“So you’re accepting Charles’s offer?”
He handed her case to the waiting driver and then opened the rear door, gesturing for her to be seated inside the dark, leather-filled interior. She halted at the door, not wanting to get inside until she knew exactly where things stood.
“I’ve consented to undergoing the tests and when my father is satisfied, yes, I will be accepting his offer.”
Anna didn’t know whether to feel elated or devastated. A hollow emptiness filled her heart. Unable to speak, she nodded in acknowledgment of his words and settled herself in the car. She was grateful when Judd took the passenger seat in the front of the vehicle. She needed some time to gather her thoughts, to prepare herself for what was to come.
The journey to the airport was short, and before she alighted she asked for a moment to call Charles.
“That won’t be necessary,” Judd said smoothly, offering her his hand to help her from the car.
“Why not?” she asked, reluctantly putting her hand in his and bracing herself for the jolt of electricity she knew would come next.
Sure enough, the merest touch of his fingers was enough to set her heart beating faster. Arousal flared deep inside. Not the type she was used to—the slow, gentle warming of mutual attraction. No, this was far more primal than that. Sharper, more instinctive, and it made her body ache in response. She pulled her hand from his, but the sensation still lingered.
“Because I’ve already spoken with him.”
“You spoke with him?” Anna fought to keep the incredulity from her voice.
“Is that so strange?”
“Well, yes. Especially considering your reaction to his letter.”
“As you said on Wednesday, the past is past.”
She looked at him in disbelief, hardly daring to believe that he actually meant it. A man like Judd Wilson was too intense, too driven to simply put the past in a time capsule and lock it away. He had to have an ulterior motive.
“What? No comment?” Judd gently goaded.
“How was he?”
“He sounded fine. Surprised to hear from me, but I’d say he’s cautiously optimistic.”
So this thing would play out after all, Anna thought as the driver hefted their cases from the trunk of the car and went to procure a luggage cart. Not waiting for the man to return, she pulled the handle up on her case and headed for the departure check-in area, but within seconds Judd walked at her side, pushing his own much larger cases on the cart in front of him. Basically, everything was out of her hands from here on in. She could only hope that Nicole would forgive her for her part in the machinations of her father. But somehow Anna doubted any of what was to come would be that easy.
Charles’s driver and handyman, Patrick Evans, collected them from Auckland International Airport. They were nearly home. Evans drove slowly and inexorably toward the massive gothic mansion Charles had built from the original plans of Masters’ Rise—the headlights of the car sweeping the camellia-lined driveway in Auckland’s premier suburb of Remuera. Anna had to admit she was relieved to see the house.
Back in Australia, it had shocked her to see the ruins on the hill overlooking the vineyard. Suddenly the home that had always provided her with security didn’t seem so permanent after all. Of course, bushfires were nonexistent in the city, virtually nonexistent in New Zealand, really, and nowadays Charles had a state-of-the-art fire detection and sprinkler system throughout the house. But there were plenty of things other than bushfires that could tear a house—and a family—apart.
With the time distance between Adelaide and Auckland, and the flight time in between, it was already dark as they pulled up in front of the house, but clever external lighting showed the property off to its glorious advantage. Anna observed Judd, sitting opposite her in the limousine, and watched his reaction.
“So that’s what it looked like,” he said solemnly, his eyes raking the two-storied, pinkish-red brick building. “My memories from before we left were … incomplete.”
“Apparently it’s very true to the original, with extensive modernization, of course. Despite its size, it’s still very much a home.”
The car rolled to a stop outside the front portico, prominently marked by an ivy-covered, three-storied turret complete with a green-aged copper cupola.
“It’s your home.”
He made it a statement, rather than a question. A statement she chose to ignore as she stepped from the car and assisted Patrick in removing the luggage from the spacious trunk of the limousine.
The front doors opened and Anna turned, expecting to see Charles, but instead it was Nicole who stood there. Elegant and tall in her well-cut black suit and with her long dark hair pulled back into a ponytail that exposed her pale face, Nicole stared at the man who was her brother.
“I didn’t believe him when he told me you were coming,” she said, her voice flat—devoid of emotion.
Instantly Anna’s defensive instincts went on full alert. Nicole was usually very outgoing, impulsive and generous to a fault. This frozen pale facsimile of her best friend was something she’d never seen before.
Nicole came down the steps and halted near Anna.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Even as Anna flinched at the question, she found herself internally debating what Nicole was really asking. There was no way to know how much Charles had told her. Had he only announced that Judd was coming back to them—or had he explained all the rest of it, too, all the things Charles had promised to bring his son home?
Either way, her answer was the same. “He asked me not to.”
“And your loyalty to him is greater than to me?” Nicole said softly, the hurt in her words flaying Anna like cold winter rain.
“That’s not fair, Nicole.”
“No, you’re right. But there’s a lot that’s not fair about all this, isn’t there?”
Pain reflected in her friend’s large brown eyes. Anna put a hand on Nicole’s arm and squeezed gently.
“You know I would have spoken to you if I could.”
Nicole nodded and turned back to Judd, who’d remained silent as a statue.
“So, brother, I suppose I should welcome you home.”
She held out her arms and to Anna’s surprise he stepped into her embrace, holding her gently before releasing her and stepping back.
Judd was shocked at the depth of emotion he felt when he saw his sister at the top of the stairs to the house. She’d been a year old when he’d left, and in his mind he’d never imagined her fully grown. Another mark against his father, he thought savagely. All those years wasted.
“We have some catching up to do,” he said.
To
