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"Oh, she has not told me anything, but I am smart enough to read between the lines. She called to cancel the Sunday dinner you insisted on in the first place and left a message on my phone that she was heading out of town for a while. I have been trying to reach her to no avail. The only conclusion I can reach is that it has something to do with you."
"You don't know where she is."
"No, even if I do, I would not be telling you. What the hell did you do to her?"
"It was a misunderstanding and one that I need to clear up. Is there any place - any familiar destination she would go to?"
"She is not one to just run off like that, so I have no idea where she would go."
"If you hear from her, please have her call me. I need to sort things out between us."
"We will see. I have to go."
Leaning back in the chair, he closed his eyes wearily. He had pursued her relentlessly and made all sorts of promises, and now she was hurt and had taken off. How was he supposed to fix it if he had no idea where she was?
His intercom sounded just then. "Mr. Hammond, you have Ms. Bellacort on the line."
Another complication, he thought grimly. "Put her through."
"Darling, sorry to disturb you at work, but I was hoping we could have dinner."
"I am swamped, I am afraid."
"Another time, then?"
"We will see. I have to go."
where are you, darling? He wondered dismally.
*****
The remote cabin belonged to a patron she had met during one of her performances. Madeline Grayson was an eccentric woman in her sixties who had inherited the property when her late husband died several years ago.
"Darling, it's up the mountains and unused. Here is the key; use it whenever you need to avoid all of this."
She had not felt the need to get away until now. The drive was long, and the stupid navigation had turned her around twice until she sat on the roadside in frustration before deciding to start again.
Now she was here, and Madeline was right. It was isolated and miles away from the nearest town. Not to mention, the snow was piled high on either side of the driveway.
"I have someone cleaning the place and stocking up with logs for the fireplace. There are groceries in the cupboard, and the fridge is full. Enjoy."
She doubted she would, but it was exactly what she needed.
She had turned on her phone to receive several messages from Jack, Jason, and Callum and listened to them before turning off her phone. She had sent a message to Jason to let him know she was okay and that she would call eventually. She had ignored the ones from Jack and Callum.
Dumping her case in the tiny living room, she took stock of the place and decided she liked the intimacy. First things first, she thought. It was cold, so it was time to put some logs into the surprisingly large fireplace that covered one wall section.
The flames were shooting upwards not long before, and the place had turned warm and cozy. Dusting her hands off, she stood before the fire, warming herself before leaving to go into the antiquated kitchen with its old-fashioned range and quaint ice box.
Taking out a packet of steak and potatoes, she made something to eat. She did not want to think about him or remember the feel of his hands and mouth on her body. She had made a mistake and was set about correcting it. It was that simple.
*****
He had started drinking as soon as he came home. Trying her several times during the day had not yielded anything.
The housekeeper had left a rack of lamb inside the warmer for him, but his appetite was shot to hell.
He was brooding in the fire when he was alerted that he had a visitor. For a minute, his heart lifted and quickened as he wondered if it was her. But a look at the monitor revealed that it was not.
