by Delia Latham
“Raine? Hey…is everything all right?”
Greg’s voice remained pleasant, but Raine detected a slight edge. Well, she could hardly blame the man. She’d been a wreck ever since Dec walked into the restaurant. “I’m fine. Really.” She dredged up a smile.
He deserved better than this.
“Dec has me a little worried, that’s all. I don’t think he’s feeling well.”
Greg chuckled. “If you say so. I think he has a thing for you…not that I blame him.”
Raine laughed, and then grimaced upon hearing the artificial sound. “Dec and I are just friends. That’s all.” She gathered their trash and headed for the garbage bin next to the door. “Let’s go, shall we?”
As the restaurant doors closed behind them, Raine noticed a young girl sitting on the edge of a brick-lined flowerbed in front of the establishment.
Long hair that might have been a radiant dark blonde if it were clean hung limp and stringy around a thin face. Blotchy red marks marred her oily skin, and as Greg and Raine approached, an unmistakable stench wafted from the young woman’s body.
Raine was caught and held by something in the bleak brown eyes that fixed on her and held.
The girl reached down to scratch at a bony ankle, where a colorful tattoo stood out against pale skin. A butterfly.
Raine’s heart pounded heavily, and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. Skye’s face peered at her from between the teen’s lank curtains of oily hair. She gasped, and the illusion disappeared, but her gaze remained frozen on the girl.
A hand to her elbow broke the hold, and she looked up to find Greg gazing at her with concern. “Raine, are you sure you’re all right?”
“Y-yes, I’m fine, but…give me a moment, please.”
She took a couple of hesitant steps toward the girl, whose hopeless gaze wavered, but then held as she approached. “Hi.” The urge to make contact with the unkempt teen was overpowering. “I, uh…sweetie, are you OK?”
Bony shoulders lifted in a shrug. Thin lips twisted into a scowl. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
Raine gnawed at her lip. “I’m not sure, but to be honest, you look hungry. And a little lost. Are you with someone?”
The poor kid shook her head and looked away.
Greg stepped closer.
The girl tensed. Wild fear widened her eyes.
Raine motioned him back and sat next to the young woman, willing herself not to gag at the odor saturating the air. “Are you hungry?”
Small teeth that appeared to have never met a toothbrush pinched at the girl’s bottom lip. She dropped her gaze to her toes and gave an almost imperceptible nod.
Raine handed Greg a couple of bills. “Would you mind going back inside and getting something for her? The same thing I had will be fine.”
He took the money but appeared hesitant to leave. “Will you be OK…?”
“I’ll be fine. Thank you, Greg. Just get the food, OK?”
When he disappeared inside, she turned again to the young woman. “What’s your name, honey?”
“Why does it matter?”
“I guess I’d just like to know. You don’t have to tell me.”
“It’s Tara.” Resentment edged her tone. “So?”
“I’m Raine. Listen, Tara, I hate to leave you here alone. Is there someone I can call for you? Your parents, maybe?”
A sour burst of something meant to be laughter curdled Raine’s blood.
“If I had parents who gave a hoot in a hailstorm about me, would I be here…like this?” She swept a bony hand over her filthy clothes. “Lady, don’t you get it? Some of us don’t have ‘someone to call’ or ‘someone who cares.’ Some of us have nothing but another day to try and get through without being raped or beaten or thrown in jail for existing.”
Raine fought the tears that burned her eyes. “I— I’m so sorry. Look, I—” She broke off and swallowed hard. What had gotten into her? Would she really do this?
Her heart said yes.
“I can at least offer you a meal and a shower, if you’d like one. I can even find something for you to change into. If nothing else, you’ll feel refreshed.”
Tara slanted a suspicious glance her way. “Why? What do you want from me?”
“What—? Nothing!” An electric zing of shock zapped through her, leaving behind a huge ache. “I don’t want anything except to help, if I can. Please, come home with me. Eat your meal at my place, take a shower. You can have a nice rest, and not worry about being bothered. I won’t stop you from leaving when you’re ready. I promise.” She spotted Greg coming through the doors of the restaurant, carrying Tara’s lunch. “Will you come with me? My car is right over there, and…well, Greg will know you’re leaving with me, so…”
“So…what?”
“In case you’re worried about my motives. Would I risk hurting you when someone knows you left in my vehicle?”
Tara gave her a sour look. “I can handle it, lady. He’s not coming?” The girl was obviously terrified of Greg.
Raine lifted a silent prayer of thanks that she’d met him at the restaurant, rather than letting him pick her up at Paradise Pines. “Greg isn’t coming, no.”
“OK.” The girl still sounded hesitant. “I guess.”
Greg protested when he heard Raine’s plan, but she was adamant. “I’ll call you the moment I get home.”
“At least let me follow you.”
Raine glanced at Tara in time to see the roll of her eyes. “No.” She stood up straighter and steeled her voice. “Thank you, but no. I need to do this, and Tara’s not comfortable with you.”
He cast one last doubtful glance at the girl. “Then call me when you’re home. Please don’t forget.”
“I won’t.”
He stood uncertainly, watching her drive away with her unexpected passenger. Raine rolled her window down instead of running the air. Being closed in a tight space with Tara wasn’t conducive to retaining the lunch she’d just eaten.
The girl seemed disinclined to talk.
That left Raine time to think. What had possessed her to do such a thing…and what would Miss Angie say about her bringing a stray teenager into the lodge?
But despite those belated misgivings, something inside her sang. She’d followed her heart and made a decision on her own, without anyone’s permission or approval. And it felt right. Really, really right.
****
Miss Angie was making her way down the outside stairs when Raine pulled up under the carport.
Raine got out of the car and motioned to Tara to join her. The girl did as she was told, but pinned her somber gaze on the woman now approaching across the lawn.
“Hello, dear.” Miss Angie directed the greeting to Tara, and something in her voice seemed to set the teen at ease.
Stiff shoulders immediately relaxed, and the wary expression in her eyes cleared.
Good. Raine didn’t want to chase the skittish girl through the woods.
“Were you looking for me, Miss Angie?”
“No, I just went up to draw a nice tub of hot water for your guest. I’m sure she’s ready to get cleaned up and relax.”
Raine frowned. “How did you know…?”
“Oh, someone saw you leave with your friend.” Her sweet laughter trilled across the space between them. “You’re never quite alone in a town this small.”
Raine shook her head. She loved being out of Pasadena, with its rush and clamor. But some things about small-town life could be a bit overwhelming—especially to one who’d always treasured her privacy. In this case, however, it worked to her advantage.
Miss Angie seemed neither shocked nor angry at Raine’s impetuous adopting of a strange, unkempt girl.
And Raine could rush Tara right into the tub and get that odor off of her.
“Thank you, Miss Angie.” She touched Tara’s shoulder, urging her a little closer. “This is Tara. She’s spending a little time here today.”
To her utter surprise—an
d Tara’s as well, based on her wide eyes—the older woman stepped up and wrapped the girl in her arms. Grimy skin, oily hair, stink, and all.
“Welcome to Paradise Pines, dear.” She planted a soft kiss on one filthy cheek. “After you’re cleaned up and rested, why don’t you and Raine come downstairs. I’d love to hear all about you.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Tara seemed unable to remove a gaze already bordering on adoration from Miss Angie’s face.
Raine hid a grin. Her hostess had made yet another conquest.
Not that she was surprised. In her own few weeks at the lodge, Miss Angie had become like a precious second mother. The woman’s sweet face and nurturing nature must make a lost, lonely girl like Tara want to simply curl up in her lap, soak in the warm sunshine of her love, and bask in her beautiful smile.
In her apartment, Raine headed into her bedroom. “Wait here, Tara. I’ll find you something to wear.” Within a couple of minutes, she returned.
Tara was standing exactly where she’d left her.
Raine hurried into the bathroom and laid the clothes on the counter next to the sink. She glanced at the tub with a grin.
Miss Angie had even remembered to add bubbles.
Back in the living room, she smiled at her guest, who seemed ready to bolt out the door. “Go on in, Tara. Miss Angie already has your bath drawn, and I’ve put some clean clothes in there for you. Just toss your dirty ones out into the hall, then lock the door and relax. Take as long as you’d like.”
When she heard the bathroom door lock, Raine tiptoed into the hallway and stood staring down at the reeking, tattered clothes.
Tara must have peeled them off her body.
She didn’t want to touch the pile of filth on her floor.
Shame washed over her in a nearly debilitating wave. Why had she brought this young woman home if she was too good or too proud or too refined to deal with a little lack of cleanliness?
“Tara, honey,” she called through the door. “Is it OK if I put the clothes you had on in the washer for you?”
“Um…I guess.” Her voice had lost its prickly edge. “But you don’t have to do that. I can wash them myself when I get out.”
“It’s OK. I don’t mind. Enjoy your soak.”
She drew a deep breath, gathered the dirty garments in her arms, and nearly ran through the kitchen and into the laundry room. Despite the shame of the moment before, she wasted no time dropping the foul-smelling clothing into the washer. She added a generous amount of detergent before starting the cycle. Standing at the sink, scrubbing her hands and arms with antibacterial soap, she grinned. She was happy to help Tara, but the smell had to go.
That done, she placed a quick call to Greg, setting his mind at ease. He seemed to relax a little when she told him Miss Angie was home, but still issued a warning before hanging up. “Be careful, Raine. Keep an eye on that kid.”
“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Tara’s not going to hurt me.” For some reason, she felt absolutely certain she was safe around the stranger in her bathroom. She hung up and sat uncertainly for a moment.
What would she do with Tara, now that she had her? She couldn’t just keep her at the lodge forever, but neither could she stand to let her go back to the streets.
She punched Shay’s number into her cell phone. Waiting for her friend to answer, she shook her head, surprised. When had she started thinking of Shay as someone she could call for help just out of the blue?
Like a sister.
“Hi, Raine!” Shay’s cheery answer interrupted her introspection. “I was just thinking about you. What’s up, buttercup?”
Raine couldn’t help smiling. Her friend’s voice alone made her feel better. “I have a situation.”
“Ohhh…I love situations! My mom used to say they’re just seeds that sprout opportunity…and sometimes, a little fun too. Tell me everything!”
Raine shook her head and chuckled, but launched into a brief summary of what she’d done and her current state of indecision about what to do next.
“Oh, Raine, what a lovely person you are! I’m so glad you brought her home. And I may have a solution for you. Let me make a quick call, and then…can I come over?”
“Would you? Please?” She hung up, already feeling better. She hadn’t made a mistake. Her unprecedented action still felt right, and despite her lack of direction as to the next move, a sweet peace had found its way into her heart. Everything would work itself out. If she had it to do over, she’d still bring Tara home with her. Leaving her where she found her hadn’t been an option, especially after she spotted that ankle tat.
My finding Tara was Someone’s plan all along.
In the split second she had the thought, a light went on in her brain. Hadn’t Miss Angie said Someone saw her pick the girl up at the restaurant? She giggled, but the certainty wouldn’t go away.
Miss Angie had been talking about the same Someone who made the whole thing happen.
Of course, Raine would never suggest such a possibility out loud. Small, bare rooms with padded walls held no appeal to her whatsoever.
11
Tara still hadn’t come out of the bathroom when Shay arrived.
Raine smiled, just as she always did when the petite manicurist came around.
Her friend looked like a fairy, with her huge eyes, sparkly eye shadow and facial dust, and a bright smile. She dance-skipped into the apartment and pulled Raine into a tight hug. “Thanks for calling me. I feel so important!”
Raine laughed. “You are important. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Well, you don’t have to.” She dropped onto the sofa. “Where’s Tara?”
“Still in the tub. I haven’t heard a peep from that room for over half an hour.” She chewed at her lip. “Should I check on her?”
“No. Poor kid probably needs the alone time…and I’m sure she’s enjoying the soap and bubbles.” Her big eyes rounded even bigger. “You did give her bubbles, didn’t you?”
A burst of laughter broke the last shred of tension in Raine. “But of course I gave her bubbles! What kind of female do you think I am?” Her conscience made her wrinkle her nose. “Well, actually, Miss Angie already had the water running and the bubbles bubbling when Tara and I got home. But I would have given her bubbles!”
Shay laughed. “Oh, good. Now that that’s settled…I think I know what to do with her.”
“Well, quick. Clue me in.”
Excitement rolled off her petite guest in waves. “I called Pastor Merckle. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Pastor Merckle?” Why did the name ring a bell? “He’s not coming here, is he? Tara seems really uncomfortable around men.”
“No, he said he’d wait because he had a feeling she wouldn’t welcome him just yet. But get this, my lovely Pasadena sis…he also said he’s been thinking of setting up a youth shelter in an empty building behind our church. The place comes with the property, and he wants to do some kind of outreach with it. He said he’d been praying about it, and my call let him know what needed to be done.”
“That’s awesome!” Raine clapped her hands, and then dropped them to her lap. “But it doesn’t exactly help right now.”
“Well, maybe it does. Here’s the thing. He wants to do this…he will do it…but he said he’ll need help getting the place cleaned up. I offered to help—and offered for you too. Is that OK?”
“Oh, I’m absolutely in! But don’t they need some kind of license or something?”
“Yep, and he’ll take care of all that while you and I—and Tara, if she doesn’t mind helping—turn that empty building into a home for stray youth.”
Miss Angie poked her head in through the door Shay had left open. “Count me in too, if it won’t be too much of a drag having an old gal around.”
The girls welcomed the older woman with hugs and laughter.
“Miss Angie, you’ll never get old. Of course you’ll be a part of this!”
“Wonderful!” Sh
e clapped her hands like a child. “I’m sorry, Raine. I couldn’t wait for you and Tara to come down. I’m so excited that you brought her home.”
“So am I, Miss Angie. Thank you for not making it difficult.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, dear…why would I do that?” A twinkle lit her blue eyes. “This was all part of God’s plan, don’t you think?”
Raine’s chin dropped. She didn’t dare reply. Surely she was making too much of coincidental words. Wasn’t she? But she didn’t have time to dwell on outlandish possibilities right now. A volcano of excited anticipation built inside her and threatened to erupt.
Miss Angie touched her arm. “I overheard part of your conversation as I came up the stairs. Tara’s welcome to stay right here until the shelter is livable. She can have a room downstairs with me, or she can stay with you, Raine, if she’d rather and you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind at all. I am the one who brought her home.” How could she explain what was going on inside her? “This feels so right to me. I think this…helping teens find their way…this is what I was born to do.” She hesitated as a word sizzled in her mind. “Shay, did your pastor mention a possible name for the shelter?”
“No.” Shay’s bright smile grew even more dazzling. She bounced up and down on the sofa, excitement spilling off her in waves. “But I’m sure he’d be open to suggestions. Shall we brainstorm, ladies?”
Miss Angie shook her head, her gaze fixed on Raine. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary, Shay, dear. Raine already knows the name.”
Raine gave her hostess a long glance. Once again, the lady knew things she shouldn’t know. She elected to let it go without questioning her, because Miss Angie was—as usual—absolutely right.
Taking Shay’s hand on one side and her hostess’s on the other, Raine gave them both a squeeze. Her voice came out little more than a hoarse whisper, and she barely noticed Tara’s hesitant entrance. “Chrysalis. I’d like to call it Chrysalis.”
****
The church was small and tucked into a lush setting of variegated tree species on a hillside overlooking West Village.
Raine paused at the door. A kaleidoscope of little winged creatures seemed to have set up housekeeping in her tummy. What was wrong with her? One would think she’d never set foot in a house of worship before.