“Where are we?”
“Just crossed into Nevada. Can you get the manila envelope? I need my mother’s address. Julianne Pritchard.”
She reached into the backseat and pulled a thick wad of paperwork from the folder. Her eyes bulged out of her head when she saw the eight-figure dollar amount of the proposed sale, but she said nothing as she flipped through the pages.
“Here it is. Fourteen Mountain View Road.”
“That could be anywhere,” Alec muttered, turning off the highway. “I need to pick up a local map.”
Rebecca looked at the clock, startled to see that it was eleven in the morning. They had just over six hours to locate Julianne and get her to sign the documents or their whirlwind trip would be a complete waste of time. A combination of anxiety and hunger gnawed at her gut as Alec returned from the service station with a map, two coffees, and two chocolate doughnuts.
“Hope this’ll do for now.”
“It’s perfect,” she assured him, taking a bite of the gooey pastry. She glanced around the outskirts of the bustling city, wondering where the famous Strip was. “Have you ever been here?”
“Twice,” he replied as he unfolded the map. “Once when my father used to do his seminars, and once about five years ago. It’s the last time I saw my mother.”
“How’d that go?”
Alec looked up at her sharply, signaling that the topic was not open for discussion. She swallowed hard and dropped the issue, watching him study the map. “Here,” he said, pointing to a long road winding towards the Arizona border.
Half an hour later, they arrived at Mountain View Road, a perfectly landscaped lane in a ritzy suburb south of the city. “This is it,” he said, pulling his truck onto the shoulder of the road. “I can’t believe we’re actually here.”
Rebecca felt intimidated as she stared at the soaring white mansion, with its over-sized windows and intricate wrought iron gates. It looked more like a resort than a private home, complete with a gaudy Romanesque fountain in the center of the circular driveway. Alec hadn’t exaggerated–apparently his mother did have a sizeable amount of money to play with.
She bit her lip and looked at him. “Well?”
He looked equally uncertain. “I don’t see us getting past those gates. She’ll never let me in if she knows it’s me.”
“Trade me seats, then.”
“Why?”
“I have an idea.” A blast of scorching desert air greeted her as she stepped out of the passenger’s seat and made her way around to him. “Let me drive.”
Alec slid from the driver’s seat with an uneasy look on his face. “What do you have in mind?”
She smiled for the first time since they’d left Wyoming. “Do you trust me?”
He returned her smile. “I trust you.”
Rebecca pulled the truck up to the intercom outside the gate. Please let this work, she prayed as she pressed the button.
“Hello?” a man’s voice crackled through the speakers.
“Good morning, sir,” she said in her most professional tone. “I have a delivery for Mrs. Julianne Pritchard.”
There was a slight pause. “Which delivery is this?”
Before she could come up with a reply, the voice was back. “Oh, yes, I see it here. You have the armoire from Caitlin’s Antiques?”
“Yes, sir, that’s us.”
“Hold on. I’ll buzz you in.”
Five seconds later there was a loud beeping sound, and the heavy white gates began swinging open. “You’re brilliant,” Alec said.
“Not really. That’s what I’d call dumb luck.”
He wrung his hands as they made their way up the long gravel driveway. “I don’t even know what I’m going to say. I spent all night being angry at you instead of plotting my speech.”
“You’ve got about thirty seconds to figure something out.” She parked the truck beside two tall white pillars that marked the entryway, sucking in a deep breath as she killed the engine. “Any ideas?”
“Not a single one.” He sat frozen in place, clutching the armrest of the door.
“Hey, look at me,” she said, reaching for his face and forcing their eyes to meet. “Don’t think about anything right now except why you’re doing this. Think of your father and try to stay calm. There’s no need to delve into the past. Stay focused on your goal, and the right words will come to you.”
He pressed the palm of her hand to his lips. “Come with me?”
Rebecca raised her brows. “You want me to?”
“I need you to.”
When they reached the stairs, Alec stopped in his tracks, looking like he would pass out at any moment. She left him at the bottom of the steps and marched up to ring the doorbell, listening to it echo inside the enormous house. A bead of sweat trickled down her forehead from the blistering desert heat. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself, taking some of her own advice and picturing Walter’s smile. They had to do this. They had to find a way, whatever it took.
“At last, my armoire!” a gleeful voice cried as the door swung open.
Rebecca found herself face-to-face with a slender woman in her mid-fifties, with long dark hair and icy blue eyes. “You’re not Caitlin,” she said in confusion.
“No, I’m not. You’re Mrs. Pritchard?”
“Yes. Who are you?”
Quiet footsteps ascended the stairs, and the color drained from the woman’s face as Alec appeared behind Rebecca. “Hello, Julianne.”
His mother didn’t respond right away. “Alec?” she finally choked.
“It’s been a long time,” he said, his voice wavering. “You haven’t returned my calls.”
“I’ve been busy. I have a life, you know.”
“And I won’t keep you from it. I just want five minutes of your time, then you’ll never have to see me again.”
As Julianne crossed her arms over her chest, Rebecca knew instantly where Alec had inherited his steely gaze. His mother’s eyes were frosty and hardened and looked like they could kill if she stared at someone long enough.
“Maybe another time would be better,” she said, stepping back to swing the door shut.
Alec mirrored Julianne’s lethal glare as he thrust his hand out and stopped the door. “Mother, we have just driven thirteen straight hours to see you. Can you really not spare five minutes of your day?”
“Fine,” she spat out, her eyes darting to Rebecca. “Is she coming in, too?”
She bristled and took a step back. “I can wait out–”
“Yes,” he interjected, touching her arm to stop her. “She’s coming in, too. End of discussion.”
Rebecca swallowed hard as she stepped into the mansion, trying her best not to gawk at the soaring ceilings and luxurious oil paintings. Julianne’s designer heels clicked on the marble floor as she led them past the dining room into a smaller sitting room–larger than Rebecca’s entire home back in Boston. She motioned for them to take seats on one of the many plush sofas that graced the room.
“I hope you know you have a lot of nerve showing up here like this,” she said, stretching out on the chaise lounge. “Want to tell me what this is about?”
Alec sat on the loveseat, clutching the manila envelope in his hands. “This is about our joint property that you haven’t seen for twenty years,” he replied calmly. “Selling this land would mean nothing to you and everything to me. You’ll get fifty percent of the buyer’s very generous offer.”
Her gaze flitted to Rebecca. “A word of advice, dear. If money’s what you’re after–”
“You leave her out of this,” Alec snarled. “This is between you and me, is that clear?”
To Rebecca’s surprise, his mother didn’t retaliate. Instead she gave a smug grin and smoothed the corner of her skirt, dangling the heel of her shoe from her foot. If anything was clear, it was that she knew exactly how to push her son’s buttons. Beside her, Rebecca could feel Alec’s fist trembling, and she discreetly laid her hand
on his.
“How’s your father?” Julianne asked breezily.
“He’s deteriorating. Rapidly,” he replied, his tone clipped. “And his medical bills are astronomical. That’s why I need to sell this land.”
She let out a long sigh, as if placating to a small child. “Why not just put him in a nursing home, Alec? Make it easier on yourself?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Because, Mother, not all of us choose to take the easy way out.”
Rebecca shifted in her seat. They’d only been there for a couple of minutes, but already she understood why Alec didn’t want to confront his mother in person. She’d never met someone with such a talent for undercutting. Rebecca didn’t feel equal to the task, but she had a feeling that their sadistic interchange would go on all day if someone didn’t break the cycle.
Unfortunately, that someone would have to be her.
“Alec,” she whispered, “let me talk to her.”
He was so fixated on his mother that she wasn’t even sure if he heard her. “Why waste your breath?” he replied. “She won’t listen to you, either.”
“I want to try anyway,” she said before she could change her mind. “Alone.”
Alec turned to her in bewilderment, searching her eyes. She nodded towards the door as she took the envelope from his hands. “It’s okay,” she promised. With one more fierce scowl at his mother, he relented and stormed out of the room.
Julianne looked unfazed, even amused by his tirade. “How old are you? You’re awfully young to be running around with the likes of Alec.”
Rebecca had stomached more than enough of the woman’s disdain. Very purposely she stood and closed the space between them, settling onto the end of the chaise lounge. As she expected, Alec’s mother scooted back, eying her as if she were a poisonous insect.
“My age and relationship to your son are none of your business,” she replied. “Just like your relationship with him is none of mine. All I want to know is this–why won’t you sign this piece of paper?”
She pushed the bill of sale under her nose and watched her eyes take in the impressive dollar amount. “I never said I wouldn’t sign it.”
“What?”
“I never said anything one way or the other, because Alec and I haven’t spoken in five years. I simply chose to ignore his requests.”
Rebecca stared at her in dismay. “It’s all just a game to you, isn’t it?”
She grunted. “You need to understand something…goodness, I don’t even know your name.”
“Rebecca.”
“Rebecca,” she repeated sourly, “you need to understand that things have been done in this family that can never be rectified. The best thing for me and for Alec and his father is if we all stay far away from each other.”
“Signing this paper does not require you to go anywhere near either of them. No one wants to rectify anything. One signature on your part, and we will walk straight out this door.”
Julianne’s fingers moved to the collar of her blouse, toying with the top button. “Like I was going to say earlier, you picked the wrong family if you’re looking for money.”
“I don’t give a damn about that money, except for what it’ll do for your ex-husband. Who, by the way, is one of the finest persons I’ve ever met.”
Something flickered across his mother’s features, vanishing as quickly as it appeared, but it was enough to let Rebecca know she was on the right track. Logic wasn’t going to win her over, but maybe a simple appeal to her emotions might.
“I know it’s not your problem, Julianne. But you should know that Alec waits on Walter day and night as if he were an infant. He does it out of love and out of respect, and at great personal cost to himself. He has given up every ambition he’s ever had and anything he’s ever wanted so that he can take care of his father.”
“Well, he has you, it seems.”
“It would seem. But the truth is, I’m not that much different than you. In two weeks I’m going back to Boston, despite how I feel about Alec.”
Julianne shifted in her seat, and Rebecca plunged ahead, knowing she had her undivided attention now. “Look at this house, what you have around you. Alec and Walter have nothing but each other, and if that property doesn’t sell, they won’t even have that. Walter will go to a nursing home, and he’ll die there alone. But you can prevent that with a single signature. Then you can go back to your comfortable life and pretend we were never here. Is that really too much to ask?”
Alec’s mother dropped her gaze. Rebecca leaned forward and softened her tone. “As a woman, there must be some part of you that can sympathize with their plight. And I’m sure you’ll agree that certain basic dignities are owed to members of your family regardless of past mistakes.”
Julianne tilted her head, eying Rebecca thoughtfully. The air in the sitting room felt stifling as they sat motionless, each long second that passed leading them closer to the moment of truth.
“You give a very convincing argument for someone so young,” she said, reaching into the drawer of the table beside her.
Rebecca’s eyes widened when she produced a pen. “Don’t think that I’m doing this out of charity,” she added as she signed her name. “But what you said about dignity is true.”
She was so overwhelmed by the turn of events, she couldn’t even recall what she’d said about dignity. She couldn’t recall what she’d said about anything. Her hand was shaking as she took the document and stared at the elegant signature–the signature that had just secured Walter’s future.
“Thank you, Julianne,” she managed to say. “You have no idea how much this will mean to them.”
She cleared her throat and rose to her feet. “I’ll show you to the door.”
Rebecca stood and followed her through the mansion, giving a polite nod as she stepped outside. “Might I make one suggestion?” his mother added.
Startled by the request, Rebecca turned back to her. “Go ahead.”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t go back to Boston. Leaving Alec and Walter was the biggest regret of my life.” Julianne gave her a pointed look as she placed her hand on the doorknob. “It’ll be yours, too.”
*
Rebecca stood on the empty doorstep, reeling from Julianne’s words. When she finally gathered herself and glanced out at the driveway, she was startled to see it empty. Then she saw the truck, parked beyond the white gates on the main road. Heat waves rippled off the arid ground as she skirted a row of cacti and stepped onto the sidewalk.
Alec was striding briskly up and down the roadside, his hands shoved in his pockets, and he didn’t see her coming until she was beside him. He stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes full of fear as she handed him the signed bill of sale. He stared at it for what felt like an eternity before he wordlessly set it on the seat of his truck. When he bowed his head, Rebecca stepped back, sensing that he needed to be alone. She was surprised, then, when he reached for her and gathered her in a crushing embrace.
They stood that way for a long time, until she felt him tremble. “It’s okay,” she assured him, pulling back to look at him. “It’s over now.”
He opened his mouth, but no words came out. His hand traveled to the nape of her neck, caressing her hair, pulling her close again. She melted into him as he smoothed a stray lock off her face and tenderly kissed her forehead.
“You just gave me my life back,” he whispered. “How could I ever thank you?”
She tightened her arms around him. “You just did.”
Alec tilted her chin up and studied her eyes, looking as solemn as she’d ever seen him. He traced his thumb along her cheek, and her eyes fluttered shut as he lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. He did it again, as slow and gentle as before, until she slid her hands behind his head and forced him to give her a real kiss. His mouth tasted exactly the way she’d imagined–moist and sweet and soft as velvet. Her heart raced as he dug his fingertips into her waist and pressed her body against his. He d
eepened their kiss, his tongue flirting with hers, his strong hands caressing the curve of her back. His kiss was full of both gratitude and longing, stirring within her the most raw and incredible sensation she’d ever experienced.
They were both breathless when they pulled apart. She could feel the rough stubble of his chin as he nuzzled her cheek and leaned his face against her ear.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Rebecca. I love you so much.”
“Oh, Alec,” she breathed. “I love you, too.”
Chapter 17
It was two o’clock by the time Alec and Rebecca located an office center where they could fax the completed documents to George Nevis. “I’m so pleased you were able to turn this around,” he said over the speakerphone. “We’ll be in touch on Monday.”
“Looking forward to it,” Alec replied.
Rebecca collapsed in the chair beside him, finally allowing her adrenaline to crash. He smiled and gave her a brief kiss before reaching for his cell phone. “I need to call my father. He won’t believe it.”
She leaned against his shoulder as he made the call. “Lucy, it’s me…good, good…yeah, put him on…Pop?…No, we’re fine. We made it here this morning…yes, she did. She signed it…” He laughed heartily. “I don’t know how it happened…no, I wasn’t there. Rebecca got her to sign…”
She lifted her head and he turned to look at her, cradling her cheek in his hand. “I know, Pop. She’s our angel…yeah, we’ll be back tomorrow sometime…I love you, too.”
Alec hung up the phone and let out a long sigh. “Are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
They gathered the paperwork and walked hand-in-hand out to his truck under the blazing Nevada sun. “I cannot believe how hot it is here,” she said, pulling her hair into a ponytail.
“That’s why everyone hides in the casinos.” He glanced over at her as he started the engine. “Have you ever been to one?”
“A casino? Haven’t had the chance yet. I just turned eighteen yesterday.”
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