Romancing Rachel (River's End Ranch Book 51)

by Pamela M. Kelley

  He thought of Lexy. She was a more appropriate age and was nice enough and she wasn’t an actress. She was also just out of a serious relationship so he knew she would want to take things slow, which suited him just fine. Even if nothing serious developed with them, she might be someone fun to spend time with. He grabbed his phone and found her number. Before he could change his mind, he called her and they made plans to go out to the county fair Friday night after work. He’d heard about the fair from Wade and thought it might be a fun, casual thing to do. Plus, he’d never been to a fair before and wondered if it was the way they showed it on TV with jam contests and livestock as well as cheesy games and rides.

  Now that he had the date confirmed, he turned his attention back to the drama on Netflix. He was feeling optimistic. Lexy was a very pretty girl. Maybe they’d go to the fair together and there might be more of a spark this time. As long as her ex didn’t show up. But the likelihood of that happening again was slim.

  Rachel woke to the smell of freshly made coffee and bacon. Her nose twitched and at first she wondered if she was dreaming. She couldn’t remember the last time her mother had cooked bacon. She eased herself out of bed and padded downstairs to the kitchen where her mother had her hair pulled into a ponytail that made her look ten years younger and was humming to herself as she flipped a batch of blueberry pancakes. She looked up and smiled when she heard Rachel walk into the room.

  “Hi honey! Are you hungry? I’m cooking up some bacon and your favorite pancakes.”

  “That looks great.” Rachel helped herself to a cup of coffee. “What’s the occasion?”

  Her mother laughed. “Nothing. I’m just happy and felt like some blueberry pancakes. And bacon of course.”

  “Of course.”

  “Grab a plate.”

  Rachel did as instructed and her mother slid several pancakes onto it and told her to help herself to the bacon. She piled on a half dozen crispy slices, added a bit of butter to the pancakes and a drizzle of maple syrup.

  “I’m surprised the others aren’t up yet,” she said as she sat at the kitchen table.

  “I’m sure they’ll be down soon enough. There’s plenty for everyone. I have another plate of pancakes warming in the oven.” Her mother made a plate for herself and joined Rachel at the table.

  Rachel smiled. “So…..I saw you last night.”

  “You did? Where?” Her mother sounded surprised.

  “Adiel and I stopped into Figs to catch the last set. We were sitting at the bar and I didn’t see you until you got up to leave. I didn’t want to interrupt at that point. Did you have fun?”

  Her mother’s dreamy smile spoke volumes. “We did. He’s a perfect gentleman. It was so wonderful to catch up with him. He’s led such an interesting life. Traveled all over the world filming movies and shows.”

  “I’m glad you had a good time. Do you think you’ll see him again while he’s here?”

  Her mother grinned. “We’re going out again tonight. He wants to take me to a film festival in Lewiston. Have you heard of it?”

  Rachel laughed. “Yes, that’s where we went last night. You’ll enjoy it.”

  Her mother set her coffee cup down and looked at Rachel more closely.

  “Who did you go there with?”

  “Adiel, the man I work with.”

  “Your boss?” Her mother frowned. “Was it a date?”

  “No. Not at all. We’re just friends. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. We were hiking in the afternoon and he happened to have an extra ticket and it sounded like a fun thing to do.”

  “I see. And was it fun?”

  “It was! We had such a good time. We saw two films and talked about them the whole way back. We didn’t agree completely about them but that made it even more fun to discuss.”

  Her mother was quiet for a moment and then picked up a piece of bacon and snapped it in half.

  “Be careful honey. I don’t want you to get over your head or into something that might be complicated to get out of. It can be sticky to date someone you work with let alone someone you work for.”

  Rachel sighed. “I know. It’s not like that though. We’re just friends.” Rachel knew it would be a mistake to take it further than that. As tempting as it was. Besides Adiel had given her no indication that he’d even be interested.

  Chapter 9

  Adiel stopped in Wade’s office early Monday morning before they started filming for the day. He’d been to his office once before and knew that Lily and Bernie, Wade’s assistant, shared the main room which was just off of Wade’s office. He noticed that Lily’s desk was empty and remembered that she was out on maternity leave. Bernie was typing something on her computer and smiled when she saw him.

  “Hi Adiel. Is Wade expecting you?”

  “No, I thought I might catch him before his day got underway. I can come back though if he’s busy or give him a call later.”

  “I think he’s free. Go ahead in.”

  Adiel stepped into Wade’s office and waited a moment while he ended a call. As soon as he hung up the phone, Wade got up and came over to shake his hand.

  “Good to see you, Adiel. How’s everything going with the filming? Can I help with anything? Have a seat.”

  Adiel sat in the chair across from Wade’s desk while Wade leaned back in his chair.

  “Everything’s good. Great actually. You heard we got the official green light? First two episodes will air a week from today. That’s why I’m here.”

  “No kidding, that soon? That’s great, right?”

  “It is. And I was thinking, would it be possible to have a party of sorts at the restaurant? Maybe set up a viewing in one of the function rooms? It might be really fun for everyone staying at the ranch and for the cast and crew to watch together.” Adiel could almost see the wheels spinning as Wade considered the request.

  “I think that’s a fantastic idea. We can definitely make that happen. I’ll talk to my sister, Dani. She’s good at the logistics for this kind of thing. I think we might have a projection TV somewhere that we can set up, and maybe get some snacks, wings, nachos, that kind of thing?”

  “That sounds perfect.” Another thought occurred to Adiel. He wasn’t sure how she’d feel about it, but it seemed appropriate. “Could we get a birthday cake too? I’d like to surprise Rachel. It’s her birthday that day.”

  Wade grinned. “Sure thing. Nothing like a good birthday surprise.”

  Adiel stood up. “All right then. Thanks so much. Let me know if you need anything from me. And send the bill to Andi, my assistant. She handles all our payables.”

  “Will do.”

  Adiel was in a great mood when he walked onto the set. But his mood fizzled quickly when the first thing he saw was Corey cornering Rachel. He walked over quietly and caught the tail end of the conversation.

  “I don’t understand why you still won’t go out with me. No one says no to me. You could have the best date of your life. I know how to wine and dine a woman.” Corey’s tone shifted from plaintive to bragging and Adiel fought back the urge to punch him.

  “Corey, please just drop it. I don’t want to keep having this conversation.” Rachel’s voice was strained, annoyed and frustrated. And it pushed Adiel over the edge. He walked over and got right in Corey’s face.

  “You are forbidden to ask Rachel out again. She said no. Respect her wishes and leave her alone. Or else.” He spoke calmly and quietly but with an intensity that he hoped would show Corey that he was serious. But Corey was apparently a slow learner.

  “Or else what?” He was also too cocky for his own good.

  Adiel looked him in the eye. “Or else your character might die a very painful death. It would be a simple thing to write you out of the story, Corey. Keep that in mind.”

  “I will. I will. Sorry Rachel.” Corey scurried away and Adiel sighed. He normally avoided that kind of confrontation and didn’t enjoy it in the least.

  “I’m sorry about that Rachel. He
should leave you alone now. Let me know if he doesn’t. I won’t put up with that kind of behavior on my set.”

  She nodded, and the gratitude was evident in her eyes. “Thank you.”

  The rest of the week went smoothly. Adiel was impressed with the work that everyone was doing, especially Rachel. She was even better than he’d thought she would be and everyone on the set seemed to have taken her under their wing, especially Gabby, who seemed to take a maternal interest. She still wasn’t showing yet, but she got tired easily, especially in the afternoon, so Adiel tried to schedule her scenes for earlier in the day whenever possible.

  He looked forward to trivia now and on Thursday, was disappointed when Ben called to say that he and Anna weren’t able to find a sitter for Taylor so they’d be staying home. He’d just picked up his message when Rachel stuck her head in his office.

  “I’m heading over to trivia, do you want to walk with me? You’re going right?”

  “I was, but Ben and Anna just let me know they can’t make it.”

  “So what? Come anyway. You know everyone now.”

  He smiled. “That’s true I do. And I was looking forward to the pizza.”

  They had a fun night and though Adiel was sorry that Ben and Anna couldn’t make it, he still had a great time. He and Rachel knew most of the entertainment questions and she surprised him by being right on a few that he thought he knew, but she was so sure that they went with her answer and he was glad that they did. He was impressed with how much she knew about films in all eras.

  “The county fair starts tomorrow,” Jaclyn said at one point. “I have two entries that need your votes. My raspberry jam and of course my snickerdoodle cookies. You’ll all be going I hope?”

  Everyone nodded and assured her that of course they’d cast their votes for her.

  “It’s a really fun time. I think Cameron and I are going to head over tomorrow night after work. You should come with us!” Rachel sounded so enthusiastic that his heart sank and he wished he was going with her.

  “I’m going tomorrow night too. I told Lexy I’d take her.”

  “Oh! Well, I’m sure you’ll have fun. I didn’t realize you were still dating her.” Adiel wasn’t sure but thought she sounded a bit disappointed. He told himself he must have imagined it though. Why would Rachel care if he took Lexy out?

  But he noticed that she was a little more distant with him the rest of the night. Talking more to Cameron and Jaclyn instead of laughing with him. He told himself that he was doing the right thing though by trying to see if it could work with Lexy. She was a much more obvious choice for him.

  They came in third place after missing the final question. But no one really minded. They won often enough. As they walked out, Jaclyn took his arm and pulled him aside.

  “Young man, you need to stop by for a visit soon. Sunday afternoon would be nice. You don’t have any plans then, do you?”

  He grinned. “No, I’m free all afternoon.”

  She looked pleased with his answer. “Good. Why don’t you come by around two? That’s a good time for tea and we’ll have a little chat and a cookie or two. You won’t be sorry. My cookies are legendary!”

  He chuckled. “That’s what I hear.”

  “I’m out by the RV park. You can’t miss my place. Just look for the yard full of white rabbits and gnomes.”

  After work on Friday, Adiel headed to the downtown condo complex where Lexy lived. He found her unit easily and waited for a minute while she ran to her bedroom to get her purse. She had a one-bedroom, corner unit. It was small but immaculate and looked comfortable. It was walking distance to all the restaurants and shops along Main Street and a short drive to the hospital where she worked.

  “Okay, I’m ready!” She locked the door behind them and they climbed into his car and headed off to the fairgrounds. He couldn’t help noticing that she looked nice. Her hair was curled and fell to her shoulders and she was wearing a pretty peach top and slim fitting jeans. She was also wearing sneakers which seemed like a smart idea for traipsing around dusty fairgrounds.

  “I’ve been told we have to check out the jam and cookie contest. A friend needs our votes.”

  She laughed. “We can do that. I think it may involve sampling which is always fun. I haven’t been to the fair in years.”

  “No? How come? People last night were talking like it’s something they hate to miss.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. They’re kind of all the same, lots of dirt, smelly animals, run down rides and nothing but greasy fried food.” She made a face and Adiel realized that maybe his idea of a fun night out wasn’t the same as hers. Still, she’d agreed to go, so maybe she’d have a good time once they got there.

  When they reached the fairgrounds it was already packed, and they had to park in a far away lot.

  “Good thing you wore sneakers,” he said as they got out of the car and started walking.

  “I know. I almost wore heels then realized that would be a huge mistake.”

  Adiel bought their tickets when they reached the entrance way and made their way in.

  “Let’s head to where they’re doing the bakery contest so we can get that out of the way. Any idea which way we go?” All he saw was a mass of people and tents everywhere.

  “I think it’s near the back, over this way.” Lexy led the way to the tents where the judging for the baked items would be. There were dozens of entries and each one offered tiny samples. They made their way through the tent, tasting jams and cookies until they reached Jaclyn’s. Some of the ones that they tasted were so good that he couldn’t imagine that hers could be any better. But after tasting both, he was happy to be wrong about that. Jaclyn was apparently magical in the kitchen. Her jam and snickerdoodle cookie was the best thing he’d ever had. He wanted more than just a tiny taste, but knew he’d be visiting her on Sunday and now he knew what he had to look forward to.

  They cast their votes and exited the tent. Lexy was hungry, so they roamed over to the food section and he had to laugh. She was right. There really was nothing healthy there. He decided on a corn dog and Lexy got a burger. They shared an order of fries and then split a fluffy piece of fried bread dough dusted with cinnamon and sugar, butter and maple syrup. It was hot, messy and delicious.

  “Do you want to go on any rides?” he asked her.

  She made a face. “Not really. Do you?”

  He didn’t particularly care either way. “I hear some music. Do they have live bands here too?”

  “Usually they have country or blues bands. Supposed to be pretty good if you like that kind of thing.”

  “You don’t?” She didn’t seem overly enthusiastic and just shrugged.

  “We can go listen if you want. It’s something to do I suppose. And I think they sell beer over there.”

  They followed the sound of the music to a large area with a stage and a couple of beer carts nearby. Adiel got them each a draft beer and they found seats near the back. A band was just finishing their set as they arrived and by the time they got their beers and found seats, a different band was up and starting to play.

  Adiel thought they were really good. They played a mix of blues and country and it was the kind of thing he could listen to for hours. But by the time they finished their beers, Lexy looked bored to tears and was texting someone on her phone.

  “Do you want another drink or should we get going?” he asked when the band finished the song they were playing.

  “I wouldn’t mind if we go. I have an early shift tomorrow.” Her phone dinged and she glanced at it and smiled. Adiel sighed. He didn’t need another date to know that he and Lexy had little in common and there wasn’t a hint of a spark.

  As they got up to leave, Adiel saw two familiar faces coming toward them. Rachel and Cameron were laughing as they walked along with their beers. They both stopped short when they saw them.

  “Hi Adiel,” Rachel said.

  “Are you guys leaving now? The bands are just getting started.
They’re going to go all night,” Cameron added.

  Adiel nodded. “Lexy has an early day tomorrow. Have fun you two.” Adiel wished he was staying with them.

  “The bands go all day and night tomorrow too, you could always come back,” Cameron added.

  Lexy didn’t say much as they walked back to the car, but her phone kept beeping with new text messages.

  “I hope everything is okay,” he finally asked.

  Lexy sighed. “It’s fine. I’m sorry, I know this is horribly rude. It’s Dan, my ex. He wanted to go out tonight. I think he wants to try to work things out and he went a little crazy when I told him I already had a date planned tonight.”

  “He’s the one that’s been texting you?” Adiel saw all kinds of red flags with that but Lexy didn’t seem to mind. He got the sense she actually liked it. He didn’t say anything else until he dropped her off.

  “I hope it works out the way that you want it to,” he said as she opened the car door.

  “Thanks Adiel. I really did have fun tonight.”

  He smiled to himself as she drove off. They definitely had different definitions of fun.

  “I can’t believe we ran into them,” Rachel said as she sipped her beer.

  “I know. They didn’t look very happy though. I have a feeling her ex heard about her date tonight and didn’t like it much.”

  “Wasn’t he the one that ended things with her though?”

  “Yeah. I don’t know the whole story though. Someone said he got cold feet because it seemed too easy with them. He kept waiting for it to blow up.”

  “That’s awfully pessimistic.”

  “You think? Lexy was his first really serious relationship. He’s a doctor, used to having women throwing themselves at him. You have no idea what it’s like. Some of these doctors have out-of-control egos.”