"We need to talk."
They were the first words he had said to her after they had made love the night before. She had woken up to find him gone with a note on his pillow telling her to make herself at home.
It was the second note Ben had left for her but until this moment, she hadn't been sure there was a significance. Now, she was sure. Ben wasn't very good at confrontation. He was no more eager to face her now with bad news, than he was this morning or when he had spent the night with her at the cabin.
Her breath caught in her throat. "What is it?"
Ben slowly removed his coat and placed it on the hook beside the door. His eyes blazed as he turned to look at her. "There's been another break-in in the area. And this time, we're sure it's Caleb that's responsible."
The fact that Ben appeared sorry did nothing to ease the pain she felt in her heart. "How do you know?"
Ben pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and thrust it toward her. "Look at this."
Eddie took the paper and carefully unfolded it. It was a receipt. Eddie shook her head and looked up at Ben. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to see here."
Ben's eye deepened with regret. "This is a credit card receipt. It must have fallen out of Caleb's pocket during the last robbery. It was found by one of my men when they investigated."
Eddie glanced down at the printout. Hunter's Mills Drug Store. Other than that, the slip was vague. Whoever owned the receipt had purchased King Pin condoms and three packs of tissues.
"I'm not sure what you expect me to see here. Her heart hammered knowing Ben had indeed found something that implicated Caleb. Her heart hurt even more knowing he was indeed looking for something, anything, to convict the boy.
"This is a receipt found at the last break-in, Ben supplied. "It's been traced back to his credit card number."
If Eddie knew anything about her nephew, it's that he wouldn't be this stupid. "It's been planted, she told Ben with conviction. "Caleb wouldn't leave a receipt behind that could be traced."
Ben’s brows rose. "Really? His eyes scrutinized her. "You know he wouldn't make such a stupid mistake because…"
Damn. He'd cornered her. Now what? As a counselor, Eddie knew that Ben hadn't presented her with information that would wash in a court case. Yet, it was damning all the same.
No longer able to meet his gaze, she turned her back to him. From that moment, she knew she had turned her back on Ben and sided with Caleb one hundred percent.
She'd come to Hunter's Mills to find Caleb. She hadn't planned on meeting Ben and feeling what she did for him. She couldn’t find the words to describe her feelings. Surely, she was not in love with him.
"There's nothing I can tell you about this that will help, Eddie told him. Her heart ached. She tried to keep Caleb in mind, hoping against all hope that he hadn’t been involved. "It's possible that receipt was on someone else. Maybe he's being framed."
Ben's sighed impatiently. "You know damn well that's very unlikely."
Ben gripped her shoulders and swung her around to face him. His eyes dug into her, they were all-knowing…eyes that had seen this before. And, Eddie had to admit, they were very tired eyes. There was so much he had yet to reveal. She wanted to ask. Yet she knew no matter what her heart was feeling, Caleb…her family…had to come first.
"I don't know anything, she told him. "I've been here a few days and have yet to find any evidence of my nephew being here."
"What more do you need? Ben said. He was clearly trying to keep his anger in check. He shook his head slowly. "I know you don't want to admit your nephew could be involoved with this, but I think it's time for you to realize there's a very good chance he is."
Tears pricked Eddie's eyes. "I will not abandon him, no matter how much you want me to."
"Eddie, Ben began, "I don't want you to abandon hope of helping Caleb. I just want you to see that he may not be innocent."
The tears she felt prick her eyes quickly dried. Instead, she felt anger flare from deep within her soul. "You want me to admit he's guilty so you can rest easy. You've been out to convict him from the moment we met. You want me to admit I think he's guilty to ease your conscience."
"That's not true, Ben said, "and you know it. What happened between us had nothing to do with Caleb."
"Yes, it did, Eddie said, her voice laced with anger, "you made love to me thinking you'd eventually find a way to connect with Caleb through me."
Ben shook his head, his brows lowered over his eyes. "If you think I'd do something like that, you don't know me that well."
No. Eddie had to admit she didn't know Ben that well. But she knew his type. They were all the same.
She took several steps out of his reach before she said, "Please leave."
Ben's voice was a mere whisper. "Look me in the eye and say you want me to leave."
It was a challenge.
Eddie steeled herself as she turned and leveled her gaze on Ben. Her heart thundered, her breath quickened, she struggled to keep eye contact with him. "I want you to leave."
