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IT WAS THE LAST SATURDAY in May and ninety-nine degrees in the shade when Preston Thornton III’s car broke down on a lonely country road some fifty miles north of San Francisco.
“Why didn’t that man buy something more practical? This is the last thing I need,” Jessica Lind-Mallory seethed as she flung open the driver’s door and slowly extracted herself from the low-slung silver sports car. Not an easy task given that she had to haul a twelve-foot wedding train behind her, an added encumbrance to the ivory satin and lace dress that enveloped her slender body.
Blinking her eyes against the blazing midday sun, she searched the unfamiliar surroundings with increasing dismay. The road twisted like a black ribbon through a yellow-green countryside that appeared empty and endless. No sign of a car in either direction, no sound but the steady hiss of steam emanating from under the hood of Preston’s car and, in the distance, the faint sound of a barking dog. Her back stiffened with apprehension.
This couldn’t be the road to the seaside town of Bodega Bay. On such a miserably hot day there should be caravans of beachgoers streaming past as they made their way to cool ocean breezes and a refreshing dip in the Pacific. In her haste, eager to evade curious stares and continue on her journey as quickly as possible, she must’ve misheard the directions begged from the gas station attendant a few miles back. She’d clearly taken a wrong turn. It was just one more frustration piled on top of too many others on this unbelievably horrible day.
What was she supposed to do now? Auto repair wasn’t exactly high on her list of basic skills. And a fruitless search in her purse while back at the gas station had confirmed that, in her frantic rush to escape, she’d left her cellphone behind. No phone, no tablet, no laptop, no means of modern communication whatsoever. She was literally stranded.
Preston would never be stuck on the side of the road without his cellphone. He carried it with him everywhere, a permanent appendage, its annoying persistent ring inevitably interrupting their every conversation as it had since the day Jessica first met him. A call from Washington: Sorry, Jessie, this is urgent. Or: We need to leave the party, babe. I’ve got the strategy team on the line. So resigned to seeing it, she hadn’t been at all surprised to discover the telltale rectangular shape beneath his tuxedo jacket as she’d walked up the church aisle that morning on her stepfather’s arm.
That morning.
It seemed like a century ago and not merely two hours since she’d stood beside her husband-to-be at the altar while staring numbly at Reverend Thayer’s mouth as he solemnly recited those long-anticipated words. He’d repeated them twice before the cruel reality of the situation jolted her with the force of an earthquake.
“Will you, Jessica Lind-Mallory, take—?”
“No! I will not.”
Stunned murmurs rippled through the assembled wedding guests.
“Jessie... What on earth?”
Her voice emerged as a low hiss as she glared at Preston’s gaping expression. “I am NOT going to marry you, Preston. Don’t say another word unless you want me to shout to everyone here that you’re having an affair with my stepsister. I can only thank God that I found out in time.”
With those words, she flung her bouquet at her slack-jawed stepsister, who also happened to be her maid of honor, hefted her skirts and ran down the aisle, her long veil and train billowing like a sail in her wake. She glimpsed her mother in a blur of faces, ruby lips set in canvas white, body still as marble. And her stepfather, a campaign smile still plastered on his features as though he were greeting his constituents. Reaching the vestibule, she shoved through the heavy wooden church doors and paused briefly on the top step to catch her breath. The crowds pressing against the police barricades, all come to see the ‘wedding of the season,’ sent up cheers and bravos that quickly fizzled into a splatter of bewildered applause as they realized that something wasn’t quite right.
The limo driver snapped to attention, one raised eyebrow the only indication of surprise. “Over already?” he inquired in a professional monotone.
“Take me back to the house as fast as you can.”
There wasn’t a second to spare. Among her frantic thoughts during the sleepless night before, she’d formulated an escape plan, not knowing if she would actually go through with it until the very last minute. She’d loved Preston. She thought she’d loved him enough to give serious consideration to overlooking his fling with Amber. She told herself that he’d just been sowing the last of his bachelor oats, one last hurrah before assuming his role as her loyal husband. How naive and blind she’d allowed herself to be, until she saw Amber’s simpering smile and Preston’s reciprocating wink, exchanged right there on that sacred altar.
Suddenly, everything became amazingly clear, every minute, hour and day of the past seventeen years. She’d played the role of perfect daughter, perfect stepdaughter, perfect fiancée, concealing her true self behind the person everyone else wanted and expected her to be. Even as she vowed Never Again, she was afraid that the real Jessica had been buried for so long she would never be able to find her.
Doreen, her mother’s housekeeper, greeted her in the marbled foyer of the Mallory’s Nob Hill mansion. She gave a startled gasp. “Miss Jessica! What—?”
“Has the luggage been put in Preston’s car already?”
“Yes.”
“Damn. I need to get out of this dress. Help me, Doreen.”
The phone rang as she reached the guest bedroom on the second floor. “Don’t answer that! Shoot, I don’t have time. Where’s my purse?” Her escape plan wouldn’t work without her cash and credit cards.
Doreen stood behind her, wringing her hands. “I packed it in your overnight bag. It’s in the car. Is everything all right?”
Jessica grabbed a pad of paper and a pen from the nightstand and scribbled a hasty note to her stepfather. She handed it to Doreen. “Please make sure that my stepfather gets this.”
She spared a swift glance in the cheval mirror. She couldn’t leave the house dressed like this! What would people think? No. That was Lorna talking. Right now, Jessica didn’t give a damn what people thought. But she could at least remove the veil. With frantic fingers, she pulled out the hairpins and placed the veil on the bed. Her hands lingered for a moment on the fragile lace, regret pricking her heart. Today could have been so different, so wonderful. She balled her hands into fists. “Enough. I have to get out of here.”
“But, Miss Jessica, your dress...”
“No time. The press will be here any minute now. They can’t find out where I’m going.”
Doreen’s protests trailed after Jessica as she made her way down the stairs and into the back pantry. Steve, her stepfather’s personal secretary, stood in the doorway between the pantry and the garage, a set of car keys dangling from his outstretched hand.
Jessica liked Steve. He’d always set aside time in Blake Mallory’s busy schedule so that his boss and his boss’s stepdaughter could spend a few carefree hours together, something that had been crucial during the first years of Blake and Lorna’s marriage when Jessica had felt so fragile and alone.
“I pulled Mr. Thornton’s luggage out. Didn’t think you’d need it.”
Since Steve seemed to have the inside track on every detail of the Mallory family, his knowing expression didn’t faze her. She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thanks, Steve. I’d have you take me back to my apartment so I can get my own car, but—”
“There isn’t time,” he concluded. “I haven’t seen any media outside yet, but you’d better hustle. I’ll keep this under wraps as long as I can.”
Once inside the car, she rolled down the window. “Please tell Blake not to worry. I know what I’m doing.”
“Where are you going?”
She compressed her mouth in a grim line. “I’ll let you know when I get there.”
She was going to Bodega Bay, to a bed and breakfast inn she’d read about in a travel magazine. She’d hinted to Preston that it would be a lovely place for a honeymoon, but he’d shot down that idea with his usual practical logic. “We live in California, Jessie. Why go someplace we can visit any old time?”
So the brochures had been tucked away in a dresser drawer. She’d looked at them so often that she’d thought the directions were imprinted on her brain. But the stifling heat, the anxiety and the sleepless night before had dulled her memory, and she’d had to ask for directions at a gas station in the small agricultural town of King’s Valley, just off Highway 101: Take Main Street six miles out of town, then turn left at the third stop sign. Believing that she’d followed the directions correctly, Jessica was just beginning to feel relief that her journey would soon be over when Preston’s car, his brand-new Italian-made baby, had sputtered, choked and died.
“Now what?”
The situation was too ridiculous, really. She imagined this was the scene in those old romantic movies Lorna liked to watch where the gallant hero would appear out of nowhere to rescue the damsel in distress. Jessica glanced up and down the road again. No knights in shining armor anywhere. “I’ll just have to rescue myself,” she muttered with dark humor, turning back to the car.
There had to be a house nearby where she could use a phone to call for roadside assistance. Maybe she could ask for some aspirin too. The beginning twinges of a headache throbbed at the base of her skull. First, she had to get out of this ridiculous wedding gown, the gown that Lorna had chosen because she said it made Jessica look like a princess. As usual, Jessica had abided her mother’s wishes, never admitting that the gown made her feel like she was drowning in a heaping bowl of whipped cream. Jessica had needed Lorna and Doreen’s help to get into the dress that morning; she’d have to manage removing it on her own. At this point, she didn’t care if she had to rip it off her body; she’d never wear it again.
After hauling her largest suitcase from the trunk of the car, she struggled with the buttons securing the train and eventually managed to undo them. She folded the heavily beaded material, placed it in the trunk, and slammed the lid shut. Clutching the suitcase handle, she walked towards the white wooden slat fence that separated the road from a large field. Some sixty yards from the fence, the field sloped up toward an inviting cluster of oak trees that would offer her some privacy to change. She didn’t imagine anyone was going to drive by in the next fifteen minutes; the road seemed virtually abandoned. But the shade under those trees looked more appealing by the second as the sun beat unmercifully down.
The first fence was easy. The second fence, initially concealed by a slight dip in the landscape, posed a problem. Barbed wire. She’d been eight years old the last time she’d crossed a barbed wire fence. She was sure that she hadn’t lost the knack; it was the dress that briefly made her chew her inner cheek with vexation. Then she shrugged. If the dress was torn, who cared?
Discovering a sag in the fence line, she used the weight of the suitcase to push the bottom strand of wire further down. Lorna would’ve had a fit to see the Louis Vuitton luggage used in such a careless manner! Jessica hefted her skirts and gingerly lifted one leg over. Finding her footing, she shifted her weight and brought the other leg over. There. Just like riding a bike. A short-lived feeling of triumph gave her the impetus to push up the hill towards the oak trees. Though the hill was a small one, the tall grass caught at her skirts and hampered her steps. She was gasping for breath when she finally reached the shade. Her body swayed. Dropping the suitcase, she sat down with a thud, heedless of the dirt and grass, and braced her forehead in her palms until the dizziness gradually lessened.
If only it wasn’t so dang hot. Having lived most of her childhood in Texas, she wasn’t unused to hot weather. It was just too early in the season for a hot spell like this. The weather had been in the sixties for the past month and then, boom, one hundred degrees with no chance to acclimate. Her feet were swelling in their satin slippers. She kicked them off. The earth felt soothing and cool beneath her feet, cooler still once she removed her silk stockings. She rolled them into a ball and carelessly tossed them in the direction of her suitcase. She couldn’t summon the energy to deal with the gown just yet. Finding a comfortable spot on the ground, she propped her back against the trunk of the oak tree and closed her eyes. She’d rest for a little while until the headache went away.
“Grrrr.”
Odd, that didn’t sound like her alarm clock.
Jessica tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were so heavy. She didn’t want to wake up yet; she felt so groggy and lethargic.
“Grrr...WOOF!”
Her eyes flew open as recollection of her circumstances collided with instant fright. A dog, a very large black dog, stood not three feet away from her, fangs bared in a ferocious growl.
Jessica’s breathing constricted. All lucid thought evaporated as she slowly lurched to her feet and pressed her back against the tree trunk. Her fingernails clawed into the smooth bark as the dog growled again and took a threatening step towards her. She squeezed her eyes shut, vividly recalling another place, another dog, and her father warning her not to move. Stay still, Jess, and he won’t hurt you. Too late. She’d remembered the words too late. Already she felt the animal’s hot breath, sensed its body crouching, ready to pounce at any second.
“Brutus!”
Her eyes opened to narrow slits as the commanding male voice cut through her fear and panic. The dog angled his head towards the sound and wagged his tail but stood his ground in front of her.
“Come on, Brutus. We don’t have time for chasing squirrels.”
Through the low branches and a blur of waxy green leaves, she watched the stranger approach. He was tall and lean with the broad shoulders of an outdoorsman. He wore a white polo shirt over faded jeans. There was an air of confidence and purpose in his easy gait that immediately reassured her. Glad to see another human being, she released a shaky sigh of relief.
The tree branches parted. Blinking his eyes from the transition to shade, it took a moment before the man saw her. He stared at her, startled, and stood still. Jessica’s eyes widened. She forgot the dog as she returned the stranger’s look, her gaze skidding across his features. His hair was brown with sheens of gold where the sun had touched it. The strong column of his throat, rising from the open collar of his shirt, was tan, as was his lean, hard face. His eyes were the color of pennies, a warm, copper brown.
He, for his part, saw a young woman with upswept dark hair, vivid blue eyes shaded by long lashes, a pale, classically cut face, a red mouth parted on a quickened breath. He saw her cheeks suddenly flame with color, watched the color die away. For a long moment, they stared at each other, the air silent around them.
Then he said, a slow smile breaking the hard line of his jaw and the firm set of his mouth, “You are real, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” Her voice was a mere whisper.
“Where did you come from?”
The dog barked at that instant, upset that his master had not thanked him for cornering the trespasser. Jessica sank deeper against the trunk, her wary eyes darting from the man to the dog and back again. Recognizing her genuine fear, the man said sharply, “Brutus, go home!”
She watched as the dog walked reluctantly into the sunlight, sending one last imploring glance backward before loping down the other side of the hill.
“I’m sorry if he scared you,” the man said, returning his keen gaze towards her. “He wouldn’t hurt...” His words slowly trailed away as he fully took in her appearance. The congenial, reassuring smile vanished as though it had never existed. His eyes went cold and flat. “Who are you?”
Bewildered, she frowned. “My name is Jessica. Jessica Lind-Mallory.”
A flash of recognition crossed his features. “Any relation to Blake Mallory?”
“He’s my stepfather.”
His head reared back. “I don’t believe it.” His voice was sharp as flint. “That two-faced, scheming little...” He loomed closer, his height now intimidating. “What are you doing here?”
“My car broke down. I was looking for help.”
“Right.” His tone was rife with disbelief. “You can trot right back to your ‘broken down’ car and drive back to wherever you came from.”
She stood rooted to the ground, too shocked to budge an inch. What was his problem? “I’m telling you the truth. The car is parked on the side of the road down there. It won’t start.”
“That’s original,” he said with biting sarcasm. “Stop wasting my time. I know why you’re here. Go back to that witch who sent you and tell her that her asinine prank didn’t work.”
“Nobody sent me—”
“Enough. Leave. Now.” Hands clenched on his hips, he turned away as though he couldn’t stand the sight of her. His fury was palpable; the tree branches seemed to tremble from it. Jessica, herself, was shaking like a leaf, whether from shock or heat exhaustion, she couldn’t pinpoint at that moment. Oddly, she wasn’t afraid of him, although she supposed she should be. She couldn’t fathom his behavior, the hostility he was directing upon her. His attitude was even more bewildering considering his first reaction upon discovering her. He’d seemed just as pleased to see her as she’d been to see him. And now he was ordering her away as if she were a common vagrant.
Now I know why I don’t believe in knights in shining armor, she thought, searching through the grass for her shoes. Finding them, she sat down on the suitcase. As she struggled to fit her swollen feet into the ridiculously impractical slippers, she felt her emotions surge to the bursting point. She wanted to cry, something she rarely did, and certainly wasn’t about to do in front of this horrible man.
“Well, so much for the warmth and hospitality of country folk,” she muttered, hating the betraying quiver in her voice. She stood, clenching the handle of her suitcase. “I don’t know what your problem is, but you’ll regret not helping me. I would’ve reimbursed you for your trouble.”
He gave a derogatory snort of laughter, his back still towards her. “Don’t even try to tempt me with your family’s money. I wouldn’t touch it.”
Her chin dropped. “My family’s—? What a condescending thing to say.” Her voice pitched upwards. “Who do you think you are anyway? You’re just a country hick with manure on your boots. A...a goat has better manners than you!”
He pivoted around, pinning her with a steely glare, though his voice remained eerily calm. “I’m giving you ten seconds to leave before I call the sheriff and have you cited for trespassing.”
“Of all the—”
“One...two...three...”
Jessica scowled at him, unable to think of anything foul enough to say in retort. The manners Lorna had instilled in her wouldn’t permit that kind of language anyway or condone the childish urge to spit in his face. With one last fulminating look, she spun away from him and stepped into the blistering sunlight. She retraced her path to the road, the intense heat pressing down on her with every step. Only fury gave strength to her legs as she waded through tall grass and prickly weeds. She mumbled under her breath. “This isn’t real. I’m going to wake up any second now and find that this has all been a terrible dream.”
The barbed wire fence loomed ahead, and her outrage intensified. She felt the man watching her; the flesh between her shoulder blades tingled beneath his fixed stare. She scrambled through the fence on shaky limbs. Her skirt caught on the barbs, baring her naked legs and the lace trim of her underwear. Humiliated, she struggled to free herself. She thought she heard a mocking laugh. The bully! With one last, exasperated tug, the fabric came loose with a loud rip. Thrown off balance, Jessica landed smack on her backside in an inelegant heap. There was no questioning her hearing. He was laughing at her. Glancing up, she saw him standing at the top of the hill, arms folded across his chest, teeth flashing white.
“I’m going to make him pay for this,” she fumed, pushing herself upright. No one had ever laughed at her before. She wasn’t going to be some carnival sideshow for this man! Her eyes swam with furious tears. Several hairpins had come loose from her chignon, and thick strands of hair fell across her face. She could barely see the ground as she maneuvered through the next field. When she finally reached the wooden fence, it took most of her dwindling energy to climb over. Overwrought with turbulent emotions, she stared dazedly at Preston’s car. What was she going to do now?
Back to square one. She had to find a telephone, had to get out of this unbearable heat. Across the road, several fields distant, she thought she saw a house. Please, God, don’t let it be a mirage. As she prepared to cross the road, she suddenly felt nauseated. Overcome, she crumpled to her knees on the dirt embankment, bending her body forward and taking deep breaths while praying that she wouldn’t be sick, that she wouldn’t add further humiliation to her growing dilemma.
Her prayers switched to curses as she added that insufferable man to her list of wrongdoers. First Preston. Then Amber. Lorna, for being typically blind to anything concerning her daughter in an emotional way.
Gradually, the nausea began to lessen. She slowly raised her head, only to see a pair of brown hiking boots on the black pavement before her. With excruciating effort, she dragged her gaze up long denim-clad legs to sun-browned hands braced on lean hips. She focused obstinately on the dull gold facing of the man’s wristwatch, seeing the second hand slowly creep around the dial once before he finally spoke.
“What’s the matter now? Lose your car keys?”
“Get lost.”
“I’ll stay here until you drive away.”
She blew a wisp of hair away from her mouth. “Then you’ll be standing there a long time,” she reasoned. “That car isn’t driving anywhere soon.”
“Looks fine to me,” he countered. She watched as he walked slowly around the car, his low whistle pulling her eyes to his cynical expression. “Looks more than fine. Tell me, how does it feel driving a car that costs more than the average middle-class family earns in five years? Probably didn’t put a dent in your daddy’s wallet, did it.”
She staggered clumsily to her feet. “My stepfather didn’t buy this car. It belongs to—” She pursed her lips and glowered. “It’s none of your business. I’ve had enough of your bullying. Since you’re so eager to see me leave, point me in the direction of the nearest telephone so I can call for a tow.”
He scrutinized her for a long moment. Then he opened the driver’s door and leaned inside. “Do you always leave the keys in the car? Not too bright.”
“Why?” she snapped. “Is some cow going to come along and take it for a joy ride?”
He muttered something under his breath that sounded like ‘stubborn little brat’ as he lowered himself into the leather driver’s seat and turned the key. There was a metallic clicking sound. Then nothing. His eyes met hers through the tinted windshield. She didn’t say I Told You So, but her expression implied the words. Shaking his head, he released the hood lever and unfolded himself from the car. Mouth carved in an implacable line, he propped up the hood and examined the engine. Several moments passed as he poked and prodded. Finally, he stood back, exhaling harshly. “You people have to buy the most expensive car on the market just to show everyone how important you think you are. The mechanics on this are insane.”
She came forward and peered over his shoulder. The engine looked confusing to her too. Her mouth pursed with derision. “Too complicated for you, hmm? And I thought men knew everything about cars.”
Abruptly, he let the hood slam down and twisted around. “Where’s the missing part? In the trunk?”
“What?”
He folded his arms across his chest, his accusatory glare unrelenting as it swept her up and down, taking in her flushed features, the beads of perspiration on her brow. His tone softened ever so slightly, even as his eyes drilled into hers. “Why do you persist in playing innocent? I can see that this heat is getting to you. Stop this idiotic game and go home.”
Jessica threw her hands in the air. “There you go again! What do I have to say or do to get it through your thick skull?” She moved closer to him, her forefinger nearly jabbing him in the chest. She felt the blood pounding through her veins. She fought to keep her voice at an intelligible level. “The car broke down. I’m stranded in the middle of God knows where. Do you really believe that I’d do something like this on purpose? Dressed like this? On what must be the hottest day of the year?”
“Calm down. You’re becoming hysterical.”
The aloof, callous words provoked even greater outrage. “You think this is hysterical? You haven’t even seen the beginning of hysterical, you pompous jackass!” She wanted to slug him, but she couldn’t seem to curl her fingers into a fist. Cursing her feebleness, she stomped her foot, only succeeding in throwing herself off balance. His stern face swam before her as she strove to remain upright.
He took her elbow in a firm grip, holding her steady. “I think you’d better sit down.”
She made a vain attempt to free herself. “Don’t touch me!”
Scanning her pale face, the dark shadows beneath her eyes, the rapid pulse at her throat, he expelled a sigh of resignation mixed with grim displeasure. “The last thing I need is you fainting on me. Obviously, neither one of you took the weather into account when you planned this stupid fiasco.” As he spoke, he guided her towards a patch of grass near the fence and tugged her down, forcing her to sit.
Jessica brought her wobbly knees to her chest and pressed her forehead against them, knitting her eyes shut. She felt like such a fool at that moment. Her own vulnerability terrified her. She’d never been one to allow her emotions to take control; her deepest, most secret and sacred feelings were locked inside walls she’d erected seventeen years ago. Today, inexplicably, those walls were beginning to soften and crumble, freeing a tangle of long-buried emotions; she felt powerless against their uprising.
“Take some deep breaths. Keep your head down.”
Gradually, she became aware that the man had crouched down close beside her. His palm rested against the nape of her neck. Her skin quivered at the contact. Startled, she tried to lift her head.
“Stay still.” His hand was cool and astonishingly gentle against her hot skin. A baffling sense of comfort and security flooded over her, slowly calming a turbulent sea of emotions.
The sultry air surrounded her. For a time, there was nothing to hear but the occasional, distant lowing of dairy cows and the steady drone of a lone bee zooming amongst a cluster of orange poppies nearby. Jessica felt disconnected from her body, as if she were drifting on a wispy cloud above this odd tableau on the roadside.
“What am I going to do with you?” he said, so softly she thought she’d imagined the words.
She turned her head slightly and peeked at him from under her lashes. His fingers tensed against her skin as he met her gaze. For an instant, she thought she saw concern in his expression, and an indefinable something else that robbed her breath. Suddenly, he dropped his hand and leaned away from her. He slowly stood.
The braying of a horn shattered the thick silence. A battered pickup truck rolled into view and rattled to a halt next to them. The woman behind the steering wheel poked her head out the open window, her tiny, bird-like face, framed by soft gray curls, glowed with inquisitiveness. She observed the scene before her for a moment, a smile twitching at the corner of her mouth. When she finally spoke, her tone was pleasant but firm. “Now this is interesting. Well, Ethan? What’s going on?”
The man glanced from the older woman to Jessica and back again. He rubbed his jaw, seeming to weigh his words before responding. “I’m still trying to figure that out myself,” he said in a measured tone. “She says her car broke down and she was looking for help. I found her up there in the oak grove.”
Jessica’s hackles rose again. His continued disbelief was evident in his voice, though his demeanor was courteous towards the older woman.
“What’s wrong with the car?” the woman asked.
“Could be the starter. Might be the fuel pump.”
“Could be, might be.” Her eyes glinted at him sharply before flitting over to Jessica. After shifting the truck into park, she hopped nimbly down from the truck cab. “Ethan, the poor girl looks ready to faint. Why didn’t you let her stay in the oak grove where it’s cooler?” She crouched down in front of Jessica and took Jessica’s hands in her own. “How do you feel?”
Jessica liked her instantly. “A little nauseated. And thirsty.”
Bright brown eyes, similar to the man’s, swept over the wedding gown. “Is there someone waiting for you? Anyone we should call?”
“No. Not anymore. I was on my way to Bodega Bay. Alone.” She couldn’t mask the sadness in her voice as she warily returned the woman’s sharp gaze.
Briskly, the woman stood. “Don’t worry. I’m not one to pry.” She studied Jessica for a second or two before saying decisively, “I don’t think you’re in any condition to go anywhere today. You’re coming home with me.”
“Now Grandma—”
“Don’t ‘now Grandma’ me, young man. What were you planning to do? Call Ernie for a tow and abandon this poor girl on the roadside?”
His stony silence was the only confirmation needed. The woman shook her head in reproach. “Humph. Just as I suspected. I thought I’d taught you better manners than that.”
“She isn’t one of your orphaned lambs or stray kittens, Gram.”
Jessica pushed herself slowly to her feet. She sent the man a rebellious look before giving the woman a polite smile. “He’s right. I can take care of myself. I appreciate your offer, though. If you could just drive me to, uh, Ernie’s, I can manage from there.”
“Absolutely not,” the woman demurred. “I apologize for my grandson’s rudeness. This heat must’ve addled his brain. He’s forgotten that this is Memorial Day weekend and Ernie has gone fishing with his poker buddies.”
“Oh,” Jessica said, dismayed. “Isn’t there another service station?”
“I can’t think of anyplace local that could repair a fancy car like that one. We might find something open in Santa Rosa, but I doubt any of them offer full service on a holiday weekend, especially if that car needs new parts.”
When Jessica suddenly swayed backward, the woman swiftly looped an arm around her waist. Her grandson took a step forward, but she shooed him away. “The best thing to do is come up to the house,” she said. “I’ll get you some iced tea while Ethan calls around to see if anything is open. We’ll decide from there. All right?”
Her grandson turned on his heel, muttering invectives under his breath. He stalked over to the car and lifted the hood again. He stood there, glaring down at the engine, his back rigid.
Jessica’s gaze veered away from him. She gave the older woman a beseeching look. “Couldn’t you just take me to the nearest motel? I’ll be fine. Really.”
The woman shook her head. “I’d be sick with worry if I did that. No, you’re coming with me. There will be no more arguments from either one of you.”
What could Jessica say in the face of such fierce determination? Truly, she was too exhausted to resist any longer. To hell with that man and his absurd accusations! She aimed a spiteful glance at his back before allowing the woman to escort her to the passenger side of the truck and boost her onto the seat. She leaned against the vinyl, her eyes drifting shut, vaguely aware of the woman saying something to her grandson before putting the truck in gear.
Now that Jessica was secure in the confines of the cab, she felt the last vestiges of energy seeping from her body. But, just as she was ready to surrender to forgetful sleep, the truck came to a stop and the woman was assisting her down.
“Just a few steps now and we’ll be inside where it’s nice and cool. You’re almost there.”
“I’m sorry,” Jessica whispered. “I’ve never felt so weak before.”
The woman ushered Jessica into a front hallway, then into a cozy living room. The window shades were drawn to block the sunlight, and the room was blessedly cool. Jessica was gently pushed into an overstuffed armchair. She felt a palm against her forehead. Through heavy lashes, she saw the older woman’s brow etched with concern. “How long were you out in that sun?”
“I don’t know...an hour, perhaps.”
“Stay right there. I’ll get some iced tea.”
Everything felt so strange. There was a relentless buzzing in her head. She just wanted to sleep. She was too drained to feel startled when a cold glass was pressed against her lips. A thank you welled up inside of her as she swallowed the sweetened iced tea. Her hands shook as she took the glass and drank it all. Slightly revived from the sugar, she managed to voice her thanks out loud.
“You’re welcome. Feel better?”
“My head feels fuzzy.”
“I think you’re suffering from heat exhaustion, maybe even mild sun stroke. I’m going to call Doctor Richards, just to be sure. I must apologize again for my grandson’s behavior.”
Jessica wrinkled her brow. “He thought I was playing some kind of joke. He said someone sent me here. You don’t think that too, do you?”
The woman patted Jessica’s arm reassuringly. “In spite of the way this world seems to be going, I’m still a trusting old soul. I’ve raised my children and grandchildren with strong values, one of them being kindness to strangers.” She shook her head ruefully. “Ethan appears to have temporarily forgotten that one. I can’t explain his behavior. He’ll have to do that himself.”
There was a scrape of boots on the front porch, the slam of a screen door, something set down with a thud in the hallway. Then the man appeared in the doorway, one hand propped on the doorjamb, the other on his hip as his eyes zoomed in on Jessica’s wan features. “Is she feeling better yet?” he asked.
“The tea has helped.”
“Good. I brought her luggage. She can change while I make some calls.”
“Don’t treat me as though I’m not here,” Jessica rebuked in a wobbly voice.
“Unfortunately, you are,” was the crisp reply.
“Ethan!”
“She might have fooled you, Gram, but I’m still not buying her cock-and-bull story. Do you think it’s just a coincidence, her showing up in a wedding dress on this exact day? You know what that woman is capable of.”
“Angelica Wade is not high on my list of ethical people, but I doubt very much that she’s capable of pulling such a prank.”
He pushed himself from the doorjamb and strode into the room. “You see? Even you thought the same thing when you saw this woman.”
“It did cross my mind for an instant,” his grandmother admitted, raising her hand before he could continue. “But only for an instant. One look at this girl disproves your hare-brained theory. It’s a coincidence. Uncanny, but a coincidence, nevertheless.”
Jessica couldn’t comprehend any of their heated exchange. Their words tumbled together in her head. Yet, she understood that this man was still insisting that she was lying. She wouldn’t tolerate his distrust and rebuke for a second longer. She had to leave! She was scarcely aware that she’d spoken the words out loud.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?” the woman asked.
Jessica rose to her feet. She fumbled for words through the fog that seemed to swirl around her head. “I have to leave...I can’t stay near him any longer...I can take care of my—”
“Ethan! Catch her!”
She felt herself pitching forward towards a rose-patterned carpet, unable to prevent her dizzy fall. She was dimly aware of a pair of strong hands breaking her descent, lifting her up against a sturdy, rock-solid chest. Her head drooped against the secure warmth. Even as an inner voice admonished her not to yield to this man, she felt her body relaxing completely and inexorably in his arms, and the voice faded into a peaceful darkness.