Returning Home: A Second Chance Homecoming (Return To Me Book 4)

by Parks, AL

  “You don’t have grandparents close by?” Maxine added cream to her tea, two sugar cubes, and then took a sip.

  “No, my father’s parents were older when I was born, and both have died. I was little, so I don’t really remember them. They lived in Conneticut, and didn’t like to travel. And, for whatever reason, my father never wanted to go back to see them. My mother’s parents died not long after she and my father married - before I was born. It was weird, they died within months of each other.”

  “Well, that must have been hard on your mother?” Maxine replaced her cup in her saucer and peered at Clarissa.

  “Yeah, from what I understand, she was not really that close to them. They put her in boarding school at a young age, and travelled around the world. Well, my grandmother did, at least. I think my grandfather was in New York City working all the time. Mom said she had a really close relationship with my father until she was twelve. Then something happened, she was shipped off to boarding school, and her parents were rarely around. She stayed with friends over holidays and stuff. It’s all really weird.” She sighed, glanced over at Maxine and snickered. “I swear, they write soap operas based off my family history.”

  Maxine reached across the table and patted Clarissa’s hand. “We all have skeletons in our family closet, dear. Some are more interesting than others, but no one can avoid scandal in a family. It’s there, but not pleasant to talk about.”

  “Well, my family has more than a closet. It’s more like an entire wing in a mansion,” she smirked. “It’s big and dark and deep, and not someplace I like to visit very often.”

  “I don’t mean to intrude on your privacy, but Robbie says you didn’t get along well with your father.”

  Clarissa finished chewing the chocolate truffle she had popped in her mouth and smiled. “I’m sure it was a much more colorful statement than that. Something along the lines of ‘she swoops in here and takes his millions and doesn’t have the decency to even cry at his funeral.’” She sipped on her tea, peering over the rim of the cup at Maxine. “Am I close?”

  “Pretty darn,” Maxine confirmed. She placed two cakes on her plate and refilled her teacup.

  “Well, I’m sure that’s what most people are thinking. No one understands why I hated him so much. And that’s okay. No one needs to know. It’s better if no one understands it. I can handle the misjudgments of his friends. Even the odd looks and head shakes from his business partners. I don’t care. And I don’t feel like I have to explain a damn thing to them. It doesn’t bother me whether or not they think my reasons are valid. They’re my reasons, and I don’t want them aired for public opinion and scrutiny.”

  Clarissa kept her head down, staring at the crumbs on her plate. She didn’t want this to turn into a “poor me, I had a rough childhood” afternoon. The truth is, she was having a great time with Maxine. It was the closest thing she had to spending time with a grandmotherly-type figure. She wanted to be happy, and not dwell on the negative crap in her life. She needed a bright spot, some light, something to walk towards that gave her some peace. And Maxine was providing that, and Clarissa was thankful to have her there.

  As if picking up on Clarissa’s mood, Maxine shifted in her seat, and smiled broadly at Clarissa. “Well, enough doom and gloom. Tell me about your mom and sister. They just moved to Colorado? What made them do that?”

  Clarissa smiled. “True love.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Griff got out of Neal’s truck and strutted over to his own parked in the lot next to the shop. He better get over to the heiress’s hotel and collect Gram before she wears out her welcome. For some reason, the idea that Gram was spending time with Clarissa put him on edge. He should be thankful Clarissa stepped in and helped Gram out when he couldn’t. Instead, he felt resentful that she had taken advantage of the situation in order to manipulate Gram.

  “Of course she’s staying at the Clifton,” he muttered under his breath as he pulled out onto the road and headed toward the exclusive part of town. “Where else would the newest Newport heiress be staying? And, of course she had to take Gram there and show off.” Deep down, Griff knew it probably wasn’t true. But that didn’t stop the little green monster that dwelled in the dark places to rear his ugly little head and convince Griff that Clarissa had less than honorable intentions. He was developing for her, and that just complicated matters. She would be leaving soon to go back to England. No need getting tied up in knots over a woman that was not available.

  He parked next to Clarissa’s SUV in the parking lot, and headed towards the path that was marked with a sign for Villa’s one and two. He was growing more perturbed the closer he got to the small villa. The salt air hit him, and he breathed in deeply. For a moment it calmed him, until he remembered that it was only air the very rich and undeserving were able to appreciate. If Clarissa wasn’t a guest here, and his Gram wasn’t visiting her, Griff would not be allowed on the premises to enjoy this view.

  He rapped on the door with the brass number two on it, and listened for movement from the other side of the door. There was laughter, and then he heard Clarissa’s voice, “Coming.” She pulled open the door. Her face was bright, and beautiful, with a genuinely happy smile across it. Her eyes seemed to light up when she saw him. It should’ve melted the thick layer of ice that encased his heart during the ride over from the shop. And it started to, until the green-eyed monster reminded him that she was just showing off.

  “Hey, you made it.” She stepped aside and let him enter the room. He looked around. It was smaller than he had expected, but still had a queen bed, as well as a sitting area with a couch and a small round table with two chairs. A door across from the bed led into a bathroom, complete with claw foot tub. Yeah, it was small but it oozed complete and total luxury.

  Light curtains waved in the breeze, drawing his attention to the veranda. Gram sat at a small table, china cup in her thin hands. She had on plastic sunglasses that completely covered her eyeglasses, and appeared to be staring out at the ocean.

  “Yeah, I made it.” He whirled around to face her, forcing her to take a step back so he wouldn’t knock her over. “So, what the hell is all this? Huh? You trying to impress me by bringing my grandmother here. Show a poor old woman what it’s like to enjoy the rich-bitch life?”

  “What?” Clarissa stuttered. Her eyes grew wide, and some of the color left her face. “No, I - she called and I - you weren’t there, so I said I would get her. I swear - “

  “Save it, heiress. I don’t want to hear your lame excuses. You took the opportunity to flaunt your millions in front of a woman who has lived a simple life. For what? So she would be indebted to you? So I would? You don’t impress me, heiress, and I won’t let you use my grandmother to make yourself feel better.”

  “Robert, what on earth are you doing?” Gram was standing in front of him. She had the same expression as Clarissa. Fuck! He pushed it to far. He needed to get Gram and get out of there.

  “Come on, Gram. I’ll take you home.” He turned and didn’t wait for a response. He passed by Clarissa, reached for the door handle and yanked it open with more force than was necessary.

  “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t trying to disrespect you, or make you feel uncomfortable. If I did, I am truly sorry.” Clarissa words to his Gram ripped through his chest like a jagged knife, shredding his heart. He walked out the door and stood on the sidewalk waiting for his Gram to come out. He couldn’t stand to hear the pain and hurt in Clarissa’s voice, knowing he had caused it. And he was sure Gram was doing her best to apologize for his rude behavior.

  When Gram finally joined him on the sidewalk, they walked back to the truck in silence. In fact, Gram wouldn’t even look at him the entire way back to her house. She sat, peering out the window, her body turned away from him. When he pulled into her driveway, she finally looked over at him and said, “Get your butt in that house. Now, young man!” She didn’t wait for a reply, just hopped out of the truck and walked with a purpose int
o the door at the side.

  Oh, this was going to be bad. He hadn’t seen Gram this mad since she caught him getting high one afternoon in the park with his friends. Griff wasn’t kidding when he told Clarissa that Gram was fierce. The woman was no match for him physically, but she had an evil eye that made him believe she could conjure up some kind of curse against him. Or kill him in his sleep.

  When he got into the house, she was standing in the kitchen with her back to him. She whirled around. Fire burned in her eyes. Her face was bright red.

  “Robert Francis Griffith, I don’t know what has crawled up your back end and settled there, but you had better get it out and deal with it. What you did back there was just horrible. How you could treat that young woman that way after the kindness she showed me all afternoon - well, I am just embarrassed. Embarrassed for me, but more embarrassed for you. You certainly showed your ass.”

  “Gram, I’m happy that she was able to help you out today. I really am. But don’t mistake her kindness for anything more than trying to flaunt her money. She only did that so she could show off.” Griff slumped into a chair around the kitchen island. He couldn’t tell Gram what was really going on, that he was so confused by his feelings for Clarissa that it was causing him to question every single plan he had for his life. He wanted a successful business without the drama that came from having a relationship. And Clarissa Beckett was full-on drama that he was not sure he was prepared to take on. He also wasn’t sure he was willing to put his heart out there. Too much of a chance it would get stomped on.

  “What she did was share something near and dear to her heart with me. I felt honored that she would include me in something that was obviously so very personal to her, and meant so much to her. It had nothing to do with money, or showing off. It had to do with a young woman who is here, all alone, trying to work through the death of her father. Do you think this is easy for her? Do you think that just because she has all those millions that once belonged to him that maybe she doesn’t feel some guilt? Whatever is going on with her, the girl is facing it all alone.”

  Gram sat in the chair next to him and drew in a deep breath and exhaled. “What she was trying to do was make some sort of connection with someone. I imagine she would rather make that connection with you - or at least she did before you burst into her room and accused her of all sorts of nefarious acts. Robbie, that girl’s mother and sister are in Colorado. She has no grandparents that are alive. She has no other family she can lean on. What she wanted was someone to talk to, a way to get away from the sadness and pain and whatever else she is going through that is associated with her dad and his death. How can you not look at that beautiful girl and see all the pain in those stunning green eyes and not want to take some of it away?”

  She stood up and patted him on the shoulder. “You owe that girl an apology.”

  Griff scratched his head vigorously, and then looked up at her. “I know, Gram.” He got up, leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry if I ruined your afternoon.”

  “Go get things straight with Clarissa. I know she has a tough exterior, but that girl is a ball of pain that is ready to explode. There is a reason she was put in our lives. She needs us, and I will not turn my back on a girl that needs the love you get from family.”

  It was raining when Griff stepped outside his grandmother’s house. He trotted to his truck, got in and contemplated what he should do. Should he go back over to Clarissa’s hotel and apologize? Wait until tomorrow? He needed time to think - to get his head on straight. It was too hard to think clearly when he was around her. His emotions where at one extreme or the other. One minute he wanted to kiss her, wrap his arms around her, and - yes - he wanted to take the pain he saw in her eyes and chase it away. The next minute, he wanted her to leave so that he could get back to his life, and his shop. It was a love-hate battle within him. One minute he hated everything she and her extreme wealth represented. The next minute, he wanted to love her, and make love to her.

  Even that came in various levels. Sometimes he imagined taking things slow, investigating every inch of her gorgeous body. But most of the time, the heat in him grew to a boiling point, and the desire to have her rough, up against a wall, begging for more of him inside her drove him mad.

  Yeah, go home and call. That was safe. There would be no way for either scenario to take place across town from each other.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Clarissa sat in the middle of her bed with her back against the headboard. The rain was coming down in sheets outside her windows. It sounded as if someone was tossing handfuls of pebbles against the glass. She had already made sure the windows and doors to the patio were closed and latched. The door to the front path was dead bolted and had the slide lock in place.

  The TV was on and she had tried to pay attention to the show, but every fifteen seconds she refreshed her cell phone to get an update on the weather. She was hoping the purple blob on the radar over Newport would move out to sea a little more quickly. But it lingered, and the rain kept up a steady pattering on the window sill. It had grown so dark outside, so quickly, it was hard to believe it was only just after eight in the evening. It had been dark for several hours. Just after Griff and Maxine had left.

  She hadn’t really paid much attention to the weather at that point. She was still upset over how Griff had treated her. How could he think she had brought his grandmother here to just show off? She wasn’t that person. She didn’t care about the inheritance, would have been happy to have been written out of the the will and taken out of the trust. Then she wouldn’t have had to come back to this godforsaken place that dredged up memories that she would just as soon banish from her mind.

  She didn’t ask to be his partner, but was doing her best to at least offer some opinions and assistance. She realized Griff wanted to run it, and didn’t need her help, but she had at least been able to provide some insights into marketing.

  The longer she sat there brooding over the event, the more she wanted to seriously punch Robbie Griffith square in the mouth. The nerve of that man! To accuse her of flaunting her millions. How dare he make her feel as if there was something wrong with her because she came from money? There were so many other reasons to think badly of her, after all. He chose the one thing she had no control over. The jealous little freak needed to get the fuck over himself. She had half a mind to give her shares in the business to Brandi, and let Griff deal with her.

  The TV screen went fuzzy, and wavy lines appeared through the picture. Clarissa grabbed up her cell and hit refresh on the radar app. A box popped up, informing her she had ten percent of her battery left. She scooted off the the bed, trying to locate which bag she had tossed the charger into when she left that morning. The lights in the room flickered and she froze.

  Oh, please! Oh, please! Do not let the power go out!

  More panicked, she rummaged through the camera bag. Finally her hand landed on what felt like the narrow end of the charger, and she pulled the cord out. Bingo! She ran back to the bed, located an outlet on the wall by the nightstand and plugged in the phone. The light on the screen brightened. She refreshed the radar and waited, praying that the purple had at least turned to red and was moving away from Newport. But the purple dot stayed right where it had been for the last half an hour.

  She flipped through the channels and found a marathon of Friends episodes. She needed a good laugh. That would keep her from worrying about if - or when - the power was finally going to go out. About thirty minutes later, after flickering and threatening for what seemed like forever, the room went black. No TV, no light from anywhere. Complete and total darkness.

  Clarissa pulled her legs into her chest. Her heart was pounding, threatening to explode at any moment. She glanced around, but there was nothing to see. Even as she sat there, begging for her night vision to allow her to make out anything, the darkness remained. Still. Quiet. So quiet, the only sound she heard was her ragged breathing.

  Lightening pi
erced the night, briefly illuminating the room with odd shadows. They toyed with her mind, making her see things she knew were not there. Monsters that only came out in the still of the night. Her mother had promised her they didn’t exist. But her mother had been wrong. Monster were real. They just dressed and looked like everyone else in the light of day. Their evil didn’t appear until the lights when out and everyone was asleep.

  She grabbed her cell phone and looked at the battery indicator. It had only charged to forty percent. What the hell? She had it on the charger for over half an hour. It should have been almost fully charged. She went through the screens until she came to the flashlight app, and switched it on. Sweeping the light around the room slowly, she made sure she could make out what every large, small, short and tall object was that surrounded her. Nothing that shouldn’t be there. No monsters that would sneak into her bed under the protection of the darkness.