Possessed by a Stranger (26 page)

Hannah resigned herself to the predicament
she willing created. She had jumped into his bed with her eyes wide
open. She had eagerly continued with the weekends. She had lost all
rights to change what they had in midstream. It would be
detrimental to confess her love so why do something so stupid? She
wasn’t a person that would ever be loved and it was time she gave
up trying. Her own parents hadn’t loved her and they should have
out of the obligation of giving her life, if for no other reason.
She had comforted herself as a child with convincing herself the
love she felt for them was enough. Her love for Garret would
comfort her now. It was enough. It had to be.

“What happened to the pizza you
promised?”

Everything after that question went back to
normal as if nothing happened. Her smile, her laugh, the bounce in
her step was all the same as before. She joined him in the shower
eagerly relieving him of two weeks’ worth of tension. He ordered
the pizza and after it arrived they ate it in bed. Hannah teased
him playfully and made love to him with the same passion. The pain
disappeared from her eyes replaced by the sparkle he loved to see
every time she looked at him. It was all exactly like it was
before. But deep in his heart he knew different. He had hurt her in
ways he couldn’t comprehend, ways she wasn’t willing to share.

Saturday morning Hannah sat on the bed
watching Garret hang the portrait back in place. He bounced the bed
walking across the head of the mattress to mark his territory. If
he thought the portrait protected his current sex partner from
being promiscuous, so be it. She would let him have his peace of
mind. Convincing him the portrait was unnecessary was useless, so
she hadn’t bothered to try. Of course, she loved the painting, so
he was doing her a favor.

He missed the hook and the portrait fell
behind the bed. When he pulled it out from behind the bed, cursing
under his breath, the paper backing ripped. Old previously opened
envelopes spilled on the floor. Hannah squealed as she rushed to
pick one off the floor. Her hands trembled as she saw the envelope
was addressed to Miss Louise Abernathy. Her heart beat wildly as
she carefully removed one of the envelope’s contents then unfolded
the aged paper. She whipped around to face Garret.

“These are her love letters from Grant.” She
slipped under her bed to retrieve all the papers scattered on the
floor.

Garret bounced off the bed with the portrait
in his hands. He was thankful it wasn’t damaged except for the
paper on the back. “Get out from under there. I’ll move the bed out
from the wall.” He laughed as she squirmed under the bed with only
her legs showing. “If you’re stuck I’m leaving you there.” He
grabbed her ankles and with one tug pulled her out.

She rolled onto her back as soon as her head
cleared the bed. “I think I got them all. Are there more in the
back of the painting?”

He hooked his hands under her arms lifting
her to her feet. “Looks like it. Do you want me to rip off the
paper?” The stupidity of his question became evident as she ripped
the paper off the back of the painting. She was so excited she
wiggled when she moved.

“There’s a poem on the back of the canvas. I
can’t wait to read these.”

She threw the letters over the bed picking up
one at a time. “I’ll go get us something to drink and some snacks.
You can finish doing whatever in the hell you’re doing. Then we can
read the letters together.” He wrapped his arms around her waist
from behind.

“I’m organizing them by dates. We can start
at the beginning.” She swiveled around to thank him properly with a
kiss.

They spent hours propped on pillows reading
the love letters in bed. They shared specific passages and Grants
memories of Louise. Some of Grant’s letters detailed his favorite
sexual encounter. Garret read all the ones he found out loud.

A chuckle emerged from Garret. “We’re doing
this one.” He smiled devilish at Hannah.

“What? Let me see.” She reached for the
letter which he moved out of her reach. His eyes sparkled with
wanting her. She loved that sparkle.

“Oh no, I’m not showing you this one. You can
read it later to see if I got it right.” He teasingly waved the
letter.

They wrestled for possession of the letter
until Garret rolled out of the bed. She knelt on the bed to grab
for the letter. He encircled her waist with his hands and tossed
her over his shoulder. With his arms holding her kicking legs he
bent to fit through the bedroom door.

Laughing Hannah squealed. “What are you
doing?”

Garret smacked her rear. “All this is in the
letter. You might want to take notes.”

“Did you pick this one just so you could
spank my ass?” She bounced against his shoulder as he bounded down
the stairs.

In the kitchen he sat her on the table. He
planted his hands on the table beside her to look in her eyes.
“Grant had to hurry in case Louise’s family returned. I don’t.”

“I like the sound of that. What exactly is my
roll?” His playful mood aroused her. The sex was exceptionally
gratifying when he played.

“Get out of that robe.” He commanded.

With a seat cushion from one of the chairs
separating her and the edge of the table he positioned her face
down on the table. He spread her legs, running his hand over her
hips between her legs. The sight of her ivory smooth ass and his
fingers slipping inside her pulled his balls tight. The best was
yet to come and if he had his way come and come again.

Her shoulders rolled like they did when she
was getting excited. He worked his fingers harder pressing on her
inner walls wanting a deep moan. Her back arched when she moaned.
He swirled his fingers out of her using her juices to lubricate her
sensitive spot. Oh yea, there was the moan he had been waiting on.
He took her right hand and placed it on her feminine mound. He
guided her fingers with his swirling over her nub.

“Come for me.” He demanded in a low rasping
voice.

He twirled his fingers into her moist depths.
Damn, she was so hot squirming on the table, touching herself. He
pinched the base of his dick to stop himself from exploding when he
felt her tightened spasmodically on his fingers. She shook the
table gasping for air. Her arm relaxed falling beside her. He ran
his hands up her sides as he leaned to kiss her neck. He knew how
much she loved him to nuzzle her neck.

He whispered in her ear. “We aren’t done yet.
Do it again.”

He pressed on her back as he slipped inside
her. He stood and held her hips as he pushed deep inside her wet
tunnel. He waited for her tell-tale muscle roll feeling the
movement of her fingers at their union. He leaned back to see
himself hidden inside her. He pulled back just to see his dick
disappear as he thrust hard into her again. Her back arched with
the sexy roll. He pressed down on her ass with one hand slipping
his thumb in her back door. He guided his dick with his other hand
twirling it in and out. She was gasping uncontrollably. He thrust
his hips forward consumed by the beginning of an orgasmic eruption.
He moved faster, harder with a groan of pleasure gurgling in his
throat.

“Oh Garret …” She screamed.

He thrust hard exploding with an orgasm. Her
inner wall constricted around him draining every last drop. He fell
on top of her kissing her neck as he basked in the glow of complete
fulfillment. She gave him whatever he asked of her, willingly, with
an eagerness to please. She was perfect in every way possible. His
conviction to remain uninvolved was crumbling around him.

“I have a confession. This wasn’t in the
letter.” She shook with laughter beneath him.

“Well it should have been. She would have
chained him here if he was as creative as you.”

Later, Garret drove up the lane to visit
Pops. While he was gone Hannah prepared dinner. He would be
depressed when he returned. Lately all his visits with Pops
reminded him how soon they would end. They never discussed the
subject; they didn’t have to talk about it to know. She knew one
thing for sure. She would be there to comfort him when he needed
her. She didn’t have a choice, she loved him.

After he returned to the cottage they ate
dinner. She knew not to push for conversation. He needed time to be
alone with his thoughts. They decided to watch a movie on
television he had missed every other time it was shown. Cuddled
together in bed they watched the movie. Garret fell asleep before
the movie was over. She decided to read more of Grants love letters
to her great Grammy. Louise was one lucky woman even though she
lost Grant. Grant loved her. Maybe, too much or he wouldn’t have
left but he loved her never less.

Reaching across the bed Garret felt blindly
for her soft warm body. He cracked his eyelids to find her sitting
in the bed reading those damn letters. She had a pin-light focused
on the paper on her bent knees.

“Are you still reading?” Not only was she
reading she was crying. She smiled at him with the saddest smile he
had ever seen.

“Grant was coming home to her.” She wiped her
eyes with tear soaked tissues in her hand.

He sat in the bed wrapping his arm over her
shoulder. “Baby, you are crying over something that happened a
hundred years ago.” She snuggled against him.

“It’s still a heart breaking story. If Grant
hadn’t died … we might be related.”

“That’s not at all funny. But, we should be
far enough removed to be legal.” He started doing the family linage
in his head then said fuck it. It was the middle of the night and
he wanted her.

“You are a very bad man.
The good news is … we have proof … there wasn’t a treasure. Listen
… ‘
My claim has proved its worthlessness,
playing me for a fool, teasing me with golden dreams. My heart
belongs with you and my poor tired body will follow it home. I will
finish the week to quench any regrets with one more blast. I pray
your arms are there to embrace me’.”

She wondered if he understood the
consequences of her find. They knew the answer to a question his
grandfather spent years trying to find. The decision to inform Pops
would fall on Garrets shoulders.

“I found my treasure. Now, embrace me hard.”
She set aside the letter and fell lovingly into his arms.

They ate breakfast in silence. Garret had a
distant look in his eyes. She knew he was wrestling with a hard
decision that only he could make. They knew the answer his
grandfather spent years trying to find.

“We should go up to the house today and tell
Pops what we found.” He looked questionably into her eyes.

She knew he considered what she was about to
mention. But, she felt obligated to discuss the matter for his
peace of mind. “I hate to bring this up but … well; do you think
he’s hanging on for the answer?”

His hand embraced her hand resting on the
table. She smiled at him with the same sad smile brought on by
those letters. She opened her heart to take on every ones pain and
now she was absorbing his. “Maybe, but the doctor told us he didn’t
have much time left. He said to expect it any time. I don’t want to
chance him not knowing.”

Hannah moved to sit on his lap. With his head
cuddled in her arms she rubbed her hands over his back.

“I agree. I think he should know.” She would
have agreed with whichever choice he made. He needed reassurance
and she would always give him what he needed.

Garret went ahead to talk with his parents
taking the letter with him. Hannah walked to the mansion on the
hill with every step full of dread. Pops wanted to know so he could
pass on in peace. He had told her several times he didn’t want to
disappoint Abbey when they met in heaven. Pops was ready. He had
been for some time.

Garret met her outside. He was solemn. “I
explained it to my parents. Mom and Dad both agree. They are in his
room now, waiting on us.” He held her hand as they walked into the
house and upstairs to Pops’ room. Everyone gathered around the
hospital bed. Garret read Pops the last letter Grant Presley
sent.

The old man smiled weakly with the little
energy he had left. “At least I now know the truth. That’s all I
ever wanted.”

“Hannah had put all the clues together. She’s
going to explain the legend.” Garret rested his hand on his
grandfather’s boney shoulder.

She moved closer to the
head of his bed taking his hand in hers. “You helped find the
treasure. The treasure wasn’t gold or money it was their love.
Grant did send gold dust in his love letters but it was just enough
to sprinkle on the pages. It was probably fool’s gold. Louise
wrote
‘Sunlight glistened from the pages
with only a candle in which to read.’
It
was the gold dust sticking to the pages.”

“So the treasure was fool’s gold?”

“She didn’t want him to
leave. She didn’t need or want riches only his love. Grant wanted
to give her the life he thought she deserved so he went to find his
fortune.
‘The loftiness of his passion
shuttered my soul. Lying in his arms, surrounded by the nature of
things, I prayed he chose me. A mistress, full bodied with
luxuries, unbeknownst to one of simple comforts, seduced him away.
He took from me, the warmth of the sun, in search of presenting me
with a cold harvest moon.’
The four
paintings are the view from the sides of the attic. Or as you call
it… the loft.”

“You mean love nest, don’t you?” Garret
teased another weak smile from his grandfather.

“She gave your family all
the gold dust Grant sent. She mixed it in her paint.
‘I grinded the source of my pain into a palette
of grief. Brush strokes, moistened with tears, swept across the
canvas. Flecks clung to my fingers like sap from a weeping willow
tree.’
I think she blamed his death on his
family for not accepting her. And she was a vindictive woman. She
painted that nude picture of them and left this poem on the back of
the canvas.