Chapter Five

“Are you glad you made the move over here?”

James sat companionably across the kitchen table following the completion of his guided tour of the house. Still in his work clothes, his expensive suit jacket hung behind him on the chair, his tie loosened at the neck the only hint that he was off duty.

Rachel paused to give the question some thought. “I think so, I mean it’s only been a week and my whole routine has changed but I guess that’s what I was looking for, so yes, I think I am.”

“Good.” Smiling back at her he idly ran a finger along the wood grain of the table’s surface. “I’m sorry it took so long for me to get out here to see you.”

“Don’t be silly, I don’t expect you to drop everything for me James.” She looked gratefully at him. “You’ve already done so much for me and I’m thankful, truly I am.”

“Hey, the job opening was there and you were perfectly qualified so it was an easy decision for me to make. I’m just glad I could help an old friend out.” Clearing his throat he grinned over at her, banishing the awkward silence that threatened to descend. “So have you met any of the neighbours?”

Vacantly shaking her head, Rachel wondered at the cheesy grin on his face. “Not really, there was one guy who helped me out when I first arrived but apart from that I haven’t seen anyone. It’s pretty quiet around here.”

“Ah, I see……and what did that guy look like?”

“Jeez James! I dunno, tanned, good looking I suppose – why do you ask?” She frowned at the conspiratorial look James was flashing her. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

Laughing he shook his head, “No, not really I guess. Just that you’re probably about the only person, well woman in New Jersey that has no idea who your new neighbour is!”

Confusion forced her brows upward. “Huh?”

“Bon Jovi lives right across the road from you, I thought you would have figured that out by now!” He chuckled at the realisation that lit up her features and as she blinked back at him in wonder.

“So THAT’S who he was! There was just something about him that I couldn’t put my finger on him, that smile!” She giggled, blushing at the memory of their meeting at the gates. “God, I used to have such a crush on him back in the day!”

“I KNOW! We were dating then remember?” James threw his head back and laughed loudly. “You wanted me to grow my hair long like his!”

Gasping, she slouched over the table in fits of giggles. “I DID!! I remember that! You weren’t impressed with my infatuation!”

“What guy would have been?!” He exclaimed loudly, the corners of his soft eyes crinkling fondly. “Way to make a guy feel inadequate!”

They both lapsed into a comfortable silence as they thought back to their young and carefree days. Rachel remembered how naïve she must have been with none of life’s experiences weighing her down. “Those were the days huh?”

James pursed his lips and nodded slowly. “They sure were…….”

Catching sight of the time, he rose slowly from the table and tugged his jacket off the chair. “I gotta get going; I promised a buddy of mine we’d get a game of golf in tomorrow morning. What are your plans for the weekend?”

Rising with him, Rachel stretched and smiled tiredly, suppressing a yawn with her hand. “Nothing really, try and catch up on some sleep I think and maybe get to know the local area a little better. This week has been pretty busy!”

“Get to know the local area huh?” James winked at her as they walked together to the front door. “And get to know the locals too I bet!”

She rolled her eyes at him while she opened the door for him. “Ha ha, very funny James! I’m sure my chances of running into that particular local are pretty limited! He probably thinks I’m just another dumb blonde who can’t even manage to open a set of gates without needing help for Christ’s sake!”

“You’re far from that!” Chuckling, he smirked back at her before he jumped into his sleek Mercedes. “You never know Rachel, he’s a single man now or hadn't you heard?!”

He laughed louder at her from behind the wheel when the look of surprise on her face showed that evidently she hadn’t been aware of that particular fact. The engine roared to life and with a final wave, he swung the car around and accelerated out the newly fixed gates that had caused Rachel so much trouble that first day.

She stood waving until the rear lights of the car disappeared up the road and then leaned against the door jamb to gaze across the road at the distant lights of what she now knew to be the Bon Jovi residence. She’d had no idea the man was single again, well why would she? It wasn’t the eighties anymore and she wasn’t a giggling teenager with a crush on a rock star. No, she certainly wasn’t, she was now a widowed woman in her mid-forties, hardened and battle scarred from life. Rock stars were the furthest things from her mind, she had a new job to prove herself in and a new life to try and live as best she knew how.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bright sunshine poured in from the east facing window in Rachel’s room the following morning causing her to squint as she blearily rose from a restless sleep. Ever since she’d arrived in Jersey, her sleeping pattern had been way out of whack and filled with crazy dreams that made her heart race. Every time, after a few minutes or so she would no longer be able to recall the details of them, only that they weren’t the desirable sort. She’d give anything for a peaceful night without tossing and turning.

Glancing out the window, the startling early morning blue sky promised a scorcher of a day. She threw it wide open to lean out and take a deep breath of the fresh air. Apart from a few birds chirping noisily from a tree somewhere, the immediate area was quiet and calm. She had been itching to get down to the river ever since she arrived but she had been so busy getting settled that there simply hadn’t been an opportunity. Today was the day!

A quick rummage through the wardrobe and she had located her running gear. She had loved to run back in California, it was the only time of the day that she ever had completely to herself. Fifteen minutes later after a quick trip to the bathroom she was good to go. Togged out in her favourite capri leggings and matching tank top she added her favourite faded 49’rs cap to the outfit to shield her eyes from the glaring sun.

Outside, the massive stone columns of the porch provided a convenient hand support as she went through her pre-jog stretching ritual. With packing and then moving it had been well over a fortnight since she’d pounded the pavement last and her muscles weren’t getting any younger, they needed every bit of help she could give them. Shaking out her arms and hands, she gently jogged down to the road pausing to hop from one foot to the other as she debated which way to go. Straight down to her right beyond some trees the silver breadth of the river shimmered invitingly in the distance. Hoping to find a loop of sorts that would take her along the banks she set off in that direction, her ankles easily absorbing the shock of the dusty pavement beneath her feet. The small road ahead seemed to disappear in the direction of the river but as she jogged closer she could see it forked off onto a private lane of sorts, another large house sitting on the opposite side. Frowning she pulled up, a large painted sign drawing her attention.

PRIVATE PROPERTY

NO TRESPASSING

Well that was just great! Dammit! She stared at the sign in frustration and then looked around to scan the area, hands placed firmly on her hips in displeasure. A freakin great river practically on her doorstep and she couldn’t get to it! She wondered briefly if the land was part of the Bon Jovi estate, there wasn’t a gate as such stopping her from going on just that big rude sign. She hated signs like that; well truthfully she hated anything that stopped her in her tracks. Exhaling in disgust she turned to head back up the road, she was just going to have to find an alternative route. Before she could take a step, she froze as that familiar athletic figure came into her sights, jogging down the road towards her and steadily coming closer to the spot where she stood rooted to the ground.

Oh CRAP!

Chapter Four

Jon flicked disinterestedly through the local newspaper as he lay lounging on a sofa in the family room of his New Jersey home. Nothing caught his imagination as his eyes travelled over one article after another about the state of the economy, the lack of jobs and the rise in homelessness percentages. Every day the same old drivel poured forth from what used to be a pretty good read. Not any more it seemed. Scowling he slapped it down on the coffee table and stared up at the crisp white plastered ceiling with the ornate gold patterned coving framing it. He was bored to death.

It hadn’t even been a month since the last tour had ended and already he was done with lounging around. The rest of the band were busy relaxing and enjoying vacation time with their families and would most likely refuse to even answer any calls from him. He had always been a workaholic but ever since his marriage had fallen apart he had driven the band with a fierce velocity that was unrivalled in all their years together.  The only good thing to come out of that dark period in his life was a hugely successful record and their highest grossing tour yet. But now that was all done and dusted and everybody in Bon Jovi world was sleeping………everybody except him.

Getting drunk right now appealed to him, right next to getting laid. The order of it didn’t really bother him but there was as much hope of the latter happening as there was of getting Frank Sinatra to sing the National Anthem at next year’s Super Bowl. A fucking impossibility.

The antique sofa creaked as he hauled himself upright. He probably shouldn’t have even been sitting on it but lately the finer aspects of life held little appeal for him - he was surrounded by inanimate objects that at one time in his life he had marvelled over. What was the point in having a house filled with magnificent artefacts and furniture if there was nobody to show them to? Not for the first time recently he mulled over putting the house on the market and moving into the city. He’d be closer to the kids and the buzz of city life would keep him entertained. There was something holding him back though, he had a tie to this place – his kids had grown up here – he’d been happy here, THEY had been happy here.

Amidst his mutterings he found himself wandering across the vast lawn in the darkness to the studio. It was a clear summer’s night and the stars sparkled brightly in the sky’s black canvas above his head. Through the trees he could just make out the lights of the place next door that had been foreclosed on a few months back. At the time he’d felt sorry for the guy but when he found out about the tax dodging scheme that had eventually caught up with him, all sympathy for the guy had dried up. Fuck it, Jon reasoned, if you were gonna be rich then pay your goddamn taxes! Losers like that guy were partly the reason the country’s economy was in the state it was.

About to continue on his way, he stopped when he saw a light come on in an upstairs room. It had been just over a week since he’d seen the woman who had moved into it and he still didn’t know what her deal was. She seemed to be living alone, drove a nice expensive SUV and pretty much kept to herself. If he hadn’t come across her that morning out on his run, he’d barely have known anyone had moved in.

The tree beside him became a convenient support while he strained his eyes to make out her shadowy figure. She seemed to be talking animatedly to someone, on her cell phone maybe, he couldn’t be sure. Starting to feel a little stalkerish he dropped his gaze and continued to the studio. So that’s what he was turning into – a creepy old guy who hid behind trees in the dark and perved on his neighbours? He laughed dryly at the thought despite his foul humour. If that was the case the sooner he got laid the better, maybe it was time to dig up some old contacts to take care of that particular problem.

Fumbling in the darkness for the switch, the studio was flooded in bright light when his fingers finally located it. The soundboards and recording equipment lay silent and unused, gathering dust in the wake of the last record. Old newspapers, magazines and empty pizza boxes were strewn about the various surfaces – the studio was the only building on the property that he refused to let the cleaners into. Dorothea had used to come in periodically and blitz the place all the while exclaiming that she couldn’t understand how grown men could be messier than a bunch of kids. Jon smiled at the memory as he stood amidst the disorder, letting his fingers trail a streak through the light layer of dust coating the surfaces. How times had changed was the sad reflection that distorted the brief happy memory. Back then he’d been the luckiest bastard in the whole goddamn world only he’d been too blind to recognise it. His fingers curled into a tight ball as he fought against the bitter wave of resentment building momentum again. It had been over two years now yet in reality he was still no closer to accepting the fact that their relationship was finished. They were still friends and he maintained a happy front when the kids were around but the final twist of the dagger that had torn his heart apart had been the news that she was dating again.

He angrily kicked an empty cigarette box across the floor, sending it hurtling under a desk to join the bigger heap of clutter that had gathered there. Not only was she dating – she was exclusively dating a guy called Todd Webber, some banker guy that apparently owned half of New York. It wasn’t just a flash in the pan either; they’d been seeing each other for nearly six months now. He had tried to be magnanimous about it all and take it on the chin but the truth was the jealousy that raged within him was threatening to consume him. Fortunately he hadn’t had the displeasure of meeting Todd yet, the band had still been on tour when Dorothea had given him the news. Not the best timing and the show that particular night had sucked but she had been right to tell him before he’d read about it. Their divorce had been pretty public which had resulted in him locking himself up in a recording studio down in Nashville with the guys to hammer out the record that was able to get him back out on the road away from the madness. Now though he was home – alone.

Sighing he left the main recording area behind him and clunked heavily up the stairs to the small dormer kitchen. Swinging open the fridge door, he yanked out a bottle of beer that had been in solitary confinement in the icy depths of the chill box. He wasn’t gonna get drunk on it but it was better than nothing. The darkness outside the window beckoned him to gaze out once more while he leaned against the window frame. Shoving one hand deep in his pocket, he casually swigged from the bottle with his other. Across the road from him, his eyes once more honed onto the upstairs window where his mysterious new neighbour was still moving about. Higher up now, his new vantage point allowed a better view and he narrowed his eyes when he spotted a second figure moving about the room with her. So she had company it seemed. Sure enough when he glanced down at the driveway, he could just make out the form of a second car parked beside her SUV.

Shrinking back against the plasterwork he killed the light above him so he could melt into the darkness to watch unobserved. She seemed to be laughing with her companion as she pointed to something out of Jon’s view. From what he could see, the room looked bare given there were no blinds to obscure his vision so it was anyone’s guess what was capturing the pair’s attention. Her companion moved closer to the window, the broad shape of their figure instantly confirming Jon’s suspicion that it was a male visitor. Interesting.

While the man seemed to be chatting easily with her, there was still a degree of separation between them that spoke volumes. There was no intimate connection here; perhaps he was a work colleague? Jon’s heart suddenly leapt into his mouth as the woman joined the man to stare back at him from the window. She was attractive in a natural sort of way, soft blonde tresses fell about her face that shone out even from the distance between them. His heart resumed a steady beat when he reassured himself there was no way he could be seen, they were merely looking out at the night as he had been before he started playing the peeping Tom. He shrugged off the slight guilty feeling that hovered briefly condoning himself with the fact that it wasn’t like he had a telescope glued to his eyes or anything. Speaking of which, he was pretty sure there was an old one up in the attic somewhere…..

Smirking at his pathetic musings he turned back to the window only to frown as the couple moved away, shutting the light off. Apart from a light shining out from behind the front door, he could no longer see any other signs of life. His fun was over for tonight it seemed. Throwing the rest of the beer down his neck he dropped the empty bottle in the trash can with a loud clank. Time to find some other sort of amusement. 

Chapter Three

It took a good fifteen minutes for Rachel to drag her luggage from the gates up the significant driveway to the imposing porch making her grateful that she hadn’t brought everything from California, merely the essentials – everything else could be bought as needed. Pulling the huge bunch of keys from her bag, she gave the entrance a quick look over. Aside from the two practically lifeless conifers that were withering miserably in their pots, the actual stonework looked to be in good enough shape. So far so good.

The master key for the enormous heavy wooden front door slid home easily enough and she breathed a sigh of relief as she gained access. The first thing to hit her was the smell – a musty and stale odour hung in the air of the grand hallway, an instant giveaway to the property’s lack of residency in recent times. Wrinkling her nose in disgust she retrieved the key from its lock and wandered further inside the door. Two huge staircases flanked either side of the tiled hall, curving in a graceful upwards arc to meet in a railed landing in the centre of the upper floor. Her eyes travelled up to the ceiling to gaze in awe at a magnificent iron chandelier hanging elegantly from the deceptively high ceiling.

Bare of furnishings, her low kitten heels echoed noisily on the marble effect tile stones as she crossed the hall to enter what must have been a family room. An ornate fireplace took centre stage against one of the wooden panelled walls giving the room an almost log cabin feel. She could already envision what the room would look like furnished, a warm fire crackling in the grate, luxurious rugs on the floor and family portraits hanging on the walls. Magnificent.

It took almost forty minutes to complete her detailed tour of the house and its palatial rooms by which time she had ascertained that there was completely no furniture left anywhere. She had somewhat expected to find the house as such but the sheer enormity of it floored her. There was a LOT of staging to do to get the property back to a level that would interest buyers but on the positives, structurally she hadn’t noted any major issues. A few rooms required a fresh coat of paint and there was some obvious water damage to a room sitting below one of the ensuites but nothing that the bank’s finances couldn’t cover.

A lesser woman might have been overwhelmed by the challenging job that lay ahead but Rachel couldn’t wait to get started. Retrieving her cases from outside the front door, she relocated the envelope and pulled out the information sheet. A company car had been ordered for her and was to be delivered the day she arrived. Noting no time had been given; she pulled out her cell and dialled the auto company’s number. With nowhere for her to actually sleep tonight she needed to find a home store fast if she didn’t want to end up bunking down on a floor somewhere.

A quick call confirmed the car was on its way and would be arriving shortly so in the interim Rachel busied herself by taking note of everything she needed immediately, a bed, sheets, pillows, towels, office desk and chair. Frowning as she added items to the rapidly lengthening list she wondered maybe she should have gotten her stuff shipped from California after all. Her credit card was going to get a hammering this afternoon but then again this was all part of starting over – out with the old and in with the new.

In due time she would be organising a staging company to come in and furnish the main rooms in the house for viewing purposes which meant realistically she had to live there invisibly. For this reason she had chosen a smaller room upstairs in which to set up ‘home’. It was smaller by the house’s standards but by hers it was huge. With an ensuite and walk in wardrobe it was complimented by a view from a large window to the river. The latter had made up her mind - she had no problem whatsoever waking up to that view every morning.

Still waiting for the car to be delivered and with nothing else that she could really get on with until the shopping was done she put the time to good use and laboriously hauled her cases up the stairs to her new room. She was going to have biceps the size of a gorilla’s by the time she was done lugging these damn cases around. Just as she got the last one stowed away by a wall in the corner, her cell buzzed with an incoming call. It was the auto company to say that they had arrived with the car at the property but were seemingly unable to gain entry. Oh crap! The gates! She had completely forgotten about the darn things and she hurriedly made her way downstairs to take receipt of the new vehicle. Sidling out through the gap in the cursed gates, she smiled sheepishly at the delivery guy who was waiting for her signature. Slightly bemused looking, he made no comment on having to leave the car outside practically on the road and once the paperwork was complete wished her a good day and jumped into his waiting colleague’s car.

Left alone again, she looked over her new vehicle with delight. She had ordered it specifically so that it would suit her needs and the bank hadn’t failed to deliver. A brand new black Chevy Tahoe gleamed at her, the sunlight reflecting sublimely off the polished chrome. Grinning as she opened the door noiselessly, she slid onto the buffed leather upholstery and sighed in satisfaction as she ran her hands over the steering wheel. There was nothing like the new car feeling and it had been so long since she’d had one that there was no chance of the novelty wearing off anytime soon.

Hunger pangs reminded her it had been hours since she’d eaten anything, her last proper meal had been at the airport in San Francisco last night. Rejuvenated with now having transport she quickly locked up the house and jumped behind the wheel to head into town. Following the sat nav instructions she pulled out of the driveway and headed back up the road. Immediately to her right, she could just glimpse through the trees an impressive looking home, bigger again than the one she was occupying. It seemed to stand on a huge amount of acreage and she wondered briefly if it was the home of her mysterious new neighbour. Time would tell she supposed surprising herself at even thinking of him again. There was just something about him; something that had stirred feelings within her that she hadn’t even realised still existed.

The blast of a car horn startled her back into reality as she suddenly became aware that she was practically stationary in the middle of the road as she had been gazing through the trees. Waving a hang apologetically to the fiercely gesticulating driver behind her, she gunned the Chevy forward, shaking any further thoughts of the man from her head. It was time to go to work.

Chapter Two

After a brief stop at the office headquarters on Broad St to pick up a large bulging envelope that James had left out for her, Rachel sat happily ensconced in the comfortable leather interior of the back of a sleek town car headed for her new temporary home. As part of her new duties, supervision of foreclosed properties was a major role and when she had asked James’s advice on where to look for suitable accommodations he had suggested; well more like requested that she take up temporary residence in a foreclosed property in New Jersey. 

Apparently there had been security issues since the house had lain empty and the bank was anxious to have someone live onsite whilst maintenance and repairs were carried out to get it back on the market.  The idea suited Rachel perfectly; she could carry out most of her duties from a comfortable home while she looked for permanent accommodations with no time constraints.

Once the sights of lower Manhattan in the early morning sunrise had disappeared in the darkness of the Holland Tunnel, she turned her attention to the contents of the envelope. Her fingers first found a large bunch of keys, presumably belonging to the property she was going to be occupying. James had mentioned it was a large, high end residence but judging by the amount of keys jingling on the ring it must be enormous. Luckily somebody had been diligent enough to label each key with its rightful lock so that at least should make the task of gaining entry somewhat easier.  

When the car emerged on the Jersey side of the tunnel filling the car with natural light, she pulled several sheets of paper out that were embossed with the bank’s recognisable letterhead. The first one was a short handwritten note from James apologising for being unable to meet her in person due to back to back meetings and promising to call her later. She shook her head slightly as she read it, she most certainly hadn’t expected to see him at the airport – being CEO of such a prestigious banking institution wouldn’t allow time for greeting new employees. Reflecting for a moment she considered what that meant for her, she was a new employee yet she knew that strings had been pulled to land her this job. She hoped James didn’t think he had to babysit her, even in a strange part of the country she was fully confident in her capabilities to handle the job. Flicking through the rest of the papers she found more contracts awaiting her signature along with more documents. She barely noticed the time pass as just under an hour later the car slowed to turn down a small road lined with tall trees decked out in vibrant green foliage. At the bottom of the road she could just glimpse the glittering expanse of a river before the car turned right and stopped before an impressive set of wrought iron gates.

“Excuse me Ms. Braden, do you happen to have the code for the gates?” The driver turned around and politely enquired snapping her attention away from craning her neck to see more of the river.

“Oh…….erm………I should have……..somewhere…..” Muttering under her breath, she frantically pulled the papers from the envelope once more. She was sure she had seen a thin binder somewhere relating to information about the property. A small remote gate opener that she previously had failed to notice fell from the envelope onto the seat beside her as she shook the papers out hastily.

“Ah, here we are!” She waved it triumphantly at the driver who merely smiled politely and redirected his attention to the still closed gates. Hitting a random button on the small object she smiled in satisfaction as one of the gates jolted and began to swing inwards. Success! While she waited for the car to move again she once more turned left to gaze down at the river. Some of her favourite childhood memories had been fishing with her father and living in suburbia for so long had nearly erased them from her memory. Just as she was pondering the possibility of perhaps getting some fishing lessons the driver somewhat irritably cleared his throat.

“Ah……Ms?”

Facing forward to see what the issue was now, her cheeks burned in embarrassment as she clearly saw the problem. The gate that had first begun to move was now stuck mid manoeuvre providing a gap barely big enough for a person to slide through never mind a car. More jabs on the various buttons failed to make them budge and so it was that five minutes later she found herself standing on the driveway with her luggage stacked beside her watching the car leave.  Her driver apparently had forgotten to bring his sense of humour to work this morning and had unceremoniously dumped her claiming he had another client to pick up. Charming.

Sighing in frustration she threw her hands up in disgust at the parting fumes of the car and turned to take her first proper look at her new home. The bright sun glinted sharply off the grey slated roof of one of the most beautiful houses she’d ever seen. A magnificent pale sandstone porch served as the grand entrance to the front of the stone worked house, oval windows and beamed arches giving the huge structure character and old world timelessness. It looked like a modern day fairy tale and it must have cost a solid fortune to build. Large wings flanked either side of the main building, turreted windows and painted shutters finishing the understated look. At a glance it took her breath away but judging by the state of the gates that she was currently trapped by, it was anyone’s guess what condition the house was actually in.

Try as she might, the weight of her slender frame did nothing to persuade the gates to co-operate and she resignedly started to tug her cases through the narrow gap. All but one fit through, the largest rigid case a simple matter of physics. There was no way it was sliding through and the dead weight in it meant lifting it over was out of the question. Gritting her teeth in frustration she looked around her for any means to solving the problem. It wasn’t as if she could just leave it there! The sparsely planted landscape that swept from the front of the house to the perimeter either side of the gates yielded nothing useful looking. Cursing the idiot driver again for not helping her she attempted one final futile tug through the gap. Beads of perspiration were starting to gather at her temples with her temper beginning to gain steam also. This was a great start to her new life, just freakin’ great!

“Hey, need a hand there?”

A voice from the road jerked her face back up and she found herself staring at a muscular and tanned man jogging slowly up to the gates. Decked out in running shorts, trainers and sweaty t-shirt with a baseball cap and dark sunglasses shading his face, the stranger smiled  across the gate at her as he rested his hands on the fronts of his thighs, his breath slightly puffed from his run.

“Oh………hi!” Rachel found herself somewhat paralysed noting the definitions of the taut muscles running the length of his arms and the brilliant white smile he had just flashed at her. 

“The um………gate…”She pointed somewhat stupidly she felt to the offending obstacle that stood between them and attempted a friendly smile back.

“They’ve probably rusted, haven’t seen anyone here in a while.” Still smiling he shoved his weight against the gate until it begrudgingly squeaked forward a few more inches. “You moving in?” he asked as he handed her case through the now wide enough gap.

Gratefully accepting it from him, she nodded. “Yes……..well for a while anyway.”

“Well then………welcome to the neighbourhood!” With that he gave her a small wave and turned to jog away with one final glance over his shoulder. “Better get those gates looked at!”

Staring after him, her mouth gaped slightly as she took in his perfect rear view.

“I will……..thanks….”

It was a long time since the sight of a man out jogging had made her knees buckle but she couldn’t help herself – the man was astonishingly attractive.

And apparently was her new neighbour………

Chapter One

San Francisco International Airport

August, 2008

Rachel gratefully accepted the small glass of orange juice that the smiling flight attendant handed down to her. The hot California night humidity hung heavily in the air outside on the apron and she welcomed the cool climate control of the aircraft. Buckling her safety belt snugly against her lap, she settled in for the flight ahead by tucking folders pulled from her briefcase into the little pouch in the back of the seat in front of her. She had plenty of planning to do to keep her entertained in the five or so hours ahead.

With the plane gathering speed down the runway she allowed herself one final look at the landscape littered with twinkling lights that she was leaving behind her before firmly snapping the oval blind shut once they were airborne. No more looking back.

A ripple of excitement mixed with nerves travelled down to her toes as she flipped through the various sheets and files she was now spreading out on her flip tray. This was the job of a lifetime, a promotion she would never have deemed possible, at least not in her old life anyway. 

But then the accident had changed all that, it had changed everything.

The immediate aftermath of that terrible day when she had in the blink of an eyelid lost everything that she lived for was hazy to say the least. She had seemed to just float in some sort of hideous nightmare from day to day and month to month. The worst memories she had blanked from her mind, funerals, birthdays and anniversaries no longer seemed to exist. She refused to allow them to exist – they had no part in her life.

Work for a long time, had been her only routine that seemed to remain unshakable. With the recent crash in the economy many might have thought the real estate industry would have crashed simultaneously. While turnovers may not have been as impressive as they once were there had been no cease in the workload and the company she worked for had continued to turn in comfortable profits. Home owners were struggling though to make ends meet and in her job she was dealing with more and more foreclosures and forced evictions than she had ever thought possible. Perhaps if she had remained the same person she once was a few years ago she would have found it heart breaking to see so many families in financial turmoil but ‘this’ Rachel who she now was opted to remain cool and unattached. Her job was her life but lately it seemed to have lost some of the challenges that drove her to be the best she could.

The delight she had once found in finding a family the perfect home or closing a really big sale had faded perhaps due to the fact that she no longer thrived on happiness. Happiness was a bonus in life but not a necessity. She didn’t require it to live her life; she functioned just fine without it. What she couldn’t function without were challenges. A meandering dull life allowed too much time for retrospect and that lead to nothing but trouble. It had been on just such a typically dull day at a bank conference that her next big challenge had presented itself, in a way she had never dreamt of.

James Michaels, the guy that had introduced her to real estate all those years ago had suddenly walked into her world and thrown her a lifeline. An opportunity she would have been certifiably insane to turn down.

She had first met James when she took a job straight out of school as a desk clerk at a local real estate office. He was a few years older than her and she had been instantly charmed by his boyish good looks and supreme confidence that bordered on being cocky. He made real estate glamorous in her eyes, dressed for work each day in the sleekest of suits and with a dazzling smile that ensured even the most ramshackle of homes gained top price. She had been flattered when he had begun to take notice of her, complimenting her platinum blonde perm that had been all the rage back in the eighties and offering to give her rides home after work in his fabulously cool Datsun 280Z.

They dated briefly but the romance had ultimately fizzled out partly due to James’s insatiable drive for the high life and partly due to his career move to a big bank in the city. James had always been destined for greatness and he hadn’t failed to deliver. They had lost touch eventually when he had moved east to take over as manager in one of America’s biggest financial institutions. She had barely recognised him across the vast conference table that day just barely over a month ago. There were more lines around his face and he was slightly broader than she remembered but once those lines had melted into his familiar smile she had been transported back in time.

Over coffee they had fallen into easy conversation catching each other up on their respective lives. She had skated over the obvious black hole in her own life but had been saddened to hear his own wife had divorced him a few years earlier. The hurt was still evident in his eyes as he spoke of it. On the other hand his career had continued to spiral to dizzying heights having being appointed CEO of the company last year. As he put it himself, from the outside life couldn't be much better for James Michaels.

When he had probed deeper into her own life she had eventually spoke of the horror of losing her family on that fateful spring day two years ago. She rarely spoke of it to anyone, even her own sister avoided mentioning it so the fact that she was able to talk to him about it had surprised her. When she had confided in him that she felt she had reached the limit of what she could obtain in her present job he had promised to look into things for her. She had passed it off and thought no more of him until a week later he had sent her the proposal she now sat reading again as the plane took her further away from her old life and further into the night sky.

REO (Real Estate Owned) Regional Sales Manager for the North East Region now awaited her. The promise of a new life on the East Coast with no ghosts to haunt her shadows. The chance to live again, to experience new things and start over - of that she could not deny herself.

Prologue

Livermore, California 

Spring 2006

No matter how hard she tried, Rachel just couldn’t keep warm. Bone tingling chills ran through her limbs and her sinuses felt like they were about to spontaneously combust. She had felt whatever the hell kind of bug it was that was making her feel so crappy encroach on her a few days back but had decided ignorance was the best policy. Yeah, that really worked out.

She grimaced as she took a tentative sip of the herbal tea she was forcing herself to drink. To say it tasted vile would be an understatement. It didn’t even look appealing, a yellow green liquid that resembled the water at the bottom of a vase that hadn’t been changed for a while. Pinching her nose and screwing her eyes shut to avoid looking at it, she took a bigger swallow, shuddering as the bitter drink slid down her throat. Half gagging she chucked the rest of it down the sink – proven or not there had to be better ways of getting rid of a stupid cold!

While there is never a ‘good’ time to be ill, this couldn’t have been worse timing. In just a few minutes the rest of her family would be surfacing from their beds and getting ready for a day trip up to Boreal Ski resort. Her kids, Lauren and Tyler were so excited about getting their skis out again and Nick her husband, could really do with the break from work. As project manager at a large natural gas pipe company he worked incredibly long hours and she knew he was really looking forward to spending time with the kids today.

Sighing heavily she pulled her robe tighter around her trying to suppress the shivering. She was just going to have to suck it up. Pulling the blind up from the kitchen window she peered out at the darkness. The stars were still twinkling in clear skies; the forecast had promised great weather for the weekend. A thump from the ceiling above her signalled Tyler was up and moving and judging by the amount of noise he was making, it wouldn’t be long before his older sister was shouting at him to get out of the bathroom. Trying hard to ignore the pulsing beat of a headache in her temples, she set about getting an early breakfast ready.

“Morning sweetness!”

A pair of soothing hands caressed the top of her shoulders causing her to groan in appreciation. Rolling her neck back and forth as his fingers gently kneaded she reached behind her to squeeze her husband softly.

“Morning honey, mmmn God that feels good!”

“Hey? You sick?” Nick picked up on the nasal stuffiness of his wife’s voice.

Rachel waved him away, “I’m fine, just a silly cold.”

Nick refused to be appeased and moved to firmly scrutinise her face. “Rachel! You look awful!”

“I’m fine! You’re no oil painting yourself this morning!” With a mild hint of annoyance she took in her husband’s appearance. She was lying, he was as handsome this morning as he was the first day she saw him in the shopping mall all those years ago. His tanned and personable face sat atop broad shoulders and a well-defined torso that never failed to make her heart swoop.

Chuckling he gently drew her into him, placing a large hand softly on her forehead. “You’re grumpy – sure sign you’re sick and baby I hate to tell you this but you’re burning up!”

“Nonsense, some aspirin and I’ll be fine, we can’t let the kids down.” She shook her head resolutely wincing at the flash of pain that seared behind her eyes at the movement. “They’re so looking forward to this!”

Nick was quiet for a moment as he studied her flushed appearance and streaming eyes. She shouldn’t even be out of bed, let alone going trekking up a snowy mountain.

“Honey, go back to bed, I’ll take the kids up to Boreal and you can have peace and quiet for the day.” He cocked an eyebrow at her and raised his finger to effectively silence her before she started protesting. “End of!”

Hands on her hips she regarded him crossly for a moment before the little voice in her brain told her this was actually one of his better ideas.

“You’ll be okay with them on your own?”

Gently steering her onto a stool by the breakfast bar, he looked at her in mock disgust. “You do it every day, I’m pretty sure I can handle them for one day Rachel!”

“You won’t leave one of them on top of Cedar Ridge or some other equally dangerous run?”

“As if they’d let me!” Grinning he cupped her face with his hands, gently stroking either side of her flushed cheeks with a smooth thumb. “We’ll be fine!”

Nodding her assent she pointed to the pantry, “Energy snacks are in there, don’t forget them!”

“Now whatever did the world do before those were invented!!” Bending over to drop a kiss on her lips he gave her a tight squeeze, “Go back to bed! We’ll be home by ten pm at the latest!”

Grabbing a box of tissues she smiled gratefully at him, “I love you Nick Braden, you’re a good man!”

“And don’t I know it!” he smirked playfully at her while pointing upstairs, “Bed! Now!”

“I’m going, I’m going!” Shuffling back across the kitchen in her slippers she paused at the door to look back, “Be safe okay?”

“Always am baby, always am!” was the muffled response that came from him as he rummaged about in the larder, “There are NO ener…….hang on – got em!”

Rolling her eyes she trudged back upstairs meeting her son coming barrelling down them at high speed.

“Mom! You’re not ready, we’re gonna be late!” Tyler looked crossly at her, his young face impatient to get going even at this ridiculously early hour.

“You’re having a day out with your father – be gentle!” While she explained to the ten year old that she wasn’t feeling so good, Lauren appeared at the top of the landing, concern filling her voice.

“Aw Mom, you don’t look so good!!”

The compliments sure were flying around this house today! Looking up at her she smiled wryly. 

“So your father has already informed me which is why I’m going back to bed. Keep an eye on Tyler will you?”

“Yeah I suppose I can mind the little twerp, don’t blame me if he ends up as a human snowball though!” She sighed dramatically as Tyler bounded down the stairs in search of his father. “But if he embarrasses me like last time I’m gonna kill him!”

Lauren, on the verge of turning fifteen was at the stage were everything to do with her little brother was profoundly ‘uncool’. She was far more interested in fashion and college boys these days than she was in playing games with him on his battered console that they used to spend hours fighting over.

Rachel smiled fondly at her; she was growing up so fast. They both were, in fact it wouldn’t be long before family outings like this would be a thing of the past. With a bit of luck, they might be able to arrange another trip before the season ended. Kissing Lauren goodbye she sighed with relief when she crawled back in under the warm duvet of their bed. Maybe a day of peace and quiet was exactly what she needed.

A short while later, the sound of the front door banging noisily and the SUV’s engine being turned over outside signalled her family’s departure. Silence descended as she blearily rolled over and went back to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later the sun was high in the crystal blue sky when Rachel woke to the unusual empty silence that seemed to hover within the house. She lay confused for a moment in her flu infused brain until it registered with her where everybody was – kids skiing in Boreal with Nick equalling peace and quiet here in sunny Livermore. Bliss. If only she wasn’t sick she might have been slightly more enthused about it.

In an effort to relieve some of the pressure building up behind her forehead she rolled over in bed to hang over the edge of the mattress, groaning as she felt the throb increase. Probably the reason why she’d woken up in the first place. It was time to call in the heavy drugs, natural remedies be damned!

Squinting at the bright light pouring in through the glass fronted front door of the hallway, she slid across the polished floor boards to the medicine cabinet they kept locked in the office. She threw a disapproving look at the pile of papers and rolled up plans that Nick had left strewn across the walnut desk as she stood on tip toes to rummage through the packets of half used cold and flu drugs. Finally her clammy fingers found the packet she was searching for and popping two of the pills from their plastic holder she headed for the kitchen. The first things she noticed as she moved to get a drink were the three energy bars sitting on the breakfast counter – nice job Nick! She rolled her eyes at her husband’s forgetfulness, how he was able to proficiently manage teams of engineers and architects was beyond her.

She knocked back the pills in her hand with a glug of water and leaned against the sink as the ice cold water sloshed around her stomach. She really did feel awful, she could only pray that it was a twenty four hour thing. The clock above the window told her it was just before midday, it would be hours yet before Nick and the kids got home. Debating what to do she spied her laptop bag crammed with folders from work leaning against the dining table. She needed something to take her mind off feeling sorry for herself and work was just the thing.

After brewing herself some coffee she busied herself replying to e-mails from the roster of clients she currently had on her listings. She had worked as a real estate agent for the past fifteen years and in that time had built herself quite the reputation. In between sips of coffee and chewing on one of the forgotten energy bars she fired back counter offers to prospective buyer’s agents and confirmed other offers with sellers. The pills took effect without her even realising it as she suddenly realised she could smell the spicy aroma from her coffee. Sniffing it appreciatively she stretched out the muscles in her back and headed for a refill, her head feeling much lighter and more normal than it had an hour ago.

The phone ringing loudly from one side of the kitchen wall caused her to divert from the coffee machine to grab the receiver off its cradle.

‘Hey honey, how you feeling?’

She smiled as she heard the familiar comforting croon of her husband down the phone.

“Much better actually, how are you guys getting on? Kids okay?”

‘They’re great, kids have had a blast. It’s getting kinda cold up here though and I think Tyler’s getting tired so we’re gonna hit the road home. You need me to get anything on the way back?’

“Nope, I’m good. So see you in a few hours then?” Balancing the phone in the crook of her neck, she mentally ran through the dinner options she could give to three starving skiers when they got home.

‘Should be home by seven, we’ll see you soon – love you.’

“Love you too honey, bye.”

Hanging the phone up, she made for the refrigerator to tally up its contents. A packet of ground beef sitting on a shelf near the bottom made her mind up. A few hours were just enough time to get a good pot of the kid’s favourite Bolognese sauce done. Any further work matters were pushed to the back of her mind as she busily set about chopping tomatoes and herbs and before long a delicious aroma was floating around the kitchen. Setting the pot to simmer on the stove as she tidied up the worktops she reckoned she had just enough time to enjoy a long soak in the tub before everyone arrived home.

Upstairs she poured a generous measure of her favourite bath crème under the gushing taps and sighed as she slipped under the warm bubbles. Popping a small towel behind her neck, she closed her eyes as the warmth seeped into her limbs. Heavenly.

A noise from downstairs interrupted her relaxation and she frowned as she craned her neck to listen. The unmistakable chime of the doorbell rang through the house making her groan. Briefly she considered ignoring whoever it was until another persistent chime rang out. Quietly cursing she heaved herself reluctantly from the steaming waters and slipped her robe back on. 

Shivering as she made her way through the colder air out in the master bedroom, she toed on her slippers and padded carefully down the stairs. Dusk was just settling outside and she could barely make out the shadow of the caller’s frame standing on the porch.

Clutching the robe around her she took a quick look out through the glass pane beside the door before pulling it open. A burly man in uniform with an older suited gentleman stood waiting to be greeted. Confusion ran through her mind as she looked enquiringly at them.

“Ma’am I’m Fred Curtis with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department. Is this the Braden residence?”

“I’m Rachel Braden, is there a problem?”

The sheriff’s face offered no clue as to why they were here. He removed his hat slowly giving his companion a quick sideways glance.

“May we come in ma’am?”

Rachel’s heart began to hammer nervously in her chest as she stood back to allow them entry into the hallway. “What’s all this about?”

He waited for her to shut the door behind them and then motioned in the direction of the living room. “There’s a matter we need to discuss Mrs Braden, do you mind if we sit down?”

She nodded wordlessly as she led the way over to the suite of comfortable furniture Nick had insisted they buy last year. Still clutching her damp robe to her, she sat cautiously on the edge of the sofa as the two men sat opposite.

“Ma’am this here is Jeffrey Creel of the Alameda County Coroner’s Office.” The sheriff motioned to his up to now silent companion. “There’s been an incident this evening up on the Donner Pass.”

Her hands flew to her face as she stared frantically at them. “Oh my God, Nick and the kids………”

The deputy coroner’s words crashed over her in segments as she shook her head wildly refusing to believe the few words she was actually hearing.

“Interstate 80………..ice………….big rig………spinout…………collision……”

Gasping for breath she felt the sheriff move to sit beside her, a gentle arm around her shoulders as the deputy coroner gravely delivered the worst news of all;

“So very sorry Mrs Braden but there were no survivors……….”