Stormy Passion (46 page)

Besides, she was now responsible for Lisa.
Brenna couldn't bear to see her sister limp through life and know
she'd been selfish, choosing her own happiness over the
child's.

“
I guess the choice has
been made.” She sighed. It had been made the day her father pulled
the trigger. She reached for the pen and laid the legal document on
the table. The squiggly lines that flowed from the pen's gold-tip
barely resembled her signature, but it was the best she could
do.

“
I see you finally came to
your senses,” Mrs. Rothschild said as she moved back into the room.
“You do understand you're never to step foot in River Run again?”
She shoved the glass of water at Brenna.

Brenna sipped the cool liquid and waited
several moments before answering. “I understand,” she replied
dully, her voice hoarse with emotion.

“
And you're never to
mention any of this to Taylor.”

Brenna stood and put her purse under her arm.
“I can read, Mrs. Rothschild. Maybe I've never had the money the
Rothschild’s have, but I assure you, I'm well educated. I've signed
the papers, so you can get off my back!”

“
You don't have to be
uppity with me, miss.” Vivian stood, also. “Stop by the bank and
pick up your check. I expect you out of town within the
week!”

When Brenna heard the last remark, she
stopped in the doorway and looked back at the malicious woman. She
hated her more with every breath she took.

“
What are you going to do,
Mrs. Rothschild when you can't buy off Taylor's next
fiancée?”

***

Brenna was older now--not as naive as she'd
been then. She asked herself a thousand times if she'd done the
right thing by getting out of Taylor's life. At the time, she had
only seen herself as an albatross hanging around his neck, and she
hadn't wanted that. Taylor deserved better.

“
Hello! Hello! Is anyone
there?”

“
Who were you calling?”
Brenna asked.

“
My son, of course. This is
his phone.

“
If you'll wait a minute,
I'll find him.”

“
Is that you, Brenna Fox?”
Vivian snapped out the question. But she didn't give Brenna long
enough to answer before she started again. “So it's true. Perhaps
you've forgotten our agreement, young lady?”

“
I haven't forgotten
anything, Mrs. Rothschild.”

“
Then what in the hell do
you think you're up to. I'll tell you one thing--”

“
Wait just a minute!”
Brenna's control snapped like a dry twig. “I didn't invite Taylor
here. He just showed up on my doorsteps.” She attempted to explain,
all the while clenching her fist by her side, thinking that she
should have punched the old bag in the nose a long time ago. “What
was I supposed to do? Say your mother said you can't be in the same
town I'm in?”

“
Well, let me spell this
out for you so you don't forget.” Vivian's voice grew shrill. “If
you have the slightest notion of getting Taylor back you can put
that silly idea aside. How do you think he would feel when he finds
that you sold him out for money? You took his love and threw it in
his face,” Vivian said in a haughty tone. “When you saw those
dollars your so-called love disappeared like a puff of
smoke.”

“
That's not true!” Brenna
shouted loud enough to break the woman's eardrum. She hoped. “I did
what was best for Taylor and my sister. Or so I thought.” Now she
wasn't so sure. She struggled to get control of herself. “I did it
for my sister and because I cared what happened to
Taylor.”

Mrs. Rothschild started laughing--a cold,
ugly laugh. “Taylor was making arrangements to care for your sister
after you were married, but you saw that check I dangled in front
of your nose and snapped it up.” Brenna heard Vivian Rothschild
snap her fingers. “Like that.”

“
You knew? And you never
told me?” Brenna already knew the answer. The woman had put her
through hell so she could have what she wanted. Had Vivian ever
considered that she was hurting her only son with what she'd done?
Would she stop at nothing? Brenna wouldn't be surprised if the
woman took out a contract on her. “I hope you can sleep at night.
But you don't have to worry about me. Taylor is
engaged.”

“
That's right, and we're
already making the wedding plans,” Vivian quickly informed her.
“You do know Carol is pregnant?”

“
P--Pregnant?” Brenna's
head started to spin as she clutched the desk. “B--But, Taylor
never said anything.”

“
He doesn't know,” Mrs.
Rothschild told her. “Carol wants to wait until he comes home to
surprise him.”

Taylor's mother had won again. The woman
sounded so pleased that Brenna had to take some of the smugness
away from her. “Carol has my sympathy for having the likes of you
for a mother-in-law!”

“
I don't have to listen to
this. Tell my son to call me immediately.” A loud click sounded and
the phone went dead.

Brenna's fingers trembled with unleashed fury
as she placed the phone on the desk. A stab of pain encased her
chest and her eyes burned with unshed tears at the injustice of it
all.

Somebody needs to drive a stake into that
woman's heart
.

“
Are you ready to go?” The
door squeaked as Taylor entered the office. Brenna quickly slid the
phone back into the briefcase, then turned, wearing an artificial
smile.

“
What's wrong?” He threw
his coat over the chair. “My God, you're pale,” he said as he moved
to Brenna's side and felt her forehead. “You're not running a
fever,” he murmured, not trying to hide the concern in his
voice.

Brenna attempted a half-smile then lied,
“I--I bumped my foot on the desk, but it's okay now.” She wanted to
cry out ... and my heart is breaking because I should be having
your baby.

“
See what happens when I
leave you alone for a few seconds?” His tone was teasing, but his
eyes were serious. “You need to be careful,” he cautioned before
adding. “I believe you have a doctor's appointment in about an
hour.”

“
I haven't forgotten,”
Brenna mumbled. She pretended to straighten some papers on her
desk. “By the way, your mother called,” Brenna said in as
mild-mannered a voice as she could muster. “She said for you to
phone her.”

“
So, she's back from her
trip,” Taylor casually commented, then leaned close to Brenna as if
he had a secret. “You want to know something?” Brenna nodded her
head. “I've kind of enjoyed not having her under my feet. I don't
know when she's going to learn that I can handle the business
myself. I bet she hated the fact I'm not in the office,” he said
more to himself than to Brenna as he picked up his phone and
punched the number.

“
Mummy dearest,” Taylor
teased. “Did you have fun?” He tilted his head and
listened.

Finally after several minutes without getting
in a word, he said, “I'm not coming back for another week or so.”
He held the phone away from his ear, and Brenna could hear his
mother's shrill voice. Again he listened. “Things haven't fallen
apart so far, and I'm sure they won't.”

Brenna saw Taylor's jaw tighten as he once
more endured his mother's speech. “Yes, I spoke with Carol last
night. You heard me, Mother. I'm the boss now and I call the
shots,” Taylor said forcefully, then added in a calmer voice, “I'll
talk to you next week.” He shook his head. “I will.” He put the
phone up and looked at Brenna. “Mother said to give you her
best.”

The bitch. Brenna seethed, but she smiled for
Taylor's sake, then murmured, “That was nice of her,” she managed
to say through clenched teeth.

Vivian Rothschild looked out her office
window. The one thing she'd feared had happened. Taylor had found
Brenna. Vivian cursed silently as she drummed her fingers on the
arm of her chair. She had stopped worrying after the second year
when Taylor had finally gave up searching for Brenna. He had a
bright future ahead of him, and Vivian had worked hard to secure
his position at the bank. She'd not let him throw away his future
over a woman who could never be an asset to him. Hadn't the scandal
over the girl's parents been enough to prove to Taylor that she
came from the wrong side of the tracks and would never fit into the
social class that Taylor mingled with?

Vivian hated the girl with every breath she
took. All girls turned out to be like their mothers. And Vivian
would not allow Taylor to suffer any of the humiliation she knew
would come in the years ahead.

Hadn’t Brenna’s mother ruined her life?
Vivian had thought her marriage was perfect but it wasn’t until she
found a letter in her husband’s briefcase that her perfect image
tumbled to the ground. It had been six months after her husband’s
death when Vivian decided to clean out her husband’s desk. She
found a letter addressed to herself from him, and she couldn’t help
wondering why he’d left her a letter.

Vivian remembered the blood draining from her
face as she read the letter’s contents. Her husband had had a one
night stand with Brenna’s mother. Vivian was furious.

She confronted Brenna’s mother a week later
but the woman only confirmed the letter and said she was sorry.
Sorry! That was little conciliation, so Vivian found Brenna’s
father and told him what had happened. Somebody should be punished
for the indirection.

However, she never dreamed that the name
would murder his family. And for that she did feel guilty, but it
was something she’d learn to live with.

Vivian gasped as she felt a crushing
tightness in her chest. She turned and pulled out the desk drawer
and fumbled for her bottle of pills. Twisting the cap off, she
popped two small pills under her tongue and waited for the relief
she knew would come. Several moments passed before her discomfort
eased and she could take an effortless breath.

Her heart was getting to be a damn nuisance.
She hadn't told Taylor of her heart condition. There was no need to
worry him because she intended to be around for a long time. She
just had to see Taylor happy and married to a woman of her choosing
with a family of his own, then she could retire peacefully.

She picked up the soft drink off her desk and
sipped the cool liquid. There had been a sadness about Taylor that
no matter how hard Vivian tried she couldn't seem to help him.
Every once in awhile she wondered if she'd done the right thing.
Taylor would hate her if he found out what she'd done, but she knew
Brenna would never tell him because if she did, Vivian would pull
out her ace card and that would send Brenna's little family down
into the pits of hell.

Vivian frowned. Sometimes she wanted to feel
sorry for Brenna, she was the innocent one in this whole mess. Then
she shrugged. Brenna wasn't her concern.

Someone had to pay.

Brenna tried to put the phone call from her
mind while they rode to the hospital. But the hateful woman's
threats bubbled in her mind like stew in a cauldron sitting upon a
roaring fire. Brenna wouldn't have had to leave River Run because
Taylor had already planned to take care of her sister, but the
scandal would have hurt him, she reminded herself. Or would it? She
shook her head, knowing she lacked answers. Why think about things
she couldn't change? And then there was Carol. What glimmer of hope
Brenna thought she'd had just fizzled out.

She glanced at Taylor. He seemed unusually
quiet, too. And she wondered what he thought. Was he thinking of
his future wife? No matter. She only had a few more days with him.
At least they could remain friends.

They had just entered the downtown section of
Hollow Ridge when Brenna noticed a new building. “Look! What's
that?” She pointed. What had been an empty lot now had a wood
framed skeleton.

Taylor turned his head to the left.
“Apparently your little town is growing. You know it's just a
matter of time before new businesses start pouring into Hollow
Ridge. Maybe it will be a famous ski resort one day.

“
I hope not. I kind of like
the town small and simple. Maybe it's another ski shop.”

“
Unfortunately, I'm not on
the gossip exchange here. I guess we'll have to wait and see what
the sign says.” He reached over and patted her hand. “I'll tell you
what. We'll stop on the way back,” he promised as they pulled into
the hospital parking lot.

“
I saw they brought your
car back,” Brenna said.

‘
Yep.” Taylor nodded. “But
I’m getting use to his Jeep.” He turned his head and smiled at
her.

He drove up to the hospital entrance and help
her out then instructed Brenna to stay put while he parked the
Jeep.

Taylor held the door as she hobbled through.
She smiled when she passed a patient in a wheelchair with his leg
in a cast up to his thigh.

“
Looks like you've been
skiing,” Brenna joked to the injured party.

“
Actually, I was standing
on the sidelines when a skier plowed into me,” he answered her
before they wheeled him out the front door.

Brenna glanced at Taylor. “I guess you're not
safe anywhere.”

“
Now let's don't put skiing
down. I bet you're out on the slopes again before the snow
melts.”

“
Would you like to wager
some money on that?”

Taylor laughed as they were shown into the
doctor's office.

“
Good to see you.” Dr. Mac
motioned for Brenna to sit down. “How does your foot feel?” he
asked, taking her foot in his hand to examine it.