LOVE AND TREASURE | ❝I still love you, Ben after all this time apart.❞
━ IN WHICH Clara Bass is pulled back into the world of treasure hunting through her ex-boyfriend and this a new love grows between them.
| Clara Bass' Standalone Book
| Clara Bas...
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▌Chapter 8 ─ Family Legacy ▌
━━━━━ PATRICK GATES STARED at the four people that stood on his porch. "Dad." Ben said, a small smile on his lips. Patrick looked at his son, kind of surprised to see him. Patrick looked at the four smiling briefly at Clara, who smiled back.
"Where's the party?" He asked, eyes on Ben.
"Well... I'm in a little trouble." Ben informed his father.
"Is Clara pregnant?" Patrick asked, causing Clara to go wide-eyed at his question. Abigail and Riley briefly exchanged a look while Clara looked down in embarrassment.
"Well, if she is, are you gonna leave the woman carrying your grandchild standing out in the cold?" Ben asked him, looking at Clara then back at his dad. Ben couldn't seem to drop the smile on his face, Clara looked over at Abigail and Riley.
"I look pregnant?" She asked, the two shook their heads, not really sure how to answer her question.
Patrick waved them in, moving to the side Ben walked in first. Patrick grabbed his son's arm, "this better not be about that dumb treasure." Patrick said while Clara, and the other's walked into the house. Ben walked forward into the room, Clara walked to the other side of him while Riley and Abigail looked around. "Well, have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable." Patrick said coming into the room after them.
"There's some pizza. It's still warm, I think." Patrick said, Clara followed behind Abigail and Riley.
"Dad... I need the Silence Dogood letters." Clara looked over at them, seeing the look that rested on Patrick's face. "Yeah, it's about the treasure."
"And he dragged you two into this nonsense?" He asked, looking at Abigail and Riley. "You dragged Clara back into this?" Patrick proceeded to ask, looking over at his son.
"Literally." Abigail said, a small smile on her lips while Riley looked at her.
"I volunteered." Riley said after he looked away from Abigail.
"Well, unvolunteer, before you waste your life." Patrick told the two. "Clara was smart; she got out when she could."
"Only to be dragged back in." Clara silently spoke.
"Knock it off, dad." Ben told him as the two walked over to the others.
"Sure, sure, I know, I'm the family kook. I have a job, a house, health insurance. At least I had your mother, for however brief a time. At least I had you. What do you have? Him?" Patrick asked, pointing at Riley who had been eating the pizza. However, Riley didn't really know how to respond to what he had said.
"Look, if you just give us the letters, we're gone." Ben informed his father.
"You disappoint me, Ben." Patrick replied, briefly looking at his son.
Clara looked at Abigail who looked at her as Ben walked over to his father. "Well, maybe that's the real Gates-family legacy. Sons who disappoint their fathers." Ben said, walking over to his father, staring directly at him. It was getting extremely tense in the room, Clara just wanted to get the letters and get out because she couldn't take their arguments.
"Get out. Take your troubles with you." For a brief moment silence filled the room, Clara looked over at Ben watching another smile make its way onto his lips.
"I found the Charlotte." Ben announced.
Abigail tilted her head, while shock fell onto Patrick and Clara's face. She had been searching for the Charlotte with Ben up until she finally decided she had had enough of the clues. It really shocked her, and she had wished that she had stuck around to discover the Charlotte with him.
"The Charlotte? You mean she was a ship?" Patrick asked, turning slightly to face his son.
"Yeah, she was beautiful. It was amazing, dad." Ben told him Clara couldn't help but smile.
"And the treasure?" He proceeded to ask his son.
Ben sighed, "no, no. But we found another clue that led us here."
Patrick turned away from his son, "yeah, and that'll lead you to another clue." Patrick said, getting angry. "And that's all you'll ever find, is another clue. Don't you get it, Ben? I finally figured it out. The legend says that the treasure was buried to keep it from the British. But what really happened was the legend was invented, to keep the British occupied searching for buried treasure. The treasure is a myth." Patrick explained to him, staring at his son.
Clara looked between the two Gates while Ben sighed shaking his head. "I refuse to believe that." Ben told him.
Patrick walked back towards him, "well, you can believe what you want. You're a grown person. What am I doing? Do what you want, Ben. Do what you want." Patrick said.
He walked away from them, moving to another room. "He's probably right. You don't even know if there is another clue." Abigail told him.
Clara looked at Ben, seeing that plan form on his face. "Well, I can think of a way where we could find out. And we can find out right now." Ben said.
Clara smiled brightly, she took her coat off and placed it on one of the chairs then she moved around the house grabbing things that they would need. Her and Riley set up the table while Ben and Abigail got the rest of the supplies. Ben slipped his gloves on and pulled the Declaration of Independence out of the case. Soon after he removed it from the case and unrolled it.
