Sidra blanched at the reminder but was game enough to agree.
“Let’s go, then,” she said. “I can’t wait to see the homes.”
****
Sidra clung to Levi’s arm as they traipsed along the sidewalk with their small tour group. She was surprised to realize she was actually enjoying herself despite the abundance of Christmas decorations and holiday cheer inside and outside of each house. The first group of houses had been in the center of town, and they had parked the car and walked. The last two were farther out of town but were close enough together to walk from one to the other after the ride out to them in a hay wagon pulled by a mule. It was waiting to take them back to their cars once they were ready.
Teddy walked at the back of the group, flanked by two women who had come on the tour together, taken one look at Teddy, and made their move. They clung to his arms as the three of them sang Christmas carols, off-key and at the top of their lungs, and Sidra laughed along with everyone else when they improvised their own words for “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”
“Watch out, it’s rubbing off on you,” Levi teased.
A delicious shiver of heat ran through her at the sound of his low voice at her ear. The cool night air made her want to cuddle up against him, and she felt her face warm with the thought of his skin against hers.
She was still trying to get hold of her wayward thoughts when they turned into the Lawrence yard. Her breath caught in her throat. In all her life, she had never seen a prettier house.
Electric candles burned in each window, from the dormer windows on the upper story to the wide picture windows on the front of the house. Even the narrow, floor-length windows on each side of the shiny red door beckoned with light.
She went through the small white archway, heavy with winter roses, and up the sidewalk with everyone else, but in her mind, they faded away and she was alone—hurrying up the path to home, holding her breath, crossing her fingers for Levi to swing open the door and be there waiting for her. She could imagine this as her home, a place to raise children and be a wife. This was a place to put down roots and bloom into the woman she dreamed of being.
She followed the group in and was immediately surrounded by the warmth and coziness of the cottage. A fire crackled happily in the fireplace, where an array of Christmas stockings hung. A Christmas tree stood in the corner, presents strewn under every branch and a star twinkling at the top, reminding her of the memory she’d had of her father.
The smell of fresh-baked sweets filled the air, and she wandered into the kitchen.
“Oh, my,” she gasped when her eyes met the beautiful wooden cabinets, gleaming stainless steel appliances, and stained wainscoting.
“Like it?” Levi asked as they left the house a little while later. They were behind the others because she had lingered in the warm, welcoming house longer than was necessary.
“I love it!” she exclaimed. “It’s the prettiest house I’ve ever seen.”
“It’s for sale.”
“It will make someone a wonderful home.”
He took her by the arm, forcing her to stop and look at him.
“What about you?” His eyes searched hers. “And me?”
Her mouth fell open, and she stared at him in surprise. “Levi? What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean.”
“I—oh—Levi—” She wanted to say yes more than anything in the world, but she couldn’t. Not now. She had to dig up her roots before she could put them down anywhere.
He was completely silent, his eyes dark and cold. “It’s okay, Sid. I understand. You don’t belong here.”
“Levi, no!” Her voice rose, causing Teddy and several others to look in their direction.
“Forget it. It was a stupid idea.” He tried to move away, but she stopped him.
She couldn’t let him think he had practically proposed and she had thrown it back in his face.
“It wasn’t a stupid idea. It was the most wonderful idea I’ve ever heard, but I can’t do it.” Tears sprang to her eyes. “Not now, maybe not ever. I have to go home to Medelia, Levi. I have to know my grandmother. I need to know where I’m from.”
“But you’re not saying no?” He leaned closer, and she lifted her face for his kiss.
“I would never say no to you,” she breathed.
“Come on, you two,” one of the girls with Teddy yelled. “You can make out later. We’re almost done.”
“Coming,” they both called in unison. With the moment broken, he kissed her softly on the lips, and they turned to follow the group toward the Tanner house.
They were almost there when a figure staggered from the woods to the sidewalk. An older woman at the front let out a screech, and several gasps echoed through the darkness.
“Stay here,” Levi commanded as he sprinted to the man, who appeared to be in some sort of distress.
She ignored him, trotting behind him until they could see past the others to the blond head.
“Philippe!” she cried, rushing toward him. Blood dripped from a gash above his rapidly swelling left eye and his lip, and he kept one arm wrapped protectively around his ribs as she wrapped hers around his waist.
“Teddy, you all go ahead inside. Sidra and I will get Philippe in.”
Without argument, Teddy led the rest of the group inside.
“What happened?” Levi asked when the others had gone.
“Two men came out of nowhere,” Philippe panted.
“Here?” She couldn’t control the terror in her voice as her eyes scanned the trees and sidewalk around them.
He shook his head. “I went into town this morning. I was on my way back when they attacked me. I could not see their faces, but they spoke our language. They demanded to know where Sidra was, but I refused to answer. I remember nothing after the initial blows.”
“Should we call the police?” Sidra asked.
“No.” The men barked out the word in unison.
“They are looking for you, Princess.” Philippe grasped her hand in his. “We cannot risk anyone else knowing who you are or that you are here in Gulfview. Not only will it endanger your life but theirs as well.”
Chapter Eighteen
They helped him inside and up the stairs to the guest room where he had slept the night before. He fell back on the bed, a low groan escaping him.
“We should take him to the hospital,” Sidra cried, but again both men protested. “You could be hurt, Philippe!”
“I am hurt, but not mortally wounded, Princess.” He smiled wanly. “Best to let us handle this quietly.”
“Levi?” She looked to him for help, but he only shrugged apologetically. “Sorry, Sid, I agree with Philippe.”
“Fine,” she said in a clipped voice, “then go get a bag of ice for his ribs and a smaller one for his face. A pillowcase, and he’ll need some aspirin, too.”
Levi stared at her, and she shot him a furious look.
“Go!”
Shock widened his eyes, but he turned and left without protest, coming back a few minutes later with everything she’d requested.
“Take this,” she ordered, holding the aspirin and water out to Philippe.
He swallowed it and lay back while she wrapped the large bag of ice in the pillowcase and pressed it to his ribs. Ignoring his sharp gasp of surprise at the sudden chill, she laid pillows around it to hold it in place. She handed him the small bag, which Levi had covered with a washcloth.
“Hold that on your eye.”
When she had finished issuing orders, she turned on her heels and headed toward the door.
“Where are you going?” Philippe cried.
“Downstairs. I don’t know anything about medical care. If you need anything besides ice and aspirin, you’ll need to go to the doctor.” Her gaze swung between them. “Levi can take you after he finishes interrogating you.”
She paid no attention to their shocked protests as she went down the stairs. She found Teddy in the kitchen
with the women from the hayride. The three of them were sampling the sugary confections lined up on a long table, and Morgan Tillman beamed proudly when they described them as the perfect taste of Christmas.
“It’s an old family recipe,” the woman practically crowed. “I’ll bring it with me when I marry, so my in-laws will have a never-ending supply.”
She sent a knowing smile Teddy’s way, but he only shook his head, murmured something about getting over the past, and moved on to the next batch of goodies.
Sidra backed out of the room before she was noticed, and slipped out the door. She followed the porch around to the back of the house, away from the kitchen and living room. It was quiet and dark on this side of the house, with no Christmas lights, and the laughter and talk from the kitchen was only a soft hum. She settled into a rocking chair, staring into the darkness that shadowed the field and horse stalls. She was used to silence, and the last few days of constant action and noise had exhausted her. Soon enough she would have to go back inside, but for a few minutes she would just sit in the dark and enjoy her solitude.
Not that she could really enjoy it now, knowing that the men had followed her here and had hurt Philippe to get to her. How could she even have enjoyed this evening when he was missing and she had just remembered her nanny’s murder?
She still couldn’t believe she had forgotten such a horrible occurrence. Maybe her ex-boyfriend was right and there was something horribly wrong with her. If that were the case, though, she wouldn’t feel so panicked by the thought of Carlotta’s warning or the idea of what the men would do to Levi if they felt the need.
She had no choice but to leave and return to Medelia with her cousins. She would never be able to live with herself if something happened to Levi or Teddy, or even Philippe. She could not have their deaths on her conscience. The mere thought of them being tortured and killed made her ill.
“Sidra!” Levi yelled from the front of the house. “Sidra!”
“I’m here,” she called.
He came around the corner, illuminated for a moment by the dim glow of the lights behind him. Tears pricked her eyes as she imagined never seeing him again, and she looked down at her hands.
“Are you okay?” he asked, taking a seat in the chair beside her.
“Probably not,” she said with a rueful grin. “How about you?”
“Not at all.”
She lifted her eyes to him. “I’m scared, Levi. Scared to stay and scared to go.”
“I know.” He took her hand. “But I’m guessing you’re out here for some peace and quiet. So let’s just sit here and enjoy it.”
“That is a very good idea,” she said. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, savoring the warm comfort of his presence.
****
Levi listened to the familiar sounds of his childhood—the hum of voices coming from the front of the house, the sharp cry of an owl searching for its prey, and the soft nickering of the horses in their stalls.
He absently stroked his thumb over Sidra’s hand, enjoying the feel of her soft skin beneath his touch. He couldn’t deny the fact that he loved her. The thought of her leaving him was nearly more than he could bear. But the idea of her being killed by the men searching for her was devastating. He could not and would not allow that to happen. If he had to, he would physically place her on that plane back to Medelia. She wouldn’t be alone, however. He intended to accompany her. Once she was out of danger, they would focus on where their relationship was going. Right now, his number one priority was keeping her alive.
“I wanted to tell Levi good-bye,” he heard Morgan whine.
“Sorry, Morgan, but he’s already gone to bed.”
“He has not. I saw him come outside.”
“Yeah, well, I saw him go back inside. He said he was tired and going to bed.”
“With her?” Levi could imagine the pout she gave his brother.
“That is none of your business, Mrs. Floyd.”
“Don’t call me that, Teddy. You know my marriage to Don Floyd was horrible, and I went back to my maiden name when I divorced him.”
Teddy chuckled.
“Yeah, I know. It’s amazing how many horrible marriages a gal can have when she’s still fawning after the same man. A man, I might add, that she left at the altar.”
“We were not at the altar, and you know it.”
“Practically,” he offered. “If you had gone ahead with the marriage, you could be divorced and over him by now.”
“I should slap you for that,” she shot back.
“Yeah? Go ahead and try.”
She laughed softly.
“Good night, Teddy,” she said slowly. “Be sure to tell Levi and his little friend I said good-bye.”
“That’ll be at the top of my to-do list, Morgan. You be careful on your way home.”
The screen door shut behind him, and in a few minutes Levi heard the sound of a car pulling out of the drive.
“You owe me one, bro!” Teddy called from the kitchen window.
“Got it, Ted,” he answered. “And thanks!”
“So she left you at the altar?” Sidra asked.
“No. We weren’t anywhere near the altar.”
“But you were engaged?”
“Yes, but we were going to get through college before we got married. She left for Gainesville, and I went to Atlanta. By December of our freshman year, she had met her first husband. They got married that summer.”
“Wow. That had to hurt.”
“I guess so, but I don’t think it took either of us long to figure out we weren’t really getting married.” He looked at her. “It was foolish to think we were in love enough to marry if we were willing to be apart for four years. That old saying about absence making the heart grow fonder is a bunch of bull.”
“So have you ever come close to marrying anyone else?”
“No. How about you? Any serious relationships in your past?”
“No. I had a boyfriend in high school, but I transferred to another school when I had to move to another home, and we lost touch.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I lived with a guy for a little while in college, but it turned out we weren’t as compatible as we thought we’d be. Since then, I’ve gone out with a few guys, but nothing serious. In the last few years, I haven’t seen anyone.”
“Are you lonely?”
She shook her head, her arms tightening around her waist. “I have my job, Carlotta and the others at the nursing home, and my books to keep my company.”
He was sure she didn’t know how hollow her words rang. There was no way any of that filled the very human need for intimacy. He remained silent, however, as he thought of her hungry, passionate responses to their lovemaking.
“I never knew what I was missing until a few days ago.” Her voice was so quiet he wouldn’t have heard her had there been another noise anywhere around them. “If we had never made love, I would still think that was enough.”
“But now?”
“Now I know it isn’t.”
Before he could respond to her softly spoken admission, she was up from her seat, rushing around the corner of the house. The screen door squeaked open, then closed with a soft thud.
He wanted to run after her, but he held himself still, sensing she needed time to come to terms with her admission and the truth of it. The moment he’d followed her from the office three nights ago, their lives had irrevocably changed, and nothing between them would ever be the same.
****
Sidra knocked on Philippe’s door and waited for him to call out to her before she went in and closed it softly behind her. He was sitting up in bed watching television and turned it off when she entered.
“How are your ribs?”
“Sore, but fine.”
She sat at the foot of his bed.
“Miriam and Gabriel are returning to Medelia the day after tomorrow. Will you be returning soon as well?”
“I will return only when yo
u do.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I will be leaving with them.”
“And Levi Tanner? Will he be accompanying you?”
“No,” she said quietly. “I will be alone.”
“I know it is a frightening prospect to return to a place you don’t remember with people you don’t know, but Medelia is where you belong.”
“How can you be so sure? What if I no longer belong there?”
“It is where you will find your history and face your destiny, my princess. It is where we will marry and where we will raise our children in the bosom of the royal family.”
An image of the house she and Levi had visited earlier flitted through her mind, along with his words about her future, but she pushed both away.
“You will not regret leaving this world behind,” Philippe assured her. “The people of Medelia need you, and you will never be lonely there. We will marry soon after our arrival, and once we are married and your grandmother has given up the throne, we will begin our reign.”
“Why would my grandmother give up the throne?” she asked, trying to ignore the panic that welled within her at his mention of their expected marriage.
“She is old, Sidra, and may want to spend the last few years of her life at her leisure. I’m certain she will step down and allow you to take over once you have settled in.”
“How could I be queen when I know nothing of Medelia?”
“You will have me, my love, and I will guide you in every way.”
She shivered as she met his icy green gaze. What kind of husband would he be? What kind of king? She shivered as one word whispered through her mind. Cruel.
She stood quickly, ready to flee, but he caught her hand in his. “You are mine, Sidra. Regardless of what you feel for Levi Tanner or what you dream of here in America. Your rightful place is in Medelia, and you were promised to me long ago. I will not rest until you return.”
She jerked her hand away from his, curling her fingers into a fist to keep from wiping the feel of his touch from her skin.
“I will return to Medelia, Philippe, but it remains to be seen if I will become queen.” She didn’t know what made her goad him by adding, “or if you will be my king.”
Broken Ties Page 13