EPISODE FOUR

EPISODE FOUR

I keep on wondering how much you look like my husband. I've heard that everybody has a double somewhere in the world, but I'd never belived it before. It's weird. And what a coincidence that we met."

" i don't believe in concidences," he said tersely.

"And that bussiness about doubles is garbage."

Dumbfounded by his comments, she could only stare at him for a moment. "Then how else can you explain it? You look like tom"

"I can't explain it, but i mean for you to."

He turned onto a bounded by rows and rows of trees and waved to a guard at the gate. They passed under a huge arched sign that said sugartime farms. At least that's what she thought it said. She'd had to squint to read the letters, and they'd been wavy.

"How can i explain what i don't understand?" She asked.

"We'll talk later. We're almost there."

"Almost where?"

"My house."

She glanced around at the groves they drove through. "Yours?"

He nodded.

"What kind?"

"Grapefruit and orange."

He nodded again. "I have about two thousand acres in groves."

'I'm allergic to grapefruit."

"Does being around trees bother you?"

"I don't think so. Just eating the pulp or drinking the juice. My lips swell, and i break out in hives. Odd, but I'm not allergic to oranges or lemons or limes, just grapefruit. She sighed and leaned her head against the side window.

"Sorry about that. Our rubby reds are some of the finest in the valley."

He turned into a circular driveway and stopped in front of a house that astonished her. The huge spanish stlye place with its tiled roof stuccoed walls looked like something she might have pictured in Beverly hills. Bougainvillea and other lush plants spilled from urns and hanging baskets that were everywhere, and she counted three elaborate fountains ringed with more flowers.

She tired not to act like an awestruck kid, but even in her muzzy state she was indeed awestruck. "Your place is magnificent."

"Thanks. I like it"

She was gawking when he came around and helped her from the vehicle. Moving hurt, but she tired not to wince.

He frowned. "You need another pain piil. I hope the nurse is here."

"What nurse?"

"The nurse that's coming to take care of you."

"Aw, jeez! Another pain pill is the last thing i need. And i don't need a nurse. It's only a banged up wirst" she held up the arm in cast and sling.

"And anemia. The doctor said you need special care for that."

"What special care? A couple of iron pills a day and an extra helping of liver and onions ought to do it. It's no big deal."

"It is a big deal. I agreed to supervise your recuperation, and i intend to do it, jessica. Let's get you set up in your room. You can rest a while, then we'll talk."

He started to steer her forward, but she balked and dug in her heels. "Hold it, mister. Did anybody ever told you that you're like a steamroller?"

A hint of smile played around at one coner of his mouth. "Not lately."

"Too scared of the boss, huh? Well, let me tell you, you're like a steamroller, and i don't like it. You may be the head honcho of a big corporation and of all this-" she wazed her good hand "-but you're not my boss, so back off. I don't even know why i agreed to come with you anyhow. This was a bad ldea".

His eyebrows shot up. "Was it? I wonder."

His words dripped with hidden meaning, but she was too foggy to spar with him. All she could think of was lying down and sleeping for four or five days. She stumbled.

He grabbed her elbow. "Easy".

A tall woman in the white hurried out. "Hi, i'm kathy McCauley, the R.N. from the service. Let me help."

"I'm fine," jessica insisted. "Hi, I'm kathy McCauley, the R.N. from sevice. Let me help."

I'm fine," jessica insisted. "It's just the demerol. It knocked me on my butt. I need to lie down."

She stumbled again, and smith caught her. He swung her up into his arms and carried her toward the door.

"Let me down. I'm too heavy. I can walk"

"Shh," he said. "Stop wiggling. You 're light as a feather."

"I'm nit light."

"I lift weights. Trust me. You're light."

Her wiggling stopped, and she relaxed against him, her arm around his neck, her head on his shoulder. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world. She felt safe. For the first time in ages, she felt safe.

After Jessica was installed in a guest suite near his own rooms and the nurse had reported that she was asleep, smith headed for the barn. The RV, a smallish older model that had seen better days, was parked beside the building. Since Smith hand been the target of scams before, he considered calling his security chief but decided against it. He could handle this himself.

He hesistated only a moment before opening the door and climbing inside. He meant to search every inch of the place and come up with some answers.

After an hour, and he came up with was more qusetions. In a beat-up chest, he found three pair of jeans, two pair of shorts, two sweatshirts, sweatpants, and six T-shirts and assorted tops along with more plain underwear. All of the clothing was inexpensive and well worn, expect for one pair of designer jeans. Hanging in a small closet were a long black leather coat and a blue down jacket. Also hanging there, in cleaner bags, were two suits, a pair of slacks , a dress, three silk blouses and a cotton sweater set. He didn't know much about women's clothes, but he could tell from the fabric and the tailoring that they were expensive. When he tired to check the labels, he discovered that they had been clipped off. Odd.

Besides two nice-looking pair of high heels, well-shinned loafers and a fancy pair of boots, she had the usual stash of women's stuff

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Woow smith Rutledge is really nice though

Let's watch out for episode five where you can get the romance you have being waiting for😍