Stroke of Love

Chapter 16: Taking the Girl Home

Involuntarily, she said, "Wow."

Jay just chuckled and put the car in drive.

"How've you been spending your time?" he asked her.

"Visited a couple galleries, cafes... mostly just saw old friends and classmates. Exorcised a few ghosts too," she finished quietly.

Jay didn't ask her to elaborate. "Did you go to my gallery?"

"No." Pause. "Thought I might convince you to take me."

"Sure. I'd be delighted."

"Great." She stretched her legs out and yawned. "If I fall asleep, blame it on the time differences."

"No worries." Jay leaned over and pressed a button.

Her seat reclined comfortably.

"Sleep tight, Karen."

"Thank you, Jay."

She closed her eyes and the next thing she knew, she was waking up. It was dark and they were parked outside a service station. She obviously didn't know where they were so she waited in the car. She could hear Jay and another person conversing for a short while before the driver's door opened and Jay got in.

"Hey, you're up."

"Looks like it."

He handed her a brown paper bag. "My mother will probably kill me for feeding you this way but that's what happened when you get stuck with a flat tyre, you get hungry."

"Oh no."

"Don't worry. It's just been fixed."

She reached in the bag and took out a sandwich. "Could you please unwrap this for me?

"Sorry." He reached over and opened the cellophane for her. Then he retrieved the bottle of mineral water, twisted the cap and placed it in the cup holder for her.

"Thanks."

About half an hour later, she had finished her ham roll, taken her medication and had curled up on the seat to chat with Jay. They were talking about cows.

Apparently, Jay's family used to own a dairy until they had sold off almost all of it to the tenants on the estate. It brought in a small income for the Madisons as the cheese and cream were popular items of that area.

Some point before they arrived, Karen fell asleep again.

The next time she woke up, Karen found herself in a soft bed. A periwinkle and white spread enveloped her luxuriously. Sun light bathed the room and for a moment, she was disoriented.

She didn't know how she'd gotten into this strange bed, or into her night slip for that matter.

Swinging her legs over the side of the large bed she slipped out of the covers and put her bare feet on the carpeted floor. The room was rectangular and spacious, the furniture was tasteful and mellow. There were no wardrobes in sight and Karen couldn't see her suitcase either. All she could see were four doors.

The first one she opened was a bathroom, even more luxurious than the one in Jay's suite in New Hampshire. The second door was a closet and she found her clothes all neatly folded or hung up, coordinated by colour and style. Amused and delighted, she shut the closet and went to the third door. Curiosity piqued, she cracked it open and peered through.

It was an adjacent room- it looked like a sitting room, with lamps, sofas and divans with plush cushions arranged around a wooden coffee table.

There was a tray with a coffee pot on the table, but Karen didn't want to intrude. Which is probably why she jumped when Jay's voice spoke to her.