mother.”
Olivia frowned. “Why do you say that?”
Will sighed heavily. “I phoned Mom twice while you were in Hawaii and all she could talk about was Ben this and Ben that. She hardly mentioned anything or anyone else. It got me thinking that we need to find out what we can about this man who’s taking up so much of our mother’s time.”
Now that her brother had alerted her, it occurred to Olivia that their mother had been seeing a great deal of Ben, especially lately. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” she felt obliged to say. Ben and her mother had become good friends. Over the years, Charlotte had grown fond of a number of men, including one retired actor in the local nursing home. Because of a stroke, Tom Harding had been unable to speak, but her mother had managed to carry on long conversations with him. Meeting Tom had led to the advent of Cliff Harding in their lives, and Charlotte was friendly with him, too. And now Ben. He was new to Cedar Cove and obviously feeling a bit lost. Frankly, Olivia couldn’t see any harm in the friendship.
“I don’t think there’s any need for alarm…yet,” Will agreed with a certain reluctance, “but as I said, how much do we really know about this man?”
“Well…”
“Just what he tells us, right?”
“Well…yes.” The doubts Will raised made Olivia’s suspicionsbegin to mount. Caught up in the events of her own life, she hadn’t paid nearly enough attention to their mother.
“No one’s heard of Ben until the last year or two, am I right?”
“Yes,” she murmured. “He moved into the area and started showing up at the Senior Center.”
“No family.”
“Not here.” Olivia briefly recalled Ben talking about children in other parts of the country, but nowhere in Washington State.
“Don’t you find that mildly suspicious?”
Olivia considered the question. “Not really.”
“Then maybe you should.”
She was feeling worried now but not ready to acknowledge it to Will.
“A strange man, without any connection to Cedar Cove, moves into the area. Then he seeks out our mother and before we know it, the two of them are thick as thieves.”
“I’ve met Ben,” Olivia inserted. “He’s a perfect gentleman.”
“Wasn’t it Ben who talked Mom into this ridiculous protest rally? The man’s responsible for getting our mother arrested and you think he’s a good influence?”
That gave Olivia pause. “I think Mom was as much to blame for what happened as Ben.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure of that.”
“Why not?”
“You’ve been on your honeymoon, Olivia. You’re in love and that’s great-I couldn’t be more pleased for you-but you’re looking at the world through rose-colored glasses.”
What he said was true…to a point. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“I’m afraid,” her brother said slowly, “that Mom mightbe at risk. How would you feel if some man swindled her out of her life savings?”
“Ben wouldn’t do that!”
“Are you sure, Olivia? Would you stake our mother’s financial future on your feelings?”
She hesitated. Sitting on the judge’s bench, she’d seen far too much of the pain one person could inflict on another. Her hand tightened around the receiver at the idea of anyone taking advantage of her mother.
“You’re confident Ben’s a stand-up kind of guy?” her brother said, his voice edged with suspicion. “Enough to risk Mom’s future?”
“No,” Olivia admitted reluctantly.
Will leapt on her answer. “That’s what I thought. It’s up to you, little sister.”
“What’s up to me?”
“To check out this Ben Rhodes. I’ve heard about men like him who prey on widows. I’m sure you’ve seen the same TV shows I have. We can’t be too careful. I’m not there to protect Mom, but you are-and you must. We wouldn’t forgive ourselves if we’d stood by and did nothing while a stranger ripped her off.”
Olivia didn’t know what to say. Will had read so much
Olivia frowned. “Why do you say that?”
Will sighed heavily. “I phoned Mom twice while you were in Hawaii and all she could talk about was Ben this and Ben that. She hardly mentioned anything or anyone else. It got me thinking that we need to find out what we can about this man who’s taking up so much of our mother’s time.”
Now that her brother had alerted her, it occurred to Olivia that their mother had been seeing a great deal of Ben, especially lately. “I don’t think that’s a bad thing,” she felt obliged to say. Ben and her mother had become good friends. Over the years, Charlotte had grown fond of a number of men, including one retired actor in the local nursing home. Because of a stroke, Tom Harding had been unable to speak, but her mother had managed to carry on long conversations with him. Meeting Tom had led to the advent of Cliff Harding in their lives, and Charlotte was friendly with him, too. And now Ben. He was new to Cedar Cove and obviously feeling a bit lost. Frankly, Olivia couldn’t see any harm in the friendship.
“I don’t think there’s any need for alarm…yet,” Will agreed with a certain reluctance, “but as I said, how much do we really know about this man?”
“Well…”
“Just what he tells us, right?”
“Well…yes.” The doubts Will raised made Olivia’s suspicionsbegin to mount. Caught up in the events of her own life, she hadn’t paid nearly enough attention to their mother.
“No one’s heard of Ben until the last year or two, am I right?”
“Yes,” she murmured. “He moved into the area and started showing up at the Senior Center.”
“No family.”
“Not here.” Olivia briefly recalled Ben talking about children in other parts of the country, but nowhere in Washington State.
“Don’t you find that mildly suspicious?”
Olivia considered the question. “Not really.”
“Then maybe you should.”
She was feeling worried now but not ready to acknowledge it to Will.
“A strange man, without any connection to Cedar Cove, moves into the area. Then he seeks out our mother and before we know it, the two of them are thick as thieves.”
“I’ve met Ben,” Olivia inserted. “He’s a perfect gentleman.”
“Wasn’t it Ben who talked Mom into this ridiculous protest rally? The man’s responsible for getting our mother arrested and you think he’s a good influence?”
That gave Olivia pause. “I think Mom was as much to blame for what happened as Ben.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure of that.”
“Why not?”
“You’ve been on your honeymoon, Olivia. You’re in love and that’s great-I couldn’t be more pleased for you-but you’re looking at the world through rose-colored glasses.”
What he said was true…to a point. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“I’m afraid,” her brother said slowly, “that Mom mightbe at risk. How would you feel if some man swindled her out of her life savings?”
“Ben wouldn’t do that!”
“Are you sure, Olivia? Would you stake our mother’s financial future on your feelings?”
She hesitated. Sitting on the judge’s bench, she’d seen far too much of the pain one person could inflict on another. Her hand tightened around the receiver at the idea of anyone taking advantage of her mother.
“You’re confident Ben’s a stand-up kind of guy?” her brother said, his voice edged with suspicion. “Enough to risk Mom’s future?”
“No,” Olivia admitted reluctantly.
Will leapt on her answer. “That’s what I thought. It’s up to you, little sister.”
“What’s up to me?”
“To check out this Ben Rhodes. I’ve heard about men like him who prey on widows. I’m sure you’ve seen the same TV shows I have. We can’t be too careful. I’m not there to protect Mom, but you are-and you must. We wouldn’t forgive ourselves if we’d stood by and did nothing while a stranger ripped her off.”
Olivia didn’t know what to say. Will had read so much
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