by Angie Martin
“What about all my stuff at the house? How can we take that on an airplane?”
“I’ve already gotten you some clothes from your house to get you by for the next few days, along with your toothbrush and some other personal effects. Before we leave San Diego, we’ll go back to your house so you can pick out what you want to take with you. The rest of your belongings can be shipped, or we can get you new clothes and other things. It’s up to you, but you don’t have to make the decision now. You can always change your mind up until the point that the house is sold. That could take a long time, depending on probate.”
Rachel shrugged with indifference. She was relieved they didn’t have to go back to her now empty home, at least not today. “I’ve never been on an airplane before,” she said once they were inside the car.
“I hate flying, but it’s quicker than driving. I’m just glad we have a private jet all to ourselves and don’t have to fly with other people.”
Rachel’s eyes grew with Paul’s words. “A jet for us? That must cost a lot of money.”
Paul laughed. “I’m sure it does. Wait until you see our hotel suite. It has two bedrooms and a kitchen in it. Good thing we don’t have to pay for that, either.”
“Why don’t we have to pay for it? Where’s your house?”
“I live at the estate. I work as a security guard there.”
Rachel rolled her eyes. “So we have to live at the same place as the rich jer—I mean, guy?”
Paul laughed. “You’ve been listening to your father too much. Besides, that rich jerk is responsible for getting me here so fast. It’s his jet we’re using, and he’s paying for the hotel, too.”
Rachel pursed her lips. “I guess that’s nice of him, but Daddy called him a lot worse names than jerk.” She cocked her head to the side. “Does daddy know him?”
“No, but he was upset with me for going to work for Donovan. He was also mad because I’m not a doctor at the hospital anymore.”
“Why did you stop being a doctor? Daddy said you were a great doctor.”
“I’m still a doctor, but I don’t work at the hospital.”
“Do you miss Daddy?”
“Of course I do, honey. He’s my brother and I loved him. I still love him, no matter what happened between us, but I wish we could have made amends before now.”
She reached into her backpack on the floorboard and brought out a black baseball cap with no sports team name or logo stitched across it. She pulled her ponytail through the hole in the back and secured the cap on her head. A warm melancholy clenched her heart and she felt a little closer to her father for wearing the hat she begged him to buy.
She tugged on the curved bill and tried her best not to cry. It wasn’t fair they were gone. She turned to her uncle, the only person she knew who could explain it to her. “I don’t understand why God took them away from me.”
Paul exhaled heavily. “Rachel, sometimes God is the only one who knows why things happen. It’s not for us to question, but to accept it and move on.”
Rachel narrowed her eyes, her jaw set in defiance of Paul’s words. “Well, I might not question it, but that doesn’t mean I have to agree with God.”
“Don’t be angry at God. Be angry at the jerk who was driving drunk at seven-thirty in the morning.”
Rachel sniffed. She turned her head away from her uncle’s view so he would not see the tears she rubbed out of her eyes. She placed her clenched hands back in her lap, pushed aside her anger, and stared out the window as San Diego passed her by.
Chapter Thirty-seven
The first day at the estate was a blur for Rachel. She stayed in her room, crying and sleeping. All she could think about was her parents. The funeral had been nice, but it went by so fast Rachel had no real time to mourn. A lot of people she didn’t know came up to her at the funeral and told her they were sorry for her loss. Rachel took little solace in the rushed sympathies tossed her way.
Paul visited her several times that first day to bring her food and try to talk to her. She barely acknowledged him, but soon she regretted her indifference toward him, remembering her mother’s frequent admonitions to always be polite.
On her second day there, she ventured out of her room with Paul as her guide. Her large eyes took in the wonders around her while he led her around the estate, starting the tour from her room in the basement. The basement acted as a separate house, with everything they needed to live on their own, if necessary. He first showed her his room down the hall and she was relieved to know he was close.
They wandered into the gym, and she smiled at the equipment that surrounded the large, black mat on the floor. Paul let her try each machine and warned her never to go in the gym without someone else so she wouldn’t hurt herself.
Not too far down the hall from the gym was the game room, with a pool table, four dart boards, a poker table, and a foosball table. Next to the game room was a small kitchen that included a microwave, stove, and a dishwasher. Paul let her know that the refrigerator and cupboards were always fully stocked, but to be sure not to ruin her dinner by snacking.
He took her upstairs and into the main kitchen where he introduced her to the three cooks that worked at the estate. Rachel had never before seen a kitchen so large. She walked over to one of the counters. Palms down, she lifted herself up until her feet dangled above the floor. She rolled her head down, and her reflection in the stainless steel made faces back at her. She dropped down to her feet after Paul reprimanded her for acting silly.
Rachel jogged across the room and poked her head in the pantry that was as big as her bedroom at her old house. She was excited to learn that their meals would be cooked for them every day, but only after she confirmed she wouldn’t have to eat broccoli and no longer had to do dishes.
Their next stop, the library, had bookshelves built into the walls throughout the hexagonal-shaped room. In the center of the library, several leather reading chairs were scattered with tables and lamps next to each one. Wooden ladders were set on rails around the room so books on the higher shelves could be reached.
A slim spiral staircase reached for the second floor of the library, and Rachel thought it would be fun to run up and down the stairs until she became dizzy. Instead of racing to the stairs, she twirled around the center of the room, and the colorful spines of varying thickness blended in front of her eyes, until Paul put his hand on her shoulder and stopped her movement. Rachel vowed to read every last book.
Paul led her across the hall into the conference room. Black leather chairs were pushed up to a cherry wood table. Paul explained that while Donovan had an office an hour away in the main corporate building for his company, he did most of his work out of his home. He said Donovan held important meetings in the conference room, and she wasn’t allowed to go in there unless she was told otherwise.
Rachel found the room boring and didn’t mind it was off limits. She followed him to the set of heavy, wood doors at the far end of the conference room. Before he opened the doors, he told her the waiting room was on the other side of the doors.
“What’s a waiting room?” Rachel asked.
“It’s where people sit and wait.”
“What do they wait for?”
“They wait to have a meeting with Donovan in the conference room.”
She wrinkled her nose. “That doesn’t sound like much fun.”
He laughed. “It probably isn’t,” he replied, and he pulled the doors open.
She gasped as she walked in. “Wow! This is so cool!” Four leather chairs with majestic, high backs were positioned in the center of the room. Rachel moved past them to examine the cases on the walls, each housing different weapons. Guns, knives, whips, swords and crossbows, along with some other weapons she had never heard of or seen before, were all contained behind glass on the walls. “What is this?”
“This is Donovan’s collection.”
“Why would you want to keep your collection in a waiting room?” Rachel as
ked. “Why not have books and magazines to make people more comfortable, like in the doctor’s office?”
“He doesn’t want them comfortable. He wants to make them nervous. It gives him an edge during meetings.”
She shrugged. “Makes sense to me.” She moved over to one of the cases, which contained three crossbows. Her fingers grazed the glass. “Can I shoot one of these?”
“Don’t you play with dolls or something?”
She wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue. “Yuck,” she said. She walked out of the room and gazed out the French windows at the other end of the foyer. The small glimpse of the woods made her long for playing outside with her friends. “Can I go outside?” she asked Paul.
Paul shut the waiting room doors behind them. “In a little bit. First, I want to take you upstairs.”
“What’s up there?”
“That’s Donovan’s private floor. His bedroom, office, study, and some other rooms are all up there. We aren’t supposed to go upstairs, but I know he’s anxious to meet you. He asked me to bring you to his office when we were done taking a tour of the estate.”
“If he wanted to meet me why didn’t he come see me sooner?” Rachel asked, as they climbed the flared staircase. She kept her hand sealed to the rail and fought the temptation to run her fingers over the wrought iron balusters. “Doesn’t he care that I’m here?”
“Yes, he does care, but he wanted to give you space and meet you when you were ready. He lost both of his parents, so he understands how hard it is.”
Rachel realized she had not thought of her own parents since Paul started the tour. The pain of her loss once again crept into her chest and threatened to smother her. She pushed back at the sadness and tried to focus on the carpeted steps she climbed. At the top of the stairs, she peered down the dark hallway and hesitated.
“Do you have any questions for me before I leave you here?” Paul asked.
“Can we go outside later?”
He laughed. “Yes, I’ll take you outside in a bit.” He took her to a door halfway down the shadowed hallway. “Come back down when you’re done. I’ll wait at the bottom of the stairs for you. There are other people here that can’t wait to meet you.”
She smiled. “Thanks, Paul.”
Donovan rose from his seat behind an antique desk as they entered the room. Rachel stepped onto the first of two extravagant rugs, and trailed behind Paul across the long, intimidating room. In front of her, Donovan shut the monitor of his laptop. As she neared the desk, Rachel wanted to touch the handcrafted moldings, but she kept her hands clasped behind her back so she wouldn’t misbehave.
“Rachel, this is Donovan King,” Paul said.
She accepted Donovan’s outstretched hand across the desk. Her hand bobbed up and down in his, and she hoped he didn’t feel her hand trembling.
“I’ll be downstairs when you’re ready,” Paul said to her with a wink.
“It’s nice to meet you, Rachel,” Donovan said after Paul shut the door. “I understand you’ll be staying with us.”
She swallowed hard and straightened her posture. Donovan towered over her. Much taller than Paul, he seemed larger than life to her. “Yes, sir. If that’s okay with you.”
“Of course it’s okay, but only if you promise to call me Donovan.” A warm smile softened his face and Rachel smiled back, relieved to know he was friendly. He sat down and indicated the chair on the other side of his desk. “I’m glad to see you came out of your room. I was starting to get worried about you. Did Paul show you around?”
“Yes.” She slid into the leather chair across from him. She placed her hands in her lap and crossed her legs at the ankles. “It’s a really big house.”
“Do you like it?”
Rachel looked around the desk at the inset bookshelves. Some had books on them, while others had vases and other décor. She was sure if she accidentally broke a vase it would cost more money to replace than she even knew existed. “Yes,” she said. “I like the house a lot.” She leaned her head in closer and whispered in a conspiratorial tone. “The waiting room is the best. I would like to learn how to shoot the crossbows.”
“I bet you would. The cases are only opened for cleaning, so you won’t be able to shoot one of those crossbows, but maybe one day you can try a different one out. My father started that collection when I was about your age, and I kept it going over the years,” he said. “How are you doing? About your parents, I mean.”
Her smile faded and tears forced their way into her eyes. Paul was always trying to get her to talk about her parents. Even though she didn’t want to discuss them anymore, she also didn’t want Donovan to think her rude. “I miss them a lot. I wish they would come back, but I know they can’t.”
“I understand that. It’s hard when you lose someone you love so much. I was seven when my mother died of cancer. Her death made me sad for a long time, but after awhile it got better for me. It will for you as well, even though it may not seem like it now. Do you believe that?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Now, let’s talk about your future. The room you’re in now is temporary, so don’t unpack too much. I’m having some rooms in the basement remodeled so you will have a large room with your own bathroom. I’ve also spoken with Paul and we both expect you to continue with school,” he said.
Rachel’s mood brightened. “Oh, don’t worry, I love going to school. I get all A’s and I never get sick and miss days. When can I go? I hope there are lots of nice kids there.”
“You won’t go back to an actual school building. Do you know what home school is?”
“Kind of.”
“It’s where children can learn at home instead of going to school with other kids in a formal classroom setting. That’s what you’re going to do, if you agree, of course.”
Rachel frowned, disappointed she wouldn’t get to go to school and make new friends. “I think that’s okay, but don’t I need a teacher or something?”
“Of course you do. Paul is going to teach you everything you need to know. We ordered your schoolbooks yesterday, so you can start on Monday. You’ll also go on rounds with Paul whenever he’s scheduled. You will learn a lot by doing that.”
“What are rounds?”
“That’s what we call patrolling the grounds to make sure no one trespasses.”
Her eyes lit up. “Do I get a gun, too, like Paul?”
Donovan laughed. “I’m afraid not for quite a few years. You have to learn how to shoot one and care for one first. Even then, you’d have to show that you’re responsible enough to own your own gun.”
“I’ve always wanted to learn how to shoot a gun, but my daddy would never let me. He didn’t like guns much.”
“Maybe after you get settled in, I can teach you all about guns. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Now, do you have any questions for me?”
She pursed her lips as she thought. “I didn’t see any televisions.”
“That’s because we don’t watch television here.”
“Why not?”
“We don’t have time. Everyone always has work to do, and television can be quite distracting.”
“Oh. Are you married?”
He let out a nervous chuckle. “No. I’m afraid I don’t have time for that, either.”
“What do you do for work?”
“I own a security company. It takes a lot of hard work to run the business.”
Feeling comfortable for the first time since arriving at the estate, Rachel narrowed her eyes, ready to challenge Donovan. “How old are you?”
“Twenty-eight.”
“Are you Paul’s boss?”
“Yes.”
“But you’re younger than he is. How can you be his boss?”
“He’s only five years older than me and sometimes it works out like that. Are you always so full of questions?”
Rachel tilted her head. “I like to know things.”
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “That’s not always a bad thing.”
“I know,” she said. “Can I go outside now?”
He stood up. “Sure. I’ll take you downstairs and we’ll find Paul. He’ll introduce you to the rest of his team, and then you can go outside.”
“How many other people are there?”
“Four more. Tony, Joe, Eric, and Aaron. They help with security and also live here. Paul is in charge of all four of them, as well as some others that you’ll see from time to time.”
“You mean they live in the other rooms in the basement? Do the maids and the cooks live here, too?”
“No. They go to their own homes at the end of each day. There are a lot of people that come and go here, and you’ll get to know all of them in time.”
“I’ve never known anyone with cooks and maids before.”
“You’ll be spoiled by it. In fact, one of the maids is yours alone. Claudia now works only for you and she will help you out with everything you need. If you need clothes or shoes or anything at all, let Claudia know. It’s like having your own personal assistant.”
Rachel couldn’t help but smile. “Am I that important?”
“You are,” Donovan said.
Rachel followed Donovan out of the office and back down the steps. She restrained herself from running down the staircase like she would do at her house. She always seemed to be in trouble from her mom and dad for running up and down the steps, and did not want to get in trouble with Paul or Donovan for doing it here.
Halfway down the stairs, she saw Paul talking with four other men and one woman. When they noticed her, all of them turned to watch her finish descending the stairs. Rachel lost her smile and her nerves took control again. She was reminded of the first day of school, worried that the other kids wouldn’t like her. At the last step, she forced herself to smile as big as she could, showing most of her teeth like her mom told her to do whenever she had her picture taken.