Stormy Passion (52 page)

I'm sorry, sweetheart. I've always loved
you, but sometimes when we screw up our lives we must pay for it.
Please see that Lisa has a decent life and keep my secret. The
child should never be made to suffer.

Love, Mark

My God, what a can of worms, Taylor thought.
Here were two people he loved and thought he knew and each had a
dark secret. In a way his mother had kept her promise, but he
sensed a deep-seated hate, which his mother had taken out on
Brenna. How ironic. Brenna had been the innocent one in this whole
mess, yet she had paid dearly. He could well imagine the pain that
shot through Brenna when she found out her mother had slept with
his father. Or did she know? How the town gossips would have liked
this juicy tidbit.

Taylor leaned his head back on his chair.
After a long while, he smiled. Maybe he should write a book about
this and call it
Deception
. It was almost unbelievable. He'd
thought he'd had a normal childhood. What a laugh. There definitely
had been skeletons in his closet. He chuckled again. Now he had the
answer he'd been looking for and some he wasn't looking for. Lisa
was his half-sister. There had always been something between them.
From the very first he'd treated Lisa like a sister. His sister. He
liked that thought. No wonder they always got along so well.

His eyes returned to the agreement. It was
all so clear. Brenna could not contact him in any way without
forfeiting the money, and he was sure his mother had threatened
Brenna with more scandal if she talked. He shut his eyes picturing
his proud fiancée being browbeaten by his mother.

Now he understood.

The only question remaining was ... did
Brenna still love him? Was it too late, or could they put
everything behind them?

That was something he was getting ready to
find out as soon as he packed his bags.

Chapter
Fourteen

Early morning sunlight burst through the open
drapes straight onto Brenna's puffy eyelids. She squinted, wishing
she'd pulled the drapes closed the night before. It had been
another night of crying over Taylor. Why couldn't she accept the
fact that she had loved and lost--twice?

No, not her. She couldn't have learned her
lesson the first time, she had to try it again--and worse--with the
same person.

She rubbed her eyes gently, wincing at the
pain. Surely she had drained all the water from her body and
couldn't possibly cry anymore, nor did she want to. Any little
thing set her off. And Geraldine's pitying looks were killing
Brenna. She knew she was pathetic. But she was trying. Even Lisa
had begun an all out effort to cheer her up.

Throwing back the covers, Brenna slid from
bed and hobbled to the bathroom. The cold wooden floor beneath her
feet reminded her how her heart felt . . . cold and empty. It was
time to get on with her life and forget about what she couldn't
have. She was going to date someone this weekend even if it were
Joe the mechanic.

“
But, why had Taylor
called?” Her scratchy voice sounded loud in the uninhabited room.
She shook her head, disgusted with herself for even caring why he'd
phoned. She would have had the answer to that question if she
hadn't lost her temper and hung up on him. But then again, maybe it
was for the best. If only she could forget.

She sat on the commode in her bathroom,
wrapping her cast in plastic and securing it with rubber bands.
Then she reached over and turned on the shower. Taylor had probably
called to apologize and say he'd made a mistake by staying at
Sleepy Hollow in the first place. Her eyes narrowed as she let her
robe fall to the floor. “Damn man!” Stepping into the shower, she
closed the door and warned herself, “Quit thinking of him!”

The steam quickly seeped into her nose. Gosh,
the hot water felt good beating over her head and hopefully
pounding her unwanted thoughts from her brain. She picked up a pink
washcloth and ran the soap vigorously back and forth venting her
frustration.

She didn't want to hear Taylor's apologies or
that he had decided to play it safe and marry Carol. Brenna knew
she lacked the social graces to run in Taylor's circle of friends,
but--but somehow she thought they had had something
more--especially this last time. From the minute she'd first seen
him, she'd been dazzled by his rugged good-looks. Now she saw his
flaws, and she didn't like it.

Tears swelled up in her eyes. “No,” she said,
as she turned off the water. “I won't cry anymore!”

“
And I won't think of him.
It's over!”

By the time she had dressed, Brenna began to
have a better outlook on things. After all, today she would become
a normal human being again with two good feet. She couldn't wait to
get this cast off.

“
You outdid yourself on
these blueberry pancakes,” Brenna said as she took the last bite,
mopping up the remaining maple syrup.

“
It's a special day.”
Geraldine turned around and finished drying the bowl in her
hand.

“
That's right. This
afternoon I won't have to hobble anymore.”

Geraldine's brow raised a fraction before she
reached for another dish. “You've forgotten.”

Brenna stared at her friend not understanding
what she meant. “Of course not--how could I--you're going to take
me to the doctors this morning. Aren't you?”

“
Lands sake, child.”
Geraldine rolled her eyes. “I can't believe ya've done and
forgot.”

“
Forgot what?”

“
Your birthday.”

“
My birthday,” Brenna
repeated the words as if she'd never heard them before. “I guess I
have. You know I've never forgotten my birthday before. I must be
getting old and senile.” She slid off the bar stool and took her
plate to the sink. Then she walked over to look at the calendar.
“Gee, March first. Maybe that's why I feel kinda of funny
today.”

“
Watcha mean?”

“
I--I don't know, really.”
Brenna rinsed her hands and dried them. “Silly as it may sound, I
just feel like something special is going to happen.”

“
Something is goin' to
happen. Ya goin' to get ya cast off, and I'm goin' to bake ya a
birthday cake.”

Brenna smiled. She knew that's not what she
meant, but thank goodness, she still had good old Geraldine to
stand by her.

Geraldine put away the last dish and untied
her apron. “Let's get ya to the doc's, so ya can burn those
things.” She pointed to the crutches.

“
Amen!”

When they drove through town, Brenna noticed
the new bank had been completed on the outside, but there still
wasn't any sign on the door to tell her its name.

“
Geraldine, have you heard
which bank's coming to town?”

“
Nope. Seems to be a dang
secret.” Geraldine turned into the hospital's parking lot. “Can't
imagine why. I heard tell the town council is plannin' a big to
do.”

“
Well, I hope it's anybody
other than who I bank with now. And someone with lower interest
rates,” Brenna commented as she got out of the jeep and started for
the admittance office. The last time she had arrived at the
hospital Taylor had rushed over to help her. Now it was get there
the best way she could, but she wouldn't be helpless much longer.
She gave a satisfying smile. Soon. Very soon, she'd be back to her
independent self.

Brenna didn't have to wait long before she
was summoned to the doctor's office. She left Geraldine reading a
magazine in the waiting room as Brenna hobbled her last time down
the shiny white and brown, tiled floors.

“
Are you sure you're ready
to get this cast off?” Dr. Mac teased as she entered his examining
room.

“
If you don't take this
thing off today,” she fired back as she pointed to the lump of
plaster, “I assure you, I will.”

Dr. Mac chuckled. “Well, I guess you've been
patient enough.”

When the cast was removed, with an instrument
that sounded much like a chain saw, Brenna stared down at her
chalky white foot. “Oooo dead skin.” The horrible thing at the end
of her leg looked dead. She definitely needed to put some cream on
her foot and cut her toenails.

Dr. Mac wheeled Brenna down the hall to have
her foot X-rayed, and then escorted her to the back part of the
building where physical therapy was located. “I want you to spend a
couple of hours with the therapist to learn what you need to do at
home. It appears you have healed nicely, but please give it a
little while before you start skiing again.”

“
Thanks, Doc.” Brenna
squeezed his hand affectionately. “I don't believe I want to ski
any more this year, thank you.”

“
But you will again,” he
predicted. “Just be careful.” He turned to leave, but asked over
his shoulder. “By the way, where's your friend?”

“
Taylor went back home,”
she managed to say matter-of-factly.

“
I hope he comes back.
Seemed like a real nice fellow.”

Brenna gave him a weak smile. She knew Taylor
would never come back. But she couldn't say the words.

“
I've wasted your day at
the hospital,” Brenna told Geraldine as she hung her coat on the
peg. “I never imagined it would take so long.”

“
Don't fret, child. Doctor
Mac told me ya would be awhile, so I came home and baked ya a
cake,” Geraldine said very cheerfully, leaving Brenna to wonder
about her strange mood. Even Geraldine had been somber
lately.

“
By the way, Lisa called
and said she's goin' over to Joyce's after school. Now run along
and check on the fire. I believe it needs more wood.” Geraldine
reached across the table and placed the cake in front of her. “I'm
goin' to make this here cake real pretty for ya.”

She watched as Brenna moved slowly across the
room. “How's ya foot?”

“
It feels strange and a
little weak. I just need to take it slow at first.” Brenna went to
the living room wondering again at Geraldine's almost odd behavior.
She was grinning like a possum . . . like she had a secret. Brenna
reached into the black metal box beside the hearth for some
kindling and tossed it into the fire, then she took some fresh oak
wood to pile on the hot coals.

She poked at the fire and waited while the
flames danced and popping around the logs until it finally caught
fire. Fires were so cozy. She and Taylor had spent some good times
in front of this fireplace.

Suddenly, she had the strangest feeling she
wasn't alone. That someone was staring at her. Turning to see if
her imagination had gotten carried away, she gasped.

She wasn't alone.

Taylor stood casually in the doorway propped
against the frame. His beige cashmere coat lay cross the back of
the chair. Dressed in a three-piece, charcoal suit that had a thin
red pin stripe running through it, he appeared to have just stepped
out of GQ Magazine.

Brenna realized she wasn't breathing so she
gulped a breath of air and slowly stood. She reached and grabbed
the back of her rocking chair for support. Her heart raced at a
maddening pace while she wondered if she had wanted to see Taylor
so badly that she merely imagined him. He couldn't really be
standing over there.

But those vivid blue eyes told her he was
definitely here.

But why?

Had he come back to tell her he loved her and
he couldn't live without her? No. That couldn't possibly be it
because he would have told her that on the phone. So maybe, he
stopped by to tell her he'd married Carol. But then she had hung up
on him before he had a chance to tell her anything. Brenna's eyes
flew to his hand, but it was hidden behind his back.

“
I see you're confused as
to why I'm here.”

Taylor's voice sounded cold, though not
harsh, and Brenna couldn't find her voice at all. She wanted to
tell him to go to hell for not calling her right away, yet she
wanted to run to him and beg him not to leave.

Had she completely lost her mind?

A slow lazy smile slid across his face. “You
didn't think I'd miss your birthday, did you?”

Her eyes grew wide. “Y--You remembered?”

“
Of course I did. But
that's not the only reason I came back. I came back for an answer .
. . the answer only you can give me.” Taylor stood up straight, and
Brenna could see he had grown very serious. “And I'm not leaving
without the truth.” He enunciated each word carefully so she'd
understand. “Why did you leave me?”

“
What about
Carol?”

“
This is between you and
me.”

Brenna clenched her teeth against all the
half-truths they had told each other. This time she would demand
some answers of her own. “We have discussed this before. I--I can't
tell you.”

A tense moment of silence surrounded them,
before Taylor said, “Yes, we did. But I want an answer this time.
Is it because you didn't love me?”

“
No.” She shook her head
and pleaded with her eyes for him to understand. “You've got it all
wrong. I've always loved you --I loved you so much . . .” her voice
broke, and she had to wait a minute before she could continue. “I
couldn't hurt you and turn your life into the shambles mine had
become.”

Her words seemed to have no effect on him.
His expression was unchanged as he reached into his coat pocket and
pulled out a document. Holding it by the corner, he let it fall
open.

“
The contract!” Brenna
gasped and grabbed her mouth before she could stop herself.
Immediately, she recognized the paper she'd so foolishly signed
three years ago. His mother must have been desperate to give that
document to him. How he must hate her? At the moment, none of this
made any sense. She lowered her hand. “But how did you get
that?”