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After a few minutes she went back to bed. The tears continued to pour as she curled up into a tight ball and closed her eyes again. Tyler Brannagh’s handsome face looked back at her from her mind and she shook her head to get rid of it.
Exhausted from her exertion, she had hoped to fall into a deep sleep, not thinking, just resting. It didn’t happen like that, though. Tyler continued to taunt her through dreams which had no right being so beautiful and happy.
* * * *
Chloé awoke with a streak of sunlight squeezing through a gap in the drapes and landing on her pillow. She stretched, her body feeling energized and her mind content. As she sat up the memories of last night slowly entered her head. She sighed. It would seem that the shock of seeing Tyler again after all this time had played havoc with her recall; it had totally distorted the way she felt about him.
Running herself a warm shower, she jutted out her jaw as she tried to straighten out her befuddled brain.
“He’s not the man in my dreams,” she said aloud. “He’s a liar. He’s the man who ruined my life.”
Scrubbing hard at her skin, she began planning the day ahead. She dreaded seeing Tyler again. Somehow she felt that he knew how she had felt about him last night; how he had made her feel. She admonished herself, knowing she should never have allowed him to invade her thoughts like that. Well, it wouldn’t happen again.
Dressing in one of the smart suits she usually wore for work, she pinned up her hair and put on her usual ‘office’ makeup. She gazed at her reflection in the full-length mirror on the back of her bedroom door. It was strange seeing herself looking like the city dweller she had become, while standing in her old room.
She made herself some coffee and rang the bank. Luckily, the manager wasn’t busy and invited her to come down anytime. Replacing the receiver, she though how different things were here as opposed to Atlanta. She would normally have to wait for days for an appointment there, and even then she would have to see one of the less senior staff – bank managers were for high-finance customers and businesses only.
She breathed in the familiar scent of the house, walking through to the sitting room to open the curtains. Even though it had been years since Aunt Brenda sat in her old chair, there was still a faint smell of lavender, the old lady’s favorite perfume. It felt as though part of her, and Uncle John, were still here, embedded in the fabric of the house.
The drapes were dusty, and she made a mental note to take them down and give them a good wash as soon as she had the chance. Looking around the room, she thought how the whole place needed a good spruce up; fresh paint on the walls, maybe even a new carpet. It would be a shame to replace the furniture, but some of it was looking quite shabby now, she had to admit.
It was only a few days till Christmas and by now the whole house would be decorated with fresh holly, ivy and mistletoe. A large tree would already be shedding its pine needles in the corner by the window, adorned with ancient, sparkly baubles. The whole house would smell of pine and cinnamon, and she and her aunt would be making gingerbread men to hang on the tree and all around the room. Every visitor would be greeted with mince pies and fruit cake laced with plenty of brandy, and there would always be an extra tot of whisky added to every cup of tea offered.
She was sure she knew where to find the old decorations, and for a moment thought about hanging them up and cheering the place up a bit for the festive season.
Shaking her head, she suddenly remembered her resolve. She was going to sell up, get back to Atlanta and forget all about Mile End and Tyler Brannagh. It would mean giving up the ranch she had loved so much for such a long time, but she had made the decision to leave it a year ago, so it shouldn’t be so hard to detach herself from it now.
A knock at the door dragged her from her thoughts and she went through to find the man from her dreams standing there, grinning at her.
His expression changed as he took in her attire. “Good mornin’. I thought we could go to the bank together – if you still want to, of course?” His voice trailed off as his frown became deeper. “Will you be warm enough in those clothes?” He looked doubtful as well as bemused.
“I’ll wear boots and a thick overcoat,” she told him, matter-of-factly as she let him in.
Usually she wore heels for work, but that wouldn’t be appropriate out here, especially with the snow. Besides, she couldn’t risk falling and hurting her ankle again.
“You look very, er... different,” he managed, removing his hat.
She looked down at her crisp, navy suit. “It’s just my normal clothes,” she told him curtly, stepping into her boots.
“It’s very nice,” he said, a little uncertainly.
She could see he was confused about her appearance, and he seemed disappointed in her manner. Good.
“You wanna see the manager together?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.
She pulled on her thick coat. “I don’t think that would be appropriate,” she said briskly, “although it makes sense to travel there together.”
She really didn’t want to drive in the snow, which had gotten thicker overnight. There was a time when she would have no trouble with that winding trail, even in the worst of weathers, but not now. It was a hard pill to swallow, but she wondered if she’d really become a city slicker now, more used to rush-hour traffic than rocky roads and poor conditions.
“Have you thought how much you might charge me for the use of the land?” he asked as they left the house. “The manager will need to know if he’s going to help me fund it.”
She bit her lip as he held the passenger door open for her and she climbed into the truck. She’d been trying to ignore that musky scent of his heavenly aftershave ever since he’d stepped into her house, but now he was just so close she could practically taste it. She said nothing until he went around to the other side of the truck to let himself in.
“I’ve decided not to rent it out. I’m going to sell up,” she said when she felt that he was at enough distance from her not to deter her.
He stopped by the open door. She couldn’t see his face, which she felt was a good thing. His whole body tensed and she knew he was shocked at her revelation.
Thoughts of that dreadful night when he had stood her up in the pouring rain ran through her mind. It was the only thing that was going to help her keep to her plan while he was around. Seeing how gorgeous he looked as soon as she’d opened that door had almost melted all her resolve, but she had to stay strong. It was the only way she could get through this.
