Beyond Chance (19 page)

Over the last year, I’d managed to ignore
the attention he often received from the opposite sex, but today it
bothered me. It was like a constant reminder of what I’d probably
be dealing with the rest of our lives together. He would always
receive attention from women, whether he meant to or not.

Aaron slid into the seat and gave me a huge
smile, looking completely relaxed and at ease with life, which only
irritated me.

“So everything sorted out?” I asked.

He nodded and placed the napkin in his lap.
“It is.”

“Was it about the show?” I asked, trying to
sidestep the obvious question.

He shook his head and took a sip of green
tea.

I found myself squirming in the chair and
couldn’t take it anymore.

“Was it Elizabeth?” I blurted.

His head snapped up as his brows furrowed.
“Elizabeth? No. I haven’t spoken to her since you and I had our
talk. You made things pretty clear.”

Feeling completely sheepish, I fiddled with
the napkin in my lap and stared at the painting on the wall next to
me.

“I thought we’d settled everything,” Aaron
said, reaching his hand across the table.

We’d barely scratched the surface.

I shook my head. “Nothing was settled. I
simply told you how I felt.”

Aaron bit his lip and remained quiet for a
few moments.

“The only way I understand to deal with a
problem is to solve it, fix it. That’s what I do. You told me you
didn’t like me talking to her, so I stopped. I don’t know what else
you want me to do.”

“That’s plenty. I’m sorry. I’m just out of
sorts. I’d never been one to be insecure and it’s like ever since
the accident, I’ve been playing catch up with my self-esteem. You
shouldn’t have to deal with it.”

“Baby, don’t apologize. You’ve had to
overcome a lot and put off lifelong dreams. None of us can predict
how we’ll handle things that pop up in life, and yours have been a
little more serious than most.” His expression softened. “Things
aren’t always easy or as obvious as they seem. I never would have
guessed we’d be in Paris working on an opening, and I certainly
wouldn’t have thought that—”

Our order came and covered the entire
table.

“You wouldn’t have thought what?” I
questioned after our server left.

It looked like he wanted to say something
more, but he didn’t. Instead he dug into the chow mein and placed a
pile of noodles on my plate. Studying his expression, I realized
there’d been something bothering him that I hadn’t stopped to
notice. I’d been so wrapped up in my problems that I couldn’t see
that he’d been wrestling with his own issues. My heart sank as I
thought about the timing. Since he stopped his daily chats with
Elizabeth had whatever issues he’d been struggling with gotten
worse?

“You look like something’s bothering
you…”

“I’m just stressed with the showing. No big
deal.”

I took a bite of the chow mein and had to
admit it was the best I’d ever tasted, but I had other concerns to
worry about.

Aaron’s phone buzzed again, and I watched
him glance at the text quickly and reply without saying a word.

During our long drive to our new home for
the week, it slowly dawned on me that he didn’t need to rent
somewhere in the country just to assemble his work. I wasn’t sure
what he had up his sleeve, but the farther away we got from Paris
the more relaxed he became, which rubbed off on me. Aaron turned
our car down another rural road. I hadn’t seen a home in miles when
I finally couldn’t take the suspense any longer.

“Are we getting close?” I asked, staring out
the window. The lush rolling hills and graceful trees were
beautiful, but I was getting anxious to see our final
destination.

“Just over the knoll.” He smiled and glanced
at me out of the corner of his eye.

“Do you think all your pieces have
arrived?”

This morning movers had packed and hauled
everything out of the studio. They actually had to use a pulley
system and move everything out through the window. It seemed like a
big ordeal, but they acted like they did it all the time. With all
the tiny hallways, elevators and stairs in Paris, I imagined the
team it would take just to move a couch so maybe this was the
norm.

“They should have, and Tracy was going to be
at the house to meet them and get everything moved into the
workshop. She said she wanted one last look before I started to
assemble.”

My blood froze at her mention.

“What’s wrong?” Aaron asked.

“Nothing.”

“I mentioned Tracy’s name and your body
stiffened. Something is definitely up.”

“Nothing worth mentioning.” I smiled as the
beautiful home came into view. Actually I wasn’t sure it would be
called a home, maybe a chateau or a villa?

Blue shutters adorned the windows and
matching wooden planters overflowing with blooms hung from the base
of the windows. It was right off a magazine cover, and I couldn’t
believe we’d be staying here. Tiny gardens speckled the entire
property, and I imagined each of them had a purpose of some
sort.

“Is it a hotel? Are we renting a room?” I
asked.

Aaron laughed and shook his head. “Nope. The
whole place is ours for the week.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“I thought you would enjoy being away from
the city with everything starting…”

“This is spectacular,” I whispered, my gaze
fastened on to the tiny turrets at the far end of the structure.
“Absolutely amazing.”

“There are horses and riding pastures are
behind.”

I spotted a car on the side of the home
where Aaron turned the car, and my chest tightened when I saw Tracy
step out of her vehicle and wave. She looked so happy and perky,
and I probably looked like a grump who wanted to eat her for lunch.
But the best way to win in a situation like this was to match her
in spirit and action so that was what I planned to do.

Aaron parked our rented Mercedes, and I took
a deep breath in before opening the door. Gravel crunched under my
feet as I stood up and stretched to buy time. Aaron shut his door
and greeted Tracy, who was overly exuberant. She had this act
down.

I walked around the car and waved, flashing
a huge grin at Tracy. I leaned in and gave her two quick air
kisses. I caught her completely off guard and congratulated myself
on this tiny victory.

“Good to see you again,” I said, still
smiling.

“Likewise.” She turned to Aaron and pointed
toward the workshop. “The guys moved everything in. I counted the
pieces, and they match with what you emailed to me. Did you want to
check?”

“No. I trust you.”

“I wouldn’t,” she laughed, handing him the
keys. “If either of you need anything, my father has a home not far
from here, and his staff can help you.”

“Thank you. That’s very kind of you,” I
said, glancing at Aaron.

“Very kind,” Aaron agreed. “But not
necessary.”

Tracy shook her head and smiled. “Well, I
tell you… More than a day or two in the country and I go nuts. Good
luck to you both.”

“It’s right up our alley,” Aaron assured her
as she climbed into her vehicle.

“I’ve got a dinner to get ready for so I
better get back to the city.” She glanced at me and then at Aaron.
“Elizabeth has been trying to get a hold of you and hasn’t had much
luck. I promised her you were just busy finishing things up. I’d
imagine that’s all it is.”

“I appreciate that, Tracy. I’ll be sure to
give her a call.”

“Avoir un grand temps.” She shut her door
and turned on her engine. She backed out slowly and turned around,
waving her hand out the window before driving off.

“I know she’s the boss’s daughter, but she’s
an odd one,” Aaron quipped, as he slid his arm around my waist.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I rested my
head against his arm and looked at the beautiful place we’d be
calling home for the next week. The property was so different from
Paris. It was hard to believe we were even in the same country.

“Should we get our things and go inside?”
Aaron asked, pressing his lips to the top of my head.

I nodded, and he released me from his hold
as I mulled over his remark about Tracy. I wondered exactly how odd
he thought she was, probably not as odd as I thought she was.

Aaron opened the trunk and hauled out both
suitcases, and I grabbed my bag and slung it across my shoulder. I
followed him to the front door and continued to gawk at the
beautiful surroundings. Flowers were in full bloom every direction
I looked. This would be an excellent break from the whirlwind back
home. The trial would be getting underway again just about the time
Aaron and I would be having dinner tonight, and I was doing
everything in my control not to think about it, but it was never
very far from my thoughts.

Aaron slid the key into the lock and opened
the door, pushing it in.

“Nice to only have one lock,” I laughed.

“Isn’t it?” He stepped inside and I followed
right behind.

If I’d been impressed with the exterior,
language couldn’t even begin to convey the beauty of the inside.
The only word that came to mind was spellbinding. It was as if we’d
been transported to another century. Everything was regally
appointed and enchanting. I felt like I’d been dropped right into a
French fairytale, and I never wanted to leave and face the world
again.

The white and blue mosaic floors spread as
far as the eye could see. A large bouquet with flowers from the
garden sat on a French provincial table centered in the foyer, and
matching gold-framed mirrors hung on the walls. A chandelier
dripping crystal and gold dangled above us, and all I could do was
stare at the beauty of everything. My senses were on overload. A
marble statue in the far corner of the room was as tall as I was,
and I realized there was absolutely no way to reconcile the royalty
this house exuded with reality. It was purely decadent and not of
this world.

Aaron placed the suitcases on the floor and
looked over at me, no doubt gauging my reaction to the
surroundings.

“How did you find this place?” I asked.

“A friend of a friend.”

“Please tell me it’s not—”

He laughed and placed his hands up. “An old
business acquaintance from my previous life. This is his third or
tenth home… I can’t really keep it straight.”

I eyed one of the paintings in the hallway
and walked over to it. The bold colors made the garden scene come
to life.

“That’s lovely,” I whispered, as Aaron came
up behind me.

“Down this hall, we’ll find the sitting room
and kitchen,” Aaron said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

“You’ve been here before? Did you drive out
before I got to Paris?”

Aaron shook his head and grinned. “I’ve
stayed here when I was on business. Actually in between business
during one of the few breaks I took.”

My brow arched, and I couldn’t help but
wonder if he’d had another woman with him. Not that it mattered.
Okay, maybe it did a little.

“Well, show me the grounds,” I teased.

He left the suitcases in the foyer and took
my hand. Leading me down the hallway to the sitting room, I was in
awe over the amount of artwork that adorned the walls. “The owner
just leaves everything here?”

“There’s a groundskeeper who lives in a
cottage and looks after everything.”

“I see.”

The sitting room was luxurious, but it
somehow managed to be inviting. I could imagine myself reading a
book on the chaise and not feeling like I would break something.
Built-in cabinetry filled with books garlanded the fireplace. My
hope was that the books weren’t all in French.

A handwoven blue and ivory rug centered the
room, and another vase of flowers had been placed on a cherrywood
desk that was sitting in front of the picture window. Aaron opened
a set of double doors and waved me through to another large room,
which had a wide dining table in the center of the space and
several upholstered chairs pushed against the wall. The room opened
into a spacious kitchen complete with updated appliances and a
farmhouse sink. A large bowl of fruit sat on the island, and I
suddenly realized I had no plans to ever leave.

“The stairs lead up to three bedrooms and
three bathrooms. No bathrooms on the main floor.”

I rolled my eyes and grinned. “I guess that
will have to do.”

Aaron laughed and led me up the steps to the
second floor.

“This is our room.” He opened the door and
the room took my breath away. A fireplace was tucked in the far
corner, and a four-poster bed was in the center of the room under a
window. Sheer curtains draped the four posters of the bed,
completing the dreamy sensation that had already begun downstairs.
The goose down comforter had a handmade quilt placed on top, along
with several matching pillows. Everything was either white or
glacial blue in the room. I glanced at Aaron and smiled.