The Confession Read Free Page A

carrying a shopping bag in each hand. She paused a moment to smell the blossoms on a rose bush, a faint smile touching her lips. She didn’t walk quite as much as she glided, an air of elegance mixed comfortably with a sense of purpose. She hesitated when she saw him.
    “Hello, Mark.”
    “Been out shopping, have you?”
    She nodded. “I didn’t bring much with me, I’m afraid.”
    “I doubt you anticipated starting your new position immediately. Emily is overwhelmed right now and probably didn’t think about the fact you’d need a bit of time to get things arranged.”
    “It’s all right. I’m having my things sent to me, and I was able to find enough to get me through.” Motioning with the bags she held in her hands, she smiled at him and began to walk away.
    “Why don’t you put your bags away and join me for a drink,” he said, hoping she would agree. He was anxious to learn something about her. With Aimee, his curiosity was almost as strong as his distrust of her.
    “Oh, I don’t want to intrude. It looks like you’re busy.” She nodded toward his laptop.
    He smirked and looked at the blank screen. “Not busy at all. I would enjoy the company.”
    “Well … ”
    “I insist. I’ll go open a bottle of wine and meet you back here.” He stood up and headed into his cottage, giving her no chance to refuse.
    Ten minutes later, Aimee sat down across from Mark and accepted the glass of wine he handed her. He watched her in silence, wondering what she was thinking. She seemed uncomfortable, looking down into her lap and playing with the stem on her wine glass.
    “Is your cottage adequate?” he asked, breaking the silence.
    “It’s beautiful, thank you.”
    “Are you from the San Francisco area?”
    “No, actually I’m from the East Coast. New York,” she replied.
    “That’s a long way from here. What possessed you to apply for a job in San Francisco?”
    “It was more of an impulsive decision.”
    She certainly looked sincere. Would someone really move across the United States on impulse? Could she be running from something, or worse, was she here to get close to Emily like the last girl had been?
    “So are you originally from New York?” He attempted to keep his tone light.
    “I grew up in North Carolina, but moved there after college.”
    “What did you do in New York?”
    “I ran a boutique. How about you? Are you from San Francisco?”
    His eyes narrowed. He knew she was trying to change the subject. It seemed like a harmless question. He wondered if he was coming across like an interrogator. He decided to let it go for now and try to keep the conversation light and friendly. “Born and raised,” he said, looking around. “In fact, I’ve spent most of my life right here.”
    Aimee looked surprised. The silence lingered for a moment before Mark added, “Emily kicked me out of the big house and into the cottage right after college.” He smiled at the memory. “She said I was overly protective and I needed my own life, even if I wouldn’t leave to find it.”
    “You’ve never wanted to leave here, to have your own home somewhere?”
    “No. Not really. I love it here.”
    “What about your parents?”
    “My mother lived here as well until I left for college, then she caught the traveling bug. She’s been jet-setting the globe ever since.” He refused to give his father any thought.
    “So is your family related to Emily in some way?”
    He could swear she was actually holding her breath as she awaited his response.
    “Not in the blood sense of the word, but she’s family to us.”
    She nodded. Her expressive face told him a lot more than her words, and he wasn’t sure why she was so cautious about asking the questions she obviously wanted to, or why he was so hesitant to offer her any more information than he was.
    “Brothers and sisters?” he asked, hoping to keep the twenty questions game going.
    “One sister, you?”
    “Just me. Are you close to your