The Village of Gerard's Cliff Read online

  Chapter VIII

  "We have enjoyed staying at your lovely Inn so much!" The young Mrs. Holland gushed, as she and her husband, holding hands, encountered Allie in the front parlor. Allie stopped from arranging some dried flowers in a vase, and turned toward the couple and smiled. The dim lighting from several small shaded reading lamps and the glow from the crackling fire gave the room a cozy, golden ambiance. "I can't believe we're leaving tomorrow morning. I wish we had booked a longer stay. Two nights just aren't long enough!" The young woman frowned. "When we get home, we're going to tell everyone we know about The Colborne Inn."

  "Thank you. That means so much to me," Allie smiled. "Will you be having breakfast with us tomorrow morning before you leave? I understand that Tilda is making her special Eggs Benedict over Cod Cakes with Lobster Sauce. It's incredible."

  "Yes, we will be eating breakfast here. But, we have to leave immediately afterwards." The young woman smiled back. Mr. Holland tugged slightly on his wife's hand, and they started toward the door. "We may be a little late tonight. We're going to check out the night life in the village."

  "Well, I hope you have a wonderful time." Allie laid the stems of dried red roses she had been holding, on the side table. She pulled the long sleeve of the black cotton turtleneck she had changed into, after returning to the inn with Mr. Garrison, down even further over her bruised wrist and walked behind them to the door. She turned the dead-bolt securely after seeing them out, then went back to her task, putting the last few stems in the vase and standing back to survey her work.

  Allie was determined to put the incident with Ethan out of her mind, as she cleaned up the bits of dried flowers that lay strewn around the table and floor. She'd had the whole afternoon to sort things out, and had decided that Ethan's drinking had gotten the better of him. When the threat of her calling the police, and the realization of what he had done really sank in, he would surely not attempt anything so foolish again. She would probably never know his motives for wanting to buy The Colborne Inn, but that was fine with her, as long as he left her alone.

  But when, an hour later, Allie heard tires on gravel, her heart skipped a beat, and, for an instant, her whole being froze. Regaining her senses, she hurried from the front parlor where she had been reading, to the window by the desk, and pulled the curtains aside a bit to peek out. To her relief, and chagrin, Allie saw that it was Connor, now shutting and locking the door of his Camaro. She closed the curtain, and heard his footsteps as they crunched around to the front of the inn, up the steps. Then, a quick knock on the door.

  Allie mentally composed herself, checked that her sleeve was covering the bruises, and walked to the door to let him in.

  "Hello, Mr. Garrison." She opened the door with her usual smile. "... Connor, I mean." He strode past her, noticeably agitated. "Are you all right?" Allie was genuinely concerned. After walking past her, he had turned back toward her, and seemed to be wrestling with his thoughts, all the while fidgeting with the keys that he still held in his hand. His thick, dark brows were furrowed, and his penetrating stare was unnerving. "Is everything alright?" she asked him again, as she bolted the front door, and turned back to him. She really didn't know this man, and wasn't sure how much she wanted to know about him. Just because he was about the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on, did not mean she wanted to know all of his deep, dark secrets. Ethan had been all the drama she could handle in one day. She was starting to feel uncomfortable with his silent brooding, as his eyes continued to bore through hers, his dark eyebrows furrowed, and his strong jaw looking very set and determined. "Well," Allie decided to change the subject. "The Hollands will be back shortly from their trip into town," she mentioned, in a carefree voice, her hands clasped. She decided to ignore his strange behavior. "Is there anything I can get for you from the kitchen before you retire?" She hoped he had picked up on the word 'retire,' as she did not want to prolong this agony. What is it with men today, she inwardly seethed, but continued smiling at him as if she no longer noticed anything out of the ordinary.

  "No...no, don't bother." Connor seemed to have regained his composure, or made some sort of decision. At this point, she couldn't care less, she decided as he pocketed his keys. "I'll head on upstairs." He looked at her again, but this time with a crooked, thoughtful smile that crinkled his eyes, and that again, unnerved her.

  She returned his look with a tenuous smile, her brows furrowed as her eyes quickly scanned his face for some clue to his odd behavior. Then she turned away quickly, and said dismissively, "Well, good night, then." and walked toward the desk.

  "Goodnight, Allie."

  She was startled at his quiet, familiar tone, but as her back was to him, she gave no indication, and continued walking to the desk. As she slid behind the tall, pine desk, she listened to his footsteps growing lighter as they reached the second floor, then heard the sound of his door closing.