“Such a fine woman enjoying the night all alone?” Heather picked up on the uncomfortable enthusiasm in his voice as he stared at her like a hyena who had just discovered a raw piece of steak. “I’m new here; my name is Henry.” He held out a thick calloused hand that could easily crush hers with one strong squeeze. Heather wanted to retreat from the stranger, but her legs felt like lead weights had been attached to them.
“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” she blurted out as she tried to hide the trembling in her voice. Heather ignored the man’s greeting and watched as he pushed his leathered hand back into his jeans.
“I’m the new gardener, lady. And who are you?”
“New gardener?” Heather’s forehead creased with wrinkles. “Where’s Mr. Jacoby? No one ever told me they hired a new gardener.” Heather felt the strength return to her legs as she trod backwards from the man until the stucco wall pressed against her back.
“He’s still here. They must have forgotten to tell you. Mr. Robbins just hired me for the west section. Who are you?” The man with long hair and a beard showed off his crooked teeth as he took a step toward her.
Heather’s body relaxed slightly, but she still didn’t trust the man. “I’m Heather, Evelyn’s nurse. I’ve had a lot going on, and I guess they haven’t had a chance to tell me. I apologize.”
“No Ma’am, I understand. I’m happy to meet you. Would you like some company? It would be a shame to enjoy this beautiful evening all alone.” The smell of his sweat infused with a thick cologne reminded her of a strong cleaning product that made her nauseous.
Heather held up the palms of her hands and flashed him a nervous smile. “Thanks for the offer, but I was just about to head inside.” Her body pivoted toward the patio door, but before she could take a step toward freedom, his arm shot across her chest.
“So . . . you enjoying your stay here, Ma’am?” He leaned within inches of her face and brushed something off the wall behind her. Heather’s mind raced wildly for a way to escape the gardener.
“I love it here,” her voice began to waver. “Actually, what about you? Do you like it here so far?”
“Phillips, my name is Henry Phillips. But you can call me Henry, now that we’ve been properly introduced.” He gave her a wink before spitting on the ground beside him. “I like it OK. I’ve traveled the states a lot before getting here to Cali, and I must say Mr. Robbins has a pretty good thing going here. He gets to live by the beautiful ocean—” the man’s eyes roamed from her face to her feet, “and the pretty girls. I’m a lucky man to be staying here. The west garden is so huge, looks like I’ll be here a good while.” The man traced his lips with his tongue and leaned close enough for Heather to feel the moist heat of his breath against her face.
A chill ran down Heather’s spine. Not because she could feel the nauseating moist heat of his breath against her face, but because her eyes rested on the large hunting knife strapped to the side of his jeans. Without hesitation, she nimbly ducked her head under his arm and scurried to the patio door.
“Well, I must get going; it was nice to meet you, Mr. Phillips.”
“See you around soon,” he yelled from behind as Heather made her way to safety inside the house.
The glass shook as Heather slammed the patio door shut behind her. She peered past the glass to see if the man had followed her. But he just stood there, watching her with a smirk on his face before turning and vanishing into the darkness. Heather let out a sigh of relief. Something about the man sent shivers down her spine, and she had an uneasy feeling about him. She wanted to share her reservations with Michael and ask him to reconsider his decision to hire the strange man, but Heather decided against it. She didn’t want to appear paranoid or weak to Michael. What if she misjudged the man?
She pushed her hair behind her ears and straightened her dress before marching into the kitchen. To her surprise, she found Linda in the kitchen, a wisp of hair in her eyes as she concentrated on pouring a dark liquid over a beige colored cake on the counter. She glanced past the woman to the large mess of bowls and cooking utensils scattered across the counter.
“Wow, Linda. It looks like you’re making something really special.” A smile formed on Heather’s lips.
“I’ve been spending the last few three hours trying to make this dessert.” Linda brushed her sleeve across her forehead.
“Can I ask what you’re making?”
“It’s tiramisu cheesecake. It’s Mr. Robbins favorite, and Miss Archer only makes it on special occasions. But I figured it would be a nice surprise when he gets home from his latest trip.” Linda pointed to the portable mixer on the counter. “I could use a little help with the frosting if you’re up to it.”
Heather grabbed the mixer and began beating the frosting until it reached a cloud-like consistency. “That’s so nice that you think about him, Linda. He’s lucky to have you around. He even mentioned it to me the other day.” Linda lifted her gaze at Heather. “She does a little bit of everything, he said to me.”
“He said that?” Linda’s eyes grew wider as her face blushed with color. “Well, that’s nice of him.” She began humming a tune as she carefully spread the frosting over the cake.
“Did you ever think Mr. Robbins would get married again?” Heather said as she watched Linda place the final finishing touches to her culinary creation.
“It’s been a tough road for Mr. Robbins. He’s been so hurt and angry for such a long time that I knew it would take a while for him to be ready to marry again. I’ll admit, there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to see him get hurt again, especially if he married the wrong woman. But I can’t tell Mr. Robbins not to follow his heart. If he wants to marry again, who am I to disagree?” Linda shook her head with disapproval. “What completely blindsided me was his decision to propose to Miss Cynthia Wilson.” Linda stole a nervous glance toward the kitchen doorway and lowered her voice. “That woman is no good.” Her spatula pressed harder against the cake.
“Maybe she means well but doesn’t know how to show it?” Heather watched Linda’s spatula stop for a moment before the nanny’s gaze met hers.
“No, she’s not right for him,” she snapped. “I’m usually a nice person, but that woman is something else. She shows up out of the blue and makes a grand ol’ entrance, makes snide remarks about petty little things, and before you know it, she’s gone again.” Linda took a second to collect herself before continuing to spread the icing on the cake. “That woman’s using him . . . I just know it.”
There was a moment of silence and an aura of uneasiness filled the room. Linda stopped what she was doing and slowly trailed the floor with her eyes until her gaze bounced back to Heather. With a heavy sigh, she laid down the spatula and stood motionless for a moment, her face deep in thought. Then she walked over to the fridge and smiled. “Would you like some hibiscus tea?” Heather could see the woman was straining to hide the full wrath of how she felt and nodded at the offer. After retrieving a pitcher of the bright burgundy beverage, the two sat together at the kitchen table as Linda poured them both a glass.
“Can I tell you something, Heather?” There was a hint of sadness in her voice. Heather nodded as she took another sip of her tea.
“I’ve been in love with Mr. Robbins shortly after I started working here, nearly seven years ago. When we first met, he came outside and carried my things in for me because the twins were off that day. From that day on, every morning he would ask how I was doing and that caught me off guard. You see, I come from a large family where everyone fought for attention, and I was fortunate enough to be the only girl. When I turned 15, my parents told me one morning that it was time for me to find my place in the world. I was terrified at first, but after I summoned up the courage, I left my home and did just that.”
A sigh escaped Linda’s lips before she continued, “I was just one out of a boatload of kids, and I used to tell myself that I wouldn’t be missed at all. Linda hesitated for a moment. “After some time, I came across this rich lady who needed help with her kids. I mentioned to her I had child care experience since I had come from a large family of brothers. The woman was unsure at first, but she was kind enough to give me a chance to work, even if it was only for a small amount of pay. After working for a few weeks, the woman saw my potential, and to reward me for my excellent service, she paid for my formal training to become a nanny.”
Linda took a sip of her tea.
“As the years passed, I became better at my job, and I was eventually able to secure better positions. Soon, I found my way here.” A smile painted her lips as she reminisced about her first meeting with Michael.
“Here was this wonderful man who always made it a point to see me each day, and even though I couldn’t understand my feelings back then, I know now that was when I began to love him.”
Heather watched as Linda forced a tired breath from her lungs and wetness glistened in the corners of her eyes. “Don’t get me wrong Heather, I loved Miss Carla too, and I would have never said or done anything to hurt their marriage. So out of respect and love for them, I just kept it locked up inside of me. After Miss Carla’s death, I was silly enough to think that ... maybe ... well maybe he’d notice me.” She drank the last bit of iced tea and stared into the empty glass between her hands. “He was so angry ... and just so, sad.”
Her gaze drifted to the sliding patio door where it lingered for a moment. “He spiraled downhill so fast; I couldn’t help him ... I couldn’t reach him. I just kept trying to show him how I felt through my actions.” She shrugged. “Now here he is, marrying . . . that woman.” Her voice grew deeper. Linda stopped for a moment before a second sigh escaped her lips. “I tell you, Heather, I could accept any other woman, but not her.” Linda shook her head before standing up to head back to the counter where she started separating the eggs for the filling.
Heather walked over next to Linda and placed a soft hand on her shoulder. “Thank you for sharing that with me, Linda. I’m sure Michael appreciates you. How could he ignore the fact he wouldn’t be here today if you hadn’t been around to help him learn how to feel again?”
Linda returned the gesture with a gentle pat on her friend’s hand.
“Well, either way, he’s engaged to someone else. So I’m just going to focus on making him a perfect cheesecake and move on with my life.” A weak smile formed on her lips. “Hand me that ramekin will you? Maybe the dough will work better this time.”
Heather helped Linda work the dough into cookies and form the rest of the cakes. A cloud of despair hung over the kitchen as they worked in silence. Heather couldn’t help feeling a twinge of guilt over her feelings for Michael. Both women had undeniable feelings for him, feelings that could never come to fruition, and perhaps it was for the best that he was marrying Miss Wilson. Then both women would share the burden of knowing they would never get the chance to be with him.
After they finished, Linda beamed at her hard work. Heather followed her to the kitchen table where they both sat down. Heather’s gaze traveled out the kitchen window where she saw Henry crossing over the field into the west garden. Her eyes narrowed.
“Linda, have you met Henry? Doesn’t he give you the creeps?” Her eyes remained fixed on the large figure.
“You mean the gardener? Yes, kind of strange if you ask me. I find it a little bothersome how he gawks at you. But otherwise he seems harmless.”
“Yeah, something about him gives me the chills, and I just can’t put my finger on it.”
“Maybe you’re just jumpy because of the attack.”
“Maybe you’re right. I kind of thought that could be the reason too.” Heather sighed as she stretched out her arms. “Well, I’m headed up; let me know how everything turns out.”
“I will, dear.” Linda smiled as she watched Heather walk out of the kitchen.