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“I need to paint.”
“Great, then we’ll go back to the house and you can paint.”
“Not just anything. I need to paint the canvas I started a couple of days ago, but it’s not here. I already had so much in my car I planned to go back and get it tomorrow.”
“Then we’ll do it right now. We can put it in the back seat of the truck.”
“You don’t mind going out in this weather?”
“It’s not bad now, it’s just snow. I’m used to it. Hey, I screwed up, but only because I found myself in an impossible situation. It’s over now. We’ll put it behind us and you can yell at him next time you talk.”
“Oh, I will, believe me.”
“But why did you come down here to the barn?”
“To see Candy and make sure the storm didn’t upset her.”
“The only one who’s upset around here is you, and I feel bad about that,” he said softly, moving his arms around her. “Do you forgive me?”
“Yes, but only if you promise there won’t be a next time.”
“Deal,” he murmured, then gripping her hair, he tugged it back. “Now kiss me.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Bethany didn’t know why everyone had been ordered out of the house, and she didn’t care. She needed the promised reward, and the fierce storm had given her an opportunity. The place was empty. But she couldn’t drive the Ferrari in the bad weather.
Calling the hotel’s Concierge, she asked him to immediately arrange the rental of a four-wheel drive vehicle, then changed into warm, comfortable clothes and packed an overnight bag. It was only a few minutes later the front desk called and told her the car was waiting with the valet.
Hurrying from the room and taking the elevator down to the lobby, she strode through the foyer and out the front doors. It was windy, cold and raining, but the conditions weren’t as bad as she feared.
“Be careful, Miss,” the valet warned solemnly as he opened the door. “There are reports of power lines down, and there’ll be lots of branches and stuff on the roads.”
“Thank you,” she replied, handing him a five-dollar bill.
“And I just heard it’s about to start snowing,” he continued. “Do you know how to put the vehicle into four-wheel drive?”
“Yes, not a problem,” she lied, then climbed in, started up the powerful engine, and rolled out into the street.
She quickly discovered the valet had been right. The streets were littered with debris, traffic signals weren’t working, and large white flakes began falling only minutes after she started out. But there was very little traffic, and she passed no-one when she crossed the bridge.
Driving through the small town, she was forced to detour due to a fallen telephone pole, and by the time she reached the Lake Road the snowfall was significant. Slowing down, she took each twist and turn cautiously, and finally reached the house. Punching the code into the key pad, the gate swung open, but as she headed down the driveway she noticed lights glowing through a few windows. She assumed they were the lamps on timers, but then her heart sank. A truck was in the motor court.
Not wanting to cross paths with whoever it was, and knowing Eleanor was gone, she continued to the cabin and parked in the trees out of sight. She’d seen Eleanor hide the key under a large, ornamental mushroom, and she prayed it was still there. Breathing a relieved sigh when she found it, she slid it into the lock and opened the door. But when she stepped inside and switched on the lights, she stopped and stared.
Beautifully painted animals gazed at her with bright smiles, their lifelike eyes sparkling with merriment. Kittens coiled in yarn, golden retrievers proudly holding large bones between their teeth, and even a majestic lion gazed down at her, his expression one of serenity and peace. The images oozed innocence, happiness and love.
She hadn’t cried since she’d left her mother, but an unexpected wave of emotion welled up inside her, and heavy tears sprang from her eyes.
In order to survive, she’d steeled herself against the world, against Michael, against the wicked things she’d seen and heard. But surrounded by the magical menagerie, the enormous stress she’d been under took its toll, and her hard shell cracked.
Before arriving in Manhattan, she’d never been unkind or mean, yet she’d been horrible to Eleanor and deceived Tom, a man who’d been nothing but generous and kind. Buried in guilt, and asking herself how she’d fallen so low, she sank on the floor and let herself sob, swearing she’d find a way to make things right.
But as the tears began to abate, and she raised her eyes to the precious paintings, her mother’s parting words echoed through her mind. Desperate people do desperate things.
“Yes, we do,” she whispered.
Exhausted, she slowly rose to her feet, removed her coat and dropped it on a chair. There was only one door, and walking through it she found herself in a surprisingly spacious bedroom. Moving into the adjacent bathroom, she splashed water over her face, and wiped it dry with a small towel hanging through a stainless steel ring on the wall.
