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Looking back at Paul, she remembered to smile. But her courage failed her when he scowled.
Then she realized he was on the phone. Two actually. At least he was holding two. One was a cell. It rang as she watched.
Deftly he put the first call on hold, answered the second, then switched back to the first. A moment later he finally noticed her.
Her first impression hadn’t been that far off. He looked annoyed as he ended both calls.
“Good morning.” She tried to sound confident, but her voice came out sounding more like a frightened bird.
“Hello,” he said cautiously. “This is a surprise.”
“I suppose it is.” Courage. Keep your courage. “I came to talk to you about the company.”
“We already talked about it.”
“No.” She bit her lip. “You brushed me off.”
His phone rang. “You want to talk now?”
“Yes, please.”
“You couldn’t have picked a worse time. I’m speaking to investors.”
Her anxiety heightened. “In an hour then?”
“It’s Monday morning. I’m calling my most important contacts.” He scrunched his mouth in contemplation. “I could hook up with you, say, late this afternoon.”
“This afternoon?”
He reached for the phone. “If you really want to talk. If not—”
“No! I mean yes. I want to talk.” She calculated quickly. Donna said she would stay as long as necessary. “So, this afternoon?”
“Okay.”
Laura picked up a card from his desk and scribbled her cell phone number on it. “Call me when you’re free?”
“Fine.” His phone rang again.
Awkwardly, she stepped back. “I’ll see myself out then.”
He was already absorbed in the phone conversation.
Out on the sidewalk, she breathed in the clean spring air, the smell of baking bread laced with blooming hyacinths. Unexpectedly, her stomach rumbled. In spite of nerves.
She glanced down the street. A sign in the next block caught her eye. Borbey House Bed and Breakfast. She didn’t know just how long Paul Russell planned to put her off, but she intended to stick around until he spoke to her, even if that meant staying until the following day. It might be smart to book a room, just in case. Besides, she was tired. It had taken everything she had to screw up her courage for this visit. She hated this weakness in herself. Before she had married, she wouldn’t have been so intimidated, so frightened. This was just a negotiation. With Jerry’s best friend. Why couldn’t Jerry have let her go? She hadn’t wanted him to get sick, to die…. But she had thought at last she would be out from under his control.
She pulled out her cell phone.
Donna answered on the second ring, and Laura explained the situation.
“Stay as long as you need. My work’s coming along fine. You know I love borrowing other people’s children.”
Laura hesitated, unaccustomed to asking favors. “It could be longer than just overnight.”
“Stay as long as you need.”
Laura clutched the phone. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”
“Hey, what are friends for?”
Laura felt a little better as she walked the short distance to Borbey House. A bell tinkled when she pushed open the door to the bed-and-breakfast and stepped into an immaculate front room, furnished with inviting antique couches.
“Be right there,” a woman called.
Laura waited by an ancient breakfront that looked like the sign-in desk. Within moments, a perky, attractive woman who looked to be about her age, scooted into the room. “Hi!” She wiped her hands on her apron. “Just finishing up in the kitchen. How can I help you?”
“I’m hoping you have a room for tonight. Well, maybe longer. I’m not sure exactly how long I’ll be here.” The way she felt right now she could climb into bed and pull the covers over her head.
“I have one that fronts on Main Street if you like the view or one that looks out on the back garden if you’d prefer complete quiet. You can see both, if you’d like, and then choose.” Dark eyes twinkled as the woman pushed her brown hair behind her ear.
“That’s a tough call, but I think I’ll take the quiet.” She needed it to recoup.
“Fine. If you change your mind, just let me know. It’s no trouble switching you around.” Laura signed the guest book, a simple register, her writing shaky. “I’m Annie Warren and this is my place, mine and my husband’s.”
“Glad to meet you.” She reached for her purse, fumbling with her wallet. “You’ll need my credit card.”
Annie waved her hands. “Not necessary. We can do that when you check out.”
Laura stared, amazed.
Annie laughed. “I doubt you want to get up at four in the morning to skip out. Besides, a little trust goes a long way.”
“That’s a kind, if somewhat precarious, way to live in this world.”
“It works for me.”
Laura’s anxiety eased somewhat.
“Have you had your breakfast?” Annie put her hands on her narrow hips.
“Actually no. But if it’s too late—”
“Nope. I was just getting around to mine. Would you like to join me?”
Laura was touched by the offer. “I’d love to.”
“The dining room’s still set for breakfast. I haven’t cleared the buffet. The warmers are on under the bacon and sausage, the eggs, too. The griddle’s hot and I was about to make pancakes. Or whatever you like.”
“I adore pancakes. I didn’t expect such bounty.” Laura wandered over to the antique buffet. Jams—she’d guess homemade—in crystal dishes begged to be spread on the plump rolls. And there was a basket of sticky buns as well. She felt as though she’d stepped back into another time when people lingered over breakfast.
“I just made some fresh coffee.” Annie indicated from the stove. “And there’s orange juice on the buffet.”
“Let me,” Laura offered. “What do you take in your coffee?”
“Thanks.” Annie pointed. “Just a little cream.”
Laura poured them each a coffee. Retrieving the pitcher of orange juice, she carried it to the only table with place settings.
Annie followed shortly with a platter of fluffy pancakes. “This time of year we get a lot of tourists because of the wildflowers, but it’s still mostly weekends right now.”
“I’m not here for flowers.” She stopped. She didn’t intend to tell this stranger anything about why she was here. Annie just smiled.
“Rosewood’s a good place to be.”
“Oh?”
“People are welcoming here.”
Laura reached for the syrup. “I’m just here for a visit.”
“It’s a fine place to visit, too.”
“Is the real estate market doing well here?”
Annie poured some cream into her mug. “I don’t really know. But you could check with Paul Russell down the street.”
Laura choked on her bite of pancake.
As she coughed, Annie patted her on the back and handed her a glass of water. “Sip slowly. The maple syrup is strong. I should have warned you.”
Once she caught her breath, Laura said. “No, it’s lovely, really.” She sipped more water, took some time wiping her mouth with the cotton napkin. “Is he a friend of yours?”
“Paul? Yes. He’s a member of my church.”
“Church?” Laura didn’t mean to spit the word, but Jerry hadn’t included church in their plans. He’d been too busy with barbecues, boating and golf. And between the disillusion with her marriage and the control Jerry held over her, she had drifted far from the days when her grandmother had taken her to church.
Annie must have sensed her discomfort. “How about some orange juice?”
“Thank you.”
Annie poured her a glass. “So, are you here to check out the real estate market?”
“In a way,” Laura hedged. She had been hiding the truth about her abusive marriage for so long it was second nature to keep everything quiet.
“I have a friend, Emma McAllister, whose husband is a contractor. He’s working on a house not far from here. He just built a new home for the owner.” She put the pitcher down. “And they don’t want to sell this one because they want to keep it in the family. Seth’s fixing it up to rent it. If you want to look inside, he’s probably around.”
“Oh, I don’t know….”
“I hope I’m not being pushy. It’s become a habit since I started running the bed-and-breakfast. That, and because I was single so long and rattled around the house alone I tend to treat my guests as friends.” Annie grinned. “Sorry, there I go. But the house really is great—if you want to get an idea of the market here.”
“I could take down the directions, I suppose.” She did have hours to kill and maybe she would show Paul she had initiative and could learn quickly.
“If Seth’s not there, check the back door. It might be unlocked,” Annie said, getting up to find a pen and paper.
“Really? The house is left open?”
“This is Rosewood. We don’t have any crime to speak of.”
But leave an empty house unlocked? Laura couldn’t imagine such a thing. She had lived in the city so long, in the right area, the one Jerry had chosen. Still, security systems were a fact of life.
Intrigued, after breakfast Laura followed the directions Annie had given her. She found the address easily. And sighed as she stared at the two-story folk Victorian, falling immediately in love with the front gable and side wings, corbels, the gothic details, the welcoming porch. The rosebushes that appeared to be as old as the house itself.
A man was sweeping up on the driveway.
“Hi. Are you Seth?”
“No. The boss isn’t here.”
“Oh. I heard I might be able to take a quick look inside.”
He paused, holding the broom still. “Sure. The owners are planning to put it up for rent. I imagine they want people to look at it. The front door’s unlocked.”
“Thanks.” She entered the foyer, then stepped into a large living room with high ceilings and a beautiful fireplace with an intricately carved mantel. Plaster walls, original woodwork, tall arched windows that allowed the light to stream in. It was amazing. The rest of the rooms were just as great. She wasn’t in real estate yet, but this place would have to rent for a small fortune. Well, some lucky family would be happy here.
She checked her watch. Even dawdling, she still had way too much time to kill. She thought about going back to the bed-and-breakfast for a nap, but she didn’t want to wake up disoriented for the meeting. So she decided to check out the town.
The entire place was a step back in time. She wandered around Whitaker Woods, a store full of handmade furniture, each piece a one-of-a-kind design. She peeked into the windows of the costume shop, Try It On, intrigued by the unique designs she hadn’t expected to find in such a small town.
Her phone rang. “Hello.”
“Laura? Paul Russell. I can’t squeeze in a meeting after all.” He sounded tense.
“Oh.” She looked down the street at Distinctive Properties. It was within walking distance.
Before she lost her courage, she headed for his office. “I only need a minute.”
“Another time.”
Paul was still on the phone when she pushed open the door. She took the chair angled in front of his desk.
“I told you I didn’t have time to meet,” he said after he hung up.
“That’s why I came to you.” She gripped her purse.
He frowned. “You just show up here, after I told you I’m too busy?”
Every nerve she possessed crowded into her throat. “We need to talk.”
“I told you. Flipping property isn’t easy. You have to be able to hold steady when you’ve bought a property, poured a ton of renovation money into it. Navigating between investors and sellers…It takes commitment, guts.” He held up his hands as though to say he knew she didn’t have either.
“I have both,” she lied. If she’d had any real courage, she would have left Jerry years ago. But she couldn’t tell Paul that.
“And it takes expertise.”
Laura leaned forward. “Which you can teach me.”
“I’ve already told you—”
“Please don’t reject this out of hand.” Laura bit her lip, wondering how much of the truth she should tell him, guessing he wouldn’t believe much. “I know you think you owe it to Jerry to run the firm as you see fit, but don’t you owe it to him to listen to me, as well? To consider what I can offer? Half the profits will benefit his children.”
She wasn’t convincing him. She could see that.
“You’re forgetting a pretty important technicality.”
She blinked in confusion.
“Even if I agreed to teach you, you live in Houston.”
“But you and Jerry made that work.”
“Because Jerry knew what he was doing. He acquired properties in the Houston area, supervised those renovations. I locate the investors, make sure the money’s in place. And I buy homes in this area for flipping, as well. I can’t teach you how to find and then buy the right properties, not from here.”
She opened her mouth, but no sound emerged. Her grip on the purse tightened. Not from here. Unless she did something more drastic than she had planned. Fortunately, she’d had an idea.
Chapter Two
Two days later Laura arrived back in Houston, flushed with anticipation and fear. She had rented the incredible house on Elm Street in Rosewood. To her amazement, it had been surprisingly affordable, far below what she would have had to pay in Houston for something a fraction as nice. Now she had to lease out her own home and tell the children…and her in-laws. At the thought, she nearly turned the car around in the opposite direction. But it had to be done.
“Okay, guys, we need to talk,” she said to the kids as soon as she let herself in. “No, stay—please,” she added to Donna. “I need your support.”
Donna settled back down on the sofa, turning off the TV. Laura had already phoned her on the return trip, cluing her in on her unexpected plans.
Kirsten sighed as she collapsed into the cavernous chair that had been her father’s favorite. Again it struck Laura how much her daughter resembled him.
Gregg snuggled next to Laura, still young enough to be excited by his mother’s return. She smoothed the dark hair on his forehead. He had always taken after her in more than just appearance. They shared the same temperament.
“Since your father died, a lot of things have changed. And we have to make a new life for ourselves. For that to happen, I need to learn about your dad’s work. And the only way I can learn is for us to move to where his partner lives.”
“Move?” Kirsten jumped up, all her casual disdain gone. “We can’t move. All my friends are here.”
“You’ll make new friends—”
“I don’t want new friends.” Kirsten’s voice was shrill. “Nana and Grandpa won’t let you do this.”
Laura knew her declaration of independence wouldn’t be met with enthusiasm. She also knew that she would have to stick firm, not show her fear. “It’s not their decision. You’ll be able to visit them, but we have to stick together as a family, make this work for all of us.”
“Moving to some hick town won’t work!” Tears streamed down Kirsten’s face.
Laura got up to comfort her daughter, but Kirsten backed away. “You can’t make me go!” She galloped up the stairs, slamming her door behind her. The sound echoed through the quiet house.
Donna’s expression was sympathetic, but Laura’s heart sank. She looked down at her son. “What about you, pal?”
Gregg hunched his skinny shoulders. “S’okay, I guess. Do I still get to play peewee ball?”
She hugged him. Hard. “I’m sure you will. Rosewood has the very best stuff for kids. It’s one of the things that decided me. It’s really safe—kids ride their bikes to school and their moms don’t worry. And they have all kinds of great things for you to do.”
He screwed his face into lines of thought. “Where are we going to live?”
Laura described the house, the nearby park. “And your room has a killer view of the whole street.”
“Cool.”
She hugged him again, wishing the transition could be as easy for her daughter. But Kirsten would have to adjust. They all would.
Gregg wriggled free. “I’m gonna go start packing.”
“Okay, sweetie. We’ll get some boxes later today. Maybe just go through your toys for a start. See if there are some you’d like to put in the donation box.”
After he had trooped upstairs, Donna whistled. “This is fast, Laura.”
“I know. And I didn’t plan on it. To be honest, when the idea hit me, I was scared to death. Then I found out that I could afford this great house—oh, Donna, you’ll love it. And the town is safe, the kind of place you want to raise kids in. And I liked the people, well, Annie and Ethan Warren, the ones who run the bed-and-breakfast. He’s a schoolteacher, and she runs the inn.” Laura paused for breath. “You know how bad it’s been—how terrible things were with Jerry. Now I’ve got another chance…” She stood, pacing toward the large window that looked out on the fashionable street. “Does that sound as awful out loud as when I think it?”
“Not for anyone who really knew Jerry. I don’t know how you stuck it out this long with him. If he hadn’t gotten sick…Well, I know you wouldn’t have wished that for him, but I don’t think you’d have escaped any other way.” Donna hesitated. “I’m guessing Kirsten’s reaction will seem mild compared to her grandparents’.”
Laura sat down, then glanced toward the staircase. “I imagine she’s already on the phone, telling her grandmother.” She leaned her head back on the top of the sofa, picturing how furious they would be. Hit hard by the loss of their son, they drifted between grief and anger.
“They can’t keep you here,” Donna said wistfully.
“I’m going to miss you. But it’s not that far. You can visit—bring your laptop. You’ll like Rosewood, I know it. And the house has an extra bedroom with your name on it.”
“I am mobile,” Donna admitted.
Laura smiled. “I don’t know what I would have done without you all these years. With Jerry…”
“You don’t have to say it. I know. Maybe you’re right. Rosewood’s atmosphere might be great for my work.”
“Not to mention there could be new single men for you to meet.”
Donna laughed. “If I can’t find the right one in a city of more than four million, what chance do I have in a teeny town?”
“Different priorities?”
“Does that mean you’ve spotted someone there?” Donna looked intrigued. “Paul Russell?”
Laura shook her head. “Hardly. Not only am I a brand-new widow…but Paul? He can barely stand to speak to me. I’m not sure why, either. He seemed to have made his mind up about me before he ever met me.”
“Something Jerry said?”
Laura thought of Paul’s disapproving expression. “Maybe. But I don’t think Jerry would have said anything negative. You know how he was about appearances.”
“Maybe Paul’s just an odd duck, then.”
“Maybe.” But Laura hadn’t thought so. Well, until he had been so set against her joining the firm. “Donna, will you stay for dinner? My in-laws will probably make an appearance and I need the moral support.”
“Sure. I’m a glutton for punishment.” Donna rose, picking up glasses as she walked toward the kitchen.
“Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.”
“I put some chicken out to thaw. How ’bout if I work on dinner while you take a few minutes for yourself—maybe grab a shower.”
“You sure you don’t mind?”
“It’s fun for me to cook for more than one.”
Grateful, Laura hugged her friend. “I won’t be long.”
“Take as long as you want.”
Upstairs, Laura shed her traveling clothes and luxuriated in a long, hot shower. She washed her hair, willing the pounding water to erase her worries. Pulling on a thick, ankle-length terry robe, she combed her hair. Donna was right. A hot shower had been just what she needed.
Humming, she skipped down the stairs, pausing at the landing that curved down to the final four steps. Her in-laws stood in the foyer. Donna, clearly uncomfortable, glanced up at her.
Wishing she’d taken the time to get dressed, Laura knotted the sash to her robe. She felt vulnerable, at a disadvantage. “Hello, Edward, Meredith.”
Her father-in-law managed a small smile, but Meredith began crying.
Laura felt the pit of her stomach drop. “Let’s go into the living room.”
Trailing them, Laura knew she had to get this over with, but it didn’t lessen her trepidation. She’d always wanted a closer relationship with her in-laws, but Edward traveled so much for work and Meredith had never encouraged a deeper connection. Despite the fact that they had never been close, she had always hoped Meredith would become a true mother figure, especially since she really didn’t have one of her own. But the woman was entrenched in a social life that hadn’t included her daughter-in-law. Laura knew they both thought Jerry had married beneath himself.
Meredith had barely taken a seat when she began her tirade, waving her lace handkerchief like a flag. “Laura, what are you thinking?”
Laura started to answer. “I—”
“You’re not thinking of the children, just yourself. Jerry did everything he could to keep this family together.” She sniffed into the rumpled square of cotton. “Now, the moment he’s gone, you want to rip it to pieces.”
Laura hated conflict, but she didn’t have any choice. Again, she wished she and Meredith had the sort of relationship that encouraged confidences. She would like to pour out the whole story—tell her about the real Jerry, who emerged behind closed doors. But what purpose could it serve now? To hurt his parents, turn them against her? Their only child, they had idolized him. “You don’t understand, Meredith. I’m doing what I think is best for my family.”
“By taking them from their home, everything they know? From us? Hardly, Laura. You’re being selfish.”
The words hurt. “I’m sorry you feel that way, but I have to do what I believe is right. And Rosewood’s not that far. You can visit—”
Edward leaned forward. “Laura, why don’t you consider taking up something to get your mind off Jerry’s passing? You could go to school or…”
With what? Her allowance was too small for that. “I appreciate the suggestion, Edward. But we need a new start. And we can’t get it here.” Laura caught sight of Kirsten hovering in the doorway.
“You seem to have forgotten that the children are part of our family, too.” Meredith’s thin lips tightened.
Laura hated this tension. It seemed her entire life had been nothing but fighting. She wanted so much for it to stop. “And the kids can visit you.”
“I want to stay here with them!” Kirsten nearly shrieked the words.
Meredith held her arms out to her granddaughter and Kirsten rushed into them. “See what you’re doing to her!”
“She’ll adjust. It won’t be easy. I know that.” She reached for her courage. “But my mind’s made up.”
“Then expect a fight, my dear.” Meredith rubbed Kirsten’s back. “This isn’t over.”
The hard knot in Laura’s stomach grew even harder. Why couldn’t her in-laws see that she was fighting to save her family? That she wished she didn’t have to uproot them? But they hadn’t seen anything wrong in the way their son had dictated his will, easily accepting Paul as the executor.
In the end, there wasn’t anything Meredith could do about the children.
Laura contacted a Realtor who was thrilled to get a listing in the exclusive area and immediately leased out her home to an executive and his family. She committed the house for a year. By then she would know if she could succeed or if she would have to come back.
Without the funds for professional movers, Laura had to downscale. Calling it an estate rather than a garage sale, she culled through the pieces. Even with the rent from the house, it would be tight at first. Kirsten was horrified and locked herself in her room, but Gregg helped her tag the furniture.
Laura hadn’t planned on selling any of the children’s things anyway, not that she could get her daughter to listen. She thought of the baby grand piano and the other pieces Jerry had given to his parents. She certainly could have used the money.