Coincidences: #3 Diana & Anya

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

  “I’m not hungry,” Diana removed the apron and laid it on the stainless steel counter. “Thank you. For not asking questions. Good night,” she said softly, going through the back door and heading to her apartment. She walked slowly, inhaling and shivering a little. Very thin clouds were moving across the sky, a half-moon peeping now and then and shining down on the lodge from the east.

  Gideon Adams drifted through the foyer of the lodge, admiring the stonework and thick, heavy logs that created the lodge. He watched the affection that passed between the manager and chef with a half-smile. He had opened the drapes in his room, maybe an automatic gesture since he’d been living under the stars for the most part over the last few weeks. Fresh air, a little rain and nature. He leaned on the ledge of the window, a smile slowly forming. He hitched a chair closer and sat back, chastising himself but only mildly. It seemed his room had a perfect view for him. Right into the second floor apartment above the gift shop.

  Diana opened the large laptop, hooked her camera into the slot and began the downloading process. Once it had begun, her hand went up without thinking and pulled the band from her hair, fingers massaging her scalp through the long hair. Tomorrow, shopping and a haircut, she decided firmly. She kicked out, shoes flying off as she wandered into the bedroom, clothes dropping to the chair as she pulled a brightly colored caftan from the closet before heading back to her computer.

  Gideon watched, fascinated as she set up another easel, her pencil sketching over the large white surface. He could see the beginnings of the lodge forming on the other canvas she had to the side, her hands digging through something on the desk. There must have been music playing from somewhere because she was singing and completely enjoying herself, twirling and drawing.

  He wasn’t sure what time he fell asleep, but rose early, checked out and headed back to the campgrounds, thoughts of the little city girl ingrained in his mind. One midlife crisis at a time, his tired mind declared. Gideon packed up his camping gear and loaded the rover, driving to the mostly finished house he had been working on.

  Diana stood and stared at her paintings, her smile content and happy. She made a note, taped it to her computer and locked the door on her way out. She made another note and put it on her dashboard, tuned the radio to a good station and began singing on her drive. She drove to one of the larger malls and wandered. Something she had never done before. Her grandmother had exclusive places she believed in shopping.

  Diana wanted to feel young. Not like a society wife. Not like a wealthy man’s daughter. She had decided the night before she wanted to feel nature and fun and color. Plain bright colored girl tees; brilliant tank tops in all colors and capri pants and two pairs of jeans, one a faded grey and the other a simple hip hugging blue. She was standing before the lingerie shop, head tipped and eyes bright, unaware of the color in her cheeks that was beginning to match her flowers.

  An hour later, Diana was stuffing bags into her car and driving to the supply store for her paints and some extra canvases of all sizes. By the time she went to one of the hair salons, her car was loaded. It was a sit alone salon, petite Asian women doing nails and cutting hair. She found a book and browsed through, selecting a longish gypsy cut, but had her hand on another, much shorter pixie haircut.

  The woman cutting her hair seemed concerned when she wanted all of her hair cut and shaped into the pixie hair-do, but Diana convinced her it was alright. Off her neck, tapered and she wanted to see her ears. And the hairstyle fit her face perfectly. Her smile was broad as she paid and tipped the young woman, striding out and running her fingers through the new style. Soft and light.

  It was almost dinner time when Diana parked next to the gift shop. It took several trips to empty the car, but she was pleased and happy. Clothes were laid out all around the apartment, tags pulled off and things put neatly away. She changed into the grey jeans, rolled them to mid-calf and put on a neon blue tee with a pink tank top layer on top. Her step was jaunty down the stairs and into the lodge, smiling broadly at June behind the front desk and heading to the dining area. She was ravenous!

  June didn’t recognize the woman. Frowning, she called for a manager, whispering to Sam when he came from the office. He followed June’s gaze and admitted he hadn’t registered the young woman, either. It wasn’t unusual for someone to attempt to get a free meal, he mused, striding to the table where she sat next to the window.

  “Hi, Sam,” Diana said brightly. “How are things today?”

  “Diana?” Sam blinked, taken aback and pulling a chair out.

  “Yes?” She swallowed the chicken sandwich she’d made with a gurgle of laughter, her fingers up to delicately touch her lips. “You didn’t recognize me? How grand! Oh, I guess June didn’t either, I’m sorry…it never occurred to me that it would make a stir.”

  “No…no apology necessary. It’s just…it’s definitely a big change. But it suits you,” he told her warmly. He wondered how the new guy in her life would handle it as he left to search for Bella.

  “Wow,” but Bella’s smile was bright. “Wonder how the woodsman will like the new Diana,” she mused with a chuckle. “She looks so young, so…vibrant.”

  “Any guy with half a brain would see that the change is more than just clothes and a haircut,” Sam told her as they wandered to the cottage. “There’s a brightness…a happiness inside that wasn’t there before. Gideon Adams is a smart guy…but I’m not sure Diana realizes she’s been targeted.”

  “Such a philosophical assessment,” Bella teased, leaving her shoes at the bottom of the stairs and gripping the sides of his shirt, tugging his mouth to hers. “Do you know him? This Gideon guy?”

  “Only his reputation,” Sam shrugged, his palms holding her close. “He’s the money guy to what Damian and Gabe do for businesses. And he’s very good with investment capital.”

  Chapter Four

  Diana dressed much the same in the morning, the bright yellow of her tank top suiting the deep purple of the tee shirt. She packed the large satchel, two canvases, paints, brushes and drawing pad. Phone, wallet and keys. She frowned before locking the door and going to the car. She left a note at the front desk telling Bella where she was going to paint, collected some fruit, sandwiches and water from the kitchen and got the keys to the jeep from June with a jaunty wave.

  By eleven-thirty, Diana had her easel set up and a perfect view of the brilliantly colored meadow. Not a cloud in the sky, so her light was perfect as she first sketched out what she wanted, mostly, before opening paints and creating and free falling into her painting. It was where she was happiest, she thought fleetingly. There was no time. There were no lectures or regrets. There was just color. So very many colors and shades. So many emotions evoked by a color.

  Diana ate her picnic food, drank water and wandered to the edges of the meadow with a wide stretch, exploring and savoring the serenity of the area. So caught up in her colors, her eyes adapted without thinking as the light began to fade. She was positive she had the path in sight as she hurriedly packed her things, her breathing catching in her throat when she turned. The shadows had taken over around her. Very little daylight was filtering down upon her, colors of orange and red off to the west and dotted with incoming clouds.

  Gideon’s words echoed around in her brain, arguing with that side of her that was positive she could find the path on her own. Positive she could maneuver the slight incline by memory. Her fingers shook a little and a shiver ran along her spine as she blindly searched her satchel for her phone. A funny sense of relief came upon her when the phone lit up at her touch, her fingers tapping in Bella’s number.

  But it wouldn’t connect. The meadow was between two large hills, shielded. Diana moved to where her satchel had been resting the whole day. She sunk to the ground, knees drawn to her chin and arms surrounding them. Working so hard to be independent, she thought, a hot burning behind her lashes.

  Gideon used the land line from his new home, swiping the back of his arm over his
forehead. Furniture guys and him had spent a couple hours unloading and arranging what he’d bought several weeks ago. He laid the business card for the lodge on the counter, listening to the receptionist answer the ring.

  “Can you connect me to Bella Jeffries, please?”

  Gideon should have gotten her number himself, but he wasn’t above finding help. If he knew what her hours were, he knew he’d be able to convince her to have dinner with him. Because he was that good, he mused? No…because he was tenacious.

  “This is Bella.”

  “Miss Jeffries, my name is Gideon Adams. I was a guest there a night or so ago,” Gideon began smoothly. “I don’t know if I’m wasting my time or not, but if you could just tell me what hours Diana works? So I can convince her to have dinner with me sometime next week.”

  “Mr. Adams,” Bella breathed a sigh of relief, her voice anxious with concern. “You said you met Diana in the hills? Where she was sketching? Have you seen her today?”

  “I haven’t been to the campgrounds today, Miss Jeffries. Is something wrong?” Gideon forgot the sweat and dust on him, dark eyes darting around the area he had been using as an office, striding with the wireless phone to the kitchen utility closet.

  “I don’t know. She left me a note that she was going to the meadow to paint. That was at ten-thirty this morning. I’ve tried calling her, but…”

  “It has no reception there. Too deep between the hills,” Gideon cursed softly. It was almost eight-thirty. And it was as dark as midnight. “I’ll find her. I know where she would have gone. I’ll call you when I have her.” He listened to the thanks before breaking the connection, grabbing his jacket, the powerful flashlight and slamming the door behind him.

  He continued to curse but he wasn’t sure if it was at her or himself. That piece of property he introduced her to belonged to him now. And in time, she would, too, he decided firmly.

  She was an artist. He should have known she wouldn’t be able to resist returning to paint. He should have checked. It was almost nine PM when he made it to the trail, the strong light shot out in front of him, to the sides and back again. Where the hell was she?

  Then the light landed on an apricot blond head. Her knees were drawn up, arms hugging them close and her head down.

  “Diana!” He called out, closing the distance at a half run.

  Pale lashes lifted at the same time she raised her head, turning toward the sounds or breaking branches and her name ripping through the darkness. It was a familiar, deep masculine voice.

  She was shivering. She was positive she’d never be warm again.

  “Gideon?” His name broke from quivering lips, lashes blinking and her palm up defensively at the bright light aimed at her. “Oh, G…Gideon!” She whispered thankfully. “I a…am so g…glad to see y...you!”

  “Diana! Why the hell…” he caught himself when the flashlight struck the shimmering blue eyes. He reached out, catching her against him when she pushed up off the ground, launching herself at him on wobbly legs and with cold shaking hands. His palm settled against her neck. She was freezing. Gideon shrugged out of his jacket, wrapping her in it before he grabbed up the case she had at her side, held her against him for support and began walking toward the house.

  “I..I…I’m so sorry…I…I did like you told me,” she shivered against him, stumbling a little on the uneven ground. “I was s…s…so scared,” she breathed. “I heard the o…owls and…and other things…I just want t…t…to sleep.”

  “Not yet, babe, not yet,” Gideon’s arm tightened, willing his body to generate more heat.

  “H….h…how did you f…find me? I c…can’t stop s…shaking…” Diana struggled to control the shivering, her fingers caught in the loops of his belt.

  “I called the lodge looking for you,” he told her simply, cursing softly. He could feel the cold in her hands even through his shirts. His brain was working through the ways to heat her up quickly and the shower was the best option. “Bella Jeffries is concerned because you’d been gone so long.”

  “I…I didn’t mean t…to…I wanted to p…paint…t…that’s all…j…just paint,” she only shivered harder when she inhaled in an attempt to stop the stammering. “Oh, g..god…I…I can’t stop s…shaking…but it w…w…was so pretty in the m…m…meadow.”

  “You didn’t even see the sun going down, did you?” He guessed, wanting to keep her talking, keep her moving. The lights of the house came into view seconds before she stumbled against him.

  “S…sorry…n…n..no…I just…just painted…” she looked up at the lights. “M…m...my car…”

  “I’ll get it for you in the morning. Right now we’re getting you warmed up,” Gideon kicked the door open, dropped the flashlight to the small table and latched the door firmly behind them. He dropped his jacket on the banister, set her large case on the floor and reached for her feet. “Give me your foot…that’s a good girl…shoes off…let’s go…this way…”

  “W…where are w…we?” Diana continued to shiver as they climbed the stairs to the wide open loft, past the bedroom and into a huge bathroom flooded with light at a flick of a switch.

  He leaned her against the counter, her arms up to cross over herself.

  “My house,” Gideon slid the shower stall door open and threw the spray on full and very warm. He pulled a couple small towels from one of the drawers and tossed them on his shoulder. “Can you get undressed? We need to get you warmed up and the shower works best…” He cursed under his breath when she reached for the button on her jeans, stiff slender fingers shaking and refusing to bend. For the first time, he noticed her hair.

  “I…I…m…my fingers won’t…” blue eyes lifted to his, one big warm tear falling free. "I…I’m…s…sorry…”

  “No…it’s okay…let me help,” Gideon popped the button free and the zipper down, pushing the grey jeans over her hips and onto the floor. He urged one foot and then the other up, tossing the jeans behind him into the bedroom. He kept telling his body now was definitely not the time for any kind of reaction to the blonde he was unwrapping. His hands moved efficiently to the hems of the shirts, peeling them both over her head and tossing them to join the jeans. Underwear would definitely stay, even though soaked, they’d be next to invisible. She deserved some sense of modesty.

  “Oh g…god…this feels so w…wonderful…” Diana shuddered, stepping into the steamy shower, her hands only stopped quaking when she pushed them firmly against the tiles below the shower head. She dropped her head and stood absorbing the warm water that was gradually being turned hotter and felt absolutely incredible.

  Gideon frowned, visibly seeing her slender form quake like it would shake apart any second.

  “I…I didn’t t…think I’d e…ever be warm again,” she whispered, eyes closed as his hands used the towels to rub her legs from top to bottom briskly. He moved onto her arms, instructing her to straighten up and turn her back to the water. She put her hands on the opposite wall, water flowing off her and steam flooding the room.

  “You’re doing fine…cute haircut…you’ve gone all fairy pixie on me, Diana,” Gideon teased, dropping the wet towels to the floor of the shower and turning the water off. He grabbed up a large thick towel and held it out and up. “Okay…off with the wet things and into the towel…quick.”

  Diana shivered only once as she peeled the wet panties down and unhooked her new bra, both falling to the floor of the shower before she found herself wrapped tightly in the large towel. Her gaze took in the room around them for a few seconds before she was carefully guided down the stairs. Gideon led her to the sofa, pulled a large blanket from the back and wrapped her in that, too.

  “Sit here…I’ll heat you up some soup,” He said firmly.

  “B…Bella…I have to…m…my phone wouldn’t work,” she finally managed, curling into the corner of the sofa.

  “I’ve got her number,” he lifted the home phone and tapped redial. “The meadow is too low for cell reception…Bell
a Jeffries, please…Gideon Adams…yes, I’ll hold…” He pressed the speaker button and waited patiently.

  “Gideon? Did you find her? Is she alright?” Bella’s anxious voice came though the speaker. “Please tell me…”

  “I…I’m okay, B..Bella…I’m sorry…s…so sorry…”

  “Diana! Gideon?”

  “She’s okay, Bella. We’re working on getting her body temperature up right now. I’ll bring her back in the morning…but she wanted you to know she was alright.”

  “Thank you, Gideon…Diana…you get some rest. Good night.”

  “S…she’s so sweet…so n…nice…” Diana curled down lower, her head on the arm of the sofa and face turned toward the back.

  “I’ll get you some soup…don’t move,” Gideon said firmly, realizing he had finally allowed himself to breathe or think. He quickly looked through the selections he had and went back to the sofa only to find her snuggled in and breathing evenly, asleep. Her body had finally stopped shaking, he noted with a long breath of relief.

  Gideon sunk into the chair, legs stretched out before him and head back against the cushions. He barely knew her, yet it had scared the hell out of him that she was out there alone in the woods at night. He sat up, elbows on his knees and stared for a long few minutes. He reached out, stroking the damp hair gently before standing up and carefully gathering her against him. Lifting her easily, he carried her back to the bedroom, peeling back the quilt and sliding her inside.

  Gideon stood beneath the hot spray of the shower, glad he’d installed the tankless water heater along with the solar panels. He had bought one of her paintings from the gift shop, a bright collection of gold and yellow dahlias in a silver etched vase. It fit perfectly in the guest bathroom on the first floor. He wrung the water from the lacy briefs and bra and hung them over the shower ledge, folded her clothes and set them on the chair before dragging a blanket down and going to the sofa.