by Jen Peters
Cliff, her anchor through all the tumultuous times, waited behind her with his aunt and uncle, shovels at the ready.
“I’d like to thank you all for coming,” Robin began. “It’s an exciting day for everyone. Some of you have adopted pets that used to be neglected and abandoned. Some of you are considering it—and we just happen to have some eager pets waiting to meet you.”
Chuckles came from the crowd and she motioned to her feet. “Augie, here, is a prime example of what happens when one particular dog grabs your heart and doesn’t let go. He’s not available for adoption anymore—I’m his forever home.” She picked him up, nuzzled him and let him give her kisses, then put him down again.
The crowd whistled and applauded, and Robin could see the twinkle in Mr. Brown’s eyes. She smiled back, then looked at the names listed on her paper. “I’d like to especially thank Ms. Tanesha Williams and her company, Northwest Software, and Mr. Mitchell Blake and the McCormick Foundation for the majority of the funding for the shelter. Without their support, both financial and emotional, this project would never have taken off.” Both Mitch and Ms. Williams kept straight faces through the shouts and whistles. “And a big thank you to all who have helped get the word out, placed donation jars, and made your own contributions—you’ll keep us in kibble and chew toys for quite a while.” More applause.
“I’d also like to thank my family and my almost-family for believing in this dream of mine.” She glanced at Cliff, then motioned next to him. “And especially for Phil and Jess Jackson, who are leasing these two acres to us for 99 years, and getting a whole dollar per year out of it!” She pulled Phil and Jess up the last yard to her.
Phil Jackson’s tan took on a decidedly rosy hue. He took the microphone from her and shushed the crowd. “Come on folks, it’s time to get this shelter started!”
Cliff stepped up with two shiny new shovels and handed them to his aunt and uncle. Then he went back for four more. “Mitch? Ms. Williams? You need to be up here too.”
Mitch came readily, and Robin smiled as Ms. Williams picked her way through the dead weeds, white slacks and all.
When the newspaper photographer had them all in place, Robin grinned and nodded. In unison, they dug their shovels through the frozen crust and into the dirt below.
When their bits of earth were turned over, Robin picked up the mic again. “I now declare the Friends Forever Animal Shelter underway!”
The applause was calm, with one or two separate cheers. Then Cliff took the microphone from her hand, set it carefully on the ground, and dipped her back for a deep kiss. In front of everyone.
The crowd went wild.
Robin didn’t care. She wrapped her arms around him and savored every moment. The crowd faded away and she floated away on his kiss.
* * *
I hope you enjoyed Safe in His Heart!
Click here to find out what happens when Raine returns to McCormick’s Creek. Has she changed enough for forgiveness, and if so, can she prove it? And what about Brandt, the adrenaline-junkie newcomer to town?
Or just turn the page to read an excerpt!
Stealing His Heart: excerpt
Chapter 1
Raine DiMarco pulled her Jetta to the side of the road and let her headlights shine on the Welcome to McCormick’s Creek sign. She would have said that the gold letters sparkled in the misty Oregon rain if she weren’t so tired and if she were more sure about coming back home after six years.
She turned to the cat carrier in the passenger’s seat and poked her fingers through the holes. “What do you think, Midnight? Are we ready to try this?” The kitten mewed softly and rubbed where he could.
She drove through the town, memories returning quickly. Ling’s Chinese Restaurant where she’d had her first date; the park where her two best friends had hung out with her, welcoming her into their close circle.
Raine pulled to the side as she passed the McCormick Inn. The half-ruined version of the Victorian mansion had been their haunted house growing up, and now it was a beautiful Bed & Breakfast. She wondered where the kids pulled pranks now and if any of them turned as mean as hers had that last year.
Were any of her old group still here? Did she really want to meet up with them again? Or would that be yet another bad decision?
She took a deep breath, then drove another mile and turned up her cousin Tori’s street.
“All right, Midnight,” Raine said as she parked. “Cross your fingers that Tori says yes and you can get out of there.”
She walked slowly despite the drizzle, held her breath, and rang the doorbell.
“Raine! What are you doing here?” Tori greeted her. “Come in out of the damp!”
Raine’s shoulders relaxed with her welcome words. “Um, I have a cat?” She swiped the water from her hair.
Tori’s smile wavered but she said, “Of course, you can’t leave it in the car.”
“Thanks, I’ll be right back.” She jogged to the car, lifted Midnight’s carrier in one hand and a tote with the litter and a small pan in the other, and returned as quickly as she could.
“Mom, who’s that?” A sleepy young boy peered out from behind Tori.
“Hey, Mr. I-Should-Be-in-Bed,” Tori said. “That’s my cousin Raine, which means she’s your cousin too.”
“Does she like kids?”
“I don’t know, sweetie. We’ll have to wait and see. Now go on back to bed.”
Raine grinned and set the carrier down. “Of course I like kids. I used to be one! I especially like boys who are about, um, seven?”
The child puffed up his chest. “I’m six and a half, but I’m big for my age. What’s in the cage?”
“This,” Raine said dramatically, “is Midnight. He’s not very big, but I think he likes six-year-olds too, especially ones who are gentle with him.” She looked at her cousin. “Maybe you can play with him tomorrow morning.”
“Ty-ler,” Tori warned, dragging out his name. “You heard me. Go directly to bed. Do not pass Go.”
Raine smiled at the use of their old Monopoly phrase.
Tyler heaved a sorrowful sigh. “I know, I know. And if you have to tell me again, I’ll go to jail.”
“Jail?” Raine was puzzled.
“Monopoly jail—grounded to his room for an afternoon,” Tori explained.
Tyler visibly sagged but turned for the stairs. Tori pulled him close for a hug before he got there. “I guess it’s not every day a cousin appears on our doorstep,” she relented. “You can stay up for a little. But only a little.” She stepped back. “Come on in, Raine. Did you drive straight through from Seattle? Are you here for long?”
“I stopped once in Portland, but…do you have a good place I could put the litter box?” She wasn’t ready to talk about future plans, mostly because she didn’t really have any.
“Laundry room, this way.”
Raine quickly set up the litter box and let Midnight out. The kitten made a beeline for it, then sniffed around the room and came back to check out Tyler’s bare feet.
“Did you eat? Would you like a drink?” Tori asked.
Raine had been too tense to eat through the six-hour drive, but she still wasn’t hungry. “A 7-Up?”
They settled in the family room and popped the tabs on their sodas. Tyler lay with his head on his mother’s lap, watching Midnight explore the room. “So what brings you down our way?” Tori asked. “You haven’t been back since Tyler was a baby.”
Raine kept her eyes on her drink. “I need a change in my life. Things got sort of messed up in Seattle. Um, you know how when you want to stop doing something, and it’s really hard when everyone keeps pulling you to do it? I can’t stay there. I won’t make it.”
“What are you trying to change?” Tori glanced at her son. “Something…grown-up?”
That was a good catch-all without giving details, Raine thought. “Mm hmm. Several somethings, really. The temptation is hard, and the pressure from my friends is almost as bad.”
She glanced at Tyler. “I can give you all the details later if you want, but I wouldn’t mind not talking about it for a while.”
“A while,” Tori echoed. “So what are your plans?”
Raine let out a deep breath. “If I had any, I’d be a lot further ahead. I was thinking…I hoped…could I stay here for a few days while I figure it out?”
Tori was already nodding. “Of course. We’re family. Besides, we got along when I babysat you—“
“Mostly,” Raine put in.
“— so I’m sure we’ll get along now. Just,” Tori looked down at Tyler again, “any adult activities need to take place away from here.”
Raine poofed her breath out. “There won’t be any adult activities in my life for a long time. I’m really trying to turn over a new leaf.”
Tori settled Tyler back in bed while Raine made multiple trips to the car. It was pretty sad that her entire life’s possessions fit in a Volkswagen Jetta.
A high-pitched giggle jarred Raine awake, and she blinked at the sunlight in her eyes. The pull-out couch in Tori’s study had actually been pretty comfortable, especially with Midnight curled in her arms. She slipped her robe on.
“What’s up, guys?” she asked, smoothing her hair down as she entered the kitchen.
“Raine!” Tyler rushed for a hug.
Tori lifted a box of Cheerios in greeting. “Want a bowl?”
Cereal wasn’t normally her thing, but she was ravenous after not eating last night. She ate a whole bowl, then poured another, all the while watching Tori coax Tyler along. Tori was the type of mother Raine would like to be someday—making games out of chores, but still firm when she needed to be. They were racing to see who could finish first: Tyler with his backpack or Tori with his lunch. Tori seemed to be gathering fruit and chips in slow motion, though.
“I won!” Tyler shouted, doing a dance. “Did you see, Raine?”
Raine grinned. “Of course. You’re the speediest man in the room.”
“Mom, did you hear? She called me a man.”
Tori sent a smile her way, then sent him upstairs for his shoes. “I have to drop him off early so I can get to work. You okay for the day?”
“Sure. I need to sort some stuff out, and I figured I’d see what job possibilities there are here.”
“Good luck with that—we certainly don’t have anything like event planning in town.”
Raine hadn’t expected they would, but surely there’d be something she could do. Office work? Library? She laughed inwardly—in all her imaginings, she’d never thought she’d consider working in as quiet a place as a library.
Raine unpacked a bit, played laser light games with Midnight, then dressed carefully. She didn’t know how well name-brand clothes would go over in a homegrown place like McCormick’s Creek, but she couldn’t help it that she didn’t shop at Walmart anymore. She paired a black silk blouse with Eileen Fisher slacks and slipped on her one-and-only pair of Prada heels. A classy gold necklace, earrings, polished make-up…she was good to go.
Three hours later, Raine drove slowly home. She’d been a natural fit for event planning in Seattle, but never realized how lucky she’d been in meeting the right people. Now she was filling out applications and trying to make her experience somehow seem relevant. She’d started with any possible office work she could think of, then went on to the drug store and Sam’s IGA grocery.
She even applied at the bowling alley and McDonald’s. McDonald’s, for heaven’s sake! There was nothing like a little desperation to make unacceptable choices acceptable.
And the questions! The applications were far easier than explaining to old acquaintances why she’d come back to town. She’d ended up with a simple, “Seattle was great, but I needed a change,” but people were never satisfied with that, especially the ones she used to hang out with.
Back at Tori’s, Midnight curled up in her lap. His rumbling purr warmed her heart, but didn’t change anything. “How the mighty are fallen,” she murmured, stroking his soft fur. Not that she had been all that mighty, but…
They had worked hard and partied harder. Life was a lot of fun, sometimes too much fun, and Raine had overindulged without caring. She’d managed to keep the hard drugs to a minimum, but there was always plenty of booze and men.
And then Raine had crossed a line even she knew she shouldn’t have. Her boss had fired her and certain friends wouldn’t speak to her, but the worst was that when she’d taken a look at her life, she hadn’t recognized herself. Where was the idealistic, caring person that she used to be?
She scratched Midnight under the chin. “How did I lose myself, little guy?”
He blinked his wide green eyes and licked her finger with a raspy tongue.
She hadn’t been able to reconcile who she’d become with who she’d wanted to be, so she quit everything cold turkey. The drinking, the sex, the bit of drugs she’d tried. It was the hardest thing she’d ever done, and after a few relapses, she knew she’d never succeed without changing the people she hung out with.
So here she was restarting her life with no job, not much money, and a cat. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200. On the plus side, she had a lot of gorgeous clothes and a cousin who invited her in without asking too many questions.
Raine fidgeted, needing to move, to do something. Tori and Tyler wouldn’t be home until six, and she couldn’t just sit around all afternoon. She gave Midnight an extra pat, changed into jeans and tennis shoes, and grabbed a snack bar and her sketch pad. There was a whole gorgeous forest out there, waiting for her.
A mile up a forest road, Raine turned into a spot she remembered, locked the car, and headed out. Crisp air, the scent of pines and firs and old leaves…she kicked an occasional pine cone along the path and couldn’t ask for anything more.
Well, she could. Tori had asked what her plans were, and it would be nice if she had a fairy godmother to tell her what to do. Or that little voice she used to hear in her mind.
But she hadn’t heard it in years, and fairy godmothers weren’t real, so she’d have to figure it out herself. Right now, the sun filtering through the branches and the view when she reached an open spot were enough to ease her soul.
Until she was almost run down.
She had come over a rise, and the trail hooked to the left with a ravine below and more mountains beyond. The sky was dotted with white clouds, emphasizing a blue that carried on forever, and a wisp of a cloud floated above the ravine. She smiled at the sight, but was jerked out of her reverie when a flash of blue whirred past her with a yell.
Raine jumped sideways. “Hey, watch it, doofus!”
The cyclist was already skidding to a stop. “Are you crazy? You have to at least get off the trail when you stop. I could have crashed right into you!”
“But—I—”
He reached back for some sort of tube running from a backpack and took a drink. “Besides, don’t you keep your ears open? Bikes aren’t all that quiet, you know.”
Quiet enough, especially when you weren’t expecting them. “Yeah, well, maybe you don’t need to go 90 miles an hour where people might be hiking.”
He rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Just be careful—I’m not the only one out this morning.” With that, he straightened his bike and took off around the curve and up the next hill.
Raine watched his blue shirt flicker through the trees. What an idiot.
She wondered how much mountain biking was a thing up here now. And what it meant for her previously peaceful hikes.
Chapter 2
Brandt made one more pass with the chainsaw, and the small log dropped in two. He’d much rather be riding a trail than building one, but he’d had a glorious two hours earlier, and this was his payback.
He shoved the shorter log end to the side of the trail, cut the longer piece in half to make it moveable, and flipped the chainsaw switch off. The roar faded as he stretched his back out, tense muscles protesting. He shifted the two pieces to the other side of the tra
il and looked uphill.
They had a long way still to go, but he reminded himself that two people couldn’t build a bike trail very fast. When they were done though, they’d have three good trails in McCormick’s Creek, all within the area where the Forest Service said they could build. He hoped that would be enough to entice mountain bikers to the area on a regular basis—his shop sure needed the business.
He made his way around to where his friend Javier could see him, and made a cutting motion across his throat. Javi shut his own chainsaw off, and there was blessed silence in the forest.
“That’ll have to do for today—we’re losing our light.”
Javi nodded, wiping the sweat off his face. “I’m on shift in a couple hours anyway.” He was part of the small police force in town and often took the late shifts.
Brandt looked at the trail they’d cleared. Well, expanded. What had been a deer trail that led into a rocky run-off was now half-way to being a passable mountain biking route. They had added some flowy lines, some technical curves, and had enhanced the natural terrain for a few jumps. “How many more days of work do you think we can get in before the weather hits?”
Javi shook his head. “Long range forecast says an early winter, but you never know. We’ve got, what, another eighteen miles to do, and it’s almost November?”
“Yeah, but we’ve got some hillsides to dig into, and it won’t be as easy as this.” Brandt took a swig from his water bottle. “If we want an event here next year, we’re going to have to gather some volunteers and get some serious work done in the spring.”
