Climbing High (16 page)

Jake came back to the present to realize he’d literally run himself into the ground. His legs threatened to collapse under him and his muscles quivered like jellyfish in warm water. He braced his hands on his knees and leaned over, sucking in long draughts of air.

Get a grip. You can’t deal with the problem unless you get control of your emotions and bring some objectivity to bear. It isn’t the anger that’s eating at you anyway. Quit kidding yourself. It’s the fear. You’re scared to death she’ll go back into hiding.

He sank on to the grass, rolled onto his back and looked up at a cloudless sky. How could everything seem so ordinary when his whole world was disordered? Finchley had informed him three days earlier that the file of anonymous letters from his stalker was getting fatter by the minute. Gribbs said the letters had escalated in volume and violence. Threats for him to get rid of Siree or
she
would, printed in red felt pen on purple paper. One had included a headshot of Siree, with her eyes and mouth gouged out. Jake felt like his blood had congealed in his veins and immediately called Gribbs. He’d ordered him to put round the clock security on Siree, no matter what country she was in. She’d fought it until he’d told her why, then asked for Janice and allowed him to put his men in place.

Janice reported to Gribbs daily and through him, Jake learned Siree wasn’t sleeping well and had lost weight. She worked fourteen- to sixteen-hour days on the new system for the hotel chain, desperate to finish so she could get away from the press. She never left the hotel except to travel to another in the chain where she immersed herself in work.

Jake talked several times with Tyrus about pulling her from the job, and Tyrus replied each time that she refused to leave a client in the lurch. Unless her presence made it too hard on the client, she insisted on finishing the job.

When Jake phoned Sharon to apologize, expecting her to be fiercely protective of her daughter and justly angry with him, Sharon reassured him that Siree had the strength to get through it. “She knew going in there were no guarantees, and she took the risk. Don’t discount her courage by trying to take responsibility.”

When reminded that he’d decided to surprise her without giving her a say, Sharon had responded, “But isn’t that what any enamored man would do, and what any involved woman would want her man to do?” Sharon had cut off his protest. “Remember, this might not be such a tragedy, but the beginning of Siree finding her freedom again. She’s been locked inside herself for a long time.”

He took comfort from Sharon’s position and hoped that her words would become truth for Siree’s sake and for his own, because everything in his life now revolved around Siree.

Now, he stood and wiped sweat from his forehead. He’d get back to the house and see if anything new had unfolded. Police forces in several cities across Canada worked with the RCMP, following up the few clues his stalker had provided. They’d questioned him about how she’d gotten the photo of Siree and he’d been unable to help. It wasn’t one published by any of the media. He hadn’t recognized anything in the background. He’d refused to let them show her the violated photo. It was enough to tell her the stalker threatened her, without demonstrating the viciousness of the act. They concluded the woman had taken it herself. Jake’s hands fisted when he thought of how close she’d been to Siree with none of them aware. He couldn’t let it happen again.

Chapter Eight

Siree separated herself from the mass of humanity streaming through Vancouver airport and walked into her mother’s arms. She felt like laying her head on that comforting shoulder and crying. Instead, she played the part of sophisticated professional, scrutinizing the shifting crowd in the airport for paparazzi. “Are they here?”

“Not at the moment.” Sharon tucked her arm through Siree’s and steered her toward the baggage carousels. “But let’s get out of here before they show up.” Siree could feel her mother’s concerned gaze running over her face and too slim form.

“I know, I know. I’m a wreck.” She forced a bright smile, her hand lifting to tuck in a loop of hair that had loosened from her braid. “I actually fell asleep on the plane.” She tried to sound carefree, but didn’t have the energy to work it like she wanted. “We’ll probably see a picture of me with my mouth open and drool down my chin on the front page tomorrow.”

Janice, who walked a few steps back, chuckled. “I assure you, I wouldn’t let that happen. I’m here to protect your image, not just your body.” Sharon nodding at Janice in approval patted her daughter’s shoulder. “That brings back happy memories of when you were a baby and fell asleep at my breast.”

A siren sounded, and the luggage started banging down onto the revolving carousel. Within minutes, they had collected their bags and reached Sharon’s car. The ride to the condo was anti-climactic, as no photographer or pushy journalist dogged their steps. They waited in front of the building instead. Sharon whizzed past into the underground garage. “The building owners got an injunction against them. They can’t come onto the premises or within one hundred yards of the doors, but that’s the best I could do,” she explained, as they rode up the elevator. “I’ve had some with telescopic lenses take photos from other high-rises, so you won’t be able to go out on the patio.”

Janice accompanied them as far as the front door. “I’ll check in with Gribbs, make sure security is in place before I leave. I’ll see you tomorrow. Now I suggest you get some rest.”

“Thanks, Janice.” Siree stepped into the foyer and leaned in for another hug. “Mom, it’s so good to be with you, to be home.”

“Well, we all said we’d be back in Vancouver for June, but none of us anticipated this. I hope I can provide the bolthole you need. Lucky for us, Ty built this time off into your schedule. However, we won’t be here long. Jake set us up for a weekend at a spa resort. He decided we both need to be pampered.”

When Siree twisted her hands in agitation, Sharon reached out to hold them still. “It has high security, beautiful grounds on the ocean, peace, fresh air, five star food, and all the amenities.”

“I don’t deserve to be pampered by Jake. I’m so mad at myself, Mom. It’s been years since Dad’s death and I’m not a naïve girl, now, but I reacted like a total idiot. If I hadn’t almost climbed inside Jake, the press would have dismissed my presence entirely. Instead of staying calm and fading into the background, I panicked and threw myself at him. Then I hid out like a criminal. I refused to deal with it, like he suggested. I’ve cost him a fortune in extra security, because I brought myself to the attention of some possessive woman who sees him as hers. I can’t imagine he wants anything to do with me.” She pulled at a strand of hair.

Sharon played her trick card. “Well, there I disagree with you, but regardless of how he feels, he’s made all the arrangements, and I, for one, need it. I haven’t been able to get out of here for weeks.”

Siree covered her eyes with her hands and stood, shaking her head. “Look what I’ve done to you. I started all this craziness by going to Jake. It’s just awful.”

Sharon pried Siree’s hands from her eyes so she could look into them. “All of it, Siree, or just the publicity?”

Siree felt a blush mount her cheeks. “If I could just be with him away from the world, I’d take it in a second.” She met her mother’s eyes squarely. “I feel so alive when I’m with him, like I’ve woken from a hundred year sleep. But when we’re apart, the hiding, subterfuge even to have a phone conversation, it goes against all my principles and makes me feel like a slug. I wonder if it can possibly be worth it. Mom”—she clung to Sharon’s hands—“I think I’m losing little pieces of my soul.”

Sharon didn’t scoff at the idea. She took Siree into her arms and rubbed her back as if comforting a toddler. “I’m so sorry you are going through this again, my darling. I know how much it devastated you to lose your father that way. But, you have to ask yourself why you’re hiding and who you’re hiding from.”

Siree pulled back, staggered a step, almost too tired to stand.

“Come, darling, you need a cup of tea and a sandwich, and then I’ll help you sort out what you want to take to the spa. Jake is sending a car for us in two hours. We’re flying via helicopter to this place outside Seattle. Jake’s friend, Sam, recommended it. I’m really looking forward to a girls’ weekend together. Let’s indulge ourselves at Jake’s expense. After all, he’s the cause of all our miseries.”

“He can’t help it, if…” Siree began to defend him, then saw the teasing laughter in her mom’s eyes, and knew she’d walked right into her trap. “Okay, it’s the least I can do if you’ve been hounded as mercilessly as I have.” She felt her spirits lighten for the first time in weeks. “I was looking forward to the weekend with you, and I don’t suppose it matters where that happens, but guaranteed privacy I won’t turn down.”

Hours later, Siree stood on the patio of a five star bungalow that looked out over the Pacific. A full moon laid a glittering path that led right to her feet. She wanted to wander down it to oblivion, to escape all the pressures and stresses that had bombarded her since Jake had arrived in Curacao and her safe world had erupted. She wanted her anonymity back to hide in. Her mother’s question leapt to the front of her mind. Why hide? Hide from whom? It had seemed obvious through this entire experience: hide from the press that hounded her.

She straightened from the rail and centered all her thoughts on an idea that seemed to be breaking through. Ever since her father’s death, she had exerted total control over every aspect of her life, yet now she relinquished it to strangers who didn’t give a thought for her except to use her for their own gain. She despised everything they stood for, yet she allowed them to ruin her life. She’d handed over her power to them. She tugged at her neckline, played with an earring.

She paced along the handrail like a wild creature. Worse, far worse, she admitted to herself she’d accepted the sacrifices of the people she loved, letting them fight on the frontlines while she hid. Her mother had paid the price. Jake cared for her, yet fought for her privacy, fielding every bit of the pressure while getting no help from her in return. And even Ty, crimson faced, blood pressure soaring, had shouted in the face of reporters who had rushed at her outside his office.

Working round the clock, she had finished her assignment in the Caribbean and run for cover, never so glad to get away from a place as then. Praising the jobs she’d done there and in Germany, he’d crossed his office to hug her. A close-up of her strained expression and shaking body, and he insisted he take her to her apartment to pack and then put her on the first plane to her mother.

She turned, her steps slowing. She’d given up everything to these jackals—her mother’s happy, peaceful new life, even Ty’s health. All had been endangered while she played the tragic victim. Freely, she’d handed over her power, her principles, and her promise never to let them hurt her again. Siree staggered, the blood draining from her head. She’d sacrificed precious time with the man she loved, a chance to let him come to love her.
God, I love Jake! I sent him away, and I hid like a frightened child. How could I not know how much he meant to me?

The answer to one of her mother’s questions struck her with the same brilliance as the moonlight danced over the waves. Hiding from whom?
I’m hiding from myself.

Shamed by her weakness, overwhelmed by what she’d allowed to happen, she sank into one of the rattan loungers, rested her head on the cushioned back, and stared up at the mystical face of the moon. Tonight it had the features of a woman. A trail of nearby cloud made it look like she combed her long hair. For a moment, it seemed the cloud would cover the moon, hide it from sight. Siree held her breath, caught up in the symbolism. As she watched, the moon inched free of the cloud, flooding the night with light.

“Are you all right, honey?” Sharon stepped onto the patio. The moonlight slid over her, highlighting the graceful fall of her hair and robe.

Siree turned. “Yes, I am,” she said with more confidence than she’d felt in weeks. “Are you going to bed now?”

“I’m off.” Sharon crossed to kiss her on the cheek. “Between the long walk and that lovely dinner I’m done in. I think I’ll sleep late, if I can, and hope you do too.”

“We’re supposed to be at the spa for our first appointments at ten, aren’t we? You won’t see me till then.” She pressed a kiss to her mother’s cheek.

****

True to her word, Siree slept late and had a light breakfast sent to her room. When she faced herself in the mirror her eyes were filled with resolve. She felt renewed, like she’d found the scattered pieces the paparazzi had ripped and torn from her, found them and fitted them together through the night. Centered once more, she followed the paved path from their bungalow to the spa.

“What a fabulous morning.” Sharon lifted her face to the sun and breathed in the rose-scented air. “Heaven.”

Much of the strain had left her mother’s face. Siree’s heart lightened further. Her contemplation the night before had put the steel back in her backbone. She no longer walked in fear. Never again would she give away her power. Anticipation of the treat ahead brought her smile into full play. The only thing that would make the weekend better would be a chance to apologize to Jake. As soon as she got home she’d find him. This was one thing she had to do face-to-face.
But for now I’ll enjoy this wonderful weekend he planned for us.

“We’re like kids in a candy store.” She poked her mother. “What did you book for us?”

“The works, my darling. Jake insisted we spare no expense. I booked us side-by-side facials, massages, body wraps, a mani, pedi and hair. We are going to be gorgeous when we walk out of here.”

“Sam won’t know what hit him. He seemed so pleased when I phoned and asked if he wanted to take two lovely ladies to dinner,” Siree said.

“He’s been a good friend to you through this whole thing.” Sharon nodded. “I’m looking forward to meeting him. He sent flowers, you know, and the sweetest note of commiseration when he knew the press had descended on me.”