Chapter 5

The next couple of days went without incident, but Mistrea found she missed the classroom more and more. With this in mind she called Jonathan Winthrop to set up a day and time to meet with him in regards to what he could offer her teaching wise.

Mistrea dialled and waited for Mr Winthrop to answer. “Hello, this is Jonathan Winthrop how can I help you?”

His cheerful manner put her at ease, “Mr Winthrop, its Mistrea Larkin. I wanted to speak to you about my visiting your University.”

“Please call me Jonathan. I was really hoping you’d call; I’m fairly busy the next few days. How are you time wise for Friday? ”

“Friday’s fine for me, I was thinking of getting there early and spending the weekend to check out the town as well as the University. I don’t suppose you know of a good hotel I could stay at?”

“There are a few good hotels here. How about I check them out, see which one I think is best and text you the name and number.”

Mistrea smiled, “Thank you Jonathan I’d appreciate it.”

“Oh and if you’ll be here early you might want to sit in on one of the lectures. It might give you a feel for what we do here.”

She couldn’t help but laugh, “And give you the opportunity to sell the place to me right?”

He laughed as well, “Right!”

“I’ll let you know when I’ve arrived and we can meet up to discuss the possibility of me doing a bit of teaching for you.”

She hung up and suddenly realised she was supposed to meet up with her kids on Saturday. “Shoot!” She sent Kyle a text asking him to call when he could. She sat down at her desk to do some writing. It didn’t take long for Jonathan to get back to her and she immediately called the hotel and booked a room for Friday through to Sunday morning.

Kyle called at lunchtime concern in his voice, “Mistrea, are you okay… is everything all right?”

“Oh course Kyle but umm I can’t meet with you guys on Saturday, and you please talk to everyone and see if they can meet Wednesday after school instead?”

“No problem, but why?”

“I’m heading out of town on Friday and I’ll be away all weekend.”

“Okay Mistrea I’ll let everyone know. I gotta to go, see you this afternoon.”

                                                   ~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rest of the week went quickly, her kids as she was now calling them were able to meet with her on the Wednesday and were all pleased with the feedback they’d gotten for the assessments they’d given her last time they were together.

Mistrea had been impressed, especially with Sarah. She showed promise if she was looking at becoming a writer. She had nothing to do with Zac and his people, she lived in town and this made Mistrea smile. At least I’ll be able to give you all the support you need and he won’t be able to do a damn thing about it.

Mistrea shook off thoughts of her kids and Zac Hunt and got moving. She wanted to leave as early as possible for the town of Westgate. Mistrea wasn’t meeting with Jonathan until ten o’clock, giving her time to settle in to her hotel and get a feel for the place.

She’d just put her seatbelt on when her cell rang. She looked at the caller ID and grinned, “Hi Kyle, I didn’t think you’d be up yet it’s only like six in the morning?”

“Yeah I know, I just wanted to make sure you were… umm” he sighed.

“I’m fine Kyle and I promise I’ll drive carefully. I’ve got my GPS ready and should be in Westgate in a couple of hours. I’ll even have time for breakfast before my meeting.”

Kyle grinned and shook his head, “Sorry Mistrea, but I worry about you.”

“I know Kyle and I love that you do. I’ll be back Sunday or Monday depending on how things go. Have a good day.” She hit the end button, put the phone in her bag on the seat beside her and started the car.

It was nice to be out in the countryside, Mistrea loved that this part of the country was still untouched by development and big business. She got somewhat turned around when she got to Westgate and when she saw a man in what looked like a security uniform she wound down her window and called out to him.

“Excuse me! I need a little help if you don’t mind?”

The man turned to her a smile on his face. He was good looking tall and muscular but he moved with such grace that Mistrea knew exactly what he was. It was when he got to her car and bent down to say hello that she also realised who the man was.

“Hi, I’m Oliver. You got lost right?”

She nodded, “I’m trying to find the University Hotel, I was told it’s right by the University?”

He grinned putting her at ease, “You’d think a place as big as a University wouldn’t be too difficult to find right?” he laughed, “most people have problems at first, it’s kind of hidden behind all that greenery.”

Mistrea looked at where he indicated with his head and saw what looked like a forest. She looked at him a little confused. “The entry way is two blocks up, the forest keeps the University sheltered and saves on fencing.” He grinned again and stepped back from her car.

“Thank you Oliver.” Mistrea smiled and continued on her way. She was feeling a little shaky, but kept driving until she got to her destination. She parked the car and sat back, closing her eyes and trying to calm herself.

Ollie! She smiled and opened her car door. She needed to settle in and call Jonathan’s office to let him know she’d arrived. But she’d unpack and maybe get some breakfast first. She looked at her watch; it was almost eight thirty… she had plenty of time.

There was a café as well as a restaurant in the hotel which pleased her. After she organised her luggage and clothing she headed down to the café and ordered a light breakfast and a large coffee. By the time she left she was ready to face the day. She called Jonathan leaving a message with his secretary then decided to walk to the University.

Mistrea still had a bit of time before her meeting so took her time and grinned when she came across the University book store as it has several of her books in the window and not all academic texts. She turned and saw Oliver in the distance and gave him a nod before moving on towards Jonathan’s office.

Jonathan was welcoming and seemed genuinely happy that she was there. He gave her the grant tour of his part of the University and they ended it by stopping off at the local Uni-café. Once their coffee had arrived he got straight to the point. “I’d really like you to work here. You have a good academic reputation and you cover a variety of genres in your writing.”

He lifted his coffee and blew on it before taking a sip, “I’ll take you any way I can get you, fulltime, part-time or as a guest speaker. We can organise classes to suit your needs, but for now I was thinking maybe you come in as a guest speaker and see how you go. If you like it, you come in the next week. What do you say?”

Mistrea couldn’t help but smile at the man, “I think being a guest speaker would be a nice way to begin. Friday’s would be good if not maybe Monday’s. I have commitments on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but can drive over Thursday nights or over the weekend for the Monday.”

A wide grin broke across Jonathan’s face, “How about we make it Monday’s, that way there’s no rush on your part and if you come over on the weekend you can get a feel for the town and the University. I’ll check our timetables and let you know what times we can fit you into, then you can make a final decision.”

“Sounds good.” She smiled and finished off her coffee.

Mistrea spent the next two days in Westgate relaxing and doing a bit of shopping. She found a shawl that would be perfect for when she was up late writing and she also bought a pair of running shoes, socks and a rag doll she spotted in a store window. It reminded her of a doll she’d had when she was very young. It brought back memories of times that were simpler, times that were happy and full of the expectation of what her life would be.

She had a light dinner at the hotel restaurant and headed up in the elevator to get an early night. Just as she entered her room and closed the door she was hit with pain. Her hand went straight to her heart, and her breathing picked up. Mistrea made it to the bed before she collapsed, panting and trying desperately to control her breathing. The pain was everywhere, throughout. As always it started with her heart and progressed to all the muscles in her body until it felt as if her entire body was a mass of pulsing throbbing pain.

Mistrea lay curled up on the bed, the pain trying to breathe through the pain. Eventually she gave herself up to it, letting the pain flow through her until it began to recede giving her time to calm herself before it hit again more severely. She grabbed a pillow and wrapped her arms around it holding it as tight as she could. The trouble was, she knew it wouldn’t help, but even so she held it tightly needing something to ground her.

The pain came and went for well over an hour increasing in its intensity before it petered out leaving her exhausted and weak. She lay unable to move, waiting, hoping she’d pass out. Thankfully she did.

Next morning as Mistrea regained consciousness exhaustion still with her, an involuntary sob escaped her and she wanted to scream as. She knew this was likely to happen. To be honest she’d been surprised it hadn’t already happened.

Mistrea took her time getting up and by the time she was showered and dressed she had to sit and rest long enough to catch her breath again.

Mistrea was a strong woman, but as she sat waiting until she was able to get up and get on with her day she found tears streaming down her face. She let them flow, she was alone and no one would see her vulnerability.

Mistrea finally called to have someone take her luggage down to her car and once it was stowed she returned to the café she’d had breakfast at the previous day. The thought of food all but turned her stomach, so she settled for tea realising it wouldn’t be as harsh on her stomach as coffee.

Mistrea had just driven away from the hotel when she spotted Oliver, he waved and called out a hello and she waved back but didn’t stop. The last thing she needed was for him to get too curious about her. She smiled as she drove past him but couldn’t help but feel bad about not stopping to speak to him before she left.

The drive home took longer than she expected as she didn’t want to rush in case she needed to stop and rest. Mistrea knew she’d probably fall into bed as soon as she got home and hoped she didn’t fall asleep at the wheel. It was a beautiful sunny day, but it could have been snowing for all Mistrea knew. Her entire focus was on getting home in one peace and she prayed there’d be no more pain until then.

When she finally arrived home Mistrea made her way inside dragging her luggage with her. She left it all in the living room but took the doll out and placed it on the chair in the corner of her bedroom. Mistrea smiled at the memories it brought back then sadness engulfed her and she all but collapsed, her knees giving way as she let her emotions take hold.

Mistrea sighed and got to her feet making her way to the bed stripping off her clothing and pulling a night gown over her head before crawling into bed. It was just after mid-day, but she needed to rest, needed to sleep and forget the pain and what it had meant.

She desperately hoped that when she woke it would be to a feeling of peace and of having had a restful sleep. A cruel laugh escaped her and she shook her head wanting to forget the past hours of pain and exhaustion… of betrayal. No sooner had her head touched the pillow than she was asleep.

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mistrea was in a dead sleep when she heard a dull pounding sound as if coming from a distance. She had no idea where it what it was and growled under her breath wanting it to stop. It didn’t! She pulled the covers over her head and did her best to ignore it, but it didn’t work.

She grabbed her phone from the bedside table and looked at the time. It was nine thirty. A reasonable time to be knocking on a person’s door provided they’d had a decent night’s sleep, which of course she hadn’t.

Phone in hand she got out of bed and made her way to the balcony to see who her visitor was. Son-of-a-bitch! She took a couple of steps back and dialled the police station. It answered on the second ring, “Hello, this is Mistrea Larkin, can I please speak to someone in charge?”

“Hello Miss Larkin, I’m Sergeant Bradshaw, but please call me Brian. How can I help you?”

“Bradshaw? Are you related to Agnes?”

He laughed, “Yep she’s my wife, now what can I do for you?”

“I don’t suppose you could take a quick drive to my house? I have a man banging on my door and I’m not sure he’s going to listen when I tell him to go away.”

“I’ll be right there Miss Larkin, keep your phone with you and don’t hang up so I can hear what’s happening.”

“Thank you Brian and please call me Mistrea.” She took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself then stepped out onto the balcony and leaned on the railing. “Mr Hunt, what is it with you always banging on my door when I’m asleep?”

Zac stopped and looked up at her. She was in her sleep wear and there wasn’t a great deal of material. He couldn’t help but notice that all her curves were in the right places. He gave himself a mental shake and glared at her.

“I was hoping we could talk sensibly about the situation we have with our land. I’ve been by several times over the past couple of days but you weren’t home. So today when I saw your car…”

“Mr Hunt, you need to speak to my lawyer…”

“I’d much rather speak with you. I know we’ve gotten off to a bad start and I’d like to change that,” he smiled up at her. “What do you say?”

Mistrea shook her head, “I don’t think so Mr Hunt. Please leave, I’m not up to visitors at the moment and to be honest, I’d much rather have some warning before you decide to drop by.”

Zac could feel anger rise and fisted and un-fisted his hand at his sides doing his best to remain calm. This was not going how he’d planned it. He heard a car pull up and growled when he saw Brian getting out of his police car.

“Brian,” he said and waited for the man to speak.

“Hey Zac, you’re visiting a little early aren’t you?”

“Early? It’s going on for ten o’clock!”

Brian ignored him, “Good morning Mistrea,” he gave her a big smile. “Is Zac the one who’s upset you?”

“She lifted the phone letting Zac see it,” Thank you Brian,” she hung up. “No, Mr Hunt was just leaving. How’s Agnes doing with her new project? Please tell her I’ll stop by as soon as I can to see how she’s doing?”

“Will do sweetie,” he turned to Zac. “How about I give you a lift into town? Oh and you might want to do as Mistrea said and give her a call to see if she’s willing to meet with you.”

If looks could kill, Mistrea was fairly certain she’d be dead, but she smiled at Brian and ignored Zac. “I’m going to see if I can catch up on some sleep, thanks again Brian.” Mistrea totally ignored Zac and she returned to her room, anger and frustration combining to set off her temper.

She looked at the bed and climbed back in, grateful that it was so comfortable. Within minutes she was asleep. When she opened her eyes again it was late afternoon. Still feeling tired and somewhat lethargic she forced herself to get out of bed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten and needed to put something in her stomach or she’d start feeling nauseous on top of everything else.

Mistrea got to the top of the stairs and stopped. She looked down but wasn’t sure if she’d be able to get to the bottom of them without falling. She sat down and pondered what to do when there was another knock on the door.

Mistrea leaned against the banister and sighed. She hoped to god it wasn’t Zac again because no way was she up to dealing with him. She needn’t have worried though because as she sat on the stairs she heard the front door open.

“Mistrea! Don’t’ tell me you’re still asleep?” Kyle looked up and saw her at the top of the stairs and the colour drained from his face. He ran up the stairs and crouched down in front of her. “Mistrea, you don’t look so good. Tell me what to do?”

Mistrea wanted to cry she was glad to see him, “Help me get down stair okay.”

He nodded and scooped her up carrying her down to the living room and carefully put her on the couch. Mistrea saw the worried look on his face and tried to smile, “I’ll be fine Kyle, I just need food, rest and right now a cup of tea would be good.” She looked at him hopefully.

“Don’t move!” He grabbed the throw rug from the back of the couch spreading it over her lap then turned and headed for the kitchen, “I’m not much of a cook but by the looks of you I don’t think you could stomach solid food. How about I make you some tea and? If you want anything else I can get it for you then.”

He didn’t wait for an answer, he got to it and put the kettle on then organised everything else. In no time at all he brought in a mug of tea and a plate with plain buttered toast on it, putting it all on the coffee table in front of her.

Kyle sat with Mistrea while she drank her tea. She tried to eat but couldn’t get much down. He wanted to call his mother but Mistrea shook her head, “I’ll be fine Kyle, really.”

Kyle nodded but she could see he wasn’t convinced. He made sure she was comfortable and sat with her for a good hour before leaving. “I’ll be back okay; I just need to check in with my mom.”

True to his word he came back and this time he was carrying a pot of chicken soup. Kyle shook his head, a huge grin on his face, “I couldn’t believe mom made soup for dinner and when I told her you were sick she organised this for you.” He held up the pot and kept walking into the kitchen.

Mistrea could hear him moving around the kitchen, opening doors and draws. A few minutes later Kyle came back into the living room. “I got a bowl of soup for you, but you’re probably better off having it at the table.” He reached out and helped her get to her feet then supported her until she was seated in the kitchen.

“This smells good Kyle,” he nodded and waited for her to taste it. “Mmm, I was right it is good.”

Kyle stayed with Mistrea until she went back to bed; he was worried and told her he’d call by before school next day to see if she was feeling any better. Mistrea felt bad that he was so worried about her, but there was no way she could tell him what had happened or why she’d been in so much pain. Sleep crept in and she let all worries go, there’d be time enough for them in the morning.

As Mistrea moved within that place between asleep and awake she heard a wolf howl. It was sad and pulled at her heart, this wolf was in pain and a great need to comfort him came over her. Mistrea tried to pull herself back to wakefulness but she was still tired, still getting over the episode that had all but incapacitated her.

When she woke it was to a cloud covered day and she grumbled because it actually fit her mood. Kyle would arrive soon and she wanted to be up and moving around before he got there. That in mind she showered and dressed then slowly made her way down to the kitchen to make a start on breakfast.

Mistrea had just sat down when she heard Kyle come in and a thought came to her, “Kyle how did you get in last night?”

“You didn’t lock the door Mistrea. Anyone could have come in here.” He shook his head, showing he was concerned about her safety. “I was thinking, maybe it would be a good idea if I had a set of keys. I mean after last night what if you were really sick and the place was locked up. That’d mean I’d have to bust the door down or something and somehow I don’t think you’d like that.”

“You’re right Kyle; I’ll have a set made for you later today. Now shouldn’t you be getting to school?”

He grinned, “Yeah, but I’ll be back this afternoon for our session. Take it easy today all right?” he gave her a kiss on the cheek and left for school.

Kyle stayed fairly close for the next few days, calling in to see how she was. He got a set of house keys which made him feel more at ease, but for some reason he couldn’t stop worrying about her. Mistrea was his friend, but she felt more like family and he knew without having to think about it that he’d put himself between her and danger.

                                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next couple of weeks went by quickly, Kyle was improving no end with his studies, the writing class now got together at the local library and were settling in to their new routine and Mistrea had accepted a position at Westgate University lecturing one day a week.

Life was busy and she put all thoughts of Zac Hunt and Wade Benson out of her mind that is until she got a call from Charles. “Mistrea I’ve got some news! They caved; you got your piece of land. I’ve already contacted the foreman and he’ll be finalising the fencing accordingly. I’m guessing the cost of moving their building was too much for them.”

Mistrea could hear the laughter in his voice and was glad Charles worked for her and not Zac. “Thanks Charles, I’m just happy the problem’s been resolved. I was thinking of visiting with Uncle Ivan maybe we can get together for lunch or something while I’m there.”

“I’ll look forward to it and I’m sure Claire will be as well.”

Mistrea laughed, “Yeah and she’ll make time to go shopping and do the whole ‘club’ thing as well. Thanks Charles, I’ll email and let you know when I’ll be arriving.”

“Does your Uncle know you’re visiting yet?”

“No, I haven’t contacted him since I’ve been here and there are a few things I need to discuss with him; things I’d rather talk about face-to-face. I’ll call him today.”

“He’s likely to send his private jet to get you?”

“That’s okay, it’ll save me time organising a flight.”

“Are you all right Mistrea, you don’t sound like your usual self?”

“I’m just tired Charles. I’ll be fine, but I think I need to get away from here for a few days.”

“Take care Mistrea and we’ll definitely have lunch while you’re here.”

As soon as they hung up she put in a call to her Guardian, “Uncle Ivan?”

“Mistrea, it’s about time you called. I’ve been worried about you.”

“I’m sorry Uncle Ivan, but I wanted to do this on my own,” she sighed.

“What’s happened?”

“It happened again. This time the pain was so severe I couldn’t move. I was laid up for a few days and pretty much couldn’t leave the house. I’m coming home for a few days. I need to get away from here… from him. Uncle Ivan I need you to hold me and tell me I’m doing the right thing.” Her voice trembled at the end and she didn’t care.

Pack a bag; I’ll have the jet there to pick you up tomorrow afternoon. I get you for the first two days, then and only then will Claire get access to you.” He laughed knowing full well Claire would have Mistrea out on the town as soon as she discovered she was in town.

“Thanks Uncle Ivan.”

“Be at the airport by four o’clock

“I’ll get Kyle to drive me and let him keep the car until I get back.”

“You trust him with your car? He must be special.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow night Uncle Ivan. I love you.”

“I love you too my sweet girl.”

When Mistrea hung up the phone she set about organising her life so she could be away for several days. She called Elizabeth and discussed the writing class letting her know she’d organise a few thing for class. Elizabeth was a good student and was hoping to eventually become a teacher, running the writing class would be a good experience for her.

Elizabeth was excited at what Mistrea had asked her to do and promised give her a full report the next time they met. Mistrea had to smile; Elizabeth would make a wonderful teacher. If she could run the session and get through the exercises without too much fuss Mistrea had set for them she’d be well on her way to proving it to herself.

She didn’t need to call Kyle; he’d been stopping by each day after school to make sure she was doing okay. It was nice to have someone care this way, but he was a kid and he shouldn’t have to worry about her.

Mistrea was sitting on the front porch when he arrived. He took a seat next to her and told her about his day. “I got a B on my English test and the teacher said if I kept on the way I have been I’ll be getting A’s in no time.”

“That’s great news Kyle!” Mistrea patted his arm, “I need a favour?”

“Sure Mistrea, whatever you need.”

“I’m going out of town for a few days and I’ll need a lift to the airport. I was hoping you’d offer? You’ll have to pick me up when I get back though.”

His face broke into a huge grin, “I get to keep the car?”

She nodded, “Just until I get back.”

Kyle offered her his hand “It’s a deal!”

Mistrea laughed at his enthusiasm, “I’m trusting you to keep my car in one piece.”

He grinned, “No problem.”

After Kyle left, Mistrea packed a bag and decided to get an early night. Not that she got a good night’s sleep. She tossed and turned most of the night and woke to the sound of a lone wolf howling in the distance. The sound was so mournfully sad that it brought tears to her eyes.

When she woke next morning Mistrea stumbled out of bed feeling drained. She needed a good night’s sleep; even more she needed some space from the cause of her pain. She sighed and went about getting herself ready for the day. It was still early so she made the most of it by having a quick breakfast and taking a mug of coffee up to her office to spend some much needed time writing.

Mistrea took a break about ten thirty and was rinsing out her coffee mug putting it on the drainer when pain hit her. It wasn’t as severe as the last time, but her body was still recovering from it so the impact was more intense than it otherwise would have been. She held on to the edge of the sink and did her best to control her breathing.

Thankfully the pain only lasted a few minutes and she was able to make her way to the living room where she collapsed on the couch. Mistrea remained there for a good hour before she was able to get up and more around. She checked her bag to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything, then packed up her laptop as she’d be taking it with her as well. Mistrea wasn’t sure she’d get much writing done, but there was no way she was about to leave it here.

By the time Kyle arrived to take Mistrea to the airport she was exhausted. She put a smile on her face and hoped he wouldn’t pick up on how bad she was feeling. He did!

“Mistrea you look like crap! Maybe you should wait a day or so before going away? I’ll stay and help out so you can rest.”

Mistrea smiled at her friend, “That is about the sweetest thing anyone has said to me in a very long time.” she reached up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, “I’ll be fine Kyle, my guardian is sending his private plane to get me, so I won’t have to worry about crowds and what not.”

“Wow! I don’t suppose you can talk your guardian into taking me for a ride sometime?” he grinned unsure if he was serious or not.

Mistrea smiled, “If everything goes to plan I can pretty much guarantee you’ll get to do just that at some stage. No come on I don’t want to keep the pilot waiting.”

The drive to the airport went without incident, Mistrea had handed the keys over to him as soon as he’d put her bags on the back seat. He was stoked! “I promise I’ll be careful Mistrea, there won’t be a scratch on the car when you get back.”

Mistrea smiled at him, she didn’t have the energy to answer she just wanted to be on her way. The further I get here the better. I need to rest… I need Uncle Ivan’s strength. Mistrea sighed and relaxed into the passenger seat as they drove away from her home.

When her luggage was stowed in the plane by one of the men that worked on it she turned to Kyle, “I’ll be back Saturday afternoon, either call or send you a text message to let you know what time I’ll arrive back here. Okay?”

“Okay Mistrea, but you have to promise that you’ll take care of yourself? You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

“Gee Kyle just what every girls likes to hear from a guy.” She gave him a hug, “I fully intend to sleep as much as I can for the first couple of days. My guardian will make sure of it, but after that I can’t promise you anything, Claire, my publicist will no doubt have a few things organised for me to do while I’m there. I’ll let you know if I’m up for any interviews okay.”

He nodded and gave her a hug, “Take care Mistrea. Umm…” he shook his head.

“What is it?”

He looked at her not sure if he should ask but took a deep breath and spat it out, “What do you want me to tell Zac when he asks me where you are?” He cringed at the look of shock on Mistrea’s face, but waited for an answer.

Mistrea sighed, “Tell him it’s none of his business and if he insists tell him to call my lawyer and ask him.” she saw the pained expression on his face and took his hand. “Tell him I had meetings to do with my career and will be back in a few days.”

“Thanks Mistrea. As soon as he sees me with your car he’ll want to know what’s going on. I don’t want to lie to him…”

“Then don’t. I need to get away for a few days and I need to be seen, to attend a few functions to keep my name out there. I’ll be back before you know it.” she gave him a hug and boarded the plane.

                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just as Kyle predicted Zac pulled him up when he saw him driving Mistrea’s car, “What are you doing with this car?”

Kyle shrugged his shoulders, “Mistrea told me I can have it until she gets back.”

“Back? And where exactly is she?”

“Mistrea went to visit with her guardian and do some promotional stuff. She’ll be back in a few days.” He smiled to himself, “You going to miss her?”

Zac growled, “Just be careful with the car, your mother can’t afford to have it fixed if you damage it.” he turned and left, returning to his own car grumbling inaudibly to himself as he went.

Three days later Mae was watching the news and called out to Kyle, “Come quick I think I saw Mistrea on the news!” Sure enough it was Mistrea at the opening of some new club. Charles was with her, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist. 

Kyle smiled, gave a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but feel more relaxed. Mistrea looked so much better than she had the last time he'd seen her.

The next night Mistrea was interviewed on some current affairs program and it wasn’t just Kyle and Mae who watched it. Sitting along in his office Zac stared at the television screen. He’d seen an advertisement stating Mistrea Larkin would be interviewed and he wasn’t about to miss it.

He told himself he was concerned that she’d bad-mouth the town and if she did he’d make sure she paid for it. He was somewhat surprised if not shocked when she spoke so positively of the town and its people. She even smoothed over questions about the incident with the high school. He was impressed and it got him to thinking that perhaps he’d been wrong about her.

Zac wasn’t the only person watching the interview, it seemed the entire town and many of the students and staff at Westgate had also tuned in. While Mistrea had unfinished business to take care of in Ransom, one of the reasons she’d moved to there was so she’d have a place to hide out, somewhere could relax and be herself without having to put on the face of being an established author with fans.

Kyle picked her up as planned but he wasn’t alone, Dylan and Reece were with him all three excited to see her as she stepped out of the plane. They gave her a hug and stowed her bags before climbing into the car and heading back to her home. They made a stop on the way, it seemed the boys had decided to stay for dinner and ordered pizza.

Mistrea laughed, “Kind of like the first day I met you guys huh?”

They nodded and it didn’t take too much longer before they were settled in her living room watching a DVD and eating pizza. Mistrea looked from at each of them in turn, she was home and these young men were her friends, they’d taken time out of their own lives to welcome her home and let her know in their own way that this was where she belonged.

“Hey Mistrea,” began Dylan. “We helped Kyle with the garden this morning and I was wondering what the big circular hut thing by the river is going to be?”

“It’s going to be a kind of rest area, somewhere I can go sit in the early morning or afternoon and,” she rolled her eyes, “get inspired by my surroundings. I was thinking of having a huge hammock put in. Well,” she thought for a moment, “more like a swinging open air couch or bed.”

“Do we get to try it out?” he asked hopefully.

Mistrea laughed, “Only after I test it out first.”

When the movie was over she checked the time. “How about I drive you guys home?”

Kyle shook his head, “You look done in Mistrea. It’s not far if we cut through the back fence. I umm, I asked the workmen to put in a gate so we can use it. I hope that’s okay?”

“I’m glad you thought of it. I’ll make sure the gate has a latch so you guys can come and go as you need.”

That night Mistrea slept like a log, not even the sound of a lone wolf could wake her. When early morning light streamed through her window and across her face she opened her eyes she felt rejuvenated and ready to take on whatever the world, or in this case Ransom and its residents tossed her way.