Romancing Rachel (River's End Ranch Book 51)

by Pamela M. Kelley

  Her mother laughed. “Okay. I’ll do all of that. Thanks, honey. What are you up to tonight?”

  “I don’t have plans tonight yet, but I’m going hiking with Adiel this afternoon. In fact, I need to get going. I told him I’d meet him at three.”

  “Isn’t that your boss?”

  “Yes. I think he could be a good friend though too and he doesn’t know the area. So, I volunteered to show him where I used to like to hike and to take him down to the lake.”

  “It’s so pretty by the lake. Have fun, honey.”

  Rachel went off to change into jeans, sneakers and a lightweight top, and a half hour later, she knocked on the door to the Copper Cabin.

  Adiel opened it immediately and looked ready to go.

  “Okay, lead the way!” He stepped outside and locked the door behind him.

  They walked across the fields where several people were riding horses. It was a gorgeous day, just warm enough that you didn’t need to wear a jacket and the sun was shining. Rachel led him to one of her favorite trails which meandered through the mountain side, making it a good beginner level trail as it wasn’t too strenuous. They stopped now and then to admire the view from different vantage points.

  As they got higher, the views improved, until they could see most of the ranch and beyond to the lake where the sun highlighted the gently rippling water. It was beautiful and peaceful and it always took Rachel’s breath away. Adiel seemed to appreciate it too.

  “This is incredible,” he said as they looked out over the lake where a family of swans swam in a straight line along the shore.

  They walked for about an hour until they reached the lake.

  “Do you want to sit for a bit and enjoy the view?” she suggested.

  “You don’t have to ask me twice.” Adiel plopped down on the soft grass and sprawled out. He propped himself up on his elbow and leaned back to take in all of their surroundings. Rachel did the same but sat cross-legged and tilted her head back to let the warm sunlight and soft breezes wash over her. The scent of freshly cut grass tickled her nose. Two teenagers in kayaks paddled by and further out there was a small boat with several men fishing.

  “Do they catch much out there?” Adiel asked.

  “Sometimes. Bass and trout mostly. Both are delicious.”

  “I can’t get over the air here. It’s so clean and fresh. You’re probably used to it, but when you come from a smelly, smoggy area you really appreciate it.”

  Rachel nodded. “I know. I’m lucky I guess as it’s all I know.”

  “Jaclyn suggested I call Bryan Baker. I’m going to be looking for a rental soon. She thought he might be able to steer me in the right direction.”

  “You might move off the ranch?” Rachel was surprised, but agreed with Jaclyn. “Bryan would be a good person to talk to. He knows all the realtors in town and he’s building a development along the lake. He might even have something you could rent. How long do you think you might stay?”

  “I don’t honestly know. It could just be a few months if we wrap up this season and don’t get renewed for a second year. But if it does as well as I’m hoping, I could be here for a much longer time—years. That would be really good for all of us.”

  Rachel smiled thinking of her mother and her family. Staying in Riston would be ideal even if it was just for a few years. She hated the thought of moving so far away from her family, but knew at some point, she had to do what was best for her career. Fortunately what was best for her career now was also best for her personally and she couldn’t be happier about it.

  “Is the employee housing almost done?” She knew they were building temporary housing for the cast and crew. Right now everyone was staying in the hotel and villas.

  “Yes, just a few more weeks before people can move in. I could go there if I wanted to, but I’d rather have my own place.”

  “I don’t blame you. It’s nice to get away at the end of the day and go home.”

  “If I was younger, like your age, I’d probably see it as a big adventure,” Adiel said.

  “I’m not that young, really.”

  Adiel raised his eyebrows. “No? What are you twenty-four, twenty-five?”

  “I’ll be twenty-four a week from Monday.”

  He laughed. “So you’re even younger, twenty-three.”

  “Technically. But I think of myself as twenty-four.”

  “I’m an old man compared to you. I’ll be thirty-six soon.”

  “When?”

  “Christmas Day actually.”

  “That’s not soon. It’s half a year away. So, you’re thirty-five, which is far from old.” She smiled at him and wondered if he really saw her as young. She considered him to be about the same age as her, maybe a little older, but still a peer.

  “I don’t think much about age,” she added.

  He looked amused. “No? That’s easy to say when you’re young.”

  She swatted his arm, and he laughed.

  “Seriously though. I believe the old saying that age is just a number. It’s how you feel inside that matters. I have just as much fun hanging out with Jaclyn and Simon at trivia as I do with Cameron.”

  He nodded, and she saw something in his eyes that she couldn’t read.

  “You’re an old soul, Rachel. Definitely more mature than others I’ve worked with at your age.”

  “That’s a good thing, right?” It was important to her that he saw her as an equal. Not just a young girl.

  “It is a good thing. I think it’s part of your charm. I expect people of all ages are going to fall in love with you soon. In about one week that is.”

  “I hope you’re right. I can’t believe we’re going live so soon.”

  “Jaclyn gave me a good idea this morning. I’m going to talk to Wade to see if we can have a viewing party at the restaurant. Might be a fun way to create some buzz for the show and the restaurant and you’ll definitely want to watch it with your friends. There’s nothing like seeing your show on TV for the first time.”

  “That sounds great. Have you ever acted?” She could picture him on TV. He was certainly handsome enough, and he had a moody quality, a quiet intensity that she could see women being drawn to.

  But he laughed at the idea. “No. Never. My place is behind the camera, behind the pen actually. I like to dream up the worlds, not step into them myself. I’m flattered that you think I could though.”

  “It’s your hair. You have movie star hair,” she teased him, and realized she was flirting with him a bit, and it was fun. He was easy to tease. Especially when she saw that she’d embarrassed him a little as a red flush crept over his face.

  “That’s ridiculous. Thank you though.” He absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair and smiled. She could tell that he appreciated the compliment and sensed that he wasn’t used to receiving them.

  “So, if you were in L.A. tonight, what would you be doing?” She was curious about what his life there was like.

  “Tonight?” He thought about it for a minute. “I’d probably meet up with friends for dinner or drinks and maybe go see a show. There’s always something going on, plays, private screenings, comedy shows. Whatever you’re in the mood for.”

  “That sounds fun.”

  “What about you? What would you typically do on a Saturday night?”

  “Similar actually. We don’t often go for dinner but we might share an appetizer or just go for drinks at Figs or somewhere downtown where they have live music or karaoke.”

  “Do you sing too?”

  Rachel laughed at the question. “No. I’m completely tone deaf. It’s very sad. I wish I could sing.”

  “So, no musicals in your future?” he teased her.

  “Haha, hardly.”

  “Have you ever been to the Lewiston Film Festival? It’s this weekend.”

  “It is? Yes, I have been before. It’s wonderful. I didn’t realize it was this weekend. I’ve been so busy lately.”

  “I was going to dri
ve over tonight and check it out. I have an extra ticket if you’re interested. If you don’t already have plans of course.”

  “I don’t, actually. I haven’t talked to Cameron yet today. We usually make plans at the last minute just depending on our schedules. I’d love to go. I missed it last year and it just totally slipped my mind this year.”

  He smiled. “Well, you have been sort of busy, working two jobs and all. Do you have to work tomorrow too?”

  “No. Thankfully the cafe is closed on Sundays. It’s my one day to sleep in and relax.”

  “I think they have food trucks at the film festival, so we can either grab a bite to eat somewhere else or take our chances there. What do you think?”

  “I think the food trucks sound kind of fun, actually.”

  “I suppose we should head back then. There are shows running all day and night but the better ones start around seven. It will take us about an hour to get there, so we should probably leave at about a quarter to six.”

  Rachel took him back on a different trail that didn’t go as high up and would get them there sooner. It was a more direct route. When they reached the fields of the ranch, Rachel stepped a little too quickly and found herself falling forward. Adiel caught her before she hit the ground and slowly lifted her back up. The combination of nearly falling and Adiel’s arms around her left her breathless.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “I’m fine.” And she was except that now she knew how his touch affected her. She didn’t anticipate it because she’d never felt anything quite like it before. It was as if a surge of energy had gone through her and all her senses were heightened. And then there was his scent mixed in there too, a combination of woodsy and sweet. She wasn’t sure if it was some cologne he had on or just his natural scent but it was intoxicating. She took a deep breath and tried to gather herself.

  “Okay, I’ll be back here by a quarter to six.”

  “I’ll drive, so why don’t I just come pick you up?” Adiel suggested.

  “Oh, all right.” She gave him her address and drove home. The house was empty when she arrived. Her brother was probably off with friends and her mother and Caitlin had left a note that they were out shopping. Rachel was glad to have the place to herself. She didn’t feel like talking to anyone. She drew herself a hot bath and then sunk into it, letting the hot water wash over her and her mind drift.

  She had less than an hour to get ready. And she wasn’t sure what she was getting ready for. Were they two friends going to a film festival or was this a date? It hadn’t crossed her mind that dating would even be a possibility until she felt Adiel’s arms around her and realized that she liked it. A lot. But she also knew that starting a relationship with her boss might not be wise.

  Chapter 8

  At exactly a quarter to six, there was a knock on the front door. Rachel’s mother had already left for her date with Norm, and Harrison was out with friends, but Emma was home and raced to the door to open it.

  “You must be Emma. I’m Adiel, is your sister here?” His deep and somewhat smoky voice gave her the shivers. She’d never noticed that about his voice before. What was wrong with her? She needed to dial it down and stop letting her mind run away on her. Adiel certainly wasn’t thinking of her that way. He’d made it clear enough that he thought she was too young for him. Too young in general. But she could go with him and have fun and be his friend and employee. Safer that way anyway. She didn’t want to risk jeopardizing her job. And if they were to date and then break up, it could be awkward, and uncomfortable. So, having processed all that, Rachel walked into the kitchen to meet Adiel and go have fun.

  “You look great. Are you ready to go?”

  “I’m ready.” She followed him out to his car and had to admit the compliment pleased her. She’d taken great care with what she chose to wear, discarding several options until she finally settled on a pretty pink cashmere sweater and her favorite dressy jeans.

  They chatted easily as they drove and Adiel told her about some of the films that were at the festival. He knew one of the filmmakers and was hoping he’d have a chance to catch up with him and say hello.

  The festival was held at an old theater that had been recently renovated and now had ten different screens. There was a long line of food trucks and also regular movie concession snacks like popcorn and candy. The first movie they wanted to see started at 7:30 so they had time to eat first. They checked out the various food trucks and Rachel decided to go with Mexican and chose a pulled pork taco while Adiel got an order of steak on a stick from the Korean Barbecue truck.

  They managed to save room for popcorn though and each got a small buttered bag to bring into the movie. They watched two films, and they were both excellent. After the second one, they walked around for a bit. The filmmakers were mingling with the crowd and answering questions. Adiel finally spotted his friend Paul and walked over to him. Paul finished his conversation and then broke away when he saw Adiel and came over and gave him an enthusiastic hug.

  “I heard you were in the area and was hoping you might come by. How’s the show going? You’re filming not too far from here, right?”

  Adiel nodded. “About an hour away, in Riston. How’ve you been? Nice job with the film. Rachel and I really enjoyed it.” He introduced Rachel and Paul shook her hand.

  “It’s great to meet you.” He looked back at Adiel. “I’ve been good. We’re hoping to lock down distribution on this film soon and then I’m back to L.A. for pre-production on the next project.” Rachel listened with interest as Paul and Adiel discussed the various people they knew and Paul’s upcoming project which sounded exciting as several big names were attached to it. It seemed like the two of them could talk for hours, but there were others waiting to talk to Paul, so they said goodbye and made their way through the crowd and to their car.

  They discussed the films on the ride back to Riston and had a lively discussion. They both agreed on one of the films, Paul’s, but had differing opinions on the first, and it was interesting to compare their impressions. Rachel realized that they had similar tastes but sometimes looked at the movies from a different perspective.

  When they reached Riston, they were still deep in discussion and as they approached Main Street, Adiel suggested that they go hear some live music.

  “I’m not ready to go home yet are you? I love talking about this stuff.”

  “I do too. Let’s go to Figs. They always have good bands.”

  Adiel found parking on the street just a few doors down from Figs and they went inside. It was busy but not as crowded as it was earlier during the dinner rush. There were two open seats at the bar and Adiel made his way toward them. Rachel ordered a glass of red wine and Adiel a draft beer. The band was between sets, so it was quiet enough to talk and they dove back into their film discussion. Rachel felt like she could talk about movies and TV shows for hours and it was so fun to have someone who understood and shared that same passion. When she’d tried to talk to Cameron or her other friends about movies, the discussion never lasted more than a few minutes.

  When the band came back on, it was too hard to hear each other so they sat back, sipped their drinks and enjoyed the music. A little while later, Rachel did a double-take when she saw a couple at a table by the window get up to leave. It was her mother and Norm! She’d forgotten that her mother mentioned that they might go to Figs to hear some music.

  She was fascinated by the look on her mother’s face and on Norm’s. It was as if no one else in the world existed except the two of them. Her mother was positively glowing. Rachel was happy for her and looked forward to hearing about the date the next day.

  They stayed until the band finished their set, for about forty-five minutes or so, until Rachel was unable to stifle a yawn, and Adiel said he felt bad for keeping her up.

  “It’s been a long day, but a busy one and so fun. Thanks so much for inviting me tonight.”

  “I’m glad you were able to come.” He s
miled as he set some money down for their drinks. “It was a fun night.”

  They left and ten minutes later he pulled up in front of her house. All the lights were off meaning everyone was in bed. Rachel checked the time, and it was later than she’d realized, almost midnight.

  “Enjoy your day off tomorrow, Rachel.” Adiel sounded warm and friendly. There was no hint of a date vibe at all now. Rachel started to think she had an overactive imagination. She’d just been caught up in the excitement of talking for hours with someone who shared her same interests. She yawned and then sighed. She was exhausted now and ready to fall into bed.

  “Thanks, you too. See you bright and early on Monday.”

  Adiel had a lazy though somewhat restless Sunday. He hit the gym in the morning and then caught up on reading and writing the rest of the day and going over the scripts for the coming week. More than once, he wondered what Rachel was up to. When he ordered pizza from the restaurant for dinner and settled on the plush black leather sofa to watch a new Netflix show, he couldn’t help but think it would be nice to share the pizza with her and to watch the show together and talk about it after. But as tempted as he was to call and invite her over, it just didn’t feel right.

  He knew there were boundaries there that he shouldn’t cross. Because he could say he was inviting her over as a friend, but he wasn’t at all sure if that was true. And she was only twenty-three! That’s what he struggled with the most. Twenty-three, even almost twenty-four was so young. Although she was mature for her age. When he was that young, he was not that mature. He was just drifting along at that age, trying to find his place in the world. Rachel already knew where she wanted to go and had just taken a huge step to get here.

  And she was an actress. He’d dated his share of actresses in the past and it had never worked out. So that was three things right there—her age, her job and the biggest thing of all, that she was his employee. He hated to think of the mess it would be if they did date and then it ended. Because of course it would end. It always did. It was hard for him to imagine having a relationship that would last. Where they would be equal partners and enjoy the same things. Though he still hoped that maybe, someday he’d find it. But it was foolish and risky to even consider that anything with Rachel would be more than temporary.