different story. Trying to control her emotions, Dani turned to Traycee. "I don't want to spoil your fun, but I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving you here to take that long train ride back alone."
The man beside Traycee spoke up. "That's not a problem. I have to ride back into Manhattan, too. I'll be happy to escort Traycee back to her hotel."
Traycee nodded agreement to this, but Dani looked a bit skeptical. Being the older of the two, Dani felt an unwritten obligation for Traycee's safety. A moment passed as she struggled with his offer to bring Traycee back to the hotel.
Cathy could tell Dani was upset and decided to take matters into her own hands. "That's a great idea," she agreed, cheerfully. "Jeff will see her back to the city." She turned to Dani. "Don't worry, he's very dependable."
Dani didn't have the strength to argue and, after all, Traycee was a grown woman. She said her goodbyes and she and Cathy walked across the warm sand to the house together.
As they walked, Cathy silently wondered if Dani's present state had something to do with Michael. She had seen them go up the back stairs together earlier and thought that was a good sign. At least they must have been talking to each other. But now, seeing her friend's troubled eyes as they walked through the double doors where the limousines awaited, she wondered what had happened.
"I don't think I'll be needed here for awhile," Cathy said as they approached the limousine. "I'll ride to the station with you."
Once seated in the black leather interior, with a television, CD player, phone and bar all at their fingertips, Cathy directed the driver to take off with only the two of them riding. The silver car glided around the curve of the driveway and headed out the gates of the estate.
Dani sat quiet, looking out the window, yet seeing nothing.
"If you're still worried about Traycee, you needn't be," Cathy offered. "Jeff is a nice guy. He'll watch over her."
Dani only nodded, but Cathy wasn't about to let her get away with silence. She knew Dani too well. "Tell me what's bothering you," she said softly. "It's Michael, isn't it?"
Dani turned to her, surprise registered on her face.
"I saw you two together earlier," Cathy confessed.
Dani looked out the window again. The sun was tilted to the west as late afternoon approached. They passed an 18th century inn, its white clapboard shinning brightly, and the surrounding garden lush in colors of red, blue and deep pink with the lawn lying green between colors. She thought how peaceful the setting looked in comparison to the turmoil she felt inside.
"I ran into him by accident," Dani finally said. "I should have left the minute I saw him, but I didn't." Seeing him there among his personal things, the poster from the past, the portrait of Vanessa, all those things had softened her feelings toward him enough to make her question her resolve about hating him. How could she explain the perplexity of her feelings to Cathy when she still didn't understand them herself?
But Cathy knew more than Dani realized. She'd pieced things together since the two had met in her apartment. She took the chance that she was right with her next question.
"Michael is the one who hurt you all those years ago, isn't he?" she spoke the words softly.
"Yes," Dani admitted, looking directly at Cathy. "He is. That's why it was such a shock when I saw him at your apartment."
Cathy nodded. "I thought so. I've thought about you and Michael a lot since that day, and then I sort of pieced it all together." The two sat in silence a moment and a thought struck Cathy that she'd never considered before.
"Does Michael know what happened to you?" Michael had spoken with her several times about Dani, wondering if she had any idea why she was so hostile toward him. But Cathy never had an answer for him.
"No. He never knew," Dani replied. "He disappeared before I could tell him."
"Maybe you should tell him
The man beside Traycee spoke up. "That's not a problem. I have to ride back into Manhattan, too. I'll be happy to escort Traycee back to her hotel."
Traycee nodded agreement to this, but Dani looked a bit skeptical. Being the older of the two, Dani felt an unwritten obligation for Traycee's safety. A moment passed as she struggled with his offer to bring Traycee back to the hotel.
Cathy could tell Dani was upset and decided to take matters into her own hands. "That's a great idea," she agreed, cheerfully. "Jeff will see her back to the city." She turned to Dani. "Don't worry, he's very dependable."
Dani didn't have the strength to argue and, after all, Traycee was a grown woman. She said her goodbyes and she and Cathy walked across the warm sand to the house together.
As they walked, Cathy silently wondered if Dani's present state had something to do with Michael. She had seen them go up the back stairs together earlier and thought that was a good sign. At least they must have been talking to each other. But now, seeing her friend's troubled eyes as they walked through the double doors where the limousines awaited, she wondered what had happened.
"I don't think I'll be needed here for awhile," Cathy said as they approached the limousine. "I'll ride to the station with you."
Once seated in the black leather interior, with a television, CD player, phone and bar all at their fingertips, Cathy directed the driver to take off with only the two of them riding. The silver car glided around the curve of the driveway and headed out the gates of the estate.
Dani sat quiet, looking out the window, yet seeing nothing.
"If you're still worried about Traycee, you needn't be," Cathy offered. "Jeff is a nice guy. He'll watch over her."
Dani only nodded, but Cathy wasn't about to let her get away with silence. She knew Dani too well. "Tell me what's bothering you," she said softly. "It's Michael, isn't it?"
Dani turned to her, surprise registered on her face.
"I saw you two together earlier," Cathy confessed.
Dani looked out the window again. The sun was tilted to the west as late afternoon approached. They passed an 18th century inn, its white clapboard shinning brightly, and the surrounding garden lush in colors of red, blue and deep pink with the lawn lying green between colors. She thought how peaceful the setting looked in comparison to the turmoil she felt inside.
"I ran into him by accident," Dani finally said. "I should have left the minute I saw him, but I didn't." Seeing him there among his personal things, the poster from the past, the portrait of Vanessa, all those things had softened her feelings toward him enough to make her question her resolve about hating him. How could she explain the perplexity of her feelings to Cathy when she still didn't understand them herself?
But Cathy knew more than Dani realized. She'd pieced things together since the two had met in her apartment. She took the chance that she was right with her next question.
"Michael is the one who hurt you all those years ago, isn't he?" she spoke the words softly.
"Yes," Dani admitted, looking directly at Cathy. "He is. That's why it was such a shock when I saw him at your apartment."
Cathy nodded. "I thought so. I've thought about you and Michael a lot since that day, and then I sort of pieced it all together." The two sat in silence a moment and a thought struck Cathy that she'd never considered before.
"Does Michael know what happened to you?" Michael had spoken with her several times about Dani, wondering if she had any idea why she was so hostile toward him. But Cathy never had an answer for him.
"No. He never knew," Dani replied. "He disappeared before I could tell him."
"Maybe you should tell him
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