Foster Siblings 3: Brokedown Hearts Read Free

here in Tampa, though, and we don’t want to move that far away from them.” She then turned her million watts of charm directly on Ben. “We believe you’re our guy to take charge in a Miami office. But in order for us to believe you really want it, and that the workload and responsibility won’t run you into the ground in less than two years, we want you to take some time for yourself and come back to us refreshed and certain about the moves you want to make for your future.”
    Choked up as hell but his pulse still buzzing, Ben reached for sanity. “I’d be honored to run a branch for you guys, no matter its location. I don’t need to sit on a beach for a week to tell you that.”
    Martin, always so serious and professional, shook his head. “No. We want you to take a minimum of six weeks away. Take the time to decompress from the job, let yourself breathe, and see how you feel. At the end of that time, if you decide you don’t want to take even a day longer, come talk to us and let us know how you want to proceed. I don’t want to hear a word of business between us before then.”
    Ben lifted files and waved them in his bosses’ direction. “But I have cases.”
    Without missing a beat, Martin took the papers from Ben’s hand. “We’ll take them over; this way the clients know you’re not passing them off to a junior investigator.”
    Adrienne added on top of Martin, “And while you’re away, don’t even think about calling Betty to have her keep you in the loop. She’ll know you’re not to have any information about work while you’re away.”
    Ben opened his mouth, but before he could utter a word, Martin said, “No arguing.” His sharp tone instantly clamped a vise around Ben’s throat and shut him up. “We want you for our Miami office more than anything, but if you don’t take this break now, we won’t feel comfortable giving it to you.”
    “Okay.” Knot after knot twisted on top of each other in Ben’s stomach, churning his gut, but he threw up his hands, giving in. “Who am I to fight time off? Six weeks? Bring it on.”
    The way Adrienne looked at Ben made him feel like a lost puppy. “You look like a cornered animal right now, but you’re going to have to trust me. In six weeks, you’ll be thanking me for making you do this.”
    Ben forced a smile. “I’m sure I will.”
    Not a chance . Ben would hate every second of time wasted in the next six weeks. Forget gray hair; he might not have any hair by the time he returned to work. There was a very good chance frustration and boredom would have him yanking out every strand. But then what will I do with my second day of vacation?
    Pushing the fatalistic bent of humor from his thoughts, Ben opened a new case folder, but this time passed it across his desk. If this was his last day of work for a while, he wanted to make sure he didn’t leave any insight or important bit of information about his clients unsaid. “So let me give you some more detailed information about the active cases you’re going to take over for me…”
    Ben would hate his life for the next month and a half.
    He was sure of it.

Chapter One
    Ben, with the phone to his ear, said, “No problem.”
    Braden, Ben’s ex, hadn’t said more than “I might know someone who has a job for someone at Skye” before Ben had interrupted the guy.
    He didn’t let Braden get another word out before adding, “It’s done.”
    Braden’s easy chuckle carried through the receiver. “You don’t even know what the client wants yet. How do you know you can get a trainee to agree?”
    Pacing the length of his condo, Ben breathed through the hum of life suddenly coursing into his body. “Don’t need to. I’ll be the one taking the job.”
    Braden rumbled a deep, familiar noise of disagreement. “I doubt Jonah is expecting to pay someone of your caliber for this level of work.”
    “This is for Jonah?” Ben’s voice rose an octave.
    Tampa, Ben’s home base, was a good