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realized how ridiculous she was being, but was unable to stop herself.  The apartment she’d looked forward to returning to was now just one big, horrible memory.
     

 
    Chapter 6
     
     
    A fter a sleepless night in a beautiful hotel room, Taryn turned to Errol’s sleeping form and stared at him.  She could hardly believe he’d so easily given in to her outlandish demand.  How could she possibly ask him to leave his home, his magnificent apartment?  Shaking off the last shivers left by her panic attack of the night before and the dream filled night that had left her trembling more than once, she got out of bed and switched on the coffee machine set on the little breakfast table.  As it percolated, she opened the door to collect the fragrant breakfast basket left in the hall.
    Just as the rich aroma of coffee filled the air and blended with the fresh scent of croissants and real butter, Errol’s eyes fluttered open.  In an instant he was propped up on his elbows, his concerned eyes riveted to her.
    “Are you okay?”
    “I’m fine,” she said with a bit of a nervous laugh.  She set the basket by the coffee machine.  “Coffee?”
    He dared a slight smile as he sat up and nodded.
    “I’m terribly sorry about last night.”  She poured coffee into two cups and brought him one.
    “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Taryn.”
    She returned to the basket, generously buttered two croissants and set them on a plate accompanied by a tiny cup of strawberry jam.  “It was silly and childish of me.”  She handed him his breakfast.  “Your apartment is wonderful and I love the view and… I can’t believe I made you bring me out to a hotel.  I’m past all that silliness now.  After breakfast we can go back.”
    “ Merci, ma chérie .”  He took the plate and tore off a large chunk.  “You really think one night’s sleep will have washed away everything that frightened you so much last night?”
    She nodded as she reached for her croissant.
    He shook his head. “I don’t believe you. You're trying to be strong, and I appreciate it, but I really think you need more time away from the apartment.”
    “But I have been away, Errol… for months.”
    “Well, then maybe I’ll just have to consider selling the apartment.” He smiled and cupped her cheek.  “It was growing too small anyway.”
    Touched by his words and his actions, Taryn smiled as her eyes filled with emotional tears while she kissed him. “What do you propose we do?  Stay in this hotel until you sell it?”
    “Not quite. Finish up. I have something to show you.”
    An hour later they were blinded by the morning sun as they drove over rolling hills, through lush fields and past the most adorable little houses she’d ever seen. It was a postcard perfect landscape everywhere she looked.
    “Can you at least give me a hint of where you’re taking me?”
    “It’s beautiful.”
    She gazed at the charming countryside.  “Well, that narrows it down.”
    “It’s peaceful.”
    Looking up at the sun, she tried to figure out what direction they were driving in, but it was nearly noon and with all the twists and turns, it was hard to determine which way they were going.
    “Okay, I’ll give you a final hint.  It’s a place I love to go to when I need to lose myself, or find myself, depending on how you want to look at it.  It’s a place that has everything I need, everything I want and it never fails to lift my spirits.”
    Gasping she turned to look at him.  “Are you taking me to your childhood home?”
    He smiled as he turned onto a narrow winding road.  “It’s just a little farmhouse I bought for Nana a while back.  It’s close to the village where she raised me, so I knew she’d feel at home there and I had it equipped with every conceivable modern convenience you can think of. She loved it. Of course you can’t have a farmhouse without having acres and acres of land, and the fields that surround the house are about