by Delia Latham
“Well, I have to admit I didn’t like the idea of leaving you there, but it’s not like I could’ve picked you up and carried you here.”
It was Cole’s turn to laugh. “Somehow I think you’d have tried.” He stared at Raine, shaking his head. “How’d you get so smart, anyway?”
Raine laughed softly. “Smart? Because I know a little about names? I just took a class. I’m no smarter than you, Mr. Victorious. A few extra classes in subjects that interest you, and people will be asking you the same thing.”
“Yeah, whatever.” But his lips were tilted in the right direction, and he’d lost a great big piece of the chip on his shoulder.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments while each of them drained their beverage glasses.
Finally, Raine took the proverbial bull by its gnarled, old horns. “Well, Cole, what have you decided?” Might as well be open with the kid. She had made a promise, and she couldn’t renege on it now. But she could hope. “Am I taking you out of town?”
He dropped his gaze, ran a thumb through a circle of moisture on the table. “Well, I was kinda thinkin’ maybe I could wait a day or two.”
Her heart leapt. “Oh? Well, maybe that’s good. It’s usually best not to make big decisions too quickly.”
“Yeah.” He nodded, looked away, and then slid his gaze back to her. “How come you got me food and stuff? You got no reason to care about me.”
Raine gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Well, I needed to eat too. Maybe I just wanted a little company.”
Now he did roll his eyes, but he grinned. A genuine, youthful grin. “Yeah, right.”
“It’s true! Don’t you think—?”
“Cole Radford!” A deep voice rumbled across the room, which had all but emptied of the lunch crowd.
Cole’s frantic gaze bounced toward the sound. His shoulders stiffened, and then relaxed. “Hey.”
Raine looked up when a tall, dark-haired man stopped beside their table.
The newcomer waited only a few seconds before touching Cole’s shoulder. “Introduce me to your friend, kid.”
“That’s Raine.”
“Raine. Nice name.” The man grinned and offered a hand. “I’m Brady Merckle.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Looks like the two of you have already eaten. That’s good. I would’ve hated to interrupt, but I’ve been hoping to run into, Cole.”
Raine tensed. Was this the boy’s dad? He didn’t seem like the kind of man who’d mistreat a child, but one never knew. She lifted a narrowed gaze.
Staring back at her were kind blue eyes that seemed to know exactly what was going on in her mind. He offered a gentle smile that went a long way toward garnering trust. “Cole’s a friend of mine.” His soft voice soothed.
Raine relaxed, but not completely. She broke the nearly hypnotic hold of the newcomer’s gaze and turned her head to study the boy. “That true, Cole?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I guess. Brady’s a fr—” He dropped his gaze. “He’s all right.”
Raine’s young lunch date had almost claimed the newcomer as a friend. That said something. He trusted Merckle, and for the moment, the guy seemed ready to take Cole under his wing, for one reason or another.
“OK…well…do you want me to take you somewhere?” She didn’t intend to leave without offering him an out, just in case this gentle-looking man wasn’t quite the stand-up guy he appeared to be.
“Um…I’m not sure. What’s up, Brady?”
“I have a project I need help with. There’d be a few dollars in it for you and a room to stay in for a while. Whaddaya think?”
A brief flash of something almost happy lit Cole’s gaunt young face. He squelched it quickly.
But Raine saw, and the tense knot of uncertainty loosened within her. Her prayers had been answered after all.
“You mean, like a job, right?” That was barely contained excitement in the boy’s eyes.
“Well, yeah, for a week or so. Maybe longer.”
“OK. Yeah, I can do that.”
Raine stood. “All right then. I guess I’ll move along. I’d hate to keep a hard-working young man from doing his job.”
Cole offered half a grin. “Hey, thanks for lunch, Miss Raine.”
“You’re welcome. It was nice having some company.” Raine hoisted the strap of her purse over her shoulder. “If you ever want to do it again, you know where to find me, right?” She held the boy’s gaze, hoping he’d understand her underlying message.
“Yeah, OK.” He nodded, and something in his eyes told her he’d copied her silent subtext just fine.
With a nod to Merckle, she walked away. She stopped at the counter to pay for their lunches, and then turned as she walked out the door.
Cole’s friend had taken her seat across the table from the teen.
The kid listened intently while the older man talked. He appeared interested, even excited. Alive. Yes, that was it. Cole’s demeanor showed signs of life…excitement…hope—just the things he should be feeling at his age.
She headed back to the lodge, a satisfied smile tugging at her lips.
****
Her run the next morning proved uneventful. No lost boys to save. No distractions of any kind.
She’d prayed for Cole while she watched the sunrise. For some reason, she felt at peace about the teen. Chances were, she’d never see him again, but God had placed him in her path—on that day and at that time—for a reason. Knowing she’d been even a small part of keeping a youth from possible disaster spilled sunshine into her soul.
“Good morning, Raine! Did you enjoy your run?” Miss Angie’s cheerful greeting danced in the air as Raine jogged out of the woods and onto the grounds behind Paradise Pines, more winded than usual because she’d taken a longer route today. She came to a halt and glanced around the area.
Miss Angie was nowhere in sight, and the disembodied voice seemed to come from the front of the lodge.
Raine chuckled as she headed around the large building. She must have been huffing and puffing more loudly than she’d realized, if Miss Angie heard her from that far away.
The older woman knelt next to a flowerbed Raine had admired often since her arrival a whole week ago. She could now say with all honesty that she’d seen an actual flowerbed, thanks to this visit.
Gorgeous blooms spilled over the edges of an ancient, empty bed frame, the head and foot of which bore a coat of purple paint and white stenciled vines, leaves, and tiny flowers. Miss Angie wore a floppy hat and matching gloves and held a trowel in one hand. She looked up as Raine approached, a welcoming smile lighting her face and warming Raine’s heart to a ridiculous degree.
“Good morning, Miss Angie.” She plopped down onto the lawn next to her hostess. “I always enjoy my run. There’s so much beauty to take in around here.” She scrubbed an arm across her forehead, catching a trickle of sweat before it could reach her right eye. “How did you know I was back?”
“I always know when you’re here, my dear.” Miss Angie gently loosened the soil around the base of a stunning plant whose blossoms Raine didn’t recognize. “You exude such a powerful, sweet presence.”
Raine laughed. “OK, I get it. You’re far too polite to tell me I was snorting like a horse that’s been ‘rode hard and put up wet,’ as they say in the old Westerns.”
Lovely, musical laughter spilled from Miss Angie’s lips and wound itself around Raine like a hug.
Seriously? What in the world was going on with her? Miss Angie’s laughter was warm and pleasant. That’s all. So why did she find herself longing to rest her head on the woman’s shoulder and share every concern she had about her life…about love…about her future? She rose to her feet, determined to get a handle on her unpredictable emotions. “Sure is a pretty day.”
“‘This is the day that the Lord hath made.’” Miss Angie peered up from beneath the brim of her hat, smiling into the sunshine. “‘Let us rejoice and be glad in it.’” The lady se
emed to have a quote from the Bible for just about everything. “Are you going into town, dear?”
The question stopped Raine as she turned toward the lodge. “I hadn’t really thought about it. But I need to shower and get dressed anyway.” She turned again to leave, and then swung back. “I’m sorry, Miss Angie. Did you need something in town? I can make a run in, whether I planned to or not.”
“I kind of thought I’d ride with you if you go—and if you don’t mind, of course. I have a couple of things to take care of.”
“Well, then let’s do it. Sounds like fun! I’ll head on up and make myself presentable. And if you’re not in a hurry, I need to do a load of laundry before we leave.”
“No hurry at all. I’ll try to knock some of this dirt off myself as well. Just come on in the front door when you’re ready.” Miss Angie stood and brushed at her long skirt. “‘Get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives,’” she mumbled. “‘And humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.’”
Raine grinned as she headed upstairs.
Miss Angie and her Scriptures.
By the time she pulled into a parking slot in East Village, the lunch hour had come and gone. She accompanied her companion to the pharmacy. While Miss Angie took care of something at the counter, Raine found a bottle of lotion with a fragrance only slightly less than divine. Then they went into a restaurant just across the street, where Miss Angie purchased a large jar of olallieberry jam. Raine had never heard of such a fruit.
“What’s an olallieberry?”
“Oh, it’s quite heavenly, dear,” Miss Angie told her. Apparently, that’s all Miss Angie needed to know.
Raine was quite curious, so she asked one of the ladies behind the counter.
“You’ll love it!” the clerk told her. “It’s a cross between the loganberry and the youngberry.”
Raine laughed. That made three berries she’d never heard of, so she questioned again.
“This is where it really gets interesting,” the amused clerk explained. “The loganberry is a cross between the blackberry and the raspberry. Youngberry is a mix of blackberry and dewberry. As you can see, the olallieberry is quite the little hybrid.”
Raine sighed. What was a dewberry? People waited in line behind her, so she determined to become “berry wise” by doing a bit of research. In the meantime, she added a couple jars of olallieberry jam to her own purchases.
Afterward, they drove to West Village and wandered in and out of a number of shops, including one of several art studios that featured the work of local artists. Some of the pieces were exquisite.
Raine lingered a long time at a seascape signed “Logan Bullard.” She hadn’t heard the name before, but she would be watching for more from this Cambrian artist.
Miss Angie appeared at her elbow. “Beautiful, isn’t it? Logan has become quite successful in the art world.”
“It’s lovely. You know the artist?”
“Oh yes. A gentle, courteous young man.”
“Well, he’s certainly talented.”
“That he is.” She glanced at a watch that hung from a long chain around her neck. “I’m feeling a little hungry, dear. May I treat you to a very late lunch at Maddy’s?”
“Sounds good.” Raine dragged herself away from Bullard’s amazingly realistic painting of the ocean off Moonstone Beach to enjoy a long, leisurely lunch with Miss Angie. She couldn’t recall ever having spent an entire day just shopping and relaxing with a friend—or even with her mother, for that matter. Miss Angie somehow filled a void she hadn’t known existed inside her. She made up her mind to do as many things with her hostess as possible during her time at Paradise Pines. This kind of day would be unheard of once she returned to Pasadena.
They strolled to the car, with the older woman pointing out a shop here and a studio there, and unloaded their packages into the trunk. Miss Angie reached for the door handle, and then gasped. “Raine, dear, I need to do one more thing. Do you mind? I shouldn’t be long…but maybe close to an hour.” She pointed toward a narrow shop a couple of doors down. “You really should visit the Light House while you’re waiting, since you don’t have any real plans. Shay Light will give you the absolute best mani and pedi you’ve ever experienced. I personally guarantee it.”
She wasn’t really a mani and pedi kind of gal, but…coming from Miss Angie, it suddenly sounded like the best idea ever. “Then I guess I can’t pass it up, can I?”
Miss Angie waved and glided gracefully off in the other direction.
Raine watched her go, and then made her way to the Light House.
Shay Light turned out to be a tiny woman about Raine’s age. She exuded sweetness and light in almost palpable waves. Raine couldn’t help grinning at her own corny way of defining the manicurist, given her surname.
As always, Raine had a hard time keeping her feet still. Pedicures tickled, and that’s why she rarely had them done.
Shay found her jerking feet quite funny. “Your toes are little teasers.” She looked up at Raine from the low stool on which she sat, her eyes bright with laughter. “They allow me to touch, but never to get a real hold on them.”
Answering laughter bubbled from Raine’s lips. “Teasing toes. Really? I’ll never be able to look at my feet the same again.”
The two young women bounced from subject to subject with little pause between. Raine couldn’t understand her quick response to the vivacious sprite who made herself right at home with Raine’s fingers and toes.
Always so busy advancing herself on an academic level, Raine had never taken time to develop close friendships. Acquaintances, yes. People she knew to say hello to, but never anyone she would’ve invited home with her or from whom she might have accepted such an invitation. Plus, there was always a shadowy figure in the back of her mind that made her avoid emotional entanglements. They hurt when they ended, so why let them begin? But with Shay, she opened herself more than she ever had.
The sweet proprietress had a way about her…something warm and real that invited confidences and trust.
“You remind me of someone I…” Raine faltered for a moment, but Shay’s expectant look seemed to demand she finish her statement. “Someone I knew a long time ago.”
“Oh, good!” Shay bounced on her chair, jiggling Raine’s fingers in her exuberance. They’d moved from pedicure station to manicure table with barely a pause in conversation. “I’m so glad to hear that. I was beginning to think I’m from another planet or something. I gotta admit, I haven’t run into a lot of people quite like me. Tell me about this ‘someone’ you knew way back when.”
Raine cleared her throat. “I, um…I don’t talk about her much. She was special, but she’s been…gone…a long time.”
“Oh.” Shay’s eyes filled with compassion. “I’m so sorry. Losing someone you love is hard, isn’t it?”
Just over an hour after entering the shop, Raine was drawn into an exuberant hug by the woman who had indeed given her a uniquely wonderful hand and foot treatment. Shay’s short, spiky auburn hair made a perfect frame for a little pixie face, and her big, open smile seemed capable of setting right all the wrongs in the world. During her hour with the petite shop owner, Raine had laughed harder than she’d ever laughed in her life, and shared more of herself than she’d ever shared with anyone. Could this be what it felt like to have a girlfriend?
Shay bounced on her tiptoes and planted a kiss on Raine’s cheek. “I’m so glad you came in.” Her sweet, high voice fell on Raine’s ears in a shower of joy and sincerity. “Tell Miss Angie I said thanks for sending you. It was fun having the place to ourselves the whole time, although…” A little line appeared between her eyebrows, and she raked stunning gray eyes over the empty chairs. Shay’s unusually large eyes all but overwhelmed her little face with its small, pointed chin. “I can’t remember the last time it was so slow in here.”
“Well, I hope you get enough business the rest of the day to make
up for it.” Raine grinned, feeling mischievous. Shay brought out something young and lighthearted in her. “But I can’t say I’m sorry you were slow this morning. I’ve had such a great time here, Shay. Thank you…for everything. Now are you sure you won’t let me pay? You’ll never make a profit giving away your talent like this.”
“You can pay next time. Today I was compensated sufficiently just because you came in. Trust me, sweetie, this won’t be the last time we’ll see each other, and I think our friend knew that when she sent you here.” She touched a slim finger to Raine’s cheek. “You and I will be closer than sisters…sister.”
Raine swallowed. Hard.
Sisters.
She attempted a smile that surely fell far short of convincing and raised a hand in goodbye. Then she somehow found her way out the door and back to her car. Maybe having a close friend wasn’t such a good idea after all.
“There you are!” Miss Angie straightened up from lounging against the fender. “I take it you found Shay?”
“I did.” Raine opened the passenger door and helped the older woman buckle herself in before circling the car and sliding in behind the wheel. “I like her—she’s quite the personality.”
“I knew you would.”
She managed to get out of town and on the road back to the lodge before the tears refused to be held back.
Miss Angie reached over and patted her arm. “There, there. Don’t you know it wasn’t your fault, dear?”
Raine gasped. “What—” She sniffed and tried again. “What did you say?”
“Skye, of course. What happened to your sister was not your fault, Raine.”
6
A deluge of tears played havoc with her vision. She swiped at them with a tissue Miss Angie handed her, although she hadn’t a clue where the woman had found it. Raine didn’t keep them in the car. She said nothing more. The rest of the drive back to the lodge, she worked on calming herself and trying to remember when she’d mentioned her sister to Miss Angie. The simple fact was she hadn’t.
