Going Home

by Judith Keim

  In the afternoon, Rafe and his father, Joe, came into the kitchen for a cup of hot coffee. Some of the work outside at this time of year, she’d learned, was tedious.

  Glad for the company, she handed each of the men a mug of coffee and offered cookies that Mrs. Morley had made before she left.

  Their cheeks flushed from the cold, both men bobbed their thanks and took seats at the kitchen table.

  “How’s it going?” she asked them, trying desperately not to make a fool of herself with Rafe in front of his father.

  “Pretty well,” Joe said. “Checking the leafy canopies, making sure vines were not damaged by the harvest of grapes is time well spent come spring.”

  She fixed herself a cup of coffee and sat down with them. “I guess it’s going to be pretty slow at the inn for the next couple of months.”

  “What are you going to do for the holidays?” Joe asked her.

  “I’m going to stay here.” She sighed. “I really don’t have any other place to go.”

  Joe studied her openly. “I heard you were raised in a foster home. That didn’t work out so well?”

  She shrugged in what she hoped was a casual way. “It wasn’t as bad as some. My foster mom didn’t really like me or the way I look. She told everyone I was her cross to bear. My foster dad wanted me to marry a boy from the church to fulfill my duty as a young woman.”

  “What?” said Rafe. “Was he part of a cult or something?”

  “Pretty much,” Lettie admitted. “That’s why I had to get out of there.”

  Joe glanced at Rafe and got to his feet. “C’mon. We’d better get back to work. Then you can go home and help your mother put up the holiday decorations. I’ll take care of the animals tonight and tomorrow morning, so you don’t have to worry about them. Understand?”

  “Yes.” Rafe stood. “Go ahead. I’ll be right there. I need to talk to Lettie.”

  After Joe left, Rafe turned to her. “I’m sorry, Lettie.”

  “What’s going on?” At his serious expression, Lettie got to her feet and grabbed hold of the edge of the table for support.

  “I can’t see you anymore. What we had was very special, but I’ve got a commitment to my family and community that I can’t ignore. I wish things were different, but they’re not.”

  “But...”

  Rafe’s eyes were moist as he shook his head. “There are no buts ... it’s over. Even though I tried, I can’t change things. It’s out of my hands.” He studied her for a moment, the pain on his face unmistakable. Then, back stiff, he turned and followed his father out of the house.

  Watching them leave, Lettie collapsed into a chair. She should’ve known it wouldn’t last, that it was another person in and out of her life. She dabbed at her wet cheeks with a napkin. Why, she wondered, did nobody want her enough to fight for her?

  ###

  The Sunday following Thanksgiving was filled with getting the inn ready for Rex and Kenton’s return. Mrs. Morley wouldn’t be back on the job until Monday morning, so it was up to Lettie to prepare a meal for them. She searched through recipe books to find one that contained ingredients they already had on hand. She finally settled on an easy chicken-and-noodle casserole. As she was growing up, casseroles to feed a large family had been a staple.

  She was looking forward to the company. Rafe had remained out of her sight since Friday, making it very clear that their short relationship was over. Though it hurt, she told herself that she had to move on, that it was never meant to be.

  The sound of a car pulling up to the house caused Lettie to clutch her hands nervously. She’d dusted and vacuumed the entire inn, had the casserole ready to slide into the oven, and had even put together an appetizer tray to serve to Rex with his normal evening cocktail.

  Rex and Kenton came into the house together.

  First Kenton, and then Rex gave her a quick hug hello.

  She treasured the feeling of their arms around her, their warmth and caring. She realized this kind of accepting love was what she really needed.

  “Mmm, something smells good,” said Rex.

  “Just some cheese toasts to go with your cocktail,” she said.

  “Thanks,” said Rex, beaming at her. “Good to be here.”

  Kenton took off for their wing, carrying both Rex’s and his suitcases.

  Rex stood in the living room and glanced around. “Seems as though you’ve been busy. Everything looks good, Lettie.”

  She bobbed her head. “I wanted it to be nice for your return.”

  He gave her a steady look. “Would you rather run the inn than become involved with grape growing and winemaking?”

  “Oh, no,” she quickly said. “I hated doing all that work.” She clapped her hand to her mouth and looked at him wide-eyed. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I like being part of the inn, but I’m more excited to learn about the winery itself.”

  “Good, because I’ve hired someone to replace you in the inn come spring, when we’ll begin trimming the canopy.”

  “Oh?” Lettie wasn’t sure how she felt about that. “I can still help Mrs. Morley, if you need me to do that.”

  His smile was wide. “I know how much you love the land, and I’m eager to help you learn the business. I’ve been told a woman’s palate is very important to the process of making wine, and I’d like to see you become part of the growth at Chandler Hill.”

  Kenton walked into the room with a grin. “Well, are you two going to stand there and talk, or is it time for a glass of wine?”

  “Let’s go into the library where we can light the fireplace. We’ll talk there,” Rex suggested.

  “I’ll get the appetizers,” said Lettie.

  Kenton followed her into the kitchen. As she put the little cheese toasts on the plate, Kenton came up behind her and put his arms around her. “I missed you, Lettie.”

  Surprised by his actions, she turned to face him. “I’ve missed you and your dad too.” She realized how true it was and gave him a warm smile. He was her best friend, someone she could count on.

  Kenton’s eyes glowed with affection as he bent to kiss her. At the touch of his lips, the taste of him, the sweet feelings that rose in her surprised her. When he wrapped his arms around her, she felt an overwhelming sense of feeling at home there.

  His kiss deepened.

  Filled with a wholeness she’d never known, she responded, wanting more.

  When they stepped apart, she stared up into the smile on Kenton’s face, confused by the deep feelings he’d set racing through her. She wondered why this kiss, so different from Rafe’s, felt so right. Maybe this kind of love was what she’d been searching for all along. She knew Kenton well enough to know he’d never let her down.

  “I’ve been thinking about you a lot,” said Kenton, caressing her cheek. “I want the chance to get to know you in a different way. I’ve waited until I was sure before telling you, but I can’t wait any longer.”

  She continued to gaze into the face of the person she’d once thought of as her best friend and didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t thinking of just friendship with him anymore.

  “C’mon, like Dad says, we can talk in the library,” said Kenton, wrapping an arm around her and leading her to the library.

  The library was her favorite room in the house. When they walked inside, the room was filled with soft lighting from above and the flickering, orange glow of wood burning in the fireplace. A large, green-patterned Oriental rug spread across the floor, enhancing the look of the old pine floors around it. The stone fireplace filled a large portion of the outside wall. Where walls were free of built-in bookcases, wood paneling gleamed with the richness of polished walnut.

  Rex was sitting in one of the two green-leather, wingback chairs on either side of the hearth. On a table next to his chair sat an open bottle of red wine and three glasses.

  Lettie placed the plate of appetizers next to the wine glasses and took a seat on the small settee facing the fireplace. Ke
nton settled in the other wingback chair.

  Rex poured a small amount of red wine into one of the glasses, lifted it to the light of the fire, swirled it, sniffed it, and took a sip.

  “Very good,” he said. “Lettie, will you have a taste?”

  Feeling very grown up, she nodded. The drinking age for liquor was twenty-one. Beer and wine, with a smaller percentage of alcohol, were allowed at eighteen.

  After Rex had poured the wine into all three glasses, he lifted his. “Here’s to my son, Kenton. I wish him all the luck as he enters the next phase of his life. I pray for his safety.”

  Lettie swiveled her attention to Kenton. “Does this mean you’ve joined the service?”

  “More like they’ve joined me. I’ve been called to serve. A notice was waiting for me at our house in L.A.” He sighed. “I don’t like it. Especially after meeting you, but like I told you early on, I’ll do my duty and go.”

  Lettie felt sick to her stomach at the thought of Kenton being killed in combat. “Is there anything you can do to make sure you don’t go into battle?”

  “I’ve thought a lot about it,” said Kenton. “I’ll take my chances like everyone else. I’d like to be a medic, but I don’t know. I have to take some tests, and it may not be the right thing for me. I’m due to show up for induction and basic training right after Christmas.”

  Lettie’s gaze flew to Rex. He looked as unhappy as she felt.

  “I could try to intercede, but Kenton asked me not to,” Rex said. “Our hope is for something safer to show up as a possibility from the testing the army does.”

  “Between now and then, I want to enjoy as much as I can,” said Kenton. “I’ve spoken to Dad, and he’s agreed to allow me time off to take you to the beach for a holiday.”

  Rex smiled at Lettie. “I’ve arranged with a friend of mine for the two of you to stay at his beach house in Malibu. Kenton wanted this very much. I hope you do too.”

  “What about the inn?” Lettie said.

  “We’ll close it for the time being. We don’t have any reservations for the holidays anyway,” Rex explained. “Once the inn gets better known, that won’t be the case. For now, it’s fine. I’ve yet to start building the addition I’ve planned. We’ll start sometime in the spring. Might as well wait until after the major project is done before doing much advertising.”

  “Will Mrs. Morley be okay with this?” Lettie asked.

  “I’m certain she will be,” Rex said. “She knows I have plans for you to become a bigger part of the operation here. When you and Kenton get back from your trip, I’ll talk to both of you about some of the things I have in mind.”

  “Okay,” said Lettie, loving the feeling of being included.

  “So, you’ll go with me?” Kenton asked her. “We’ll be gone for a total of three weeks.”

  Still reeling from his kiss in the kitchen, Lettie said, “Yes.” Rafe had told her she hadn’t had enough time to know if she was in love. She’d thought she loved him, but what she felt for Kenton was so different. When Kenton had talked to her about his feelings for her and then kissed her, she knew how much he really meant it. He was looking at her now with such vulnerability, she never wanted to hurt him.

  Their gazes met, and Lettie felt nervous tension ease out of her body. Kenton was the one who’d brought her to the inn. He was the one with whom she felt the safest. He was the one who was asking to spend time with her.

  Wanting to learn much more about him and about being together, she returned his smile.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  As Lettie packed her suitcase for the trip to Malibu, she realized she needed more and better-quality clothes—especially if she was to be with Kenton. He was used to the finest things. She definitely wasn’t.

  Maybe, she thought, she could find a nice thrift store in California. The shopping in the small towns and cities of the valley and in the countryside was almost non-existent. Most people, she assumed, went into Portland, almost an hour’s drive away from McMinnville. In the months she’d been at Chandler Hill, she hadn’t ventured there.

  Kenton knocked on her door and poked his head inside the room. “Ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.” She sighed. “But, Kenton, I’ll have to do something about my clothes. They’re not right, at all.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t worry about it. We’ll take care of that. Come on. We have to get on the road. It’s going to take a couple of days for us to drive there.”

  “Malibu? I can’t wait.”

  He grinned at her. “And I can’t wait to have all this time alone with you.”

  She gave him her best smile. The words were sweet to her ears. Maybe she wasn’t the ugly, weird-speaking child of the past. Maybe he saw something better in her.

  ###

  The next two days passed in blissful companionship, broken in the middle by a brief stay in a motel during which Kenton had kissed her and looked at her longingly, but had kept his distance.

  Riding in the car, listening to music, snacking on treats, she felt as if she were in a vacuum where nothing else in the world mattered except her time with Kenton.

  As they drove into Malibu and down to the beaches lining the shore, Lettie sighed with contentment. The houses on stilts and the wide sandy beaches were every bit as wonderful as she’d seen in pictures. She stared at the young people stretched out on towels atop the sand talking, reading, or simply soaking up the sun. Out on the water, a few people were trying to surf.

  She rolled down the window and inhaled the salty air, feeling as if she’d entered a picture postcard.

  “Groovy, huh?” said Kenton grinning at her. “And nice that a friend of my father’s is letting us stay at his house. Better than staying in Beverly Hills.”

  “It’s wonderful!” Lettie said. She impulsively leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

  He grabbed hold of her hand. “You’re wonderful! Let’s get unpacked, change into bathing suits, and take a walk on the beach.”

  “Uh, I don’t have a bathing suit,” Lettie reluctantly admitted. “But I do have a mini skirt and sleeveless top. I’ll wear that.”

  “Okay, but tomorrow we’ll get you a proper bathing suit. Maybe a bikini.” He gave her a leering grin that made her laugh.

  “My foster mother would drop dead of a heart attack if she ever saw me in a bikini, but why not?”

  “She’s not here, and you’re going to look great in one,” Kenton assured her.

  He drove down a road and pulled to a stop in front of a white-clapboard house on stilts. From the outside, it looked like the others nearby—genuinely beachy.

  They carried their suitcases up the wooden stairway and into the house.

  “Wow!” said Lettie, staring at a huge picture window overlooking the beach. She hurried over to it and peered out.

  The beach lay in front of them, a sandy welcome to the area. Beyond it, the Pacific rolled toward them in white-crested waves. A surfer balanced on a board, riding the crest of a wave for a few seconds before toppling into the water.

  “What is he wearing?” Lettie said, watching the surfer emerge from the water wearing a black, tight-fitting suit of some kind.

  “That’s a wet suit. They’re really neat. When the water is this cold, it keeps someone warm by absorbing a small amount of water into the sponge-like material and then using their body heat to keep them warm. C’mon, let’s get changed and go outside. I want to get some rays of sun.”

  She grinned. “Okay, where do we put our suitcases?” Though she knew he’d like to do much more than share a few kisses, he’d done nothing about it.

  “Let’s see.”

  They walked from the living room to a back hall. A large bedroom, obviously the master, sat on one side of the hallway. Two smaller ones sat across from it.

  “What do you think?” Kenton asked her. “Okay, if we take the big room together?”

  Lettie drew a deep breath and studied Kenton, knowing exactly what sharing that ro
om with him would mean. His kindness, his caring, his sweet kisses were things to treasure. Maybe it was time to see what kind of relationship they really had. Especially with his going to war.

  “We’ll share the room.” The thought of his being injured in war, or worse, was terrifying. She wanted to be here for him now. Though the attraction to him was different from what she’d felt for Rafe, this was even better, deeper, and more tender. To her, that meant a lot.

  They got things settled in the bedroom and quickly changed their clothes. Kenton was kind enough to leave the room to allow Lettie privacy.

  When she stepped out of the bedroom, Kenton grinned. “Even in a mini-skirt and a halter, you’re a knock-out, Lettie. Before we get out in the sun, though, you need to put on some suntan lotion. There’s some in the bathroom. I’ll help you.”

  “Thanks.” With her fair coloring, she’d need it.

  After dabbing lotion on her face, arms, and legs, she turned to Kenton, who’d watched her. “Can you help me with my back?”

  He jumped up out of his chair and gave her a sexy grin that sent goosepimples across her skin. “I’ve been waiting to do this.” He accepted the tube of lotion she handed him, put some on his hands and palmed it across her back in soothing strokes.

  At his touches, shivers traveled across her shoulders. His fingers, so gentle on her skin, held a strength she appreciated.

  He gave her back a pat. “There. More than a little dab, but that will do it.”

  She chuckled and turned to face him. “You sound like the Brylcreem ad. You know ... ‘a little dab will do ya.’”

  He laughed in response. “You’re adorable, you know.” He drew her to him and lowered his lips onto hers. The shivers that filled her this time had everything to do with the sexual response he aroused in her. She knew then that she couldn’t deny her feelings for him. They were so much more than friends. With him, she felt treasured.

  When he pulled away, he stared at her with a deeper color to his blue eyes. “Should we stay here or go on down to the beach?”