Threat: Follow up to Stranded but not Alone (Dragoslava Connection) (8 page)

She’d had a miscarriage. Why hadn’t Mikhail told her about all this before? Bethany stayed, making certain not to intrude, but curiosity kept her there to listen.

“Honey, you can’t hide me from my past. I want you behind me on this.”

Bethany caught the sad tilt to Mikhail’s eyes as he watched the scene unfold. The look on his face tugged at her heart. He loved his family.

Seth inclined his head to nudged Simone’s nose, speaking over her lips. “You don’t need my approval to take a job.”

Could he be any sweeter with his wife? Bethany chewed her lip watching the adorable couple.

“I’m not looking for your approval.” She raised up on tiptoe hooking a hand in his waistband. “You trust me to make sound decisions the same as I trust you. I need and want your support as my husband. As my family.”

She inhaled the love.

“My support is automatic where you’re concerned. I’m just not happy about Ronald anywhere around you.”

“I know,” she replied her eyes locked on Seth’s. “I love you for being honest with me.”

Bethany felt swamped by their love, her nerve endings tingling from the pulse in the air. She couldn’t be the only one who sensed the vibe rolling off them. God they were sick with love, with precious appreciation and respect for the other’s needs. She fought the urge to sidle up beside Mikhail and hold his hand, but they weren’t Simone and Seth. They weren’t even Bethany and Mikhail anymore.

She hated feeling broken but kept feeding off their love.

“Your talent deserves an opportunity like this. I won’t let anything stand in your way, not even this big Russian bear.”

Bethany coughed, hoping they hadn’t seen her acting like a teenager hiding behind her invisible wall wallowing in the love on full display before her. Not to mention seeing the longing on Mikhail’s face for what his brother had. He envied Seth. He wasn’t the only one, she envied Simone.

The woman saw her and waved her inside. Seth walked off down a hall and disappeared.

Four sets of eyes stared from around the room.

“Hi, I’m Simone—Mikhail’s sister-in-law. You must be Bethany Cansler.”

She gaped at the woman as if she had a third eye, embarrassed at the relief she wasn’t his girlfriend. “Pardon me. I wasn’t expecting to see…another black woman up here. Oh, wait that sounded terrible. I mean…”

Simone laughed. “It’s okay, we’re Mikhail’s family. Black is still a minority up here, but they love and feed me so that’s all that matters.” She smiled tucking hair over her shoulder.

She covered her blushed skin with her hands. “Was it that obvious?”

“Mmhm…it’s okay. It took me forever to get accustomed to the thick accents and local slang,” she admitted. “I like the people and the culture. You’ll get used to it.”

Bethany tucked hair behind her ears. “I live here now, I should be less aware anymore.”

Simone waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it,” she assured, offering a bright smile. “Is this your first trip up to the lodge?” Was she that green? Bethany set down her carry-on and extended a hand.

“Again, my manners are atrocious today. Hi, I’m Bethany Cansler. A friend of mine talks about this place all the time. She loves it, and I’m excited to be here.”

“Seth says you’re from Michigan…where, I’m from Wayne County?”

Bethany held a hand to her chest in surprise. “Washtenaw County close to the Showcase building. I was telling your husband the scenery reminded me of Michigan, where I grew up.” She paused peering out through the kitchen window. “It favors Oscoda County, back in the sticks.”

“Michigan is such a beautiful place,” Simone crooned. “My new family thinks they have the monopoly on gorgeous mountains, but I have to brag up my home. Michigan can hold its own with any country. Tell me I’m wrong, Bethany?” she said with the flirty air of a sibling.

“I have to agree, Michigan’s forests, mountains, and waterways are spectacular,” she said. “It’s nice to meet someone from home, Simone. I do feel a bit more relaxed.”

A petite woman the size of a preteen with glorious red hair came over and walked Bethany deeper into the room. “Come out of the doorway and get you something to eat. You’re as frail as a rag doll.” She smelled like warm bread. “I’m Mikhail’s mother, Anya, and this is my husband Josef.”

Josef came around the counter; tall, lean, and blond, but obviously a military man. Everything about the way he moved screamed order. She could see where Mikhail learned to be organized. “I see my son has the same taste in women as his brother.”

She blanched shaking his strong veined hand.

“No offense young lady. You’re a beautiful woman.” He politely eyed her from the floor up to her eyelashes. “Mikhail’s last two women were Swedish.”

She cleared her throat shrugging her shoulders back. “I’m not Mikhail’s woman. I work for Heinemann’s as a Financial Representative.”

Josef slipped a glance to Mikhail.

“Bethany’s my employee who was kidnapped at the firm today. She’s been through hell and I just want to get some food in here.” Mikhail hesitated giving his mother a thoughtful glance as her large eyes held sadness. The mouths dropped as everyone moved her from girlfriend to victim. “Detective Munson was assigned to the case, and we all know Bethany won’t get a fair trial being it’s for our family’s company.”

“Why would they put him on the case,” Simone asked. “I nearly died last year waiting for him to find me.”

“I don’t know,” he said.

“This was best—bringing her up her then,” Josef said turning to Bethany and asked in his German authoritative voice, “Were you hurt young lady?”

Bethany tugged at her scarf hanging over her chest. “Just sore from where I was tied up and a bit embarrassed from all the attention. I don’t care to be in the spotlight.”

Mikhail nodded. “We’ve both had a long day so I’d appreciate it if everyone kept as much of what’s going on within the family.”

“You want me to believe there’s nothing between you two?” Anya said setting out a platter of lunchmeat and breads then began making sandwiches. “Do you like corn beef or pork Bethany?”

How did this loving family produce a playboy?

She walked deeper into the room unzipping her jacket, letting it hang open. “Pork is fine thank you, but I’d like to take a shower first if it’s okay then I’ll come back to eat.”

She looked at the faces staring at her and Mikhail perched on the hearth of a low fireplace in the corner, his peace palpable in the bosom of his family. He was home. Happy in their love…the way she missed hers.

“There’s history between myself and Mikhail, Mrs. Shamochernyi,” Bethany tried to clear up but the family wasn’t having it.

“And the future between you two?”

Simone waved a hand. “Anya let her get in the door before we scare her away being greedy for another female to join our crew. “Is this your first trip up to the lodge?”

Was she that green?

She looked up as Seth came strolling up the hallway into the kitchen holding two little bundles against his chest.

Mikhail hurried and set his beer on the counter, rubbed his hands on his jeans and cradled one of the babies to his chest then the other.

“Zoya and Eva, this is your Uncle Mikhail.”

He just stared at their faces, brushing kisses over their curly hair, rocking on the balls of his feet. He’d told her about Evelyn, the woman he’d dated a few years ago, and how they’d broken up because she left for a man who was ready for a family and he wasn’t ready to settle down. But the look on his face as he held the babies said he regretted walking away from that woman. He wanted a family. But he hadn’t wanted one with her. Bethany bathed in that truth, and it chilled her like ice water.

“Zoya and Eva are the perfect names,” he said kissing their little faces. “Karma’s good to a deserving man. You have to be the proudest father on earth.”

Seth winced, shaking his head. “With my past, if it were up to karma,” he said a sadness filling his eyes, “they wouldn’t be here. This is what the love of a good woman does when you don’t fight it.”

“Simone you did good, giving us the most beautiful additions to this crazy family.”

“She didn’t do it alone.”

It wasn’t hard to catch the love between Simone and Seth with their shared hooded eye glances filling the space between them. The woman obviously adored her husband, and he had lust on his mind if the quirk to his mouth was any indication of what he wanted to do with her later. Passion created those babies…pure passion.

“Your brother was there, Mikhail,” she said through a huge smile. “He nearly missed their birth, because we weren’t expecting them to come a month early just as he was getting on a plane for America.”

“The airport staff hunted me down just as I sat in my seat, leading me off the plane to a waiting phone at the reception desk,” Seth finished, eyes serious. “That would’ve broke my heart to miss the birth of my daughters…And not be there for Sim.”

The room got quiet under the weight of that confession.

Simone crossed the room, kissed her husband’s face, caressing it with the back of her hand. “I wasn’t alone. Seth’s mother Larissa and my mother Janice stayed with us for the last month. It gave us a chance to bond, something that hadn’t come easy for Larissa.”

Mikhail looked at her. Those cool blue eyes held pain.

It was bound to be somebody’s issue eventually, Bethany thought. “You and Larissa don’t get along?” she asked.

“My mother,” Seth started, delicately tracing a finger across Simone’s eyebrows. “Larissa is prejudice toward African Americans. Grew up that way and Simone’s been very patient with her.” He kissed his wife. “Simone’s been patient with a lot of bigotry from my side of the family. Even with me. Anybody that knows me knows I don’t care for Americans.”

Simone turned into his chest snuggled in his embrace. “But most people haven’t seen war up close and personal the way you have. All we can do is not label everyone under the actions of a few.”

“Still hoping to help me change my jaded war torn views wife?”

Simone gave him a look so full of love Bethany felt her heart rate kick up. “I didn’t see what you experienced and I would never undervalue the toll it took on your soul to walk out of that a whole man. I’m just glad you chose me to walk through the rest of your life with.”

“You’re always in my corner aren’t you, libeling?”

“I knew when we met, you had a prejudice for Americans, but you never disrespected me as a black woman. That spoke volumes to my heart.”

“You’re my black woman and I love you—period. I don’t care how the rest of the world sees us. You gave me something no other woman could…a reason to come home.”

Bethany found herself glued to Mikhail and one of the babies in her arms. When in the heck had she picked up the baby? She’d been bamboozled by the love feast going on between Simone and Seth.

“You want children Bethany?” Anya asked smiling brightly as Zoya weaved her fingers in her wavy hair cascading down over her shoulders.

“Children—” She stroked their light brown sugar faces. Their eyes held her until she couldn’t look away. “Doesn’t everyone want a family?” she asked feeling a warmth in the pit of her stomach. She did want a family someday. Missed hers terribly every day, she thought an ache in her heart made her eyes burn.

“Mikhail’s going to make a wonderful father one day,” Anya said, untangling Zoya’s little hand. “Zoya likes to twist your hair. She’s very sneaky this one. She’ll steal your heart before you know it’s gone.”

“She and her sister are gorgeous. I don’t mind her playing in my hair.”

“Mikhail…Bethany likes children. You love children…I want more grandchildren…”

Slow—down—Anya. This was too much. “I’m sure Mikhail will make some woman very happy one day. If you’ll excuse me, I see my friend pulling up out in the parking lot. Do you mind if I come back later and have that sandwich?” She handed the baby to Simone.

“I’ll leave it in the oven. Help yourself.”

“Thank you. It was nice to meet everyone.”

“Bethany,” Anya called a sneaky tenderness to her tone.

“Yes?” Here we go.

“How’s your mother’s knee healing since the surgery? Mikhail says you spent a week with her after she came home. That must have made her happy.”

“Uh, yes it did.” Mikhail stared at her with so much apology in his eyes she could hardly look at him. “I just spoke with her when we arrived, and she’s walking around and going to therapy. Thank you for asking. That was kind of you.” What all had he told them about their relationship?

Anya flipped the thick mass of red and grey hair off her shoulders to tumble down her back. “Well, that shows you’re a good person…and good people don’t send threats.”

“I appreciate that, Mrs. Shamochernyi…I would never hurt Mikhail…never.”

She didn’t bother to walk down the path, crossing the snow-covered lawn, shaking the jealousy from her mind of seeing Mikhail hold another woman. She needed the cold slap of the icy air to clear her head.

The Alps were picture perfect tonight. Snow glittered under the parking lot lights washing down over her. Mother Nature had a way of making everything okay, if only for a minute. This was her minute. Soft grunts to her right caught her attention. Horses. Oh, she couldn’t wait to get into the games now and ride a horse out into the forest.

Bethany crossed the picturesque grounds to join Glenda and Mark gathering their luggage and skis. Behind her, people were getting on and off the lifts, laughing in huddled circles and strapping on skis. Her shoulders relaxed. This was what she needed.

Glenda hefted her bag onto her shoulder. The red ski jacket set off her cool complexion and green eyes. “How was the drive up with Mikhail? Or should I even ask?”

The Green Mile
, while watching the
Exorcist
and trying not to scream with a mug of hot coffee in her hands.

“It was okay. I just want a shower, sleep, and to put this day as far out of my mind as possible.”

Glenda slipped her arm in hers, and they meandered up the walk. “You two didn’t talk at all?”

“We talked.”
If hard stares constitutes talking or communicating on a human level for angry ex’s trapped within the walls of an SUV
“And it wasn’t that bad, I just don’t understand any of what’s going on,” she said giving her a second bright eyed glance. “Did you get my text?”