“We’re all set to go Miss Yorke. Sorry I can’t take you all the way up this time. Tower says the rain and wind are a bit too strong to take the chopper.”
“It’s no problem at all Billy. At least we can still take the plane.” Hope was getting seated in the chopper now, with Billy making sure her straps were buckled securely. He circled around the chopper, hopped in on his side and strapped himself in.
“It should be a quick fifteen minutes over to the airport Miss. The plane is ready and waiting for you at the terminal.”
Hope nodded her reply at Billy as the chopper started to take flight over the river and then bank to the left towards LaGuardia. These were the perks of being a Yorke. Private helicopters and planes to take her where she needed to go, when she wanted to go. And this weekend, all she wanted was some time to herself. She was looking forward to curling up with a book in front of the fire, drinking wine, sleeping late, going for long walks around the lake, and just forgetting about the last couple weeks.
What a prick Dylan turned out to be. She really didn’t even think she loved Dylan. She knew she wasn’t ever going to marry him. But still, what happened to having a little respect and just breaking things off with someone, instead of cheating on them? They were supposed to be damn grownups after all. The humiliation burned in her gut. Of course, within hours there were endless deliveries of flowers and calls from Dylan asking forgiveness. After one phone call back, calmly telling him to go fuck himself, or better yet, the red head, she threw herself into her work, putting in sixteen hour days to try and numb the pain of her new reality. That was almost two weeks ago, and the long days had caught up to her.
The helicopter had already arrived at LaGuardia and Billy was shutting down the blades so she could exit safely. A shuttle was waiting to drive her over to the private terminal the company jet was at. Upon arrival, she boarded the plane and made herself comfortable in one of the white leather seats.
“Good evening Miss Yorke. How nice to see you.” Sylvia, one of the regular flight attendants on board, seemed to appear from nowhere to meet any of Hope’s needs.
“Hello Sylvia. Nice to see you as well. Do you think you could get me some coffee?”
“Of course. Are you hungry? I can make you anything on the menu if so.”
“Just the coffee for now. Thank you.” Sylvia smiled and made her way to the small galley.
The Captain boarded the plane and greeted Hope with a warm smile. “All pre-checks are done Miss and we can leave as soon as the tower gives us clearance.”
“Wonderful Glenn, thank you.” Sylvia walked back and handed Hope a mug of freshly brewed coffee, of course prepared exactly to her liking.
“There’s a pretty good storm going on from Montpelier and up through Canada, so things may get a little bumpy at the tail end of our flight.”
“Oh yes, Billy said the winds were too rough for the helicopter. Any reason to be concerned or delay my flight?”
“We’ll get you there no problem Miss. Your father would have my head in a noose if I did anything to harm his most precious asset.” Glenn gave her a wink and headed to the cockpit.
Fifteen minutes later they were in the air and leaving the island of Manhattan behind. Hope felt lighter and lighter as the distance between her and the city grew. She loved going up to the lake house. It was her sanctuary. The house had been built on Lake Champlain by her grandfather over seventy years ago. It wasn’t an extravagant house in any way. It was the complete opposite of what her home and life were like in the city. It was rustic and wood and stone and everything a house on a country lake should be.
The first floor was one big open space that contained the kitchen, dining and living room. The entire back side of the living room wall was made up of windows that overlooked a huge deck and of course, the beautiful lake. There was a stone fireplace that made up one side wall in the living room, and was surrounded by big, comfy sofas. The sofas were strewn with throw pillows and lap blankets made of the softest fabric. Hope could sit on those couches for hours just staring out at the lake, watching the world swim by.
The upstairs had four bedrooms, one on each corner of the house, with a bathroom on each side, between each room. The beds were still covered with quilts that were handmade by her grandmother. Soft, thick rugs were on the wooden floors of each room, helping to keep toes warm on cold winter nights. The master bedroom faced the lake and had another stone fireplace along the wall.
The only rooms in the house to be updated had been the bathrooms. Until Hope was around three, only cold water ran through the house, and the plumbing was limited. Hope’s father had made it a priority to update the plumbing and bathroom fixtures, more for his comfort than anyone else’s. Her mother had grown up at the lake house, so it had never bothered her. Her father did stay true to the style of the house and purchased beautiful claw foot bath tubs and antique vanities for each of the rooms. The first time her mother took a hot bubble bath in one of the huge tubs, she decided that perhaps this time her husband had been right.
The shaking of the plane jarred Hope out of the slumber she had fallen into. Sitting upright, she pulled her seatbelt tighter and figured they must be hitting the edge of the storm. Lifting the shade on her window, she could only see splatters of rain hitting the glass blackened by the night sky.
“Captain Glenn said we’ll be landing in about twenty minutes, but it will be a rough few minutes. Can I get you anything before I buckle in?” Sylvia had magically appeared again.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you.” Sylvia swayed back and forth from the turbulence as she made her way back to the front of the plane to secure herself for the rest of the flight.
Hope wasn’t afraid of flying, but wasn’t particularly fond of being on a plane bouncing through the air at thirty thousand feet. She clutched onto the arm rests of the chair and counted the minutes until she heard the landing gear on the plane descend. A few more drops and vicious sways and the plane finally bounced onto the runway, wing flaps up and brakes squealing. She looked out the window again, and could see the rain pouring down and being blown sideways from the power of the wind. The plane slowly made its way to a private hanger, where it parked, a dry shelter from the storm.
Hope could see her Range Rover parked in the hanger, and thanked her lucky stars that she had driven it up here the last time she had visited. She didn’t think her Mercedes S-Coupe would have handled the weather very well but she had no doubt the Rover could. She unbuckled and gratefully accepted her trench from Sylvia.
“Are you sure you want to be driving to the house in this weather Hope? Maybe it would be better for you to stay in town tonight until the storm passes?” She questioned with nothing but concern.
“I’ll be just fine Sylvia.” Hope smiled warmly at her and patted her on the shoulder. “I have the Range Rover and I know those roads like the back of my hand.”
“Well, alright then. Will we be seeing you again for the ride back, or will you be driving down?”
“I haven’t decided yet, but will make sure to let the team know by Sunday. I won’t be leaving until Monday at the earliest.”
Sylvia handed Hope her computer bag and purse and walked with her to the door. It had been opened and the stairs lowered for her exit.
“Alright Miss, please drive carefully and as always, nothing but the best wishes for you.”
“Thank you Sylvia.” Hope gave her a warm smile and started down the stairs. Glenn was waiting at the bottom to greet her.
“Sorry about the rough landing Hope. Damn winds fought us every step of the way.” He shook his head in frustration.
“Glenn, it was fine. We’re all here in one piece.” Hope started walking towards the Rover.
“Well, the keys are in the truck, and it’s all gassed up for you. Maggie already stocked the house for you, so you should be fine once you get there.”
“Wonderful. I’m not sure about my return plans yet, but I’ll let you and your team know as soon as I
decide.” She opened up the rear door of the truck and placed her computer bag and purse in the seat, taking her cell phone out to keep in the front with her.
“Very good. You just enjoy your time here and we’ll be ready if you need us.”
“Thanks so much Glenn.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and climbed in behind the steering wheel.
“You be careful on those roads Hope.” Glenn shut the door, hit the roof once with his palm and walked away.
Hope started the truck, backed out of the hanger, and headed toward the airport exit. She had the wipers on at full blast as the rain pelted down and the wind whipped leaves and debris up from the road. Under normal circumstances it generally took about thirty minutes to get to the lake house, but given the weather, she knew it might take longer. She hoped that the power hadn’t been knocked out. It was a common occurrence around the lake when the weather turned bad.
She saw the sign for the highway entrance and merged to the right to enter. The highway was dark and wet, without another vehicle in sight. It was only a little after nine o’clock, but people must have been smarter than her, and already be home, dry and warm. The wipers continued to swish quickly back and forth, working hard to keep her view clear. She only had to be on the highway for one exit, but this far North, exits were about ten miles apart from each other. Hope reached down and turned on the radio, getting nothing but static. She hit the cd button and scrolled through until the fourth cd came up. Round Here by the Counting Crows started playing over the speakers and Hope started singing. She loved this cd and hadn’t taken it out of the truck since she purchased it.
Soon enough she reached the exit and pulled off and merged onto Route 2. She was half way to the house now, but this is where the roads got a little trickier. It was a simple two lane road, curvy, and not a street light for miles. She knew the road well though, and continued to sing her heart out as she drove through the storm, feeling safe in the big truck. Another fifteen minutes and she’d be there.
After Tomorrow (Kingsley series Book 2) Page 20
