Spring Raine

by Delia Latham

  “Oh, stop! You’ve done nothing to apologize for.” Shay stood from her kneeling position and handed the fan pull to the other woman. “Let me pay for this while my friend takes a moment to collect herself.”

  By the time they left the store a few minutes later, Raine felt stronger, despite her total mortification. She followed Shay to a seafood restaurant just across the street, relieved when they were seated immediately.

  “Are you feeling better?” The other woman’s expressive eyes fixed on Raine’s face.

  “I’m fine, and completely clueless about what happened back there. I’m really sorry.”

  Shay playfully slapped at Raine’s hand. “What are friends for, anyway? Much better I was with you than that you’d been alone when that happened. You probably just need to eat. Did you even have breakfast this morning?”

  She shook her head. “No, I planned on grabbing something in Harmony. I don’t think I even saw a restaurant.”

  Shay laughed. “There is a place to eat, but it’s easily overlooked. That’s Harmony.” A little giggle followed. “Population eighteen. Kind of says it all, doesn’t it?”

  “I guess it does. Anyway, you’re probably right. I just need to—”

  “Raine? Raine Presley?”

  Startled, she stared up into a face that held a certain degree of familiarity, but not enough to bring a name immediately to mind. She should know this man. He was tall, nice-looking…oh! “Greg! What—?” Her mystified gaze flew to Shay, and then back to the beaming man hovering beside their table. “What are you doing here?”

  “Probably the same thing you’re doing. I’m on vacation.” Blue eyes shifted to Shay. “Who’s your friend?”

  “I’m sorry.” Raine bit at her lip, unreasonably shaken. Elements of her “other life” had no place in this one. Having the two worlds collide made her uncomfortable and off-kilter, as if her skin didn’t quite fit. “This is my friend, Shay Light. Shay, Greg Apperson, an acquaintance from college.”

  With introductions out of the way, Greg indicated an empty chair next to Raine. “May I join you?”

  She glanced at Shay, who welcomed the newcomer with characteristic warmth. “Sure, have a seat. We haven’t even ordered yet. Have you eaten?”

  “No, I just walked in and spotted a familiar face.” Greg scooted his chair in close to Raine’s. “All those times I tried to get you to go to dinner with me—with no luck, I might add—and here we finally are.”

  Warmth rushed up Raine’s neck and into her face. Yes, Greg had been a bit persistent. Every time she passed him in the hall or bumped into him in the campus cafeteria, he’d asked her out, and she always politely refused. She never had time for play during that time. She was at university to study—no more, no less.

  “Yes, here we are.” She cleared her throat, hoping she could carry her part of the conversation. She had so little practice at this kind of thing.

  Yet she never had a problem holding her own in a conversation with Dec.

  “Are you staying here, Greg? In Cayucos?”

  “No, I have a room in Cambria. You?”

  “Me too.” She offered no further information as to her vacation address. Raine had no intention of turning this springtime respite into a game of hide-and-seek with this man.

  “And what about you, Shay?”

  To her relief, Greg included Shay in the conversation right away, and before she knew it, her two companions were caught up in a lively discussion about pedicures, with Shay confidently claiming a technique unlike any to be found elsewhere.

  Raine hid a smile, not surprised to find Greg was a man who enjoyed pedicures and wasn’t ashamed to say so. She glanced out the window, stifling a sigh. He seemed a nice enough guy, but she wished he hadn’t shown up here. The thought made her ashamed of herself. She could be polite for the duration of this lunch, and then she wouldn’t have to see him again.

  Across the street, a man stood staring into the window of the shop she and Shay had just vacated.

  Raine sat up straighter, her gaze narrowed. Was that…?

  The guy chose that moment to slip into a group of tourists moving along the sidewalk toward the north end of town.

  She wanted to jump up and run after him, but stayed in her seat.

  It probably wasn’t Dec, anyway. What would he be doing in Cayucos? He had told her he’d be busy all week getting ready for an art show in Santa Barbara.

  “Earth to Raine!” Shay’s voice called her back into the moment.

  “Sorry, I…I thought I saw someone I knew.”

  The waitress appeared to take their order.

  Raine made up her mind to enjoy this time with Shay, despite it being crashed by Greg. To her surprise, the next hour passed quickly, and she and her friend both enjoyed Greg’s company. He kept them laughing, and the three of them maintained a steady stream of conversation. Raine’s brief episode of weakness and slight vertigo seemed to have come and gone with no aftereffects, to her immense relief.

  Greg insisted on picking up the ticket for lunch, and then walked with them to Shay’s car.

  “How long will you be here, Raine? I’d like to see you again.”

  “Um, I-I’ll be here awhile. What about you?”

  “Yeah, me too. A couple weeks, maybe longer.” He paused, and when Raine offered no invitation for further contact, he sighed and pulled a card from his wallet. “My cell number’s on this. Call me if you get bored and want to do something. I could use the company. I love this area, but it would be nice to share the experience with someone now and then.”

  Raine tucked the card into her purse. “Thank you, Greg. This was fun.” Having spoken the words, she realized they were true. She had enjoyed his company. And why shouldn’t she see him again? She’d come to Cambria enjoy herself before diving into a job that would provide little opportunity for playtime.

  A nagging memory of Dec’s lips on hers irritated her mind. She shook it off. It wasn’t as if they were an item, and he hadn’t even come around since their trip to the butterfly grove. She had no reason to feel guilty because another man invited her out. Making an uncharacteristic spur-of-the-moment decision, she gave Greg a wide smile. “I’ll call you soon.”

  His blue eyes widened, and a huge smile revealed a couple of deep dimples.

  Why hadn’t she noticed them before?

  “I’ll be waiting.” He backed away from the car and watched them drive away.

  Halfway down the block, Shay glanced into the rearview mirror and giggled. “Poor guy’s really got a crush on you. He’s still standing there, gawking after us.”

  Raine shrugged one shoulder, but a smile teased at her lips. What girl didn’t love having an admirer?

  Back in Harmony, Shay parked beside Raine’s car and handed her a small bag. “I’m not sure why you’re supposed to have this, but you are. And don’t forget…it’s time to fly.”

  “Thank you.” Raine had forgotten about the fan pull from the antique store. “What does that mean? It’s time to fly…?”

  Her friend shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t know, but you do.”

  “I don’t!”

  “You do, Raine, even if you don’t know you do. Think about it. Pray about it. God will show you.”

  Raine opened her door. “I’m pretty new at discussing trivial things with God, but I guess you’re right.”

  “I am.” Shay’s smile brought out an answering one in Raine, despite her confusion. “Believe this, my lovely new sister. If you’re meant to fly, God will give you wings.” Shay drove off, waving until she was out of sight.

  Raine drove back to the lodge and climbed the stairs to her apartment, slammed by a wave of exhaustion far beyond what a day spent shopping with a friend should have merited. The past few hours had been strange. Pelted with a stream of varying emotions, she felt the effects in body, soul, and mind. Vague disorientation clouded her senses.

  Dropping onto a chair next to the dining table, she opened the small bag
that contained Shay’s gift, lifted the fan pull out, and removed the layer of protective wrapping. Grasping the chain, she allowed the butterfly figure to swing back and forth, its translucent colors bouncing off the walls in glittering spikes of prismatic glory. Why had her world suddenly become inundated with butterfly wings? With a weary sigh, she stood. On impulse, she attached the pull to the fan in her bedroom, and then dropped, exhausted, onto the bed. Lying on her back, she stared up at the gently swaying glass butterfly while her mind drifted back over the past hours.

  Harmony…Shay…the episode in the shop…Greg…

  Greg. He’d proven to be engaging company. She liked him. But did she really intend to contact him again? Even as she decided she probably would, another strong, masculine jaw line and a pair of piercing blue-gray eyes filled her mind, rendering Greg’s face a mere shadow.

  Her eyelids weighed at least twenty pounds. She tried to open them, caught a blurry glimpse of the butterfly swinging over her bed, and let them close again, yielding to an overwhelming drowsiness. She slept…and the soft flutter of delicate wings haunted her dreams.

  ****

  Dec’s shoulders ached, and his fingertips had gone numb from etching a great white heron, feathers preened in full glory, onto the side of a large polished teak vase. He still had to put finishing touches on all of the sculptures he intended to show in Santa Barbara, but if he didn’t take some time away, he’d damage something. His vision was blurred from long hours of concentration on tiny details, and one wrong move on this etching would render it less than perfect, and therefore unworthy of the upcoming show.

  A break was definitely in order, and the best break in the world would be a visit with Raine. Maybe she’d want to do something. Lunch, if nothing else. Struck by a sudden idea, he headed inside to wash up and make a phone call.

  He’d seen Raine with Shay in Cayucos a couple of days earlier. He’d stopped in at the lodge, and when Miss Angie told him her guest was in Harmony, he’d headed out to find her, a little worried about her being alone—which was ridiculous, of course.

  Raine was an intelligent woman, plenty old enough and smart enough to take care of herself.

  Besides, playing the part of ghost guard to Raine was beginning to create a sour taste in his mouth, and a rock settled in his stomach every time he thought about it. She would be more than a little upset if she knew why he’d originally offered to show her around. Now that he knew her, something about it felt wrong. Deceptive.

  But he had made that promise to his dad and Mayor Quinn. Still, it wasn’t that crazy agreement that had made him get in his car and head for Harmony. He just wanted to see Raine.

  He’d reached the turnoff for the little community just in time to see Shay Light’s SUV make the turn onto the highway, headed toward Cayucos. Raine sat in the passenger seat. Caught up in conversation, neither woman noticed his vehicle.

  He followed, intending to join them on their outing, but when they headed straight for a large antique mall, he held back. Wandering through row upon row of overpriced, overused, overrated items from an earlier time wasn’t his idea of fun. What was the fascination with antiques, anyway? Dec much preferred to wear out his own stuff.

  He hung around outside, waiting for the girls to exit, but they were in the store a long time. Finally, he peeked through the window, just in time to see Shay and another woman fluttering around Raine, who sat in an old rocking chair, her face pasty white.

  Dec’s instincts had him headed for the door, frantic to see what was going on, but something held him back—a gentle nudge of the Spirit that felt almost like a physical hand of restraint. Reluctantly, he watched from outside as Shay knelt and offered Raine a glass of water. When she stood and turned to the counter to pay for some small item, his gaze returned to Raine.

  She seemed stronger and was rising from the chair.

  Reluctantly, he turned away and walked a ways down the street. Now he wasn’t sure he should ask the girls to lunch. Raine clearly wasn’t feeling well and most likely wanted to go home. Besides, that little Spirit-moment he’d experienced earlier still held him back. He had no explanation for it, no reason to think he shouldn’t be with Raine and Shay other than a vague inner unction.

  Still, having seen her in such a weakened state, he hesitated to leave, which is what common sense told him to do. He waited down the road and watched the two women cross the street, Shay’s arm circling Raine’s waist in a sweetly protective gesture. They entered a popular fish-and-chips restaurant.

  He strolled back to the antique store and stared into the window, trying to make up his mind. Should he just pop in on them in the restaurant or return to Cambria? Every instinct he possessed drew him toward the restaurant…except that little urge of the Spirit, which finally sent him back to his vehicle and on the road home.

  He had to trust God with Raine’s safety.

  For some reason, he wasn’t meant to be with her today. Shay would be good for her. Raine was something of a loner, even perhaps a bit introverted. Perhaps God would use Shay to draw her out and teach her about friendship.

  Dec chuckled in the silence of his car. What made him think Raine didn’t know about friendship? A girl with her beauty and sweet nature was bound to attract plenty of friends. So why did he feel one hundred percent certain she hadn’t allowed many people into her world?

  He’d returned home and applied himself to getting his showpieces finished. But now he wanted to see Raine. First, he set up an appointment to view the interior of Nitt Witt Ridge. He’d promised her, after all. Then he dialed her number.

  No answer, but cell service in Cambria was sketchy at best.

  He set out on the footpath for Paradise Pines. The closer he got, the more he hurried, eager to see Raine.

  But she wasn’t there. Nor did Miss Angie answer the door downstairs.

  Dec stood on the lawn, unsure what to do next. He’d been so sure he’d be with Raine at this moment and they’d be on their way to see the inside of old Beal’s ramshackle dwelling.

  Disheartened, he headed back home. By the time he reached his front door, he’d made up his mind to make a run into Cambria and look for her vehicle. She probably hadn’t gone any farther than the village.

  Sure enough, he spotted her car across from the restaurant where he’d taken her for barbecue on their first day out together. He parked behind her vehicle and dashed across the street, eagerly anticipating his first sight of her in days. A broad grin threatened to break his jaw as he swung the door open and scanned the crowd for her face.

  The grin took a hurried flight when he saw her.

  Raine sat across the table from a man Dec didn’t know. She wore a sweater the same emerald color as her eyes, and she looked stunning.

  Dec stood half-paralyzed, shocked to the core.

  Sweet laughter spilled from her lips. She crumpled a napkin and tossed it playfully across the table at her companion.

  Dec’s gut wrenched as if he’d been kicked in the stomach. Blood pounded through his veins at a speed far beyond what his body could comfortably handle, and his head throbbed, caught in its force. He grabbed hold of the nearest table, closed his eyes, and forced slow, deep breaths.

  “Dec? What’s wrong?” Raine’s voice, right beside him. “Are you OK?”

  She touched his hand, and he jerked it away when a zip of electricity shot up his arm. Her eyes widened, and a cloud of confusion and…something else…skittered across her face.

  He could pretend not to recognize that look in her eyes, but he’d only be lying to himself. He’d hurt her.

  10

  Raine cringed. Dec had pulled away from her touch as if he’d found it distasteful. The last time they’d been together, he’d kissed her. Held her hand. Brushed her cheek with his fingertips. She firmly tamped a huge wave of pain, and then the anger that immediately followed it.

  Dec wasn’t himself. Something was wrong, and he was her friend, if nothing else.

  “Dec…what i
s it? You don’t look well.”

  “I’m fine.” He offered a perfunctory smile that looked nothing like his usual open grin. “What are you doing here?”

  “Having lunch with a friend.” She risked another rejection by taking his hand.

  He stiffened but didn’t pull away.

  She led him to her table, where Greg waited, clearly trying not to stare. “Come and meet Greg. You should join us for lunch.”

  Greg stood, his hand extended. “Greg Apperson.”

  Dec hesitated only briefly before he gave the proffered hand a brief shake. “Declan Keller. Nice to meet you.” His gaze returned to Raine. “The two of you meet here in Cambria?”

  She laughed. “I don’t make a habit of dining with men I don’t know, Dec. Greg and I were classmates at university. I ran into him in Cayucos a couple days ago.”

  “I see. Well, hey, you two enjoy your lunch. I’m not hungry after all.”

  Before she could catch her breath, he spun away and strode toward the door. Raine stared after him, puzzled and shocked by his behavior.

  “Um…you OK?”

  Greg’s question drew her attention away from Dec, who obviously didn’t want it. She slid into her chair and pushed her plate away. Her appetite had taken leave. “I’m fine.” She managed a smile, although her heart ached.

  Dec’s entire persona had radiated coldness.

  What had she done to make him behave in such a rude and uncharacteristic manner? She hadn’t seen that side of him since their first disastrous meeting.

  “I don’t think your friend was happy to find us together.” Greg caught her eye. “I’m sorry if my being with you caused a problem.”

  Raine stared at him, unable to find a reply. Not for a moment had she considered the possibility that Dec would care one way or the other about her seeing another man—especially since that man was nothing more than a casual friend.

  Something about the idea stirred an ember of warmth in the heart Dec had left on ice. Was Greg right? Was it possible she had just witnessed a display of jealousy on Dec’s part?