Promise Me Forever_A Romantic Suspense Novel

by Natalie Middleton

  “It was a tough time. Mark, well, he rebelled against the world and got into a vicious drinking habit. He’s only kicked it very recently. I had to manage Mama and my education, so I took her with me. I was the college kid who stayed with his Mama.”

  Alex looked away. Managing everything had been emotionally exhausting. Mama was in poor health often, and having her with him was a way of making sure she was fine.

  “I’m so sorry, Alex. That must have been so hard.” Arianna put her hand over his. He gently moved his thumb on her hand. That one movement sent tingles down her spine and she pulled her hand back as gently as she could.

  “For so long I hated every memory of St. Helena, every memory of the place I called home. There was nothing I could do to make Mama’s pain go away or to get Mark to reform himself. I couldn’t stand coming back to these familiar lanes, lanes I frequented with the man who hurt me so badly. I’m sorry, Arianna. I know I promised. But, I didn’t know where home was for so many years till Mama decided to come back.” His grey eyes bore into hers. She nodded.

  “I know what you mean about memories. I used to love coming home until it was time Sophie took over. I’d never had a good relationship with my Papa, but things changed.”

  “Changed in what way?”

  “Well, he became more impatient in one way, and he’d be very dismissive about what either of us were doing. I guess my sister Valentina moved to Anchorage to work with wildlife around that time, and I have no idea what my other sister was doing, but she had moved out too. So Sophie and I took the brunt of his anger.”

  “That must have been tough.”

  “It certainly was. He wasn’t like that when I was growing up. He was supportive and nice, even though he didn’t think women could achieve much.” She paused. Alex looked skeptical. She gave him a sad smile.

  “Yeah, well, that’s why I stopped coming, I guess. I didn’t want to hear someone spell out my own insecurities. And once I got hired, that was it. I only came for the holidays or if I wanted a break.”

  “You’ve accomplished a tremendous lot, Arianna. Not many people do exactly what they dreamed of doing and enjoy it. It’s a privilege to be that happy with your career choice.”

  Arianna smiled widely. That wide smile warmed his heart. I want her to keep smiling.

  Arianna’s phone rang and the moment broke.

  “It’s Sophie,” she said, taking the call and moving towards the entrance.

  Alex looked up to see a beautiful blonde woman enter. Even though they looked nothing alike, it was evident that Sophie and Arianna loved each other very much. They still held hands coming to the table.

  “Sophie, meet Alex. He helped us with the legal work. Alex, meet the love of my life - Sophie. She’s the man, and I mean it, the MAN behind Belmonte Estate.”

  Sophie smiled and her blue eyes twinkled.

  “Nice to see you, Alex. Thank you for your help with the estate. Why don’t you join us for lunch?” she said, taking the spot Arianna had occupied.

  Alex stood up.

  “No, no, I’d be imposing. I’ve got to go back and look through the agreement once more in case I’ve missed something. You ladies enjoy your lunch.”

  He looked at Arianna.

  “I’ll be in touch. Have fun.”

  Arianna nodded. Alex started walking towards the exit.

  “Alex?” she called out.

  “Yeah?” He turned.

  “See you around?” She looked hopeful.

  “Sure, you promised to buy me dinner.” He smiled and left.

  Alex dialed Brian when he entered home.

  “Hey, what’s up?” Brian said.

  “Oh, a congenial tone. Not in office, I see. Any update? Did Buzz say anything?”

  “No, man, unfortunately not. I’ve been buried with casework and I haven’t followed up. You tell me, anything new on your front? Have you uncovered something?”

  “Not much here apart from what I sent you over already. I just know their bank and correspondence details. I’ll need Buzz to run them down. Maybe I should give him a call….”

  “NO.” Brian almost shouted in the phone.

  “Excuse me?” Alex was surprised.

  “I, I mean don’t call Buzz. I’m keeping this investigation under the wraps for now, and if you alert Buzz who knows, it may set something off.”

  Alex frowned.

  “Wait a minute. Didn’t you say Buzz was already on the case?”

  “Y-yes, he is, but he told me not to call him because he was being monitored by his team too.”

  “Okay, I guess I’ll lay off on calling Buzz for a few days.”

  “Thank you.” Brian sounded relieved. An alarm bell started ringing in Alex’s head; something was not right. But this was Brian and Brian was on his side. He pushed aside the feeling that something was wrong.

  “Tell me, who is the chick you’re doing all this running around for? Someone you knew already? A love interest?”

  “No, why would you say that.” Alex turned red.

  “Coz you’ve never done anything for friends before. Not taken any personal cases, I mean. So I guess she must be special. What’s her name?

  “Arianna Belmonte. She has a winery and some land in St. Helena. I mean, her family does. There’s something fishy going on about the sale. I’m thinking of reaching out to the BBB.”

  “The BBB? Why?”

  “Well, the BBB will be able to provide me details about their business and whether they have had other fraudulent complaints from people, and if not, I can lodge one. I can’t see why the winery has to pay money to these parties without knowing why they’re paying.

  “Okay, you’ve clearly thought this one out.” Brian’s response was curt.

  “Wouldn’t you do that if you were in my place, Brian?” Alex asked.

  “Yeah, I guess I probably would. I’ll talk to you later.” Brian disconnected the call.

  Well, that was weird. Why would Brian get so worked up about me talking to Buzz? Is he hiding something? Was he telling me the truth about Mr. Schneider having an independent investigation into what happened?

  Everything in life was very confusing at the moment. He couldn’t figure out why things were happening to him at work. He couldn’t help Arianna with her problems.

  The only thing he was not confused about was his feelings for Arianna. They were deepening. He wanted to see her, wanted to spend time with her, and wanted to keep talking to her. He didn’t like this distance between them one bit.

  10

  Mark intercepted his brother at breakfast the next day. They hadn’t had many opportunities to talk ever since Alex was back. Mark’s job kept him busy and he seemed to be really enjoying this.

  “What’s this I hear about you helping someone with their legal work? I thought you were on vacation?” Mark said, brewing some coffee.

  “Where did you hear that? Gosh, news travels soon,” Alex muttered. He grabbed some eggs from the refrigerator along with some vegetables. He looked at Mark, who nodded, so Alex would cook for two.

  The kitchen was filled with the aroma of sautéing vegetables. Alex didn’t cook often or very well, it was just enough for him to get by. With a busy life, you did what you had to when it came to eating.

  “So…” Mark raised his eyebrows, waiting for a response.

  Alex sighed. “I did some work for Arianna.”

  “Belmonte? You got in touch with your ex-flame when you got back in town? Wow, that’s fast, even for me.” Mark was surprised.

  “Yeah. I bumped into her in town. She was looking for lawyers for her problem and I volunteered. It’s no big deal. I didn’t do it because we had a past or something.” Alex avoided Mark’s eyes and focused on cutting up some bacon for the eggs.

  “I can see she’s got you all wound up.” Alex looked up sharply. Mark was grinning.

  “Hey, don’t look at me. I haven’t done a thing. If you like her that much then why don’t you take her out somewhere
?”

  Alex finished making the scrambled eggs. He thought hard about what Mark said.

  “You think I should take her out? Maybe out of town for a drive or something?” He handed Mark a plate full of eggs.

  Mark tasted some and flashed him a thumbs up. Alex grinned.

  “Yeah, take her out. There are lot of trails out here which are beautiful. Ask your girl if she loves the outdoors and take her. It’s beautiful out there, and you haven’t been in these parts for a long time.”

  “That’s true.” Mark had given Alex a lot to think about. Maybe he was right. He would take her out somewhere. But he didn’t want this conversation to be all about him. Mark was doing well and he wanted to hear about it.

  “So, how is your new job going? Mama said you’ve been working with the DeLucas on their winery.”

  Mark nodded. He had always been a rebellious person, and when their father left, he had turned to the bottle to help him cope. But for the last few years, he had done miraculously to turn his life around.

  “It’s going on well. I’m in charge of the bottling and corking unit there. I have a fair share of responsibility and I like it. I like the fact that my work has a result I can see.”

  “That’s great.” Alex gave him a high five and Mark returned.

  “I’m so happy you’re doing so well. I really am. I can’t tell you how much. I’m proud of you for turning your life around.” Alex smiled.

  “Well, I had good role models,” Mark replied.

  Alex looked away. It was high praise to be called a role model. Mark cleared his throat to end the awkward vibes in the room. They didn’t talk about that period in their lives if they could.

  “So, you need help with Arianna, I’m presuming?” Mark went straight to the point.

  “I do. What do I do, Mark? I want to spend time with her. She makes me feel alive somehow. Time seems to slow down, you know?”

  “Boy oh boy, you’ve got it real bad.” Mark laughed. Alex looked embarrassed.

  “Take her to the Hood Mountain Park. It’s got a great trail and the weather is perfect for a relaxed hike.”

  “That sounds like a plan. Thanks for the idea.” He cleared the table.

  “I’m heading off to work now. Catch you tonight.” Mark waved.

  Alex looked up Hood Mountain Park. It did look perfect in photos. Maybe they could pack a lunch and enjoy a day together. He texted her.

  Would you be up for a drive to Hood Mountain Park today? We could pack lunch. That is, if you’re not doing anything

  She replied soon enough.

  That sounds lovely. And no, I wasn’t doing anything important. Sophie says she’ll pack us some lunch - its pasta, is it okay?

  Pasta sounds lovely, he thought. A drive with you sounds even better.

  Pasta is great. I’ll pick you up in an hour?

  Pick me up by 10.

  Done, see you.

  Alex parked outside the Belmonte Estate and walked in, only to be accosted by a Labrador. Alex was hesitant; he hadn’t been around dogs enough and didn’t know if this one was friendly. He put his hand out. Oreo sniffed at it and wagged his tail. Alex took that as a sign that the dog was friendly and patted him on his head. And that was it for Oreo. He put his paws on Alex’s chest and barked, hoping this new friend would play with him.

  Sophie looked out of the house and called out.

  “Oreo, come here, boy. Let Alex come in.”

  Oreo had calmed down enough to let Alex walk a few steps. He patted him and walked towards the house.

  “Hey, you’re a little early,” Sophie said, handing him a heavy basket.

  “Oof, this is heavy, Sophie. How many people have you packed for?” Alex remarked.

  Sophie laughed. She bustled in the kitchen, clearing the countertop.

  “I’ve just packed enough food for two. There’s some linguine with a mushroom sauce. I hope that’s okay. I didn’t ask Ana if you were allergic.”

  “No, that’s fine. I love mushrooms. Thank you for preparing lunch for us.”

  Sophie brushed him off.

  “I’ve packed some bread and some cold cuts too. That’ll take care of any mid-way snacking.”

  Her voice dropped to a whisper.

  “I’ve also packed some wine for Ana, but she doesn’t know that. She’s been working hard, not only now, but since she went off to college. Give her a good time, she needs some time off.”

  “I will. Thanks for this once again. I’ll drop her back soon.”

  “You take your time, Alex. You take your time.” Sophie winked at him.

  “Take your time with what?” Arianna asked as she entered the room. She was completely dressed for a day in the woods with comfortable shorts and a cotton tee.

  “Nothing,” Alex and Sophie chorused and laughed.

  “Let’s go.” Arianna frowned.

  They were almost outside the door when they heard Sophie calling.

  “Wait, you guys. Wait up.”

  Sophie caught up to them. She handed them a bag with a few bottles of water. Looking at Arianna’s raised eyebrows, she said, “Hood Mountain Park, right? You’re going to need them, trust me.”

  Arianna shrugged and followed Alex to the car. She had just put on her seatbelt when she realized that she was going to be spending the entire day with Alex, in a park she’d never been to.

  That doesn’t sound good. Shit, is it too late to back out?

  Arianna looked behind to see Belmonte Estate fading into the distance.

  Nope, no exit routes left. Got to go ahead with this. Focus, brain, focus. Don’t think about how cute Alex is looking, and it’ll be fine.

  Arianna exhaled. She turned to Alex, hoping to strike some conversation.

  “So, have you been to this park before?”

  “Hmm, what? No, not really. I’m not much of an outdoorsy person but Mark suggested this.” Alex stopped.

  Of all the things you CAN say to her, you choose to tell her you’re not an outdoor person. And you’re taking her to a mountain, where there will be a trail and hiking involved. Genius.

  Alex turned on the air conditioning and the radio. There were some peppy numbers playing on the radio, and out of the corner of his eye, he could see Arianna swinging to the music.

  “You like music,” Alex observed.

  “I love swinging to music. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m no dancer. That’s a pair of two left feet I have. But this? I can sway anytime, a one a two, to the left, to the right.” Arianna’s movements made Alex laugh. She genuinely enjoyed music and it showed. He was now noticing every small detail about Arianna -- how she bit her lip while dancing to the music, how she scrunched her eyes when she crooned to the songs, how her eyes widened when she noticed something beautiful, her laugh when she spilled water all over her tee shirt.

  Shit, I am liking her more and more every single minute I spend with her.

  It was getting a little difficult focusing on the road. Alex grunted and shifted and watched the road, even as Arianna sang the lyrics to yet another song playing on the radio.

  It was a short drive to Hood Mountain Park. Alex parked the car and Arianna grabbed entry tickets.

  “So, there are supposed to be nineteen trails in the park and the ranger marked a few easy ones for us,” Arianna said, joining Alex at the entrance. “I hope you don’t mind us taking the easy trail; I wasn’t sure I could do the difficult one.”

  “Nope, not at all. I’ll take an easy climb any day.” He looked at the mountain stretching ahead of him and took a deep breath. He looked at Arianna and smiled. She smiled back and nodded.

  “Let’s go.”

  An hour later, they sat on a rock, gasping for breath. Thankfully, they were in a shady portion of the forest. They couldn’t feel the sun’s harsh rays directly on their face even though it was quite hot.

  “I am…” Alex gulped some air. “…going to kill Mark. Go to Hood Mountain Park indeed.” He took huge breaths, hoping to calm his
beating heart.

  Arianna leaned on the rock with her eyes closed. The sudden and steep incline of the trail had surprised them. He wasn’t too great with maps, and he was sure they had missed a turn somewhere and ended up on a trail meant for advanced hikers. Midway through the hike, Alex realized they had left the picnic basket in the car. His growling stomach had to be content with a few sips of water that Sophie had wisely packed for them.

  Arianna groaned. “This is so difficult. How much longer is the summit?” Alex opened the map and turned it around.

  “You know, I stopped making sense of this map a long time ago.”

  Arianna opened one eye and looked at him. “Does that mean we’re lost? On our second date, we’re lost in a Mountain Park without any food? You sure know how to treat a woman right, mister.”

  Alex peered at her sitting with her legs crossed. The absurdity of the whole situation dawned on him. Of all the places to get lost in, he had to choose the wild. And he’d forgotten food. A laugh burst from inside and suddenly he was overcome with a fit of laughter. Arianna stared at him doubled over from laughing and a smile tugged at her lips. Within a minute, she had joined him too. She hated the outdoors too, and she’d jumped into this because of the prospect of spending more time with him.

  That’s what you get for jumping into this with him. I am enjoying this.

  Alex stood up and held out his hand for her. They walked up for another half an hour, helping each other with the climb, and at the next turning, they were at a clearing. They walked towards the edge of the clearing and were welcomed by the most spectacular view. There was a huge flat rock and a valley extending as far as the eyes could see. It was beautiful, to say the least. Arianna and Alex stood there, hand in hand, soaking in the view.

  “The walk was worth it. Look at the view,” Alex said, holding her hand a little tighter.

  “It’s not as great as it is with you in it,” Arianna whispered softly. Her heart was beating fast.

  “Arianna,” Alex said, his voice hoarse. His throat felt dry.

  Arianna squeezed his hand. He looked at her.

  “Okay,” she said, biting her lip. “I’m going to try something. Close your eyes and don’t move.”