by Ginny Aiken
As the force of the rain increased, Sharmane peeked out from under the protective cover of the tree. Lightning snaked directly overhead, lighting up the entire sky. As much as she hated to admit it, the man was right.
A shiver ran up her spine at the thought of getting soaked to the skin, but being wet in no way compared to being fried alive. Another bolt of lightning immediately followed by a peal of thunder helped Sharmane make up her mind in a hurry. “All right. Let’s go.”
This time, when he grabbed her hand, she didn’t fight. She held on tight and ran with him across the soggy field, waited for two cars to go by before crossing the street, then dashed under the narrow awning of the row of stores. Sharmane gasped for breath and fiddled with her purse to bide some time while she recovered, hoping to avoid the embarrassment of being so winded after such a short run.
A shudder wracked her body from the top of her wet head to her freezing feet. Her socks were so wet that cold water squished between her toes, and a dribble of water snaked down her back. The only thing still dry was her book, safely zippered inside her leather purse.
The downpour splattered harshly on the pavement not sheltered by the narrow awning, falling so hard that the raindrops bounced before joining the growing stream in the gutter. Shivering again, she wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to warm up.
Alex swiped a lock of dripping hair off his forehead as he studied the woman he had literally dragged out from under a tree. Her hair lay plastered to the top of her head, and her clothes were so wet everything stuck to her body in a way that appeared most uncomfortable.
He still could barely believe he was doing this, when he should have been at work.
Less than an hour ago, he’d stormed out of his office, much to the shock of his secretary, only meaning to go for a long walk. When he stepped outside, it briefly registered that the sky had darkened, because it had been sunny when he left for work, but he didn’t care. He was so angry from yet another major corporate foul-up that he didn’t feel the cold; at least he hadn’t then.
In order to clear his mind and work the frustration out of his system, he meant to walk around the promenade at the perimeter of the park. Once didn’t do it, and he was halfway through his second time around when it started to rain, which he found very fitting, considering his mood. And it wasn’t just a little rain. In the blink of an eye the skies opened to a torrential downpour, sending everyone fleeing for cover. He had started to jog through the center of the park to get back to his dry, safe office. Then he saw the woman, who had been sitting on the bench on his first trip around the park, huddled under the tree still reading her book while lightning flashed directly overhead.
He couldn’t, in good conscience, leave her there. Even if the lightning didn’t hit that particular tree today, which being realistic, it probably wouldn’t, he had only done the responsible thing. But he certainly hadn’t meant to frighten her.
He looked at her again. The wet woman was pretty. She could probably stand to lose a few pounds, but so could he. He straightened his posture, his hand unconsciously resting on his stomach, and turned to face her.
Her blond hair hung in clumps at the moment, but when he first saw her it was fluffy and slightly curly at the ends and framed her face quite attractively. She had a pointy little chin, big blue eyes, and a pouty little mouth, which, when not fixed in a stubborn line, suited her pixie-like features.
A gust of wind caused them both to shiver at the same time.
Forcing a smile, he turned to the as yet unnamed woman and cleared his throat in an attempt to compose himself.
“My name’s Alex. I have an idea.” Alex jerked his head to one side at the same time as he hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “Let’s go in there and warm up with a hot cup of coffee. My treat.”
For a moment, he thought she was going to refuse, but just as she opened her mouth someone opened the door, and the alluring aroma of fresh brewing coffee wafted out.
She glanced from side to side, eyed the crowd, and turned back to him. “Thank you,” she mumbled, then smiled weakly. “I’d appreciate that.”
He smiled back and ushered the wet woman inside.
The hot coffee helped to ward off the chill somewhat. He sipped the coffee slowly, enjoying the liquid heat, knowing he should have been back at the office long ago, but he couldn’t make himself move.
“So, do you often sit outside in the rain, Miss …?” He let the word hang in the air as a smile tipped up the corners of his mouth and one eyebrow raised slightly.
Her cheeks flushed. “My name is Sharmane.”
Alex’s smile widened, and he nodded at the strange introduction.
“It was warm and sunny when I got there.”
A rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, indicating the storm was passing as quickly as it had begun. “Yes, it sure came up fast.”
“Not really. They predicted it on the forecast; I just ignored it.”
They sipped the coffee in unison, then both stared into their cups. It was almost like looking in a mirror. Alex couldn’t think of a thing to say. He’d never lacked for conversation with a pretty woman before, and it didn’t exactly do wonders for his ego.
“Feeling warmer now?” he finally asked.
“I guess so, except my feet are freezing because my socks are wet. And when my feet are cold, I’m cold all over.”
Alex forced himself to smile when he really wanted to bury his face in his hands. He studied the bottom of his empty cup. “So take your socks off,” he mumbled to no one in particular.
Her eyes opened wide as she stared at him. “What a great idea!”
Alex’s ears heated up. He hadn’t meant for her to hear that, nor could he believe she took him seriously.
With one quick gulp, she finished her coffee and thunked the cup down on the table. “Let’s go outside, the rain stopped.”
He followed her in silence. The second they got outside, she leaned against the building, pulled off one sneaker, then the sock, stuffed the sock into an outside pocket on her purse, slipped her bare foot back into the wet sneaker, and repeated the process. When both bare feet were again covered, she stood straight, beaming a smile from ear to ear. “That feels so much better. How about you? I’d imagine your socks are wet, too. Don’t be shy.”
The last thing he’d ever been called was shy, but he wasn’t going to take off his socks, especially in front of a stranger or anyone else who happened to be walking by. He should have been at work, straightening out the mess with the quarterly budgets.
“Well, Alex, thanks for the coffee and for statistically saving my life today. I guess I should be going home now.”
And he should have been back at work a long time ago. Being drenched by the sudden downpour then warming up by sharing a coffee with a pretty woman went a long way toward softening his foul mood. However, the words that came out of his mouth surprised him more than he surprised her.
“I’ve got nothing better to do. If you don’t mind, I’d like to walk you home.”
While she stood staring at him, he crooked his elbow and patted his arm to encourage her.
Hesitantly, she did tuck her hand inside, so he covered it with his other hand, patted it, and started to walk.
“I normally would have brought my car, but it’s in the shop. I’m supposed to be on vacation this week. How about you?”
Visions of the mountains of papers and reports on his desk flashed through his mind. He couldn’t remember it being any other way, from the time he started the company to present. He also couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a vacation.
The stress was getting to him, and he knew it. What he’d done this morning was nothing short of certifiable. When the same budget report came back to him the third time with more errors, he’d lost it. Rather than say something he’d surely regret, he tossed off his suit jacket and left. His secretary tried to stop him, and the best he could do was shout on his way out the door that he’d
be back some time that afternoon and to cancel his appointments. He’d never done anything so irresponsible in his life.
Instead of rushing back to do damage control, here he was walking in the opposite direction with a woman he’d just met.
He should have felt guilty, but he didn’t. The work would still be there when he returned, whether it was in an hour, a day, or a week. He had competent staff, except for the latest fiasco. Terry knew how to run things in his absence. The company wouldn’t fold just because he wasn’t there.
Alex smiled as the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders. “I’m on vacation, too.”
She sighed. “Well, it looks like you don’t have any plans either. I mean, I did have plans, but without my car, everything kind of went out the window.”
“Plans?”
She sighed again. “I’m stuck here in the city, but I’m not going to waste my time off. Instead of heading over to the island, I’m going to visit all the tourist spots I’ve never bothered to see because I live here, and do a bunch of stuff I’ve never done before, right in my own hometown. For the entire week, I’m going to do nothing but goof off.”
Goof off? The idea held a certain appeal. Alex had traveled all over the world on business, but he’d never seen the attractions in his own backyard that people came from all over the world to see. Vancouver was one of the most beautiful places in the world, and he ignored it because he lived here.
“I don’t have any plans either. I think I’m going to do the same.”
She smiled, and his heart melted. “Well, maybe I’ll see you some other time this week. Since my car is going to be really expensive to fix, I was planning on doing mostly stuff that’s free or at least really cheap.”
The thought of simple activities appealed to him. For a week, he could forget about being Alexander Brunnel the corporate executive and just be a regular guy, no stress, no worries.
“That sounds like a great idea. How about if I joined you? My car isn’t in the shop; I wouldn’t mind picking you up. We could go farther than walking, and it would be better than taking the bus.”
“I don’t know,” she drawled. “We just met. I don’t even know you.”
“I could show you my driver’s license and three major credit cards, and if that’s not enough, I can supply references.” He tried to give her his most engaging smile. “We’ll be going to public places; you’ll be safe.”
She stopped in front of a small, older bungalow with neatly mown grass and a small flower bed beneath the front window. The house itself needed at least a coat of paint, and a few of the shingles were warped. “This is my house.”
He tried not to cringe. It was nothing like what he was used to. The best he could come up with to describe it was the word “modest.”
Alex escorted her to the door and waited for her to unlock it. “It’s more fun to sightsee when you’re not alone.” He’d seen a lot of the world alone. At the time he hadn’t thought about it, but perhaps that was why he didn’t enjoy it as much as he thought he would.
“I suppose.”
He grasped her hands then did his best to give Sharmane his most charming smile. “I would really love to goof off with you, and then when it’s over, we can part as friends, no obligations, no hassles. How’s that sound?”
She narrowed one eye and cocked her head. “I guess so….”
“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
Alex turned away and headed back to the office. He wasn’t going to tie up any loose ends. He would simply pick up his suit jacket, tell Terry to look after things for the week, and leave.
He’d never goofed off in his life, and he couldn’t remember ever looking forward to something more.
Chapter 2
Sharmane zipped her backpack shut at the exact second the doorbell rang.
A very different Alex stood in her doorway. Gone were the dress slacks, shirt, tie, and leather shoes, replaced by comfortably worn jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers that had seen better days. Yesterday, she had thought it odd that he looked like he’d just stepped out of the office. Today, he looked like a man on vacation.
Last night, when she should have been sleeping, she’d lain awake staring at the ceiling and thinking about Alex. She had prayed long and hard, asking God if she was doing the right thing.
Again, she compared his appearance to yesterday. She wouldn’t ask, but she wondered if he wasn’t really on vacation after all. Perhaps he had been dressed so nicely because he was looking for work and had just finished an interview for a potential job. Being unemployed would explain why the idea of accompanying her on her cheap activities appealed to him so much and why he could do it with no advance preparation.
“Good morning, Sharmane. And what plans do we have for the day?”
“It looks like today will be sunny, so I thought we’d start by going to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. After that, I didn’t want to make all the decisions, so I thought we could talk about what else we’re going to do.”
He smiled warmly. “That sounds great.”
She followed him to his car, which was an older model economy car very similar to her own, except hers was newer and in much better shape. The condition of his car was almost questionable, but not wanting to be rude, she got in anyway and tucked her pack behind the seat. The interior was in worse shape than the exterior, but it was clean.
To her surprise, it started instantly and the motor purred like a finely tuned sports car.
He rested one hand on the stick shift and turned to her. “Believe it or not, I’ve never been to the suspension bridge. You might have to give me directions.”
Sharmane pulled a map out of her backpack. “Me neither. But my neighbor went recently and she said it was packed with Japanese tourists, so I figured it would be a good place to start.”
She watched as he fastened his seat belt. Even in profile, Alex was a very handsome man. And she had been right yesterday. When dry, his hair was exactly the same color as his eyes.
Rather than stare, she fixed her attention to the map. “It’s funny, I’ve lived in Vancouver all my adult life, but I’ve never been to most of the popular tourist spots. I guess since I figure I can go anytime, that’s why I haven’t. So this week, that’s what I want to do.”
He nodded as he entered the traffic flow. “Same here.”
Sharmane raised her head from the map. “I don’t know anything about you.”
When he turned to smile, her breath caught. It was almost like he practiced being distracting. His wide smile created the most attractive crinkles at the corners of his warm brown eyes, and his whole face shone. The man was movie-star handsome, and he likely knew it.
“There’s not much about me to tell. I was raised in the suburbs of Vancouver, I came from a family of two boys and one girl, and we went to church every Sunday. I graduated from high school back in 1987, which makes me thirty-one years old. I’ve never been married, and my favorite color is blue.”
Sharmane tried not to let her mouth gape open. “Church every Sunday?”
Briefly, he glanced at her then turned his attention back to his driving. “Yes. And I still do. Do you have a problem with that?”
“No. Not at all. I go to church every Sunday, too. Are you a Christian?” Her heart pounded, waiting for his reply.
“Yes, I am. I was born and raised in a Christian home and made my decision to follow Christ when I was in my teens. What about you?”
“I became a Christian as an adult.”
“That’s great. Praise the Lord.” He glanced at her again and smiled, making her insides quiver, and turned his head forward as he drove. “So now you know all about me. Tell me about yourself, Sharmane.”
She really didn’t know much more about him than before, but she supposed she would find out more later. “I grew up in Kelowna then moved to Vancouver with my family in my teens. I’m twenty-nine, I’ve never been married either, and my favorite color is green.”
He didn’t volunteer any more personal information but instead changed the subject to the weather forecast, which was a determining factor for their choice of activities. Somehow they ended up discussing the news as they made their way through the city.
“I turn right after the bridge, right?”
She quickly paged through the map. “Yes. Right on Marine Drive, then north on Capilano Road.” Sharmane looked up just in time to see the stone lions resting on their perches at the entrance to the Lions Gate Bridge.
“I hear they’re talking again about budgeting to fix the existing bridge versus a new crossing.”
The buzz of the tires humming on the metal grate set Sharmane’s nerves on edge, and she forced herself to unclench her teeth. She didn’t cross the Lions Gate Bridge often, because the sensation of almost slipping while driving on the grated bridge deck so high above the water always made her feel like she was going to throw up. She preferred to know there was good, solid concrete below her. The few times she ever crossed the Burrard Inlet, she tried to use the Second Narrows Bridge.
The green-lighted arrow above the lane they were in changed to an amber X. The middle lane of the three-lane bridge was now switching direction to accommodate the traffic flow, and they were in that lane. Her guts wrenched. “Alex! They’re closing the lane! Hurry!”
He had the nerve to chuckle. “Don’t worry, we’ve got lots of time. Besides, it’s monitored. They won’t switch the other side to green until they’ve done a visual check that the lane is clear.”
She tried to keep her voice from wavering, especially since Alex was unaffected. He changed lanes on the horrible metal surface without a hint of unease, and then they were back on cement roads and solid land. “I hate the Lions Gate Bridge,” she grumbled.
The rest of the trip went without incident, and they soon arrived at the Capilano Canyon.
Sharmane slung the backpack over her shoulders, and they headed for the rope suspension bridge hanging over the ravine. The river churned and beat upon the rocks far, far below.