Touch of Paradise by Dara Girard

Author:Dara Girard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-08-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

It was strange to be back. Rebecca walked into the mansion with new eyes. It was still grand and exquisite, but unlike in the past, it seemed tinged with a lonely sadness. She walked into the living room with questions swirling in her mind. What did he mean he didn’t know she’d meant it? What was so embarrassing that he couldn’t tell her? And who hated her enough to put a dangerous snake in one of her garment bags? She walked over to the far wall and no longer saw Aaron’s diorama display on a side worktable. Instead, she saw books and statues lining the bookshelves.

“You’ve brought trouble with you.” The words came from a soft voice behind her.

Rebecca spun around, startled by the unexpected voice, and saw an older woman, with a shock of white hair and eyes like clear black glass, sitting in a large chair. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you. I’m—”

“I know who you are.” She lifted a long finger. “And you have dark branches surrounding you. You’ve brought trouble with you, and if you’re not careful, someone will get hurt.”

“If you don’t want me to stay, I won’t,” Rebecca said. “I understand you not wanting a stranger in your house.”

The older woman slowly rose to her feet. “You were here before.”

“Yes, but I don’t believe we met. I—”

The woman held up her hand. “No, don’t tell me. I want to figure it out for myself.” She walked around Rebecca, looking her up and down as she did so. “You returned for love, but destruction has followed you.”

“I don’t believe in curses.”

The older woman smiled. “I didn’t say you were cursed. Open your eyes, and you’ll find the answer. It’s closely tied to you.”

The sound of excited footsteps pounding down the hallway stopped her reply.

“Is it true you’re staying here?” Brandon asked, appearing in the entryway.

“Yes, for a few days,” Rebecca said, then turned back to the woman. She was gone. Rebecca spun around in a full circle, amazed. “Where did she go?”

“Who?”

“The woman who was here. I was just talking to her.”

“I didn’t see anyone. Did my dad kill a snake?”

“Yes,” Rebecca said, trying to orient her thoughts. She knew she hadn’t imagined the woman.

“With a machete?”

“No, with a pair of scissors. He grabbed them like this and then threw them,” she said, imitating the motion.

“Wow...I wish I’d seen that. I’ll have to ask him to show me. The Green Rama snake is one of the deadliest on the island.”

“Yes,” Aaron said, coming into the room. “And it’s best to leave them alone.”

“But you killed one today.”

“How did you hear about that?” He held up his hand. “Never mind. It was foolish of me to think it would be kept a secret.”

“Dad, Ms. Rebecca was telling me how you killed the snake like this,” he said, throwing an imaginary pair of scissors. “Can you show me—”

“Another time. I have to talk to Ms. Rebecca in private.”

“Okay,” Brandon said, then left, pretending he was brandishing a machete and making his way through the jungle.

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