by Delia Latham
Now he had to find a way to capture hers.
****
Seven people gathered around an ancient conference table Pastor Merckle had obtained who knew where and moved into the shelter. He had invited Raine and Dec, Shay, Miss Angie, Tara, and Cole to the initial planning meeting for the teen shelter.
While everyone filled coffee mugs and chose cookies or doughnuts to snack on, Raine sat quietly looking over the group. The people in this room had become special to her. She considered them friends, and in some ways, closer to her heart than her own family. After all the years of solitude, how had she become so emotionally entangled during this unprecedented, unplanned, unexpected vacation?
Pastor Merckle interrupted her moment of introspection when he asked them all to join hands and bow their heads. After a brief prayer for guidance and oneness of mind, he glanced around the table, settling his gaze briefly on each attendee. “I chose each of you to be here this evening after a great deal of prayer. Even the number of people around this table was prayer-prompted, but I confess, I like the number seven. God does too. You probably already knew that, but if not, take a trip through your Bible and count all the times He chose that number for something important—starting right at the beginning, when He created the world we live in.”
Miss Angie nodded. “Yes, indeed. God often used the number seven. A wise decision, Pastor.”
“Thank you, Miss Angie.” The minister favored her with a fond grin. “Your opinion counts very highly indeed—and I concur. God seems to favor the number, for whatever reason. That said…I’m hoping each of you will agree to becoming a member of the board. Tara and Cole, of course, are too young to be considered official board members, but I’d like them to sit in at meetings as honorary ones. It’ll be important to have representatives from the age group we’ll be working with. Their input will be crucial, as they’ll have far better insight into the hearts and minds of teenagers, what they’re facing in today’s society, and why they react as they do to certain influences.”
He stood for a moment, seeming to seriously consider his words. “I can’t help feeling God brought both of these young people to us at the perfect time, using Raine’s heart for youth. Still, I don’t want to make arbitrary decisions on my own. Does anyone have an objection to including Tara and Cole?”
Murmurs of agreement arose all around the table.
Raine squeezed Tara’s hand, and then raised her own. “Pastor, I completely agree that Tara and Cole will be valuable assets. My only concern is that you’ve included me on the board. As you all know, I’m only in Cambria for the season and will return to Pasadena by May. I’m perfectly willing to help get the shelter going—in fact, I can’t wait to get started. But shouldn’t you fill this seat with someone more permanent?”
The minister smiled, lifted a hand, and coughed gently into it. His eyes twinkled with something Raine didn’t quite understand. Humor, and a hint of something else. “Thank you for the reminder, Raine, but I’d like to keep things as they are for now. We can worry about filling your seat if—I mean, when the time comes. Are we all in agreement on this?”
The immediate outpouring of welcome touched Raine almost to tears. What had she done to deserve this kind of love and loyalty? Dec caught and held her gaze, and something in his eyes nearly took her breath away. She was almost relieved when the minister spoke up, moving the meeting along—and allowing her to draw a much-needed breath.
“I have prayed about, but not received a definitive answer, regarding a name for our shelter. I am told, however, that Raine came up with one within moments of hearing about my plan for an outreach.” He sat down and waved a hand in her direction. “Would you share that name with us, please? For the record, everyone, the little bird who brought me this news stopped short of sharing the name this young lady has in mind. I’m as much in the dark as anyone else. Raine?”
Never entirely comfortable with speaking in public, her tummy set up a bit of a flutter, but Raine ignored the little tickle of nerves. She stood and looked around the table. “May I share a little of what’s been happening in my life since I came to Cambria?”
Murmurs of assent once again arose from the others.
She started talking, beginning at the moment she arrived at Paradise Pines and was greeted by a lone monarch butterfly. Without going into great detail, and without mentioning her sister—she didn’t feel quite ready for that just yet—she shared the various “butterfly moments” she’d encountered.
She touched only briefly on all that had transpired at the Pismo grove. That moment with Dec had been far too personal, and she held it too close to her heart to put it on display. But she met his gaze, and his lips curved upward just enough to tell her he understood how deeply she’d been touched by the experience.
“When I heard about this shelter, the name sprang into my mind as if on the wings of one of those beautiful creatures. All of us hope and pray—I know I do—that coming here will mean a new beginning for some of these kids…a whole new life, in fact. A better life. We want them to take wing and fly into their futures with new, positive outlooks and with the knowledge that anything they desire is possible.” She met Cole’s gaze, and then Tara’s. “Anything at all—with God’s help, and their own willingness to work hard toward that goal.
“I’ve mentioned all of the unusual encounters I’ve had with butterflies while on this trip for a reason. The shelter name that came to me the day I met Tara is directly related to them. That name is”—She paused, praying the word would have as much emphasis on these people as it had on her—“Chrysalis.”
Several gasps arose from the group.
Raine waited, watching as each face reflected an awareness of the meaning. “I’m sure you all know what it means, but I want to solidify for all of us, and especially for Cole and Tara, why it’s so perfect for our purpose.”
Both of the teens were perched on the edges of their seats.
Raine wanted to grin. How many high-school teachers would give all they owned to have their students so wrapped up in their classes?
“Chrysalis is another name for a cocoon, such as the kind from which a butterfly emerges after a period of hibernation. While in the chrysalis, it undergoes a complete physical metamorphosis. Having entered the cocoon as a little worm-like bug that inches along on its stomach—which obviously limits its scope of the world—it emerges from the chrysalis as a gorgeous winged creature that soars into a brand-new existence and takes to the sky with no limitations.
“That’s what this shelter will be for the kids who come here. A chrysalis. A place where they change and become something more, something better than they ever dreamed possible. A place from which they’ll take their leave at a later date as completely different people…better, more confident, positive, productive people, with no limit on their potential.”
She stopped.
No one made a sound.
Suddenly embarrassed by having made such a long, impassioned speech, Raine lifted one shoulder. “Well…that’s my vision for this place, anyway.” She took her seat.
For a moment, no one said anything, and then Dec stood and started clapping. As one, the rest of the group joined him in a standing ovation.
Warmth traveled from Raine’s neck into her cheeks, but she couldn’t stop smiling, even as tears burned her eyes. She wasn’t about to let them fall. Tonight was all about joy and new beginnings.
Tara leaned in and wrapped her in a hug.
From across the table, Cole gave her a thumbs-up.
When the applause died down, Pastor Merckle stood. “From your reaction, I think I can safely assume we are now the board of a youth shelter in Cambria, California. This non-profit organization will bear the legal name of Chrysalis. All in favor say, ‘Aye.’”
One by one, each of them expressed their approval.
Cole weighed in with a comical “Aye, aye, sir!”
The meeting moved along, with Shay jotting notes as fast as she could scr
ibble. Two hours later, they had laid out general guidelines and rules for the fledgling facility, talked Tara and Cole into helping them pull in other young people who would trust the teens over any adult they didn’t know, agreed on methods of recruiting volunteers to help out…and accepted Miss Angie’s surprise offer to be the temporary “housemother” until a permanent one could be brought in. Volunteer staff would be sought to be in place within a month, releasing Miss Angie from permanent responsibility. She also agreed to come in one day a week and present a Bible study.
Pastor Merckle wanted three of those to be built into the schedule each week.
Miss Angie would present one, and he would present another. God would provide the perfect third person.
“Maybe that slot will be filled by a variety of people. Some of you might even want to present a topic now and then.”
Low laughter greeted that remark.
“Now, let’s talk about how to come up with beds, night tables, groceries, cooking and eating tools. All the things essential to getting this place operational. I’d love to have it opened within a month to six weeks. In fact, before you all leave tonight, let’s put our heads together and set an opening date.”
They tossed out a number of ideas and finally settled on one Raine presented. An auction. Holding her natural shyness at bay, she offered to canvass the town for donations from merchants and individuals, to be auctioned at an event held on the lawn between the church and the Chrysalis building.
Shay said she’d talk to a friend about auctioneering, and Dec offered to make a list of merchants and influential Cambrians and help Raine approach them.
Raine watched the little group chattering, talking over each other in their fervor for the project. They were fully committed to getting Chrysalis up and going. Her heart threatened to burst. She’d come to Cambria to rest and “have fun” before starting her career. She certainly hadn’t expected to be heart deep in a teen-outreach program.
Amazing what the Lord was bringing about in her life. She hugged herself and bit back a grin she feared would break her jaws when she realized she’d never been so happy. Her gaze drifted across the room to where the two men were looking at one wall in the meeting room.
Pastor gestured up and around, obviously with some kind of design plan in mind. Beside him, Dec nodded, his captivating eyes fixed on the minister.
She sighed, feeling like a love-struck teen. All this…and Dec too.
14
March passed in a blur. April was well on its way to doing the same, with Raine falling ever more deeply in love with Cambria. Already she dreaded returning to “the real world” and the busy life that never allowed for a moment of relaxation.
She’d spent more time in Dec’s company than was probably wise. Exploring the area was enjoyable even on her own, but her forays into the coastal region were far more memorable, and certainly more educational, when he came along. Besides, as a lifetime native of Cambria, Dec knew more about the area than any tour guide she might have hired.
Life had settled into a comfortable routine. Raine woke every morning, sat on her balcony with a mug of coffee and her Bible, and either prayed or simply drank in the awakening world around her. Afterward, she ran.
Her afternoons had become scheduled. She spent three days a week working on various Chrysalis projects—from gathering donations for the auction to handing out flyers to helping paint and plaster walls.
Two days a week she reserved for herself. She’d already enjoyed a number of books purely for pleasure. Not for study purposes. Not for research. Not for any academic reason. Just because the subject matter intrigued her. She loved taking a book onto the balcony, but also enjoyed getting lost in a fictional world while stretched out on a quilt beneath one of the many huge trees surrounding Paradise Pines.
She’d strolled through every shop in Cambria at least once and spent countless hours in the surprising number of art studios. Somehow, each visit brought to light a new masterpiece by one of the local, featured artists…or she simply noticed one she’d overlooked on the previous trip. Neighboring towns—Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande, Morro Bay, Atascadero, Avila Beach, Cayucos—had all been visited. Sometimes Shay accompanied her. Other times Miss Angie rode along.
Dec went with her when he could spare time from his carvings. His showing in Santa Barbara loomed right around the corner, and he’d asked Raine to attend the function with him. She could hardly wait and entertained not a single doubt that the event would catapult Dec into favor in the wood-art field.
She’d also taken to spending a little time in the garden with Miss Angie after her daily run. The older woman had already taught her a lot about various plants—both edible and ornamental. Why had she never before discovered the peace to be found in communing with nature, in getting a little dirt under her fingernails?
And sand between her toes. Long walks on the beach, alone and with Dec at her side, had given her a whole new perspective on God. His awesomeness. His peace. His very being. She wasn’t the same woman who had arrived in Cambria just over a month earlier, riddled with guilt, stressed, and nervous, wanting nothing more than to stop. Stop going. Stop doing. Stop studying. Stop being so…lost.
Leaning against a tree trunk behind the lodge, she sighed. An even deeper truth needed to be confronted. She’d come here needing to find herself. Somehow, the path to that epiphany seemed to lie before her, here at Paradise Pines. Some kind of undercurrent tugged her steadily toward a course of life she’d never anticipated.
What did God have in mind for her. What if His plan shattered that of her parents?
And what about her? Sitting with her back against the tree, the birds and squirrels and butterflies playing out a symphony over the top of her book, she thought she could live like this forever. But back in Pasadena, a different life awaited. A life of hard work, yes, but a profitable one. Wealth and possibly even a certain amount of fame within her chosen industry, if she applied herself as she’d always done. A life of comfort.
A life she was no longer sure she wanted.
Her cell phone rang, and she snatched it up, relieved at the break in a far-too-serious train of thought.
“Hello?”
“Raine.” Something about the way Dec spoke her name always sent a delicious shiver up her spine. “I hope you’re enjoying this beautiful day.”
She smiled and laid her book down on the quilt. “I am.”
“Good. Hey, did you bring a fancy dress, or do we need to go shopping?”
She laughed. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, I was hoping you’d be my date this Friday evening. One of the wineries near Harmony puts on an annual dinner is the spring event in these parts. I think you’d enjoy it.”
“Hmm, I don’t know. I’m not much of a drinker.”
He laughed. “Neither am I. What does that have to do with anything?”
“Didn’t you say it’s at a winery?”
“It is, and wine will be available, of course, but we’re certainly not obligated to drink it. That completely aside, the food is always amazing. There’ll be good music, five-star cuisine, and—if you’ll come with me—wonderful company as well.”
“I’d love to.” Raine watched a squirrel dash into the trees, his cheeks stuffed with garnered fare. “And I should wear fancy clothes, huh?”
“Absolutely. Seven o’clock Friday night then.”
Raine stayed where she was, her book forgotten, after he hung up.
A black-tie event. With Dec. Here on the coast.
Could life get any better than this?
****
Dec pulled up next to the stairs outside Raine’s apartment. He glanced at the clock on his dash. Three minutes shy of seven o’clock. Every cell in his body urged him out of the car. He missed Raine. She had gotten a hold on him, despite his best efforts to keep her at a distance. He waited an eternal three minutes before hurrying up the steps at exactly 7 PM. A sheepish grin pulled at his lips as he t
apped at her door, and then wiped clammy hands on his slacks. What was he, an adolescent in the throes of puppy love?
Then Raine opened the door and he decided yeah, that’s exactly what he was, except that what he felt for the stunning woman before him far surpassed simple infatuation.
Full lips, tinted red with a shiny gloss, curved into a breathtaking smile beneath eyes like emerald stars. A beautiful, messy fall of raven-black curls cascaded from atop her head, with wispy tendrils hanging free against her face and the back of her neck. Sprinkled amidst the silky tresses, tiny sparkles reflected like diamond dust in the porch light. What was that, anyway? Glitter? Glass? Who knew what tools women used to beautify themselves. But it worked for this woman. She dazzled him.
Deep hunter-green silk molded her graceful form, with tone-on-tone sequins catching the light and turning her into a shimmering goddess of indescribable beauty. Raine’s skin, always creamy smooth, seemed all but translucent tonight. She’d tanned in the few weeks she’d been in Cambria, and the slight olive tone glowed bright and clean against the deep color of her gown.
Dec couldn’t make his tongue move. Nor could he remove his gaze from the smiling vision in the doorway. He gripped the bouquet of velvety red roses he’d brought along and just stood there.
A low gurgle of laughter flowed over his frozen senses, warming them, bringing them to sizzling life.
“Are those for me?” She reached for the flowers with one hand. Slipping the other through his arm, she drew him inside. “Come on in. I’ll put them in water.”
He stepped inside, wondering if he’d ever be the same again. His voice seemed to have taken a one-way flight. He cleared his throat, watching Raine drift around the roomy kitchen with graceful, gliding motions.
“The roses are lovely. Thank you, Dec!” She placed a crystal vase on the table and set about tucking a leaf here and pulling at another somewhere else, deftly turning his fragrant offering into a work of art. “Look how they brighten up the place.”