Beholden: Love Through the Ages, #4

By R.J. Will

Beholden

Vol. 4 of Love Through the Ages, a 5-Book Bundle of Contemporary Romance Novellas

By R. J. Will

One week after Clare graduated as the valedictorian of her high school senior class, her parents were killed in a horrific car crash.

The tragedy set Clare adrift, and she ended up canceling her plans to go to college. Instead, she stayed home and married Henry, her high school sweetheart.

The early years of Henry and Clare's marriage, when their two children were growing up, were happy years. Clare suffered from empty-nest syndrome after the kids were grown and gone, but in time she got over it.

Or thought she did.

Now in her mid-50s, she had developed a growing dissatisfaction with being what she called a "stay-at-home wife." She wanted to be more than that. She wanted to "do something of worth" before she died. The empty-nest syndrome had not disappeared; it had merely morphed into a burning desire to work outside of her home. Henry, who described himself as "old school," was fiercely against the idea, and their marriage started to unravel.

Enter Steve, a classmate of Henry and Clare's who had been a big-city banker before he returned to his hometown to manage the local bank. Steve had a shock of silver hair and a silver tongue to match. He reconnected with Clare and offered her what she considered a dream job – running the food bank he wanted to set up. But there was a catch. Steve made it clear he expected certain favors from Clare in return for giving her the job.

Somehow, somebody would have to give in.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R.J. Will
• Release date: Jan 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781507689660

Book preview

Beholden

Vol. 4 of Love Through the Ages

The Neehawk Chronicles

Ages: 56

Love has no age, no limit, and no death.

– John Galsworthy

Your body withers in time.

Your mind slowly slips away.

There is only one thing that lives on

through the ages. Love.

R. J. WILL

––––––––

About Love Through the Ages

Love Through the Ages is not an ordinary series. Each book in the five-book bundle is a stand-alone. The setting for each book is the same, the fictitious city of Neehawk, Nebraska. But the characters in each book are different, and they are older in each succeeding book – thus love through the ages. The main characters in Vol. 1, The Virgin Conquest, are 18-20 years old. The main characters in Beholden, Vol. 4, are 56 years old. The main characters in Vol. 5 of the bundle are in their 70s.

But love is the same throughout.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – The Reunion

Chapter 2 – The Offer

Chapter 3 – The Judas Kiss

Chapter 4 – Into the Void

Chapter 5 – Confrontations

Chapter 6 – To Tell the Truth

Chapter 7 – In Plain English

Chapter 8 – Shelter from the Storm

Chapter 9 – Beholden

About R. J. Will

Other Books by R. J. Will

R. J. Will Recommends

Copyright © 2015 by R. J. Will

All Rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this book. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known, hereinafter invented, without express written permission of the publisher. This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Although reference might be made to actual historical events or existing locations, the names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Chapter 1

The Reunion

Clare Kohl gritted her teeth and stared darts at her husband. Henry had his back to her – deliberately, she was sure. She took a deep breath, and her cheeks and lips billowed when she exhaled loudly through her mouth. She wanted to be sure Henry heard her.

If he did, however, he gave no sign of it.

Henry, she said in a voice dripping with irritation. She stopped right there. She knew he knew what she meant.

What? Henry said, matching her exasperation with his own.

Clare was standing in the kitchen. She had just gotten off the phone with Steven Harbone. Henry was sitting in a recliner in the living room. He turned on the television. Just to irritate her even more, she thought.

We haven't seen Steve in what, ten, fifteen, twenty years? Clare said.

Henry turned the TV off and turned around to face her. Yeah? he said, meaning so what's your point?

So he's in town, and he was nice enough to give us a call, and when I asked you if it was OK to invite him to supper, you shrugged.

Henry shrugged. "Clare, he couldn't see me when I shrugged. He was on the phone, remember? Besides, why ask me if it's OK to have him over for supper? I'm not going to say no, for Pete's sake."

I asked you because you're my husband, and maybe you had other plans for tonight.

Other plans? Are you nuts? What plans would I have that you wouldn't know about, Clare? Henry grunted and turned his back on her again.

Well, how was I supposed to take your shrug? Clare asked. "Don't you want him over for supper? She scowled. Henry, we were the best of friends in high school, the three of us. I thought you'd be thrilled to see Steve again."

He turned toward her once more. Clare, I'm 56 years old. Steve Harbone isn't on my radar anymore. Where does he live? Omaha?

Yes. He's in banking. But he said he's moving back here, Clare said.

Well, he and I have been living in completely different worlds for what, ten, fifteen, twenty years? The thrill is gone, I can tell you.

So what? Henry, he's an old friend. I can't believe you. Does this mean you're going to sit like a bump on a –

I'll be fine, Clare. Don't you worry about me. I won't embarrass you. His voice had risen almost to a shout. He turned his back on her and flipped on the television. Clare knew that meant the conversation was over.

Henry had a PS, however.

I'll even put on a clean pair of overalls, he yelled.

Oh, don't go to any trouble, dear, Clare said. She wondered whether she overdid the cynicism.

I get your sarcasm, Clare. And I apologize for mine.

She had a momentary surge of anger, mostly directed at herself. He did it to me again.

You know I hate it when you apologize to me. It makes me so angry, she said. She was in the living room now, standing in front of him like a peckish hall monitor.

I don't do it to make you angry, Henry said.

I know. You do it because it makes you seem good and noble, and makes me look like a rat's ass.

Henry turned off the television again and picked up the Neehawk News. They sat in silence.

He looked up from his newspaper. I've never called you a rat's ass, he said. He rubbed his chin.

What? I didn't say you did. Oh – She threw her hands in the air, jumped up and stomped back into the kitchen.

She tapped her fingers in a cadence on the countertop.

Well, I'd better go to the store and get something for supper. What would you like? she asked in a loud voice.

As I recall, Steve was a big steak fan.

"Are you kidding? He hated steak."

"Steve Harbone? Are we talking about the same guy? He loved steak."

Clare thought for a moment. You're right. I guess he did.

Clare picked up her purse and started out the front door. She stopped and turned toward Henry. Seriously, if you want to wear overalls to supper, then do it. You are who you are.

I have a better idea, Henry said.

What?

It's a surprise. He turned on the television.

Clare shook her head and went out the door. She remembered reading years ago that you should never leave the house without giving your husband a kiss. And vice versa.

Ha! she said aloud.

●●●

At 7 p.m. sharp the doorbell rang. Henry was in the shower. Clare had told him more than once to be ready when Steve arrived so they both could greet him at the door. You remember how prompt he was about everything, she had said to Henry. But Henry dawdled, and sure enough, he wasn't ready. Why does he irritate me so at times like this? Well, at least he had fired up the backyard grill.

Clare opened the front door, and there he was, Steven Harbone, all 6 feet, 2 inches of him (2 inches shorter than Henry), older now but still trim and fit and looking younger than Clare thought he had a right to look. He was dressed in black pants and a steel grey short-sleeve, button-down shirt. His once-black hair was silver now, but his face was wrinkle-free except when he gave Clare a wide smile.

Steve, it's so good to see you. She meant it. Something akin to joy rushed through her for the first time in a long while.

And you, Clare, Steve said. Oh my God, the years have been so incredibly kind to you. His voice was deep and almost melodic.

They threw their arms around each other. He squeezed a little too hard and held on a little too long, but Clare didn't mind. It had been years.

Well, you haven't changed a bit, Clare said. She almost meant it, even though she realized it was a silly platitude.

Yeah, right. But look at you, Steve said. I'm going to spend the entire evening with my mouth agape just staring at you.

Clare tossed her head back and laughed, shaking her long, dark-but-graying hair that curled at her shoulders. Her youthful shape had matured, and she looked better at 56 than she did at a nubile 18. Like all women, however, she was not satisfied with her body and thought it had at least a couple of flaws. She considered her legs to be her best feature, so for the reunion with Steve she was wearing shorts and a short-sleeve V-neck shirt.

Where's Henry? Steve asked.

Clare rolled her eyes. Henry! she called. Company's here!

Well, how are you? Steve asked. I can't wait to get caught up with you guys. It's been ... how long?

Too long, Clare said. Let's go out on the patio. Henry will find us. He has the grill going. How about a glass of wine? She slid the glass French doors open, and they walked outside.

We're having steak, so I hope you like red, Clare said. We'll eat inside. It's too hot to eat out here, but a nice place to have a glass of wine. She paused. That doesn't really make sense, does it? They laughed. Anyway, Henry is the chef tonight. I'm not that much of a cook, frankly, but he is. Anyway, red OK?

That's ever so fine, Steve said.

They sat across from each other at the picnic table and sipped their wine. An enormous oak tree provided shade for them. The daytime shadows slowly lengthened as the sun inched its way to the western horizon. It had been a typical warm, muggy Nebraska