“I’ll only be gone for a couple of days, and I want to make certain Marshall is given enough time to get his homework done,” Breanna told Molly, sorting through the papers she printed for the accountant. “My dad’s bookkeeper is coming by at two o’clock, so please make certain he gets these. Until I get back, you’re in charge, so don’t let the place burn down with all the parties.”

“Don’t worry about it, boss,” Molly smiled. “Why are you going to Los Angeles? Is there a problem?”

Breanna was silent for a long time as she sorted through the papers, then glanced up to see the young blonde staring at her.

“An…old friend…died. I’m going back for the funeral.”

“I’m sorry about your friend. Were you close?”

“I thought we were. Once. But that was a lifetime ago.”

Breanna slipped the papers into a folder and handed it to Molly, then reached for her purse on the edge of the desk.

“Keep things running while I’m away,” she told the girl as she walked to the door. “If you need me, call. I’ll have my phone on me.”

“Just take it easy and try to relax for a few days. You’ll have enough to deal with, without thinking about this place.”

“My dad is staying behind with Isaac, so if there’s anything urgent, you can always call him.”

Breanna walked out the door with Molly, then handed her the key to the office. They continued to discuss the accountant’s visit that afternoon as they came closer to the door. She glanced behind her once more before turning back to Molly.

“I’ll be back on Friday,” she promised, watching her father pull up in front of the store. “Remember, I’ll have my phone on me.”

“Take care and have a safe trip. The store will still be here when you come back.”

Breanna smiled then turned and walked out the door. She opened the passenger side to her father’s SUV and climbed in, smiling as Isaac began chattering about the new train his Gampa bought him.

“Please don’t spoil him while I’m away,” she told her father in a soft voice as they pulled out of the parking lot. “It’s hard enough to take him to the store and not have him ask for everything he sees.”

“I have a hard time saying no,” Floyd said with a deep chuckle. “He’s my only grandson, and I like making him happy.”

“There’s a difference between making him happy and spoiling him so badly, nobody wants to be around him.”

“I’ll try and take it easy,” Floyd promised. “You just concentrate on the events taking you away from home.”

The car was silent for several long minutes with Isaac dozing off in his seat. She couldn’t stop thinking about her estranged husband. She never filed for a divorce, simply because she didn’t want him to know where she had gone. For her, it was best to have vanished into thin air. After seven years, he could get a divorce on the basis of abandonment, or he could file for an annulment. Either way it was up to him to make the next move. But now, to learn he was dead…

“I wish I didn’t have to go,” Breanna whispered above the sound of her son’s favorite CD. “I never wanted to see any of them again.”

“You don’t have to go,” Floyd answered in a low voice, then turned the music down when Isaac began a soft snore. “It’s obvious they know where you are. You can just let them come to you. If he mentioned you in his will, then maybe that means…”

Floyd stopped talking as he glanced across the seat to his daughter. He saw the haunted look on her face and knew how difficult it was for her to confront the ghosts of her past, but it really wasn’t necessary. They could hire a lawyer to represent her. She could send her response to the papers through the mail and have done with it. She really didn’t need to go through the torment of going back to the nightmare she’d escaped.

“Are you ever going to tell me what happened?” Floyd asked softly. “I know you said it was a horrible disagreement, and you were both drunk, but…”

“It’s over, Dad,” Breanna interrupted. “It’s a part of my past that I don’t ever want to think about again. Zachary wasn’t the man I thought he was, but I have moved past all of that. I’m here, I have an amazing life because of you, and I have a son I love more than anything in this world. My life is better than I ever thought it would be.”

“I’m happy you came home, sweetheart,” Floyd told her, reaching for her hand and squeezing her fingers gently. “I missed you very much.”

“Mom never told me what happened between you two. I was so young, all I ever knew was that you were going to stay here, and we were moving to L.A.”

“Let’s just say, I wasn’t the man she needed. Your mom was a good woman, but we weren’t compatible. She wanted something different for her life, and I wasn’t it.”

“I’m sorry you have such bitter memories.”

“The best memory I have is you. When she took you…I was devastated. I agreed to let her have custody, but it wasn’t an easy decision.”

Breanna stopped speaking for several long moments as she considered how similar their lives were. She’d never thought about what Zachary would have said if he’d known he had a child, or what he would have done.

“Do you think I was wrong, hiding Isaac from his father?” she asked.

“A father has a right to know his children, but after seeing your condition when you arrived here…I think things worked out for the best.”

“Maybe I should have told him. Maybe I should have given him the chance to know…”

“It’s too late for maybes and what if’s,” Floyd told her when she stopped speaking. “The only thing you can do now, is keep moving forward. One day, Isaac will want to know about his father. Instead of trying to hunt him down, you’ll be able to explain the situation to him, and provide him with the information he’ll want.”

“Do you think I’m wrong, turning down the inheritance?” she asked. “Isaac will need a lot when he gets older, and it takes a lot of money to raise a child. Maybe I should reconsider my decision and take it. I could use it for a college fund, or maybe buy our own place. I could use it to upgrade the store.”

“The money is yours until you see the attorney, so think about it. As for the store, we’ll make by. You’ve already turned the place around and the past year has proven to be more profitable than all the years I’ve owned the place combined. You’ll never need to worry about moving, unless you really want to. I enjoy having you and Isaac around.”

“What if you decide to get married one day? I’m sure it would be difficult having us underfoot while you’re adjusting to a new bride.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Floyd said with a warm chuckle. “I have no intention of ever getting married again. Once in a lifetime was hard enough.”

“That’s an understatement,” Breanna whispered.

Isaac was excited to see all the planes as his mother waited in line to pick up her ticket. The airport in Burlington was larger than anything the boy had ever seen, and he was thrilled to watch all the people who passed by.

Once she secured her ticket and had her bag checked, Breanna joined her father and son at the small table outside an airport restaurant. Her plane wasn’t scheduled to leave for another forty minutes, which meant she would have time to try and pull her nerves under control.

She’d never left Isaac before, and she wasn’t looking forward to returning to the one place she swore she’d never go again. She feared having to see Zachary’s family and wondered what the next couple of days would be like for her. It was going to be difficult enough to return to L.A. but looking his parents in the eyes again after all these years…well, it wouldn’t be an easy task.

Nicolas Kendall was a very wealthy, very respected Hollywood producer. He was kind and caring, though rough around the edges. He was a large man, roughly six feet three inches tall, and at least two hundred and twenty pounds. He worked out at his private gym and spent many long hours at the country club playing golf and tennis.

Annmarie Fischer-Kendall was the typical society snob. She was an average height, thin from years of dieting and plastic surgery, and always had her hair and nails done. She wore the most expensive clothing and furs and shopped at all the best stores. She spent her days planning social events, organizing parties, or playing golf and tennis at her husband’s country club. She liked to show off her wealth, and refused to drive herself, forcing Nicolas to buy a limousine for her private use.

The Kendalls lived in a very old, very large mansion in Beverly Hills, complete with all the luxuries money could buy. The main home had seventeen bedrooms, twenty bathrooms, two private dining rooms and a ballroom where they held parties. The floors were imported Italian marble with 24 karat gold inlays. The master bedroom had its own private lap pool and hot tub off a sitting room, and nearly every room in the place had a fully stocked bar.

There was a four-bedroom five-bath guest house that Breanna stayed in while they planned her wedding around her, an Olympic sized swimming pool and two hot tubs. There was a stable on their property with four horses, a nine-hole golf course, a tennis court, and even a helicopter pad.

Breanna couldn’t remember a single weekend that passed when the couple wasn’t throwing some form of party, and she was certain their son’s wake wouldn’t disappoint anyone. She had read the announcement on the internet and was far from shocked to learn that there would be two days’ worth of viewings, followed by a graveside service and finally a supper at the mansion. The entire event had Annmarie’s fingerprints all over it.

“Are you hungry?” Floyd asked her as she sipped her lukewarm coffee from the Styrofoam cup.

“Not really, but I can always get something on the plane or when we stop in Chicago,” she told him, watching Isaac pick the chocolate chips out of his muffin.

“Don’t be so nervous, sweetheart. By this weekend, all of this will be behind you, and you can return to your normal routine.”

“I hope so, Dad. I’m not anxious to see his family again.”

“Then don’t. There are no laws that say you have to meet with them face-to-face. Arrange to speak with his attorney in private, visit the funeral home before the viewing starts, then send your condolences in the form of flowers. If they really cared about you, they would have spent a little effort in trying to find you. After all, it’s been four years.”

“It sounds like you’ve planned this whole thing out for me,” she said with a smile.

“I’ve been thinking of ways for you to avoid the pain,” Floyd said with a smile and a shrug. “I just wish you would reconsider and let a lawyer take care of things for you.”

“I’d rather get this over with. An attorney could take weeks but going back will be days. I want to put the past behind me once and for all.”

“I can’t help wondering why Zachary left you in his will,” he said a few minutes later.

“I don’t know, and frankly I don’t care.”

“Are you still going to turn down the inheritance?”

“I’m not sure. I suppose I should take it for Isaac’s sake, but I don’t want his family to know about him. I don’t want to fight them over this.”

Before they could continue their discussion, the announcement that her plane was beginning to board echoed over the speakers and she found her stomach jumping. She was nervous about going back and she wasn’t sure what she would say when she saw the Kendalls again. She was certain Annmarie had told everyone what a horrible person she was, and how she had stolen everything from Zachary after their wedding. The last thing she needed was to spend the next three days answering questions and defending her actions.

“That’s your flight,” Floyd said with a frown. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Dad, I’ve already paid for the ticket and the hotel. I can’t see wasting money when I’m about to turn down millions.”

“Forget the money. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

“Thanks, but I need to get this over with, and I don’t want this hanging over my head the rest of my life. If I don’t go back, then the lawyers and the Kendalls are going to continue haunting me. It’s better to just have it done now.”

Breanna stood up from her seat, drank the last of her coffee, then threw the cup in the trash. She wiped Isaac’s hands with the napkin and cleaned up the table around him, then wrapped him in her embrace. Leaving him was harder than traveling back to bury her husband.

“Be a good boy for Grandpa, and I’ll call you as soon as I get settled,” she promised.

“Will you bring me a present?” he asked, wrapping his chubby arms around her neck.

“I’ll bring you two presents if you’re a good boy, and we’ll start planning your birthday party when I get home.”

“I want Mickey Mouse,” Isaac said when she sat him down on his legs.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Breanna promised, then hugged her father. “I’ll call after I get to the hotel, and every night until I’m home. Make sure you do your homework after school, and don’t ask Grandpa for toys or candy.”

“We’ll meet you back here on Friday, and don’t worry about things at the store. Isaac and I will stop by and check the place out while you’re away.”

“Thanks Dad,” she said with a warm smile as the speakers again announced her flight’s boarding.

Breanna said goodbye again, hugged Isaac three more times, before leaving them and heading to her assigned gate. She was nervous, frightened, and anxious to have this week over with. She wanted to take her father up on his suggestion and let a lawyer take care of everything for her, but she was afraid of having the Kendalls learn about Isaac. She knew it was best to just move forward and get this done.

Turning to wave once more to her family, she walked down the hallway to her destination. She fought the tears back as she continued to walk past the gates until at last she was at the one her plane would be leaving from. The next few days would prove complicated and emotional for her, and the last thing she needed was to lose her composure now. But once she was at the hotel, she promised herself a good old-fashioned breakdown.

Breanna sat in her seat, a glass of white wine in her hand as she tried to concentrate on the movie playing in front of her. She was very happy she bought the first-class ticket now. It may have been more than she really wanted to pay, but it was better than sitting in the back with the family who had four kids.

Since boarding the plane, the youngest had been crying, the oldest, perhaps six years old, kept complaining about being bored, while the middle two argued over a videogame they had to share. The passengers were getting upset, while the parents became belligerent with the flight attendant who asked them to control their children. At least upfront, she was able to relax and use the earphones to block out the noise.

The movie continued to play on, though Breanna wasn’t paying much attention to it. She was having a difficult time fighting the images of the last time she was on a plane from her mind. She never thought she’d be going back to Los Angeles, especially for her husband’s funeral.

Images continued to play out as she closed her eyes. She could still feel the pain of Zachary’s assault. The fear, the agony, the tears, all mingled in together with the fantasies of what her life may have been like, had her wedding night been different.

They had spent the week prior to their wedding decorating the home Phillip bought them, buying furniture and filling the cupboards with food. Once they returned from their cruise, she imagined they would settle into the home and learn to become a married couple. She saw herself making suppers for her husband, playing with the dog they wanted to get, and eventually enjoying time outdoors with their children.

So many dreams had been broken over a few agonizing hours. If she had known how vicious her husband could become when he drank, she would never have considered reuniting with him that night at the club. But he had never displayed that alter ego before. His twin, Phillip, had a tendency to be a bit rough, especially when he didn’t get his way, or he lost at a game, but Zachary was always even-tempered and kind. Drawing a deep sigh, Breanna set her glass aside and looked at the movie screen in front of her. She barely noticed the actors as she thought back over the years. She couldn’t fight back the memories of the passionate, loving man she had fallen in love with and she felt the sting of tears fill her eyes.

Zachary had been her first real boyfriend. He had taught her how to dream, how to embrace her future with enthusiasm. He wasn’t just the rich kid she was dating, though most of her friends were very envious of her relationship with him, he was also the man she could imagine growing old with, despite the way Annmarie treated her.

When she started dating Zachary and things became serious, he wanted her to meet his family. She had already known Phillip, who liked to flirt with her and tried more than once to get her into bed, but it was his parents that left the lasting memories. Nicolas and Annmarie made her feel like an outsider. She didn’t come from money, and she bought her clothes from Walmart or the local mall. She taught elementary school and had a mother who was a waitress and escort. She was about as far away from the social setting Zachary’s family embraced, as a person could get.

She remembered being surprised when Nicolas sat down with the couple and insisted that his lawyers drew up a prenuptial agreement. It wasn’t so much the insistence of the man as it was Zachary’s response that shocked her. He told his father he loved his fiancé and he was not going to put a shadow across their marriage by insinuating she would marry him for his money. Despite his father’s insistence, Zachary never had the papers drawn up.

Breanna looked up as the flight attendant brought her the chicken cordon bleu she’d ordered for lunch. She smiled politely, thanked the woman, then watched as she refilled her wine glass. Once she was gone, the memories returned with a vengeance. The last meal she’d shared with Zachary before their wedding was the same one sitting in front of her.

With a heavy sigh, Breanna looked at the time on her phone. This was the second and final leg of her journey. The plane would be landing in less than an hour, and she would be forced back into the life she’d left behind. She wondered if she should have sent Jasmin an email and tell her she was coming back, then decided at the last minute to leave it alone.

She knew her former friend would tell the Kendalls, who in turn would hunt her down until she was forced to once again flee in the middle of the night. She was afraid of what they would say to her, and more afraid they would find out about Isaac. She hadn’t even told Jasmin about her son, for fear she would let Phillip know. Breanna knew her friend enjoyed sharing a bed with her brother-in-law, but she was afraid he would tell Zachary he was a father.

Taking the fork in hand, Breanna took a bite of the chicken on the ceramic plate. It was good, but far from being the dish served at Quartette’s. She continued to eat as she remembered her last meal with her fiancé. They had spent the evening planning out the next few years of their lives. Zachary had a five-year plan. He had secured a job with Paramount Studios as a budget manager for the film industries. The pay was exceptional, and he was certain he’d own his own firm by the time his five years were completed. By then, he wanted to have two children, a dog, and a chalet in France where they would vacation every summer. Without having to worry about a house payment or where they would find the money to afford groceries, Breanna was certain he would succeed.

Jasmin told her that Zachary had quit his job three weeks after she’d left. He put their house up for sale and moved back home with his parents. He had been so distressed over everything he’d done to her, he began therapy sessions. He joined AA, even though he wasn’t drinking anymore, and refused to date. He told everyone he was married, and even wore his wedding ring.

At first, she felt guilty for putting him through all of that, but after she discovered she was pregnant, she no longer thought about his needs or his life. She had to concentrate on her son, despite how much she hated his father.

Breanna looked at the pictures of her baby on her phone and smiled. There were many nights when she would sit beside him in his cradle and just watch him sleep. He was beautiful, and he looked a lot like his father. He had the light blue eyes of the Kendalls, but her dark hair. He had Zachary’s chiseled nose and firm chin, but her long legs and torso. She remembered her mother once told her, as handsome as Zachary was, and as beautiful as she was, they would make incredible children.

She couldn’t help wondering again if she had made the right decision to not tell her husband that he was a father. She had thought about it dozens of times before Isaac was born, and had even started a letter to him, but quickly changed her mind. It had taken months for her to heal from his abuse. The last thing she wanted was to put her newborn child in the arms of a rapist.

Breanna set the fork on the empty plate and turned to the window. The sun would be set by the time the plane landed, and she would have to find the car rental booth before she could leave the airport. She wasn’t sure how she would spend tomorrow, but she knew she wasn’t ready to see her in-laws. She thought about her father’s suggestion and knew the family would be busy with the viewing, which would be an ideal time to meet with Zachary’s lawyer. Perhaps, instead of setting up an appointment with him, she would just show up at his office. After all, she only had to sign papers to reject her husband’s will.

She picked up her phone again and began setting up an itinerary. She would go to the funeral home first, before the family arrived, to see her late husband, then meet with his attorney. Perhaps she would spend a few hours at the beach before contacting Isaac and her father.

The first day of the viewing was already underway, which left tomorrow as the last. The day after, she’d go to the graveside services, but stay in the back away from the family. Zachary had a lot of friends, so she was certain they would all come to say goodbye, giving her ample opportunities to hide among the masses.

Once the service was over, she’d pack up and go back to the airport. She would have to arrange times for eating, and she quickly penned in three times a day to contact her son, but other than that, all she had to do was find a Mickey Mouse to buy.

Perhaps the time in California wouldn’t be quite as difficult as she had predicted. All she had to do was avoid her husband’s family. If she could manage that, she could manage anything.