by Judith Keim
He helped her off the couch, took her hand, and led her up the stairs to the master bedroom.
She took a moment to look around. Through a skylight, she could see stars sparkling in the dark sky like wishes waiting to be answered.
“Nice, huh?” Rod said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her. “Many times, I’ve thought about making love to you under these stars.”
She turned to him.
He kissed her until they both needed more.
Wordlessly, he swept her up in his arms and carried her over to the king-sized bed and set her down beside it.
“Let’s take that dress off,” he whispered huskily.
Lettie shimmied the dress off and watched as it fell onto the floor, exposing her body. She was happy she’d worn the lacy pink panties and matching bra that she’d whimsically bought one day.
Rod slipped off his shirt and pants, and then took off his undershorts, making it very clear how ready he was.
“You’re overdressed,” he said, giving her a teasing grin. He helped her remove her bra and slid her panties off her legs.
Lettie took a breath, pushing away the idea that her subtle stretch marks would be an issue. By the looks of the smile that was spreading across Rod’s face, he didn’t care at all.
“Ah, Lettie, you’re as beautiful as I thought you’d be,” he murmured, wrapping her in his embrace. She had a few flashbacks to making love with Kenton and forced herself to concentrate on Rod.
“Come,” said Rod. He held out his hand, and she took it.
Atop the bed, they lay together, getting used to one another with touch and taste.
“Ready?” Rod whispered in her ear.
At her nod, he entered her, and they moved together in a dance as old as time.
###
Later, as Rod slept beside her, Lettie stared up at the stars. Making love with Rod had been satisfying, but she was overwhelmed by feelings of guilt. She hadn’t been with any man since Kenton. Thinking of him, she wondered what her life would have been like if he hadn’t been killed. His death at such a young age seemed as senseless now as it had then.
Quietly, she rose from the bed and went into the bathroom to freshen up.
Rod stirred, and when he realized she was dressing, he said, “Can’t you stay?”
She shook her head. No matter how much she would have liked to spend the night, she wouldn’t ... couldn’t. Autumn was an impressionable child, and Lettie didn’t want her to get the idea that her mother was someone who slept around.
If the relationship between Rod and her grew into something more permanent, it would be something she wanted her daughter to respect.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Lettie’s days became fuller, happier now that she’d allowed Rod into her life. She’d dated before but had never let it go beyond a casual dinner or two. With Rod, she was experiencing a new sense of freedom. Their lovemaking didn’t have the raw passion of her time with Rafe or the sweet, tenderness with Kenton, but it was satisfying. She had no idea where it would lead and was content for the first time in her life to take things as they came instead of following a plan laid out for her.
With Rod being so social, she met a lot of new people in the valley. Many were from California, hoping to start up wineries with the pinot noir grape that was finding an audience. Lettie knew from experience how temperamental, how sensitive the grape was. But after working with Scott for several years, they were starting to produce an exceptional pinot noir—fruity, smooth, and with body.
Lettie was flattered by Rod’s interest in Chandler Hill’s winemaking. He even suggested having her introduce some of his young grapes into the mix—something she politely declined. She didn’t want anyone to intrude on her process.
Her vineyard was now in four sections or blocks, each providing its own unique qualities. The Chandler Hill Reserve was still the workhorse of the group, but the Chandler Hill Kenton series was especially sought after.
Lettie loved the process of winemaking and was becoming known for her palate. Just as she’d been able to identify the different components of the wine when she’d first tasted it with Rafe and Kenton, she was able to distinguish when and how different grapes in her vineyard would react favorably to crushing. No one could match her for determining when the sugar content of the grapes was perfect for picking.
As good as her winemaking was doing, the inn was doing even better. They’d added a pool and small spa to the property, making it even more of a destination. Paloma continued to help oversee the inn. Lettie suspected her many hours on the job were an escape from her husband who’d returned from Vietnam an angry, scarred man. Lettie, Abby, and Terri had tried talking to Paloma about the bruises they sometimes saw on her, but Paloma pushed away any suggestion of help, declaring that it wasn’t that bad.
###
Following the bud break in April, they carefully watched the growing shoots. In June when the buds bloomed, more intense work began on the canopy of green leaves making sure there were open spaces and no leaves were hiding another.
One day, Paloma arrived at the inn earlier than usual, both her children in tow. Lettie took one look at Paloma’s battered face and quickly called Terri from the kitchen into the front room.
Speaking as calmly as she could, Lettie said to Terri, “Will you take Mikey and Isabel into the kitchen for some breakfast? Paloma and I will be back shortly. Perhaps you can see that the children get to school?”
Wide-eyed, Terri looked from Paloma to Lettie. “Of course. Come on, kids, let’s make you something special for breakfast.”
With the kids out of the room, Paloma sank down into the couch and began sobbing. “I can’t do this anymore. I thought Manny was going to kill me. He wanted to. He thought I was some guy in the jungle who was out to kill him. I love Manny, but the guy I knew is long gone. The man I’m living with is a monster.”
“He needs help, and so do you,” said Lettie, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “I’m taking you to Salem to the hospital there. You need someone to look at your face. Are you hurt anywhere else?”
Paloma rolled up the sleeves of her shirt. The bruises that marred her arm were beginning to swell. “I tried to protect myself. Mikey even tried to stop him, but Manny was lost in one of those dreams he gets.”
“Okay, let’s go. You head out to my car; I’ll speak to Terri and the kids.”
“My mother can take them,” Paloma said. “She’s done it before.”
Feeling sick to her stomach, Lettie headed to the kitchen. Mikey was thirteen and Isabel eleven—old enough to have seen and heard upsetting things.
At the kitchen doorway, she waved Terri over to her and quietly told her what Paloma had said. She then turned to the kids. “I’m taking your mother to see a doctor in Salem. I’ll call as soon as we know anything. Your grandmother will come here and will take you home with her.”
Isabel’s eyes overflowed with tears. “Dad hurt Mom.”
“Yes, I know,” said Lettie. “We’ll make sure she gets better and that your Dad gets help.”
Mikey stood, his hands fisted at his side, a look of anguish on his face. “I tried to stop him.”
Lettie place a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. “You couldn’t. Nobody could. It’s not your fault. We’ll get help for you and him.”
###
At the hospital, the police were called in to talk to Paloma. Photos were taken of her face, her arms, and her torso. These would be used as evidence to force her husband into a rehabilitation program. Post-traumatic stress disorder was something many soldiers fought after arriving home. It was, in its own way, as difficult as the battles they’d fought in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
Paloma’s nose was broken and a tooth knocked out, but she hadn’t suffered a broken jaw. Still, it would be several weeks before signs of the abuse would be gone. Lettie studied her friend sitting in the car beside her, and knew she had to do something.
“Would you consider moving into the inn with your children? I’ve been thinking of building a small house on the property for Autumn and me. I’ll be happy to give up my private rooms to you when it’s done. In the meantime, you can use one of the large end-suites. You and they can have privacy there. I’m sure Autumn would love the company.”
Tears welled in Paloma’s eyes and then rolled down her bruised cheeks. “You’d do that for me?”
“Of course,” said Lettie with feeling. “Paloma, you’re the best friend I have. You and Abby and Terri mean the world to me.”
Paloma lowered her head and quietly sobbed. “We’ve already received an eviction notice from the house we were renting. With Manny unable to work, we couldn’t keep up the payments.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Lettie reached for her hand. “We might have worked something out.”
“I couldn’t.” Paloma’s lips quivered. “I just couldn’t let anyone know how awful things were at home. How threatened I was, how frightened. I had to keep up a brave front for the kids.”
“They know how bad it is,” Lettie said quietly. “I thought that might be another reason to stay with me at the inn. School will be out soon, and they can keep busy.”
“Do you remember your first Thanksgiving here? When I met you, you were a sweet young girl. But, Lettie, you’ve grown into a wonderful woman. I wish Rex and Kenton could see how you’ve grown, what you’ve done for the inn, everything.”
“A lot has happened since then,” Lettie said. “I liked you right away, you know.”
Paloma gave her a crooked smile which caused her to wince. “Me too.”
###
The end of spring jumped into summer like a child leaping for joy. The inn was busy as ever, with guests arriving to see what all the buzz was about in the valley. With Paloma and the kids on site, things settled into a smoother routine. Isabel and Autumn became good friends, Mikey took to following Scott around checking the canopies, and Paloma’s presence gave Lettie time to begin planning for her house.
As she often did when big decisions were made, she spent time in the grove of trees. Sitting on a stone bench she’d moved there under the umbrella of leafy tree branches and among the pines, she could express her thoughts and reasoning behind her decisions. It was a way for her to clear her mind and to plot the future as carefully as they would, if they could.
Lettie decided she wanted to build something fairly small and hidden away from the inn, with a contemporary feel. Spending time in Rod’s house had convinced her to go with open spaces and clean lines. And skylights.
Working with the architect who’d designed many of the inn’s projects, they quickly arrived at a plan that suited Lettie. For someone who’d grown up in an unstable environment, building the house grew in importance.
Lettie spent a portion of every day overseeing progress on the house she’d already come to love. It was the first time that a project at the inn was not carried out by Rex’s ideas. He hadn’t conceived a private home for her, but she thought he’d like what she was doing.
Rod often met her at the building site. When he began commenting on a feature he didn’t like, Lettie did her best to ignore it. This was her project, not his.
But one afternoon, when he suggested extending her driveway onto his property so their properties could be merged, her heart fell to her feet. She had the creepy feeling that the land was what he’d been after all along.
“What are you saying, Rod?” she said in a deceptively calm voice.
“I figured that when I can convince you to marry me, we’ll join the two operations,” he said, winking at her.
“And who would run those two properties?” she asked, each word frosted with dismay.
“Well, I’ve been a very successful businessman. There’s no reason I can think of for my not handling both properties.”
Her stomach clenched. “Was this your plan all along? Is that why you wanted to start dating me? For Chandler Hill?”
While she waited for his answer, Lettie wrapped her arms around herself in a vain effort to hold in the hurt.
Rod’s cheeks flushed. He looked away and turned back to her. “Knowing you owned Chandler Hill may have been a reason I was interested in a relationship at first, but you know how much I care about you. What’s wrong with a man wanting to take care of his woman?”
Fury rose in Lettie like a lion ready to pounce. She straightened to her full height of five-three. “First of all, I don’t consider myself ‘your woman.’ We’ve never even talked marriage, for God’s sake. Probably because you know what my answer would be to that. I could never leave Chandler Hill or let anyone else run it. I owe it to both Rex and Kenton to do as they wanted with the property.”
“Come now, Lettie,” Rod said with a nasty edge to his voice. “They’re both long gone, and up until now, you’ve done what they’ve asked. Isn’t it time for you to have a normal life with a live husband and family?”
Lettie fisted her hands on her hips and glared at him. “And what about you? I’d be your third wife in a string of them? No, thanks. As far as family, I’ve got my own.”
“Your own? You mean all those women living together doing God knows what?”
His words slapped at her with a venom she didn’t know he had. She raised a hand to her cheek and stepped away from him. “Get off my property right now. I never want to see you again.”
“You’ll be sorry. You and I together could make something really big happen with this place.”
“It’s just the way we all want it,” said Lettie. “Now go!”
Rod narrowed his eyes at her. “I thought you were smarter than this. I thought you’d know a good thing when you saw it. Someday, you’ll see I was right.”
“Today, I know I’m right,” said Lettie. “I’m just sorry it took me so long to see you for who you are.”
Muttering about women who think they’re smarter than they are, Rod stomped to his truck, got in, and roared away.
Lettie watched him go and then went inside the house. Sitting on a stack of two-by-fours, Lettie covered her face. She felt so ... so ... stupid! Why hadn’t she seen past Rod’s flattery, his interest in her work, to the man he really was?
She decided she’d talk to Joe Lopez tomorrow and ask him to oversee putting in a fence along the line where Rod’s property met hers. She had a feeling her troubles with him weren’t over.
She rose with a new sense of determination to carry on.
As she crossed the hill toward the inn, she took a moment to study the scene before her. The inn was even more imposing, more beautiful than it had been the moment she’d first seen it. Now, the house was just the hub of the inn, which extended on either side of it. Behind the house, the pool, patio, and functions building had been added. Off to one side, the new tasting barn greeted arrivals with the promise of good things inside. The barn for the animals that served a major purpose in keeping the vineyards organic now had a garage added to it to house the tractor and cars for her and the staff. The remodeled cabin where Abby and Terri lived remained among the trees.
Lettie knew very well what an accomplishment this was, due, in part, to Rex’s planning and her willingness to follow through. No one was going to take that away from her.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Lettie continued to put her energy into the inn’s growth and success. Having her own house as a retreat from the daily grind was a blessing for her. There were times when she desperately needed to get away from the activity at the inn. And there were other times when sitting alone in her house after Autumn had gone to bed, she thought she’d die of loneliness. Then, and only then, did she admit to herself how much she wished she had someone with whom to share her life.
As the years flew by, Lettie’s biggest worry was her daughter, Autumn. She’d always been an outspoken, willful child. As a teenager, she was impossible to control. Lettie blamed herself for much of it. She’d never been able to give Autumn the at
tention she’d demanded. And though the thought filled her with guilt and made her feel inadequate, Lettie believed she’d tried to do her best she could under the circumstances. But it didn’t make the present situation any better.
The year Autumn was due to turn sixteen, she was suspended from school for doing drugs.
When Lettie sat Autumn down in the living room and tried to talk to her about it, Autumn was defiant. “It wasn’t anything like heroin. It was just some grass. You’ve been on my back for weeks, finding fault with everything I do. I think you’re just jealous because Rod Mitchell thinks I’m hot. He even told me so.”
Lettie felt the blood drain from her face. “When were you talking to Rod? And why would he say such a thing? You’re just a young girl.”
“No, Mother, Look at me. I’m a young woman. Ask any boy at school. You’ve been too busy with this godforsaken inn to even notice.”
Lettie stared at her daughter. Dressed in denim jeans and a knit top that emphasized her ample breasts, Autumn was no longer a girl, but someone on the cusp of womanhood. One, apparently, who didn’t mind displaying her curves. Lettie wondered how she’d failed to notice, like Autumn was accusing her of doing.
“Autumn, please ... You know how demanding my job is ... how hard I work for you.”
“You work for yourself, not me!” Autumn jumped to her feet. “I’m going to stay with Abby and Terri. They understand what it’s like for me to be your daughter.”
Furious, Lettie drew herself up out of her seat. “We need to discuss this. You cannot disregard all the rules. You need to be responsible. Someday, Chandler Hill will be yours and you’ll need to be ready.”
“I don’t give a damn about Chandler Hill. I never did, and I never will.”
“But ...”
“I’m outta here.”
Stunned, Lettie watched her daughter storm out of the house. As she calmed, Lettie wondered if Autumn was right, and she was someone stuck in the past, doing her duty to men who’d long been dead. Rod had all but accused her of that. She’d turned thirty-five, but for the last sixteen years she’d grown up fast as she assumed the responsibility of being left in charge of Chandler Hill at such a young age. She sometimes felt trapped by the idea that she’d never be able to leave, but, how could she? She’d promised Rex and Kenton that she’d honor their wishes. She, a nobody from Dayton, Ohio, had been given their acceptance, their love, and their generous gifts. She’d never do anything to break her promise to them, even when she sometimes wanted to leave it all behind her.
