Chapter Thirteen

Jewell drove Benjamin"s car the near-two hour drive to Hartford, Connecticut. He didn"t speak a word from the time they left his house until they reached the Hartford city limits. His silence worried her and made Jewell"s heart ache. She wanted to ease his pain somehow, but didn"t know what to do. The only thing she could do, that he would allow, was to hold his hand across the center console. But his fingers were flaccid in hers.

Benjamin provided only enough instruction as was necessary as they came into Hartford. Turn here. Next exit. Stay on this road. They moved through downtown and headed into the suburbs. The buildings changed from brick apartments to small cottages and colonials, to larger colonials and Victorians, finally growing in size to huge homes and mansions. The lawns grew in size in proportion to the size of the houses. Benjamin indicated an upcoming right turn onto what looked like a side street.

"It"s right here," he said quietly. His voice cracked as he spoke.

Jewell slowed and turned the car. When she did, she realized it wasn"t a side street but a driveway entrance. White granite pillars stood on either side of the drive with an iron banner bridging them. Within the arch, she read the name Willow Wood Manor. The wrought-iron gate stood closed and foreboding.

She stopped the car. Like a speaker at a fast food drive-thru, a small box protruded from the ground on the right side of the car. Jewell looked to Benjamin.

"Just tell them it"s me," he signed in a tired, slow action.

Jewell nodded and rolled down the window.

"State your name and business," said a dull, deep voice through the static of the speaker.

"Jewell Kincaid and Benjamin Roth." The words stuck in her throat. What else should she say? How could she say it?

She heard a click and the gate slowly opened. An ominous sense of dread settled into her bones. As they pulled through, Jewell felt like an inmate on death row walking the green mile. Silver moonlight bathed the expansive piece of property. She drove slowly up the winding drive of paved cobblestone. Giant, ancient willow trees lined them on both sides with their long branches drooping down to nearly touch the ground. Green-silver leaves covered the grass and stone.

"Oh, my God," Jewell mumbled as the house came into view.

It was huge. Jewell had only seen houses like this on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. Or maybe Gone With The Wind. Four marble columns, three stories high, framed the front entrance that was reached by a dozen marble steps fifteen feet wide. The entire house glimmered a pristine white in the moonlight. Rows and rows of oversized windows created the front fa?ade of the house, and light streamed onto the ground through half a dozen of them. The drive opened up in front of the house to create a large parking area. She pulled the car to an open spot on the left side of the space and turned off the ignition.

Jewell looked across the small space to watch Benjamin"s profile. The fingers of his right hand drummed on his thigh as he stared at the lights of the house. Tears burned in Jewell"s eyes and the ache that had wrapped around her heart since the call came grew to an almost unbearable weight. More than anything in the world, Jewell wanted to take a portion of the darkness from his eyes and carry some of the weight for him. She laid her hand on his shoulder, kneading gently the tense muscles beneath her fingers.

He didn"t take his eyes off the house. With a weary slowness, Benjamin lifted his hands just far enough off his lap to sign.

"I want to apologize now for what will probably happen in the next few days. You shouldn"t have come here."

Jewell leaned across the console between them and laid her cheek against his arm. She signed in front of them.

"I"m here for you. Don"t worry about me at all. You do what you need to do, and I"ll be beside you when you need me."

He reached up to wrap his fingers around her hand and press her knuckles against his lips. Still, Benjamin didn"t look at her. Jewell wished he would show some sign of emotion beyond the detached and stoic expression. Since his initial and intense reaction to the news of the shooting, Benjamin had shown no other emotional sign. Only a matter of hours had passed since George"s telephone call, but it worried her.

Benjamin sighed heavily. He released her hand to sign. "You"ve seen a small glimpse of what my father is like. You have no idea the extent of contempt he holds for me. Because you are with me that contempt will also fall on you."He shook his head. "What the hell was I thinking? Take the car and go back to Boston."The firm jerk of his hand indicated it was an order, not a request.

Jewell shook her head. "No, I"m here for the duration. For you. I can handle whatever comes."

He finally turned his head to meet her eyes. "I believe you can handle it, Jewell. I don"t think you should have to."

She gave him a small smile and touched his cheek with her fingertips. Her heart reached out to him, and Jewell wished more than anything in the world that Benjamin knew how much she loved him. How far she would go and how much she would do for him.

With a deep sigh, Benjamin opened his door and pushed himself out of the car. They each took a suitcase from the trunk, and Benjamin held her hand as they moved toward the house.

He opened the substantial front door, shedding light across their bodies and over the top step. Jewell heard voices coming from somewhere in the house, but couldn"t determine from what direction. It was nearly one in the morning, but the house was lit up like it was mid-evening. The front hall was huge and seemed to gleam. White marble made up the floor, and the crystal chandelier that hung two stories over their head bathed the pristine marble in a warm glow.

Benjamin set their suitcases at the foot of an open, winding staircase and held out his hand. Jewell took it and allowed him to pull her forward. His grip was firm, almost too firm. If he had to hang on a little tighter than usual, Jewell wouldn"t refuse him. If he hung on so tight it took her breath away, she wouldn"t say no.

* * *

A man dressed in a dark suit came out of a door down the hall that branched off the foyer. Even though it had been years since he had set foot inside this cold mausoleum, Benjamin recognized him as the head of security for his parent"s estate, Tom Declan.

"Jimmy informed me you came through the front gate," the man said, his expression flat and unfriendly. Benjamin couldn"t recall ever seeing a smile on Tom"s face.

"Where is everyone?" Benjamin asked.

"They"re in the sitting room." Benjamin took a step around him. Tom raised his hand. "I don"t think that"s wise, Mr. Roth. Tensions are high right now."

Anger momentarily filled the black hole in his chest, and he clenched his jaw. Benjamin shook his head. "Not your decision."

"Mr. Roth."

"This is not up for debate, Declan."

The security guard nodded his head only slightly. He motioned with his hand down the hall, a half-hearted concession to Benjamin"s statement.

He turned to Jewell, who still stood at his side, her small hand engulfed in his. She looked up at him and her gaze was a cooling salve to his fury. For her benefit, he tried to smile. "Jewell, why don"t you go get some sleep? It"s been a long night for you. I can have someone show you to a room."

Jewell shook her head and put her hand in the bend of his elbow. "No. This is where I"m staying. The sooner you accept that fact, the easier it will be."

Benjamin laid his palm against her cheek and stroked her lips before he kissed them. His kiss was nothing more than a brief touch, but it was enough to make his feet move down the hall. She wrapped her arms around his body and squeezed him tightly. With her arm behind his back and his across her shoulders, they walked past Tom Declan and down the hall. He saw her take in the silver accents and crystal chandeliers and overly opulent décor but avoided looking around himself. For Benjamin, this wasn"t a homecoming. This place held no positive memories for him except for the ones with his little sister.

Something in him seized. It nearly knocked him to his knees. Pain shot through Benjamin"s chest as if his heart were truly breaking into thousands of pieces. His steps faltered. If it weren"t for Jewell"s arm around him, Benjamin wasn"t sure he would"ve remained standing. He turned and leaned back against the wall, Jewell moving with him. Her hands held his side and Benjamin wrapped his arms around her.

Jewell"s lips formed his name and moisture glistened in her bright eyes.

He looked to the ceiling. How tight could he hold Jewell before she pushed away? She wrapped her arms around his neck and he bent to bury his face in her hair. Viciously, he swallowed the lump that choked him. Somehow, when he felt the most out of control and overrun, holding Jewell in his arms gave him a raft in the chaos. Never in his thirty-three years did he believe one person could be so much to him. Didn"t ever think he needed someone this much. But now that he had her, he wondered what he would do without her.

She stroked his face, and Benjamin straightened to look down at her. The verdant green of Jewell"s eyes sparkled with unshed tears. Jewell ran her thumb across his cheek to dry moisture he didn"t realize was there.

"I can"t lose her," he signed. He didn"t want to risk being heard by anyone but Jewell. "I can"t. If I do, I"ll go crazy. Crazy."

She stroked his face and chest and held his hands still. Jewell kissed his knuckles, palms, and fingertips. She stood on her toes to kiss his cheek.

"You won"t go crazy," she told him. "I won"t let you."

Benjamin took a deep breath into shaking lungs. He fought the chaos inside and held her cheek against his chest. The fragrant scent of her hair drifted up to him and he kissed the softness. With a quick touch of his lips to hers, Benjamin pushed off the wall and took her hand.

They reached the closed parlor door, and Benjamin hesitated with his hand resting on the brass latch. With a quick look into Jewell"s eyes, he pushed it down and the door opened. People—family members he hadn"t seen or spoken to in years—sat or stood around the room in small clusters. As soon as he stepped inside, all heads turned in his direction.

The next several minutes were a blur, partially because everyone tried to speak to him at once. Aunts, cousins, and a variety of other relatives surrounded them. A glance over everyone"s head told him neither of his parents was in the room. Benjamin raised his hands in a silent request for everyone to be still.

None of them understood. None of them even considered that he might not be able to absorb at once a dozen people waving their hands and speaking at the same time. Why would they? They never had to deal with the deaf boy Jon Roth had hidden and pushed aside.

He looked to Jewell. What he had to do grated on every nerve and fought every resolve Benjamin held since being sent to boarding school at five years old. Benjamin hated doing it, hated admitting it, but he needed help. Needed her help. There were too many faces and too many questions. Too many people who didn"t know how to let him understand and ignorant as to why he couldn"t.

Jewell stood waiting. Near enough he could touch her, but far enough away to not suffocate. Benjamin held her gaze for a split moment before raising his hands.

"I need your help."

She smiled a slow and warm smile that immediately calmed Benjamin"s frazzled nerves. Not completely, but enough to clear his mind. Jewell nodded and stepped closer to face him.

Benjamin turned to his Aunt Frances, sister to his son of a bitch father. "Where are my parents?"

"Your father and Dr. Khalil just took your mother upstairs to her bedroom. Dr. Khalil prescribed some tranquilizers and sleeping pills. She was hysterical, near out of her mind," Jewell signed for him his aunt"s words.

Benjamin nodded. Jewell pointed to his Aunt Margaret, another Roth sister, to indicate she now spoke.

"It"s been horrible, Ben. We all have been here since yesterday afternoon, and she hasn"t calmed down since it happened."

Benjamin straightened and looked at Aunt Margaret. Heat rushed over his entire body and an immediate fury fired his blood in a split second.

"Friday afternoon?"

"Yes. Your father called from the hospital to say they were taking Victoria into surgery. We all came straight here."

"Why wasn"t I contacted sooner?"

"We assumed you had been."

"And what…I didn"t come?" Benjamin could barely see Jewell"s hands anymore. Anger blurred his vision. That son of a bitch! Victoria had been in surgery for hours—she could have died—before anyone had bothered to call him. Even then, it was a member of the staff and not even family who had contacted him. A vicious rage choked him.

Jonathan Roth picked that inopportune moment to come back into the parlor. Benjamin saw his father come in out of the corner of his eye and turned sharply on him.

Two deep strides closed the space between father and son. Benjamin clenched his fists at his side to keep from raising them in violence. He ground his jaw together. Jonathan Roth seemed surprised to see him, and Benjamin realized the man probably had no intention of calling him at all. His father probably didn"t know anyone had.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Benjamin said, projecting his voice until his throat hurt. "I should have been called as soon as—soon as?—"

As soon as what? As soon as she was taken to the hospital? Damn! He didn"t even know what happened yet, only that Victoria could die.

"I could lose my daughter!"

"She"s my sister." Benjamin felt a catch in his throat. "She"s my sister!" Damn it! His eyes burned. He clenched and released his fists to try and maintain his slipping control.

The other people in the room intervened, moving between the two men to put space between them. Jewell"s hand pressed against his chest. Benjamin spun on the balls of his feet and stormed through the mass of people, the heels of his hands pressed against his eyes. When Benjamin reached the far wall, he looked back over his shoulder. Everyone moved and talked in a frenzy.

Jewell moved towards him, and his father lifted his hand to point at Benjamin. Jon Roth"s ugly face twisted in a nasty grimace as he said something Benjamin could not read. Benjamin was surprised when Jewell turned on his father and shot her hand up to block his face. Her brow furrowed as she said something back. Jonathan"s face registered shock and his agape jaw snapped shut.

She reached him and her calming hands touched his back and arm. Benjamin stared out the window into the dark night. He fought down the emotion raging through him. His loss of control was infuriating. It was a weakness he hated and couldn"t allow.

Jewell touched his cheek and gently urged him to look at her. Her eyes were distraught and she took in the details of his face.

"Benjamin," she said.

No matter how many times he watched those lips speak his name, it always had the same powerful effect. Jewell instantly had his full and undivided attention. She took her hands off him to sign and he immediately felt the loss.

"Let"s just go get some sleep. You need rest."

He didn"t look in his father"s direction and did his best to avoid the condescending eyes of his family. Benjamin took Jewell"s hand and quickly left the parlor. Without pausing, he grabbed their luggage and led Jewell up the giant staircase to the second floor. At the top, he turned left and took her to the furthest corner of the family living space. His old bedroom was in this wing, separate and distanced from the family suites, but he didn"t want to go there. Too many memories.

They reached the last few doors of guest rooms. Benjamin opened the last one and led Jewell inside. A large brass canopy bed sat against the opposite wall with an assortment of furniture scattered throughout the room. He turned on a small lamp beside the bed and it shed a soft light over everything.

"The bathroom is through that door there," he said, pointing to the partially open door. "One of the housekeepers can get you whatever you need."He took Jewell"s bag and set it on the bed. "Try to get some sleep."

Jewell touched his arm. "You sound like you"re not going to be here."

"I"m taking the room across the hall. No one else will come down this far. These are the smaller, less used rooms."

Jewell shook her head and took his hand in a firm grip. "No, Benjamin. Don"t."

"Don"t what?"

Jewell slipped between him and the edge of the bed. She laid her hands on his arms and looked up at him. The softness of her eyes warmed him and he wanted to wrap her in his arms to forget the entire night.

"Don"t sleep in the other room. Stay with me."

He tried to read her eyes, but what Benjamin saw confused him. Was it concern or pity? Since when did he want either one? Certainly not pity. In his entire life, he neither sought nor received affection or consolation from another person, with the exclusion of his sister. Even then, while he would willingly and happily accept her love, he refused any attempt by her to comfort him. When did he become so weak and needy?

Benjamin stepped back and stalked across the room to the french doors that opened onto a balcony outside. He raked his fingers roughly through his hair and turned back to face her.

"Don"t coddle me, Jewell. I"ve never been coddled and I don"t intend to let it happen now."

She crossed her arms over her body and took a step towards him. The slight shake of her head tossed her hair gently around her shoulders. "Benjamin, coddling and caring are two different things. I care. Very much. I don"t want to be alone tonight any more than you do."

He stared at her and wondered what this beautiful woman was doing here with him. What made her give a damn about him? Could two people be any more opposite? Jewell moved to him and took his hands. The dim light from the lamp lit her hair like a halo. She looked like an angel.

"Sleep here. With me. I won"t be able to rest at all if you don"t."

He grinned. "Do you think you"d rest if I stayed?"

Jewell smiled and wagged a scolding finger against his chest. "Yes, I do. We are both very tired and I think that once our heads hit those pillows, we are going to be out until morning."

Benjamin nodded and conceded with a smile. He knew she was right. Sleep already pulled at his eyelids and weighed down his limbs. A deep sigh filled his lungs and pushed Benjamin"s shoulders down with its release.

"Stay with me, Benjamin," she said again.

He touched his fingertips to her cheek, and she turned slightly into his touch. "Can I deny you anything?"

She smiled and stepped into him, her hands sliding along his sides to his back. "We"ll have to test that theory sometime."

When Benjamin kissed her, he half expected every sensation of need and desire he"d shoved aside hours before to slam into him, but Jewell was right. Yes, his nerves sparked and his skin warmed at the kiss, but the exhaustion that dragged at his limbs and made his head weigh twenty pounds smothered any desire he might have mustered. Her mouth hummed against his as she drew her body away from him first, then her hands, and finally her lips. She smiled at him as she picked up her travel bag and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door.

Benjamin sighed and set his hands at his waist, dropping his head back to look at the ceiling. As soon as she left him, Ben felt the loss. When had he become dependent on her? When had she become so integral to his life that he—could he admit it?—needed her.

With each moment, the exhaustion sat heavier on his shoulders. He raised his arms and gripped the collar of his shirt behind his neck to pull it over his head. Tossing it aside, he toed off his sneakers and dropped his jeans in a pile on top of them. In just his boxers, Benjamin slid into the bed as Jewell came out of the bathroom dressed in flannel shorts covered with images of Jessica Rabbit and a black ribbed tank top.

Benjamin reclined on the stack of pillows at the head of the bed, folding one arm behind his head. He smirked as he looked her up and down. Jewell shrugged, deep color creeping up her throat to her face.

"I packed quickly," she explained after setting her luggage against the wall.

"I"m not complaining."

Benjamin never maintained a relationship with a woman that allowed for the intimacy of a bedtime ritual. Women came, they enjoyed themselves, and then they went home. Or, he went home. Whatever the case may be. He had never reclined in a bed and watched a woman perform a bedtime regime, and realized as he watched Jewell, that it was both fascinating and appealing. Jewell crouched beside her bag and removed a hairbrush, running it through her thick waves several times until they fell across her shoulders and back. She disappeared into the bathroom again for just a couple of seconds, running her hands over her bare arms when she came out as she rubbed lotion into her skin. Her skin glowed like she"d scrubbed her face clean, all signs of makeup gone.

As she climbed into the bed, pulling the blankets over her bare legs, the scent of citrus and spicy floral from the lotion wafted around him. Benjamin watched every movement through heavy eyelids, sleep slipping over him even though he wanted to watch her. She shifted to the space beside him, leaning up on her elbow to look down at him. Her hair fell forward from behind her shoulder, the curled ends brushing his chest.

"Thank you."

"For what?" he asked.

"For staying." She kissed his cheek, flipped over to turn off the light, and in the dark rolled back to curl against him, her cheek on his chest.

Benjamin shifted further into the bed and drew her closer to him. Sleep hit him almost immediately, and he slipped into the darkness with the scent of citrus and spice around him and the feel of a woman"s warm body in his arms.

* * *

A soft knock at the door stirred Jewell from sleep a few short hours later. Somewhere on the outskirts of her conscious mind, the low but steady rapping worked its way into her senses. She pushed back her hair and lifted her head from the pillow.

The pleasant weight across her waist didn"t register until she moved to sit up. Benjamin"s arm draped over her hips and his body pressed against hers in sleep. Jewell edged her way from beneath his hold, trying not to wake him, and slipped from the covers. She hated leaving the warmth and sensation of Benjamin"s sleeping body beside her.

As she edged away, his fingers curled and hung onto the edge of her tank top. A smile edged up her lips and Jewell slowly freed her shirt from his sleeping grasp. He moaned softly and shifted. The knocking continued and, with a groan, she extracted herself completely from the bed.

Jewell wished she"d packed a robe, but hadn"t anticipated early morning visitors. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, crossed an arm over her chest, and opened the door.

"Yes?" she said as she peeked through the crack.

An older gentleman stood in the hall, his gray hair mussed and dark bags beneath his eyes. He looked as tired as Jewell felt.

"Miss Kincaid?" he asked, his voice sounding weathered.

"Yes?" she said, stifling a yawn.

"I"m sorry to wake you so early, Miss Kincaid," said the elderly man. "My name is George Ferguson. We spoke on the phone."

Jewell opened the door a little further to take in the man. He wore black trousers and a black jacket with a vest, all impeccably pressed and wrinkle-free. Reality worked its way through her sleep-muddled brain, and all the dots connected. George Ferguson was a member of the staff in the Roth household, by his clothing probably staff management, and Victoria Roth had fallen in love with his grandson. Knowing what she knew about the family, coupled with what she could surmise, she saw clearly why Jon Roth would be so enraged at his daughter"s choice. A man like John Roth wouldn"t accept anyone so mundane as the grandson of the head of staff.

"I"m looking for Benjamin. I tried his old room, but he wasn"t there. One of the other members of the household staff said she thought this was your room, and I hoped you might know where he is."

Jewell swung the door wide open. "Please, come in."

"I"m sure both you and Benjamin were told that Dillon shot Victoria. It"s just not true."

"We haven"t heard much of anything," Jewell explained, motioning him into the room. "All we know is what you told me on the phone. Some of it was confirmed when we got here, but no one said Dillon was a suspect." She shut the door behind the older man.

Benjamin stirred again in the bed and reached across the mattress to where she had been. "Jewell?" he mumbled in a sleepy voice.

She walked back to the bed so he could see her. When Jewell stepped into view, Benjamin smiled and reached out to her. Never had she imagined anything so sexy as Benjamin, naked from the waist up and looking slightly rumpled from sleep, beckoning her to join him again beneath the covers. Jewell took his hand and he tried to pull her back into bed.

"What"re you doing out of bed?"

Jewell smiled back and glanced towards where George Ferguson stood. He looked away, not meeting her eyes, and Jewell realized what he must assume. He came here thinking she might know where Benjamin was, and there he lay in her bed. She didn"t know whether she should be ashamed or pleased with her lack of embarrassment in the discovery.

Reluctantly, she released his hand. "George Ferguson is here, Benjamin. He needs to speak with you."

Benjamin sat up and looked around the canopy of the bed to see the man. He nodded and the shadows returned to his face. Obviously, for a few minutes, he had been able to forget why they were there. George"s presence brought it back. Slowly, he forced himself from the bed and pulled on his jeans as he stood.

"Come sit down, George."

George sat in an upholstered chair adjacent to the bed. Benjamin raked his wavy hair with his fingers and rubbed his palm over his face. His glance fell on her briefly and one eyebrow arched. She nodded slightly, letting him know she was fine.

Jewell stood off to the side. She felt this was something of which she wasn"t quite part. Even though she knew Victoria, and was devastated herself by the young woman"s attack, Jewell still wasn"t quite part of it all. Self-conscious, she slipped back and went into the bathroom, grabbing her case along the way.

With the door closed behind her, Jewell hesitantly looked in the mirror. The fatigue on her face was clear as day. She glanced at her wristwatch. It was six o"clock in the morning. Good Lord! They slept maybe four hours if that much. Wanting to give Benjamin his space, yet wanting to be close if he needed her, Jewell set her bag on the counter and crossed the bathroom that was bigger than her living room to turn on the shower. She washed her hair quickly and dried off just as quickly. After putting on a pair of wool blend slacks and a sweater, she worked her damp chaotic curls into a neat french braid. A cool washcloth and a touch of makeup took some of the weariness from her face. After slipping on a pair of shoes, Jewell opened the door and went back into the bedroom.

George had moved the chair closer to the side of the bed. The two men sat close together, their stances angled into the small circle formed by the chairs and bed. Even as she came around the end of the bed, Jewell saw dampness on George"s cheeks. For the moment, none of them spoke. Benjamin sat forward with his right elbow braced on his thigh and his brow in the palm of his hand.

Jewell swallowed back emotion and moved to Benjamin"s side. She touched his shoulder gently. Not looking up, he took her hand and pulled her down to sit beside him. The grip on her hand was almost painful, but she didn"t pull away. She looked to George.

"Mr. Ferguson?"

He sighed and shook his head. "I don"t know who else to turn to."

"George has asked me to post bail for Dillon and help him find a lawyer."

Shock forced Jewell to look from Benjamin to Mr. Ferguson. Dillon"s grandfather wiped a line of moisture from his wrinkled cheek.

"Dillon did not shoot Victoria. Please, Benjamin, please. Go and talk to him. He"ll tell you what happened. Benjamin, you know Dillon loves your sister more than his own life."

Benjamin watched George speak, and the more George explained the tighter the grip on her hand grew. Jewell covered their joined hands with her other.

George continued. "Dillon swore to me, before they took him away, that your father had threatened him with the gun. They struggled, and Victoria tried to intervene. The gun went off, and Victoria was hit."

A cold shudder moved down Jewell"s spine.

Benjamin stood abruptly. "What evidence did they have to arrest Dillon other than my father"s word? There had to be something else."

George shook his head. "Your father"s word, mostly. When he made the accusation, they tested Dillon for…" He paused, stuttered as if trying to find the right word. "Gun shot residue. They found traces of it on his hands. There is a hearing Monday morning for bail."

"Was my father tested?"

Mr. Ferguson shook his head and shrugged, a strangled sob catching in his throat. "I can"t be sure, but I think so. He was…he was covered in blood. He kept saying Dillon did it."

Benjamin jumped to his feet and moved to the window, leaning his arm against the frame. His thumb pressed against the bridge of his nose and he closed his eyes. The muscle along his jaw clenched and a vein along his neck bulged. Tension pulled his body tighter than a bowstring, and Jewell was afraid he would soon snap from the strain.

George stood and touched Jewell"s shoulder. "I"ll be here when he needs me. Tell him that for me."

Jewell nodded and he left. She was lost and didn"t know what to do or what to say. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she watched the man she loved fight a battle deep in his soul.