Another Man's Treasure (2 page)

Jogging usually brought clarity, but, by the time Miranda finished a good 6 mile run to Joshua’s Pond and back, she was still unsure about her decision to come back. She started to do some stretching to cool down when a black SUV went racing by, spraying her with dirt and dust.

“What the hell, asshole! Slow the fuck down!” Miranda shouted after the SUV, throwing her hands up in the air.  Catching a quick glance at the tags, she noticed they were from Virginia with JD01 on them. “I see you again, JD01, and I will give you a damn driving lesson you won’t soon forget!”

Miranda walked up the driveway, still stretching, then stopped at the front porch of the little yellow house and turned to look back at the road.

JD01?
No, it can’t be, that was ages ago…he can’t still be here. Or can he?

“Ghosts…time to deal with the ghosts. But a hot bath first,” Miranda smiled to herself.  Taking off her running shoes at the door, Miranda walked upstairs and began to draw the water.  Putting in some scented bath
salts; Miranda undressed and dropped her running clothes on the floor, tied her long hair up in a makeshift bun, and settled into the claw-foot bathtub for a nice long soak. The hot water surrounded her body like a hug from an old friend, warm and inviting.  The lavender scent filled the room and Miranda began to relax under its spell.  As she closed her eyes, her muscles let go and she drifted off into a light slumber.  Not quite asleep and not quite meditating, her mind wandered into the past.

Like any other day, Jude ran out the front door, jumped into his SUV and drove down Delaney Road past Joshua’s Pond at warp speed.  Not that he was late for work.  Jude was never late -
slow
just wasn’t an option.

Jude looked in the rearview mirror at the old farmhouse. He loved that old house where Grandpa Joe lived, where he was raised and eventually where Jude was raised. The town named the road after Grandpa Joe because at one time he owned most of the land surrounding it. He sold off parcels of land to local folks who wanted to build homes and start families. He loved family above all else, especially his grandson, Jude. Before he died, he gave Jude the deed to the farmhouse. His Grandpa’s words stayed with Jude all these years. “Jude, don’t ever sell this parcel of land.  Keep it in the Delaney family.”

True to his word, Jude kept the farmhouse, moved in right after college and made the necessary repairs.  The house was pretty big for a single guy, but if it was important to Grandpa, then it was important to him.  After all, Grandpa Joe had raised him since he was 12 and he owed his life to him. Memories of Grandpa Joe always brought a smile to Jude’s face. Lost in thought, Jude flew past the Jones’ house at a rate of speed that would have brought a hefty fine if he had been caught.

Who the fuck is that?
  Looking over his sunglasses in the rearview mirror, he saw a redhead amidst a cloud of dust and dirt yelling obscenities and flailing her arms.

“Hmmm, Jude old boy, make a mental note to find out
that that creature is and what she is doing in Willow.”

One thing Jude was sure of, she was a beauty.
There was something familiar about her
that was nagging at him.
That long red hair and curvy body made his gut, among other things, twitch just a bit. Until just a couple of days ago, that house had remained empty for about 6 months…hmmmm.

Arriving to work 15 minutes early was a normal day for Jude.

Parking in his designated spot, he jumped out of the SUV, clicked the remote and with a quick beep confirmed the doors were locked.  He confidently strode through the front door of the National Investment Firm in his finely tailored grey suit, with his briefcase in hand.  He nodded quickly to the security guard.

“Good morning, Tommy,” he said as he walked to the elevator and pushed the up button.

“Good morning, Mr. Delaney,” said Tommy with a smile.  The doors opened and Jude walked into the empty elevator and pushed 5. 

Not the top floor offices, but damn close, Jude smiled to himself.  As the youngest VP at the firm, Jude was quite proud of his accomplishment.  Four years of investment finance at a local college really paid off.  He landed a job at this firm soon after graduation, worked his te lway up the corporate ladder and now had a nice corner office with two secretaries. Life was good.  There were parts of his past that would forever haunt him, but Jude was determined to leave the ghosts behind. 

The elevator doors opened and like every other morning, he faced double glass doors with gold lettering.
Jude J. Delaney, Vice President
. Jude pushed open the door and was greeted by both secretaries.

“Good morning
, Mr. Delaney,” they chimed. Flashing one of his dazzling smiles, he returned their greeting.

“Good morning, Sarah, Janice. What’s on the agenda today?”  Sarah handed him several folders and Janice gave him a handful of phone messages with a shy smile. 

Six foot tall with short dark hair, eyes the color of sea foam and a lean muscular body, Jude always had a plethora of women of all ages coming on to him. He always took pride in his looks, but remained humble about them.  He took more pride in the fact that he was intelligent, hardworking and a fun guy to be around.  During the day at work, he always thought he resembled Clark Kent with the dark glasses he wore while doing computer work.  Behind those dark, piercing eyes and his three piece suit, there was no big “S” on his chest…possibly a “K”. Jude chuckled to himself.  
If his co-workers only knew about his dark side…
He laughed out loud and grinned.   Not that Jude was any kind of Dom, but he was possessive and enjoyed a little controlled kinkiness. He knew what he liked and wasn’t afraid to go for it.

Jude walked into his office, shut the door and put his briefcase on his desk. Taking his glasses from the briefcase, he sat behind his desk and fired up the computer. He buzzed the intercom.
Janice, hold my calls please. Sarah, find me any information on the Jones’ property on Delaney Road.”

“Yes, Mr. Delaney, holding calls and Sarah is on her way to the records department as we speak,” replied Janice. 

First things first, he thought as he brought up the corporate software and began to work on daily transfers, wires and investments for the corporate office. Then he would investigate whatever had his stomach tied in a knot since he saw the redhead on his way to work. Soon he would confirm his suspicions as the corner of his mouth curved into a devious smile.  Just then, Sarah knocked on the door and walked in with the files he requested.

“Your files, Mr. Delaney,” she said with a curious look on her face.

“Thank you, Sarah,” said Jude, losing his smile and once again, the corporate Mr. Delaney appeared.  As Sarah left the office, Jude noticed her tight skirt and what filled it out.  He discarded the notion immediately. He never dated anyone he worked with or who worked for him, but an occasional glance was harmless enough. 

Now, if possible, he would find out the skinny on the house and the redhead.  Opening the folder, Jude began to rifle through several documents until he came upon one of particular interest.
Well, I’ll be damned, looky who we have here
.
< Soont>

“Back in town are we, Miranda?”

Jude’s raised eyebrow lowered as a slight grin appeared on his lips.  Now this could be very interesting, he thought.  Drumming his fingers on the desk, Jude contemplated what to do next. 
Oh, he knew exactly what he was going to do. 

Grabbing all the documents, he placed them in his briefcase.  His mind wandered back to his childhood with Grandpa Joe…and the first time he ever saw Miranda.

Awakened by the sound of sirens, Miranda bolted upright and jumped out of bed. Standing, frozen for a split second, she tried to regain her bearings and figure out what was happening.  The flashing lights were so close and blinding, she was confused and unaware of her surroundings.  Finally, she gained some composure. She grabbed her robe and threw open her bedroom door.  Flying down the hall and putting on the robe at the same time, she tripped and stumbled down the staircase, damn near breaking her neck.

She ran through the living room to the kitchen and out the front door, not caring that she hadn’t bothered with shoes. The gravel driveway tore into her feet as she ran toward the main road.

“Mom, Dad…where are you?”

She stopped halfway down the driveway, fell to her knees and in a complete panic, began to scream…a scream that was so terrifying that all the people around her stopped what they were doing to stare at her. 

“Mommmmy…Dadddddy, please…where are you?  Please don’t leave meeeeeeee!”  

Suddenly Miranda felt herself being pulled to her feet and held so tightly that she could no longer scream. 

“Mandy, sweetheart, I’m here. I’m right here honey. Shhhh, calm down Mandy, you’re gonna be all right.” Through all the panic and commotion, a voice of calmness and reason got through to her. It was David.  David, her older brother by 10 years, was holding her and stroking her hair.  “It’s ok Mandy, I’m right here. It’s Davey.”

Miranda’s eyes cleared and began to focus and she realized her big brother had her safe….again. 

“Oh, Davey,” she wailed as she lowered her head to his shoulder and once again cried her heart out. “Where are Mom and Dad? Where are they, Davey?”

“They’re gone honey, I’m here, just you and me sweetie…don’t worry Mandy, I will take care of you,” David whispered to his distraught sister.  “I won’t let anyone hurt you, Sis…not again.”  David’s voice was soft and soothing as he picked his sister up in his arms and carried her back to the house. 

So many nights, the same thing, the routine of it all…the night terrors that haunted his little 15 year old sister after the death of their pas arents.  David began to pray to God that he could keep his promise and keep his little sister safe.  Miranda leaned over and laid her head on David’s shoulder and had an overwhelming feeling of suffocation.
 
I can’t breathe
!

***********

Miranda jumped and flailed her limbs wildly, water splashing all over the bathroom.  Scrambling to get out of the tub, coughing and choking, Miranda regained her breathing, although deep and labored.