by Laina Turner
Finding Rachel
A Moonshire Bay Small Town Romance
Laina Turner
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Thanks For Reading
romance About the Author
Also By Laina Turner (and L.C. Turner)
1
Rachel sat in her car and took one last look at the family home—well, if you considered two people a family, which was how she’d always thought of herself and her now ex-husband, Richard. They’d never had kids, not by choice but by biology, and while realizing that limitation had been tough, she’d been able to deal with it, knowing that she had Richard. Until she’d learned that she didn’t. She’d only recently found out that apparently, he hadn’t felt the same way as she did about the “’til death do us part” vow. A wave of sadness washed over her as she fought back tears, but she was determined not to cry. She’d shed enough tears over him and had told herself that she had to stop the pity party and move on. Just as he had. She’d loved Richard and hadn’t wanted a divorce. She’d begged and pleaded to go to counseling to work things out, but he’d said there was nothing left to work out. She’d finally realized that she couldn’t fight the inevitable. Her marriage was over. She needed to focus on moving on to the next chapter of her life, whatever that might hold, and stop dwelling on the past, which she couldn’t change.
If only it weren’t so hard. When you’d spent over twenty years with someone who was your best friend, your lover, the most important person in your life, figuring out how to navigate life alone was hard. She tried not to think bitterly that Richard didn’t seem to have the same problem. She didn’t want to be that bitter woman scorned, but that was hard to avoid. Richard already had a girlfriend, one fifteen years younger, as he had told her conversationally; one still young enough to have children, he hadn’t said, but the thought had lingered there between them. Richard had always assured her that not having kids was fine and that he only needed her, but she’d realized, after the fact, that she’d had her doubts about that. He hadn’t been trying to hurt her by telling her about his new companion, he’d said, but just wanted her to know before one of their mutual friends told her. How on earth had he thought that the news wouldn’t hurt her? She was a bit incredulous that he couldn’t grasp that it would. He wasn’t an idiot and was normally empathetic and compassionate. He’d seemed surprised that she’d been upset after he’d told her. She’d never understand that.
The divorce had been fairly easy, as far as divorces go. The house had been sold, the assets evenly divided, and she’d bought a condo across town. It wouldn’t be ready to move into until late August, as the sellers hadn’t moved out yet, and then she would be having some work done.
Since she had no place to live for a couple of months, she’d decided to put her stuff in storage and take the summer off, something that she hadn’t done since she was a student. At that moment, she had the time and, fortunately, the money to do pretty much what she wanted, within reason. She’d rented a house for the summer in Michigan, in a lake community northeast of Detroit called Moonshire Bay.
It looked small and quaint and like the perfect place to spend some time figuring out how her life was going to look in her next chapter, or rather, how she wanted it to look. Everything that she’d always wanted in life, she’d worked hard to make happen, but this time, she didn’t have a long-term plan. She hadn’t thought about any plans in years that didn’t include Richard. She needed to figure out how any new plans were going to look.
She backed out of the driveway for the last time and hit the road, determined to put the memories behind her as she did the miles.
Rachel pulled into the driveway of her rental house a few hours later, and a green Jeep was already there, waiting. She assumed it was Laura Fuller, the caretaker of the property, who was meeting Rachel to give her the keys to what would her new home for the summer, along with a quick overview of the place. She parked her car next to the other one and got out.
A blonde woman in her late forties or early fifties came out onto the porch and waved. "You must be Rachel,” she said when Rachel reached the porch.
“I sure am.”
“Come on in. Can I get you something to drink? Water or iced tea? I made some for your arrival. Not the water. You’ll always have water, but the tea,” she joked.
“That was nice of you; you sure didn’t have to do that.”
“I know,” Laura responded matter-of-factly. “I just like guests to feel welcome.”
As they entered the kitchen and Rachel looked around, she observed that the pictures she’d viewed online didn’t begin to do the house justice. For a cottage in the woods, it was very modern, with white cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, and a beautiful granite countertop, nicer than the one in her old house. The walls in the kitchen were a soft, pale yellow with gray accents. The overall effect was very homey, making the house feel lived in, in a good way. She could already picture herself drinking her morning coffee at one of the barstools while looking through the living room to the beautiful outdoors. A happy feeling washed over her for the first time in months.
Laura poured them both a glass of tea and handed Rachel hers. “Follow me and I’ll give you a tour.”
The house wasn’t all that big, but it had an open floor plan that made it feel spacious. Rachel couldn’t help but think about how much Richard would’ve liked the house, a thought she tried to quickly banish. She didn’t want any thoughts of Richard tarnishing her fresh start. She needed to work on not thinking about him at all. If only there were a pill she could take for that, she mused.
“So, you’re staying the entire summer?”
Rachel nodded. “Is that unusual?”
“Frankly, yes. We mostly get families coming out for a week’s vacation or retirees like me who spend the whole summer, not young things like you.”
“You’re a retiree?” Rachel asked, shocked because Laura certainly didn’t look to be retirement age.
“Yep. Just turned sixty-five last month. My husband, Harvey, and I stay here summers. Our family is back in Pittsburgh, or we’d stay here permanently. But I just can’t give up seeing those grandkids all the time. I help out the owner in exchange for a reduced rate at their other property, and also to get me out of the house. I like to stay busy. So, here is my absolute favorite part of this property,” she said, changing the subject, “the patio.”
With a flourish, Laura opened the floor-length blinds on the patio door and slid the glass door open. Wow, Rachel thought. It was breathtaking. There was a large wooden deck with steps that led down to brick pavers that continued all the way to the beach. There was a hot tub in one corner, a bricked-in grill, an outdoor fridge, and a fire pit in the middle of a gorgeous, outdoor sectional with umbrellas to put up if you wanted to block the sun.
Rachel sucked in her breath.
“See, I told you this was the best part.” Laura smiled.
“You weren’t kidding. The rest of the house could be a dump and who would care? Not that it is, but I might just spend all summer out here,”
“Will you be having any family join you while you’re here?”
There it was, the family word that felt like a punch to the gut, something else she was going to need to get used to.
“Nope. Just me,” she answered with forced cheerfulness.
“How nice,” Laura said without skipping a beat, though she noticed a fleeting glimpse of sadness on Rachel’s face. Laura wasn’t one to pry, so I didn’t comment. “Let me
show you the rest of the house, especially the hot water heater. It can be temperamental at times.”
Laura took her through the rest of the house, and it was all beautiful. Rachel became more and more excited about her stay as they toured, feeling like it would be exactly what she needed.
“Listen, I’ll get out of your hair now so you can get settled, but if you want, let’s meet in town for lunch tomorrow. I’ll show you around there and introduce you to some people. We’re a very close-knit community, and the people here are great.”
“I would love that.”
“Great. Meet me at noon at May’s Cafe. It’s right in downtown on Main Street. You can’t miss it.”
Rachel walked Laura to the door, said goodbye, and then brought the rest of her things in. By the time she’d unpacked and roamed around, checking out all the nooks and crannies, she was thirsty, so she refilled her iced tea from the pitcher that Laura had so thoughtfully provided and went back out onto the deck.
Settling down in a heavily padded, yellow and white striped chaise lounge, she took a deep breath and sighed. It was not an unhappy sigh, but rather a one of contentment now that she was in this beautiful house overlooking the beach. She was sitting and watching several families out enjoying the sand, when a man caught her eye. The beach was probably three or four hundred feet away, so while she couldn’t make him out clearly, she could tell that he was probably about her age. He had quite a nice physique. She started laughing even though no one was around to hear her. The thought of being attracted to someone and dating again seemed so absurd to her; she hadn’t considered being with anyone else since splitting from Richard. She’d lain awake many nights thinking that that part of her life was over, though, maybe it wasn’t.
2
Rachel woke up the next morning and checked the clock. It was an old windup that had been on the nightstand, and she’d decided to use it because the soft ticking sound reminded her of her grandfather. He’d had a clock like that in his bedroom when she’d been a girl. She didn’t think she’d used a wind-up clock in over twenty years.
The clock said 10 a.m., and she bolted upright. She couldn’t believe how late it was. She’d gone to bed early, tired from the drive, and had thought she’d be awake significantly earlier. She didn’t think that in the past year she’d had a full night’s sleep, and hadn’t expected one the previous night. Rachel had assumed that she’d wake up in the night like she normally did, often around 3 a.m., tossing and turning for hours before finally falling back to sleep right before the alarm went off. At the very least, she hadn’t expected to sleep for over twelve hours straight. She felt great for the first time in months, not groggy, not exhausted, but like an actual, normal person.
She grabbed a soft, grey sweatshirt and threw it over her tank top and sleep shorts. It was a little chilly in the house from the air conditioning, though the sun was shining brightly outside, and she headed down to the kitchen to make some coffee. A few minutes later, she was on the deck, coffee in hand, standing at the railing and just looking at the beach, relishing the sun beating down on her face. The deck was already her favorite place at the house. The next day, she planned to take a morning walk, but for now, she was content with the sun and the view.
She sat out there enjoying peace and quiet for a good hour until she decided that it was time to shower and get ready to head into town to meet Laura. While she had come to Moonshire Bay to have alone time, she didn’t feel the need to spend every minute by herself. She was looking forward to meeting people. She was a social person, and she and Richard had shared a wide circle of friends that had grown more narrow with the divorce. People didn’t know how to handle being friends with both of them, and most had aligned with either Rachel or Richard. They hadn’t wanted to pick sides, many people had assured her, but they had anyway. Due to the nature of Richard’s job, there was more potential for an upside to being his friend, so many had flocked his way instead of hers. It was sad, but she understood.
Wrapped up in a towel after her shower, she left her wavy, shoulder length, brown hair to air dry and looked in the closet at her clothes. She decided on a yellow sundress, since yellow seemed to be the theme of the house, and slipped into her undergarments, then pulled the dress over her head. She looked in the mirror and thought that she would probably look better with Spanx on, but she decided that she didn’t care. Her body was good enough, which was not something that she always felt, but today she felt confident. A swipe of mascara and eyebrow pencil, since her eyebrows had thinned over the last few years to the point where they were barely noticeable, along with an application of sheer pink lip-gloss, was her only makeup.
She had never been a big make up person anyway, and she didn’t see the need to get all glammed up for a trip to town. This was a vacation, after all. Her mind quickly flitted to Richard’s new girlfriend, who was Rachel’s opposite. The pictures that she’d seen of her, of them, while stalking Richard’s Facebook page a few times when she had lost all resolve to not be that woman—the kind who tortured herself by stalking her ex—showed not a hair out of place and the makeup of a perfect woman. And Rachel had to begrudgingly admit that the woman didn’t even need it; she was already beautiful. She wondered if that was what Richard was attracted to, the perfectly put together woman? Rachel wasn’t that person. She’d never been that person.
She had to stop allowing herself to think this way. There was nothing wrong with her. She hadn’t changed; Richard had. Thinking like this wasn’t healthy, and there was no point. It wasn’t going to change anything.
Resolving to put Richard and his companion out of her mind, she put in a pair of simple, river stud earrings, headed downstairs, grabbed her purse, and walked to the car.
The drive was short, and May’s Cafe was easy to find, as Laura had told her it would be. When she walked in, the bell on the door clanged, and Laura waved from a booth in the back corner. Rachel made her way back there and joined her.
“Find it okay?”
“Just like you said. Can’t miss it.”
“The advantages of a small town. Don’t need GPS. You can see from one end to another.”
A young waitress in her early twenties, or so Rachel surmised, walked up to the table. “I know what you want Ms. Laura, but what can I get you to drink?” she asked, turning to Rachel.
“Iced tea with lemon, please.”
“You got it. I’ll get those drinks and be back to take your order.”
“What’s good here?” Rachel asked, looking over the menu, which featured standard diner fare. She had a feeling that no matter what she ordered, it would be good. In her experience, places like this weren’t fancy, but they made up for that in taste and portions.
“I’ve never had a bad meal here, but I’m partial to the BLTs. It’s the best bacon and tomatoes you’ve ever tasted.”
“That’s good with me,” Rachel said and put down her menu.
When their food came, Rachel learned that Laura was right. The BLT was divine. For such a simple sandwich, it tasted delicious. The ladies were chatting and enjoying their meal when the ding of the front door bell caused Rachel to turn her head toward it. She did a double-take at the man who walked in. She was pretty sure it was the same man that she’d seen on the beach. He had the same light brown hair and attractive physique that she’d admired from afar. Even the T-shirt and jeans that he wore at that moment, instead of the swim trunks he’d had on the day before, didn’t hide the fact that he stayed in shape.
Laura noticed Rachel looking but didn’t say anything, instead waving to the man. “Hey, Evan. Come over and say hi to our newest resident.”
Rachel’s heart pounded as Evan walked over and slid into the booth next to Laura, staring directly at Rachel. Heat crept over her cheeks. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had stared at her so intently. She definitely knew that Richard hadn’t for years.
“Evan, this is Rachel. Rachel, Evan.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said,
holding his hand out over the table to shake. She took his hand. Her pulse started to race, startling her and causing her to quickly pull her hand away. She faked a coughing spell to make it look like that was why she had withdrawn, but she had a feeling, based on the fact that his smile had grown even wider, that he knew it wasn’t the reason. She was embarrassed, though at least he didn’t call her out. She’d give him points for being a gentleman.
“Evan is a permanent resident and runs the town’s only bar, aptly named Evan’s Bar, so if you have any questions about anything, he’s your guy,” Laura explained. “People seem to tell him everything.”
“Oh. Have you lived here your entire life?” Rachel asked.
He shook his head. “No, just the last ten years or so. I’m originally from Oregon. Listen Ladies, I’d love to stay and chat, but I need to get back to work. I’m just here to pick up my lunch.”
“Don’t you have food at your place?” Laura teased.
“The special today is meatloaf, and nothing on my menu can compete with Claire’s meatloaf. Just don’t tell Bert that. See you ladies later.”
Laura watched him walk away. “He’s such good guy.”
“You said he runs the bar?”
“Yep. Bought it when he moved here and has been a fixture of the community ever since.”
“Does he have a family?”
“If you’re asking if he’s married, no. He’s very much single, though not for lack of the women around here trying. Just that none have been successful. You interested?”
“Oh, God no,” Rachel replied, horrified that Laura might have noticed her earlier reaction to his touch. “I was just making conversation.”
Laura burst out laughing. “Relax, I’m teasing. Now, let’s order some pie. Claire, the owner, makes the best pies.”
