The Road Home

Chapter 14

With Brett's daughter getting married this weekend, Ben was finally able to get some work accomplished. He had fixed a leaky sink, graded papers, and was writing an exam for his Advanced Language Class when his phone rang.

"Have you seen the news?" Gloria asked, worriedly.

"No, why?"

"Harper's on it,"

Ben stopped typing. "What happened?"

"Her music video in the hills. Some photographers were in a helicopter taking pictures and causing problems for her shoot. Her manager was interviewed."

Ben resumed his typing. "She's probably used to things like that," he replied, relieved that it wasn't something serious. "What are you doing today?"

"Heading home from work. I had to go in at eight. Did Harper have fun last night?"

"She talked about it the entire way back to the lot."

"I have to admit." His mother paused for a moment. "She's not what I expected."

Ben agreed silently. She certainly wasn't what he had expected either, nor were his feelings for her.

"This isn't serious, is it?"

He quit typing again, picked up his coffee cup, and slouched back in his seat. Here we go again.

"Ben?"

"What do you mean?"

"The two of you," Gloria explained.

"There isn't a 'two of us'," he countered respectfully nor would there ever be.

"Well," she sighed. "I was shocked that she knew so much."

Ben's mind raced. What did she know?

His mother continued, "You know. About Kate and Chaney."

Ben wasn't sure what to say. His mother knew he seldom discussed that part of his life with others. He had only recently told Lisa. He remembered the way she changed the subject and never mentioned it again. That had hurt him and the one time she had been at his house, she refused to look at the pictures in the hallway. He wondered if they were the reason she always insisted on having dinner at her place. But with Harper, it was different. 

"There's nothing to worry about." He sensed her anxiety. "We're just friends."

"Alright, I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't butt into your business. I'm concerned about you."

"Thank you but don't worry." After he hung up with his mother, he laid the phone down and tried to work out the knots in the back of his neck.

~

Ben was surprised when he walked in the conference room early Monday and saw Harper at the back of the room. She poured a cup of coffee and stood by the tables which offered various breakfast foods. When she turned to see him, she flashed him a wide smile.

"Did you stay up all night? Is that how you beat me here?" he teased, setting his things down on the end of the table. He chuckled at the look she gave him. She definitely wasn't a morning person. Ben pulled the scripts from his bag, sat them on the table then took a seat. "Heard you had a crazy weekend."

"It made for a very long day." She walked to the table and sat next to him. He could tell she was watching him as he looked over the script.

"I thought you might come by yesterday."

He silently recalled the many times he talked himself out of calling or driving out to the lot to see her. Still scanning the script, he replied, "I worked all afternoon."