Chapter 25
"I'll figure something out, Luis. I promise."
He stuffed his hands in his pockets with a heavy sigh. Was this it? Being apart? A brisk breeze made him shiver. He ran his hand up and down the weather-hewn bark of the ancient tree. A slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he remembered.he was standing here. The second time he saw her. The first time he came to know her. His brown eyes lifted skyward, and his heart clenched. Each day the tree's branches grew more bare. Leaves of gold, orange, brown fluttered downward. Carpeting the grassy banks.
A gentle rustling noise behind him had him turning, and he half-expected to see her before him. Astride Juliet. What was that she said? He closed his eyes as he heard her voice. Plain as day. "Animals always listen when you pour your sorrows out to them." "Dammit!" he swore. Leaning his head back against the tree. "Where are you?"
Surprise didn't even begin to describe the feelings rushing through him when Sam released him from his jail cell the next morning. Informing him all charges were dropped. He'd ignored the older man's advice and headed straight for the Mansion. To her. But she wasn't there. She was gone. Vanished in the night, Mama told him. Not meeting his eyes. Willing him not to question. But that's what you do when you love somebody. Right?
Confronting old man Crane himself yielded NO answers. And he got the distinct impression.the man simply did NOT care. He got what he wanted. Rid of his daughter. And his greedy hands on Colin Lindsay's fortune. Colin Lindsay. Damn scum. For weeks he had searched for her. His pride hurt more than anything. Until he grew bored with pretending to be the concerned husband and took a mistress
The only person beside Mama who seemed to truly understand his pain was Ivy Crane. She knew more than she would reveal. He was certain. He could see it every time he looked into her blue-green eyes. "I'm sorry, Luis. But I can't. Not yet. Not now. I promise.someday." So many promises. He didn't believe one.
The water rippled and rushed along the rocks. Sparkling in the autumn sunlight. He plunged his hand in the cold stream. Dividing the current and watching the water swirl around his fingertips. Her voice rang in his ears once more. "Oh, it's so beautiful." He loved seeing things through her eyes.
Whenever the ache got too strong, he came here. Hoping with all his heart. To see her. Again. His heart lodged in is throat as he heard a familiar neigh and felt a presence nearby. "Sherry? Princess? Is that you?" he whirled around.
He blinked against the sun's bright rays. Holding a hand to his brow. She was surrounded by a golden glow. And Juliet pawed at the ground. Tossing her head impatiently. "Sheridan.you came back to me." Then she stepped beneath the tree's canopy. Into the shadows. His heart sank. "Oh. Gwen. It's."
Gwen's brown eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm sorry. I never thought." Luis turned from her to gaze at the stream again. "It's not your fault," he laughed without feeling. "It was the hair," he told her. Gwen lifted a self-conscious hand to her shoulder-length golden locks. "And Juliet." Gwen broke the lingering silence a few minutes later. "You really miss her, don't you?"
"Always. I never thought." ".you'd love her?" Gwen asked with a smile. Luis's brown eyes sparkled at her. "You'd be a fool not to," she laughed. "Despite what Sheridan thinks and feels.I mean you can't help it. She's.she just has this light about her. Would you listen to me? I'm sorry, Luis. You're probably thinking 'I wish this stupid deb would just shut her trap'." "No," he smiled.
They lost track of time as they talked. Sharing stories of her as the evening drew close, and the shadows shifted. And Luis discovered it helped. Finally, when the pink and purple and orange of the fading sun splashed across the horizon, Gwen glanced at the watch on her wrist. Slowly rising to her feet.
"Mother's probably already suffered a coronary," she rolled her eyes. Causing him to laugh. He helped her mount Juliet, and his heart hammered in his chest as she slipped a plain white envelope into his hand. "Don't ever give up," she said. Before digging her heels in Juliet's sides. One simple word was scrawled across it.
"Luigi."
His joyful laughter shattered the peaceful stillness around him.
"I'll figure something out, Luis. I promise."
He stuffed his hands in his pockets with a heavy sigh. Was this it? Being apart? A brisk breeze made him shiver. He ran his hand up and down the weather-hewn bark of the ancient tree. A slight smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he remembered.he was standing here. The second time he saw her. The first time he came to know her. His brown eyes lifted skyward, and his heart clenched. Each day the tree's branches grew more bare. Leaves of gold, orange, brown fluttered downward. Carpeting the grassy banks.
A gentle rustling noise behind him had him turning, and he half-expected to see her before him. Astride Juliet. What was that she said? He closed his eyes as he heard her voice. Plain as day. "Animals always listen when you pour your sorrows out to them." "Dammit!" he swore. Leaning his head back against the tree. "Where are you?"
Surprise didn't even begin to describe the feelings rushing through him when Sam released him from his jail cell the next morning. Informing him all charges were dropped. He'd ignored the older man's advice and headed straight for the Mansion. To her. But she wasn't there. She was gone. Vanished in the night, Mama told him. Not meeting his eyes. Willing him not to question. But that's what you do when you love somebody. Right?
Confronting old man Crane himself yielded NO answers. And he got the distinct impression.the man simply did NOT care. He got what he wanted. Rid of his daughter. And his greedy hands on Colin Lindsay's fortune. Colin Lindsay. Damn scum. For weeks he had searched for her. His pride hurt more than anything. Until he grew bored with pretending to be the concerned husband and took a mistress
The only person beside Mama who seemed to truly understand his pain was Ivy Crane. She knew more than she would reveal. He was certain. He could see it every time he looked into her blue-green eyes. "I'm sorry, Luis. But I can't. Not yet. Not now. I promise.someday." So many promises. He didn't believe one.
The water rippled and rushed along the rocks. Sparkling in the autumn sunlight. He plunged his hand in the cold stream. Dividing the current and watching the water swirl around his fingertips. Her voice rang in his ears once more. "Oh, it's so beautiful." He loved seeing things through her eyes.
Whenever the ache got too strong, he came here. Hoping with all his heart. To see her. Again. His heart lodged in is throat as he heard a familiar neigh and felt a presence nearby. "Sherry? Princess? Is that you?" he whirled around.
He blinked against the sun's bright rays. Holding a hand to his brow. She was surrounded by a golden glow. And Juliet pawed at the ground. Tossing her head impatiently. "Sheridan.you came back to me." Then she stepped beneath the tree's canopy. Into the shadows. His heart sank. "Oh. Gwen. It's."
Gwen's brown eyes filled with sympathy. "I'm sorry. I never thought." Luis turned from her to gaze at the stream again. "It's not your fault," he laughed without feeling. "It was the hair," he told her. Gwen lifted a self-conscious hand to her shoulder-length golden locks. "And Juliet." Gwen broke the lingering silence a few minutes later. "You really miss her, don't you?"
"Always. I never thought." ".you'd love her?" Gwen asked with a smile. Luis's brown eyes sparkled at her. "You'd be a fool not to," she laughed. "Despite what Sheridan thinks and feels.I mean you can't help it. She's.she just has this light about her. Would you listen to me? I'm sorry, Luis. You're probably thinking 'I wish this stupid deb would just shut her trap'." "No," he smiled.
They lost track of time as they talked. Sharing stories of her as the evening drew close, and the shadows shifted. And Luis discovered it helped. Finally, when the pink and purple and orange of the fading sun splashed across the horizon, Gwen glanced at the watch on her wrist. Slowly rising to her feet.
"Mother's probably already suffered a coronary," she rolled her eyes. Causing him to laugh. He helped her mount Juliet, and his heart hammered in his chest as she slipped a plain white envelope into his hand. "Don't ever give up," she said. Before digging her heels in Juliet's sides. One simple word was scrawled across it.
"Luigi."
His joyful laughter shattered the peaceful stillness around him.