Rainy felt like she could jump out of her skin as the doors slowly shut, the elevator rattled and started its slow climb up. The orderly maneuvered the gurney off at the second floor. Rainy had to concentrate to keep from tapping her foot in irritation as the old man used his walker to exit on the third floor. Just as the doors were shutting, someone stuck their hand in and stopped the doors from closing. A nurse in blue scrubs entered and took her time looking at the buttons. As the doors were closing again, she turned to Rainy and apologized.
“Sorry. I thought this was going down.” She punched the button to open the doors again and strolled off. Alone in the elevator at last as it moved upward, Rainy blew a raspberry. She was tired and grouchy and the chocolate candy bar she’d eaten was not making her stomach happy.
Stepping off the elevator, she followed the signs to room 413-A. The door was closed. She pushed it open and walked inside. Monitors beeped. A television on the wall droned on with a weather report. Rainy walked to the railing and stared at the man she’d once thought she might love. Martin looked like he was sleeping. He was ghastly pale with bandages on his arms and hands. His eyelashes and brows were gone, a bandage covered his forehead, but the rest of his face wasn’t burned.
She pulled a chair up and sat down with a sigh. Wondering what she thought she’d accomplish here, she shut her eyes and let herself relax.
“What are you doing here?”
Rainy jumped at the sound of a female voice. She hadn’t realized she’d drifted off to sleep in the chair. A skinny woman with frizzy blond hair stood over her with her arms crossed and an angry scowl on her face. She wore red lipstick that had bled from her lips onto the surrounding skin.
“I came to see how Martin is doing. Who are you?”
“Never mind who I am. What do you want with Martin?”
Something about the voice resonated with Rainy. She blinked to get the sleepiness out of her eyes and stared at the woman.
“Well?” The blond tapped her foot impatiently.
“Is he still in the coma?”
“Yes, but if he wasn’t he’d need to rest.”
“And who are you?” Rainy was getting annoyed. And why did this woman’s voice seem so familiar?
“Look. Martin doesn’t want anything to do with you after you stole from him. Why don’t you go on home to your café?”
The voice clicked in Rainy’s mind. The woman’s complexion was so sallow and pimpled, it took a moment for Rainy to recognize her as the same person who’d helped Martin kidnap her, Toni Broetchke.
“You!” Rainy jumped up and lunged at the woman. She was ready to use some of the moves she’d learned in her kick boxing lessons.
Lucky for Toni, a nurse stepped into the room pushing a cart for checking Martin’s vital signs. Her mouth formed a perfect oval when she saw the two women about to fight.
Toni didn’t seem phased. She advanced on Rainy with hands like claws.
“He’s mine. You stay away. You think you can take him from me? He’s been mine since we were fifteen. You were just a distraction.”
Rainy backed up. She hadn’t anticipated this. She’d thought this woman was in jail. The woman kept talking.
“He used to come to my place, and we’d laugh about you and your high falutin’ ways. He said you were so organized, you had your panties lined up in the drawers by color. He even said you got upset if he left his razor on the sink. You drove him crazy. He loved spreading flour all over your clean kitchen. I was the one who broke the china. You think you’re so special? You’re not. You were just a fling he had after we had one of our fights. You’re not the first, and you sure as hell won’t be the last. But in the end. He’s mine. Mine. Do you hear me?”
The nurse had backed out of the room. Rainy tried to get by the hysterical woman in front of her, but the doorway was blocked. She was hoping that the nurse was getting a security guard.
“I’m leaving. I don’t know what I was thinking. Coming here was a mistake.”
“Yeah. It was a big mistake.” Toni stepped aside and Rainy pulled the door open, rushed out, and ran into what felt like a wall. It was a man’s chest. She couldn’t see for the tears in her eyes. The man reached for her and held her by both arms.
“Hey. Don’t listen to her, she’s crazy,” he said.
Rainy gasped.
“Gabe?”
Chapter Thirty – Gabe
Gabe pulled Rainy in and hugged her tight. She shook in his arms, and he could feel her tears soaking through his shirt. He’d heard the ugly words Toni said and wanted nothing more than to erase them from Rainy’s memory. Her trembling lessened, and she pulled away enough to look up into his face.
“Why are you here? Where’s your sling?”
“Let’s find a place to sit. Have you eaten anything?”
“Answer me, Gabe.”
He let go long enough to stand by her side and wrap his arm around her shoulders.
“I went by the café to find you. When you weren’t there, I stopped by your house. You were already on the road. I tried to call and text, but you didn’t answer. I hoped to catch up to you, but only arrived a couple of minutes ago.”
Rainy wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sniffled. Gabe pulled a handkerchief out of his back pocket and handed it to her. She blew her nose and crumpled the cloth but didn’t give it back.
“I don’t understand why you followed me.”
He hugged her to his side and started walking. She stepped in line with him as he guided her toward a waiting room that looked empty.
“I was worried about you. I don’t understand why you wanted to see Martin after all he’s put you through.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.” She sank into a chair and put her head back to rest on the wall.
“Try me.” Gabe took the seat next to her and reached for her hand. She let him.
“I’m not sure I understand it myself. I started thinking about all the men in my life. I’ve had nothing but trouble, starting with my father leaving when I was still a kid. I wanted to figure out why I always pick guys that are bad for me. I thought I might find a clue if I could see Martin, maybe talk to him. Stupid, thinking I could talk to a guy in a coma, I know, but that’s where my mind was. Did you hear everything Toni said? He’s still in the coma.”
“I talked to the nurse before heading to his room. He’s actually been out of the coma for a few hours, so you might have been able to talk to him if Toni hadn’t gotten to you first.” Gabe squeezed her hand to show her that he cared, since he couldn’t find words to say how he felt.
She turned her head, still resting it on the wall, to look at him. Her eyes were puffy, and her face was splotchy. He’d never seen her so sad, and it tore him up.
“Do you think I’m bad for you?” He couldn’t help asking. There was a lump in his throat, and he had a hard time swallowing while waiting for her answer.
“That’s why I came. I like you. I really do. But I don’t trust myself. How can I with my track record?” She searched his eyes as if an answer could be found within them.
“I don’t know what to tell you. I will say that I would never hurt you consciously.”
“Yeah, well, talk is cheap. Isn’t it?” She turned her head away and stared at the ceiling. He felt the lump in his throat, and his stomach clenched. How do you prove yourself to someone? Words wouldn’t do it. He knew that. Before he could formulate an answer, she kept talking.
“And lawyers are trained to talk, to present their ideas in the most convincing way possible.”
“Rainy, I…”
“I’m sorry, Gabe. I’m confused. I’m not trying to be mean.”
“You don’t believe the things Toni spouted in there. Do you? You’re nothing like she described.”
She huffed. “I don’t know anything right now.”
“Well, I know that I’m starving. You took off right before lunch, and I drove straight through. Let me take you to get a bite to eat
.”
“I don’t know, Gabe.”
“Come on, Rainy. It’s just food. You need sustenance. You look worn out. I’m worried about you.”
She nodded her head and stood.
“Where to? I don’t want to eat hospital food.”
“I saw a place on the way in. It’s close and the parking lot was crowded even though it’s well after lunchtime. Must have some good choices on the menu.”
She let him hold her hand as they walked to his car. He liked the feel of her. He’d thought they fit together before. Walking with her hand in his felt right. How could she not feel that?
At the restaurant, he tried to get her to talk about her past, but she remained quiet. She moved her food around on the plate, ate a little of it, and did a lot of staring off into the distance. Gabe let her be. He knew he would chase her away if he demanded that she talk to him.
The waitress came by the table with a tray of desserts. He raised his eyebrows and let Rainy decide whether she wanted something from the tray or not. She shook her head, and the waitress walked away.
Throughout the meal, Gabe tried to think of anything to say that would help her trust him. He came up blank.
She wiggled in her chair and sat up straighter.
“I’m sorry you had to drive all this way. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to. Like I said, I was worried about you.”
“But, why? I told you where I was going.”
“Because, I care about you. I could tell that you were upset. Driving while upset is not a good idea. Plus, you were going to see Martin, the man who kidnapped you. Of course, I worried.”
He saw her lips raise slightly, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. He tried again. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he said the words he’d never said to a woman who wasn’t his mother. He felt like he was jumping off a tall cliff into raging, rock strewn waters.
“I love you, Rainy. Don’t you see? I’m crazy about you. I thought we were having a great time. Out of the blue, you shut me out, then you took off to see your ex-boyfriend. A guy who treated you like dirt. I don’t understand.”
“You love me?”
Did she not hear the rest of what he said?
“Yeah. I do. And I don’t say that lightly. We fit. Don’t you think?”
She smiled for the first time since he’d arrived. He reached across the table and took her hands in his. She didn’t return the sentiment, but he had time. He could wait. They must have looked like moonstruck lovers to the waitress, because she approached the table but backed away before leaving the bill.
The lump in Gabe’s throat dissolved. He said he loved her before thinking about the consequences. It had just come out. It came from his heart, not his head. Would his admission scare her away?
“Thanks for rescuing me again,” Rainy said. She pulled her hands out of his grip and placed them in her lap. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Just give me a chance to show you that you can trust me. That’s all I ask.”
She was quiet. So quiet, he began to worry. The waitress came by and slipped the bill in front of him. He got his credit card out and laid it on the ticket without looking at the cost. The waitress picked it up and left. Rainy still hadn’t said anything. He could feel his heart beating away in his chest. What if her answer was no?
“All right,” she said on a whisper. Her eyes were downcast, and her lips trembled slightly.
He reached across the table and took her chin in his hand. Lifting her head, he watched as she raised her eyes to his.
“You won’t regret it. I promise.” She said nothing, just watched him with those sad eyes. It killed him to see her like this, and thinking of the long drive back was excruciating. The waitress reappeared, so he added a tip and signed the ticket. Now what do I do? he wondered. It was almost four o’clock. If they started driving now, it would be six-thirty when they made it back to Hartford. And he didn’t think Rainy needed to make that drive in her current funk.
“I have an idea,” he said. “Let’s find someplace to take a nice long walk. Longview has a historic downtown. Want to take a stroll? Stretch our legs?”
“I’d like that.” She stood and straightened her blouse, picked up her purse.
He came around the table and took her hand in his. He let his breath out slowly. He hadn’t realized that he’d been holding it, waiting for her to answer.
Chapter Thirty-One – Rainy
Rainy’s head was all over the place. Gabe’s hand felt warm and comforting in hers as they strolled through the historic district. She didn’t want to think he would betray her, but she’d been wrong so many times before. They stepped into a place specializing in hand made artisan products, and Gabe became a little boy in front of her eyes.
He was delighted by a pillow, a ceramic platter, the smell of handmade goat soap. He pulled her along as they passed hand pressed paper cards. The shop had booths from different artists, and proceeds went to helping women.
“We could do something like this in Hartford,” he said. “Instead of Heartisans Marketplace, we could call it Hartstrings. The women’s shelter in town could always use help. After the artists got paid, we could send the rest of the revenue to the shelter. What do you think?”
She liked his excitement, that he was thinking of helping others.
“I like it.” She picked up a platter with endearing terms about a mother, put it down with a frown. Her mom was a drunk. Rainy couldn’t imagine giving her something so gushy. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Gabe watching her.
“It’s almost Mother’s Day,” he said.
“Yeah. I know.” She walked away from the booth quickly with Gabe in her wake.
“I’ve never met your mom.” Why was he pushing this? She didn’t want to talk about her mother.
“She’s not someone you’d bring a boy home to meet.”
Gabe raised his eyebrows. He dropped the subject after that.
She saw notepads that told her to trust her crazy ideas. A journal with “Your heart knows the way” on the front, another told her to “Dream Big and Dare.” Was this a sign? Should she trust her feelings when they came to Gabe? He’d never done anything to make her sad except that one time, and it had been because he cared for her. He’d come to her rescue over and over.
The next booth had a marble block with the words, “Always believe something wonderful is about to happen.” She shook her head.
“You like that?” Gabe asked. She’d picked it up without thinking.
“I just think whoever made it is some Pollyanna.” She set the marble trinket back in its place.
“But what if something wonderful is about to happen? You wouldn’t want to miss it.” His smile was infectious. “Let me buy this for you. It could be your new mantra.” If he’d been a dog, his tail would be wagging. How could she say no?
“All right, if you want to.”
“That’s my girl.” He reached for her hand and squeezed it. Never letting go, he pulled her along toward the checkout counter.
“Wrap it, please,” he said to the woman ringing him up. “It’s for a very special person.”
Rainy whispered, “That’s not necessary,” but he squeezed her fingers and told her it was.
By the time they’d browsed in the cool air for over an hour, the hot street felt unbearable.
“Let’s get in the car and turn the air conditioning up full blast,” Gabe said. He was pulling her along, and he was beaming. It was infectious. Rainy could feel the dark cloud that had been hanging over her head for days start to drift away. He opened the passenger side door, and she slid in. As soon as he got into the driver’s seat, he started the engine and, as promised, turned the air conditioner on. They pointed the vents at their faces and breathed in the cool air.
“What next? I’m having a great time,” Gabe said.
Rainy raised her shoulders. She’d not spent much time in Longview and had no idea what the town had to
offer.
“I saw a coffee shop. Want a latte?”
How did he know that she loved lattes? The guy paid attention. She had to give him that.
“Sure. I’d like that.” He smiled at her answer and pulled the car into the traffic. The shop wasn’t far, but walking in the heat wasn’t an option. He parallel parked like a pro and slid coins into the meter before taking her hand and leading her across the street. She felt like she was on an adventure. What a difference from a few hours ago. The words, “I love you,” kept running around in her head. Had he really said that? Maybe she’d dreamed it.
Did she want him to love her? She was a mess. A woman with a broken radar. She wished she had a mother to talk to, a friend to ask. Sophie would tell her to go for Gabe, but she was prejudiced, had already told Rainy that she wanted her for a sister-in-law. Melinda had one long-term relationship under her belt, but that ended in disaster. Her sister was as messed up as Rainy was when it came to dating. No. There was no one to tell her what to think. She sighed.
“What was that sigh for?” Gabe asked. Too perceptive.
“Just thinking.”
“How about this? It’s getting late in the afternoon. The sun will be setting, and we’ll be driving west staring into the setting sun. What if we stayed overnight? We could make a mini-vacation of it. I’ll get us a hotel room. We’ll order champagne and strawberries. We can watch movies on the television, sleep in late tomorrow before we have to drive back.” His grin reached his eyes and made her smile.
“One room?” she couldn’t believe she was thinking of taking him up on his offer.
“Definitely!”
“Are you sure? I haven’t been very good company lately.” She wanted him to have an out if he was just trying to cheer her up.
“Oh, I’m very sure. A night with you in my arms? What could be better? Say yes. Please.” The guy was too cute for his own good. She was sorely tempted, but there was that nagging doubt in the back of her head.
“I see you’re thinking too much. Just say yes and let yourself have some fun. Remember your new mantra? Always believe something wonderful is about to happen.” The way he said it and his dopey grin did her in.
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