Chapter 2
Julianne came through customs and immigration and headed for the entrance of the small airport.
The flight had been especially bumpy because of the storm from last night that had carried over into this morning, and her stomach was protesting.
She had rented a vehicle for the duration of her stay.
She had told Brian not more than a week.
She was sticking to her decision. She would inform Bryson of the situation and then get the hell away from here.
She was firm on that. Ignoring the shiver of nerves that had been dancing along her spine since she stepped on the plane two hours ago, Julianne stepped out into the muggy, clinging heat of the post-storm and headed toward the car rental place.
She knew that as soon as she showed her face, she would be recognized. McNab's Crossing wasn't exactly a village, but it was a typical small town where people knew each other by name, not to mention the fact that she had been involved with the most important and powerful family in town.
Gritting her teeth, she shoved the glass door open with enough force to have the front desk attendant glancing up.
She saw the woman's eyes widen in recognition and knew that as soon as she stepped out the door, the news would be flying that she was back in town.
Brian had made the arrangements for her, so the vehicle was booked in his name.
"Ms. Merrywood!" The brunette gave her a quick once-over as she came toward the desk. "How nice to see you. What brings you to our charming town?"
Ignoring the inquisitive question, she went right down to business. "I'm here to pick up a car. It was reserved by Brian-"
"Oh yes." The woman, whose name tag identified her as Charlene, clicked on the keyboard of her desktop and found the reservation. "It's rented for a week, and it's cleaned and ready for you." Charlene looked at her curiously. "It's very nice to see you."
"Thanks. The keys?"
"Oh! Oh yes." Pushing her chair back, she opened a file cabinet and selected a key fob. "It's a Nissan."
"That's fine. Where do I pick it up?"
"Turn right as soon as you leave here and it's in a reserved spot with Brian's name on it. I would accompany you-"
"That's not necessary. Thank you."
She had not gotten to the door before the eager Charlene picked up the phone.
A slight breeze had sprung up, lending relief to the suffocating heat that had forced her to remove her suit jacket. Opening the back door of the vehicle, she tossed her case and jacket into the back seat.
Sliding into the driver's seat, she set the air to blasting, shoving the damp natural curls off her face. Reaching into her purse, she dug around for an elastic band and swept the curls up into an untidy pigtail before starting the vehicle and driving off the lot.
Her hope for anonymity was shot to hell. She had naively wished that she could at least have one night of peace and rest from her journey before she had to face Bryson. No doubt before she reached her cottage, he would have heard the news that she was back in town.
Jamming the oversized sunglasses onto her face, she set out in the direction of the main street.
Letting the window down, she allowed herself to enjoy the gentle breeze and the pretty scenery.
McNab's Crossing had struck her as a picturesque place.
She recalled the first time she caught a glimpse of mountains shrouded in dazzling white snow and pretty little houses and storefront shops.
The place was very well maintained. She recalled exclaiming over how clean it was to Bryson.
He had simply grinned in appreciation and explained that they had won numerous awards for their clean air and space.
"The natives take pride in where they live and that has been the case for many years," he had told her.
She had witnessed the changing seasons, the breathtaking yet icy beauty of winter, the magnificent colors of fall, the blooming of spring flowers, and the incredible beauty of summer.
Now it was heading into fall, and the leaves were already changing. She had not only fallen in love with the man, but she had also fallen for the place as well. He had asked if she could see herself living here and she had answered yes.
Shaking off the haunting memories, she concentrated on the road, eyes darting left to right to take in the familiar buildings.
The airport road was left behind as she entered the town, with its beautiful sculptures of horses pawing the air, surrounded by a lovely waterfall.
The park was to the right and there were signs of people jogging and nannies or parents pushing strollers.
The McNabs owned the entire town or had interests in almost everything. She recalled also commenting on that fact and telling Bryson that it was almost feudal.
"It's like you're the king of all you survey, sitting up on that incline at the ranch and taking in the surrounding buildings and its environs. It must make you feel like you're above everyone else," she had remarked. To her surprise, he had taken offense to that analogy and told her so.
Despite his wealth, he was the most down-to-earth person she had ever known. He worked hard, maybe harder than his men, and did not look down on people. She had been out with him more times than she could count and he always treated servers with courtesy.
His mother was a different breed altogether, she mused, her mouth tightening. The woman behaved as if she was queen of the world.
Touching the turn signal, she made her way toward the group of cottages and looked for the one she had rented. Brian had made these arrangements as well, and she had deliberately asked for one that was isolated.
The place was charming, but she knew firsthand that the brochures that had been made available online would never do it justice.
Bluebells, daisies, daffodils, and tulips were on full display at the base of the steps.
Tall, towering oak and redwood trees waved their limbs gracefully in the cooling breeze.
Parking in front of the porch with its simple lawn chairs, she stepped out and inhaled the clean air.
She had often wondered about the fact that she could voluntarily draw a cleansing breath and how different it was from where she was from. The solitude, the serenity was something else that had often impressed her.
Going to the back door of the vehicle, she took out her case and jacket and climbed up the steps. First things first: a cup of tea to settle her stomach and then a bath, in that order.
She would give herself the night to come up with the right way to break the news to Bryson before giving him a call and asking for a meeting.
Dropping her case in the tiny foyer, she went straight to the kitchen to put the kettle on.
"Have you heard?" his mother demanded as soon as he stepped into the living room and shed his sodden jacket. His bones ached. Today had been a particularly trying day, after a sleepless night. Two horses had foaled in the early hours of the morning and some of the cattle had gone wandering.
The ranch was a multibillion-dollar business, one that kept him constantly on his toes. He had taken the place into the twenty-first century by including modern equipment to aid with most of the duties, but there were still things that were done the old-fashioned way.
He had simply stopped by to change his muddy clothing after dealing with a busted feeding trough, to head back out again.
"Heard what?" Not even bothering to slow his stride, he headed for the stairs with his mother on his heels.
"She's back."
That stopped him cold. He had no need to ask for clarification; he knew exactly who she was referring to.
Turning to face her, he was careful to keep his expression neutral. "How do you know that?"
Barbara McNab straightened her thin shoulders and lifted her chin, her emerald-green eyes cold. "The grapevine is alive and well in this community, as you well know. She arrived on the afternoon flight and is staying at the Rose Cottage."
Emotions raced through him like a flood, warning him that he was not over her. He had known that even without the evidence. He had been kidding himself that he had moved on when it was far from the truth.
"Does the grapevine have any idea why she's back?" he asked tightly.
"We both know why she's here." Barbara wrapped the thin shawl around her shoulders and sniffed.
"She has come to try and win you back. It will not matter to her that you're involved with a wonderful woman.
" Her gaze sharpened and she looked around before stepping closer.
She was well aware that the servants gossiped, but she was never one to give them added things to talk about.
Her son and that woman had done plenty of it. "You'd do well to remember that."
His mouth tightened and his spine stiffened.
Turning on his heel, he strode up the stairs and went to his suite.
Slamming the double oak doors shut behind him, he stepped from the tan and cream living room into his bedroom.
Dragging off his clothes, he balled them up and tossed them into one corner of the vast room.
He had left his boots in the mudroom. Sitting on the edge of the wide sofa facing the bed, he peeled off his sodden socks and just sat there staring. What the hell was she doing here?
It couldn't be to take things up with him again. She had made it plain that it was over.
The last harsh words they had said to each other came crashing back.
"You never intended to stay. Damn you, Julianne, I thought you were committed."
She had stared at him balefully as she threw her stuff into her suitcase as if she could not wait to leave.
"Your mother hates me. She makes it plain every day that I do not belong here. And what's your response every goddamned time? 'She's not that bad.' Well, she's worse and I don't need to take crap from anyone."