Bishop's Rock

Chapter Two (#u4955b187-98c3-5254-b1b8-c0720124e809)

Andrew had already gone downstairs by the time Lea ventured out of her room. She was very late. After the unsettling encounter with the man on the patio, she’d gone inside to rest, finally drifting off to sleep despite her agitated state. Her dreams had been filled with disturbing images and warnings. Of the man’s face staring down at her in the dark. Mrs. Westin? Can you hear me?

She’d awakened with a start, gazing around the room in confusion until her nerves settled and she remembered where she was. Her head throbbed, but she decided against taking another pill. Instead, she’d drawn a bath and relaxed in the hot water until the pain subsided. Then she’d fussed over her makeup and clothing, prolonging the moment when she would open her bedroom door to a strange and frightening world.

Now she hovered at the top of the stairs, searching for her husband. He stood in the great room doorway, his back to her, but he glanced over his shoulder as if sensing her presence. Then he turned slowly to face her, his expression enigmatic as he took her in. She wore a simple green dress that had appealed to her more than the other selections and a pair of beige sandals. She’d left her hair loose about her shoulders, and a bit of concealer hid most of the fading bruises. Andrew left his spot in the doorway and came across the foyer to greet her.

She held on to the banister, disconcerted by the concentration of his stare. “I’m sorry to keep you waiting. I fell asleep.”

“Don’t apologize. I’m glad you were able to rest. No one has gone into dinner yet anyway.” He took her hand and then her shoulders, holding her at arms length as he searched her face.

“Is something wrong?” she asked nervously.

“Nothing at all.”

“Then why are you looking at me like that?”

An emotion she couldn’t name flashed in his eyes and then he seemed to catch himself. “I’m happy to see you looking so well. Almost like your old self.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “But the contrast from the past few days is startling.” He lifted his hand as if to brush her cheek with his knuckles and then abruptly stepped back. His eyes flashed again before he glanced away. “You were so pale and battered when I first saw you at the rehab center. You’ve no idea what seeing you like that did to me.”

Now Lea was taken aback. His hesitancy stunned her. In the short time since he had appeared in the garden, she’d gleaned one thing from their encounters. Her husband was a man of supreme confidence. She had attributed his reluctance for physical contact as deference to her condition, but now he seemed vulnerable and confused, as if he didn’t know what to make of his own emotions. Far from drawing her in, though, his restraint made her want to retreat even deeper behind her barriers. His self-doubt made him seem human and approachable, and she wasn’t yet ready for that kind of familiarity.

Then she noticed the man she’d seen on the patio earlier and something—another jolt of déjà vu—propelled her to her husband’s side. Andrew was also a stranger, but at least she knew something of their shared history. She had no idea where or when or how her path had crossed with the newcomer.

He had taken Andrew’s place at the great room door, leaning a shoulder against the woodwork as he watched them openly. He was dressed in charcoal slacks and a blue shirt that made his eyes seem even more electric. He didn’t smile at her as their gazes touched. If anything, Lea could have sworn she saw a flash of suspicion before he glanced back over his shoulder into the great room.

She had unconsciously pressed closer to Andrew. Released from the stranger’s gaze, she now moved away, peering through the doorway to glimpse the other guests.

A blonde appeared at the stranger’s side. “Oh, you must be the new arrivals,” she said cheerfully. “I’m Elise. This is...” She turned with a frown. “I’m sorry. What did you say your name is again?”

“I didn’t say.” His voice was low with a raspy edge. The sound of it filled Lea with inexplicable dread. “I’m Cole Matheson.”

“Elise Terry.” She was a striking-looking woman with short platinum hair and blue-green eyes. She had dressed all in black—slim trousers, fitted sweater and stiletto heels that added four inches to her already statuesque height.

Her crystalline gaze vectored in on Andrew. Her voice dropped expectantly. “And you are?”

He extended his hand. “Andrew Westin. This is my wife, Lea.”

“Well, Andrew Westin, Noah said you’d be arriving before dinner. Looks like you’re just in time for cocktails.”

“Who’s Noah?” Lea asked as they all exchanged handshakes and greetings.

“He’s a good man to get to know,” Elise said. “He pretty much runs this place. Anything you need, he’ll take care of. He’s also a tour guide if you want to venture off the main trails, and if you’re in the mood for a climb, he can see you safely up Bishop’s Rock.”

“We can handle Bishop’s Rock on our own,” Andrew said. “My wife and I are both seasoned climbers.”

“Is that so?” Elise’s brow arched ever so slightly as she turned to give Lea an assessment. “We should plan an excursion, then. How about you, Mr. Matheson? Do you climb?”

“I hunt,” he said as his gaze raked over Lea.

The stranger’s interest disconcerted her. She slipped her hand in Andrew’s and he squeezed her fingers before abruptly releasing her. “How about that drink?” he said, to no one in particular.

Elise was quick to accommodate. “There’s a bar in the great room. Self-service tonight. Come along.” She tucked her arm through Andrew’s. “I’ll show you around and introduce you to the others.”

Andrew shot Lea an apologetic glance as he allowed Elise to usher him through the archway.

Left alone in the foyer with Cole Matheson, Lea said self-consciously, “Are there many other guests?”

“Only a handful. Slow week, seems like.”

“Are you staying in the main house or one of the cabins?”

He cocked his head. “Does it matter?”

“No, of course, not.” She shrugged. “I was just trying to make small talk. Apparently, I’m no good at it.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” He searched her face for another long moment before he said, “I’m right down the hall from you, I believe.”

“You would know that since you saw me earlier on the balcony.”

“Yes.”

Lea paused, not at all certain she wanted to continue the conversation. But a perverse curiosity about the stranger got the better of her. “Had you been out hunting when I saw you? I didn’t notice a rifle.”

He smiled. “Just taking a walk.”

A walk? No, Lea didn’t think so. Her first impression upon spying him had been of a man on a mission, one of some urgency. But he seemed in no hurry now as he folded his arms and continued to watch her.

His unabashed scrutiny was truly alarming. She was all too aware of the bruises peeking through her makeup and the black hole that was her memory. She had the notion that this man was trying to test her. That he knew more about her than she knew about herself. If that were the case, he could be a valuable resource, but Lea had a feeling she was best not knowing his secrets. Something about the way he looked at her...watched her...

I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Mrs. Westin.

She physically jumped at the memory. Or was it a memory? Maybe her nerves had conjured the raspy voice in her ear, but that didn’t explain why her senses were suddenly filled with the scent of mint. The fragrance was so strong she might have been holding a fresh sprig beneath her nose.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“What? Yes. I just...remembered something.” She tried to shake off her unease.

“Must have been something unpleasant by the look on your face.”

“I need to find my husband.”

An unsettling combination of doubt and bewilderment glinted in his eyes. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Fear prickled across her scalp. That voice! She had heard it before, a hoarse murmur against her ear.