Beyond Chance

by Karice Bolton

  I walked around the car and waved, flashing a huge grin at Tracy. I leaned in and gave her two quick air kisses. I caught her completely off guard and congratulated myself on this tiny victory.

  “Good to see you again,” I said, still smiling.

  “Likewise.” She turned to Aaron and pointed toward the workshop. “The guys moved everything in. I counted the pieces, and they match with what you emailed to me. Did you want to check?”

  “No. I trust you.”

  “I wouldn’t,” she laughed, handing him the keys. “If either of you need anything, my father has a home not far from here, and his staff can help you.”

  “Thank you. That’s very kind of you,” I said, glancing at Aaron.

  “Very kind,” Aaron agreed. “But not necessary.”

  Tracy shook her head and smiled. “Well, I tell you… More than a day or two in the country and I go nuts. Good luck to you both.”

  “It’s right up our alley,” Aaron assured her as she climbed into her vehicle.

  “I’ve got a dinner to get ready for so I better get back to the city.” She glanced at me and then at Aaron. “Elizabeth has been trying to get a hold of you and hasn’t had much luck. I promised her you were just busy finishing things up. I’d imagine that’s all it is.”

  “I appreciate that, Tracy. I’ll be sure to give her a call.”

  “Avoir un grand temps.” She shut her door and turned on her engine. She backed out slowly and turned around, waving her hand out the window before driving off.

  “I know she’s the boss’s daughter, but she’s an odd one,” Aaron quipped, as he slid his arm around my waist.

  I couldn’t help but chuckle as I rested my head against his arm and looked at the beautiful place we’d be calling home for the next week. The property was so different from Paris. It was hard to believe we were even in the same country.

  “Should we get our things and go inside?” Aaron asked, pressing his lips to the top of my head.

  I nodded, and he released me from his hold as I mulled over his remark about Tracy. I wondered exactly how odd he thought she was, probably not as odd as I thought she was.

  Aaron opened the trunk and hauled out both suitcases, and I grabbed my bag and slung it across my shoulder. I followed him to the front door and continued to gawk at the beautiful surroundings. Flowers were in full bloom every direction I looked. This would be an excellent break from the whirlwind back home. The trial would be getting underway again just about the time Aaron and I would be having dinner tonight, and I was doing everything in my control not to think about it, but it was never very far from my thoughts.

  Aaron slid the key into the lock and opened the door, pushing it in.

  “Nice to only have one lock,” I laughed.

  “Isn’t it?” He stepped inside and I followed right behind.

  If I’d been impressed with the exterior, language couldn’t even begin to convey the beauty of the inside. The only word that came to mind was spellbinding. It was as if we’d been transported to another century. Everything was regally appointed and enchanting. I felt like I’d been dropped right into a French fairytale, and I never wanted to leave and face the world again.

  The white and blue mosaic floors spread as far as the eye could see. A large bouquet with flowers from the garden sat on a French provincial table centered in the foyer, and matching gold-framed mirrors hung on the walls. A chandelier dripping crystal and gold dangled above us, and all I could do was stare at the beauty of everything. My senses were on overload. A marble statue in the far corner of the room was as tall as I was, and I realized there was absolutely no way to reconcile the royalty this house exuded with reality. It was purely decadent and not of this world.

  Aaron placed the suitcases on the floor and looked over at me, no doubt gauging my reaction to the surroundings.

  “How did you find this place?” I asked.

  “A friend of a friend.”

  “Please tell me it’s not—”

  He laughed and placed his hands up. “An old business acquaintance from my previous life. This is his third or tenth home… I can’t really keep it straight.”

  I eyed one of the paintings in the hallway and walked over to it. The bold colors made the garden scene come to life.

  “That’s lovely,” I whispered, as Aaron came up behind me.

  “Down this hall, we’ll find the sitting room and kitchen,” Aaron said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

  “You’ve been here before? Did you drive out before I got to Paris?”

  Aaron shook his head and grinned. “I’ve stayed here when I was on business. Actually in between business during one of the few breaks I took.”

  My brow arched, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he’d had another woman with him. Not that it mattered. Okay, maybe it did a little.

  “Well, show me the grounds,” I teased.

  He left the suitcases in the foyer and took my hand. Leading me down the hallway to the sitting room, I was in awe over the amount of artwork that adorned the walls. “The owner just leaves everything here?”

  “There’s a groundskeeper who lives in a cottage and looks after everything.”

  “I see.”

  The sitting room was luxurious, but it somehow managed to be inviting. I could imagine myself reading a book on the chaise and not feeling like I would break something. Built-in cabinetry filled with books garlanded the fireplace. My hope was that the books weren’t all in French.

  A handwoven blue and ivory rug centered the room, and another vase of flowers had been placed on a cherrywood desk that was sitting in front of the picture window. Aaron opened a set of double doors and waved me through to another large room, which had a wide dining table in the center of the space and several upholstered chairs pushed against the wall. The room opened into a spacious kitchen complete with updated appliances and a farmhouse sink. A large bowl of fruit sat on the island, and I suddenly realized I had no plans to ever leave.

  “The stairs lead up to three bedrooms and three bathrooms. No bathrooms on the main floor.”

  I rolled my eyes and grinned. “I guess that will have to do.”

  Aaron laughed and led me up the steps to the second floor.

  “This is our room.” He opened the door and the room took my breath away. A fireplace was tucked in the far corner, and a four-poster bed was in the center of the room under a window. Sheer curtains draped the four posters of the bed, completing the dreamy sensation that had already begun downstairs. The goose down comforter had a handmade quilt placed on top, along with several matching pillows. Everything was either white or glacial blue in the room. I glanced at Aaron and smiled.

  “Would it be bad if I never left this room?” I asked, sliding my bag off my shoulder.

  He growled a little and brought me into his arms.

  “I think that would be a dream come true,” he laughed. “The chef should be here any minute to begin dinner or you’d be mine right now.”

  “Is that so?” I giggled, feeling his whiskers tickle my neck as he nuzzled me.

  “It is so.” He stepped back and let out a deep breath. “I can never get enough of you.”

  I smiled and reveled in this moment that seemed so unlike anything I’d ever experienced or even dared to dream about. Looking around the room, seeing the plaster walls and exposed timbers above, I truly felt like I’d been dropped into a fantasy world. Any instant, I thought I should run to the window and Rapunzel myself to the world.

  “You always know what I need,” I whispered, shaking my head. “This is incredible and so thoughtful. I can see how easy it will be to forget about the trial.”

  “I’ll confess that I’ve been a little nervous with everything working out as far as timing. I thought it would be nice if we were disconnected a little during the trial because it’s truly out of our hands.”

  I nodded as relief spread through me. He was absolutely right. Everything was out of my control. There was no sen
se in spending time worrying.

  “So you want to tell me what that was about in the car earlier? You don’t usually have a physical reaction to someone’s name.”

  “I had no idea I did until you mentioned it.” I smiled and walked over to the bed.

  I scooted onto the mattress and patted the comforter.

  Aaron’s expression lit up, and he shook his head, his lip curling up. “Boy, we really are wearing off on each other. No matter how much I want to, I’m not falling for your traps, Ms. Rhodes. Answer the question, and we’ll see where that leads us.”

  “You know…” I pressed my lips together and chose my words carefully. “It takes all kinds of people to make the world go around.”

  “That it does.” Aaron pulled a chair away from the wall and sat down. He flashed a dubious grin and waited for me to continue.

  “I’ve got thick skin, and I honestly don’t want to give her or the situation the time of day. I’m in a wonderful chateau in the middle of France with the man I love. My best friends are coming to Paris next week and that’s really all that matters. Life is good, and I don’t want to waste a second longer on something or someone who’s just not for me.”

  Aaron leaned back in the chair and stretched his legs out in front of him, making the chair look even tinier compared to his long, lean body. I couldn’t help but imagine the things I wanted to do to that body, but the doorbell rang.

  “Must be the chef. I’ll grab the door and get him settled before I bring our bags up. But seriously, I want to know what made your skin crawl. I feel like you’re not telling me something quite important.”

  “Who me?” I grinned. “Everything’s totally fine.”

  “Sure it is.” He walked out of the room, and my body fell into the comforter as I thought about what to tell Aaron. I didn’t want to bring up anything that happened with Tracy, and I was totally disappointed in myself for having an involuntary reaction to her name. I’d have to work on that, especially before Aaron’s show opened.

  I got back up and dug in my purse for my phone. I saw a couple texts from Gabby and my mom. The messages must have come over while we were parking downstairs. It didn’t look like I’d be able to answer them because we had no cell service. My mother had decided—against my father’s wishes—to attend the trial. She gave me a rundown of the initial arguments for both sides, and her thoughts on how long the trial was going to run. Her guess was five or six days. Though surprised by the interviews I gave, she thought they showed sincerity versus the pure sensationalist garbage that Derek had been striving for. Whenever it was that my mom wrote the text, they were on a recess. I really wanted to text my mom back to thank her for the heads up, but I’d have to wait for Aaron for that. I was glad we were somewhat disconnected, but I hoped we had wireless.

  I heard the chef in the kitchen banging pots and pans around as the sounds of Aaron’s footsteps bounced off the wooden steps.

  “So have you given more thought about telling me what’s making you so uncomfortable with Tracy?” Aaron asked, as he walked back into the bedroom.

  I hadn’t actually, but I did see this as a perfect opportunity to bring up last night’s phone call and text.

  “How about if you tell me whose call you had to take last night at dinner, I’ll tell you a little bit about my thoughts on Tracy.”

  Aaron grunted and sat back down on the chair. “You play dirty.”

  “I’m not playing dirty, but I certainly could. Come on give it to me.”

  His mouth pulled up slightly on the corner and he shook his head. “It was a call from my father.”

  “Your dad?”

  He nodded and let out a sigh, knowing what was coming next.

  “What made you rush out of the restaurant?”

  Aaron began tapping his fingertips on his knee and narrowed his eyes, studying me closely. “Brandy, I love you more than life itself. You make me want to be the best I can be for us and for our future…” his voice trailed off.

  “But?” I prompted.

  “But I’m not happy. I haven’t been for quite a long time.”

  It felt like I’d had a knife right to my heart. What did he mean he wasn’t happy? From the moment I touched down in France, my life had felt completely out of step. As I looked at Aaron, I saw the same look I noticed the night before. It was the same expression I’d brushed off over the last couple months, thinking he was just nervous about his exhibition. If only I’d stopped obsessing about my issues and paused to hear about his, maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation where the world was coming down around us.

  My shoulders slumped as our eyes connected. All the oxygen in the room vanished as I attempted my next breath. Nothing was right about this moment. We were supposed to be happy. I was happy. I thought he was happy. And then a question tumbled out of my mouth before I even had a chance to stop it, but my heart ached too much to keep it in.

  “Did Elizabeth know you were unhappy?” I whispered.

  Aaron’s expression fell. “She knew I was feeling unsettled, but I didn’t talk to her about anything in great detail, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

  I felt gutted as I sat on the bed. Details or not, she knew more than I did, and that wasn’t how things were supposed to work. That wasn’t how we were supposed to work.

  “I don’t know what I’m wondering. I’m torn. I’m hurt. I want to make things better. I want you to be happy. I thought I made you happy,” I said, not wavering on one syllable.

  Heightened sensitivity hovered in the air between us, and I dropped my gaze to the hardwood floors. One false move on his part and I’d break down. One wrong word from me and he’d probably wish he’d never said a word. Speaking with Elizabeth rather than me was unsettling, but what concerned me more was why he wasn’t happy. At least Elizabeth and I had something in common. We both thought his behavior was because of nerves. As I took deep, steady breaths, I prayed I’d find the right words because only the wrong ones were flooding my mind. I needed to stay in control of my emotions.

  “You do make me happy,” he said, his voice low and full of trepidation.

  I steadied my gaze on his and felt the tears begin to prick my eyelids as he stood up quickly from the chair and bolted toward me. Bending on one knee, he slipped his arms around my waist and drew me next to his body, but it was too late. The tears were already streaming down my face. How had I been so blind?

  Aaron’s hands cradled the back of my head as the tears continued to fall. The wetness soaked his shirt, but I couldn’t move. I stayed in his arms, hoping this nightmare would be over.

  “I don’t understand. I thought we were happy. I thought being here was what you wanted,” I sniffed.

  “So did I.”

  I slowly raised my head, and he used his thumbs to wipe away the dampness on my cheeks as I tried to comprehend what was going so desperately wrong in my world.

  “So where do we go from here?” I asked. It felt as if my voice was disconnected from my mind and heart.

  He continued kneeling in front of me and took both of my hands as I tried to imagine my life without Aaron in it. Did he need time to explore and find happiness or was it more complicated?

  He let out a deep breath and held my hands tightly. “I think for now we should take it one step at a time.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t take something like this one step at a time. I need to know what to expect. The thought of you not in my life is more—”

  “Wait. What?” Aaron asked, his voice filled with urgency. He stood up quickly and scooted me over on the bed. “I’m not going anywhere. That’s not what I meant.”

  “But if you’re not happy, I don’t want to hold you back.”

  Aaron let out a groan and slid his hands over his face as he blew air out of his mouth. “This was not how I imagined tonight going,” he said, dropping his hands to his side.

  “I’ve felt that way pretty much from the moment I arrived in France.”

  Aaron no
dded as his eyes fastened on mine. “Brandy, if you weren’t in my life, I’d be miserable. I’m in love with you, all of you, everything about you...Every single thing I do in my life is for you and because of you. Waking up without you these last few weeks was horrid. I’d turn over and the sheets were cold and there wasn’t your beautiful face waiting there, giving me that gorgeous morning smile like you do. I wouldn’t want to imagine my life without you in it. I think it would be a wretched, lonely life.”

  I shook my head as his hands locked with mine. “I don’t understand.”

  “I’m a pretty simple guy. I know precisely what’s making me unhappy. But I didn’t want to let you down. I’ve realized if I don’t tell you the worse it will get. I had planned on waiting until after the show to explain things, but as usual, things have a habit of spiraling out of control in our lives.”

  “Don’t they,” I said.

  He nodded. “I’ve been in contact with my father because I miss my old job. I miss the challenge and solving problems every day. I miss being in the business world.”

  “What about your sculptures?” I asked.

  “It used to be a way for me to cope with life. I’d take out my pain and anger on the metal. When the weight of my history was crushing, I’d channel the frustration into my metalworking. It was therapeutic. What I realized recently was that it was a hobby. Once it changed to something more, it lost the appeal for me. You’re the person I go to when I’m feeling down. You’re the one there for me to pick me up when I’m frustrated or sad. I don’t have that same connection to my art. I don’t need my art like I need you.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. You were so proud of my work and all the acclaim I started receiving, I didn’t want to disappoint you. Brandy, I mean it when I say you’re my everything. I want to make you happy, but I realized that in order to do so, I need to make sure I’m content with where my life is at.”

  “I can’t believe it,” I whispered, shaking my head.

  “Are you disappointed?” he asked.

  “Not in the slightest. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”