CHAPTER 40
On Sunday afternoon, Luke came up to the glass door through the terrace of his father’s house. He saw the light on over the kitchen stove—a signal which indicated Irma was in the main house. He rang the bell before coming inside.
Irma opened it. “Mr. Luke, you don’t usually ring.”
“I know, Irma, but things are going to be different now. Not only is this going to continue to be Dad’s house, it’s Heather’s, too. I’m trying to get in the habit of not walking in.”
“I guess she’d want you to ring the bell.” Irma held the door open. “Well, come on in. I was checking everything out one last time.”
“Heather probably wouldn’t say a word if I walked in, but I thought I’d give her the respect of knocking.” He eyed the coffee pot. “Got any made?”
“I have. I knew I’d be working in here today, so I took the liberty of making my lunch in Mr. Alex’s kitchen. You’re not going to tell on me, are you?”
“Nobody would care, but I won’t say a word.” He took the cup of coffee she held out to him and sat on a stool at the counter. “I came by to let you know the Howards were grateful for the bedroom suit. Thanks for suggesting I take it to them.”
She nodded. “Of course it’s your business, Mr. Luke, but Mr. Alex has nice things and any woman should be happy with them.”
Luke chuckled. “True, Irma, but Dad wants Heather to decorate the house in her taste.”
“Well, your mama had good taste.”
“Yes, she did, but like all women she had her own way of decorating. Look at the difference in my house and Dad’s. Mom liked everything country and Brenda wants a more modern look. According to Brenda, Heather’s homes are done old world traditional.”
“Well, I have to admit the bedroom suite your Dad bought is pretty. I made it up like you told me to do.”
“Thanks, Irma. Dad hopes she’ll like it.”
“Didn’t she pick it out?”
“Kind of. They were looking at furniture on the computer. He said she fell in love with it, so when she was out of the room he ordered it for her as a surprise.”
“He’s sure doing a lot for her. Has she bought him anything?”
“She gave him an expensive watch as a wedding present.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. You know how nosy Brenda can be sometimes. She saw the receipt on the counter in Heather’s condo and she couldn’t resist looking at it. She said she almost fell over when she saw it cost over twenty thousand dollars with the tax.”
“Oh, my!”
“It was a Rolex with ten diamond hour markers and at the three o’clock setting you could find the date. Dad has never had a watch that nice. In fact, I’ve heard him say he was going to break down and buy a Rolex one of these days. I guess he must have said as much to Heather.” He finished his coffee and stood.
“Will your father and his new bride be home tonight?” she asked as she followed Luke to the door. She was thinking about the watch. Maybe this woman really did love Mr. Alex.
“Dad called after church. They’re in Wynburg. Got in late last night. He said they’d be in sometime Monday night or Tuesday morning. Heather wants to gather some things at her house to bring up, and I’m sure she wants to spend some time with her son and his family.”
“Do you like her son, Mr. Luke?”
“Yes, I do, Irma. He’s more brainy than I am, but I enjoy talking with him.”
“Does he have a family?”
“Yes. He and his wife, Juanita have a little boy a little younger than Jacob and he’s one of the smartest kids I think I’ve ever seen.”
“Jacob is a smart child.”
“He sure is, but wait until you meet Ben. He’s always explaining the meaning of big words to Jacob. They get along really well and both of them are excited to have a fun set of grandparents.”
“I hope Mrs. Hargrove won’t make a big difference between her grandson and Jacob.”
“She doesn’t. I told you about having to call them on the honeymoon so Heather could talk to Jacob, didn’t I?”
“No.”
He explained about Minnie Cox’s remark to Jacob and how upset the little boy was. “Of course, he was fine after he talked to Heather and she assured him she loved him.”
“I can’t believe Minnie Cox.” Irma smirked. “I bet she was upset when she heard your dad got married.”
“Was she ever.” He laughed.
After Luke left, Irma thought about the things he’d said about the new Mrs. Hargrove as she looked around the house. At least she knew she had another day to make sure everything was in perfect order.
•♥ •
“Grammy, why are you moving away?” Ben looked up from the table at Austin’s. “I don’t want you to go.”
“Honey, come sit by Grammy and we’ll talk.” Heather held out her arms to the little boy.
He scooted into the chair beside her.
“I don’t like leaving you, either, but I’m married to Poppa now and I’m going to live with him in his house.” She hugged the little boy to her. “You know how it is when Grammy goes to the beach and stays a while. I always come back, remember?” He nodded and she said, “Well that’s the way it’s going to be now. I’ll be living with Poppa, but I’ll come back often. You know I can’t go very long without seeing my boy.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, darling, I promise. And your Daddy has already told me he’s bringing you and Mama up to see Grammy and Poppa this coming weekend.”
“And Ben, when you come up, remember to bring your bathing suit, because Poppa has a swimming pool,” Alex said.
“Good.” He turned to look at Alex. “Poppa, will you let me ride Zeke?”
“I’ll let you ride one of the horses. I’m not sure which one.”
“Will Jacob be there?”
“Yes, he will, honey.” Heather held him tight. “Poppa also says we have a big house and a special playroom for you and
Jacob. Will you like that?”
“Yes.”
“Now, promise Grammy you’re not going to worry about her moving to the mountains. I still have my house and Poppa and I will live in it sometimes, too.” His eyes brightened even more.
“Are you sure you want us to come up next weekend?” Tim asked. “Will you have enough time to get settled?”
“Of course not, son, but it doesn’t matter. Alex says there’s plenty of room, and you know I don’t care if you have to climb over boxes.”
“We won’t mind, either,” Juanita said. “And I want to visit before the baby decides to make its appearance.”
“And when our little granddaughter comes, Heather and I’ll be here to take care of Ben.”
“Will you?” Ben looked at Alex and held his arms toward him. “I got to tell you something.”
“Okay.” Alex picked him up.
Ben put his arms around Alex’s neck and whispered in his ear, “I love you, Poppa.”
Alex smiled. “I love you too, Ben. It makes me happy to have another fine grandson.”
They finished their meal and said good night in the parking lot. Tim promised to come over on Monday morning to help pack the car.
On the way back to Wynburg, Alex looked at Heather. She was sitting with her eyes closed. He reached over and took her hand. “What are you thinking about, honey?”
“About how much my life has changed in such a short time. I met you, fell in love, and here I am—married and getting ready to move away. I thought I’d be in Wynburg forever.”
“I know leaving your family is hard for you. I promise we’ll come back often.”
“Did you mean it when you said we’d come down and keep Ben when the baby comes?”
“Of course I did.”
“I knew there was some reason you captured my heart.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Hargrove.” He smiled at her. “That name sounds good on you.”
“Thanks for giving it to me.”
/> “No problem.” He chuckled. “I wonder how many times I’ll be called Mr. Masterson when we go on those book signings of yours.”
“There’s already been a Mr. Masterson and he’s not a nice person. I don’t want anyone confusing the two of you.” She kissed his fingertips. “I’m thinking of using Heather Masterson Hargrove on my books. What do you think?”
“I like the idea.”
“I hoped you would.”
She grew quiet again and Alex said, “Honey, we never know what the future holds, but maybe someday Tim and his family will move to the mountains.”
“Oh, Alex, it’d be wonderful to have both our boys and their families close to us.”
“We can always hope for it, can’t we?”
“Yes, we can.”
They pulled into the driveway of her house. She released the seatbelt and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “If it does come to pass, life would be perfect for me.”
He didn’t say anything, but he intended to talk to Neil as soon as they got to Coverton Mills. If his friend hadn’t started checking on jobs for Tim, he wanted to get him to right away.
CHAPTER 41
It was after five on Monday afternoon when Heather and Alex left her family waving in the driveway and headed to Coverton Mills. Alex had his Escalade packed with her computer equipment and a couple of her file cabinets. She was following him in her car where she had stashed clothes among their suitcases and the household items she wanted to take. The rest of her clothes they boxed for Tim to bring at the end of the week. They had prearranged to stop in Morganton for dinner. There was a Mexican restaurant Alex suggested near I-40 when Heather said she loved Mexican food.
In less than two hours, they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. She was getting out of her car when he came to her door and took her arm. She mashed the automatic lock on her key and smiled up at him. “Hi, big guy,” she whispered. “If you’re trying to pick me up in this parking lot, let me warn you right now—I’m married to a big, strong man.”
“Hi, yourself.” He slipped his arm across her shoulder. “And yes, I absolutely am trying to pick you up. I’m not worried. I can handle your ‘big, strong man’.” He made a face at her.
They were immediately seated in the gaily decorated restaurant. Heather ordered a taco salad and Alex had the chicken fajitas. The salsa was spicy and the chips were fresh and crispy.
They lingered only minutes after the meal was served. When Alex led her back to the car he said, “Next stop, home.”
When they reached his estate, Heather followed him into a long driveway marked with a no trespassing sign. They soon came to a stop at a tall iron gate with a big H on the center of it. She knew Alex must have punched in the code from his car because the gate swung open. He slowed down inside and as soon as her car cleared, the gate closed.
The went up a paved driveway and the house came into view. Heather gasped. It was a sprawling two-story affair built mostly of rock. The closer they got, the larger the house seemed to be. She knew Alex had money, but she wasn’t expecting anything so elegant.
•♥ •
He pulled around the side of the house to a four-car garage, and the two double doors slid up simultaneously. He pulled his car in beside his gray pickup truck and got out, motioning for her to pull in between him and a green Toyota.
When she came to a stop, he opened her door. “Welcome home, baby.”
“Alex, your home is exquisite.”
“It’s not my home, honey. It’s ours.” He took her hand. “Since it’s so late, I think I’ll only take our suitcases in tonight and unload everything else tomorrow. Okay with you?”
“Fine.”
He got their two bags and headed to the door. “Now, if you don’t mind, please wait until I set these inside.” He unlocked the door and slid the bags in. “Now.” He turned to her and smiled. “I want to carry my bride over the threshold.”
“Oh, Alex, how sweet.”
He lifted her and stepped inside the door. “The light is there on the left,” he said without putting her down.
She clicked it on and he closed the door with his foot. “How long are you going to hold me like this,” she teased.
“I think I’ll carry you into the kitchen. Isn’t that where they say a woman should be most of the time?”
“They also say she should be barefoot and pregnant and you’d better not expect either from me.”
He laughed. “Oh, come on. I thought we’d expand the family right away.”
“We will. With grandchildren.”
“Grandchildren are great, but I want to do a lot of practicing to see how they get here.”
“You crazy man, you.” Still in his arms, she reached up and kissed him.
In the kitchen, he sat her down. “Would you like something to drink.” He winked at her, went to the refrigerator and opened it. “There are plenty of soft drinks, beer, iced tea and it looks like a pitcher of fresh lemonade.”
“Lemonade sounds good.”
He took two glasses from the cabinet and noticed some of the dishes were missing. Good. Luke has done what I asked. He’s gotten a lot of things out of here. “There’s something I want to tell you, honey.”
“Oh?” She reached for the filled glass he held out to her.
“I knew you’d want to make this house yours, so you may find it a little bare. I had Luke come get anything of his mother’s he wanted, and there were a few things I told him to get rid of. We’ll give more of it away as we refurnish the house.”
“You didn’t have to do that, Alex.”
“I know, but Anna had decorated the house in her style. Now, I want you to put your touch on it. It’ll probably take us a little while, but we’ll get it to your liking before you know it.”
She sat her glass down and came around the counter to stand in front of him. “You are the most thoughtful and wonderful man on this earth.”
He folded his arms around her. “Ah, shucks, ma’am. I’m only trying to make sure this little lady is happy with me and will never go away.”
“You don’t ever have to worry.” She kissed him and turned back to her lemonade.
“I did do one thing I hope you approve of.” When she looked at him, but said nothing, he went on. “I had Luke get rid of my old bedroom suit and bought us a new one. I didn’t think it fitting to ask you to sleep in a bed I’d shared with another woman for years.”
“See what I mean about you being thoughtful?”
“If you’ll hurry and drink up, I’ll escort you to our new bedroom.”
“I’m not anxious or anything, but I’ll do like I did when I was a kid. I’ll see if I can drink it all at one time without taking a breath.”
They put their empty glasses in the sink. Alex retrieved the suitcases and led her down the long hall toward the master suite. “I’ll give you the grand tour tomorrow, but it’s almost midnight and I’m ready to try out our new bed.”
“Sounds good to me.”
She gasped when she entered the bedroom. “It’s the suite I thought was so pretty on the computer!”
“Do you like it?”
“I love it. It fits so well.” She looked at the huge bedroom and adjoining sitting area. In the moonlight, she could see a magnificent view of the elegant lawn with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. “I can’t wait to see it in the daylight.”
“If we don’t get to bed, it will be daylight soon.” He motioned for her to follow him. They went through a door into the big bathroom. There were two doors to the right. He opened one and said, “This is your closet and dressing area.” He set her suitcase down in the room almost as big as her living room back in Wynburg. “Mine is next door.”
The bathroom had his-and-her sinks, a Jacuzzi tub, and a separate shower. The toilet was in a room to itself. In the back of the bathroom was a stairway. “That goes up to my exercise room, and office,” he explained.
He left her to get her night clothes from he
r suitcase, and in a moment, she heard the shower running. When it cut off and she heard him leave the bathroom, she got up from the built-in seat in her dressing room and went to the shower. She took a quick one, dressed in one of her pretty gowns, and headed into the bedroom. Though she logically knew there was no reason to be, she was nervous.
She found Alex sitting in one of the beige lounge chairs in the sitting area. He was wearing pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, his usual night wear. He looked up, stood and came toward her. With a smile, he picked her up, carried her to the already-turned down bed and put her down. He then turned off the light and slipped into bed beside her. When he folded his strong arms around her and pulled her close to him, her nervousness disappeared.
•♥ •
Rachelle sat in her car outside the gate of the Hargrove estate. She thought she was lucky to have gone to check on Heather’s house earlier. She caught them putting boxes in their cars. She watched her son’s family waving good-bye and followed, hoping to be able to get to Heather before they got very far.
Unfortunately, things didn’t work out for her when they stopped at the restaurant. Now, here she sat in her car and they’d disappeared through the iron gate. When their car had disappeared up the wooded drive, she’d gotten out, but found the gate locked. There was no getting to them tonight, and she was almost four hours away from her apartment and her job. To top it all, she was running out of cigarettes and she hadn’t thought to bring a bottle.
“What am I going to do?” she almost screamed. “I can’t sit here for the rest of the night.”
After a few minutes of debating with herself, she turned her car around and headed back toward Wynburg. She made a decision. She would go home, get some sleep, clean out her bank account tomorrow and come back here. By then, she’d figure out a way to get to Heather. “For good measure, I may take that false Alex Hargrove out, too. I’ll teach them not to mess with me.”
CHAPTER 42
The next morning Heather opened her eyes. Her head rested on Alex’s shoulder and he had his arm around her. She looked up at him and saw his eyes sparkle. “Good morning, wife,” he whispered.
Stalking her Dreams (A Coverton Mills Romance Book 1) Page 20
