RILEY

Damn, life's a hoot, isn't it? Amazing how we survive the hardships and build anew over the rubble to make things even better than before. Resilient, that's what we humans are. Adaptable, repairable, perfect in our inadequacies and brilliant with the glow of our spectacular flaws.

That's what I was thinking about as I sat on the step of my newly rebuilt porch. I was looking at a beautiful array of wood millwork curlicues created to adorn the mansion exterior, holding colorful paint chips up and making notes. John had just left for his therapy session in town. It was his third that week and I watched him carry the cane along with him, knowing this was the breaking point and he'd be sore as hell when he left the gym. Poor John, but there was a resilience I admired more that I could say. Tough as nails, he did whatever it took to move ahead, get strong again. And blessedly he was almost there, only two more weeks of therapy then the leg brace would be history. We were planning a celebration in town for the day that happens, maybe even a ceremonial burning of the damn thing too.

I looked up from the paint chips. It was noisy, construction equipment working on the left tower, the rumble of cement trucks laying the foundation for the stable a short distance away, men shouting to each other. I smiled. It was as though they all knew they were doing something special. The day was warm for May, and it was better to choose colors for the exterior outside in the sunlight, even though I knew the workers were not thrilled with me sitting right in the middle of their domain. Men. Ha.

I had several drawings unrolled, all with a different color combinations, but looking at the paint chips I wasn't sure I liked any of them. The gingerbread wood pieces were far more intricate than I'd expected, more beautiful than I imagined. "Back to the drawing board," I laughed, gathering everything up.

Just as I was about to head inside, I noticed a car pull up; a Porsche of all things, and it parked right next to an idling backhoe. I stood; rolled drawings under my arm and the wood pieces in hand, ready to tell whoever it was that they were in the wrong place.

All work in the immediate vicinity came to an abrupt halt as a woman climbed out from the driver's seat. She shook her head, waving gorgeous, deep red hair that glowed in the sunshine and the whistles began. Christ, I had to save this woman from . . . oh . . . shit!

She strolled up to the porch like she owned the place. Me? I just stood there like a statue; a statue wearing silly overalls and a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cap.

"Hello. Can you tell me where the owner is?"

Struck dumb. I was fucking struck dumb! Could hardly believe it was actually happening. That I was standing in front of John's old lover; the woman who nearly caused us to break up a few months ago when she showed up and bid an outrageous amount of money at the Cort's Charity Bachelor's Auction just to spend an evening with my John. I gulped. Blinked. Couldn't think.

"John Biebe, sweetie. Your boss?" She said sarcastically.

"Hi, LizBeth." I'll give her, my boss! Now it was her turn to blink. "John's gone into town. I'm Riley." I reached out and she shook my hand weakly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't recognize you."

"Yeah, well I always manage to look my worst when I run into you. What can I do for you?"

"I was, ah." Her eyes trailed from me up the right tower, over the arched porch roof to the left tower, then across to the soon-to-be stable. "Wow, this is going to be something big, isn't it?"

"We hope. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

She eyed the doorway suspiciously.

"Oh, it's not that bad inside. Come on." I turned, half hoping she'd just jump in her shiny Porsche and speed away, but I'm not that frightening, I guess. I could hear her high heels behind me, clacking on the porch.

Inside I pushed through draped plastic, held it for her so she wouldn't get any dirt on her beautiful grey silk dress. She gawked.

"Good lord, where did John get the money for this?"

"He's a resourceful man." I answered without turning.

"I can see that. But, I just never imagined that he'd be interested in something of this nature. Hmm."

I led her into my messy little office and filled a clean mug with coffee. I noticed my hands shaking as I pulled the cream from the tiny fridge. Calm down Riles. She's on your turf this time.

She sat at my desk and crossed those long shapely legs with a bored sigh. I pulled a folding chair opened and sat, smiled; at least I think it was a smile. I watched her eyes shoot to the gold ring on my finger then she sipped coffee and gave a grimace.

"Sorry. It's been here a while, I'll make fresh." I jumped up to grab the pot and I heard her voice, small, sad.

"No, this is fine. So how are you?"

"Me? I'm fine. John won't be gone too long, another half hour maybe. I can take you on a tour."

"Maybe later, Riley. Um. Can I talk with you a little?"

I blinked like a lunatic. What the hell would John's ex-lover want to talk with me about? Worse than that, did I really want to hear it? "Sure," was that a groan I made? Jesus I hope not.

She hesitated. I could see her brain switching gears. "Tell me about this place," another sip and another grimace.

"Well, we'll have a total of twenty-seven rooms, nine of them are suites pegged for private, vacation ownership. Time-shares, you know? Our formal, public dining room will seat two hundred for dinner and there's a small dining area for the breakfast guests. Lobby, lounge." I squirmed in my chair. "You know."

"Well, you'll need to find a decent chef for a place like this. I know a few - "

"I'm a chef, LizBeth. And I already have a spectacular staff, thank you."

"Oh," she tucked her gold pen back into her purse and shrugged. Then she looked at me, really eyed me carefully, her brow curled. "So, you're perfect."

"Hardly," a guffaw leapt from my throat and she smiled. Damn, LizBeth Compton is fucking gorgeous.

She stood and looked out the window, pushed her long hair over her shoulder. "I noticed the wedding ring. Congratulations."

"Thanks."

She turned a gaze over her shoulder at me. "I didn't think John was the marrying type."

What? Did she even know John Biebe? "What did you want to talk to me about, LizBeth?"

Another shrug, so incongruous for the perfectly appropriate and well dressed woman. She was definitely off her guard.

"The truth?"

"Always."

"I came here to try to convince John to come back to me."

"Oh," I looked at my hands, wondered how long it would take for me to choke her or throw her out on her pretty ass.

"But, well, I can see it's a little too late. I assumed this place would be struggling for funding, I thought I could just walk in here and - "

"Buy him?"

She sat on the chair, slouched. All her savvy was dissolved. There was an apologetic look on her beautiful face.

"Riley, have you ever lost something? Something you never realized was valuable till it was gone?" Her voice was soft, pained.

"Yes, I have. I lost a baby once. A pregnancy that terrified me because of the home I'd be bringing that child into. But after it was gone, I never really forgave myself for not wanting it more. Not wanting it enough, you know."

She nodded.

"What have you lost, LizBeth?"

"My heart. I swear I don't want to be this way. Almost three years he's gone now. And I spend the better part of every single day thinking about him, trying to figure out how to make him love me again. I did everything wrong. And now, I just suffer the loss. It's as though I'm mourning."

I reached across and took her hand in mine. "Maybe you are, but LizBeth, look in the mirror. You are such a beautiful woman. There have to be hundreds of men who want you, who could love you even more that John did."

"That's just it. When we were together I thought I wanted him to be different. I tried to change him, manipulate him."

I glared.

"Yes, I'm very aware of what I've done. The problem is that what I really want is a man exactly like he is."

"There are so many truly wonderful men out there. Men with integrity and the strength to love with their whole heart." I didn't add, keep away from mine.

"Sure." She gave such a sad smile I couldn't help it. I embraced her and was shocked to feel her shudder, sob against my shoulder. Jesus, what was I supposed to do now? "Hey," I said cheerily. "How about I take you on a tour, show you around till John gets back?"

"I'd love to see everything, but I'm not sure I want to see him. I've done enough- "

"Nonsense. He'd be really pissed if I let you leave before he gets home."

"We wouldn't want that, now would we?" She grinned and for the first time, LizBeth Compton and I shared a smile. We both knew what that would be like.

JOHN

"Good news," Francine, my therapist announced as I ran a towel around my sweaty neck and watched her lift my brace, balance it in her hands and finger the thing. I felt good, hurt like hell, but it was better than the last session. Every time was better than the last and that meant progress. I reached for the fucking brace but she held it with a grin.

"What?" I asked.

"You've done it, buddy." She tossed the brace over her shoulder; it thumped and jangled on the floor behind her. "This thing is history. We're done, John."

I fell back on the weight bench, my shoulders hitting the leather and I shouted a hoot. Man, I can't remember the last time I was so fucking thrilled. Well, my wedding day, but this was different.

I sat up. "You sayin' it's over, sweetheart? No more loving encouragement? Tender words to fire my passion?"

She laughed her low throaty laugh. Nothing was ever gentle about Francine. She was harsh, driving me like a sweating mule till I got where she knew I should be. There's nothing on earth like a good coach and I really appreciated her.

"We're finished. Get your butt out of here. You know the drill. Use the cane when you hurt. Keep up with the strength training and call if you fall on your ass. Though I can bet your wife will be taking over for me, won't she?"

I chuckled. "No shit."

"Hit the showers." She strolled out, her pretty body swaying like it does and I shook my head, suddenly feeling really married. And liking it.

Instead of heading straight home, I stopped for some flowers. The leg was aching, but I made one more stop for butter pecan ice cream. Man, I couldn't wait to see the look on Riley's face when I walked in without the brace. We were expecting a few more weeks of this, now I'd be able to spend those extra hours at home, working with Kevin and better yet, just being with my wife.

Driving up the hill to the Inn, I thought about the construction schedule. It was right on time. Surprising, knowing contractors and all, ay? But Kevin, he's a different kinda contractor. For a while there, Riles and I tried to convince him to restructure the left building, changing it from suites to plain rooms, but he talked us out of it. That was probably because it would set everything back a few weeks and he was a fucking maniac about meeting deadlines. But mostly what he said made sense. He explained that those suites were perfect for time-shares, even set us up with a real estate buddy of his to start selling them based on the artist's renderings. Good guy, Kevin. Pain in my ass sometimes, but a good guy all the same.

We'd been getting closer as time went on. He had a sad story, having lost his wife a year earlier. He was a big hockey fan too and we were planning a few Ranger games together next season. Odd, when I first met the guy, I was sure I'd never want anything to do with him after the construction was done. Funny, how things evolve after a few hurdles are cleared, isn't it?

I parked behind the house and used the cane, holding the brace, roses and ice cream in my other hand and grinning ear to ear. None of the men noticed that the brace was not on my leg but under my arm, oh well. Why would they? But I was sure that my leg was the first place Riley's eyes would go. Well, not the first place, but one of the first places, ay? I went in the back door and looked around. No sign of Riles, so I went up to our place and stowed the perishable, put the flowers in a vase and ran a hand through my hair, still damp from the showers at the gym. Glanced around the kitchen. No notes. Hell, I was so psyched when I parked; I never thought to look for her car. Maybe she was out. I went downstairs to look for Kevin. I knew he'd have something for me to help with. He was good about that, at least letting me feel useful.

I found him in the greenhouse dining room talking to the carpet guys; well, actually yelling at them. "What's up?" I asked.

"Wrong carpet."

"What!" Oh fuck, we were all in trouble now. Riley was extremely specific about the carpeting, went to New York herself to pick it out, but it was me who was supposed to confirm the order and Kevin who was to inspect the delivery. The damn thing arrived two days ago, was sitting in a roll in the middle of the space just waiting for the installers. No matter how you looked at it, Kev and I were up shit creek without a paddle. I knelt to examine the thing. It seemed right, like the right color and all, but what the fuck did I know?

"Now what?" Kevin asked. "I ain't facing Queen Biebe alone on this one, buddy. She's your wife. I think you need to tell her."

"Fucking coward."

"Hell yes, I'm a coward." He turned to the installers. "Get this fucking thing outa here before we all catch hell." They shrugged and heaved the massive roll over their shoulders and headed out.

"What are you doing?"

My eyes shot to Kevin's and we groaned. Time to face the music.

"Baby," I said before turning to her. I was gonna finish that statement with a huge apology, but not another discernable word came out of my mouth. What the fuck was LizBeth doing in our dining room? "Uh."

"What's wrong with the carpet?" Riles turned to Kevin and I glanced his way, figuring he'd already made a run for it, but his eyes were glued to LizBeth. He looked like a love struck dog.

"Sorry, baby, wrong carpet." I made a point of ignoring LizBeth.

The installers lowered the roll to the floor and my heart thumped. Not only was Riles gonna be pissed about that, she couldn't be too pleased with her companion either. She knelt and examined the goods.

"No, this is right. Remember, John? I told you guys I changed it."

"Oh, it's gorgeous," LizBeth said, running her hand over the weave, her silk covered knees on the grimy floor.

"Isn't it perfect? It'll compliment the antique china beautifully."

"Oh yes," LizBeth stood and looked at me, then Kevin. No one spoke, so she shot out her hand. "Hi, I'm LizBeth Compton."

Kevin took her hand but said nothing. Jesus, did she have him tied in a knot or what?

I cleared my throat. "Ah, this is Kevin Boyer, contracting genius. LizBeth is an old friend."

He nodded. "Nice to meet you," then, recovering his dignity, he glared at the installers. "You heard the lady, this carpet has to be in by three; we have lighting scheduled at four. Move your asses . . . ah . . . get cracking." He turned and walked away and the ladies giggled.

RILEY

Damn, but LizBeth's presence had certainly given us all a start. John looked very uncomfortable after Kevin left, so I tried to fill him in on the details, telling a little white lie for LizBeth's benefit.

"Isn't it great, John? LizBeth was in the area and thought she'd stop in and say hi."

"Hi," John said, more than cautiously.

"Hi, John. You have something fantastic here, but you already know that, don't you." She turned a smile to me then focused on him again. I could see him relax, but not completely.

"Yeah, yeah. Lots of work though."

"What happened to you?" She pointed to the cane and my heart leaped. The brace! It was gone!

"Oh, um. I had a small accident. No biggie."

I grunted but didn't say anything. Talk about understatement.

"Sorry to hear. Well, I just wanted to pop in. Riley was sweet enough to give me a tour. Maybe I can come back sometime? Stay at this fantastic Inn?"

"Sure, sure."

He didn't sound all that inviting so I chimed up.

"Absolutely. I'll make sure you get a room with a mountain view, since you like it so much." I glared at John. I understood that he might be a little leery of her, but Christ, even under the circumstances; he had enough courtesy to be gracious, didn't he? Then I realized he didn't understand what had transpired between his beautiful ex-girlfriend and me. It wouldn't due to wait till she was gone to tell him and I couldn't tell him in front of her, like she wasn't there or something, right? So I did the next best thing. I made my exit.

"Well, listen. I need to do some things before those lighting people arrive." I turned and hugged LizBeth. "You have a good flight home if I don't see you before you leave. Call me next week and we'll talk about that antique dealer, okay?"

"I will."

Man, John looked like a trapped lobster when I left him there. But he's a big boy. He'd be fine.

JOHN

What the fuck! I had no clue how to act. No clue why Riles would leave me alone with the fucking dragon lady. Was she testing me? Seeing what kinda husband I really was? Jesus.

"What are you doing here?"

LizBeth blinked. It wasn't her usual smart ass pretend innocence; she actually looked surprised that I wouldn't be happy to see her again. I waited while she squirmed, but the truth is, I didn't like how it felt, seeing her so uncomfortable.

"Sorry, LizBeth. Been so busy here, guess I'm kinda edgy. How ya been?" I nodded to the door, wanting to get us out of the workmen's way. In the lobby, we stopped. She turned her pretty eyes up and tried to smile.

"John, I'm such an idiot. The truth is that I came here to try to manipulate you. To get your attention, maybe even convince you to give me another chance. I was so terrible to you in San Francisco. I just thought . . ."

"Ain't happening, honey."

"Yes, yes. I know that now. I really do. And, congratulations, Riley is perfect."

"Yeah," I grinned. "She is." I think I was blushing like girl.

LizBeth chuckled. "I really like her. And John, I'd never try to steal a man from a friend. She's got true friend potential."

"You couldn't win even if you did try. I told you that in February."

"I believe it now." She turned and I walked with her outside and to her car. "John, if there's anything you need for this place, let me know."

"We're fine."

"Yes," her eyes scanned my chest. "You have always been fine, John." She teased and opened the Porsche door. She glanced up then looked around, took in the building and the mountain in the distance. "This is a beautiful place. You'll do well here. And John?"

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to tell you . . . I'm . . . uh . . . I'm very sorry . . . for everything. For the way I treated you I mean. You deserved better."

I grinned. "That was a hard one for you, wasn't it, Lizzybelle?"

"Yes, yes it was. May I give the groom a hug?"

I looked back at the house with simulated fear, then turned and nodded. She laughed, reached up and hugged me tight, planted a little kiss on my neck. "Take care, John Biebe."

"You too." I watched her get behind the wheel.

"John! Hey, John!" I turned to see Kevin trotting toward us. This should be interesting. I liked the guy; did I really want to see him get caught in the dragon lady's web? Hell, if nothing else, it might be fun to watch.

"S'up?" I pushed her door closed but kept my hand on the opened window so she wouldn't pull away.

"Uh, I needed to ask ya something . . . about the . . . the stable." He eyed LizBeth, grinned. "Leaving already?"

I didn't give her a chance to answer. "Nah, LizBeth's staying the night in town. Hey, maybe you two can get together for dinner?"

Always on her game, she smiled sweetly and turned her captivating eyes on poor, helpless Kev. "Oh, Mr. Boyer, that would delightful! But John, you and Riley must join us. You will, won't you?"

Damn, high sticking foul, penalty. Fuck. "Sure, seven at Old Maulder's. Good for you Kev?"

"Yeah, that'll be great." And he walked away grinning like a Cheshire cat; so much for stable questions.

RILEY

I stood and starred into my closet. God sakes, what the hell was John doing to me? Dinner at Old Maulder's and LizBeth Compton just didn't fit. Old Maulder's is one of the oldest eating establishments in Stowe. It was just a comfortable pub the locals preferred. I was torn between over-dressing to make sure LizBeth was comfortable, or wearing my crappy overalls to make her feel and look as pretty as she really was. But I didn't want to feel out of place and ugly either. I reminded myself, this wasn't about me; it was about getting Kevin and his new interest comfortable enough to get to know each other. And even though John was having a good time, thinking he'd done something really funny by making the date, I thought differently. Kevin and LizBeth just might be a good match. If nothing else, they could end up friends. After all, I've never known two lonelier people. I was just hoping Kevin would get his tongue from the cat that stole it before seven. Otherwise, it was going to be one boring night.

I pulled a pair of designer jeans and a pretty blouse then tossed the clothes on the bed. John was in the shower so I dug out a necklace and pair of simple earrings for my outfit. One of them rolled off the dresser and fell to the floor. As I bent to pick it up and spotted the abandoned leg brace propped in the corner. I grinned and bobbed my brows. Celebration time!

Beneath the rumble of spraying water, I could hear John humming. I stripped and stepped in behind him, stood and watched for a moment. God sakes, he's a beautiful man. He was shampooing his hair, white suds sliding down his muscular back and shoulders. My hand slid slowly along the wet skin and I almost gasped. Sometimes it was still hard to believe it was all real; that I was married to John Biebe. That he loved me as much as I love him. His hands stopped moving and his head turned, eyes closed against the soap dripping down his face.

"That you LizBeth?" He teased.

"Yeah, baby. Hear your wife's not too good at giving head, thought you might need a little."

"Ah, well. Not like I wouldn't like that," he moved his head under the spray and shook it, splashing water on me. His eyes opened and he took me in his arms. "But see, the thing is, my wife is so much better at giving head than you ever were. So, I'm gonna pass."

His mouth found mine and I moaned into the kiss.

"Been a while since we did this in the shower." His hands slid over my back, cupped my ass and pressed me tighter against his growing cock.

"I want to celebrate."

"Huh. Didn't think you noticed."

I lowered to my knees and tenderly kissed the scar on his leg. "Of course I noticed; noticed the minute I saw you. Then I got caught up in the carpet near-disaster."

"Oh, about that. Shit, baby. Sorry. I really did forget that you changed it."

He wasn't saying anymore, don't think he could. I'd sucked his swollen cock all the way to my throat. Of course, I'd never really be sure if I gave better head than LizBeth, but he'd assured that I'd be doing my best to prove so until the day I died. God I was gobbling him, wanting to swallow him whole. The luscious, sweet flavor of John mixed with the clean scent of soap and hot water. His hands were playing in my hair and he'd leaned back against the tile wall. He was hissing and groaning. Maybe I was better, huh?

Long gone were my fears that he might be having a hard time standing, that he might be in pain. I was finally free to give him everything I had. If I did this right, I wouldn't be hungry for dinner, just satisfied to have my belly full of him. I sucked smoothly and ran my fingers softly over the hair on his balls. More hissing and I giggled.

"You laughing at me?" He said between gasps.

"Yes." I attempted to recapture the head of his cock, but John had another idea. He grasped my arms and lifted me, then turned my back to the warmed tile wall and stood close, looking down at me.

"Well, we can't have that, now can we? No laughing. I'm gonna screw you to this wall, Riles. Ready?"

Then our eyes met. John was always a great lover, so attentive and caring, giving, abundant. And he was fun, making me laugh at the strangest times. But at that moment, I saw something in his beautiful baby blues I'd never seen before. It wasn't new, but it was somehow stronger, clearer than ever before. Love. The intensity of it was almost painful to see and my heart began to thud hard. And I wondered, what was he thinking?

I know what was in my mind. The power of our bond had gotten better, more secure. Complete. We were more than lovers, more than life partners. We were man and wife. What I had thought would smooth into comfort had instead become greater than both of us. Maybe this was the fairytale come true?

The silent conversation continued, his eyes speaking to my heart as his hand pressed between my thighs. Fingers explored as though it was new territory, something incredible to be discovered and I melted against the wall. The water splashed and sprayed against his back and he leaned closer, never breaking eye contact, sliding his fingers deep inside of me, drawing a cry of ecstasy.

"Come for me, baby," he said softly. "I want to watch you come for me."

I braced my hands on his shoulders and loosened my legs, slid them wider allowing him access and his hand dove deep, fingers curled.

JOHN

Fuck, she's beautiful, coming for me that way. Trusting me to give her what she wants and needs. This is strange though. See, I've been married before. Yeah, yeah. I understand that Riles and I have been married a whole month, together more than a year, but things should be calming a little, ya know? Not that I'm fucking complaining. I mean, God sakes, this woman sustains me, makes me real, solid. Nothing would make me happier than to think we'd go on with the intensity we've been flying since the day I met her. But I remember marriage, the reality of it.

Looking at her, there in front of me, all wet in the shower, I got the weirdest feeling. Man, how do I explain this? It wasn't about the sex. Fuck, I know what we were doing, but it had nothing to do with touching her. It had to do with having her.

Seeing the world inside her eyes, Riley even looked different to me. More sure than I'd ever seen her before. I couldn't take my eyes from hers. Man, and I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to fulfill everything she deserved. All I knew, pressing her against that wall, my cock deep inside the life she is for me, was that I'd be doing my fucking best to try. Connected to her made my heart want to burst.

Marriage to Riley was obviously gonna be nothing like being married to Donna. Don't get me wrong, Donna was a good woman. A good mother and except for the one time that I know of, a faithful wife. But were we good together? Looking at Riley, her soaked, wet head tucked deep against my neck and her gentle hands running circled on my back, I gotta say, no. Not at all. Donna and me, we had our sterling moments, but that's all they were. Moments. We had far more not so fucking sterling moments, and those went on for months sometimes. It was a war zone. Who was gonna win, ay? If the fight didn't center on my flaws, I had a shot, but that didn't mean I'd win. What a fucking circus. Life isn't a war, dammit. That's what Riley taught me and she doesn't even know it. Life is far smarter with a partner, not an opponent. Smarter. Better, but not necessarily easier. Yeah, Riley was very different from Donna.

Riles has a fire, long buried and hidden from the world. I'd been seeing it spark and flare since I met her. Watched her bloom like that fucking monstrous cherry tree we have near the pond. Beautiful, full. Perfect. Man, all I could do was hope I had something to do with her changes. But, the truth is, all I am is the conduit; something to crash herself against when she needed self abuse or to fall apart when things became too hard for her. I get to sit and help put the pieces back together. But the up side is that I also get to watch the evolving product. God sakes, she's a miraculous piece of work. Resilient beyond reason. Fucking LizBeth was dead right; Riley certainly did have true friend potential. She'd be lucky to have such a friend. Not sure how I'd feel about that but hell, knowing LizBeth like I do, there wasn't much chance she'd ever follow through. Friendship is reciprocal, and Lizzybelle was one fucking selfish bitch.

I took my time, my baby in my arms, hot and tight around me. And I realized that the encounter, there in our shower, was actually the first time I realized all this stuff. It was like the honeymoon we had no time to take. It was the consummation of our marriage. Slow, beautiful, powerful. More than satisfying.

Needless to say, we got to Old Maulder's almost an hour late. LizBeth and Kev were sitting at the table, their heads close, smiling and talking quietly. Man, for a minute there I got scared. What the fuck had I done to poor Kevin? But he's a man, he'll figure it out. After the polished glow wore off, he'd be taking the high road, the road LizBeth didn't even know existed.

"Did you order yet?" I grunted and thumped into a chair, rudely interrupting their private conversation on purpose.

RILEY

I slid into the chair beside LizBeth. She looked great of course. Perfect. Dressed in jeans and a gorgeous black sweater I recognized from one of the local dress shops. It was threaded with gold and fell provocatively off her pearly shoulder; the shoulder Kevin could hardly take his eyes from. She must have done some homework, checked out Old Maulder's. Bravo, LizBeth. Never let them see you squirm.

"Oh, I love that sweater!" I said, lifting the menu.

"I bought it this afternoon. What a great little town this is."

The guys talked, we talked. Then the conversations split again and John and I watched what could only be described as mutual attraction on steroids bloom right in front of us. I was thrilled. We finally left them alone for the night.

"I give it two weeks, tops," John said as he started the jeep.

"Oh, come on. It might be a really nice relationship. And . . . it might last, too."

"Two weeks. I'll bet money on it, Riles."

Isn't hindsight amazing? I mean, if I had enough sense to see what was really going on, I might have been able to find a way to sidetrack the train wreck Lizbeth and Kevin were heading for. It wasn't until I did all the research, all the covert interviews and put all the pieces together that I was finally able to get a clear picture. Hell, for days after their breakup, I was the resident Manor sleuth, searching for clues. We were like four independent countries with our own individual cultural differences, agendas and convictions throughout the whole affair. Communication was the key, but damn, we'd all lost the key. The speeding engine finally wrecked and what had the promise of a good, loving relationship between our Carpenter Man and the beautiful Princess crashed with a resounding boom. Here are the details as I could see them.

First of all, John was wrong and if I'd taken the bet I might be much richer today. LizBeth and Kevin were inseparable for almost six weeks! She remained in Vermont, stayed at one of the Inns in Stowe and was at our place daily, helping out where ever she could, shopping with me and invaluable with her wonderful interior design ideas and antique contacts. We took a trip together to meet with one of her import furniture dealers in New York, three days of exciting shows and restaurants and happy conversation that always included Kevin this and Kevin that. LizBeth was smitten, that's for sure.

"He's amazing, Riley! I can't believe it, exactly what I need. He makes me so happy. I'm afraid though."

"Afraid of what?" I asked, sipping Champaign in our fancy Manhattan suite and snuggled deep in a fluffy terrycloth robe.

LizBeth shrugged. "Come on, you know my track record. I'm going to ruin this, I just know I will," she was sitting on the edge of her bed and dropped on her back with a bounce and a groan. "It's doomed."

I smiled. Who would have ever thought I'd like this woman so much? LizBeth might have been brutal in her relationship with John, but deep down, she was just a girl and a very insecure one at that. She was an entertaining combination of savvy and silliness, of grins and elegant smiles. She'd become whole to me and I wanted to understand what made her tick, why she reacted the way she did to so many things. Time to play the devil's advocate.

"Well then, I guess it is doomed if that's what you want to believe," I baited.

She sat abruptly. "What?"

"You have a choice, you know. You can choose to believe that it will work out." I sipped, "after all, that's what I choose to believe for you."

"You're talking like I actually do have a choice here, maybe other people do, but all my life I - "

"LizBeth, you do have a choice. Trust me."

That turned out to be a long, late night. It wasn't till four AM that I finally got into my own bedroom for a few hours of sleep. We were heading back to Stowe after breakfast. But, it was a good talk.

See, I opened up to her. I know all about thinking the wrong things, believing that I had no choice. I told her about my past, the terrible abusive marriage, my terrifying escape and finally, finding John. I explained how long it took for me to realize that I can simply think myself well, simply observe the good and wonderful way I was being treated and decide to accept that I was worthy. LizBeth cried, but I told her not to.

"Hey, I got the prize! I got John. It was a tough, long journey, but so worth it."

In the meantime, there was Kevin. He looked like a man who'd just discovered sex, like he'd invented it or something. He was just as efficient as usual but if you watched, you could see his eyes scanning the area, looking for LizBeth. When he caught the shine of her hair, usually tied up in a silly ponytail, his face would light up. He never talked about her, at least not to me.

And of course, there was John, still making bets, so damn sure he was right about her evil nature.

"God sakes, John!" I said in frustration as I cleared the dinner dishes one night. "People change, you know."

"LizBeth isn't like normal people, Riles."

All I could do was shake my head. That must have been one horrible roller coaster ride, John and LizBeth. Two years together and they had no freaking clue who the other person actually was! But I kissed the top of his head, reaching over his shoulder for a platter and damn grateful the true chemistry wasn't there when he was with her.

Things went on and on, moving smoothly with the construction and the love affair and I was feeling the glow of success.

I've been called obsessive, compulsive and a control freak where the Inn was concerned, but that never bothered me. Queen Biebe, that's me. And we were coming down to the wire. Twenty finishers were arriving the next day to complete as many rooms as humanly possible. At least with my crazy attention to detail I was sure things were going the way I wanted them. It was June twelfth, fifteen days till our first official guests arrived, and I was walking through the towers carrying an arm full of folders. Each folder had a room number on it. Inside were paint chips, carpet sample, fabric swatches and various artists' renderings of each particular room or suite. I strolled, placed the appropriate folder inside each room, double and triple checking that it had everything it was supposed to inside, then moved on to the next.

I went into one of the suites, concerned about the fact that the wet bar wasn't completely installed yet and heard a sound in the other room. I glanced around the corner of the doorway and just blinked.

LizBeth had taken to wearing overalls and cheap tee-shirts. She wore work boots that had begun to look as grimy as the men's, caked with mud and saw dust. She was leaning back against the wall with her knee slightly bent, raised and pressed provocatively between Kevin's legs. His face was deep in her neck and his hands were settled tenderly on her breasts beneath the bib of her overalls.

I silently set the folder on the unfinished bar, jotted a quick note on it regarding the disconnected plumbing and requesting an explanation, rethought, scratched it out, then snuck out of the suite to finish my job. My heart was warm with the sight of them together. And my mind was stirred.

I was remembering that other life, the one John and I shared before we tied the knot. Sights of that nature were common then. The simple, sexual touch was the usual, and running across lovers in the process of subtly moving toward the act was familiar. We weren't all raving sex maniacs or so explicit we'd be rated R. But we knew what was going on around us. Trusted it and accepted it. After a few months away, it wasn't quite so normal anymore. Stowe is a conservative Vermont town. If you caught someone kissing in a doorway, you looked away. Such public displays of affection were simply not done.

And in essence, LizBeth and Kev were not in public. My seeing them like that was an accident, pure and simple. An accident that made me rush through the last few suites and run to find John. I dragged him upstairs to our bed and ravished him. He liked it. So did I.

***

Three days after seeing them in that embrace, everything changed. All hell broke loose. I walked into the professional kitchen to do a few things in my office and ran right into Kevin, shouting at the top of his lungs and berating the men installing the exhaust system over the hot line. His face was red. I stepped back, listened and watched. Whatever he was griping about didn't warrant his reaction.

Poor Monica came in; pushing a heavy case of fryer oil along the floor toward the dry storage room and Kevin stepped back, almost onto her.

"Jesus fucking Christ! Can't you do that later? Goddamn it, this is fucking . . ."

Monna fought tears and heaved one more push, sliding the box to the corner then left.

"Um, Kevin?"

"What?" He shouted, turned his glare on me.

"Can I see you in my office?" I asked as calmly as I could. I had no intention of reprimanding him, or even showing that I was concerned about his behavior in front of his men. That would be reserved for the privacy of my office. He stomped behind me and slammed the door shut. It bounced and remained ajar.

"What the fuck do you want?" He shouted.

Talk about David and Goliath. I starred up at him and hissed. "What is wrong with you?"

"Just doing my fucking job, Queen Biebe," he spat. "Can I get back to it, or what?"

"No. You need to calm down and tell me what you're so upset about."

"None of your mother fucking business. You got a problem with how I'm doing things around here, just say it. I know where the door is, Riley!"

Christ, if I hadn't taken a few deep breaths first, I'd have asked him to be sure it didn't hit him in the ass on the way out. I looked into his eyes, he avoided me. I reached out to touch his arm and he pulled it away with a jerk.

"Your choice, Queenie! Leave me to do my job, or - "

"What the fuck's going on in here?" It was John, swinging the door opened, obviously hearing the shouts. Kevin roughly shouldered his way past John and I watched John's fists ball. Oh fuck!

"John, wait!" I caught his elbow before he charged after Kev.

"You okay?" His eyes were blazing.

"I'm fine. Come on, you know how Kevin and I are. This is no biggie. He's upset about something and taking it out on everyone, that's all. You know of any problems he hasn't told me about?"

"Yeah, one." John took me into a protective hug, his head turned, glaring out the opened door.

"What?"

"Fucking Lizzybelle left Vermont this morning."

***

I dialed her cell several times. No answer. I e-mailed. Nada. Something terrible must have happened and I was desperate to find out what. After several days of silence from LizBeth's camp and Kevin still raging like a lunatic, I'd had enough.

"Where do you think you're going, Riles? You can't fix this, baby. I warned you." John was watching me pack.

"I know I can't fix it. But I need to figure it out. John," I sat on the bed and watched his face. He was so settled and resigned, so fucking smug that he'd been right. "I'm telling you. I know this woman. Something horrible must have happened to cause this."

"Yeah, something horrible did. She showed her colors. That leopard can't change her spots."

"That's just plain mean, John."

"I'm not being mean, baby. I'm being realistic."

"You're wrong . . . and mean . . . and cruel. Have you even tried to help Kevin get through this? You guys are friends. How can you just stand by and watch him suffer like this?"

John grunted. "It's the rest of us who are suffering. He's fucking reacting to her the same way I did. She's poison, Riles. Plain and simple." He reached for my arms and tugged me into his lap. "And yeah, I have talked to him. Been talking to him through this whole thing. Hell yes, I feel bad, but I did warn him."

I leapt from his knee. "You did what?"

I watched his brain twitch. He finally realized that I was more angry with him than Kevin and LizBeth combined. The line was drawn. I was on her side, at least till she proved I shouldn't be. I flipped closed my suitcase lid, zipped it and walked out of our suite.

"I can not believe you'd leave here now! Now? God sakes, woman. We open in two weeks!" He shouted down the steps to me.

***

My mind spun during the entire coast to coast flight. Was she home? Would she avoid me? What the hell did I do that she wouldn't talk to me? Deciding I was simply being a good friend, I chose to follow through. If all she needed was a shoulder to cry on, I'd be there for her. If she didn't want to talk, that would be fine too.

When the cab pulled up in front of the huge mansion, I gawked up at it.

"Wait till I get in the door, okay?"

The cabbie grunted, but idled at the circular driveway. I rang the doorbell. Waited. Rang again. When the door opened, I expected a well dressed butler, but it was LizBeth herself and she looked like hell. Eyes red, face puffy. My heart went out to her, but there was a certain comfort in knowing she looked as bad as me when I cry.

She leaned on the doorjamb with a deep sigh. "Riley, I fucked up so bad."

Later, after way too many glasses of wine we were sitting in her magnificent parlor. She'd been talking non-stop, just not about anything important. She was behind in her work; LizBeth sat on several charity boards and was an advisor for the fund raising efforts at the California State Children's Hospital Association. She talked about getting a dog, or two, or even three. Regal, beautiful, retired racing greyhounds. She talked about wanting to learn how to bake cookies. And she cried through it all.

When she finally became quiet I got the nerve to ask. "So, how do you think you fucked up?"

"I told him."

"Told him what?"

She squirmed deeper into the brocade sofa. "Everything. I was feeling so sure, so confident. And I wanted to start this thing right, you know."

"What did you tell him, LizBeth?

She shrugged. "About me. My past. What happened with John. About this place and the money."

"And?" Jeeze, it was like pulling teeth.

"He couldn't handle it. Riley, his wife was a saint. She was a straight up normal, middle-class woman. Riley, he loved her so much. It's obvious I'm nothing like she was. I'm not sure what hit him the hardest. The money or my harpy past. He just . . .just . . . shut down." She was crying again. "So, I ran." Her red eyes focused on me. "I told you I was scared. I knew it would end like this. And here's the hardest part, Riles. I'm feeling the same way I did after John left me. Like I can't let go, like I have to somehow make Kevin love me again. What the hell am I going to do? I can't go on like this. I mean, it's bad enough that he doesn't love me, I don't want him to hate me too."

My mind hooked onto one statement she'd made. "Wait. Wait a minute, LizBeth. Are you saying that your money intimidates Kevin?"

"I think so. Maybe he was just mad because I hadn't mentioned it yet."

"Honey, he knew about your money. Christ, it's obvious, even when you were wearing work clothes and pushing crates around. God sakes. That can't be it. Kevin's no slouch in the finance department either. Our project alone is making him more than a million in fees. What did he tell you?"

"Nothing. After we talked, he just went pale. He couldn't touch me, wouldn't look at me. I couldn't stand that. I had to leave."

"The stuff about John, he gave you no reaction to that?"

Her head shook sadly.

"Exactly what did you tell him about that?"

"Just the truth. That I was terrible, pushed him, made him nuts. Made him leave then tormented and followed him for years. I told him my heart was broken over that. And I told him . . . oh shit."

"What?"

She sat up. "Oh God, Riley. I told him why I came to Vermont. Do you think . . ."

"That he thinks you're still in love with John? That you might be using him to get to John?" I finished for her and I reached for my cell. "Oh hell yes, I do. Men are just stupid enough to think like that."

"But I told him it was over."

"Don't worry; we're going to get to the bottom of this. I promise."

But her cool hand covered mine before I could dial.

"Riley, there is one more thing."

JOHN

Okay, she might have been right. Maybe I shouldn't have warned Kev about the dragon lady. Maybe I had something to do with the whole breakup. At least I think that was Riley's allegation, what I was reading in her eyes.

I tried to remember everything I said to him. I told him LizBeth was trouble. Told him she could be a mega bitch. Told him about my relationship with her and how she brought out the worst in a man. The shit that happened in San Francisco. Even the confession I got out of her about why she'd come to Vermont. Told him the relentless maniac the woman could be. And I thought, fuck. Riles was probably right. Way too much information. And none of it good. There were good things about LizBeth. I'd just made myself so blind to them, I couldn't remember any. All in all, I thought I was being a good guy, letting him in on all the crap. Their breaking up couldn't be my fault.

So whatever I warned him about must have come to pass anyway, ay? They were apart. She had to have done something to bring that about, right?

With Riley gone for God knows how long and Kev still on the rampage, things at the Inn were starting to fall apart. I did what I could to keep things moving, but gave up five minutes after she left on keeping them moving on schedule. After all, she was the driving force behind it all. Without Riles bopping around the place, everyone relaxed into a coma, even me. It was proving to be a rotten week. My wife hadn't called me once in three days and Kevin; well he was more MIA than on the job.

I found him at the bar in Old Maulder's. Fucking pathetic if you ask me. Shit-face drunk and hitting on a twenty year old barmaid. She looked relieved when I sat next to him, took my order quickly and slipped away.

"It's my fucking day off, Biebe."

"Yeah, your third this week."

"You fucking prick!" He glared at me. "I've given you and the queen everything I got for months now. Twenty-four/seven. You think I'm slacking off?" He grunted. "I think you owe me a few fucking days out of that Goddamn place!"

"All right, all right, all right. Fuck. You're probably right. But I am getting a little worried here. We're down to the wire, Kev. You've got six grand a day in wages laying around the porch waiting for direction. But hey, far be it from me to talk construction with you."

"So, what the hell is this about? You firing my ass?"

"No," I sipped beer. "Fuck no. I may be stupid but I'm not that stupid, man. Firing you would mean facing my wife. Facing my wife would mean me sitting here with you like a sorry sack of shit." I turned to his profile. "What do I gotta do to get you back to work? Did LizBeth take your fucking balls with her to California?"

"Just my fucking heart," it was the most painful groan I'd ever heard from a man.

"What did she do?" I was ready, prepared to hold my 'told you so's' until some other time.

"She didn't do anything, John. I did it. Man, I fucked up. Big time."

"Huh?"

"Look," he grunted. "I ain't into this touchy feely conversation shit. It's over, that's that. I'm not talking about this with you or anyone."

"So don't," I nodded for another beer. Then I could feel him looking at me, I turned. "What?"

"Did you know LizBeth is a cancer survivor?"

I blinked, shook my head slowly. "No, man."

The lights were coming on. So that was the reason! Kevin wasn't ready to face the risk of losing another woman he loved to cancer. Man, it was a real revelation. First off, this wasn't my fault after all. Second, I was really beginning to wonder if that was why LizBeth kept trying to track me down; kept trying to get back together. Fuck, I realized that if I'd have known, my life might have turned out a whole lot different. I wouldn't have turned my back on her when she was going through such a rough time.

And third, touchy feely or not, Kevin needed to do some talking. "Spit it all out, pal."

It took another few beers, but he did.

After I heaved him into his own bed at the rented cottage he kept, my cell rang. It was Riles. Boy, I had no idea how to tell her what I'd learned. "Hey, baby."

"John, can you get Kevin to his cottage and keep him there? I'm bringing LizBeth and they need to talk."

"Yeah, I know." I glanced back at the snoring, broken man. He'd be out cold for hours, hung over for several more. "When will you get here?"

"You're with him? Oh God, John. Is he all right?" Her voice was soft, teary.

"Passed out. Drunk. He'll be fine, baby. When will you two get here?" I looked at my watch, a few minutes after three AM.

"LizBeth has a . . . um . . . doctor's appointment before we fly out. We'll be there about seven tonight. "

My eyes squeezed shut and my heart ached. "I'll stay with him. If we're not here, we'll be at the Inn. Not gonna tell him you're bringing her. He might bolt, ya know."

"John?"

"Yeah, baby."

"I love you so much."

For the first time in three days, I smiled.

RILEY

I sat in the fancy Los Angeles Women's Oncology Clinic lounge, sipped from a bottle of Evian and waited. I saw women wearing exquisite hats that covered bald heads. I grinned at children, playing with the provided toys, terrified that they and not their mother or grandmother were there for an appointment. And I watched a well dressed woman in her late fifties cry in her girlfriends arms.

"They said it's polluted," she sobbed. "They need to take both breasts, Anna! Both!"

I couldn't take it any more. I left, hid in a ladies' room stall and cried silently. How hard must it have been for LizBeth? Alone and afraid? For any woman? And, what about the men in their lives?

Kevin's wife died of leukemia. When he told me about her, he talked with a sad joyfulness of the several years when she was in remission. I don't think he will ever recover from losing her. How could he face this? Cancer survival was only sure until the next check up. Once diagnosed and removed, it was only a matter of time before it crept back into the body. Kevin, of all people, knew this. I wasn't at all surprised at his fears and cowardly reaction. He'd been as strong as he had to be once already. How many times could this be asked of him?

When LizBeth told me about her left breast, I pointedly asked her how he could miss that. They were lovers. Even a restructured breast created from pulled flesh and fillers would be obvious. No nipple, no areola. She explained the size and newness of the growing malignancy. Blessedly a lump-ectomy was performed, preserving the breast's integrity. LizBeth cried when she spoke of Kevin's curiosity about the scar on her lower breast near the bone. How she'd lied, teased that the left one needed adjustment, that she wasn't balanced.

"I never wanted him to know, Riley." LizBeth seemed unreasonably calm and together as we drove to the clinic. "It was so hard for him, losing his wife, I just figured this wasn't important, you know. That he didn't have to know. Then . . . then he told me he loved me. That's when I . . . We're here." She pulled into the lower parking lot, led me to the clinic waiting room and I'd been there, alone and worrying ever since.

It wasn't a scheduled or necessary appointment. LizBeth had consulted with her oncologist just weeks before coming to Vermont. The results were expected to be the same, clear. But she decided to have another go, just to be sure before talking one more time with Kevin. She endured the discomfort of a mammogram, requested further exploration and would have ultrasound performed on her breasts as well as any nearby organs and glands that could be affected. She had chemotherapy treatments two years earlier and told me she'd willingly start another series of that hateful procedure if even the tiniest trace of cancer showed in her body. She would not stand before Kevin unless she was positive that she was free of the disease.

I washed my face, realizing that I had no right to be crying, I wasn't the one dealing with so much physical and emotional pain and heartache. There were few people I'd ever met who had earned my respect and admiration more than LizBeth and Kevin. Life was always a challenge, and I understood only the tip of the iceberg, having nearly lost John in the avalanche. But this? The big "C"? Only God knows how I'd react to such horrible news. Maybe Kevin was handling it better than most. How would I know? But I do clearly recall the look in his eyes when he shared the picture of his wife with me and talked of losing her. There had to be a higher power and strength available to help these two broken souls to find a way back to each other. It was pretty clear that John and I would only serve as the delivery guys, put them together in a room and just . . . plain . . . wait.

Two hours later, LizBeth emerged from the office carrying big manila envelopes marked, "X-Rays - Do Not Fold". She smiled and I followed her like a happy puppy down to the car.

"Clean?" I asked as we headed for the private airfield.

"As a whistle. But you know, Riley. That doesn't mean forever. All I can do is present my case, and if Kevin can't handle this, then he can't . . . then . . . he just can't." She shrugged, being so strong. "We'll see."

When we finally reached Stowe, I was pleased to see John's Jeep parked outside Kevin's cottage. We climbed the steps and knocked.

John leaned on the doorjamb. "Ah," he said quietly, sadness clouding the usual sparkle in his eyes. "The prodigal wife returns, ay?"

I reached up into his hug. LizBeth squeezed his fingers over my shoulder.

"He's sleeping. Raw as hell, Lizzybelle."

She nodded, understanding. "You go. I'll be fine and I promise to call whatever happens, Riley." She kissed my cheek. "Now, go."

We left; there was nothing else we could possibly do anyway. At home we couldn't even talk about it. There was nothing in our combined experiences to compare with what our friends were facing, what they had to deal with or decide. Only they knew what they were capable of.

LIZBETH

Let me introduce myself. My name is LizBeth Annalinda Compton, and I'm not actually sure how I feel about being a part of these chronicles. But, it seems a though I am. My admiration for Riley and deep feelings for John have made me a part of all this. And so, I will tell you my story.