by Toni Leland
Julia stepped closer. “Do you think she got enough of it to hurt the foal?”
“I just don’t know. We’ll have to wait and see.”
Chapter 4
Laughter and talk rose to a heavy din in the elegant Rainier Room of the Edgewater Hotel. Julia had moved to a sheltered corner with a view of Puget Sound. She closed her cell phone and sighed. Chet’s report on Coquette was encouraging—the mare was nibbling some hay and drinking again.
The noise level in the room rose even more as she stared at her wine and closed her eyes. These benefit functions were complete and utter agony for her.
“A penny for your thoughts.”
She looked up at the man behind the pleasant voice. Brown eyes twinkled with amusement and his smile formed a deep dimple at each corner of his mouth.
He offered his hand. “Dave Fortune from Central. I just want to thank you for your continued support for the library system. Without board members like you, we wouldn’t be able to provide such a wide variety of services to the region.”
Julia shook his hand and smiled. “Libraries have always played an important part in my life. I’m happy to do whatever I can to assure the continued quality of our system.”
His hand was warm and soft, and she realized she was still holding it. She stepped back, breaking the connection, but feeling a small twinge of regret.
She felt Stephen’s presence before she heard his voice, and dread flooded her mind.
His features formed a mask of wicked insinuation. “Well, isn’t this cozy.”
Dave Fortune smiled. “Thanks again. See you on Thursday.”
He swiftly melted into the crowd and Julia turned to her husband.
“He’s the director at the main library. He was just—”
Stephen’s eyes were cold with rage. “So that’s why you’re so anxious to get to your precious meetings. Do you even go to the library?”
Julia caught her breath, then fear swept over her again. This was an argument she’d never win.
“Stephen, I barely know the man. Please don’t say those things.”
He took her arm, his fingers biting into her bare flesh as he guided her toward their table. “We’ll talk about this when we get home.”
Stephen drove through the night in silence and Julia stared out the window, her trepidation growing. Stephen had been overly polite through dinner, making small talk with others at the table, but barely speaking to her. She swallowed hard. She’d learned that no amount of explanation would satisfy him when he settled on an idea. All she could do was hope she could appease him with sex. Her lower lip trembled and her heart ached as she gazed at the heavy blackness that engulfed the countryside. I wish I could just vanish into the dark night. She thought about a magazine article she’d read at the dentist’s office last year. Vanishing was not something to take lightly. It meant walking away from everything one ever knew or loved.
The wide automatic door magically rose as they approached, and the sleek vehicle rolled to a stop inside the pristine garage. Julia stepped out and started toward the open door.
“I need to run over and check on Coquette.”
The door began to descend.
“You can check her in the morning. It’s late.” Stephen’s tone defied argument.
Julia slipped out of her heels and padded into the kitchen, trying to keep her voice light. “Would you like a little nightcap?”
The last thing she wanted was more alcohol, but it might help Stephen mellow a little, might help her survive the conversation.
He nodded, shedding his tux jacket and loosening his tie. Julia expertly mixed two Manhattans, adding a little extra bourbon to his, and backing off a lot on hers. She dropped a maraschino cherry into each glass, then licked the juice from her fingers. She picked up the cocktails and headed toward the couch.
“Did you get to talk to everyone you wanted to see tonight?”
Stephen accepted his drink and nodded. “All but one of the principals in this merger we’re working on.”
Julia tried to interject interest in her tone. “Was he even at the party?”
“She. No, apparently something came up at the last minute and she couldn’t make it.”
Julia caught just a flicker of something in Stephen’s eyes as he made the statement, and a jolt of suspicion prickled her mind. A woman? Stephen had a very low opinion of women in business, yet this merger had consumed all his attention and energy for months. Was there more to it than just a business deal? Something akin to eagerness accompanied that idea. Could he possibly be having an affair? She almost snorted out loud. As jealous as he was about her every move, how ironic it would be if he were sleeping with someone else.
Stephen downed his drink and stood up. “Time for bed.”
She set her glass on the table and rose, relief washing over her like a fresh breeze. He seemed to have forgotten about the library director. She exhaled softly and followed him down the hall toward the bedroom. Suddenly, he whirled around, his face flushed and contorted with anger, his voice strident.
“So, are you fucking him?”
Julia stumbled backward, fear rising in her throat. “Stephen, don’t!”
The blow caught her cheek, snapping her head to the side. She crashed into the wall. He grabbed her hair and pulled her toward him, fury blazing in those steely eyes. She began to sob.
“Stop that sniveling, you miserable bitch! Always the tears! They really piss me off!”
He took a step toward her, then cursed and whirled away, charging into the bedroom and slamming the door behind him.
Julia stifled her sobs and tried to catch her breath. Her head throbbed and the vision in her right eye began to blur as it swelled. She walked slowly into the kitchen and opened the freezer. The icemaker tray was full and she dumped half of it into a dishtowel, then replaced the tray. The frigid air blew across her hot skin and she stared at the packages of frozen food. The day would come.
She sank onto the couch and cradled her face in the icepack. Through the blur of tears, she noticed her untouched Manhattan. A good anesthetic. She downed it in two gulps, then lay back to wait for the cold and the warm to work their magic. She closed her eyes and drifted.
A sound in the hall sent a jolt of adrenaline through her system and she scrambled to sit up. She listened, hearing his movements in the hall. Her heart hammered with the thought of the unavoidable. He was coming to “make up.”
Stephen’s robed figure rounded the corner and stopped. His features were soft with remorse.
“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. Will you forgive me?”
What could she do? She had never stood up to him—the consequences would be too great. She nodded. At least he wasn’t planning to beat her up any more. For now.
He held out his hand and helped her to her feet. His apologetic expression looked sincere as he tenderly swept her hair back from her bruised face.
“Say you forgive me.”
Cold anger rolled through her stomach, but she swallowed it. “I forgive you, Stephen. I know you didn’t mean it.”
He stepped back and smiled, pleased with his conquest. His gaze dropped to her breasts, then continued down the length of her body. “I never told you how stunning you look in that dress we picked out yesterday. I should have known better than to outfit you in something that would attract the men like bees to honey.”
Dangerous ground. Don’t get yourself trapped. She glanced away, feigning embarrassment at the compliments.
Stephen reached out and slid one strap down over her shoulder. She shivered at his cool touch as he did the same with the other strap. He pulled the dress down over her bare breasts.
“Mmm, good enough to eat.”
Her head swam. She had to do something, had to act like she wanted this, or he might start swinging again.
Inhaling slowly, she lifted her hands and caressed her nipples.
Stephen groaned. “Oh God baby, you know what that does to me.” He shed the s
ilk robe and reached for her.
The dress came off and he devoured her mouth, pressing his erection against her bare belly. He began walking her backward, guiding her into the dining room. His hands were all over her, and she tried to make the appropriate reciprocal noises through the nausea rising in her throat. The massive glass dining table reflected the soft lights in the recessed soffits, giving the feeling of being suspended in space.
Stephen’s voice lost its repentant tone. “Turn around.”
Slowly, Julia turned toward the table, choking down the sobs that threatened to set him off again. A beautiful watercolor on the wall reflected in the table, and she focused on the scene, willing herself to go there for a while. Stephen’s hands pushed her down onto the table and she jerked at the feel of the cold glass against her bare skin. He pushed between her thighs and grunted, his breathing became raspy, his voice thick.
“Does he do it like this?”
Chapter 5
The mattress moved and the sheets rustled. Julia listened to Stephen’s movements and kept her eyes tightly closed, feigning sleep, dreading his touch, but he left the bed and padded into the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind him. Julia exhaled slowly and opened her eyes. If she jumped out of bed right now, she could be in the kitchen before he emerged from his morning routine. The bathroom door opened and he stepped back into the bedroom. Her pulse ticked. Through half-closed eyes, she watched him enter the walk-in closet and turn on the light. His mind was clearly on work. She peeked at the clock, then snuggled under the goose-down quilt to collect just one more moment of rest for her aching body.
The closet door closed and her eyes flew open. Stephen was fully dressed and walking toward her. She stretched, pretending to have just awakened.
His tone was light. “Sleep well, darling?” He gave her a leering smile. “I certainly did.”
He leaned down and kissed her forehead. The scent of spicy cologne burned her nose.
His voice turned low and husky. “You are the best sleeping aid I know.”
She peeled back the quilt and started to rise, but he touched her shoulder. “You stay in bed and relax. I’m leaving right now. I have a seven o’clock breakfast meeting in Olympia, so there’s no need for you to get up.”
She sank back into the soft pillow. “Have a good day. I’ll see you tonight.”
He headed toward the door, calling back over his shoulder. “Surprise me with something elegant for dinner.”
Julia waited a full ten minutes, then slid out of bed and walked to the window.
“Another beautiful morning.”
Mist draped across the pasture and the rising sun cast slanted beams through the tree branches. Several horses grazed along the fence, and Julia’s chest contracted with love. This was her heaven, her refuge from a living hell.
She turned away from the scene and entered the bathroom, stopping to stare at her image, wondering who lived inside that bruised face. She stepped closer and examined the damage.
“This will take weeks to fade. No library board meeting this month.”
Dave Fortune’s pleasant face appeared in her mind. It was just as well—she’d be asking for trouble so soon on the heels of last night’s debacle. She opened a bottle of thick makeup base and began trying to cover the marks.
An hour later, she opened the freezer door and dug through the frozen packages to retrieve the bundles of money. After placing them in a grocery bag, she picked up her coffee mug and headed toward the barn, eager to see her mare.
Chet was at the door, his eyes reflecting worry. Panic surged into Julia’s chest.
“What’s the matter?”
“The mare’s not doing too good. I called the doc and he—”
Julia dropped the coffee mug and plastic bag, and started across the aisle.
“Miz Dorsey, you really don’t want to go in there.”
No, no, no! Please. It was just stupid colic. She has to be okay. Julia’s thoughts screamed and pain crushed her chest. With all that was wrong with her life, she couldn’t lose the one thing that kept her going.
She reached Coquette’s stall door, then stopped and stared. The mare turned and gazed at her with huge dark eyes, then nickered. Totally confused, Julia looked back at Chet.
“She seems fine. What—”
He shook his head. “Her foal.”
Julia stared at him, unable to accept what he’d said. A burning sensation began in her chest and her breath rasped through her throat. Slowly, she turned back to the stall, dropping her gaze to the fluffy wood shavings on the floor. A sob erupted, her anguish too great to contain.
A perfectly formed little horse about the size of a rabbit lay curled inside a translucent sac, eyes closed, legs tucked, tiny hooves that would never race across a pasture.
Julia turned away, sorrow wracking her body. Chet’s sinewy arms surrounded her, his deep voice murmuring words of consolation. But nothing would change the fact that, through her own negligence, she had caused this tragedy. She cried and cried until no more tears would come.
Thirty minutes later, the vet laid his hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure sorry, Julia. But the mare’s fine—I gave her something for pain and an antibiotic, just to be sure. What with the moldy hay and the abortion, her resistance is down and I don’t want to take any chances.”
Julia nodded numbly. “Thank you. Is there anything I need to do, or know?”
“Give her a couple of days in the barn, then she can be turned out. Call me if she stops eating or seems lethargic. Don’t you worry—she’ll be good as new for your big show.”
He headed toward the barn door, stopping briefly to talk with Chet. Julia stepped inside Coquette’s stall, battling the despair that threatened to overwhelm her again. Chet had removed the aborted fetus and added fresh bedding, but the memory of what she’d seen would burn in Julia’s brain for a long time.
Coquette stepped over and nuzzled Julia’s arm, chuckling softly in her throat, her warm sweet breath a tonic for sadness. Julia slid her arms around the mare’s neck and laid her cheek against the warm body.
“Miss Cokie, I am so sorry.”
The moment was one of those times that proved to Julia that the bond between her and this beautiful animal was more precious than any link she’d ever had with humans.
Her phone chimed and she stepped back. Stephen’s number glowed on the screen, and she took a deep breath. Her husband would not be happy about this news.
His voice was crisp and businesslike. “I left some important documents on my desk. I’ve sent a courier out to collect them. He should be there in about forty minutes. Where are you?”
“In the barn. Co—”
“Go back to the house. In my study, on the right corner of the desk is a green folder marked Wharton. Put it into a manila envelope and seal it. Use tape over the flap.”
“Okay.” Grief rose above all else, causing her voice to tremble. “Stephen, Coquette just lost her foal.” The tears came and Julia could barely breathe. “Oh god, it was so awful!”
His tone was cold. “So we’ll just breed her again. What’s the big deal?”
Julia almost shouted. “How can you be so uncaring? This was her baby!”
Anger snapped through the line. “For Christ’s sake, Julia—it’s just an animal. Grow up. Now get the hell over to the house and get that file ready.”
Julia slowly closed the cell phone. She stroked Coquette’s shoulder once, then left the stall. Stopping to gaze around the elaborate custom-built barn, she felt like a stranger.
One touch on the switch pad and Stephen’s study was bathed in the diffused lighting he’d designed himself. The smooth control pad was touch and temperature sensitive, and the lights adjusted their intensity to the ambient light. On dark days, they brightened, and on sunny days, they adjusted to balance the natural light. She thought about her husband as she headed toward his desk. He was a genius in his field, a fact proven by his stellar rise to the top of the entrepre
neurial heap. She wondered briefly if he even knew how much money he had. Of course he did—he knew every detail of his life. And hers.
The green folder sat exactly where he’d indicated. She checked a couple of drawers, then found the manila envelopes on a shelf behind the printer. Out of curiosity, she opened the Wharton folder and glanced through it. The usual boring electronic mumbo-jumbo filled the first few pages, followed by a diagram of some sort, but the following page caught her attention. It was a description of the project, something to do with the national power grid and a way to control it. Interesting. I didn’t know he was working on a government project. She actually didn’t know much of anything about his work. He was extremely close-mouthed about the business. She shrugged. Not that she was interested. She quickly slipped the folder into the envelope and sealed it.
An hour later, Julia closed the lid on the beautiful tack trunk, then gathered up the pieces of foil and stuffed them into the grocery bag. She felt more calm and confident than she could ever remember being during her marriage. A marriage she could no longer tolerate. Divorce was out of the question. Stephen would fight it to the death while she suffered under his hands. What recourse did she have? Her thoughts flashed back a year to an advertisement she’d seen on a billboard. What was the name of that organization? She couldn’t remember, but it would be easy enough to find on the Internet.
She glanced in the tack room mirror. The heavy makeup did a pretty good job of camouflaging her bruises. Maybe she’d go to the library board meeting after all.
Several days later, Julia was in her kitchen cleaning up the breakfast dishes. Oddly enough, Stephen remained at the dining room table, idly paging through the morning paper. Why doesn’t he leave? He’s always out of here by eight. As though he’d read her thoughts, he looked up and smiled.
“Your library meeting is this afternoon, isn’t it?”
Uh-oh. “Yes, four-thirty.”
Stephen set the newspaper aside and rose. “I don’t have anything pressing at the office today. I’ll work here until you’re ready to go, then we can drive in together. How about dinner at Chandler’s?”