Between the Raindrops

by Schussler, Susan

  Inside, the musty fish smell made it clear the store sold bait. Though the shelves were old and the floor warped in different directions, the store was clean. Will noted that Sarah was right about it having just about everything that was really needed. Besides the food, there was a Peg-Board wall covered with fishing lures. There were crossbows, arrows, and camouflage gear for hunting. Above the bubbling bait tanks swayed rows and rows of plastic yellow-and-white minnow buckets. There must have been about thirty of them.

  Will even found an aisle with pharmaceuticals—cough drops, Tylenol, razors, and condoms. He picked up what he needed and then headed for the ice freezer. He grabbed two ten-pound ice bags. Balancing them on his shoulder, he carried them to the front with his other supplies and laid them all on the wood-and-glass countertop. He briskly rubbed his arms to rid them of the icy sting as he looked around to assess who was in the store. Intrigued by a big vat of live bait along the wall past the counter, he walked over and inspected the dark water. A large horde of fathead minnows huddled in one corner, wriggling on top of each other to hide from his cast shadow. He had been fly-fishing once and deep sea fishing a couple of times, but he’d never used live bait before. For a minute, he debated getting a fishing license, but decided it was best not to leave a paper trail for the media to track him.

  Sarah was over by the cooler doors. She loved the fresh eggs from the farm just down the road, so she grabbed a dozen from inside the glass door and circled back around to find the water jugs. As she reached the front of the store, she loaded her groceries onto the counter next to Will’s, then cautiously looked around for the clerk, and her eyes fell on the familiar face of a grossly muscular man in his twenties sporting a camouflage hat. His deep-brown eyes sparkled when they met Sarah’s, and his always-smiling face animated.

  “Sarah? Sarah Austin, how the hell are you?” the man’s deep voice boomed from behind the magazine rack near the counter.

  “Oh my gosh! Ryan!” She dropped her purse on the counter and walked to hug the marine. “You’re home from the Middle East?”

  “Yeah, I’m on leave, just filling in at the store today,” he said, picking her up in a big bear hug. “I tried calling your house on your birthday, but your mom said you were out. I lost my phone and didn’t have your cell. I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. Do you ever think about us?”

  “Sure, but you’ve been gone a long time,” she admitted quietly, not really knowing what to say.

  “That never stopped us before,” he stated as he set her down. “Come out for a drink with me. You’re legal now.” A huge, infectious smile beamed on his face.

  “Ryan, I…” She looked at him apprehensively.

  “I know that you believe long-distance relationships don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell, but it’s not like we really tried. What do ya say?”

  “I can’t. I…” She looked toward Will. She hoped Ryan wouldn’t recognize him. With his cap obscuring his face, he could have been just some ordinary guy—a really off-the-wall gorgeous ordinary guy.

  Ryan followed her gaze, and his eyes widened. Scowling, he gave Will a nod.

  “Oh, I get it. So you’re hiding out at the lake, huh?”

  Sarah was stunned. “Um, just hanging out, enjoying the weather. There was quite a storm last night,” she said in a jumpy voice, unsure if his comment was an innocent observation or all knowing.

  “I saw you on Celebrity News last night.”

  “Really?”

  “My mom had it on. I didn’t think it was you. My mom was on the phone all night debating it. That’s him?” he asked, tilting his head toward Will.

  “Yeah. Why don’t you come meet him?” She grabbed his arm and brought him over to introduce him to Will. “Ryan, this is Jon. Jon, Ryan.” It felt weird for her to call him Jon, but calling him Will seemed too personal for this introduction.

  The two guys shook hands as Ryan eyed Will skeptically.

  “I wasn’t sure if it was true, but I can see that it is.”

  “Don’t tell anyone we’re here.” Will looked at Ryan with concern. “It really becomes dangerous when people know where we are.”

  “No problem. I know how that is. It’s the same in the Middle East. Safety first, right?”

  “I bet it’s great to be home,” Will said, making small talk.

  “Yep. It’s hell over there, either boring or deadly. Saw you in The Demigod. That was kick-ass,” Ryan admitted.

  They chatted for several minutes before Ryan started to ring up their groceries. He glowered at Will as he bagged the pharmaceuticals.

  “Well, I’m just filling in for my mom while she runs to Sandstone for a prescription. She’ll be back any minute, and if you don’t want the world to know you’re here, you should probably get going. Great to see you, Sarah.”

  “Thanks. It’s great to see you too. Stay safe.” Sarah smiled.

  “Treat her right, Jon,” he added.

  “I will.” Will wrapped his arm around Sarah possessively and kissed the top of her head, marking his territory, before picking up the bags of ice and the groceries.

  Sarah grabbed the water jugs, and they headed toward the door.

  “There are a lot of people who are protective of you,” he said as they left the store.

  Sarah just smiled innocently.

  After loading their purchases, Sarah tossed Will her keys. “Will you drive, please? I’ll tell you where to turn.” She wanted to observe Will as he drove instead of him scrutinizing her. She knew he would ask her about Ryan. She hoped that Will hadn’t heard her conversation with him, but judging by his possessive demeanor as they left, he probably had, and the expression on Ryan’s face as he rang up the three packages of prophylactics had YouTube viral potential all over it. Sarah was embarrassed that Ryan knew, but was pleased that he didn’t look at her until everything was bagged and his face had returned to normal.

  Will closed the passenger door behind Sarah and climbed into the driver’s seat. “So do you think he’ll tell anyone we’re here?” He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.

  “No, I’ve known him for a long time. Ryan’s grandparents are retired on Pine Lake, and his folks have owned the bait shop since I was a little kid. If his mom found out we were here, she might blab, but Ryan won’t tell her. He’s pretty loyal—like an old hound dog. He and I used to go out.”

  “I gathered that much,” he said with a questioning look.

  “It wasn’t serious.”

  “Sounds like he thought it was serious.”

  “He joined the military, and I haven’t seen him in over a year.”

  “Yeah. Long-distance relationships never work, right?” He shrugged.

  “It’s not the same for us.”

  “How so?”

  “We love each other. We’ll make it work. We don’t have a choice,” she declared.

  He looked at her skeptically. “I didn’t take you for the dumb jock kind of girl. I mean, I can see how some girls go for that bulky, giant musclebound kind of thing, but I pictured you with more intellectual types.”

  “We all have our vices, right?” She smiled at him jokingly, trying to erase the long-distance relationship comment from his mind. “Turn left at that public boat access sign ahead. Honestly, he’s not that bad,” she continued. “Besides, I’m with you, aren’t I?”

  “I’m not like that! He has fifty pounds on me. I’m more of a…sampler platter,” he said, smiling.

  “Yeah, nice to look at and a lot to offer,” she added playfully. Her hand jetted out toward him and froze in midair as she realized it wasn’t a good idea to poke him while he was driving.

  Will laughed and then turned his head toward her defensively when he saw her hand. “I’m hungry. What do we have for lunch that’s healthy? I start up with a trainer full-time next week, and he’s going to kill me if I do too much damage.”

  “You’re worse than a girl.”

  “I’d like to see how you
would react if someone was taking closeup shots of you in your bikini, Miss I’m-Going-to-Leave-My-Shirt-On. Besides, I have some love scenes in this movie, and I’m going to be very exposed.” He grimaced.

  “How do you even do a love scene—I mean, with someone you don’t really know or love?” she asked. “I know it’s not the same, but I still think it would be weird.”

  “It is weird. You have to be that character in your head, and hopefully you have some chemistry with the other actor. You’re on set wearing nothing but this privacy patch, which is basically a sock, and you’re supposed to get cozy with this person in front of everybody. They wrap you in sheets, but they always fall off, so everyone sees what you have. You do get a chance to get to know your partner a bit during preproduction, though. Usually, you go out and do stuff together just to develop some understanding of each other, so that helps.”

  “You mean like a date?” Sarah questioned.

  “Not really. Just hang out together, as friends. It makes it much easier when you’re lying in bed with no clothes on kissing each other.” His eyes met Sarah’s. “It’s just acting,” he added quickly. “It’s not me. It’s the character.”

  Will parked the car next to the cabin and looked over at her as he got out. Sarah sat in silence. She was still contemplating what he had said. She had never really thought about it before, and it bothered her. She wasn’t sure which part, though—the getting-to-know-each-other-in-preproduction part or the kissing-naked-in-bed part. She knew it was his job, but it still worried her. Will opened the back hatch to unload before Sarah joined him at the back of the vehicle.

  “So how many of your costars have you ended up dating?” she asked in a worried voice.

  He looked at her with concern. “Sarah, I love you. I’m not going to put what we have in jeopardy for anything, ever, but I have to do my job, so please trust me.”

  “I do. I think it will make me crazy, though,” she admitted.

  With a smile on his face, he said, “Don’t let it. It’s just a job.”

  “I know, but it’s hard for us nonactors to wrap our minds around it,” she confessed.

  “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”

  She draped her arms around him, put her hands in his back pockets, and crushed her body against his. The closeness relaxed her. They held each other for several seconds before going inside to eat lunch. Will put away the groceries while Sarah assembled two salads tossed with leftover fajita chicken. They ate their greens out on the patio with two tall glasses of ice water and planned out the rest of the day.

  Sarah’s mom called to see how they were doing and to let them know what was going on at the house. There were photographers and possibly some fans staked out, but she assured Sarah that they weren’t causing too much trouble as long as the drapes were kept shut.

  “People have come to the door a few times and asked about you and Jonathan, but no one has told them anything. Someone even followed Jeff and Jessica thinking they were you,” revealed Kate. “I got some great shots of them camped out on the lawn.”

  Will told Sarah that the press would eventually give up, but the fans were usually more resolute and harder to get rid of.

  Over the next few days, Sarah and Will swam and boated. They went waterskiing, and Will was amazed at how good Sarah was on skis. They took turns tubing behind the boat, seeing who could hold on the longest. They went Jet Skiing and cliff jumping. Will played songs on his guitar for her. They talked for hours and held each other. Of course, they made love—in the tree house, on the boat, in Sarah’s bed, and on the padded bench. If it weren’t for the plumbing, or lack thereof, they wouldn’t have cared that the power didn’t come back on until Wednesday afternoon.

  By Wednesday evening, when the sun descended low, trailing a colorful pink-and-orange banner across the surface of the lake, Will and Sarah sprawled on the ground in front of a bonfire. The fire wasn’t needed. The air was warm, but the smoke kept the mosquitoes at bay.

  Will leaned against a huge log bench, with Sarah nestled between his legs, and he adoringly ran his fingers through her hair as he spoke.

  “I never thought I would meet someone like you—someone I wanted more with.”

  “What do you mean? Out of all those women you’ve dated, you’ve never been in love?”

  “Not until now. I’ve told you, I’ve never said it to another woman.”

  “Really? You were with Mia Thompson for over a year, and you didn’t love her? I don’t believe you.”

  “Of course I love her, as a friend. We’ve been through a lot together.”

  “The media makes it sound like you can barely keep your hands off each other, and your chemistry with her is undeniable. I’ve seen it on-screen.”

  “Mia is just good at playing the press, and we do have a certain amount of chemistry. But I was never in love with her.”

  She leaned her head against his shoulder and looked into his eyes. “Then why stay with her so long?”

  “It was easy. She was loyal, and I knew what to expect from her.”

  “I bet it was the sex.” She straightened with a smirk and gazed out over the lake.

  He laughed and kissed the top of her head. “She is nothing like you.”

  Sarah stiffened in his arms.

  “I mean that in the best possible way. Trust me, I’ve never felt this way about anyone—nowhere close.”

  “What’s going to happen after tomorrow? I don’t want you to leave.”

  He pulled her flush against his body, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She leaned her head against his shoulder again.

  “I don’t want to leave, either. Maybe we should just turn off our phones and forget about everyone else.”

  “I’d smash my phone if it would keep you here.”

  “Promise me something, Sarah. Promise me that you won’t believe the lies the media prints about me. I’ve seen the best Hollywood relationships shredded by gossip and innuendo. If you have a question, just ask me. I will always be honest with you.”

  “I promise,” she whispered.

  Before they wanted, it was Thursday morning. Will would be leaving for LA tonight at 9:35 p.m., and they both yearned to stop time. They planned to go straight to the airport because of the fans at the house, which gave them a little more time alone together. Sarah and Will spent the afternoon in each other’s arms, talking and snuggling. It felt like they had known each other a lifetime, and they were already physically aching just thinking about being separated.

  Will had to be back for the costume fitting, and Sarah needed the weekend to get ready for her internship at the web magazine, so they were going to have to be apart. As much as they wished, they couldn’t stop time, and soon it was five thirty, time to load the car for the trip back to the cities. They locked up the cabin and settled into the car for the ride back to the airport.

  The ride was sullen and intense. Once they were on the freeway, Will laced his fingers with her right hand. He stared at Sarah as she drove, as if memorizing her every expression. Whenever she glanced at him, she couldn’t help the way the corner of her lips curled up just a little. He was sitting next to her, holding her hand, and she already missed him. They talked the entire drive, but it was subdued.

  When they reached the airport, Sarah parked her Honda next to the curb. They looked deeply into each other’s eyes. Sarah’s were filling with tears, but not spilling yet.

  She said simply, “I love you, Will”—she swallowed—“Jonathan.” His given name making their week together more real somehow.

  “I know, Sarah.” He smiled. “I love you too.”

  He entangled his hands in her hair and gently touched his lips to hers. As Sarah’s lips parted, the kiss grew urgent and consuming. They kissed without taking time to breathe for almost five minutes.

  Finally breaking it off, Will said, “I’ve got to go.” He kissed her again and whispered in her ear. “Stay safe, Sarah. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Soon
,” she repeated softly.

  He pulled his hat down over his eyes, put on his dark sunglasses, and stepped out onto the sidewalk. He grabbed his bag and guitar from the back. Sarah stared after him as he headed for the glass doors. Halfway to the door, he looked over his shoulder and smiled at her. She waved and smiled back as the tears in her eyes got too heavy and began to fall. Sarah watched Will walk into the big open tundra of the terminal. She knew it was going to hurt when he left, but never imagined that it would hurt this much. She waited a couple of minutes for the tears to slow and then pulled her Honda away from the curb.

  Sarah and her friends went out for dinner not far from Megan’s house on Saturday night. The bar, known for its frozen drinks and giant sandwiches, showcased live music on the weekends in the summer. The girls planned to get immersed in the stories of Sarah’s week with Will while they listened to the band. They were seated outside on the large wooden deck overlooking the St. Croix River. The sun burned warm, but a cool breeze blew lightly off the river, just enough to keep the mosquitoes away. The girls always tried to be seated outside whenever possible. They knew they needed to soak up the sun before winter hit.

  After a few minutes, the waitress came over to take their orders. Sarah was the last to order. She asked for a turkey-cucumber sandwich with a frozen pomegranate lemonade. It was warm, and Sarah wanted to try one of the bar’s specialty drinks. She had been twenty-one for just over a week now, and this was the first time she was legally able to order alcohol when she was out. It was a novelty, and it made her feel more grown-up somehow. After taking their orders, the waitress politely asked to see their IDs. The girls all reached for their purses and pulled out their driver’s licenses. The short blonde waitress carefully examined each license, handing them back one at a time.

  When she got to Sarah’s, she took an extra-long time looking at it. “Your birthday was last Friday.”

  Sarah couldn’t tell if it was a question or a statement, so she said, “Yes.”