Lock up. Go to bed and sleep. You look exhausted. I trust you not to let anything happen. Good night.”
He stood in the hall, completely dumbfounded, as she crossed the small space to the stairs and vanished up them. Locking the front door, he then pulled the heavy curtain across it and flicked off the light.
This Elle was a paradox. Just when he though he’d figured her out, she blindsided him with something else. Maybe the old Elle was still there. The Elle he’d fallen in love with, and still was in love with. But she’d made it clear she didn’t feel the same way. He could live with that. Couldn’t he?
He went upstairs, showered and returned to the sofa fully dressed. At least this way he’d be on guard, albeit asleep.
Lord God, keep watch over us tonight.
9
Eleanor woke as the sun peered over the horizon. She got out of bed and crossed to the window. There was something about the sunrise that drew her to it. A new dawn with the promise of a clean slate awaited everyone. Except her. She was doomed to keep repeating the mistakes of the past. Like Patrick.
She leaned her forehead against the cold glass. There was an apple tree in the garden. Memories of another apple tree from long ago came to mind.
Patrick grinned down at her. “It’s not that hard, see. If I can climb up here, then anyone can.”
She looked up at him. “That’s easy for you to say now you’re up there. What if I fall?”
“You won’t.”
“What if I get stuck?”
“You won’t.”
“Can you say anything other than you won’t?”
There was a long pause. “Nope.”
“Fine, but if I get stuck I’m blaming you.”
“You won’t.”
She reached up, pulling herself onto the first branch. “That response is getting a little tiresome. I’m going to fall.”
“Then the sooner you get up here, the better. These apples are delicious.”
“I thought it was the woman who tempted the man with the apple,” she said, breathing hard as she climbed laboriously upwards.
“It was. And I’m not tempting you. I’m enticing you. That’s a totally different kettle of fish all together.”
She glanced up into the leafy boughs, finally seeing his feet swinging above her. “Fish, too? Is there anything you don’t have up there?”
“That would be you.” He laughed.
Her whole body now shaking with effort, she reached the branch he was sitting on and lowered herself down beside him. She closed her eyes tightly, her breath coming in gasps.
“Was it that hard to climb up here?”
She shook her head, holding on tightly. “No…”
“Then what is it?”
His hand touched her face making her jump. She cried out, only her tight grip stopping her from falling.
“Elle?”
“Don’t like heights…”
His strong arms folded around her, his scent and warm breath covering her. “Why didn’t you say something, you silly goose?”
“You were already here, and I didn’t want you to call me a scaredy-cat.”
“Elle, I would never call you a scaredy-cat.”
A thud made her jump. “What was that?”
“I tossed the pack down so I can help you. We’ll do this one step at a time.”
“I can’t.”
“You can because I’m helping you.” He slid down on to the next branch. “Now do exactly what I say and we’ll be down before you know it.”
She smiled, turning away from the window. True to his word, he had guided her down, step by step, never letting her fall. Everything had been so simple then. He promised he’d keep her safe, she trusted him, she loved him, and she’d hoped he’d be the one man she’d spend the rest of her life with.
So much for that idea.
She left the bedroom and headed down to the kitchen. Today was a new day. Once again her life was in Patrick’s hands, and she knew she was safe. And he was right, if she had a target on her back, Abbie was safest with Mum. She had to let him do his job. And she’d start by making up to him for being horrible yesterday.
The kitchen
He stood in the hall, completely dumbfounded, as she crossed the small space to the stairs and vanished up them. Locking the front door, he then pulled the heavy curtain across it and flicked off the light.
This Elle was a paradox. Just when he though he’d figured her out, she blindsided him with something else. Maybe the old Elle was still there. The Elle he’d fallen in love with, and still was in love with. But she’d made it clear she didn’t feel the same way. He could live with that. Couldn’t he?
He went upstairs, showered and returned to the sofa fully dressed. At least this way he’d be on guard, albeit asleep.
Lord God, keep watch over us tonight.
9
Eleanor woke as the sun peered over the horizon. She got out of bed and crossed to the window. There was something about the sunrise that drew her to it. A new dawn with the promise of a clean slate awaited everyone. Except her. She was doomed to keep repeating the mistakes of the past. Like Patrick.
She leaned her forehead against the cold glass. There was an apple tree in the garden. Memories of another apple tree from long ago came to mind.
Patrick grinned down at her. “It’s not that hard, see. If I can climb up here, then anyone can.”
She looked up at him. “That’s easy for you to say now you’re up there. What if I fall?”
“You won’t.”
“What if I get stuck?”
“You won’t.”
“Can you say anything other than you won’t?”
There was a long pause. “Nope.”
“Fine, but if I get stuck I’m blaming you.”
“You won’t.”
She reached up, pulling herself onto the first branch. “That response is getting a little tiresome. I’m going to fall.”
“Then the sooner you get up here, the better. These apples are delicious.”
“I thought it was the woman who tempted the man with the apple,” she said, breathing hard as she climbed laboriously upwards.
“It was. And I’m not tempting you. I’m enticing you. That’s a totally different kettle of fish all together.”
She glanced up into the leafy boughs, finally seeing his feet swinging above her. “Fish, too? Is there anything you don’t have up there?”
“That would be you.” He laughed.
Her whole body now shaking with effort, she reached the branch he was sitting on and lowered herself down beside him. She closed her eyes tightly, her breath coming in gasps.
“Was it that hard to climb up here?”
She shook her head, holding on tightly. “No…”
“Then what is it?”
His hand touched her face making her jump. She cried out, only her tight grip stopping her from falling.
“Elle?”
“Don’t like heights…”
His strong arms folded around her, his scent and warm breath covering her. “Why didn’t you say something, you silly goose?”
“You were already here, and I didn’t want you to call me a scaredy-cat.”
“Elle, I would never call you a scaredy-cat.”
A thud made her jump. “What was that?”
“I tossed the pack down so I can help you. We’ll do this one step at a time.”
“I can’t.”
“You can because I’m helping you.” He slid down on to the next branch. “Now do exactly what I say and we’ll be down before you know it.”
She smiled, turning away from the window. True to his word, he had guided her down, step by step, never letting her fall. Everything had been so simple then. He promised he’d keep her safe, she trusted him, she loved him, and she’d hoped he’d be the one man she’d spend the rest of her life with.
So much for that idea.
She left the bedroom and headed down to the kitchen. Today was a new day. Once again her life was in Patrick’s hands, and she knew she was safe. And he was right, if she had a target on her back, Abbie was safest with Mum. She had to let him do his job. And she’d start by making up to him for being horrible yesterday.
The kitchen
Similar Books
