Manhattan Merger

By the time the limo had rolled around, she’d made up her mind to move back to Grand Junction. Coming to New York had been the biggest mistake of her life.

CHAPTER SEVEN

PAYNE walked in the back door of his sister’s house at five after eight, ready for a morning swim in the ocean with Catherine and Rainey.

To his surprise Lady didn’t come flying down the rear entrance hall to greet him. With a guest as exciting as Rainey to talk to, his niece had probably stayed up late last night and was sleeping in.

Rainey might still be in bed too, but Payne had a hunch she was an early riser. Somewhere in the house he imagined her hard at work on her latest art project.

In the hope she might be out on the patio where they’d had dinner, he headed in that direction. When he discovered everything was locked up tight and she was nowhere in sight, a keen sense of disappointment swept through him.

Maybe she was in the kitchen eating breakfast with the staff. But he quashed that thought the moment he spied Stan, one of his sister’s security people, drinking a cup of coffee by himself.

When the other man saw him, he put down his mug. “I was going to call you in a little while.”

Stan didn’t have to say another word for Payne to know something had gone on he wasn’t going to be happy about. Like the fact that Rainey was no longer on the premises.

“When did Ms. Bennett leave?”

“About an hour ago. Jed drove her back to the city. She asked me not to bother you since she knew you and Ms. Wylie were together.”

“You’re supposed to bother me. That’s part of your job!” Payne bit out in a rare show of anger because Rainey’s charm was so potent, she’d managed to con even a pro like Stan.

Payne shouldn’t have cared. It shouldn’t have mattered she’d slipped away without his knowing about it. But it did matter. Even more than he’d imag—

“Uncle Payne?”

At the sound of his niece’s subdued voice he wheeled around. Both she and Nyla were standing in the doorway with Lady.

“I’m afraid it’s my fault Ms. Bennett left in such a hurry this morning,” Nyla murmured.

“Come and look,” Catherine urged him.

On leaden feet, Payne followed them into the main dining room where he glimpsed a sheet of art paper laid out on the table.

Nyla stood at his other side. “Last night I happened to say something to Ms. Bennett about Trevor’s illness because I thought she’d already been told about it. You know, after reading about the hero who had leukemia.

“I never saw anyone look as devastated as she did when she found out. Before she went to bed she asked me to bring her a photograph of him. This is the result.”

Catherine put a hand on his arm. “I found it in the guest bedroom this morning.”

He walked over to see Rainey’s handiwork.

One look at the picture done in pastels and his throat almost closed from too much emotion. She’d caught it all. The love, the sweet, tender bond between brother and sister.

“It’s so beautiful it hurts,” Catherine whispered.

It was beautiful. It did hurt because everything Rainey drew or painted was driven by heartfelt emotions.

In the next instant his niece was sobbing quietly against Payne’s shoulder. “How did she know Trev and I used to spend time out in back with Lady?”

“I guess that’s part of her great talent.” There didn’t seem to be any other explanation.

Nyla’s eyes went suspiciously bright. “She felt so badly for upsetting your family, it’s evident she wanted to leave all of you with a gift that would bring you happiness. What a wonderful person she is. I’ve never met anyone like her.”

Neither have I.

“She did another picture for me, Uncle Payne. I’ll get it.”