Love Conquers All (New Young Adult Version)

By Debbie D Ellis and DD Ellis

Narrowly escaping from an abusive relationship four years ago, Anne Martin is still recovering. Determined to overcome her past, Anne agrees to rent out the newly renovated property she owns to a movie production company. When Anne meets the leading man, Byron McKenna, Anne knows her life is about to change. Despite their mutual attraction will Love Conquer All her fears?
(Mature content. Recommended 16+)(This is a stand-alone, full-length novel)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Sep 30, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329590335

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Love Conquers All (New Young Adult Version)

LOVE CONQUERS ALL

(New Young Adult Version)

By

Debbie D. Ellis

All rights reserved

Copyright 2003 Debbie D. Ellis

First Edition Sept 2015

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.  This book is fictional and any resemblance to persons, locales, incidents or situations is coincidental.  This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

WARNING:

This book contains content of a mature nature. Recommend age of 16+.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

NEARLY_FOUR_YEARS_LATER

NIGHTMARES

FIRST_MEETING

FLORIDA

BREAK_IN

EPILOGUE

DO_YOU_NEED_HELP

Prologue

Byron McKenna stared at the stunning couple standing in the entryway to the restaurant, unable to take his eyes away from the woman in the blue dress.  She was standing next to a sharply dressed gentleman who had just helped her to remove her coat. The woman, looking uncomfortable, fidgeted for a moment and scanned the restaurant quickly.  Her bright green eyes looked haunted for just a second, before shuttering as she looked at the host.  She turned slightly away from the man next to her, giving Byron a better view of her.  In a restaurant filled with actors, directors and other high-maintenance types, Byron appreciated the couple’s natural beauty in the doorway.

The woman’s dark-blue-but-almost-black dress covered her beautifully toned figure. The front was completely covered all the way to her slim neck, molding to her figure to reveal each curve.  She was on the slim side except for well-defined, uplifted breasts that appeared natural and slightly flared hips that kept her from looking stick-thin.  She had wide shoulders and toned arms that were bare. Her waist-length blonde hair was the only thing covering her back. Her skin was pale but with an olive undertone.  The slit in the floor length dress that ran from ankle to thigh, revealed long shapely legs in five-inch stiletto heels.

She looked to be around five foot six inches tall but the stilettos she wore added to that until she was almost the same height as the man next to her.  The man was about six feet in height and wearing an Armani suit in a deep, dark blue. He was a handsome man with a strong jaw and well-defined cheekbones.  Something about his brown eyes appeared to be cold and calculating, though. From a distance the couple looked almost like Ken and Barbie.

As they were guided to their table, Byron noticed that ‘Ken’ had a controlling grip where he was holding the woman’s arm.  A closer look revealed a hint of bruises on her that were covered well.  If he hadn’t been used to seeing actors wearing makeup to hide flaws Byron probably wouldn’t have noticed the discolorations under the subdued lighting.  Something within him started to heat as he thought of the possibility of a man mistreating a woman in such a way.

He flinched as he felt a hard nudge against his shin as a shoe connected with it.  Byron tore his gaze from the intriguing lady and returned his attention to his Aunt Mariah who was sitting across the table from him, frowning.  Realizing she had been talking to him, Byron apologized and asked her to repeat what she had said.  Mariah smiled and sighed, but repeated what she had been talking about.  She had been offering suggestions on how to handle the publicity difficulties ahead since Byron’s ex-girlfriend had been causing him problems for six months now since their explosive breakup.

His ex had been cheating on him and had gotten pregnant.  It soon had become known that the baby was not his but she had managed to get some money out of the deal by selling the story to the tabloids; hurting his career and causing him embarrassment along the way. She had threatened to keep doing so until he gave her a large payoff, which he was damned if he would do. It was a messy situation.

Aunt Mariah had been worried about him and wanted to talk to him about his options and even though Byron really didn’t need the advice, he tried to listen to her anyway.  He loved his aunt and he knew she meant well.  Byron had decided to take her to dinner at her favorite restaurant and chat with her since it had been a year since he’d seen her.  He tried to give her his full attention but after thirty minutes of discussion he wanted to talk about other things.  Something about the intriguing lady kept interrupting his thoughts, however, and he found he was frequently glancing at where she was seated.

Mariah and Byron talked of everyday things and he filled her in on how the rest of the family was doing and Mariah told him about some of the redecorating she had been doing at her house.  You should come see it sometime, Byron, she said.

Maybe after my meeting this afternoon, Byron said nodding but non-committal.  He glanced over, yet again, at the table where the ‘Barbie couple’ was sitting with James Madison, a movie director.  The lady looked very uncomfortable but was trying to talk with James, but every time they talked, the boyfriend would interrupt and send her a disgruntled look.  The woman wasn’t necessarily scared more than irritated and embarrassed that her boyfriend was acting like an ass and obviously not very observant that he was being rude to James as well.

Byron knew James; he was sharp-minded businessman that had a no-nonsense streak but otherwise was a fairly decent guy.  He was a family man who prided himself on honesty and respect in any relationship whether it was business or personal.  Obviously the blond man sitting across from him didn’t impress him very much and he gave the woman a sympathic glance as he asked the waiter for the check.  The woman looked momentarily panicked and looked towards the restrooms.  ‘Am I imagining things or did she just look at Mariah?’ Byron thought.  Byron asked, Mariah, do you know that blonde woman over there by James Madison?

Mariah glanced in that direction but could only see the woman in profile.  She looked vaguely familiar but she couldn’t place her.  She shook her head and replied, I don’t think so.

Byron noticed the couple leave but couldn’t help looking out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of her once more.  It was getting dark out and he could barely see outside but then he saw her gazing back through the window of a long black BMW.  The instant their eyes met, he inhaled deeply at the heat that spread through him.  The next instant she closed her eyes, her face flinching in pain.  The couple was already out of the parking lot, before Byron realized what had happened.  The ‘Ken doll’ had hit her! He jumped up despite himself, ready to tear off after them.  Mariah jumped and quickly grasped his hand. What is it? she asked.

Knowing the couple was already gone; he clenched his fist and grumbled, That guy just hit that lady!  The one I thought you might know.

What? Mariah asked, shocked.  A sense of dread washed through her as she thought of only one person it could possibly have been.  ‘But, the lady had blonde hair and she had been way too tall,’ she thought, trying to rule out the possibility.

Later that same night Byron arrived at his Aunt’s house from a meeting and Mariah was showing him the new murals on her walls.  She was describing the scenery from one of the numerous trips she had been on and had taken a picture for the artist to draw from.  The picture in the photo didn’t do justice to the one on the wall.  The walls were alive with scenery from the Italian coast and in another room it looked like the French Riviera.  They were amazing.

Mariah took a phone call as Byron was admiring the artistry. Noticing the sudden strain in his aunt’s voice, Byron looked over at her.  She had paled visibly and she looked shaken.  He quickly walked over to her and listened to the few words she spoke before hanging up.

The artist I was telling you about has been hurt.  She’s in the hospital and they’ve asked me to come down as quickly as possible.  I guess she’s lost a lot of blood and when they entered my name in the computer for contact information, it showed my blood type was the same. There is a shortage of blood of her type and they’ve asked to have a donation when I get there, Mariah said, starting to tremble as she put her phone in her purse.

Byron nodded and said, I’m driving, let’s go.  Mariah didn’t argue and grabbed her purse off the table.  She clenched her fists on her lap all the way to the hospital and her face looked grim.

They were there in a matter of ten minutes.  They were given directions on where to go for giving blood.  As Mariah was seated in one of the chairs, Byron stepped up and said, I can donate as well, I was screened several months ago and have been cleared.  I have the same blood type as my Aunt.

The nurse shrugged and entered his information quickly into the database as the other started to hook him up.  Verifying his info in the computer didn’t take long and the blood was screened and rushed to the surgery unit in case they needed it.

He and Mariah made their way up to the surgery reception and were shown into the waiting room.  Mariah went to the desk two hours later and the receptionist told her that Anne was still in recovery, but they had assigned her a room and they could wait there.  Anne would be transferred to the room within the next fifteen minutes.  By the time they arrived at the room, the nurses were already wheeling in the bed.

Byron watched from the doorway as they got her settled into the room.  He looked at the swollen, black and blue face peeking out from under bandages and ice packs.  He inhaled deeply.  He’d never seen such real-life trauma to one’s face and body.  Mariah started to cry as soon as she saw the unconscious woman on the bed.  Byron gave her a gentle but reassuring squeeze.  The nurse stated, She is still sedated quite a bit.  The guy did a number on her.  It’ll take some time for the bruising to go away but the swelling should go down in a couple of days. The nurse left promising to be back soon.

Byron watched as Mariah tried to soothe the woman as she mumbled incoherently through swollen and cracked lips. Byron looked at her and tried to figure out what she possibly could have looked like before her accident.  There was no telling but as she looked in his direction she seemed upset by his presence.  He went to go get some coffee for Mariah and himself.  When he returned, the woman was asleep once more.

They left a short time later and Mariah said she would visit her friend again in the morning.  As they were leaving, Byron could have sworn he saw the ‘Ken Doll’ driving into the parking garage in his BMW.  Byron shook his head.  ‘No way, it’s just a coincidence.  The woman upstairs had dark hair, not blonde.’

Will you be, ok? Byron asked her as he walked her to her door.  He had a plane to catch in the morning.

Mariah nodded and smiled confidently.  Yes, I’ll be fine.  I’ll see you in a few months or so.  I hope you get things straightened out with that ex of yours.

Yeah, me too, Byron grumbled. Don’t worry, I have pretty good lawyers.

They smiled, gave each other a long hug and Byron waved goodbye.

**

Anne hurt badly. She had off-and-on visions of lights and sounds.  There were lots of blue and people talking loudly over the sounds of monitors and machinery.  Finally everything went dark and silent, almost peaceful.  Anne dreamed of Mariah standing near her bed and the beautiful blond man standing in the doorway.  He had such a presence and he was too beautiful to be real.  His bright blue eyes drew her in.  She felt herself slipping away and she thought he was an angel coming to take her.  Despite his beauty, Anne didn’t want to go yet.  She was finally going to be able to get away from Ray.  She wasn’t ready to die yet.  Mariah whispered to Anne, It’s going to be alright.  Everything will be better when you wake up, she said patting her hand.  Anne looked over at Mariah, her vision blurring.  Anne looked over at the doorway again, but the angel was gone.

Anne sighed in relief and whispered, I know.

The next thing she knew, Anne Martin was waking up in the hospital.  She felt battered and empty.  She knew before the doctor came in and told her that she had lost the baby. Strangely, she just felt numb.

Someone opened the door to the room, but she just looked out the window.  She really didn’t want to talk to anyone.  She had things to think about and she’d already decided to stay at a hotel for the last week of school and then disappear to someplace nice and quiet.

Anne? Are you awake?  It was Mariah Jones, the woman whose mural she had done at Christmastime and the same one from the restaurant.

Anne mentally groaned.  ‘How did she know she was here? Jeez.’

Yes.

Are you, ok? Mariah asked, then looking at Anne’s battered face said, Never mind, I think I know the answer to that question.

Anne just looked at her, wondering why she was here.

Do you need a place to stay? Mariah asked her worriedly.

No, I don’t want anyone to be involved in this.  He’ll just figure out a way to get information from anyone who knows me or helps me, Anne said.

What will you do?  Mariah asked curious.

I’ll go to a hotel for the rest of this weekend.  I’ve just been biding my time.  Ray threatened to hunt me down if I left him, and he did once. Anne shuddered with the memory of it.  I stayed until I could get my degree.  After I get my degree on Monday, I’ll disappear, Anne explained, not knowing why she told this woman anything.

I’d hate to see you go, but I understand why.  I don’t want to see you let him continue to do this to you.  If you need a place to go, I have a house in my hometown that I was getting ready to sell.  I’ll let you stay there for a few months rent free until you figure out where to go from there.

Thank you, I’ll think about it, Anne said thoughtfully.  How did you know I was here? Anne asked.

They saw my name and number in your address book.  I was at the top of the short list of names and numbers that you had.  They asked if I was a family friend and what my blood type was and if I could come down right away.  Mariah had been curious about that as well.

I was keeping a list of references in the order I preferred people to be contacted, Anne explained.  Anne shifted on the bed to find a more comfortable position.  She winced as she felt the tears in her lower body that told her she’d been abused in other areas and not just the bruises all over the rest of her body.  Someday he’ll be sorry he did this to me, Anne promised.  After thinking for a few moments Anne said, You know, I’d appreciate you letting me use your house.  Where is it, by the way?

It’s in Texas I’ll give you the address and I’ll hook up the phone service for a month.  When you get there, give me a call.  You have my number, Mariah said generously.

Mariah, why are you doing this for me?  I appreciate it, don’t get me wrong, but you’re putting a lot of trust in someone you don’t really know.

"I know enough to see great potential in someone and you have it.  It’d be a shame to let it go to waste due to a creep like your boyfriend.

When you are ready to come back here even for visits, you let me know.  I’ve got several friends that want you to do some murals for them. They would probably let you stay in their homes or put you up in a hotel for the length of time it took to paint it.  Just keep it in mind.  I know you’re not ready for it yet.

After making a few phone calls to the school and her teachers, Anne was told she would be able to get her degree on Monday and would be gone from Ray’s life completely.  She was relieved he had not visited her at the hospital.  He never knew what he’d done to their unborn child.

Monday morning dawned bright and cool for California.  This was her day, a new day; the start of a new life.  Anne threw aside the covers despite the pain.  She rose from the hospital bed, gathered the few bits of clothing and other essential items that her friend Mariah had brought her and put them in the roll-along duffle bag.  She went to the nurses’ station to check herself out.  She was leaving despite their protests.  She had a graduation to get to and she was not missing it!

After watching the parking lot for ten minutes she took a couple of buses, then a taxi. She made sure to keep her eye out for Ray or any of his friends that might follow her from the hospital.  Anne took another bus nibbling on a muffin from last night’s dinner, still staying watchful.  She didn’t see anything so the switching to and from buses and taxis must have helped.  She made it to the college with a half hour to spare.  She had time to change and hide her bag under one of the chairs behind the stage.  The few people she knew were shocked to see her.  She knew she was a sight to behold as finally her name was called and she walked over to receive her diploma.  Despite the bruises, cuts and lumps still on her face and body, she smiled for the camera and walked across the stage.  She waved in farewell to those that she knew and went behind the stage to get her things.  With one small duffle trailing behind her she walked away from the life that she’d had.  She was walking towards a new beginning.

Nearly Four Years Later

It was a beautiful early spring morning in the small town of Lahoma, Texas.  Anne slowly walked down the main street of town heading for the real estate office.  The bell chimed over the door when she walked through and her friend Jenny Livingston came out of the back room to greet her.  Jenny and Anne gave each other a hug in familiar greeting.  They’d known each other for almost four years, but felt like sisters from the start. Anne sat down in the chair in front of Jenny’s big desk.

What’s up, Anne? Jenny asked.  How’s the remodel going on the old house? I heard it was all but finished.

Anne nodded her head, Yes, it’s done.  I might need to put it up for sale.  I still would like to paint the murals on the living room walls before putting it on the market, though.  I thought I’d come to you to see what else I need to do before we put it on the market.

I think I still have all the information that we’d gathered before and it will only take a day or so to do the rest.  I’ll put it in the listing of houses to look for in next month’s real estate paper.  We’ve just missed this edition.  Will that give you enough time to paint the house? Jenny asked.

I think so.  Why don’t we plan on the next edition to list it, then?  I’ll let you know if I change my mind.  Why don’t we do lunch this week if you’re not too busy?

Sure thing; how about Thursday? Jenny suggested.

That’d be great.  I’m not doing much this week other than starting some seedlings for planting in the garden in a few weeks.  I’ll start my painting next week if everything goes according to schedule.  Well, I’ve got to go to the city today and pick up an order of supplies.  Do you need anything while I’m there? Anne asked.

No, but Mildred needed some medication or something, Jenny said.

I’ll stop in and see her before I go, then.  Do you know what store she gets her medicine from? Anne wondered.

I think it’s from that big health food store down there, something for arthritis and some special lotion for her skin, Jenny said.

I think I remember which ones she needs.  I’ll check in with her if she’s home just to make sure, otherwise I’ll just get what I remember from last time.  Anne got up to leave.

I’ll give you a call when I get back into town. Anne said, closing the door behind her.

Anne got into her truck and went to the edge of town to Mildred’s house.  No one was home, so she left a note to give her a call on her cell phone if she made it home before four PM.

It was a long, uneventful drive to the city.  Anne picked up the supplies she had ordered the previous week and had them put into the back of the truck.  She closed the topper door and locked it.  Anne got back into her truck and went to the health food store and got Mildred’s stuff as well as a few items for herself.  She also picked up some heirloom seeds that were on display.

As she walked out of the store, she barely noticed the heads that turned in her direction.  As long as she lived, she didn’t think she’d ever get used to people looking at her and probably wondering where they might have seen her before.  Looking at the confident young woman a person never would have guessed that she had lived on her own from the age of fifteen.  Or that just a few years ago, she’d been in a horrible relationship where her ex-boyfriend had repeatedly raped and beaten her to the point where she lost their unborn child.

Anne was of a slim but muscularly toned build with long shapely legs.  She had beautiful waist-length black hair that she usually left blowing free if she wasn’t working on anything.  The most striking feature was her eyes, as they were a bright green.  Anyone looking at her for the first time, tended to do a double take when they looked at her.

Anne got into her truck and went to one of the restaurants to get a large salad bar buffet.  She ate her meal, enjoying every bite.  Anne looked at her watch; it was almost four PM.  When she started to get up and leave, her cell phone rang.

Hello? Anne asked.

Hello, dear, did I catch you before you left the city?  It was Mildred.  Anne sat back down in her chair.

Yes, I was just finishing dinner and was going to head back to town.  Did you need some medicine or anything? Anne asked.

Oh, yes, Mildred said and went on to explain what she needed.

Anne told her she’d already bought those particular items but hadn’t been sure if Mildred still took them or needed something else as well.

No, dear, that’s fine.  I appreciate you getting those for me.  I’m going out this evening with the girls to play bingo.  If I’m not home, just leave the stuff on the kitchen table. I’ll leave the door open.  Well, I’ll let you go so you can get back to town.  Drive safely.  Bye-Bye.

I will. Goodbye.  Anne put her cheap, pay-as-you-go phone back in her shirt pocket.  She gathered her keys off the table and got up to leave.  After getting back in her truck, Anne headed back to Lahoma.  She turned on the radio and plugged in her ipod that one of the high school boys had downloaded songs onto at her request.  She probably could figure out how to do it if she wanted to but Michael was tech savvy and seemed to enjoy doing it for her.  She still preferred to play cd’s at home, but on the road it was just less clutter in her truck to have the ipod instead.

She sped along the highway, enjoying the late afternoon sun on her shoulders.  She sang along with the music at the top of her voice.  The music always seemed to keep her mind busy and off of the terrible memories she fought from day to day.

She wondered to herself; how could she have not seen past the good-looking sandy-haired, brown-eyed, preppy looking man that had a drug problem? When they had first met, he’d been an extremely nice man, six years her senior, working as an investment banker at the bank that she normally went to.  They’d literally run into each other as she was going in and he was coming out.  That had happened on two other occasions and he’d asked her out on a date; they had hit it off pretty well.  Ray had been a charmer and she’d fallen for him fast.  She’d never known anyone with his charisma.  Ray had treated her like a queen and spoiled her by buying her many little things; he’d been very kind to her in the beginning.  He’d definitely liked what he’d seen in the twenty-year-old college student.  Anne was going to the local art college under a scholarship and she was working at the Home Depot and Hobby Lobby just to have a little extra money to live on since she’d had no family to help her out.

Her foster mother, Jacqueline Morrison, had raised her from the age of eight.  Jacqueline had taken pity on Anne and brought her into her home to raise as her own. Jackie had two grown children of her own that were spoiled rotten by their father who never kept in touch with her after they moved out of the house.  Jacqueline’s children lived off of their father until he died at the early age of fifty-six.  When Jacqueline died of a sudden brain hemorrhage a month after Anne had turned fifteen, Anne became homeless within a year; Jacqueline’s children had made sure of that.

Anne had managed to stay under the radar at school.  No one had known she had been living on her own in that year until Jacqueline’s children had come to see why they hadn’t received their yearly allowance from their father’s trust.  When they did, they found out their mother had died and wanted to know where their money was.  They found out Jacqueline had left it all to Anne.  It took them a year in court battles, but they finally won the inheritance that had been left to Anne.

The courts had offered to put Anne in another foster home until she reached legal age, but Anne declined, knowing that some foster children were not as lucky as she’d been.  At the age of sixteen, Anne was on her own.  She finished high school at the age of seventeen and went to college early having already started taking college credits during her last year of high school.

Anne had been interested in wall art especially and worked at the Home Depot where she had access to paint at a discounted rate and she was able to get referrals for private painting jobs.  Mainly doing murals for people, since that is what she did and liked the best.  It wasn’t long before her talent was noticed and she had several references from many well-known people.

Anne and Ray had been dating for about six months and on her twenty-first birthday, Ray had taken her out to a very expensive restaurant and then to a symphony that she had said she would like to see one day. It was a romantic evening and that was when Ray had said he wanted her to move in with him.  When Anne had hesitated, Ray had said she didn’t have to pay him rent or anything, which meant she’d be able to save more money for when she graduated since she planned to start her own business.  She’d spend more time on school instead of working and finish up her degree even earlier than she had anticipated.  It’d been a practical move in the beginning and Anne had paid her share of utilities and food so she wouldn’t feel like such a mooch.

They had lived together as roommates rather than boyfriend and girlfriend.  Anne had wondered why he hadn’t made an effort to bed her; not that she wanted to, and later she figured out why.  He was on drugs the majority of the time and usually was not able to function in that way so he had never tried.  That eventually changed as time wore on when he started to drink, too.

Living with him had eventually come at a price. They’d lived together for about ten months before things had started to change drastically. She’d been a virgin until one fateful night.  It had hurt like hell and she’d felt as if she’d been missing something when her friends at school had always said it was so great.

Ray had come home drunk from a Christmas party she hadn’t been able to go to since she was just finishing up a large mural for a customer.  She would have touch ups and glazing to do the next day and then she would be done with the picture.  When she had gotten home around one o’clock in the morning, she’d climbed into her bed and had almost fallen asleep when the door suddenly flew open.  Ray had been waiting for her and he’d been stewing for over an hour wondering where she’d been even though she had left a number and address of where she was going to be.

He’d grabbed her and started to kiss her hard.  Not realizing at that time that he was angry, Anne had tried to kiss him back gently even though he’d never kissed her like that before.  He’d told her he’d missed her and had wanted her so much.  She had let him take off her nightgown and panties even though something about that moment hadn’t felt quite right.  He had seemed rushed.  Ray had rubbed her breasts a little and reached down between her legs to rub at her for a moment, which had completely shocked her.  Ray, wait.  When he didn’t stop, she’d stiffened as he’d kissed her some more.  She’d pushed at his chest and when she tore her lips away from his she told him, Ray, wait, you’re going too fast.  He’d ignored her and kissed her hard and kept rubbing at her body roughly.

Anne had later told herself that if he hadn’t been so drunk he might not have hurt her so bad. When Ray had finished, he’d collapsed heavily on top of her then, rolling over; had passed out.

Anne had lain there for several moments, shocked, disillusioned and hurting so much she hadn’t been able to move.  Finally, she did move because she didn’t want to be in bed with him when he woke up again.  She went into the bathroom and took a long hot shower to wash all the blood off of her.  She’d washed and washed until there was no trace of him on her body, which was probably a mistake.  After putting on some clean underwear and pajamas she went back into the spare room to sleep on the sofa bed.  She had cried herself to sleep that night and had hoped she’d never have to experience that ever again. Looking back, Anne wished she had moved out and turned him in to the police. She never realized how bad their relationship could get.

Ray had woken up the next morning groggily and hung over but he’d never mentioned the blood all over the sheets or him.  Ray had thrown the sheets out in the garbage, taken a long shower and come out as if nothing had happened.  Anne had wondered what he would do next.

He hadn’t done anything.  He’d gotten dressed and had gone to work as usual.  The next week, Anne had walked on pins and needles wondering if he’d demand sex with her, but he didn’t.  She relaxed a little bit and things began to go back to normal.  When Christmas day came, he’d showered her with extravagant gifts, mainly jewelry and a new long leather coat.  She had appreciated the gifts and couldn’t have begun to guess what they had cost, but she had thanked him and had given him his gifts, which weren’t very much, but were given because she had cared.  She had given him a pair of nice leather gloves and a scarf she’d made.  She gave him a very expensive briefcase that she had seen him admiring while they were at the mall one day a few months before.  She’d also given him a painting of an ocean view that she’d seen in a picture.  Ray had thanked her and kissed her soundly on the mouth.  He pulled back when she stiffened and pushed against his chest.  He had looked at her but didn’t say anything else.

A deer running across the road in front of her pulled her thoughts back to the present with a jolt.  It was several minutes before her thoughts drifted again.

Anne’s greatest fear was that Ray would eventually find her and possibly kill her in his fury of her leaving him.  It’d been almost four years since she’d left Ray and her old life behind her.  She’d been an artist just beginning to make a name for herself.  Now she owned her own business as a mural artist but she did freelance photography, portraits and regular canvas paintings when she had the time or inclination to do them.  She had made a good living for herself despite her need to stay hidden.

Anne thought about when she had met Jenny Livingston, the Real Estate agent and broker of the small town she still resided in.  Jenny had been very helpful and had not questioned Anne about the bruises still on her face and body.  No one had.  Everyone had accepted her at face value and she felt very comfortable there.

Jenny had shown Anne the house that Mariah let her stay in and what little of the town there was.  The house was a two-story three bedroom, three-bath farmhouse with a large front porch that extended the length of the house.  It sat on about five-acres that were fenced for a few horses.  There were three garages attached to the home. There was also a huge workshop in the backyard.  It even housed landscaping tools and everything you could possibly imagine to plant a large garden.  There was a small greenhouse that looked slightly neglected and a small four-stall barn a little further from the house.  Really the house was too big for just her but she loved it on sight.  She already had plans on what she’d do with it if she had owned it.

After being in the community for a month, Anne had called Mariah and had asked her if she could buy the place.  Mariah had agreed and had even offered to finance the loan for her at a lower interest rate. It would also keep everything out of the banking computers; there would be no trace of the transaction other than a monthly money order sent to Mariah from Anne.  Everything had gone smoothly and she had bought the place.

Anne knew it was asking an awful lot of Mariah, but she asked her to keep the utilities in her name for a while and Anne would send her a separate money order for those as well.  Mariah was an intelligent woman and was agreeable to the idea so that Ray would not be able to trace utility bills as well, if he hired a detective to check them.  Anne made the decision to switch her power to solar and have a well dug as well.  She’d keep the city sewage and garbage in Mariah’s name for the time being.  Later, Jenny offered to put the sewage and garbage under her name and Anne took her up on it.

Anne knew that someday she’d have to confront Ray, but she wasn’t ready to do that anytime soon.

Anne had fallen in love with the town and its occupants, which were less than ten thousand people.  There was not a larger town for at least two hours in either direction.  People of the town worked at the local granary or had wheat and/or cattle farms.  Some, like Jenny’s husband, Jeff, raised horses for various work, show or competitive sports.

The people were laid back and easy to talk to.  Everywhere she went people wanted to know her and her life history.  When she had come to town she had brought her medical records with her and had to be checked since she’d recently lost the baby.  The file explained her injuries and the doctor had looked her in the eye.  He hadn’t said a word except to tell her about the examination, since she’d never had one before.  He’d asked her if she wanted a prescription for birth control and she’d flushed and had said there would be no need for it right now.  He’d given her a sample box of condoms to keep just in case.  Anne had turned beet red with embarrassment.  She wouldn’t know what to do with them even if she had the opportunity, not that she could even think she’d want sex with someone after what she’d been through.  She was afraid of the idea, really.  He’d seen the look and had told her to keep them in a nightstand drawer just in case.  You never know, he’d said.  Anne had put them in her nightstand and purposely forgot them.  He had asked her if she wanted to talk about what had happened and she shook her head no.  He’d told her he’d see her once a year then for check-ups.

She wasn’t ready to talk about her past just yet, but she felt that if she told anyone anytime soon she’d tell Jenny.  She felt she could trust her with anything and that was not easy for her to do.  The other townspeople she’d let know as time went on, but she hadn’t been ready to tell her story.  Nobody thought any less of her for keeping quiet about herself.  Everyone genuinely liked Anne and she went out of her way to help with the community.  Sometimes she sat with others kids or watched their pets or even the stock on some of the farms.  Since she went to town at least once a month, she would pick up small items for those that needed them.

Sometimes she exchanged her painting skills and minor handyman skills for improvements on her home.  She’d done some major paintings and murals for one of the richest ranches in the state in exchange for an in-ground pool.  She’d also exchanged babysitting and a lot of tile work in exchange for solar panels to be installed in her home.  Everyone in the community seemed to barter services quite a bit and it seemed to work quite well.

When Anne lived in the town for approximately eight months, she’d finally told Jenny about her past. Anne had spent a lot of time with her and her family as well.  Jenny was married to a great guy named Jeff who happened to be the local sheriff.  They had three kids that were like stair steps ages five, seven, and nine.  Rebecca was the youngest and oh, so sweet.  The two older ones were Jesse and Jeff Jr. who was called J.J.

Jeff was a giant of a man at six foot six inches tall and two hundred and fifty pounds who’d continued along family tradition raising prized horses and large fields of wheat.  Anne was not intimidated by his size.  He was always sweet to Jenny and the kids and he was like the big brother she’d never had.  She loved spending time with them, but when she would come home, the silence and loneliness would be almost overwhelming.

After a few months had passed, Anne asked Mariah if she knew of anyone in Texas that might need murals or painting done.  Mariah was happy to help and gave her several names and numbers to start with.  Anne worked from referrals alone after that.  She had at least a mural a month and that kept her busy but not overly so and also paid her bills.  She was even able to put some in savings.  Most of the money that she saved; she kept in a safe in her sub-zero freezer.  She had bought the freezer mainly to help keep her neighbors’ food from spoiling when there was a major power outage that had lasted for a month.  She’d been one of the few people that had any kind of power during her first winter in the small town.

They had been so grateful that one of her neighbors, Margie, who raised several chickens, gave her eggs anytime she wanted them, for free.  Another neighbor, Mary gave her a casserole a week, for the following year.

Yet another neighbor, Fred, who had been a widower for several years, helped her plant her first garden the following spring and had given her very helpful advice along the way.  He’d even taught her how to preserve most of the items that she had planted.  It was definitely cheaper than buying groceries.  Each year he and Anne would help plant each other’s gardens if nothing else then for the company.  They could work in silence or talk about simple things in life.  Nothing was strained about being with each other.

Fred had been one of the first of the townspeople that she’d opened up to, besides Jenny and Jeff.  Fred had made it easy for her to start to open up and talk to others and from then on she felt that she could begin to put her past behind her.  Anne was still unable to stand being around large crowds of people due to the fact that they would end up bumping into her and she’d had problems with people touching her in any way.

When she opened up to the others she didn’t mind that they told others in the town because the gossip wasn’t malicious and everyone was supportive and didn’t pity her.  In fact it made them respect her more for having the courage to be able to take such a drastic step to change her life.

Anne hadn’t expected anything in return but it had felt good to help the people and be appreciated for such little things.  She had felt like a part of something big and wonderful and she would never forget that feeling as long as she lived.  The more time she spent with these people the more she loved being around them.  They made her feel like a part of one huge family and she loved that. She started to feel somewhat safe again.  There were occasional setbacks when she was in large compact groups.

She always felt as if Ray would somehow grab her from behind and drag her away.  Anne felt that if he somehow found her, someone in the community would stand up for her if she couldn’t fight him off.  She took a self-defense course about a year after moving to town.  She felt fairly confident she could hold her own if Ray ever did show up and if she could get in a few shots before he did anything.

After a year and a half she finally started to open up and talk about some of her past.  Even though she knew that the townspeople knew she wasn’t telling everything, she figured they suspected what she wasn’t saying to them.

The second year she was in the town she improved the barn a little since she had had ‘visitors’ the previous winter. There was some national forest and preserved grassland that bordered her and her neighbors’ property.  There was a herd of wild mustangs that lived in the area.  She had made sure there was plenty of unfrozen water and hay for them in the barn when the weather started to turn colder.  Since the horses tended to stay off of the other farms, most of the farmers of each farm had given her a bale of hay to store for them.

One of the mares had even foaled in her barn last year on the first night of the major power outage.  It had been one of the worst storms in over fifty years, so the townsfolk said.  Many people had bought supplies after that one just to be prepared in case it happened again.

Anne turned off of the main highway and onto the main road into town.  She dropped off Mildred’s medicine and headed home.  As soon as she walked in the door the phone rang.  It was Jenny.

Are you sitting down?  I’ve got great news for you, Jenny said.

No, I’m not sitting down, but tell me anyway, Anne said with a grin.

I heard today that a production company wants to do a movie here in town.  The problem is that there is no place for the crew to stay.

So, what’s that got to do with me?  Anne wondered.

Well I was thinking about the house you wanted to sell.  Wouldn’t it be great to rent it out to the production company and make a little money off of it, before you sell it?  I’m thinking that you could make half as much money as what you wanted to sell it for; in the few months it’ll take them to make the movie.  It’ll be great for the town as well, Jenny said excitedly.

You think that the house will be enough for them to come here? Anne asked.

Yes, I’ve had inquiries by a couple of the producers about homes for sale here.  They were just going to buy a couple of them and put the rest of the crew up in a hotel.  There is no room at the hotel now, or there won’t be by the time they get here next month. Families will be coming in for the holiday and summer vacation, Jenny said.

Yeah, I’d be willing to rent it, but I’m going to have to stipulate a few things, Anne said, doubting if the production company would go for it.  And I don’t have that many beds in the place, either.

Just write down your conditions and bring them by the office in the morning and I’ll type up the paperwork and call them in the afternoon.  Are you going to paint the walls before they go in the house or wait until they get out? Jenny asked.

I think I’ll paint them before they go in so they’ll have something to look at and it’ll also be a selling point.  My business has always been word of mouth.  Who knows maybe the people staying there might know of someone who’s in the market to buy the place when they’re done with it.  I’ve already got the supplies I need.  I’ll be done with it before they get here, Anne promised.

Anne gave Jenny her list of conditions, which were fairly reasonable considering she would be trying to sell the place after they left. The home was in excellent condition and has already passed all permits coding and inspections to be sold.  There should be no reason for damage or repairs.  Proof of all of the inspections will be given at the time of signing if requested.

Anne had someone that could come by twice a week to clean the pool and she was willing to pay for that through Jenny, of course.  There would be no utilities to pay since the house was solar and wind powered and it also had a well that tapped into an underground spring.  The water was extremely clean and didn’t taste, smell or look bad.  It was a major selling point to the home.  Really, if the home weren’t so big, Anne would have loved to keep it.  She was only one person though, so why would she need a place so big?  The home she was living in was already more room than she used now.  She couldn’t justify keeping the other home just because she loved it, too.

Jenny typed up the conditions and faxed them off to the production company.  They replied back almost immediately.  They would come out the following week to look the place over.

Jenny and Anne had their lunch and discussed how they would write up the description for the home sale.

"Let’s see, the home sits on one hundred-acres which backs up to national forest and grass land.  There are eight bedrooms seven full and two half-baths in a three-story home plus a large basement.  The bottom floor is all living, kitchen and dining areas with a full bath that leads out to the patio and pool area.  There are two, half baths that are centrally located on that floor as well.  The next two floors are set up identical to each other, two master bedrooms each with a master bath, and two other rooms, which have a connecting bath between them.  There is also a large attic space, which could be converted into two large rooms or a large game room or office.

There’s an Olympic sized swimming pool with a large patio, which becomes an enclosed sunroom during the winter months.  There are also many fruit and nut trees on the property in close proximity to the house.  There’s an old, paved landing strip and airplane hangar that will accommodate a large private jet or two smaller ones.  The barn has fifty-stalls and one that has a shower stall to clean the horses.  Attached to the north end of the barn is a covered riding arena that would be perfect for exercising the horses during bad weather.  The home would be a great getaway for someone or a great spot to raise a large ranching family.  It sounds perfect to me," said Jenny.

It does sound pretty impressive, doesn’t it? Anne commented.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the murals and the energy efficients!  Jeez, how could I forget those?  Jenny said.  Anyway, how are the paintings coming?  Will the place be too much of a wreck to show it next week? She teased.  She knew that Anne had to be the neatest worker ever.  She rarely got anything on her clothes or skin, which was so surprising considering her versatility with home projects.  Most people couldn’t help but get messed up once in awhile, but she never seemed to.  Anne had told her at one time, that it had been one of her selling points when she got referrals for other jobs.  People could still entertain even while she was painting.  She had stopped being self-conscious of people watching her while she worked.  She was fascinated by art and she was glad that other people found it at least momentarily fascinating as well.

No, and you know it.  The walls are already sketched out; all I need to do is start painting tomorrow.  I’ll be working all weekend and into next week before they get here on Thursday.  You know, they could probably use the landing strip on the property to save themselves a long trip from the city if they want and if the plane isn’t overly big, Anne suggested.

Jenny said, That’s a great idea.  I bet you they would take you up on that.

They talked of other things as they finished their lunch. As Anne paid for their lunch, Jenny told her, I’ll call them as soon as I get back to the office and then I’ll let you know, alright?  Anne nodded and waved before they went their separate ways.

Anne went back to the old home to set up her paints, brushes, drop clothes and other supplies in preparation for a long day tomorrow.  When she was done and on her way out the door, her cell phone rang.  It was Jenny. Guess what?  Jenny could barely contain her excitement.  She didn’t wait for Anne to speak; she went ahead and told her, They accepted the use of the landing strip and they were so surprised that I think they have pretty much decided to rent your house sight unseen.  They’re still going to come out and take a look, but I think it’s because they’ve already got everyone scheduled for that flight and they don’t want to change the plans.  Well I know you’re busy, so I’ll let you go.  Talk to you later. Jenny hung up, without Anne saying a thing in response.

Anne laughed so hard she had to sit down.  She’d swear that Jenny was more excited about all of this than anyone else.  Jenny probably wouldn’t get a wink of sleep tonight and Jeff would probably have to stick cotton in his ears just to keep his sanity.

Anne got up from the floor and went outside. She closed the topper on the truck and got in the driver’s side and headed for home.  She got home in ten minutes since there were only two main roads to drive on between the two homes.

When she got home she rinsed off and decided to go swimming.  She rarely put on a swimsuit since she had a large wall completely around her backyard and there were several shrubs and trees for privacy as well.  She thought it pointless to wear a swimsuit when everyone called before coming over.  She had an intercom system throughout the house and she could turn it on by the pool, in the workshop or in the barn, as well, so she could hear if someone was at the door.  Sometimes she forgot to turn it on, though.

She’d been caught skinny-dipping a few times; once by Jenny and Jeff, once by Mildred and once by the pool boy that came by weekly to check and clean the pool.  Anne was sure that most of the town now knew that she skinny-dipped, because everyone made sure to call her before coming over or at least holler over the fence before coming into her backyard.

She finished her laps and settled for floating on a large rubber donut island and relaxing for a while.  It was going to be a busy week starting tomorrow.  She’d told a few key people that she would be extremely busy and probably wouldn’t see or talk to anyone ‘til the wall mural was done. Anne knew that word would spread and most of the town would know by the end of the next day or so. They knew that once she started on a project that she was a workhorse until it was done, then she’d take a day or so to relax and rest before seeing or talking with everyone again.

Annie girl, are you ok?  Fred asked worriedly from the other side of the fence.

I’m ok, Fred.  I’m just relaxing on the donut for awhile.  Anne didn’t bother to tell him not to worry.  It made him nervous when she swam quietly so long. She knew that he’d stay in his yard on the other side of her fence until she went inside.  He usually would pull weeds or do something to keep busy.  She learned long ago that he feared for her when she was swimming, due to the fact that his wife had drowned a little over five years ago.  He’d gone to the city to pick up a few things she’d been wanting and she’d stayed behind to do some housework.  When he’d gotten home, his wife was face down in the pool.  It turned out that she’d had a stroke that had caused a heart attack while swimming and she hadn’t been able to get her head above the water.

Fred had filled in the pool and made it into a putting green and storm cave.  Since the day that Fred had told her about his wife, Anne had made sure to holler out once in a while that she was ok.  If she didn’t, she knew he’d peek over the fence to make sure she was