The Dark Side of the Rainbow (31 page)

Olivia
, he thought with longing. Why hadn’t she at least answered the phone to let him know she was ill?

His concern grew because he knew tomorrow would be the day he would tell her who she really was. When he did, she would be dazed and confused, but she would embrace him, and the love she held in her heart would guide her toward accepting the truth. Landon’s hopeful thinking helped to push aside the doubt that niggled at him from the back of his mind.

* * *

B
rooke hadn’t lied to Gaston: she was in agony. Her heart felt like it had been literally ripped in two. She had paced the living room floor most of the night trying to convince herself that she was worthy of Landon’s love, that she wasn’t the person those files portrayed her to be. Unable to reconcile the person that she was, she had convinced herself that she needed to leave Patagonia forever. At every turn the thought of leaving Landon crushed her spirit into a million pieces. How would she live without him?

The files were gone, destroyed forever. He never needed to know. She would forget that she once had a life before him, and work with him to build the one he had promised. Brooke would shower him with all of her love and affection; she was already completely devoted to him.

She would know. The truth of her treachery would stand between them like a wedge. How long would she be able to live with herself, knowing what she had set out to do to him? Brooke could tell Landon everything. He would forgive her as he had forgiven Javier. His love for her was true, but was it strong enough? Brooke thought about Olivia Nelson. If Landon loved Jacob’s sister, then how fully did he really love her? How true could his love for her be if his affections were divided?

Brooke didn’t remember collapsing onto her bed in a state of exhaustion. She only remembered the last thought running through her mind: Landon would be home tomorrow and she would ask him about Olivia. If he admitted to loving her after all of these years, she would leave. If he convinced Brooke that he only loved her, she would stay, and find a way to build up the courage to tell him about her plot to ruin his life.

* * *

T
he Legacy 650 landed at the airport at ten-thirty Saturday morning. Camilla had made arrangements for a driver to meet Landon at the tarmac. When he opened the door to the black town car, his heart lodged itself in his throat at the site of his sister. “Natasha, what’s happened?” he asked with fear in his voice.

“Everyone’s fine, Landon. I needed to talk to you before you made it to the Grand Vue.”

“You could have warned me instead of being this close,” he raised his hand holding his thumb and forefinger a quarter of an inch apart, “to being the death of me.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry, but this is very serious and I couldn’t wait a moment longer to talk to you.”

The tone in her voice cooled his agitation. “What’s the matter, Natasha?”

“I don’t know how to tell you this, but Brooke Johnson is not who she says she is.”

Landon’s heart began to race, but he didn’t say anything.

“When Gaston called me from
The Absolution
and told me about Brooke, and how he thought you might be falling for her, I was happy and excited. I thought perhaps you had finally turned a corner. I couldn’t help myself and did some research on her. There wasn’t much to find except for a few images and a number of her photographs. I remember thinking how beautiful she was.

“I also couldn’t help but recall what you told me about Olivia Nelson, how much you had loved her. The same day I tried to find pictures of her but could only find a few year book photos.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a white piece of drawing paper. “Isabella must have seen the image of her on my laptop. That same afternoon she drew this.”

Landon looked at his niece’s drawing of
The Absolution
; he couldn’t miss the fiery red hair of the woman standing next to him. He looked at Natasha, continuing to say nothing.

“I asked her who she was; Isabella told me she was the woman Uncle Landon loves. From the moment I met Brooke, I feel like I have been missing something. It wasn’t until the morning you left for Chile that I realized what it was. Brooke has the most brilliant green eyes I have ever seen. I really noticed them a few days before, when we were having lunch. It dawned on me that the Brooke Johnson I saw online had dark brown eyes, almost black.

“For days, I tried to figure out why I was bothered by the difference in her eye color and why she would change it. I also couldn’t put away the feeling that I had seen those eyes somewhere. Late yesterday afternoon, it hit me; they were Olivia Nelson’s eyes.

“She came here to deceive you. I can’t help but wonder if she really has lost her memory or if this is all part of the reason she came here under false pretenses. I’m so sorry, Landon, to have to tell you this. I know how much you love Brooke—Olivia—but I can’t afford to let anything happen to you.”

Prepared to comfort her brother, Natasha’s mouth fell open when she heard him say, “I know Brooke is Olivia. She really has lost her memory.”

“I ... uh . . . what do you mean you know?” she asked, flabbergasted.

“Who have you told about this? Does Gaston know?”

“No, I wouldn’t say anything to him without telling you first.” Her statement was made with a touch of agitation. Was she perturbed because he questioned her, or because he had known all this time who Olivia was and had dared to play with fire? Landon believed it was the latter.

“Nearly eight months ago, I hired a private investigator to follow up on Olivia. He tailed her for six months, almost to the day she boarded her flight in Portland. Shortly after I hired him, he followed her to a forger’s office in Chicago where she obtained Brooke Johnson’s passport. She came to Patagonia for revenge.”

A spark of anger flashed across Natasha’s face, but she held her tongue.

“I had every intention of avoiding her, but I was weak. The moment I saw her at the airport, I knew it would be hopeless.”

“The brochures,” Natasha interjected. “I wondered why you were retaking photos for a new brochure that had only been updated a short while ago. You were using it as an excuse to get close to her.”

Landon nodded. “I tried to convince myself that I was following Sun Tzu’s
Art of War
principle of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. Being around her made me realize how much I loved her, how much I had always loved her. She was doing a good job of acting, but I knew she was having a hard time being around me. I was selfish in return and used her too. I wanted to have a few days with her, possibly weeks, to carve out a few pretend memories of her before she left me forever.

“The day we went to Villa La Angostura, I realized I was in way over my head. I called Camilla and had her arrange for a driver to meet me at the next stop the following day. I was prepared to walk away from her, no longer willing to play her game. Throughout the day, I could tell something was different with her. I think she was experiencing doubt about her plans. After we returned to the ship, Olivia invited me to her room for dinner. ‘One last time,’ I had told myself.

“While we ate, I began to feel hope. For the first time in what seemed like forever, I felt hope. She asked me to dance with her. I succumbed and took from Olivia, kissing her. I had to know how it felt.”

“Was it worth it?” Natasha asked. The query wasn’t made with disdain, but with sadness for her brother who loved and forgave so freely.

Landon nodded his head. “I knew Olivia enjoyed it too. No one is that good of an actor. Afraid of what was happening and what I had done, I abruptly left her room. That night, neither of us could sleep. When I heard her leaving her room, I became worried and followed her onto the deck. I believe she was at war with herself—wrestling with herself over the plans to ruin me and what she had begun to feel. The only words she spoke on the deck were to ask me why I had named my ship
The Absolution
. When I told her, she became visibly upset. She pushed herself away from the rail and ran.”

Running his hand through his hair, Landon sighed, looking visibly haggard, as if remembering the moment Olivia fell took too much out of him.

“When I realized she had lost her memory, I was determined to make her fall in love with me—to make Brooke Johnson fall in love with me. If over time she remembered who she really was, Olivia would be too in love to leave me. If she never remembered, even better.”

“Your conscience got the better of you,” Natasha suggested. “She told me how you had encouraged her to not be afraid of remembering.”

“I didn’t want to create another reason to be forgiven by not helping her remember. I made the decision to tell her who she really was when we returned from Chile. I promised her I would come see her right away.”

Landon looked away from his sister. “I don’t know what I will do without her.”

Natasha squeezed her brother’s hand, half in pain and half in worry.

As if he sensed where her thoughts had taken her—how could they not?—he looked back at her. “Seeing Javier’s wife and children at the funeral made me realize how right you were for calling me a coward when I tried to kill myself. Have I told you lately how thankful I am you forgot your phone that night . . . and for saving me?”

“Many times. You’ve told me enough,” she responded with sadness in her eyes.

“I gave you my word, Natasha, and I keep my promises. If Olivia leaves me and is unable to find it in her heart to ever forgive me for what I did to her brother, I will never be the same here,” he said holding his hand to his chest. “But I will not take my life, even when it has been shattered once more. I’ll be here for as long as God is willing.”

* * *

W
hen Olivia opened the door of her hotel room to Landon, the sight of her took his breath away. He moved inside the door frame, quickly taking her into his arms, trying not to overwhelm her. It felt like an eternity since he had last touched her. She met his ardor with passionate grace. When he felt the wetness of her tears, he remembered she had been ill.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I forgot you were not feeling well. Are you all right?”

Gazing into his warm gentle eyes, she nodded, unable to find any words.

Landon closed the door, never taking his eyes off of her. “I didn’t keep my promise.” There was a flicker of concern in her eyes that worried him. “I stopped at my room first, rather than come straight here. I needed to pick up some things before seeing you.”

The relief that replaced the concern failed to put him at ease.

“How was Celia? Did she accept your offer to relocate her and the children?” she asked.

Of course she would want to know about Celia and her well-being. “She did accept my offer and she was doing as well as could be expected when I left Punta Arenas. Will you come sit with me?”

Olivia followed him to the sofa. They sat facing each other. Landon kissed her tenderly on the lips. “I love you more than I have ever loved anyone.”

Looking down at her hands, his words gave her the courage to ask him, “Do you remember when we were at the beach in Chile?”

Fighting his growing concern, he replied, “How could I forget?”

“Do you realize you called me Olivia?” The stunned look in his eyes caused her courage to plummet. “It didn’t dawn on me that you had called me by her name until that night when I was trying to sleep. I remembered that she is Jacob Nelson’s sister. Were you in love with her?”

Landon swallowed hard before nodding his head.

How her heart ached. “Do you still love her?”

Leaning back, into the couch he looked away from her. “Let me tell you about Olivia Nelson.” Landon told her about the first time he discovered how wonderful she was, the day she had saved Shannon Able from mean girl Peters. He told her about the daily encounters with her at the Espresso Room and the hours they had spent talking that long ago summer, and about how sweet and kind she was. He shared with her how angry he had been about Jacob’s words when Landon had asked him for his permission to ask Olivia to the movies. He told her how those were the very words which had provoked him to anger, leading up to the tragic race.

“In one careless moment, not only had I destroyed many lives, I also lost the chance to be loved by Olivia. I’ve never stopped reeling from the pain of both tragedies.”

Brooke stood from the couch. Walking toward the large picture window, she felt ravaged by his words. She was devastated by the extreme loss she felt. She had her answer. He did love Olivia, but she needed to hear him say it.

“You didn’t answer my question, Landon. Do you still love her?”

“Yes.”

The single word felt like a gunshot wound shattering her whole entire being. The grief she felt caused her shoulders to shake, as she held back the cries which threatened to escape.

Landon moved toward her. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. There is more.”

Brooke looked up at him.

“Before I tell you, I need to give you something.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the compass he had bid for at the auction. “I bought this for you. I’ve been saving it for this moment.” He placed the necklace around her soft neck.

“I don’t know what to say,” she expressed with trembling lips.

His thumb brushed her mouth. “This compass is a symbol of all that matters between us. If one day you find you have lost your way, promise me you’ll at least try and remember how much I love you. Please promise me, baby.”

Bewildered by his words, she gave him her word. “I promise.”

“Good,” he said before gently kissing her. “I know who you are.”

There was fear in her eyes. “What do you mean? I don’t understand,” she asked, dazed and confused.

“I do love Olivia Nelson. I have always loved her and will love her for as long as I live. Look at me,” he demanded when she began to lower her head. Only when she obeyed did he continue. “You are not Brooke Johnson. Your real name is Olivia Nelson.
You
are the only woman I have ever loved.”