OK folks. I'm sorry, but I did not realize that something had changed in the formatting of the text
pages. When I first started posting this story, I didn't have to put a space between the . . .'s and
they would post correctly. Looks like things changed. I never noticed and wondered what a few
of you were speaking of. Thanks SouthernChickie for letting me know specifically. As I have
time I will go back and re-format old chapters and be sure to add the spaces from here on out.
Didn't know without spaces it would translate into one "." We live and learn.
CHAPTER 72
Garrett tried to make an excuse for Beth so that she didn't have to come down to dinner with Rick
Shafer, but Shafer insisted. "I want to see for myself just how smitten she is of you."
Garrett didn't feel the need to prove anything, but Shafer still held the key to their seclusion. This
was his house and Garrett owed him for so much.
"It will only be for dinner." Garrett explained to her, rubbing her shoulders as she stared out the
window.
"He makes me feel uncomfortable." Beth replied.
"Just humor him for a couple of hours and it will be ok. He's flying back tonight." Garrett told her.
"Back?"
Garrett realized he'd said to much. "He's a pilot. He has a flight to catch and isn't in town for
more than a few hours, and we have business to discuss. So once dinner is over you won't have
to stay downstairs." He covered.
Beth knew that she had to be convincing, not only to Garrett, but especially to Shafer. "I'll be
down in a few minutes." She told him, starting to unbutton her blouse to change. Garrett
smoothed the fabric off her shoulder far enough to plant a kiss there before leaving her.
Her skin still crawling from his touch, Beth selected one of the outfits Garrett had bought for her.
She chose the white mohair sweater and green skirt with matching boots that came to mid-calf. It
wasn't something she'd pick for herself, but it was at least comfortable. Brushing her hair, she
took on last look in the mirror before checking on Cassie in the nursery across the hall. The baby
was sleeping, so she barely touched her cheek with a kiss before going downstairs.
Forcing a smile on her face, Beth slipped under Garrett's arm as he stood with Shafer in the main
room. It was no secret that neither liked the other, so at least she didn't have to pretend to be
cordial to him. Her only focus was to make it appear that she was clinging to Garrett and content
to do so.
Shafer eyed her warily, but Beth was convincing. She never missed an opportunity to touch
Garrett or to catch his eye as they ate dinner and then moved to the main room for coffee and
desert. But something told him it was an act, and he thought he knew just how to find out.
"Would you like to call your father?" Shafer asked, surprising both Garrett and Beth.
"You're kidding right?" she replied.
"Not at all. Here is my phone. It's untraceable." He tossed the cell to her.
Beth could feel both sets of eyes on her as she dialed the number. She expected at any moment
for the phone to be ripped from her hands, but it didn't happen.
The phone rang three times and then a voice she wondered if she'd ever hear again answered.
"Daddy?"
"Leandra is that you?" Peter Harris replied. "Where are ya? Has Adam found you?"
It was then Beth realized that this was a test, and as much as it hurt, she knew she had to lie.
"Daddy, Adam is dead." She told him, looking directly at Shafer.
"He's what? Leandra who told you that?" her father demanded.
"Daddy it doesn't matter. What matters is that you know that Cassie and I are safe … and we are
happy." She didn't let her voice quiver as she told the biggest lie of them all. "Garrett is taking
care of us, and we're safe."
"Leandra this is crazy, I know …"
Beth cut him off. She was afraid the line was being tapped. "You don't know Daddy, but I want
you to know. I'm with Garrett and I'm going to stay with him. It's what Craig would have wanted,
and you know I've always cared about him."
Peter Harris knew something wasn't right about this, and he guessed she was lying. He knew her
voice and he knew the signs, even if it wasn't apparent to anyone else who might be listening.
"I hear you Lea." He replied. "I miss you. We all miss you. Are you coming home soon?"
"I … I don't know Daddy. Maybe one day. Maybe one day Garrett can bring Cassie and I home."
Her eyes met Garrett's across the room, and she couldn't control the mist that formed in them.
"I don't understand any of this Leandra, but I know you must have your reasons." Her father
choked on his own tears, knowing he couldn't say what he wanted. He couldn't say that they
knew she had gone against her will. "Are you really doing well? How is my granddaughter?"
"Cassie is fine Daddy, we both are." Beth told him sincerely. "And she is growing so fast … " it
was then she started to break down. "I miss you Daddy, and I love you."
She couldn't keep it together any longer, and she knew that she didn't have to hide the emotion.
Garrett knew how much she loved her family. He walked over and took the phone from her
hands as he put an arm around her.
"Peter, we'll call again soon." He said into the phone before closing the connection.
Peter Harris could only swallow the words he wanted to say to the man who had stolen his
daughter and granddaughter away. He had never known hate before in his life, but he hated
Garrett with every fiber of his being. He couldn't believe the same man who had grown up as a
guest in his home so many times would be capable of such betrayal. He hung the receiver up
and sank down into the chair beside the fireplace, weeping.
Beth was emotionally drained. As happy as she was to hear her father's voice, it hurt so deeply
to know that she probably would not be seeing him any time soon. She also hated that she'd had
to lie to him, but this was another test and she had to pass.
Garrett held her for a few long minutes as she cried into his shirt and then led her upstairs without
a backward glance at Rick Shafer, who was weighing everything he'd heard and everything he
saw.
"I'll be back up when our business is concluded." Garrett told her. Beth's insides twisted in knots
at the thought of it.
Downstairs Shafer congratulated Garrett. "I am not completely convinced, but you may be right.
She may be warming to you. She certainly had her chance to give up her location and she did
not."
Garrett took a shot he'd poured himself from the bar, drinking it in one gulp before turning back to
face his teacher. "Next time you are going to do something like that to her, let me know about it
first. I don't like seeing her this upset."
Shafer opened his eyes wide in mock innocence. "I only gave her what she wanted. I gave her
a few moments to talk with her Father."
Garrett held his anger in check. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, anxious to get their
business done with and have Shafer on his way."
"I need you to come to Munich with me. We leave tonight." Shafer told him and then outlined his
part in the plan. He told Garrett that there had been some complications in his plan, but failed to
mention Pierson had resurfaced and was now working with MacLeod. There would be time
enough for that, but he wanted to be sure Garrett didn't decide to change his mind. His plan was
to take Pierson out of the game by bringing in the one thing that would make his blood boil
beyond reason and cause him to lose focus, the chance to kill the man who stole his wife and
child. That would leave MacLeod and the girl alone to try and rescue the others … and that
would not be possible.
pages. When I first started posting this story, I didn't have to put a space between the . . .'s and
they would post correctly. Looks like things changed. I never noticed and wondered what a few
of you were speaking of. Thanks SouthernChickie for letting me know specifically. As I have
time I will go back and re-format old chapters and be sure to add the spaces from here on out.
Didn't know without spaces it would translate into one "." We live and learn.
CHAPTER 72
Garrett tried to make an excuse for Beth so that she didn't have to come down to dinner with Rick
Shafer, but Shafer insisted. "I want to see for myself just how smitten she is of you."
Garrett didn't feel the need to prove anything, but Shafer still held the key to their seclusion. This
was his house and Garrett owed him for so much.
"It will only be for dinner." Garrett explained to her, rubbing her shoulders as she stared out the
window.
"He makes me feel uncomfortable." Beth replied.
"Just humor him for a couple of hours and it will be ok. He's flying back tonight." Garrett told her.
"Back?"
Garrett realized he'd said to much. "He's a pilot. He has a flight to catch and isn't in town for
more than a few hours, and we have business to discuss. So once dinner is over you won't have
to stay downstairs." He covered.
Beth knew that she had to be convincing, not only to Garrett, but especially to Shafer. "I'll be
down in a few minutes." She told him, starting to unbutton her blouse to change. Garrett
smoothed the fabric off her shoulder far enough to plant a kiss there before leaving her.
Her skin still crawling from his touch, Beth selected one of the outfits Garrett had bought for her.
She chose the white mohair sweater and green skirt with matching boots that came to mid-calf. It
wasn't something she'd pick for herself, but it was at least comfortable. Brushing her hair, she
took on last look in the mirror before checking on Cassie in the nursery across the hall. The baby
was sleeping, so she barely touched her cheek with a kiss before going downstairs.
Forcing a smile on her face, Beth slipped under Garrett's arm as he stood with Shafer in the main
room. It was no secret that neither liked the other, so at least she didn't have to pretend to be
cordial to him. Her only focus was to make it appear that she was clinging to Garrett and content
to do so.
Shafer eyed her warily, but Beth was convincing. She never missed an opportunity to touch
Garrett or to catch his eye as they ate dinner and then moved to the main room for coffee and
desert. But something told him it was an act, and he thought he knew just how to find out.
"Would you like to call your father?" Shafer asked, surprising both Garrett and Beth.
"You're kidding right?" she replied.
"Not at all. Here is my phone. It's untraceable." He tossed the cell to her.
Beth could feel both sets of eyes on her as she dialed the number. She expected at any moment
for the phone to be ripped from her hands, but it didn't happen.
The phone rang three times and then a voice she wondered if she'd ever hear again answered.
"Daddy?"
"Leandra is that you?" Peter Harris replied. "Where are ya? Has Adam found you?"
It was then Beth realized that this was a test, and as much as it hurt, she knew she had to lie.
"Daddy, Adam is dead." She told him, looking directly at Shafer.
"He's what? Leandra who told you that?" her father demanded.
"Daddy it doesn't matter. What matters is that you know that Cassie and I are safe … and we are
happy." She didn't let her voice quiver as she told the biggest lie of them all. "Garrett is taking
care of us, and we're safe."
"Leandra this is crazy, I know …"
Beth cut him off. She was afraid the line was being tapped. "You don't know Daddy, but I want
you to know. I'm with Garrett and I'm going to stay with him. It's what Craig would have wanted,
and you know I've always cared about him."
Peter Harris knew something wasn't right about this, and he guessed she was lying. He knew her
voice and he knew the signs, even if it wasn't apparent to anyone else who might be listening.
"I hear you Lea." He replied. "I miss you. We all miss you. Are you coming home soon?"
"I … I don't know Daddy. Maybe one day. Maybe one day Garrett can bring Cassie and I home."
Her eyes met Garrett's across the room, and she couldn't control the mist that formed in them.
"I don't understand any of this Leandra, but I know you must have your reasons." Her father
choked on his own tears, knowing he couldn't say what he wanted. He couldn't say that they
knew she had gone against her will. "Are you really doing well? How is my granddaughter?"
"Cassie is fine Daddy, we both are." Beth told him sincerely. "And she is growing so fast … " it
was then she started to break down. "I miss you Daddy, and I love you."
She couldn't keep it together any longer, and she knew that she didn't have to hide the emotion.
Garrett knew how much she loved her family. He walked over and took the phone from her
hands as he put an arm around her.
"Peter, we'll call again soon." He said into the phone before closing the connection.
Peter Harris could only swallow the words he wanted to say to the man who had stolen his
daughter and granddaughter away. He had never known hate before in his life, but he hated
Garrett with every fiber of his being. He couldn't believe the same man who had grown up as a
guest in his home so many times would be capable of such betrayal. He hung the receiver up
and sank down into the chair beside the fireplace, weeping.
Beth was emotionally drained. As happy as she was to hear her father's voice, it hurt so deeply
to know that she probably would not be seeing him any time soon. She also hated that she'd had
to lie to him, but this was another test and she had to pass.
Garrett held her for a few long minutes as she cried into his shirt and then led her upstairs without
a backward glance at Rick Shafer, who was weighing everything he'd heard and everything he
saw.
"I'll be back up when our business is concluded." Garrett told her. Beth's insides twisted in knots
at the thought of it.
Downstairs Shafer congratulated Garrett. "I am not completely convinced, but you may be right.
She may be warming to you. She certainly had her chance to give up her location and she did
not."
Garrett took a shot he'd poured himself from the bar, drinking it in one gulp before turning back to
face his teacher. "Next time you are going to do something like that to her, let me know about it
first. I don't like seeing her this upset."
Shafer opened his eyes wide in mock innocence. "I only gave her what she wanted. I gave her
a few moments to talk with her Father."
Garrett held his anger in check. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, anxious to get their
business done with and have Shafer on his way."
"I need you to come to Munich with me. We leave tonight." Shafer told him and then outlined his
part in the plan. He told Garrett that there had been some complications in his plan, but failed to
mention Pierson had resurfaced and was now working with MacLeod. There would be time
enough for that, but he wanted to be sure Garrett didn't decide to change his mind. His plan was
to take Pierson out of the game by bringing in the one thing that would make his blood boil
beyond reason and cause him to lose focus, the chance to kill the man who stole his wife and
child. That would leave MacLeod and the girl alone to try and rescue the others … and that
would not be possible.