Dark Escape

Chapter 9

Dominic's broad smile greeted Tara when she pulled the door open. Her childlike look of delighted surprise tugged at him in earnest. It took all his reserve to refrain from taking her in his arms and holding her close. Firelight curls hung in disarray around her face and her flushed cheeks accentuated the blue in her oval eyes. They were so rich and deep he could see his reflection in them.

She was acutely aware of her appearance. Not anticipating company, she dedicated her day to fixing the crack in the wall in the bathroom that Brandon had reported. It wasn't going as well as she'd hoped. She was actually standing back debating about the prospect of calling in a professional when she heard Dominic's knock on the door. Dennis had suggested it several times and this was a time where she was sorry she hadn't listened.

"Did I interrupt something?" he questioned after surveying her boldly.

"I'm making the major decision of whether or not to call in the troops for this project or still try to go it alone," she explained. "You're a pleasant surprise and a reason to stop."

"I thought I'd pop over and make sure everyone was fine," he explained. "Your friend, the one with the injury to the head, is he well?"

Although his voice had a note of concern, the twinkle in his eye gave Tara reason to wonder.

"I guess so. I hardly know the man," she said flippantly.

For some unexplainable reason, discussing Brandon with Dominic left Tara feeling agitated. She felt an unspoken form of competition between the two. It was more than just for her attentions. It went deeper. Yet she was certain they had never met before the accident. In fact, Brandon couldn't even remember him once he regained consciousness. He'd vocalized gratitude for Dominic's help that day, but he never expressed a desire to meet him and thank him personally.

"The way you cradled his head on the way to the hospital gave me the impression you were close," said.

His eyes bore into her as he awaited her response.

"I'm a compassionate woman," she said hesitantly, "and I wasn't cradling him. Not really."

Tara was extremely uncomfortable with the direction their conversation was going. The last thing she wanted was for Dominic to discover how she reacted to the mere mention of Brandon.

"Oh the female heart," he chuckled. "I guess perhaps I was misinterpreting the natural female tendency to nurture for more."

"Perhaps you were," she smiled.

The two stood in silence for a bit longer before he shifted his weight and admired the fields.

"It's really pretty and peaceful out here," he said thoughtfully. "How are the winters?"

"I'm assuming they're cold. I rarely visited my grandmother in the winters. My brother and I have done a lot of work on the house, so we'll see what happens this year. I'm shooting for cozy," she replied.

"Ah, yes, cozy" he craned his neck to look past her. "You're on the right path from what I can see."

She stepped back from the doorway, suddenly aware of her rudeness.

"I'm sorry, I'm being rude. It's just that I wasn't expecting any company," she absent-mindedly smoothed her hair, "so you took me by surprise. You're welcome to come in."

She stood back to let him enter. He gave a quick nod of his head and moved past her, stopping at the doorway to the sitting room and staring at the fireplace. She joined him and followed his gaze to the gilded framed portrait over the mantelpiece. An old cracked portrait of a handsome elderly woman that bore stark contrast to its new framing hung precariously over it.