The Contract (The Contract 1)

Still, his quiet rumbles helped me to drift off into a peaceful slumber.I left the condo early and went to visit Penny. She was wide-awake and in a good mood. She knew me today, tweaked my nose, and we talked and laughed until she fell asleep. I sipped my coffee while she napped, looking at some of her little pieces she’d been painting. I chose one I liked in particular of some wild flowers, and was admiring it when she stirred. She watched me, then rolled her chair over, holding out her hand for the painting.

“I like this one.” I smiled. “It reminds me of when we’d go and pick flowers in the summer.”

She nodded, looking distracted. “You’ll have to ask my daughter if it’s for sale. I’m not sure where she is.”

My breath caught in my throat. She was gone again. The moments of clarity were getting further and further apart, and I knew better than to upset her.

“Perhaps I can take it and go find her.”

She reached for her paintbrush, turning for her easel. “You can try. She may be at school. My Katy is a busy girl.”

“Thank you for your time, Mrs. Johnson.”

She gestured toward the door, dismissing me. I left the room, clutching her painting, stifling the tears. She didn’t know me, yet deep in her heart, she still thought of me as her daughter. The same way I thought of her as my family.

It was a sobering reminder of why I was doing this with Richard. Pretending to be something I wasn’t.

It was for her.

I wiped my eyes, and headed back to the condo.When I opened the door, Richard met me with a scowl on his face.

“Where were you? You have an appointment!”

I drew in a deep breath and counted to ten. “Good morning to you, too, Richard. It’s only ten. My appointment is at eleven. I have plenty of time.”

He ignored my greeting.

“Why didn’t you answer your phone? I called. You didn’t take your car, either.”

“I visited Penny. The home she is in is close, so I walked.”

Reaching over, he tugged on the small canvas I had clutched to my torso. “What is this?”

My grasp was ineffectual, and he held the painting in his hands, studying it.

“You aren’t hanging this crap in here.”

I swallowed the bitterness in my throat. “I wouldn’t dream of it. I was going to put it in my room.”

He pushed the small canvas back at me. “Whatever.” He walked away, glancing over his shoulder. “Your clothes arrived. I put them in the closet in your room and left the bags on the bed. Burn whatever you’re wearing now. I don’t want to see it any longer.”

Then he disappeared.Later that afternoon, when I returned to the condo, I felt like a different person. I had been buffed, scrubbed, and waxed within an inch of my life. My hair had been washed with some body infusing shampoo, conditioned, cut and layered, then blown dry so it hung in long, luxurious waves down my back. Once my makeup was done, I barely recognized myself. My eyes looked huge, my mouth full and pouty, my skin like porcelain. I hurried upstairs and slipped into the new lingerie and dress Amanda and I had picked out for the afternoon; she told me it was perfect. Off-white with a flowered overlay, it was pretty and floaty, and it looked like summer. The low-heeled sandals were comfortable, and I was sure I could stay upright.

I took in a deep breath as my nerves began to tighten.

It was time to see if Richard agreed.RICHARD

Impatiently, I drummed my fingers on the counter. I heard the tapping of heels and turned my head, the glass I was about to drink from freezing part way to my mouth.

The Katharine I was used to seeing wasn’t this woman. As I suspected, with the right clothes, a good haircut, and some makeup, she was quite pretty. Not like the flashy, confident women I was used to, but rather an understated beauty she carried well. Not my usual type—however, in this case, it would work.

I glanced down at her hand and frowned. “Where is your ring?”

“Oh.”

She opened her small purse, took out the box, and slipped on the ring.

“You need to wear it all the time. Leave the box here.”

“I took it off for a manicure. I forgot to put it back on.” She smiled—a wide, almost teasing smile. “Thank you so much for reminding me, my darling.”

I raised my eyebrows. “My darling?”

“You didn’t like Dick, so I picked another endearment. You know, like lovers.”

I crossed my arms, glaring. “I think you’re laughing at me.”

“I would never.” She tossed her hair, the dark waves rippling down her back. “So, will I pass?”

“My money was well spent.”

She picked up her purse. “You have such a way with words, Richard. So smooth and lyrical. I’m shocked women weren’t lined up pretending to love you.”