by Irene, Susan
Copyright Information
Susan Irene, 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via other means without permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, places, and dialogue are from the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Acknowledgements
To my friend, who knew when I started writing this book that I would be starting a new chapter in my life and that the stars were aligning to bring you into that chapter? Thank you for coming back into my life and awakening me in ways I have not been in so long. Though it seems we will always be star-crossed lovers, you have a special place in my heart, well maybe just “a little bit”. Special thanks to Linda, the most amazing woman I know. Thank you for accepting me into your writing class and into your life. You are truly an inspiration. Thank you to Sylvia for being brave enough to read my first completed rough draft. To my best friend Tammy, thank you for all the support you have given me through the years. To my three boys, Andy, DJ, and Jesse, thank you for putting up with my need to read those many pieces of work to you and for pushing me to put those pieces together to complete this book. I would also like to thank you for being the best kids a mom could have. You made parenting easy. Always know I believe in you and support you in your quest to achieve your dreams.
Prologue
We could see the guarded exit below us as we stood in the parking lot overlooking the road to freedom wind down the mountain. That was when he drove up in a truck. It is now or never, he had said, adding that standing here every day watching the exit is not going to get us home. We all climbed in and were just about to take off when she came running over, threatening to tell if we did not take her along but there was not enough room for one more. I decide to stay behind after making the others promise to get help and come back for me. They headed off and I watched from a distance, praying harder with each mile they got closer to freedom. Would they come back for me? Had I just lost my chance at freedom? As they approached the gate, I could sense something was wrong. The gate did not open, but they did not stop. They crashed the gate and the pursuit began. I watched as the truck tried to maneuver the sharp turns down the mountain road. I cried out as he lost control and went off the embankment, the truck exploding on impact. I sat up in my bed, my chest expanding as I tried to catch my breath. It was just a dream.
Chapter One
The road was like the divider between heaven and hell. Jagged mountains lined the north side, reaching high into the morning sky, almost daring anyone to try to conquer it but warning that there will be no escape if they did. To the south was a valley rolling off into the distance until it spilled over the horizon. Louise was sure in the summer, an endless variety of wildflowers would fill it. Now, on this cold Saturday morning, it was draped in a blanket of white that Louise found peace and calm and in it perhaps a little freedom. Louise pulled the car over at the next scenic view pull off and got out.
Arlin had insisted she take the car, even though Louise wanted to take the truck. The unpredictable weather this time of the year she argued it would be best to have something with four-wheel drive. She was also uncomfortable with taking the car; it seems the car was in the repair shop for one reason or another. He countered with the fact that he would have the kids all weekend and did she really want them stranded somewhere because the car broke down again. He knew how to play her. She would never want anything bad to happen to the boys and she gave in and took the car. Despite their seemingly endless disagreements, she still wished he had been able to come with her and enjoy the view that was taking her breath away. She pulled her jacket close to her wishing she did not have to leave but she still had an hour or so to the resort.
Arlin had surprised her on her birthday by getting her a weekend spa package to a very secluded resort. It did not surprise her that he was the one to initiate the trip. In the beginning of their relationship, Arlin planned romantic getaways and after the children were born, he would arrange for his mom to sit with them for a weekend every few months. When the children were older, he was the one who would encourage Louise to call in sick and they would pack a bag and head off to a local inn for the day, returning home just in time to pick up the kids from daycare and school.
They had met when the company Louise worked for was remodeling and he had won the contract. Arlin walked in with all his manly glory. He was six feet tall, dirty blonde short hair and rippling muscle under his t-shirt with the sleeves rolled back and a pack of cigarettes tucked neatly underneath. She soon found out it was an empty box, a reminder of one of his greatest accomplishments at quitting. His jeans were tight enough to give a peak at how manly he really was and even his work boots told a story with the many layers of dirt, concrete, sweat, and yes, even a hint of blood she was sure.
“Good morning, Mr. Gilab, please have a seat and I will let Mr. Anderson know you are here.” Louise pointed to a chair in front of her desk.
“Please, call me Arlin. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other now that I won the contract.” He smiled showing his perfectly, straight white teeth. Louise could not breathe.
She cleared her throat. “Very well then, Arlin, please have a seat.” She wished he would just sit down but he did not. He kept looking at her with those gorgeous deep blue eyes.
A wind gust brought Louise back to reality. She pulled her jacket close to her, fighting back the tears that were on the verge of appearing.
“Boy I need to get away more often. One small trip and I’m a wreck.” She said to herself as she wiped away the tears that a moment earlier only threatened to appear.
She turned to go back to the car but caught a glimpse of something fluttering in the breeze, trash perhaps caught on a bush but it was pulling at her to have a look. She plodded across the snowdrifts and reached what was a black ribbon tied to a stick. With her bare hands, she dug in the snow to have a better look. It was a cross that read in faded print, R.I.P. Jordan. If there was a last name, it had faded too much to make out any of the letters. Shaken by this forgotten memorial, she said a prayer for the departed soul then walked back to the car.
She got in, started the car and continued west looking for the sign to the resort. She knew she had a right turn coming up and was getting worried she may have missed it when a flock of quails huddled under the sign took flight, startled perhaps by the sound of the car. The flock made her aware of how alone she was; she had not seen another vehicle for more than an hour. She turned onto the road and made her way through the narrow canyon. The wind had blown snowdrifts across the road; she now wished even more that she had brought the truck. She continued to plow her way down the road and breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed the mountains tapering off and the sun coming into view, as did a valley nestled among a thick grove of trees. She was not sure if it was wishful thinking or did she actually see a wisp of smoke creeping up from a hidden chimney. The only other hint of life was the river she had been following. It continued on meandering through the trees as she made her way down the winding road. She reached the valley, slowing now looking for the building. The tires crunched on the frozen dirt road. Trees lined both sides with their boughs arched over the road like a
canopy. A man stepped out onto the road ahead and she pulled to the side and came to a stop. When she did, she could barely make out the building. If unaware that the resort existed, it would have been invisible to anyone driving in the area. The man came to the driver’s side and opened her door.
“Mrs. Gilab, I presume.” He extended his hand for her to take.
“Yes, I’m Mrs. Gilab.” She took his hand as he helped her out of the car.
“Welcome to Genesee. We hope your stay will be a pleasant one.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you stepped out when you did; I would’ve missed the place otherwise.” She made small talk with the man while they walked to the entrance.
“Our clients do expect privacy and what better way to ensure that if no one can find them. You are very fortunate to have been invited in. Not many people are.”
His comment did not sit easy with her but he was right, how often does someone like her get an opportunity like this. What did the brochure’s tagline read, ‘experience a beautiful new life’? The brochure detailed what the spa had to offer, and promised a “new life” when you left. As they stepped through the heavy wooden door, she could immediately see that the outside appearance was deceiving. The lobby was huge with hardwood floors leading up to the front desk. The pine support logs exposed above, allowing the eye to wonder to the top of the ceiling where lights, twinkling like stars, hung. They walked to the front desk.
“Hi Nancy, this is Mrs. Gilab. If you’d direct her to her room please, I’ll get her car parked and her bag delivered.”
“Yes, John. She’ll be in our VIP wing, let’s see, room 1122.” She turned to Louise, “Mrs. Gilab if you’d wait one moment I’ll have an escort for you.”
Louise waited and took the time to look around some more. Overstuffed chairs and couches, and coffee and end tables furnished the lobby. All the furniture was trimmed in pine or made from it. The only part she could not find a piece of pine was the west wall. It was made of glass giving an un-obstructed view of the lavish gardens beyond it.
How is it possible, it is so cold outside? She thought as she continued to look around the lobby. The place seemed warm and welcoming but the people were so different. John had been friendly enough, fatherly you might say. Nancy, however, with her hair pulled tight into a bun and her stiff stance did not seem friendly at all.
“This way please, Mrs. Gilab.” Louise turned. A different, but pleasant personality, greeted her and the young man took her arm and guided her down the east hall toward the VIP wing as indicated by the gold plated sign hanging on the taupe wall. They walked down the hall until they arrived at her room.
“Here you go, room 1122” The young man unlocked the door for her. “I hope you enjoy your stay.
“Thank you.” She said as she extended a hand but he ignored her as he turned to walk away. “Excuse me, my room key.”
“I’m sorry, here you go.” He handed her the credit card key.
She took the key and entered her room. It was decorated similar to the lobby with two overstuff chairs and an end table with fresh picked flowers that Louise was sure came from the garden outside the lobby.
“Wow”, she laughed, and like a young kid she got a running start and jumped on the king size pillow-top bed. “Such a big bed and no one to share it with; this is going to be a great weekend.” As she lay, hugging one of the many pillows on the bed, there was a knock at the door. She hopped down from the bed and skipped across the room to open it.
“I hope you’re finding everything to your liking?” John handed her the bag he had promised to deliver.
She took the bag. “Yes, I like it very much. I think I’m going to get lost in that bed though.” She turned pointing to the now messed up bed.
“Well you’ll find your itinerary and instructions on the desk and if you have any questions please feel free to pick up the phone and you’ll be connected to Nancy.” He turned to walk away.
“Oh, speaking of the phone, can I make a call home?” Louise asked. “I’d like to let my husband know I made it.”
John stopped and turned back toward her. “Nancy has already contacted him.”
“Oh.” It was all she could say as she choked back the tears. “Well, okay then. I guess.”
He reached out and gave her arm a squeeze. “I’m sure your kids are fine.”
“How…how did you know?”
He smiled, “I have a wife and kids, too. Trust me, I know. You moms are all alike.”
His warm and sincere answer lifted her spirits and she relaxed. “You’re right, of course they’re fine. It’s just for the weekend.” She said it more to convince herself.
“Relax and enjoy this time alone. You never know what life will throw at you.” He turned and walked towards the lobby. She watched him as he walked down the hallway. His words left a haunting feeling with her but his confident swagger made her feel safe in her unfamiliar surroundings. She shut the door and went to the desk to read the itinerary and instructions left for her.
Oh how I could use one of those. She thought as she read on the itinerary that first on the list was a full body deep tissue massage. The last year had been trying with the turn of the economy cutting their income in half, the kid’s busy schedules, and all the little emergencies that seemed to pop up. She got undressed and slipped into the lightweight white cotton personalized robe and a very comfortable pair of white slippers and left the room.
“Excuse me ma’am, is there something I can help you with?” The same young man who took her to her room earlier stopped her just outside her room. He looked like he could have been in the military with his fresh shaved face and short haircut. He was not much taller than she was and at just over five feet, she was not very tall. He seemed solid under his uniform of navy blue pants and a plain tight fitting navy blue t-shirt.
“I have some time before my massage so I thought I’d stretch my legs after that long drive. I also wanted to check out that garden I spotted earlier when I arrived.” She pointed down the hall in the direction of the garden.
“Ah yes it’s very lovely this time of year. Well, actually, it’s lovely anytime of the year.” He laughed a hearty laugh. “Most of the vegetation, bushes and trees, are there year round but they rotate the flowers throughout the year.”
“Did the flowers in my room come from that garden?” She asked as he followed her down the hall toward the lobby.
“Yes they did in fact. Are they okay? Did you want them changed out?” He stopped walking.
“Yes. No.” She laughed. “They’re beautiful. I didn’t recognize some of them and was wondering what they might be.” They continued walking now.
“There’ll be information tags on all the plants in the garden. So anything you want to know you can find out from the tags. They even have where you can purchase them if you would like them for your own garden after you leave here.” He said as they reached the garden.
“That sounds perfect; thanks…um…I’m sorry, what’s your name?” She extended her hand to him.
“Scott, my name is Scott.” He shook her hand.
“Scott; thanks for the information.”
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Gilab. Enjoy the garden.” He excused himself and headed off to the front desk.
As Louise approached the glass wall looking for the door, the wall slid to the right opening a way for her to pass. She was immediately drawn in by the amazing aroma permeating from every bush, tree, and flower in the garden. She soon discovered it was a solarium, built to display all the flowers that were native to the areas of their visitors. On the comment card, you could let them know what flower you would like to see but likely, they already had it.
Louise walked around stopping from time to time to smell the flowers and read the information tags. She was particularly interested in the ones in her room. She came upon one she was sure she knew but wanted to make sure. The flower had brought back strong memories of her childhood. She read the information tag, Mountain Laure
l, and as she already knew, it was native to her home state. When she was younger, her family would go camping in the mountains. The flower was a favorite of her mother’s and immediately after setting up camp her father would hike out into the woods and bring back a large bouquet of them for the center of the table. She missed those days when she was young and innocent and life was so easy. She missed her father even more.
He had been her hero, her mentor, and her friend. He knew she had big dreams of moving out into the world and making something more of herself than she would if she stayed in their small economically depressed town. Only months before setting out on her own, her father was critically injured after crashing his police cruiser while pursuing a robbery suspect. She had rushed to his side and sat with him every day and night. She read him the paper and reminisced about past cases he had solved or ones they had solved together. She also shared her fears about going out on her own. A month after the accident he passed away from complications. She did not even hesitate, right after his funeral she got in her car and drove. The tears flowed as free now as she felt the day she drove fast and far away from now what was only a memory.
Louise grabbed her chest and turned as she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Oh gosh you scared me”.
“I’m so sorry ma’am, you’re late for your massage and I came to collect you. I did call out your name but you seemed to have been somewhere else.” He looked at her now and noticed the tears. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, some old memories that’s all.” She took a deep breath and regained her composer.
“Well my mom always said a hug makes everything better.” He reached for her and gave her a warm hug. She allowed him and enjoyed feeling his strong arms around her. How long has it been since Arlin hugged her that way?
“Thank you.” She smiled and pulled away from him but the feeling of his arms around her lingered. “I’ll head to my massage now.”