Catching Chase
Page 19
Upstairs were four bedrooms, one on each corner of the house, with a bathroom on each side, between each room. The beds were still covered with quilts that Hope’s grandmother had made by hand. Soft, thick rugs were on the wooden floors of each room, helping to keep toes warm on cold winter mornings. The master bedroom faced the lake and had another stone fireplace along the wall.
The only rooms in the house to be updated had been the bathrooms. Until she was around three, only cold water ran through the house, and the plumbing was limited. Her father had made it a priority to update the plumbing and bathroom fixtures, more for his comfort than anyone else’s. Her mother had grown up at the lake house, so it had never bothered her. Her father did stay true to the style of the house, outfitting the bathrooms with beautiful claw foot bath tubs and antique vanities. The first time her mother took a hot bubble bath in one of the huge tubs, she had declared that perhaps this time her husband had been right.
Forty-five minutes later, a bit of turbulence jarred the plane, signaling their arrival at the edge of the storm. She sat up straighter, pulled her seatbelt tight, and prepared herself for a bumpy ride. When she lifted the shade on the window, splatters of wind-driven rain hit the glass, blackened by the night sky.
“We’ll be landing in about twenty minutes, but it will be a rough few minutes. Can I get you anything before I buckle in?” Sylvia had magically appeared again.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you.” She watched Sylvia sway back and forth from the turbulence as she made her way back to the front of the plane to secure herself for the rest of the flight.
She wasn’t afraid of flying but wasn’t particularly fond of being on a plane bouncing through the air at thirty thousand feet. She clutched onto the arm rests and counted the minutes until she heard the plane’s landing gear descend. A few more drops and vicious sways, and the plane finally bounced onto the runway, wing flaps up and brakes squealing. Looking out the window again, Hope saw that the rain was pouring down and blowing sideways from the power of the wind. The plane slowly made its way to a private hanger, where it parked, a dry shelter from the storm.
Her Range Rover was parked in the hanger, and she thanked her lucky stars that she had driven it up here the last time she had visited. Her Mercedes S-Coupe wouldn’t have handled the weather very well, but she had no doubt the Rover could. She unbuckled and gratefully accepted her trench coat from Sylvia.
“Are you sure you want to drive to the house in this weather, Miss Yorke? Maybe it would be better for you to stay in town tonight until the storm passes?” Sylvia questioned with nothing but concern.
“I’ll be just fine.” Smiling warmly, she patted her on the shoulder. “I have the Range Rover, and I know the roads like the back of my hand.”
“Well, all right then. Will we be seeing you again for the ride back, or will you be driving down?”
“I haven’t decided yet, but I’ll make sure to let the team know by Sunday. I won’t be leaving until Monday at the earliest.”
Sylvia handed over her computer bag and purse then walked with her to the door. It had been opened and the stairs lowered for her exit.
“All right, Miss, please drive carefully, and as always, nothing but the best wishes for you.”
“Thank you.” Hope gave her a warm smile and started down the stairs. Glenn was waiting at the bottom to greet her.
“Sorry about the rough landing. Damn winds fought us every step of the way.” He shook his head in frustration.
“Glenn, it was fine. We’re all here in one piece.” She walked toward the Rover.
“Well, the keys are in the Range Rover, and it’s all gassed up for you. Maggie already stocked the house for you, so you should be fine once you get there.”
“Wonderful. I’m not sure about my return plans yet, but I’ll let you and your team know as soon as I decide.” Opening the rear door, she placed her computer bag and purse in the seat, taking her cell phone out to keep in the front with her.
“Very good. You just enjoy your time here, and we’ll be ready if you need us.”
“Thanks so much, Glenn.” She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and climbed in behind the steering wheel.
“You be careful on those roads, Hope.” He shut the door, hit the roof once with his palm, and walked away.
With a push of a button, the Rover roared to life, and she backed out of the hanger and headed toward the airport exit. The wipers were on at full blast as the rain pelted down and the wind whipped leaves and debris up from the road. Under normal circumstances, it generally took about thirty minutes to get to the lake house, but given the weather, she knew it might take longer. She hoped that the power hadn’t been knocked out. It was a common occurrence around the lake when the weather turned bad.
She saw the sign for the highway entrance and merged to the right to enter. The highway was dark and wet, without another vehicle in sight. It was only a little after nine o’clock, but people must have been smarter than her, already at their homes, dry, and warm. The wipers continued to swish quickly back and forth, working hard to keep her view clear. She only had to be on the highway for one exit, but this far North, exits were about ten miles apart from each other. Reaching down, she turned the radio on but got nothing but static, so she hit the CD button and scrolled through until the fourth CD came up. “Round Here” by the Counting Crows started playing over the speakers, and she sang along. This disc was one of her favorites and hadn’t been taken out of the Rover since she purchased it.
Soon enough, she reached the exit and pulled off to merge onto Route 2. She was halfway to the house now, but this is where the roads got a little trickier. It was a simple two-lane road, curvy, and there wasn’t a street light for miles. She knew the road well, though, and continued to sing her heart out as she drove through the storm, feeling safe in the sturdy SUV. Another fifteen minutes and she’d be there.
Want to keep reading? You can download your copy of Losing Hope right here on any platform:
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About the Author
Michelle Windsor is a writer who lives north of Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband and two teenage boys. She writes steamy contemporary romance, has achieved Amazon and Barnes & Noble International Best Seller status, and was awarded the Best Contemporary Romance Writer by Passionate Plume Ink in 2019. When Michelle isn’t working on another book, you can find her spending time with her family, her German Shepherd, Roman, or enjoying cocktails with her close-knit girlfriends.
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