed, she lifted the receiver. “Hello?”

  “Leah?” a female voice questioned.

  “No. This is Terri Jeppson.”

  “Terri—” The other woman sounded shocked. “It’s Martha Shaw.”

  “Hello, Ms. Shaw. You barely missed Mr. Herrick’s family. They’re staying at the Ramada.”

  “I know. I made the arrangements for them. What I didn’t realize was that you were still there.”

  Uh-oh. “I was just on my way back to the hotel. Would you like to talk to Mr. Herrick?”

  “Please.” She was upset.

  “Just a minute. He still can’t answer yet.”

  “I’m aware of that.” Her chilly attitude reminded Terri of Juanita’s.

  “Here he is.”

  When she went to put the phone to his ear, he pushed it away with his left hand. Terri wished she’d never bothered to answer it in the first place.

  “Ms. Shaw? I-I’m afraid Mr. Herrick is in too much pain to deal with a phone call right now.”

  There was a click. The line had gone dead.

  She hung up the phone. “Ms. Shaw was obviously disappointed. I would imagine she’ll try again tomorrow. Now I have to go.”

  This was one time Ben didn’t feel he had the right to call her back. He knew for himself she was no longer in love with her ex-husband. But he was also aware that once upon a time she’d loved him enough to marry him.

  Certain memories would never go away. Right now she needed some time to herself to deal with the fact that he had died.

  But when she left the room, it was as if she’d taken all the light with her. He felt empty and dissatisfied. Terri Jeppson was to blame for his emotional state. She was without a doubt the most remarkable, unique woman he’d ever met. He found himself craving her company more and more. When she’d told him about her miscarriages, he’d wanted to hold her in his arms and take the pain away.

  Terri hurried down the hall and found Sister Angelica. After asking her to look in on their patient, she left the hospital.

  When she finally reached her hotel room, the first thing she did was phone Captain Ortiz. To her chagrin he’d turned on his voice mail. She gave him what information she had, then she called her mother.

  “Terri, honey? I’m so glad to hear from you. Did you find Richard?”

  “Oh, Mom—” After breaking down, she told her mother everything she knew to this point in time. Except for the part about Juanita.

  “I’m going to fly down there, honey. You shouldn’t have to be alone to deal with everything.”

  “Much as I appreciate the thought, Mom, you can’t come. You don’t have a passport.”

  “That’s right—I forgot.”

  “Which is entirely understandable,” Terri murmured. “The only reason I was allowed to enter the country was because they thought I was married to Richard, therefore they granted me that special family emergency visa.”

  “How can I help you, honey?”

  “Whether they find his body or not, I’ll fly home tomorrow. Once I get there, we can put our heads together about whether we should hold a memorial service for him in Spearfish or Lead.”

  “I’m glad you’re coming home, but what I meant was, what can I do to ease your heartache?”

  “I did my grieving a long time ago, Mom. What I’m feeling now is sadness that his life was cut short. I don’t think Richard ever found happiness.” But maybe Terri was wrong. Maybe Juanita had been able to accomplish what no other woman had. Oh, poor Juanita.

  “Well, we know he’s happy where he is now, don’t we.”

  “Yes. That brings me the greatest comfort.” She sniffed. “Will you tell Beth? Right now I’ve got something I have to do. I’ll call you back in the morning and let you know when my flight will be in.”

  “We’ll be waiting to hear from you. God bless you, honey.”


  After Terri hung up, she glanced at her watch. Ten after three. If she left for Richard’s apartment now, she could beat the late-afternoon traffic.

  Grabbing some bottled water from the guest bar, she put it in her purse. As she reached for the extra roll she’d saved from breakfast, her phone rang.

  She hurriedly picked up the receiver and said hello, expecting to hear Captain Ortiz on the other end.

  “Mrs. Jeppson? This is Parker Herrick.”

  Her heart plummeted to her feet. “Has your brother suffered a relapse or something?”

  “Not that I’m aware of,” he drawled. “My folks wanted to know if you’d join us for dinner. Mom found out from the staff that you were the one who bought Ben his new night clothes. It’s her way of saying thank you.”

  Relieved Ben was all right she said, “That’s very nice of her, but I’m afraid I can’t. I have an errand to run that could take me the rest of the afternoon and evening.”

  “Would you like some company?”

  Why was he pressing? Unless… Did Martha feel so threatened, even by a married woman, that she would ask Parker to keep tabs on Terri?

  “You don’t happen to speak Spanish, do you?”

  “Our whole family does. We have to.”

  If he went with her, she’d have to confide some things to him. But that was all right. He’d been through a divorce too and would understand. If he could allay Martha’s fears and translate for Terri at the same time, then it would be worth it. Hopefully Juanita would still be at the apartment.

  “If you really don’t mind, I admit I could use your help.”

  “Good. When shall I pick you up?”

  “As soon as possible.”

  “I’m on my way. I’ll be driving a white Land Rover with the words Herrick Corporation on the side.”

  “I’ll be waiting out front.”

  As soon as Terri hung up, she unwrapped the roll and ate it to give herself a little sustenance. Once she’d rinsed her face and run a brush through her hair, she put on a fresh coat of lipstick.

  Feeling more presentable, she left the room and hurried downstairs to the bank. She’d brought a thousand dollars with her. If she cashed five hundred dollars worth of travelers’ checks, she’d still have enough money to get home.

  It didn’t matter what Captain Ortiz said. Juanita Rosario needed help, and Richard was no longer alive to give it. If there wasn’t a baby on the way that would be different, but the woman was practically ready to deliver. Maybe it was ridiculous, but Terri felt responsible for her welfare even if Richard wasn’t the father.

  Terri only hoped Juanita’s pride wouldn’t prevent her from taking it. Parker might have to do some fast talking.

  Poor Parker. He didn’t have the faintest idea what he was getting into. But forty-five minutes later, after directing him to the outskirts of the city while they drove in air-conditioned luxury, she’d explained the situation to him.

  When he pulled up in front of the apartment, he cocked his head to look at her.

  “You know what I think?”

  “I already know.”

  “I don’t think you do. I was just going to say how much I admire you, a divorced woman, coming to the aid of a fellow human being, especially under these circumstances.”

  Parker didn’t know about Terri’s miscarriages. That was personal. But the fact was, her whole family had been there for her when she’d gone through them. Who would help Juanita?

  “That’s my job back home,” she quipped, fighting the tears that were threatening. “Thanks, Parker. I needed to hear those words because I’m determined about this. I doubt Juanita has very many resources, if any.”

  “We’ll find out. Shall we go in?”

  Terri nodded and climbed down from the seat. He left his cowboy hat in the car before they walked the short distance to Richard’s apartment. She knocked on the door.

  This time when Juanita peered through the opening of the chain, Terri could see she was dressed in a sleeveless pale blue shift. The woman’s face had streak marks, as if she’d been crying.

  Stifling a groan, Terri looked to Parker for help.

  She’d chosen the right person. After introducing himself in fluent Spanish, he began to explain what had happened. Terri could follow some of it. She knew the moment Juanita heard the truth about Richard.

  The other woman burst into a paroxysm of tears that was heart wrenching to witness. Parker waited, then said something else. Eventually Juanita quieted down enough to lift her head and look at Terri.

  “What did you say to her?”

  “That you were grieving, too, because he’d once been your husband.”

  Parker didn’t know everything going on in Terri’s mind, but it didn’t matter. He’d said the right thing to Juanita. Terri could only admire him for that.

  “Will you tell her the only reason I’m here is to make sure she’ll be able to have her baby without worrying about money? Tell her I’m sorry I don’t have more to give.”

  While Parker explained everything, Terri handed Juanita the five hundred dollars. The other woman’s hand trembled as she took it.

  In a surprise move, Parker pulled out his billfold and added his own generous donation. “Please accept this from the Herrick Corporation,” he said in Spanish.

  Juanita appeared to hesitate before her fingers closed over the bills he pressed in her other hand.

  “Gracias, señor,” she murmured in a wobbly voice. Her liquid-brown eyes swerved to Terri. “Muchas gracias, señora.”

  “Parker?” Terri whispered. “Tell her that if she needs anything else, she can reach me through Captain Ortiz at the main police station. I’ll write his number down for her.” She tore off a piece of paper from her purse and copied it for her.

  “Oh—and tell her something else. Let her know I’ll be praying for her and her baby.”

  Parker seemed to have trouble swallowing before he addressed the other woman and gave her the paper.

  “Gracias,” she heard Juanita whisper before she shut the door on them.

  “The poor thing.” Terri wept all the way to the car.

  Once they were inside he said, “Do you always get this emotionally involved with strangers?”

  She sniffed. “No. Of course not.”

  He started the engine and they pulled away from the building. “Then how do you account for the clothes you bought for Ben? For that matter, why did my brother fall apart when you left him earlier today? He didn’t behave like the man I’ve always known.”

  “Probably because he almost lost his life in the accident that took my ex-husband’s, and he’s feeling vulnerable.”

  “Vulnerable is not a word one associates with Ben. Even Martha remarked to Creighton how surprised she was that you had taken such a personal interest in him.”

  “That’s because she’s in love with Ben.” The comment slipped out before Terri realized she’d verbalized her thoughts.

  “How did you pick up on that so fast?” he asked in a quiet tone.

  “Instinct.”

  More than anything Terri wanted to ask if Ben Herrick was in love with his brother’s secretary. But she didn’t dare, and Parker didn’t seem inclined to satisfy her curiosity.

  They rode the rest of the way into the city without talking. She finally turned to him. “I can’t thank you enough for what you did for me this afternoon. One day you’ll know my gratitude.”

  “If you mean that, have dinner with me.”

  She hoped it was an oversight and he’d meant to say “with the family.”

  “Thank you, but I can’t. Captain Ortiz could be calling me right now. I’m waiting to find out if Richard’s body has been recovered from the accident scene.”

  Parker drew up in front of the hotel and stopped the car. “If you need me for anything, call the hospital. I’ll be there with Ben.”

  “I’m sure he’s grateful to have his family around at a time like this.” She climbed out. “Thanks aga
in more than I can say for the ride and your translating services.”

  “I wanted to help. I’d like to do a lot more if you’d let me.”

  There was no mistaking what he’d implied just now. He reminded her a little of the man she’d had dinner with in Lead on the night she’d received the call from Martha Shaw. Both men had been hurt by their divorces and were anxious to find someone else to love, but Terri wasn’t that person.

  She shut the door. Through the open window she said, “You did that when you contributed to Juanita’s welfare. It was a very kind thing to do.”

  He eyed her briefly before putting his hat back on. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Terri shut the door without giving him a response.

  Though she’d told Ben Herrick she’d drop by the hospital, she knew in her heart of hearts it wouldn’t be a good idea. Everything was getting much too complicated.

  Better to return to her life in South Dakota as soon as possible. Immersed in her work, she’d be too busy to think about how much she’d enjoyed her time with the bandaged stranger when he’d had no identity, no title, no family and no history that included Martha Shaw.

  Twenty minutes later Terri had spoken with Captain Ortiz. He’d obtained the name and address of the fisherman, but so far the police hadn’t been able to talk to him. As for bodies, none had turned up in the vicinity the fisherman had described to the hospital authorities. However they did find some pieces of debris which might belong to the boat in question.

  As for the other two drowning victims mentioned by Mr. Herrick, they weren’t employees of his company. The only person who’d been reported missing from work was Richard. That news made the case more complicated. Depending on the actual site of the accident and the ocean current, it might be days or weeks before any bodies were recovered. If ever.

  According to the captain, he intended to visit Mr. Herrick that evening. If it didn’t hurt the burn on his hand too much, he would ask him to write down a few facts about the accident on paper. His testimony would make all the difference.

  Terri agreed. Before she hung up, she told him there was nothing more to keep her in Guayaquil. She planned to fly back to South Dakota in the morning. If anything came up, the captain had her phone number and address in Lead.