She heard footsteps in the hallway. Her heart rate increased and for a second, she thought it might be Stone coming to welcome her. She hadn’t seen him since late last night. But instead, Ula entered the room.
“They’re gone,” she said, and smiled. But the smile didn’t reach her dark eyes. Cathy had the sense that while the housekeeper might not mind having her here, part of her was holding back.
“Thank you for all of this,” Cathy said, motioning to the room. “It’s very impressive.”
“It is nice, isn’t it? Stone hired a brilliant decorator to help him with the house. I always tell him it’s a shame that these beautiful rooms stand empty so much. We never have company. You must promise to let me spoil you.”
“Thank you. I don’t want to be too much trouble.”
“No trouble,” Ula told her. “Stone doesn’t eat enough to keep body and soul together. Three women come in every week to do the cleaning. I get tired of sitting around doing nothing. It’s been three years since there was any life in this house. I don’t think Stone has had anyone to stay since Miss Evelyn died.”
“Miss Evelyn?” she asked. Who was she? Stone’s mother?
“Yes. She died in a car accident nearly three years ago. She was Stone’s wife.”
Chapter Four
Cathy set her fork down and stared at the plate in front of her. Ula had brought her a huge amount of food, and to her embarrassment, she’d eaten it all. She hadn’t thought she was hungry until the housekeeper had shown up with the tray, but then her stomach had growled and she’d taken that first bite. As the savory roast beef had practically melted on her tongue, she’d been lost. Maybe she could explain her appetite. After all, she hadn’t eaten much at the hospital, what with being unconscious and having surgery. Before that, well, it had been the end of the month and her money had been tight…as usual. She’d been living on packages of pasta and canned soup.
She pushed the tray aside. The tall table on wheels moved easily. She wondered at the-piece of hospital equipment in an otherwise well-decorated house. She hoped Stone hadn’t bought it for her brief stay and rehabilitation.
She supposed she could ask him, if and when she saw him. She’d been in the house since early afternoon and hadn’t seen him. Of course, she’d been confined to bed and hadn’t been able to go exploring. Not that she would. While the house was lovely and she was sure she would find treasures in every room, she wasn’t comfortable here. She wasn’t even sure why he’d brought her here.
Cathy shrugged, trying to shake off the feeling of restlessness. She told herself the sensation came from the ache in her knee and too much time in her own company. At least at work, she’d had Stone’s phone calls to look forward to. It was ridiculous to think he would call while they were in the same house. Surely he would visit her, wouldn’t he? At least to be polite.
Unless he didn’t want to see her. That was always a possibility. After all she’d done, she couldn’t blame him for that.
Her mind careened in that direction, and she had to pull it up short. She’d spent most of her waking hours beating herself up about the lies she’d told Stone. While she was sure she was going to keep doing that for a while, she wasn’t up to it tonight.
She reached for the television remote control, then let it fall back onto the plush covers. She wasn’t in the mood for that kind of entertainment. She was restless, but unable to move. Although her crutches were within easy reach, getting out of bed was a slow and painful process. She wasn’t going to do it just so she could limp back and forth across the beautiful carpet.
Which meant she had too much time to think. About being here. About Stone. And about Evelyn.
The name still caused a start of painful surprise in her chest. His wife, Ula had said. Somehow Cathy had never thought that Stone might have been married. Which was ridiculous. The man didn’t live in a vacuum. But a wife.
She shook her head. She supposed some of her surprise came from the fact that he was a widower rather than divorced. She wasn’t sure why, but she knew the latter would have been easier to accept. Maybe because it would have meant he was over her. But to have lost his wife in a car accident—probably the same one that had left him scarred—she couldn’t even imagine. Cathy drew in a slow breath. It was no wonder he locked himself away like he did.
Everything was still very confusing to her. Too much had happened in a short period of time. She was here in Stone’s house and for all she knew she was never going to see him again. The place was certainly big enough. He hated her and if he didn’t, he would soon. She wasn’t sure if she still had a job. If nothing else, the answering service was going to have to relocate. What would that mean to her? What had happened to her car, tucked behind the building in the parking lot? What about—?
A knock on her half-open door broke through her long stream of self-torment. She turned toward the sound.
“Yes,” she called, wondering if Ula had come to collect the tray.
“It’s Stone,” the familiar voice said. “Are you up to a little company?”
She wanted it not to matter. She wanted to be able to answer calmly, without her heart pounding and her already spinning thoughts whirling faster and faster. But she couldn’t manage any of that. Instead of sounding cool and casual, her voice came out completely breathless.
“Oh, please, yes,” she told him, and hated how eager she sounded.
“I need you to turn out the light,” he said.
Cathy hesitated. She’d wanted to ask Ula about Stone’s scars, but she hadn’t had the courage. She’d wondered about them, wondered how bad they must be. She didn’t have a whole lot of experience with disfigurement and could only picture things she’d seen in the movies. How bad was his face?
But instead of asking, she did as he requested. With an audible click, the glow from the lamp on her nightstand blinked out and the room plunged into the thick blackness of the night. The only light spilled in from the hallway, and that was muted at best. Cathy strained to see, but Stone was little more than a moving shadow as he pushed open the door and stepped into the room.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
She watched his shape as he walked over to the sofa by the window. He moved with the certainty of one familiar with the night.
