Coveting Love (Jessica Crawford) (21 page)

Jessica and Brandon took the opportunity to take a quiet walk along the shoreline. They had walked a short distance when they came upon a shack that was slowly deteriorating.

“
This was quite some building in its time,” Brandon said. He had a reminiscent stare in his eyes. Jessica allowed him his moment. Finally, he sighed and continued, “My father built this for my brothers and me to play in when we were little. We used to play cowboys and Indians in it.”

She laughed. “Oh, how original.”

He shrugged. “We were kids. What else do kids do? We would pretend it was a jail. Jeffrey was always the bad guy and would capture Matthew and tie him up. I would play the sheriff and come to the rescue.” He stared, in continued reminiscent silence, at the crumbling building. “Isn’t it funny how his role has seemed to stay with him?” he added with sarcasm.

She put a hand gently on his arm. “Speak of the devil.” She nodded past him.

Brandon turned to find Jeffrey chasing one of Jessica’s models into the lake. They were laughing like two children as he grabbed her and pulled her to him. There was no way to miss the storm that raged deeply in Brandon’s eyes.

“
Don’t worry about Maria. She’s a big girl. She knows how to take care of herself. She works in a hard world. She’s used to men like Jeffrey, and she knows the score. She won’t let herself get hurt.”

She noticed that Jeffrey kept glancing toward them.

“
He knows about us,” Brandon said uneasily, a look of raw hatred and anguish evident in his features, “and I guarantee he will try to make trouble for us. Everything I’ve ever loved, he has destroyed.”

She was the one who took Brandon into her arms this time, and she who kissed him lovingly on the lips. She was the one giving comfort this time. She liked the feeling.

“
I have no intention of allowing your brother to cause trouble for us,” she reassured him. “We are here for a reason. When we have finished this job, we’ll leave here and go on with our lives. Chances are I’ll never see Jeffrey again.”

He stared deeply into her eyes. “You don’t understand, do you? Just promise me you’ll stay clear of him.”

She shook her head in despair, breaking free from him. “This is silly, Brandon. He is your brother, a brother whom I have never even met. What in God’s name could he possibly do to me?”

He had her by the shoulders, shaking her. “Just promise me!” He was shouting now, and Jessica was frightened.

“
Okay, okay. I promise. Please let go of me. You’re hurting me.”

Suddenly realizing how tightly he was holding her, he released his grasp.

“
I promise. I will not go near Jeffrey. I have no need, or desire to go near him. You have warned me, and I trust you. I’ll stay away from him.”

He pulled her gently to him and wiped the tears from her cheeks. He took her hand in his and silently they walked the distance back to the house, avoiding Jeffrey’s glances as they passed.

Dinner was being served as they joined the group in the dining room.

Jessica was much too tired to eat, and she had developed a terrible headache. She picked at her food for a while and then quietly excused herself, explaining she was tired and wanted to go to bed early.

Later, as she lay awake, unable to fall asleep, she felt Brandon slip into bed beside her.

“
Are you all right?” he whispered in her ear.

She nodded and turned into his arms. He placed delicate kisses around her eyes and mouth. He rocked her gently as she cried herself to sleep, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes as they formed.

“
I’m sorry,” he said.

She’s like a kitten in my arms, he thought, as he stroked her soft hair. He would crush Jeffrey if he dared lay a finger on her. How could he make her understand the magnitude of his fear of Jeffrey, without revealing his greatest pain? He wanted desperately to have her love, and her trust, but the wounds were too deep to allow him to speak of his tragedy, even to her.

The morning brought another day of sunshine. Jessica woke to the sound of birds singing outside her window. She turned to where Brandon had lain the night before. The indentation his head had left on the pillow was still deep, proof that he had not been gone long.

She rubbed the stiffness from her neck. She had fallen asleep in his arms and apparently had slept there most of the night.

She climbed out of bed and crossed to the window. She could already see some of the models enjoying some free time before the photo session began. She smiled, finding peace in the realization that even if Phillip Stewart somehow managed to sabotage this project, at least they were all having a good time.

Glancing at the lake, she saw Jeffrey rowing away from the bank. Perhaps this meant he would be away for the day. She hoped so. She didn’t want a repeat of yesterday. She didn’t like this feeling of unease that Brandon was instilling in her.

All her life she had wished for a brother, or a sister with whom she could share things. It pained her to see these two brothers at odds with each other.

Just as she was turning from the window, she heard a light tapping on the door. She called for her visitor to enter, and was pleased to see it was Brandon she had summoned into the room. He crossed to her and drew her into his arms, smiling down at her.

“
I’m glad to see you’ve finally decided to join the living. I was just coming to see to the unpleasant task of waking you. It appears everyone, with the exception of the photographer, is ready to begin work.”

She glanced quickly at the clock on the bedside table. “Good God, Brandon! Why on earth did you let me sleep so long?” she exclaimed.

He laughed at her, and then chuckled guiltily. “I’m afraid I didn’t even wake up until just a little while ago. I went down to prepare you some tea, then I was coming right back up to wake you.”

“
Brandon,” she began, not sure how to phrase her apology. “I’m really sorry for the way I acted last night. I was feeling so tense after the long day. I didn’t mean to shut you out.”

“
It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I was a little upset myself. Let’s just forget about yesterday and start with a fresh day. Are you going to be working all day again?”

She nodded apologetically. “Pretty much most of it, I’m afraid. We were planning to have the girls do some horseback riding. The new western summer wear will fit in perfectly here, and the girls really seem to have a lot of energy to work out of their systems before we do the evening wear tomorrow night. I want them at their best for that one.”

“
Well, if you won’t miss me too much, I thought I’d take a drive into town this morning and pick up a few things. We’re running low on a few supplies, and I don’t want my guests to do without.”

“
No, I don’t mind at all, although I will miss you.”

“
Good. That’s just the way I like it,” he said playfully, kissing her hard and long before taking his leave.

After he had gone, Jessica went into the bathroom to take a shower. She wasn’t hungry, so she decided to skip breakfast.

After dressing, she grabbed her camera gear and headed off to the stable. They would begin their session there, with a few simple shots of the girls standing by the horses as the groom saddled them.

When Jessica arrived, she noticed Brittney flirting with one of the grooms. It seemed such a natural shot that Jessica couldn’t resist. She picked up her camera and began clicking. Both Brittney and the groom looked her way. Brittney grinned, and the groom blushed slightly.

“
Perfect,” Jessica declared. “Do you mind if I use the shot? If you sign a release I’ll pay you five hundred dollars.”

He grinned. “Heck no, that’s the easiest five hundred dollars I ever made. And Mr. Brandon pays us pretty good.”

“
Good. What’s your name?”

“
Justin. Justin Fields.”

“
Okay, Justin. I’ll come by later this evening with a release and a check. You’re quite handsome, you know. Have you ever thought about modeling?”

He chuckled. “Thanks for the compliment, Ms. Crawford, but I don’t think so. I wouldn’t know what to do if I didn’t wake up next to these horses every day.”

She nodded. “I see your point. Well, anyway, thanks again, and I’ll have that check ready by tonight.”

They mounted the horses and headed up the trails. They rode for some time until they came to an open area. Jessica held back from the rest of the group. She dismounted as her camera spun rapidly, snapping picture after picture. Her excitement was staggering; click, click, click, went the camera. She could barely keep up with it…dashing back and forth, snapping pictures faster than her eyes could travel, her enthusiasm, exhilarating. On each wave of excitement, she crested, and then died. Her highs were way up, and her downs came with a crash, leaving her wanting more…and then the high was over, leaving her, in the end, with a feeling of peace—and regret.

Standing here now, astride her horse, on this awesome mountaintop, staring down into the lush valley, she felt elation she had never known before; she felt home.

It was nearing noon and they decided to stop and eat the lunch that had been prepared and sent along with them.

Jessica was beginning to develop a headache from the sun, so she decided to take a short walk off the trail and get some rest. She wandered over to John to let him know where she would be, and to ask him to let her know when it was time to leave.

Finding a peaceful area, she leaned back against a tree, closed her eyes, and let the cool breeze wash over her face. The feeling was wonderful, and her headache quickly subsided. She was just beginning to doze off when she heard a voice calling down to her.

“
You sure look beautiful with the sun bouncing off your hair like that.”

She looked up, startled.

“
My brother has extremely good taste,” he added.

She glanced up into the face that Brandon hated so much. When she had first seen him in his portrait, she had thought he looked a lot like Brandon. Now, as she saw him in person, she saw the vast differences in their appearance. They both had the same unique straw-colored blonde hair, and shared the same delicate nose that was a gift from their mother. However, while Brandon’s eyes were deep set, masculine, alluring, with a touch of smoke cast in them. Jeffrey’s were lighter in color, gay, full of childlike innocence and mischief. It was hard to imagine any thoughts remotely sinister going through this boyish face.

He drew warmth and companionship to him, and Jessica liked him instantly. She thought briefly of her promise to Brandon to stay clear of his brother. The thought made her laugh, but she chose not to share the reason with Jeffrey when he prodded her.

His charm mostly drew her attention. She didn’t mind at all when he boldly sat beside her. She was, for just a moment, alarmed, but her mind eased when she remembered that help was only a shout away. She was sure no one had seen Jeffrey, or surely, someone would have come to check on her.

“
It’s Jeffrey, isn’t it?” she asked, extending her hand in welcome to him. “I’m Jessica.”

He nodded his head, returning the offer of his own hand. “I know. You’re Jessica Crawford. You have been seeing my brother for approximately two months, give or take. You’re head photographer for Modern Fashions Magazine. Your best friend is Amy—who is also your co-worker. You have no brothers or sisters, and your mother, who lives about ninety miles north of you, in a small town called Spencer’s Junction, population approximately 35,000 —named after its founder Charles Spencer, who died in the late 1800s, has a steady beau, is retired, and does tons of volunteer work. Let’s see, did I leave anything out? Oh, yes, you rent a four-room flat on the upper east end, very nice, I might add, and take the subway to work almost every day.”

Chill was the only word to describe the feeling that went through her at that moment. She laughed uneasily.

“
I think that’s quite enough. How did you come to know so much about me?” she asked nervously.

He shrugged his shoulders. “I keep a close eye on everything that catches my brother’s interest.” He made a sinister sneer and leaned close, whispering conspiratorially. “You see, I have this game I play. I’m a detective, and my brother’s a spy. He has an evil plot to take over the world and it’s my job to stop him.” He sat back up, confidently.

She laughed uncontrollably. When she managed to regain herself, she said, “I would hardly call Brandon a spy. Although, I would say your game playing fits right in with his description of you.”

He sighed. “I see my brother still speaks unpleasantly of me.” He paused but continued when she didn’t deny it. “Well, did he at least have anything good to say? Although I can guess that he didn’t.”

“
Let’s just say I didn’t get a strong sense of brotherly devotion between the two of you.”

“
Ah, I see; well, I might have known. My brother has always been one to hold grudges.”

“
What do you mean by hold grudges?” she asked, puzzled by this statement.

“
I guess he didn’t tell you why we don’t get along.”

“
No, he didn’t, and I certainly wasn’t going to ask. He spits fire every time your name is brought up.”

“
Well, you’ll have to ask him sometime. It’s silly. Although, I’m sure he won’t be too willing to tell you the story. If he doesn’t, come back and ask; I’ll tell you.”