Chapter 59
Garrett could feel Leandra's resistance to him fading. Over cooking together and the dinner that followed they seemed to slip into the old banter and easy conversation they'd shared for most of their life. It was as if the difficulties disappeared. Leandra actually seemed to be relieved in his company, almost as if she needed a place to feel safe. He shared these thoughts with Rick on the phone when his teacher called to tell him about how successful the incident with MacLeod had been, but had received a warning that he really couldn't let himself be lulled into trusting her.
"But I feel like I can trust her." Garrett said to himself as watched her sitting out on the terrace with Cassie. It was an unusually warm day even for early March, and the baby was bundled up. Beth reinforced his thoughts by looking up and smiling at him, waving for him to come and join them.
"Could it be a more perfect day?" she said as they looked up at the snow covered mountains and the sun glistening like diamonds on their surface. "Is that a ski lodge up there?"
Beth was pointing at the cluster of buildings against one of the mountain faces.
"Yes, but that's only one of them. There are several in this part of Italy." Garrett finally told her where she was. "What you are seeing are the beginnings of the alps."
Beth figured it was someplace like that, but wasn't completely positive until he confirmed it.
"Remember when we used to talk about seeing the world?" she reminded him. "Just you, Craig and me? God we had such plans." She let her voice fade off with a tinge of emotion as she looked away.
"Yeah we did." Garrett replied, coming to stand behind her and putting his hands on her shoulders as she sat with Cassie in her arms. They were both quiet for several minutes before Garrett spoke again.
"Would you like to start?" he asked.
"Start what?" Beth replied.
"Seeing the world." He paused. "We could start tonight if you'd like to have dinner with me at one of the ski lodges?"
Beth turned to look up at him, the disbelief registering on her face. "You aren't serious are you? I mean . aren't I sort of under lock and key?"
Garrett suggested they go back inside since it was so cold and Beth complied.
"I'll be honest with you Lea. It won't be just us. A couple of the guards would be going with us, but they won't be at our table." Garrett told her. "I know if we are going to make a go of a life together, I have to start trusting you some time. Maybe this could be our start?"
Beth laid Cassie in the cradle and turned back to Garrett. "Maybe it could." She replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply.
"Is that a yes?" Garrett asked when he lifted his head.
"Yes Garrett. I'd love to go to dinner with you."
"I hope you don't mind I took the liberty of buying a dress for you. I'll have it brought in." Garrett said as he turned to leave. "I'll be waiting downstairs at 7."
When the door closed, Beth's mind began to race. This could be her chance. She started thinking about all the ways she might be able to get word to Adam . but then she remembered the guards and that this was probably a test. For all she knew everyone at the lodge could be on Garrett or Rick's payroll.
"For him to really trust me long enough to be sure I can reach Adam, I have to show I can be trusted." She realized. Beth knew then that tonight as tempting as it would be, she had to restrain herself. "I can't do anything tonight . but soon." She promised herself as she looked in the mirror. "Soon I'll find a way."
The dress Garrett had one of the housekeepers send up gave her an odd sense of deja vous. It was almost identical to a dress that had been one of Craig's favorites. The black dress was a very uncomplicated style that came just below the knee with a slit up the side. It had a simple round neckline, but the fabric clung to her curves, which made the simplicity so alluring.
Beth wondered if Garrett was aware of his selection or if it had been something subconscious. Either way it didn't matter. She had an act to keep up.
As promised, Garrett was downstairs waiting. He was wearing a black jacket over a white turtleneck, and Beth didn't have to wonder. She knew his sword was hidden within its folds.
"You look beautiful." Garrett said, helping her with her coat.
"Thank you. The dress is just like something I might have selected myself." Beth couldn't help but enjoy her own private humor. Lord knows there would be little enough opportunity to honestly find anything funny about the evening later on.
Beth turned to where Helen was holding Cassie. Giving the baby a kiss on the cheek, Beth thanked the woman for watching her.
"Have a good time." Helen replied, wondering to herself just how much of this was an act on the young woman's part.
A car waited outside, it's driver moving quickly to open the door for them. Beth didn't miss the SUV that sat in front or the one that followed when they pulled out onto the winding road. She knew there were more than just a couple of guards who would be watching her.
Still, it was good to be out of the villa for even a few hours. The isolation had taken its toll. The smile on Beth's face when they pulled up to the magically lit lodge was genuine. The view and the atmosphere were breathtaking.
Garrett took her arm and led her through the open lobby and toward the restaurant in the back. There were three restaurants at the resort, and he had selected the one with a clear view of the slopes. Even though it was well after dark, the slopes were lit and full of die hard skiers.
"This is amazing." Beth made a point of letting him know how exciting this was. "I've always wanted to try that."
"Skiing?" Garrett asked.
"You know how much I love to ride like the wind. It might be fun to try it without the horse." She smiled. "And those snow suits. I'd have to have a white one for sure." She laughed.
"With faux fur trim?" Garrett asked as he took his seat across from her.
"Of course." She smirked.
Dinner was pleasant, and afterward Garrett mentioned there was a club with a dance floor on the next level. "Do you feel like taking a turn?" he asked.
"Absolutely, but I need to find a ladies room first." She replied innocently.
Garrett didn't hesitate to point out that he saw one just outside the restaurant on the left. Beth excused herself and for the first time in over 3 months, walked out of his site and control. There were a few other women in the bathroom when she entered, and as she washed her hands and retouched her lipstick she noticed one of them left her cell phone sitting on the counter. She was alone, and this couldn't have been a more perfect opportunity. "Or a perfect trap." Beth sighed to herself, walking out of the room and leaving the phone where it lay.
Garrett had paid their bill and was waiting across the lobby. He called to her when she emerged. A nod from the red haired woman who had left the phone and now saw that it had been undisturbed, let him know Leandra hadn't tried to use the opportunity. Rick had been wrong. Leandra was warming to him.
When he held her in his arms as they danced, Garrett couldn't help but feel even more for this woman now that she had passed the test. He knew he wasn't home free yet, but still .
Beth could sense from the way he held her and from the look in his eyes whenever she dared to let her gaze meet his that Garrett was truly falling for her ... and her act. Not wanting to let him sense anything contrary, she tried to fool her mind into shutting down. Every time she ran her hands along his back or laid them flat against his chest as they danced, or returned his kiss, she reminded herself of the goal and the words Adam had told Claudia so many months before. "Live, grow stronger, fight another day." His words repeated in her mind. No this wasn't a physical battle like the one's Claudia, Adam or the others would face to survive, but it was a battle nonetheless. It was a battle to regain what had been taken from her . from Cassie . from Adam.
She didn't have a sword or even know how to use one, but she did have her wits and her charm and the fact that Garrett had fallen in love with her and the idea of being a family with she and Cassie on her side. "I have the upper hand." She reminded herself. "I have a goal and I won't stop short of it."
"I wish this night didn't have to end." She said to Garrett as they waited for the car to be brought around.
"You had a good time?" he asked, pulling her tighter against his side.
"I had a wonderful time. Thank you." She replied as the driver opened the door to let them in.
As soon as the door closed Garrett was all over her. His hands and his lips assaulting every part of her body and mouth they could reach. Beth knew she couldn't rebuff him. She'd come too far, so again she steeled her mind and let him have his way as his hand ran up the length of her thigh.
But when they reached the villa, Garrett made a request she couldn't make herself fulfill.
"I don't suppose you would consider staying with me tonight?" his eyes locked with hers as he finished the sentence "In my room?"
Beth ran her hands up his body and locked them around his neck. "Not tonight Garrett. I'm not ready ..." And then she uttered the words that tried to lodge in her throat. "But soon. I'll come to you soon."
Garrett kissed her one last time and then watched as she walked slowly up the stairs, their eyes holding one another's until she disappeared on the landing.
"God what am I doing?" Beth groaned as she leaned against her closed door. But then her eyes fell on the sleeping form in the cradle and it all became clear.
Garrett could feel Leandra's resistance to him fading. Over cooking together and the dinner that followed they seemed to slip into the old banter and easy conversation they'd shared for most of their life. It was as if the difficulties disappeared. Leandra actually seemed to be relieved in his company, almost as if she needed a place to feel safe. He shared these thoughts with Rick on the phone when his teacher called to tell him about how successful the incident with MacLeod had been, but had received a warning that he really couldn't let himself be lulled into trusting her.
"But I feel like I can trust her." Garrett said to himself as watched her sitting out on the terrace with Cassie. It was an unusually warm day even for early March, and the baby was bundled up. Beth reinforced his thoughts by looking up and smiling at him, waving for him to come and join them.
"Could it be a more perfect day?" she said as they looked up at the snow covered mountains and the sun glistening like diamonds on their surface. "Is that a ski lodge up there?"
Beth was pointing at the cluster of buildings against one of the mountain faces.
"Yes, but that's only one of them. There are several in this part of Italy." Garrett finally told her where she was. "What you are seeing are the beginnings of the alps."
Beth figured it was someplace like that, but wasn't completely positive until he confirmed it.
"Remember when we used to talk about seeing the world?" she reminded him. "Just you, Craig and me? God we had such plans." She let her voice fade off with a tinge of emotion as she looked away.
"Yeah we did." Garrett replied, coming to stand behind her and putting his hands on her shoulders as she sat with Cassie in her arms. They were both quiet for several minutes before Garrett spoke again.
"Would you like to start?" he asked.
"Start what?" Beth replied.
"Seeing the world." He paused. "We could start tonight if you'd like to have dinner with me at one of the ski lodges?"
Beth turned to look up at him, the disbelief registering on her face. "You aren't serious are you? I mean . aren't I sort of under lock and key?"
Garrett suggested they go back inside since it was so cold and Beth complied.
"I'll be honest with you Lea. It won't be just us. A couple of the guards would be going with us, but they won't be at our table." Garrett told her. "I know if we are going to make a go of a life together, I have to start trusting you some time. Maybe this could be our start?"
Beth laid Cassie in the cradle and turned back to Garrett. "Maybe it could." She replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply.
"Is that a yes?" Garrett asked when he lifted his head.
"Yes Garrett. I'd love to go to dinner with you."
"I hope you don't mind I took the liberty of buying a dress for you. I'll have it brought in." Garrett said as he turned to leave. "I'll be waiting downstairs at 7."
When the door closed, Beth's mind began to race. This could be her chance. She started thinking about all the ways she might be able to get word to Adam . but then she remembered the guards and that this was probably a test. For all she knew everyone at the lodge could be on Garrett or Rick's payroll.
"For him to really trust me long enough to be sure I can reach Adam, I have to show I can be trusted." She realized. Beth knew then that tonight as tempting as it would be, she had to restrain herself. "I can't do anything tonight . but soon." She promised herself as she looked in the mirror. "Soon I'll find a way."
The dress Garrett had one of the housekeepers send up gave her an odd sense of deja vous. It was almost identical to a dress that had been one of Craig's favorites. The black dress was a very uncomplicated style that came just below the knee with a slit up the side. It had a simple round neckline, but the fabric clung to her curves, which made the simplicity so alluring.
Beth wondered if Garrett was aware of his selection or if it had been something subconscious. Either way it didn't matter. She had an act to keep up.
As promised, Garrett was downstairs waiting. He was wearing a black jacket over a white turtleneck, and Beth didn't have to wonder. She knew his sword was hidden within its folds.
"You look beautiful." Garrett said, helping her with her coat.
"Thank you. The dress is just like something I might have selected myself." Beth couldn't help but enjoy her own private humor. Lord knows there would be little enough opportunity to honestly find anything funny about the evening later on.
Beth turned to where Helen was holding Cassie. Giving the baby a kiss on the cheek, Beth thanked the woman for watching her.
"Have a good time." Helen replied, wondering to herself just how much of this was an act on the young woman's part.
A car waited outside, it's driver moving quickly to open the door for them. Beth didn't miss the SUV that sat in front or the one that followed when they pulled out onto the winding road. She knew there were more than just a couple of guards who would be watching her.
Still, it was good to be out of the villa for even a few hours. The isolation had taken its toll. The smile on Beth's face when they pulled up to the magically lit lodge was genuine. The view and the atmosphere were breathtaking.
Garrett took her arm and led her through the open lobby and toward the restaurant in the back. There were three restaurants at the resort, and he had selected the one with a clear view of the slopes. Even though it was well after dark, the slopes were lit and full of die hard skiers.
"This is amazing." Beth made a point of letting him know how exciting this was. "I've always wanted to try that."
"Skiing?" Garrett asked.
"You know how much I love to ride like the wind. It might be fun to try it without the horse." She smiled. "And those snow suits. I'd have to have a white one for sure." She laughed.
"With faux fur trim?" Garrett asked as he took his seat across from her.
"Of course." She smirked.
Dinner was pleasant, and afterward Garrett mentioned there was a club with a dance floor on the next level. "Do you feel like taking a turn?" he asked.
"Absolutely, but I need to find a ladies room first." She replied innocently.
Garrett didn't hesitate to point out that he saw one just outside the restaurant on the left. Beth excused herself and for the first time in over 3 months, walked out of his site and control. There were a few other women in the bathroom when she entered, and as she washed her hands and retouched her lipstick she noticed one of them left her cell phone sitting on the counter. She was alone, and this couldn't have been a more perfect opportunity. "Or a perfect trap." Beth sighed to herself, walking out of the room and leaving the phone where it lay.
Garrett had paid their bill and was waiting across the lobby. He called to her when she emerged. A nod from the red haired woman who had left the phone and now saw that it had been undisturbed, let him know Leandra hadn't tried to use the opportunity. Rick had been wrong. Leandra was warming to him.
When he held her in his arms as they danced, Garrett couldn't help but feel even more for this woman now that she had passed the test. He knew he wasn't home free yet, but still .
Beth could sense from the way he held her and from the look in his eyes whenever she dared to let her gaze meet his that Garrett was truly falling for her ... and her act. Not wanting to let him sense anything contrary, she tried to fool her mind into shutting down. Every time she ran her hands along his back or laid them flat against his chest as they danced, or returned his kiss, she reminded herself of the goal and the words Adam had told Claudia so many months before. "Live, grow stronger, fight another day." His words repeated in her mind. No this wasn't a physical battle like the one's Claudia, Adam or the others would face to survive, but it was a battle nonetheless. It was a battle to regain what had been taken from her . from Cassie . from Adam.
She didn't have a sword or even know how to use one, but she did have her wits and her charm and the fact that Garrett had fallen in love with her and the idea of being a family with she and Cassie on her side. "I have the upper hand." She reminded herself. "I have a goal and I won't stop short of it."
"I wish this night didn't have to end." She said to Garrett as they waited for the car to be brought around.
"You had a good time?" he asked, pulling her tighter against his side.
"I had a wonderful time. Thank you." She replied as the driver opened the door to let them in.
As soon as the door closed Garrett was all over her. His hands and his lips assaulting every part of her body and mouth they could reach. Beth knew she couldn't rebuff him. She'd come too far, so again she steeled her mind and let him have his way as his hand ran up the length of her thigh.
But when they reached the villa, Garrett made a request she couldn't make herself fulfill.
"I don't suppose you would consider staying with me tonight?" his eyes locked with hers as he finished the sentence "In my room?"
Beth ran her hands up his body and locked them around his neck. "Not tonight Garrett. I'm not ready ..." And then she uttered the words that tried to lodge in her throat. "But soon. I'll come to you soon."
Garrett kissed her one last time and then watched as she walked slowly up the stairs, their eyes holding one another's until she disappeared on the landing.
"God what am I doing?" Beth groaned as she leaned against her closed door. But then her eyes fell on the sleeping form in the cradle and it all became clear.