RAINBOW’S END: FOUR-IN-ONE COLLECTION

by Valerie Comer, Annalisa Daughety, Nicole O’Dell

  Madison nodded. “I just don’t see us working well together.”

  “He’s not a bad guy. He moved here about a year ago, but we’ve known him for a long time.”

  Just because they’d known him for a long time didn’t mean he was someone Madison wanted to be forced to spend time with. But maybe she could play nice for a couple of days, and then they could go their separate ways. “I’m sorry about Joshua.”

  Brook nodded. “He’s a little trooper. I knew when I found out I was having a boy that at some point there’d probably be a broken bone.”

  “I guess.”

  “But with me out of town, there are some things I’m going to need for you to do.” She picked up a notepad from the counter. “I started making a list. Check to see if Grandma needs to go to the grocery store. And she has a doctor’s appointment next Friday that you’ll need to drive her to.”

  Madison nodded. She’d gone with Brook a couple of times to visit their grandmother, and it had been good to see her. Although all those pictures of Mama had probably been the reason for her dream last night. “Okay, I can do that. Maybe I’ll take her to dinner one night or something.”

  Brook nodded. “She’d love it. Now that she doesn’t drive, she doesn’t get out much. She can ride the church van on Sunday, but it would be nice if you’d go pick her up instead.”

  “Of course.”

  Brook sighed. “And you’re going to have to go and see Daddy. He knows you’re in town.” Madison made a face.

  “Come on, Maddie. He’s not going to be around much longer. The doctor said there’s nothing more that can be done for him. Do you really want to waste precious time holding some stupid grudge left over from when you were a teenager?”

  “I’m not holding a grudge. And don’t call me Maddie.” Madison took a sip of coffee. “You weren’t there. You were off at college. Do you know what it was like to live in that house after you and Mama were both gone?” Madison shook her head. “He didn’t even know I existed most days. Before I could drive, he’d actually forget about me. Forget to come pick me up from football games or track meets. I was that poor kid who always had to catch a ride with someone. The kid no one cared about.”

  Brook shook her head. “It wasn’t like that.”

  It had been exactly like that. Once Mama passed away, Daddy had started drinking and never stopped. Brook had gone off to college in Cape Girardeau and then got married. But Madison had been the one to suffer. In just a few short years, she’d lost every bit of stability she’d ever had. “He was awful to me,” she whispered.

  “He was a grieving widower who’d lost the center of his world. I know it seemed bad then, but don’t you think you could cut him some slack now? Now that his kidneys are failing and there’s nothing that can be done for him?”

  Madison rubbed her temples. She and Brook would never see eye to eye on this. But she didn’t want to argue anymore. “I’ll go see him. Is there anything else?”

  “No.” Brook reached out and smoothed Madison’s hair. “But you might try to get rid of some of that anger before it eats you up inside.”

  Madison’s eyes filled with unexpected tears. Mama used to smooth her hair just like that when she was a little girl.

  A horn honked in the driveway.

  Brook peeked out the window. “It’s Grant. If you want to run and change, I’ll go out and tell him you’ll be a minute.”

  Madison looked down at her sundress and leather flip-flops. “Oh, this will be fine. Don’t you think? I mean, I’m not wearing heels or anything. And this dress is really casual.”

  “I’m not sure you should take off on a hiking trail in that.”

  Madison laughed. “I’ll be okay. I wear dresses most of the time. Besides, maybe this way he’ll go easy on me. I mean, the caches you and I found weren’t on hiking trails. I’m sure there are more of those.”

  Brook sighed. “Have fun.” She pulled Madison into a quick hug. “And call me if you need me or if you have any questions about anything here.”

  “I will.” Madison grabbed her purse and headed out the door.

  Grant stood in the driveway, the driver’s side door open on what might be the oldest, rustiest truck she’d ever seen.

  “You’ll have to climb in through my side,” he said. “The passenger side door doesn’t open anymore.”

  You have got to be kidding me. She lifted her chin and climbed into the dirty pickup truck with as much dignity as she could muster.

  Grant snickered but didn’t say anything when she got her purse hung on the stick shift.

  Madison buckled the rusty seat belt and cringed at the smear of dirt across her yellow dress.

  He climbed inside and put the truck in reverse. The engine roared like a jet. “No worries,” he said. “This truck has been running for a long time; it’s not about to stop now.”

  It’s probably been running ever since it came off the assembly line on the day trucks were invented. Madison shrugged. She’d just hope for the best. It seemed like she’d been doing a lot of that lately.

  Grant forced his eyes to focus on the road and not drift over to Madison. She looked like she was heading to high tea instead of a geocaching hunt. She’d brought a purse instead of a backpack, and he’d be willing to bet his lucky fishing lure that she didn’t have so much as a bottle of water in there. “I’ve already entered a few caches into the GPS. How about we go easy today and save the hiking for later in the week?” “Suits me.”

  He cleared his throat. Most of the time not having a radio in his truck didn’t bother him. But since he normally traveled alone or with Grandpa, there weren’t awkward silences to worry about. “So what brings you here, anyway? You don’t seem all that enthused about geocaching.” He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

  “I’ve been in Atlanta working in marketing for a nonprofit that helps single moms find resources to aid in their success. It was kind of a catchall place. The organization does everything from providing cribs and car seats to résumé and interview workshops. But we rely on grants for funding, and this last go-around, we lost one of ours. Marketing is always one of the first things to get cut.”

  He could hear the pain in her voice beneath the matter-of-fact words. “Wow. Tough break. I’m sorry.”

  She shrugged. “I really enjoyed feeling like I was doing something to make a difference, but my dream is to get a marketing position for a big company.”

  That didn’t surprise him. She struck him as the kind of person who’d want to be surrounded by the bright lights of a city. “So what’s next?”

  “I have my résumé out and am just hoping to find something soon. Brook and Scott invited me to stay with them rent-free while I’m looking, which is a huge blessing. Otherwise, I would’ve blown through my savings.”

  He nodded. “So you grew up here, then?”

  “I grew up over in Roach. Population not many.” She chuckled. “The place is so tiny we didn’t even have a school. It’s about twenty miles from where Brook lives now. When I went to college, I claimed Osage Beach as my hometown just because it sounded more glamorous.”

  He grinned. Madison definitely didn’t seem like the kind of person who hailed from a place called Roach. “Wise decision.” He slowed the truck down and flipped on the blinker. “So the first cache we’re looking for is actually in a cemetery not far from Roach. I hope that doesn’t freak you out.”

  She shook her head. “I thought this road looked familiar. I think I know where we’re headed.”

  Grant parked the truck just off the road and grabbed the GPS. “I’ve got a cooler in the back of the truck with water, but this one shouldn’t be much of a hike.” He climbed out of the truck and waited for Madison.

  “Okay, what does the clue say?” she asked once they were at the cemetery entrance.

  He clicked a button on the GPS. “Here’s the clue:

  A place of peace

  A place of rest

  Find the prize
/>
  Just past a Test.”

  She stared at him for a long moment then burst out laughing. “At least this one kind of rhymes. The ones Brook and I did the other day sure didn’t.”

  Grant grinned. “Yeah, the one Grandpa and I found didn’t either.” He clutched the device and began to walk.

  Madison cleared her throat. “I haven’t been here in a long time,” she said softly. “Not since I was fifteen.”

  “Oh no. Let me guess. You and your friends used to hang out in cemeteries and tell scary stories.” He’d grown up in a small town and remembered the lengths he and his friends had gone to entertain themselves.

  She shook her head. “Actually, my mama is buried here.”

  Smooth, man. Very smooth. “I’m sorry. Hey, we can turn back if you want to. Or you can go sit in the truck, and I’ll find the thing.”

  Madison forced a smile. “It’s fine. I’ve been meaning to come out anyway. The last time I was here, the headstone wasn’t up yet.”

  He concentrated on the GPS, unsure of what to say. Grandpa had mentioned that Madison had dealt with a lot, but he hadn’t been specific. “We should be close,” he said.

  She pointed at an ancient stone. “Look at that. John Test.” She grinned. “There’s a bench just past his headstone.”

  Grant knelt down and pulled an ammunition box from underneath the bench. “And here it is.” He held up his hand for a high five.

  She slapped his hand. “Nicely done.” She perched on the stone bench.

  Grant sat down next to her and opened the box. He signed the logbook and passed it to her, all too aware of their close proximity.

  “Okay, do we leave something in there or what?” she asked. He grinned and reached into one of the pockets on his cargo shorts. “How about this?” He held up a fuzzy yellow fishing lure.

  She laughed. “Perfect.”

  Grant had so many lures at his house, he’d decided to leave one in each cache box. A couple of years ago, one of his sponsors on the bass fishing tour circuit had been a lure manufacturer. He’d done a few commercials and print ads for them, and in return they’d sent him boxes and boxes of lures. “Okay, we have to put the box back exactly where we found it.”

  Madison grabbed the box and tucked it under the bench. “Would you mind …” she trailed off.

  He understood immediately. “I’ll wait here.”

  She nodded. “I won’t be gone long.”

  Grant watched her walk away, suddenly struck by the urge to protect her from the pain he knew she was about to experience.

  Chapter 4

  Madison sank to her knees in front of Mama’s grave. Her dress was already ruined by the rust smudges, so a little dirt wouldn’t hurt it now. Her eyes filled with tears as she read the headstone: Charlene Myers Wallace Daughter, Wife, Mother, Friend Matthew 6:21

  She pulled her phone out of her purse and opened her favorite Bible app. Every Sunday she was always afraid the preacher would think she was texting in church, but really she loved being able to have the Bible with her everywhere she went. It even had a cool audio feature that allowed her to listen to the scriptures instead of reading them. Every time she had to fly, the soothing words calmed her nerves.

  The verse in Matthew had been her Mama’s favorite verse, one she’d quoted so many times when Madison was a little girl.

  “‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’ “

  Madison traced her fingers over the birth and death years embossed on the stone. Mama had only been a few years older than Brook was now when she’d died of breast cancer. Madison remembered exactly how she’d felt the day the casket had been lowered into the grave. With Grandma on one side of her and Brook on the other, she had stood trembling, a fifteen-year-old about to become an adult overnight. Brook was a freshman in college who rarely came home, and Daddy spent the next three years lost at the bottom of a bottle.

  Madison had fended for herself okay, but those milestones in a teenage girl’s life—her first date, picking out a prom dress, applying to college—had been lonely reminders of what she’d lost. At first she’d tried to imagine what her mama would’ve said on each occasion, but soon it had become too painful.

  She plucked a rose from the container that she guessed Brook had left at the base of the headstone. Was she selfish for staying away for so long? Or had that been the only way she could survive the pain?

  “Mama, would you be proud of me? I did what you weren’t able to—left this town and tried to make something of myself.” Madison wanted to believe that her mama would’ve been happy with the way she’d turned out. But there’d been a niggling doubt about that ever since her conversation with Scott last week. He’d made no effort to hide his disapproval.

  Lord, help me to face the past. Give me patience and wisdom as I deal with my daddy. She stood up and brushed the dirt from her knees. She hated that Grant had been with her for this. But at least he’d given her some privacy. She walked toward the bench where he sat. It wasn’t that she thought he was a jerk or anything, but he was the kind of guy she’d made sure never to get involved with. The outdoorsy, no-ambition kind of guy who’d be content to stay in a rural town forever.

  Just like her daddy.

  So no matter how cute he was, with his blond curls and tanned skin, she’d just have to stay strong. She marched over to where he sat fiddling with the GPS. “We can go now,” she announced.

  He looked up. “Are you okay?”

  At the concern in his voice and on his face, she almost faltered. But he wasn’t the kind of guy she needed to confide in. She tossed her hair. “I’m fine.” He’d seen her too vulnerable already. Time to toughen up. “What’s next on the agenda?”

  “How about we grab a bite to eat somewhere?” he asked as they headed toward the truck.

  She wrinkled her nose. That seemed an awful lot like a date. “What did you have in mind?”

  He opened the squeaky truck door and waited for her to slide in.

  “Nowhere fancy. We can just grab fast food and eat on the way to the next cache.” He fired up the engine. “If that’s okay with you.”

  She shrugged. “Don’t you think the truck is kind of … dirty to be eating inside of it?”

  Grant rolled his eyes. “It might not be five-star like you’re probably used to, but it would save us time.” He raised an eyebrow. “But if you insist on going in somewhere and eating together, it’s fine by me.” He turned onto Highway 54 and headed toward Osage Beach.

  His tone of voice irritated her. Like he’d be doing her a favor by gracing her with his presence at the lunch table. “You know what? Driving through for burgers is fine.”

  Grant slowed down as they approached a McDonalds. “This okay?”

  “Fine.”

  He pulled into the parking lot. “It will probably be quicker if we order inside.”

  She was dying to use the restroom, so that was fine by her. “Okay.” She slid across the seat and hopped out of the truck.

  “You’re an old pro at that now.” He grinned.

  Madison rolled her eyes and followed him inside. The cold air conditioning was a welcome relief from the heat. “Here’s a five.” She handed him a bill. “Just get me a burger and a chocolate shake.” She hurried off to wash her hands and see if she could do anything about the splotches of rust and dirt on her dress.

  Grant watched her go and shook his head. Just when he’d decided she was horrible and spoiled, she’d been a lot of fun as a geocaching partner. But then she’d been uptight again in the truck on the way here, acting like eating inside the vehicle was beneath her.

  He wished she’d pick a side and stay there.

  Grant quickly placed their order and waited at the counter.

  “I’ll stand here if you want to go wash up,” Madison said.

  He glanced at her. Her hair was freshly brushed, and it looked like she’d touched up her lipstick. “Sorry about the rusty spots.” He nodded toward the skirt of
her sundress.

  She shrugged. “It’s okay. I’ve had this for a long time.”

  Ten minutes later they were back in the truck.

  Grant picked up the GPS and turned it on.

  “Are there any other caches nearby?” she asked.

  He scrolled down the list. “There’s one on the way back to Brook’s house. Are you up for one more?”

  She nodded. “Sure.”

  “This is another easy one that we should just be able to park and grab. Not much hiking.” He pulled onto the highway. “Did you ever go over to Ha Ha Tonka State Park when you were a kid?” The park, located just south of Camdenton, was one of his favorite places. In fact, the section of the Lake of the Ozarks that ran through there was where he liked to fish. “Of course.”

  “There are several caches around there. I was thinking, maybe we can plan to spend all day there one day next week. I’ve got work to do the next two days, and I promised Grandpa I’d help him do some repair work at his house on Saturday. But maybe Monday?”

  She nodded. “Monday works. I’ve got some stuff I need to do this week anyway.”

  “Just a hint though,” he said, glancing over at her. “You might want to dress for hiking. Do you have sturdy shoes? Hiking boots?”

  She furrowed her brows. “I’m sure I can find something suitable.” She turned her attention back to her burger.

  At least he’d made the suggestion. Whether she wanted to take it was up to her. But from what he could tell, some of the caches at Ha Ha Tonka would take some major hiking. And if she showed up in flip-flops on Monday, he didn’t know what he’d do.

  “Brook told me you just moved here a year ago.” Madison glanced over at him. “Where had you been living before that?”

  “I’m originally from a little town in Arkansas called Flippin. It’s on Bull Shoals Lake. My dad worked for Ranger Boats until he retired.”

  “So that explains your love of fishing?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “I guess. Grandpa and Dad took me fishing all the time when I was a kid.” He wasn’t ready to tell her that he’d been a professional bass fisherman for several years. He had a feeling she wouldn’t be impressed by that, just like his ex-girlfriend hadn’t been. In fact, his choice of career had eventually led to the demise of that relationship.