Page 30 of Promise Me Never

“I’m getting closer to finishing,” he said.

“Well, babe, you’d better get back to it, then, shouldn’t you?”

I moved to get out of bed, but he pulled me back. “Not yet.”

“Okay, then. Let me give you a little anniversary present.”

I disappeared under the sheets.

| Twenty-Eight |

Savannah

“Want to go for a walk?” Savannah called out to Finn. His ears perked up and he bolted up from the floor and ran to the door, his tail going a mile a minute. Savannah smiled. From the moment she met the adorable canine, she’d been in love. He had the sweetest face—big brown eyes, black fur in circles around his eyes mixed in with the white. His face reminded her a little of a Lab. He was beautiful and sweet, and she was happy for the company since it appeared that Bennett would be spending his days locked away in his office. She slipped a coat on, then grabbed his leash and secured it to his collar, and they went outside. She opened the back door of the Range Rover and he jumped in. She leaned down and gave him a peck on the head before shutting the door.

“You’re such a good boy.”

Savannah had never driven the car before, and she was nervous. It was larger than she was used to, and it took her a few minutes to figure out where everything was. Taking a deep breath, she started the car and backed out of the garage, then drove down the driveway. The roads were so winding here, and almost completely shadowed by trees. She missed the city! Being in the middle of nowhere made her nervous, but after a few miles, she began to relax. She saw the sign for the entrance to Beaver Dam Park and turned. Luckily there were plenty of parking spaces and she didn’t have to try to squeeze the Range Rover between any cars. The last thing she wanted to do was bring it home with a scratch. Although, to be fair, Bennett wasn’t one of those men who treated their cars like their girlfriends—well, except for the Aston Martin, but she would never drive that one. There was still so much she had to learn about her new husband, and she didn’t want to put another foot wrong.

There were two fenced-in areas, and she saw that one was for dogs under thirty pounds and the other for over thirty. She walked toward the fenced area for large dogs. There was a man throwing a ball to an off-leash golden retriever. He looked friendly enough, but she’d forgotten to ask Bennett if Finn got along with other dogs, so she walked him up the trail that led away from it. He stayed by her side and didn’t pull her at all, fortunately, since he was so big.

“What a good walker you are,” she said, petting him as they continued to walk. It was colder than she realized this morning and when the sun went behind a cloud, she shivered. She zipped up her jacket and picked up the pace. She worried Finn might be cold. She’d ask Bennett if he had a doggie coat for him. They walked for about fifteen minutes, stopping occasionally as Finn smelled something. Her thoughts wandered as they continued, and she decided that she would buckle down and get back to work on her novel tomorrow. She had to accept the fact that Bennett was going to be tied up most days writing, and she couldn’t depend on him to entertain her. Later this afternoon she’d take her laptop to the local coffee shop and work. She heard what sounded like a twig or branch snap and turned around to look. Nothing. Suddenly, Savannah had the strangest feeling that she was being followed. She couldn’t explain it, but she sensed someone watching her. She turned quickly again, then shook her head.

“You’re being paranoid,” she said to herself. “Let’s turn around,” she said to the dog, and they began walking back out of the woods. Maybe she should stick to the open fenced area in the future. If anyone had been after her, the woods would be the perfect spot to kill her, and no one would know. She was letting her imagination run wild again. Save it for your novel, she thought. They headed back to the car. As they got closer, she noticed something on the windshield. Frowning, she opened the back door and let Finn in, then walked around to see what it was. A sealed envelope. Nothing written on the outside. Thoughts of poison-laced paper went through her mind, but she shook her head again. She was going off the deep end. It was probably some sort of ad. She opened the envelope and saw a folded piece of looseleaf paper. She looked around to see if anyone was watching her but didn’t notice anyone suspicious. She got in the car and locked the door, then unfolded the paper. She gasped. The message read: You’re in grave danger. Bennett Bryson isn’t who you think he is.

| Twenty-Nine |

Poppy—Before

I’m getting bored. Bedford is pretty, but I miss the city. There’s only so many times I can walk around downtown and look at the same stores and establishments. Henri and I decided to take a little trip together this weekend. We’ll get together with Isabel too. I can’t wait! He’s picking me up in an hour. Bennett’s been locked in his office all week, his mood sour, something about having to start all over on his book because he’d lost the passion for the premise. He’s even more of a perfectionist than I am. But unlike me, he has a deadline and contractual obligations, so he must put in more hours. But that doesn’t mean I have to sit around on my own all weekend. There’s only so much antiquing I can do, and the nightlife here leaves a lot to be desired.

Bennett wasn’t happy when I told him my plans.

“Why do you have to go all the way to the city? And with Henri. I don’t like him.”

“Well, you’re not the one going with him, so it doesn’t matter.”

Bennett doesn’t really like me to be around anyone but him, but he’s especially jealous of my relationship with Henri. He has no reason to be. Henri’s in a committed relationship and he’s gay. I think it’s because Henri says whatever’s on his mind—a characteristic I like, but Bennett’s used to being adored. It must have been the comment Henri made about Bennett’s subsequent books not measuring up to Promise Me Never. He’s not wrong. But Bennett shouldn’t be so sensitive. After all, his other books have done great too, just not as great. I’d be thrilled if the first piece of art a gallery acquired of mine went for big bucks and those following not as well. You can’t have everything. But as I’m learning the longer I’m married to Bennett, he thinks he deserves everything.

I looked up as he came into the bedroom. “What are you going to do there?”

I shrugged. “Go out to dinner, clubs, maybe see a play but probably not. Just have fun. Plus, Isabel’s going to meet us.”

“Give her my love.” He glanced at my open suitcase and raised his eyebrows after clocking the six-inch heels. “Please watch yourself. I don’t trust Henri to be much of a protector.”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t need a protector. I lived there all by myself before I met you and survived.”

“Fair enough. But I hate facing the weekend without you. I really wish you weren’t going.”

I shook my head. “You’re so possessive. My friend Bridgette called last night and invited me to visit her in London. Would you rather I do that?”

“Very funny. No, I don’t want you on another continent.”

“Then stop complaining. It’s only two days, and it’ll give you a chance to work without feeling guilty for neglecting me. You know you’ll be locked up in your office all weekend. Besides, you owe me after the visit with your family last weekend.”

He made a face, then nodded. “Yeah, I guess I do. Although to be fair, I warned you. I’m sorry about the way my mother treated you.”

I’d been the one to persuade him to take me to meet his family. He hadn’t seen them in years, and I foolishly thought I could help to bridge that gap. But it only made things worse. “Babe, it doesn’t matter. You stuck up for me, that’s all I cared about. If she thinks I’m some hippie flower child, who cares?”