Dianne's Destiny Read online

  She could almost see his perfectly chiseled face drawn in a cruel, condescending smirk.

  “Jocelyn would never give you my private information. I don’t know how you got my number, but you need to lose it. What do you want? Why are you here?” Her voice rose, and her chest clenched. She knew the verbal digs were coming, just as they always had.

  “You left without telling me. I read about the attack in the paper, for Christ’s sake. Nobody ignores me, Dianne. Nobody. Especially my wife. I’ve never tolerated being ignored. I won’t start now. People at the firm have started talking. You’ve humiliated me.” Disdain dripped from Simon’s every clipped words. He was the lead attorney of a prestigious law firm, and his partners and employees adored him. At the office, he didn’t show his true self, nor had he in the months they dated. He’d waited until he “owned” her before releasing the beast.

  She swallowed hard, hoping to quell her churning stomach. “It never occurred to me that I should notify you. Why should I? We’re divorced.”

  “Divorce or not, you’re mine. You surely can’t think I’m going to let a slip of paper sway me.”

  She snorted out a derisive laugh. “You are truly crazy. Go back to New York, Simon. I don’t want to see you.”

  She ran her fingers through her hair as she pulled herself out of bed and paced. What was he up to? She didn’t trust him, not even a little bit.

  “Don’t try me, Dianne.” His voice was low, menacing. Before she could reply, a click sounded in her ear.

  She shivered and stared at the phone in her hand. She didn’t know what he wanted, but one thing she knew…he would never give up.

  ****

  Simon stood near the kitchen window of the apartment he had leased across from the mansion where Dianne lived. He watched Dianne walk to her balcony, watched as she leaned over the rail and tugged her hands through her hair.

  He made a cup of coffee and settled in a scuffed leather recliner he had rented. It was far less luxurious than he was used to, but he didn’t expect to be in this place much longer.

  He made a phone call. His plans were coming together. Soon, Dianne would feel utter shame and sorrow for humiliating him in New York.

  ****

  Dianne arrived at the center ready to ride. She stretched her back and hips, expecting time in the arena would help take her mind off Simon’s call. She had practiced talking to Kip. The memorized words raced through her mind. It would be best to remain cordial and professional. Talking about the horses, especially Emperor, would keep their conversation safe.

  Eyes down, she twisted her hair into a messy bun as she walked, and ran head long into Kip. “Oh, my God! I’m sorry. Kip, I’m sorry.”

  His hands gripped her upper arms to keep her from falling. Her heart rate tripled and threatened to beat out of her chest. A sense of triumph surprised her when she realized it wasn’t panic or anxiety making her heart pound. It was desire.

  He released her, and she rubbed her arms. The feel of his gentle touch stirred memories of passionate touches and kisses from her past. She wanted them again. Did she deserve to have a man like Kip love her?

  His hazel eyes held an unreadable expression. “No problem. I’ll walk you to the stall. Emperor seems to be looking for you.”

  Emperor and another horse were saddled and waited out of the stalls. She dug sugar cubes from her pocket. “I haven’t seen that roan before. Is another client going to be riding with me today?”

  “This is Hunter.” Kip patted the horse. “You’ve been coming regularly for a while now, and you don’t seem as nervous. It’s time for you to move forward in your therapy. That means going for a real ride.”

  “A ride? I don’t know. Except for safe rounds in the arena, I haven’t been on a horse in years.” Dianne reached up to push loose curls from her face.

  Kip smiled straight at her, revealing the double dimples she had loved so completely. “You’ll be fine. Riding a horse is kind of like riding a bicycle. Just get on. Besides you used to be rodeo queen and ran barrels faster than anyone in the county. You and Emperor are comfortable together. Let’s mount up and go for a nice ride away from the arena.”

  Dianne nodded and pulled herself up into the saddle. Kip mounted the roan, and she followed him out of the barn. They passed the arena before turning toward an area fenced in white. The path was shaded with oak trees.

  “It seems odd to see so many full grown trees in Wichita Falls.” Dianne said the first thing that came to mind, needing to break the tension, even if she was the only one feeling it.

  “Yeah. It is. But, it’s nice don’t you think?”

  Dianne leaned her head back and looked up at the tops of the trees. “It’s peaceful.”

  They rode on the bridle trail behind the equestrian center. The beautiful landscaping burst forth with gold mums, late blooming red roses, colorful pansies with happy faces, and other fall flowers. Several trees showing off red, orange, and yellow leaves lined parts of the path. A pond with a small island in its center reminded Dianne of the peace found in an oasis. Within minutes she completely relaxed. She rode quietly beside Kip until he challenged her with a grin and a wink.

  She frowned in puzzlement. “What?”

  “Ready? Let’s go!” He urged Hunter into a lope. He looked back, daring her. “Coming?”

  She gave Emperor a kick, sending him into a gallop. She passed Kip and didn’t want to stop. She laughed at the feeling of freedom and exhilaration. Sensing Kip wasn’t directly behind her anymore, she glanced back. He’d slowed to a trot.

  “Go for it,” he yelled.

  Riding with pure abandon released every concern holding her down. She leaned nearer to the horse’s neck and laughed as the trees and fence lines blurred.

  An hour later they stood in the barn. “Emperor, my healer, you are one magnificent animal. How I wish you were mine.”

  She turned to thank Kip, smiling broadly. The words died on her lips at the smoldering expression in his eyes.

  His gaze dropped to her lips, and he tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, letting his fingers linger, trailing them across her cheek. Her breath stalled in her chest.

  He cleared his throat. “We should take care of the horses.” Still, he didn’t move.

  Without hesitating, afraid she’d lose her nerve, Dianne rose to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. The contact was like a bolt of electricity. It had been so long…too long.

  For a moment, she thought he wasn’t going to respond, then with a groan, he looped his arms around her waist and pulled her tighter to him, returning the kiss.

  Happiness soared through her soul, but just as quickly, he released her and stepped away. “This is…” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, this is just a little…fast.”

  Fast? They’d known each other forever. But, she’d hurt him badly.

  She nodded and wiped her mouth. “Of course. I’m sorry.”

  He tucked his thumb beneath her chin and tilted her head up. “Don’t be.” He grinned. “It might be too fast for making out, but have you had any lemon pie since you got back?”

  “Now that you mention it, I haven’t.”

  “Would you want to have some pie and coffee before you head home? I go at least once a week. Wanna’ meet me at the old diner?”

  How could she say no to lemon pie? Or to Kip?

  Chapter 7

  Dianne watched Kip across the booth. Stilted silence and tentative smiles filled the space between them until they reached for the table top juke box at the same time. She chuckled with nervousness. “Looks like we had the same idea.”

  His grin sent her pulse racing. “Yeah, but I have better taste in music than you do.” He winked and dropped some coins into the slot. Elvis Presley’s “All Shook Up” filled their space. “Remember how we put all of our quarters in this crazy machine? Money neither one of us really had, but the music said things we were too shy or inexperienced to say.”

  “I remember.” What
was he wanting to say now? Was he as nervous as she?

  The waitress brought the pie and coffee, and Dianne fumbled with her napkin before tasting the pie. “Oh, my gracious. This is so good. I haven’t had anything like this in forever.”

  “Don’t they have pie in New York?”

  “Not made with real crust and four inches of meringue.” She licked her lips. “Is your chocolate cake good?”

  “Yeah, wanna’ try it?”

  Dianne took a large unladylike bite. “Very tasty.”

  Kip stared at her mouth. His hazel eyes twinkled and the beginnings of a smile twitched at one corner of his mouth. He ran his finger along his soft, sensual lips. His eyes sparkled like they used to when he was about to burst out laughing. Looking at his lips made her think of his kisses. Her knees shook beneath the table. She put her hands on them to stop the trembling.

  “Uh, Dianne, you have chocolate frosting on your chin.”

  Heat rose to her face. She jerked the napkin from her lap and wiped her face. “Better?”

  “Yeah, you got it all.” Kip lifted his coffee cup high so the waitress would see it. She came over and refilled his cup, leaving a ticket lying on the table. “How do you like coming to the center? I know it was hard on you at first.”

  “I like it now but, yeah, at first it caused nothing but angst. I’ve met a few of the other clients. Everyone seems to enjoy the horses. I did wonder about children, though, the brochure mentioned children, but I haven’t seen any around. What about that?”

  “Have you noticed the big barn to the west of your barn?”

  She nodded.

  “That’s the barn the kids go to. They’re the most amazing little people. When we first opened, we mostly had relatively healthy Special Olympics kids who benefitted from being near the horses. Now, we have some really sick guys. One little boy we call Chief is blind and deaf. He can’t talk. But, my God, when that little boy shows up in his special wheelchair, his horse, an arthritic Welsh mare named Molly, greets him with a shrill whinny. I swear to God he hears her. He kicks his legs and makes sounds. Those two have a bond.” Kip cleared his throat and blinked, thumbing his eyes.

  Kip crying? Never in a million years would she have expected that.

  She reached across the table and squeezed his hand. “That’s amazing. It must feel wonderful to be around them, to help them.”

  He nodded. “It does. The kids love it. Most of the horses over there are smaller breeds. All of them are very gentle. You put one of those kids on the back of a horse and give them the reins, even though you’re holding a lead line, they feel as if they’re in control for a few minutes. They feel normal. One of my favorite little girls is a little blue eyed blonde who is lost inside herself. Nobody knows why. She’s paired with a miniature horse just her size. The leader of the pack is a stubborn old burro named Madre who truly acts like the protective Mommy of the kids and the horses.”

  “Could I go over there one of these days?”

  “Sure, but I have to check on confidentiality issues first.” He dropped some bills on top of the check. “I have to get back to the ranch. Are you ready to leave?”

  She gathered her purse and phone. “Yeah. Thank you for the pie. It was wonderful.”

  He escorted her to her car. He whistled long and low when she unlocked the red luxury vehicle. “Nice ride.”

  “Thanks, I didn’t have a car in New York, so I had to get one when I left. The salesman may have taken advantage of my ignorance, but I like it.” She babbled and embarrassing tears sprang to her eyes. Suddenly she was sad, not anxious—just melancholy. Life had passed her by while she chased her own definition of success.

  “Damn. What’s wrong? Did I do something?” Kip took hold of her shoulders and pulled her close, looking down into her eyes.

  She shook her head. “I am sorry Kip. For everything. Now that I’ve come home, I have to, I want to—make amends. You have been kinder than I deserve.”

  “I could never be mean to you, Dianne. I’ll always care for you. I always have cared for you.”

  She sensed a “but”, however, she didn’t push him. Right now, she just wanted to savor the pleasure of their evening. There would be enough time for buts later.

  He opened her car door, and she slid inside. He closed her door and headed to his truck.

  They would have to eventually talk things out. The time for the discussion—the confrontation—she dreaded would happen soon.

  She’d broken his heart. Had it healed? Or did he still resent her? She carried the shards of his heart in her soul. For a woman used to fighting for the rights of others, she didn’t believe in herself anymore. She would have support with her the next time she went to the center. Tomorrow she would be picking Jocelyn up at the Dallas airport. That thought made her smile. It seemed like forever since she had seen her.

  When she arrived home she picked up her favorite book, a soda, and a lap blanket and headed to the basement. The area had quickly become her favorite part of the old mansion. History permeated every nook and cranny. The space had once been a speakeasy bar and then an upscale restaurant. Small rooms opened off the main room. Each one had the faces of gargoyles carved in Italian marble that seemed to stand sentry. The floor was bricked. Her favorite room was easily the library, with its musty smell, leather sofa, and three walls of books, mostly the original owners’ law books from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

  Even though it smelled stale, she felt at home with the one hundred year old law books. Coming down here had become a habit not long after she returned to Wichita Falls. Opening the latest of M.J. Rose’s historical romantic suspense series, she let herself be swept away from the worries of her life…at least for the moment.

  Chapter 8

  “Here we are. Home.” Dianne reached across the seat and squeezed Jocelyn’s hand. “I’m relieved to have you here.”

  “This is where you live? You said it was big, but you didn’t say it’s a mansion.”

  Dianne laughed. “I don’t live in the whole thing. I have a suite on the second floor.” They climbed from the car, and Dianne helped Jocelyn with her luggage.

  As they entered the house, Dianne said, “Careful on the stairs, they can be tricky.” She pointed to the door of her suite but stopped to look over the mezzanine railing into the foyer and formal living room. “Isn’t it beautiful? I’m loving it here. This is my favorite view, because I can see the carved images on the first floor fireplace and the pool through the stained glass doors.”

  Jocelyn leaned over. “Are those faces mythological gods?”

  “Yeah. It’s Italian marble.” Dianne took her elbow, led her to the suite. She stood back with her arms crossed as Jocelyn took in the cream colored love seats flanking the marble fireplace and two burgundy wing chairs facing it.

  “It’s enormous and it suits you.”

  “Yes. I feel safe here.”

  Jocelyn walked toward the floor to ceiling windows on each side of a roll top desk. “What’s outside these windows?”

  “The side yard and beyond that the highway. When the place was completed in 1926 it was pasture land out there. Now it’s a highway. Come on let me show you the bedroom and bathroom. You can store your things in there.”

  Jocelyn stayed near the windows. She picked up the scrimshaw doll from the desk, held it at arm’s length. “What this? A doll? God, it’s ugly.”

  “I bought it at an estate sale.” She took the doll from Jocelyn and lifted its dress. “Look at the rose carving on her chest. I started doing some research about the art of scrimshaw. If I’m not mistaken this very doll shows up periodically. She seems to have a following, much like an urban legend. I read she’s cursed and, supposedly, only true love can break the curse.”

  Jocelyn snorted a laugh. “Yeah, right.” She lifted a neat stack of articles from a basket on the desk and flipped through them. “This one looks interesting. It mentions the doll and a female pirate captain. Could she really
be from the eighteenth century?”

  “Anything’s possible, I suppose.” She handed Jocelyn a glass of wine. “I really would like to know more. She seems to stir my soul.”

  Jocelyn swirled the pink liquid and took a sip of the wine. Pulling a jeweled clip from her dark hair, she shook it down, and massaged her scalp. “God, I’m tired. It’s a long way from San Francisco to Texas. Tell me about Kip.”

  Dianne sighed. “I get so nervous around him. But going to the center is good for me. Emperor, my horse, is so trusting and accepting. I have to groom him each time I go to the center. It’s then that I can think. I talk to him as if he understands every word. Kip sometimes comes around, but mostly to check on his horses. I really don’t see him every time I have an appointment.”

  “I remember back in college you said Kip had saved you. That was an important time in your life. Maybe that’s one reason you get so nervous.”

  Dianne kicked off her shoes and pulled a lap blanket over her knees. “You’re probably right. I was the target of bullies and was ostracized. Anger, shame about my dad, and general lack of self-confidence ruled my life. Kip stood up for me. He told the bullies to back off. That was all it took. We started dating, and the rest is history.”

  “You know, seeing him might remind you of the bad times as well as the good times.” Jocelyn yawned.

  “That makes sense, but the other thing it does is resurrect the guilt I felt for leaving.”

  “You have no reason to feel guilty. You were young and troubled.”

  Dianne nodded, but she knew, deep inside, Jocelyn was wrong. She’d hurt Kip, and there was no excuse for that.

  ****

  Hours after they’d gone to bed, Dianne couldn’t sleep. The vivid image of her father stumbling into the house after a night of drinking and drugging rose in her mind, and she could almost hear her mother’s frantic voice telling her to go to her room and lock the door. Dianne shut her eyes and heard the sounds of angry cursing, begging, glass breaking and sirens screaming down the street. The police arrested her father that night. Again. He didn’t come back this time. Small towns spread news like a prairie wild fire. The next morning at school the taunts and bullying escalated.