by Lori Borrill
Picking the book back up, the girl opened it and went back to her reading. “Yeah.”
Apparently, Rachel’s interest in Rain’s brother didn’t go over well. “I take it you’d rather be doing something else.”
Without looking up from the book, the girl shrugged.
Rachel went back to turning down the sheets on the second bed. “Is it just you and your brother?”
“We’ve got a little sister, Marcy. I’m in the middle.”
Rachel nodded, not needing to hear much more in order to piece together the dynamics of the family. She could tell by the neatness of the rooms, the reading material dotted about and the few pieces of clothing that had been draped on the chairs. This was not a Goth family. On the contrary, Rain was most assuredly the self-proclaimed outcast in a preppie unit that probably idolized the tennis playing son.
Though just to be sure, she asked, “And I guess the family’s making a big to-do about your brother’s tennis career?”
“You’d think he was the next Andre Agassi.”
“I’m sorry. That must be hard. I guess you two don’t get along.”
Rain blinked, taken aback by the question. “Gary? He’s actually pretty okay.” Then a fire hit her eyes. “And he’s not the saint Mom and Dad think he is, though I’ll never tell.”
“You sound like a good sister.”
She shrugged and went back to her book, prompting Rachel to continue working on the bed. She couldn’t help feeling a connection to the girl. Maybe it was what they had in common, that feeling of being out of place in the world they were born into, of being on the sideline of their parents’ lives when they really wanted to be in the center. Though Rachel had never competed against a sibling, she’d definitely competed against her parents’ careers. And as was apparently the case with Rain, she’d ended up the loser.
“So you skipped the Jeep tour and decided to kick back here?”
“I’m skipping all of it, not that they care. They only dragged me here because they didn’t want me home alone for the week. They figured I’d have a big kegger party. It just goes to show how much they know me—not.”
“You mean you wouldn’t have had a wild party if you had the house to yourself all week?”
Rain looked up at Rachel with the same eye of frustration she probably gave her parents a hundred times. “No, I’m totally not into that. Not that you could tell them that.”
At least it seemed that despite what they had it common, Rain was growing up with a better head on her shoulders.
“So while they’re out celebrating their golden child,” Rain grumbled, “I’m stuck here in this prison for the rest of the weekend.”
“They’ll be back soon, won’t they? Those Jeep tours are only a couple hours.”
“They’ve got all kinds of things going on. They won’t be back until after the banquet dinner this evening.”
“I’m sorry,” Rachel said.
Rain shrugged. “No skin off my nose.”
But Rachel could see that it was. She went back to finishing up the bed before moving to the main room, and while she worked, she thought about Rain and her family. She could almost picture the argument between her and her parents, the frustration from both sides where neither of them filled each other’s ideals and expectations. At twenty-six, Rachel was old enough to understand the parents’ concerns, yet still young enough to feel for Rain and her situation. Teenage years could be tough ones for a girl. It was the age where Rachel had started a long and painful downward spiral, of which she was still dealing with the obvious repercussions.
And as she considered what that had been like, she became bothered by the idea of simply saying her goodbyes and walking out. Like so many experiences she’d had during her time at the resort, this was another that seemed to call to her. In another time and place, she wouldn’t have given a girl like Rain a second thought. She would have been too wrapped up in her own issues to even notice.
But she wasn’t in that place anymore. Here at this resort, she’d found the quiet to finally listen to the voice inside her, and this time the voice was telling her not to brush off the angry girl in the other room.
So when she and Anita finished up and got ready to leave, Rachel stepped back to the bedroom. “I was wondering,” she said. “I’m off for the rest of the day. If it’s okay with your parents, would you like to go check out the spa with me?” She held up her fingers. “I’m in need of a manicure. Maybe you could use one, too.”
Rain’s eyes brightened. “Really? You want me to hang with you?”
“You have to clear it with your folks.”
Rain’s excitement deflated. “They’ll never believe me, and even if they did, they’ll just say no.”
“Give them a try. If they want, I’ll talk to them myself.”
Rain quickly dialed the number, and to her astonishment, her parents agreed to let her come with Rachel, as long as they didn’t leave the grounds. As expected, Rachel had had to speak with them personally, and though Rain had been mortified, Rachel appreciated that they took such precautions with their daughter. They’d sounded like nice people who truly cared about her. Rachel suspected they simply weren’t finding a space where they could connect with their rebellious child, and she hoped that someday they would.
In the meantime, she figured she could at least show the girl a good time this afternoon and give her something to go home and talk about. So with her new friend in tow, she took off to the spa.
They started off with manicures then made their way to the pedicure aisle where they slipped into adjacent massage chairs and soaked their feet in warm bubbling water. This was the first spa treatment Rachel had enjoyed since leaving Los Angeles, and after all the work she’d endured, the task she once took for granted now felt exceptionally luxurious.
Several people looked at the two of them curiously, one or two actually spoke up and said hello, but spending time in the public areas of the resort wasn’t turning out to be the disaster Rachel had feared. It occurred to her that without the protection of Stefan, she’d virtually turned herself into a hermit. And while she did need to take caution with her public appearance while she was here, she hadn’t needed to hole herself up in confinement for a month.
“This is so cool,” Rain said, studying the silver-tipped French manicure she’d chosen. “I’m so glad I didn’t go on that stupid outing with my folks.”
The comment needled at Rachel, particularly in light of all the things she’d learned from Rain while having their nails done. It sounded like Rain idolized her older brother and that the two of them were close, but as Rachel had suspected, Rain’s parents conflicted her by placing the boy on a pedestal. Rain had never been as smart or athletic as the older boy, which seemed to be okay until her younger sister was born, stripping her niche as the only girl in the family.
Rachel felt for her, but also knew from experience that there were always two sides to the coin.
“Now, come on,” Rachel said. “If I hadn’t come along, would it have really been better spending the day cooped up in that room? I’ve been on those Jeep tours, and they’re pretty fun.”
Rain frowned as though she were being lectured, leaving Rachel suddenly feeling very old. But maybe it was time to grow up a little. “Have you ever told your parents what bothers you about them?” she asked.
Rain huffed. “Constantly. Like it does any good.”
“I think it’s important you keep trying. Maybe if saying it one way isn’t working, try a different approach.”
“It doesn’t matter. Gary and Marcy will always be the kids they salivate over, and I’ll always be…not.”
“It’s possible that they simply have an easier time understanding Gary and Marcy. That doesn’t mean they care any less about you. It only means you have to try harder to connect than the others.”
Rain rolled her eyes. “Why bother?”
“Because they’re all you’ve got. And like it or not, they’ll always be
important to you, even if you don’t want them to be.” She lowered her voice when the pedicurist sat down in front of her and began removing the polish from her toenails. “You know what I learned only recently? Parents are just people. They don’t have all the answers, and some of them can be as messed up as the rest of us.”
The comment brought out a faint smile.
“For me,” she went on, “it was upsetting to discover they weren’t the heroes I grew up thinking they were. But at the same time, once I figured that out, I stopped being so frustrated. Once I realized they were just as flawed and confused as I was, I started understanding them a little better, and stopped blaming them for everything.”
Rain didn’t answer, but Rachel could tell that her words might be resonating just a tiny bit. And given their short-term friendship, she figured that was enough. This was about showing a young girl a good time, not sending her through psychotherapy, so from that point on, she steered their conversation back to television and music and the kids at Rain’s school.
After pedicures, they went for facials which did wonders for Rain’s complexion by simply washing off all the harsh makeup and restoring the pretty girl underneath, if only for a while. Then the two decided to check out the shopping plaza that stretched between the main hotel and the banquet area of the resort where most of the weddings and conventions took place. They explored all the shops, talked about fashion, and sampled the delicious chocolates at Desert Desserts. It was well into the dinner hour when they finally collapsed into chairs at the terrace café and ordered two iced coffees.
Though it had only been a few weeks since Rachel had been out and about, it felt refreshing to go on a shopping spree and treat herself to a few luxuries that she used to take for granted. Especially in the company of someone like Rain, who seemed to be experiencing the fun of a girls’ day out for the first time.
Sipping her coffee, Rain pulled a bright red tote from the bag next to her chair and admired it. Rachel had seen her ogling it in one of the stores and had treated her with the gift, buying a teal green one for herself in the process.
“My friend Audrey is going to be so jealous,” Rain gushed. “This is the coolest bag ever.”
“It is cool. I’ve got a tan pantsuit at home that needed this,” Rachel said, admiring her new bag.
“So what next?” Rain asked. Her blue eyes were so bright and filled with cheer, Rachel wished it was Rain’s mother sitting here enjoying the time with her daughter. The girl Rachel was looking at now barely resembled the one she’d walked in on hours ago, and it left her sad to know that tomorrow this would all most likely revert back to the way it was.
Families had a way of doing that to people.
“Have you gone to Sammy 8’s?” Rain asked. “What’s that?”
“It’s the restaurant down by the tennis courts. They make all these wild things like dessert that looks like sushi and these exotic salmon tacos. You can see the chef cooking from your table, and every time a plate is ready, he flashes this neon sign and yells, ‘Diiiiishhh!’ We haven’t gone, but I heard some people talking about it.”
Just then, Rachel’s cell phone rang. She pulled it from her purse and a tingle of excitement came over her when she saw that it was Marc. Ever since she’d snuck out of his apartment in the wee hours this morning, she’d been aching to get back. She hoped he was as interested in seeing her again, too.
“Excuse me for a second,” she said, then quickly flipped the phone open. “Hello?”
“I’ve missed you,” said the sexy voice on the other end of the line.
It spread a smile across her lips and warmed several parts of her body. Amazing, how all the man had to do was speak to turn her on.
“Me, too,” she said.
“I need to make some last-minute checks on tomorrow’s tournament, but after that, my evening is free.” His voice lowered to something sultry. “Any ideas on how I might spend my time?”
She giggled like a schoolgirl. “About a hundred.”
“How about you drop by my place in about a half hour? We can order in. A couple John Wayne classics came in the mail the other day. I haven’t checked them out yet. That is, if we get that far.” He chuckled.
Nothing sounded better than another sumptuous evening with Marc, and she opened her mouth to accept when she caught sight of Rain’s face and the eager look of anticipation in her eyes. Clearly, Rain wasn’t ready to let their adventure end just yet, and as Rachel sat there with her mouth open, ready to give an answer, she imagined having to tell the girl that their fun afternoon had just come to an end.
“Rachel, you there?” Marc asked when she didn’t answer.
“Uh, yeah.”
Quickly, her mind recited the goodbye speech she’d give the girl then imagined sending her back to her room to have dinner alone while she waited for her family to return. All it did was remind Rachel of all the times she’d spent with her mother, only to be brushed off long before she’d wanted their day to end.
That kind of disappointment was all too familiar. While she’d ultimately learned to accept her mother for who she was, it was often when growing up that Abigail would whisk into town, pull Rachel out of school to spend a day of shopping and fun, only to dump her back at home hours later because something better had come along.
And as Rachel sat there staring at the unwitting smile on Rain’s face, she didn’t have the heart to do the same, even though she knew she hadn’t made the girl any promises.
“Rachel? You okay?” Marc said.
The lusty thrill in Rachel’s gut sank. “Hold on a second.”
Holding the phone away, she turned to Rain. “Do you want to check out the restaurant tonight?”
The girl beamed. “Could we?”
“Under one condition.”
“Anything!”
“Make me a promise that you’ll go to your brother’s tournament tomorrow and cheer him on.”
The happy look in Rain’s eyes dimmed.
Rachel sighed. “Rain, you love your brother. I know you do.”
“Sure, but…”
“So even though your parents are totally annoying, don’t you think your brother would appreciate it if you went to his tournament? I thought he meant a lot to you.”
“I suppose.”
“If you promise me you’ll go cheer him on tomorrow I’ll treat you to Sammy 8’s tonight.”
It took Rain about a half a second to agree. So with her spirit both pleased and disappointed, Rachel brought the phone to her ear and uttered to Marc, “Sorry. I’m going to have to pass.”
10
“IN THE EYES OF THE LAW, this would be considered cruel and unusual punishment.” Marc took a seat next to Rachel on the café terrace and lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “First, you ditch me for the night, and now that I finally get to see you again, it’s in a place where I can’t put my hands on you.”
Rachel giggled and sipped her drink as if she hadn’t a care in the world, which grated on him. He’d spent too much of last night feeling the weight of an empty bed, wishing she was with him like some pathetic lovesick teen. He’d missed her, both her body and her company, and had wanted to get back to their cozy den as quickly as possible. Yet when the day was through and she’d said she wanted dinner on the plaza instead of their private retreat, he’d stuttered, paused, then lapped it up accepting anything he could get.
How ironic that he’d spent so much time worrying that Rachel would wrap the staff around her finger, when in the end he was the first man to succumb to her.
“We’ve got all night,” she said jovially.
“And I’d planned on making use of it.”
Their server approached the table with a menu for Marc, and after taking Marc’s order for iced tea, went off to fetch the drink.
Over the rim of her glass of white wine, Rachel eyed him seductively. “I can’t wait to see what you have in mind.”
“My feelings exactly. So why don’t we dit
ch this place and dine in?”
“Because it’s time you got out and enjoyed your own resort for a change.”
He opened his mouth to tell her he was enjoying it just fine behind closed doors when the server returned with his tea and asked if they’d like to order. Intent on getting this over as quickly as possible, he picked up his menu to toss out whatever he saw first, but Rachel took it from his grasp and set it on the table.
“We’d like a little time, please,” she said, blinking those big blue eyes so sweetly that the man nearly tripped over his feet as he stumbled away.
Marc understood the sentiment. He’d spent a week sharing his bed with Rachel in the hope that somewhere during that time, the newness would wear off, his infatuation with her would temper and he might be able to go an hour in his day without thinking about her. They’d had more sex in seven days than he’d had in his life, but instead of getting old and familiar, it only seemed to get more exciting.
He’d hoped to sex her out of his system and get his focus back on the job and his resort, but the plan had blown up in his face. And now he’d surrendered to simply take what he could get before she packed up and went home to L.A.
“When was the last time you relaxed and enjoyed this beautiful resort?” she asked.
“I was enjoying myself very much night before last. And the night before that.”
He could tell by the look on her face she was intent to spend some time here, so in a gesture of defeat, he slipped off his suit jacket, draped it over the chair and made himself comfortable, earning a satisfied smile from his temporary lover.
“Before yesterday, I’d spent over two weeks hiding out in my room,” she said. “That is, when I’m not being guarded by the housekeeping staff. And while some of that time has been quite enjoyable—” she flicked a brow “—it occurred there was a beautiful resort here that I hadn’t explored.”
“From what you said earlier, it sounded like you had a good time yesterday.”
“Well, I definitely missed spending time with a special someone, but it got me thinking. I’ve only been hiding out here for two weeks. You’ve been hiding for three years.”
