RAINBOW’S END: FOUR-IN-ONE COLLECTION

by Valerie Comer, Annalisa Daughety, Nicole O’Dell

  “I think my daddy was disappointed he didn’t have boys to take fishing. Brook went with him, but I never did.” Madison crumpled the wrapper from her burger and tossed it into the bag.

  “Is your dad still around these parts?” he asked. She nodded. “Yeah. He still lives in Roach.” “I guess he was glad to see you.”

  Madison didn’t say anything for a long moment. “I haven’t been to see him yet, actually.” She cleared her throat. “He and I … well, we don’t get along.”

  “I’m sorry.” He flipped on the blinker and turned into the parking lot of the park where the next cache was supposed to be. Relationships were complicated, that was for sure. He and his parents had gone through some rocky times, but they’d remained close.

  “Don’t be. Those things happen. I’m going to visit him this week, and we’ll see how it goes.”

  He knew forced cheerfulness when he heard it. “I’ll pray that the reunion goes well.” He turned off the engine and turned to look at her.

  Madison widened her brown eyes. “Thanks,” she said softly. “I can use all the prayers I can get.”

  “We all can.” He climbed out of the truck and offered her his hand.

  She hesitated then accepted his help.

  And as soon as he felt the electricity pass between them, he immediately wished he’d not been so gallant.

  Chapter 5

  Madison smoothed her skirt and stood outside her childhood home. Just driving through the little community of Roach had been like going back in time. If she closed her eyes, she could practically smell the sweet honeysuckle perfume that Mama had worn and taste the fresh-picked peaches she and Brook had eaten as children.

  She remembered when the now-rickety porch swing had been brand new. She and Brook would sit next to Mama and listen to her read Bible stories. The big oak tree in the front yard used to have a tire swing, and she and Brook had taken turns pushing each other. When Daddy would come home from work they’d both climb on, and he’d push them as high as he could until Mama called them all to the table.

  Her childhood had been happy. It was too easy to forget that after the way everything had turned out. The realization made her take pause at the front door. Sure, they’d gone through some tough times. Her grandpa’s illness and death had been difficult. And those long months when Daddy had been out of a job. But things hadn’t actually fallen apart until Mama had been diagnosed with cancer.

  At the time, Madison had expected that everything would be okay. She couldn’t imagine it any other way. But then Mama had taken a turn for the worse, and things had never been the same.

  Madison rapped on the door and waited. She’d known this day was inevitable, but she hadn’t expected to feel so many emotions.

  The door slowly swung open, and for the first time in years, she stood face to face with her daddy. “Hi,” she said.

  His weathered face broke into a smile. “Maddie,” he said. He pulled her into his arms. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  She followed him into the house, not bothering to tell him not to use her old nickname. “The place looks exactly the same.”

  “Probably just like it did the day you left.” He sat down in his old recliner. “Have a seat.”

  Madison sank onto the same couch she remembered as a kid. She and Brook had watched Scooby-Doo every Saturday morning while they ate their Cheerios. “I wish you’d have let me bring you something to eat. I could’ve picked something up.”

  Daddy shook his head. “Brook has put so many casseroles in the freezer, I think I could go for years without ever stepping foot into the grocery store.” He smiled, but it didn’t go all the way to his eyes.

  Madison knew why. He didn’t have years. According to Brook, he might only have months. “I’m sorry you’re sick,” she said softly.

  He nodded. “At first the doctor thought the problem was just with one kidney. But pretty soon it became obvious both were failing. I’m on dialysis now.”

  “What about a transplant? Couldn’t you get on the list or something?” Madison wasn’t totally sure how that worked, but surely there was something that could be done.

  “I’m on the list. But it can take years for there to be a match.” He shrugged. “And at this point, I don’t have that luxury.”

  “But it could happen, right? I mean, they could call you with a kidney?”

  He cleared his throat. “The chances are slim.”

  “What about … someone you’re kin to?” From the way Brook had talked, Madison hadn’t realized a transplant was even an option.

  “Brook’s already been tested. And your uncle Harold. Even Scott, though we aren’t blood related. None of them are matches.”

  So that explained it. Scott’s anger the other day had seemed a little out of place. The fact that Madison hadn’t even known they were all being tested to be potential donors must’ve been too much for him to handle. “Why didn’t anyone call me?” she asked quietly.

  Daddy met her eyes. “I told them not to. Of all people, I could never let you do that. It’s not like loaning someone a car or some money. And I knew if Brook called you, you’d get tested just because she wanted you to. And the truth is, I know I don’t deserve for you to give me that kind of gift.”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off. “Maddie, I messed up with you. A lot. The way I behaved after your mother’s death is inexcusable.”

  Madison’s eyes filled with tears. “You were grieving.”

  “So were you. And you were just a child. I want you to know that right after you left home, I got sober. Have been ever since.”

  “I’m glad.” And she was. He hadn’t been a big drinker before Mama died, but it seemed like after that he just gave up on everything.

  “I’m so sorry.” His voice cracked. “I watched you scrimp and save so you’d have the money to buy a brand-new prom dress. And what did I do? Ruined it for you.”

  The pain came rushing back, fresh as it had been that day. When she’d finally gotten into her piggy bank to get the money out, just enough cash to buy the dress she’d had her eye on all year, the bank was empty. She’d ended up wearing a hand-me-down from a girl at church. Instead of feeling like a princess, she’d felt like a pauper. “That’s all in the past now.” His taking the dress money to buy booze had been the last straw. Madison had spent the weeks between prom and graduation living with her grandparents. She’d left Roach the morning after graduation.

  Daddy put his head in his hands. “And then not showing up to your graduation. And you the valedictorian. Just like your mama had been.” He wiped his eyes. “There’s no excuse.”

  At the time, his excuse had been that he was passed out in his truck outside some seedy bar. “We really don’t need to rehash this. I’m fine now. Everything is fine.” She wasn’t sure if it was, though. Thinking about those incidents brought her so much sorrow. But seeing the pain on Daddy’s face didn’t give her the satisfaction she’d always expected it to. Instead, it made her feel worse. Both of them had wounds that ran deep. And now he needed a kidney.

  “I’ve tried to make up for it though.” Daddy reached over and took a thick book from the coffee table. He handed it to her. “I’ve been keeping up with you.”

  She frowned and flipped through a few pages. “These are press releases.” She looked at him with wide eyes. “Press releases that I wrote.”

  He nodded. “Brook taught me how to use the computer. I’ve been keeping up with everything you do. Ads you write, events your companies have participated in, and a few times I’ve found announcements in the newspaper when you’ve gotten promoted.” He grinned. “Whenever I start to feel like a complete failure, I flip through that book and just think to myself that by the grace of God and the good influence of your mama, you’ve somehow landed on your feet. Despite all I did to screw up.”

  Madison closed the book and placed it carefully on the coffee table. “It’s really sweet that you’ve kept track of me.” Sweet and
surprising.

  “I love you. I never said it enough. But I guess when you’re facing the end, you start to realize what’s really important.”

  Madison stood. She couldn’t handle much more, and she wasn’t sure he could either. “I should go now. You look tired.”

  “It’s amazing how just a little bit of conversation takes my energy these days.” He rose from the recliner. “I remember when I could work twelve-hour days and still come home and have enough energy to chase you girls around the yard.”

  She nodded. “Get some rest.” She reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll come back again soon.”

  He walked her to the door and watched as she got in the car.

  As she pulled out of the driveway, she could still see him waving. Tears filled her eyes until she couldn’t see the road ahead. She slowed the car down and pulled blindly onto the side of the road as she gave into the sobs.

  She knew they couldn’t get back the years they’d lost. And only the Lord knew how much more time they had. But somehow she had to find it in herself to forgive and forget.

  “Thanks for the generous offer,” Grant said into the phone as he paced the length of his small living room. “But I have no plans to compete in the fall.”

  “We’d love to have you,” Mr. Richards said. “Now that you’re a hometown boy, you’d be a great addition to the tournament. If you change your mind, you know how to reach me.”

  Grant ended the call and tossed the phone onto his scarred coffee table. He’d pulled the worn table out of a Dumpster a couple of years ago, expecting it to be a temporary addition to his house, but had never gotten around to replacing it. It kind of matched his decor scheme anyway.

  Mr. Richards directed the fall bass tournament and had been calling monthly for the past three months. Grant turned him down every time, but the man didn’t want to take no for an answer.

  He sank onto the couch and looked around his sparsely furnished cabin. Madison would hate this place. The way his mind kept drifting to her was really starting to irritate him. Yesterday he’d taken an older couple out on the lake, and the woman had squealed every time she came close to a worm. He’d laughed and imagined how it would be to take Madison fishing.

  Except that he knew she’d never go for that. And the last time he’d been involved with a woman who viewed his lifestyle with disdain, it had only caused him heartache.

  Grant stood and grabbed his tackle box. No point in sitting around here dwelling on it. He’d have to face Madison tomorrow for a day of caching. But this afternoon, it would be just him and the great outdoors. Solitary.

  Just like he wanted.

  Chapter 6

  Madison dug through Brook’s closet. They might be the same size, but their taste couldn’t be more different. She was going to have to give Brook a lesson on the travesty of mom jeans as soon as she returned from Arkansas.

  She held up a faded Hillbilly BBQ Cook-Off T-shirt and threw it back in the drawer. No way could she stomach that. But after the rust stain had relegated her yellow sundress to the rag pile, she didn’t want to get anything else messed up. For a second she imagined Grant’s response if she called to cancel because she didn’t have anything to wear. After the way he’d suggested she dress appropriately for hiking, she didn’t want to give him any more reason to judge her.

  She finally settled on something from her own suitcase: her favorite black Nike running skirt paired with a hot-pink tank. She pulled on white ankle socks and her running shoes to complete the outfit. She might not be outdoorsy, but she had a gym membership. And the day she’d joined the gym, she’d bought some cute workout clothes. Looked like they’d finally come in handy.

  Just as she finished putting on her makeup, she heard the unmistakable roar of Grant’s truck pulling into the driveway. She swept her hair up into a high ponytail. I might be pushing thirty, but today I can pass for a cheerleader. At least from a distance.

  A loud honk from the driveway brought her primping to an end. She hurried down the stairs and grabbed her purse from the counter.

  “Mornin’,” Grant said as he hopped out of the truck. “I was beginning to think you’d backed out of our little outing.” She shook her head. “Not a chance.”

  “No flip-flops today, I see.” He leaned against the truck and grinned.

  Madison narrowed her eyes. “I believe you said sturdy shoes were in order.” She held up a foot encased in pristine white tennis shoes with a hot-pink Nike swoosh that perfectly matched her tank top and her fingernails. “These are sturdy.”

  He chuckled as she slid across to the passenger seat. “Have you ever even worn those outside?”

  She silently buckled her seat belt. It looked like the passenger seat had been wiped clean, because last week’s offending dirt was gone. “Does it matter?”

  He grinned as he backed the truck out the driveway. “You do know we aren’t headed to a tennis match, right? Some of the caches at Ha Ha Tonka might be off the beaten path. You gonna be okay if you get a little dirt on your shoes?”

  She lifted her chin and didn’t say anything. Why did he have to make fun of her? She’d tried to come prepared for the hike. Just because she wasn’t decked out in ugly boots and those hideous cargo shorts didn’t mean she couldn’t maneuver along a hiking trail. At least she hoped not.

  “Don’t sulk.” He shot her a dimpled smile. “I’m only kidding. Workout wear is a step in the right direction. Before the summer is out, maybe we’ll have you in real hiking gear.”

  “Maybe. I wonder if Prada makes hiking clothes.”

  Grant groaned. “You’re impossible.” He turned the truck onto Highway 54 and headed toward Camdenton. “How’d the last week go? Any job leads?”

  She’d actually sent in résumés for a couple of jobs that seemed perfect, but she saw no need to share that with him. “I’m still looking.”

  “I’m sure you’ll find something soon.” He slowed down as they got behind a tractor. “Bet you’re not used to this anymore, huh?” He motioned at the green tractor in front of them.

  Madison shook her head. “Not exactly.” She grinned. “But would you believe that I know how to drive one of those?”

  Grant veered around the tractor and waved at the driver. “No way,” he said once they were safely back in the right lane.

  “You?”

  She grinned. “My grandpa had farmland. When I was a little girl, he used to let me ride with him on the tractor.” She had a sudden memory of coming in from the field and sitting on her grandparents’ porch, eating fresh watermelon and not caring about the sticky juice running down her bare legs. She might’ve grown up and left her rural roots behind, but she hadn’t forgotten the simple joys of childhood summers in a small town. “When I got a little older, he taught me how to drive it.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind in case I ever buy some land.” He chuckled. “Maybe you could give up your big-city job and become a farmer.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Laugh all you want. I might have grown up and moved away, but I haven’t forgotten my roots.” Not for lack of trying, though. Twelve years in the big city and she hadn’t quite been able to break free. But the last résumé she’d sent out had been to a PR firm in New York. If anything could allow her to leave her past behind once and for all, it would be that. She’d always seen New York as the brass ring.

  “So how about we come up with a game plan for today?” Grant asked. “I read up on the caches at Ha Ha Tonka, and it looks like they’re a little different than the others.”

  Madison wrinkled her nose. “What do you mean?”

  “I guess the organizers want to mix things up a little, because in addition to finding and logging the caches, we have to take a picture at each site and upload it to the Rainbow’s End website.” He slowed down and flipped on his left blinker. “Hey, we’re close to your hometown, aren’t we?”

  She nodded. “If we stayed on this road for another ten minutes, we’d be smack dab in t
he middle of Roach.”

  Grant glanced at her. “Does your dad live in the house you grew up in?”

  She nodded. “He does.” At the thought of Daddy, she grew sad. “I went to visit him last week.”

  “How’d it go?” He turned left and headed toward the park entrance.

  Madison sighed. “Considering it was the first time I’d seen him in six years, I guess it went okay.”

  Grant let out a low whistle. “Six years. That must’ve been an awkward reunion.”

  “Not really. Just …” She trailed off, unsure of how much to share. She preferred to keep people at a distance, so the idea of opening up to Grant threw her off her game. “He has some health problems. I don’t think the prognosis is good.”

  “I’m sorry.” He gestured at the park visitor center. “I’m pretty familiar with this place, so we don’t need to stop for maps or anything unless you want to.”

  Madison was thankful for the change of subject. Another minute and she might spill her guts about the angst she felt over Daddy’s need for a kidney transplant. She’d been researching kidney donation for the past few days but hadn’t decided how to handle the situation. His parents had been dead for years, and if Uncle Harold and Brook had already been tested, that left Madison as his last hope. “I don’t need to stop. We have the GPS, and my smartphone has a map app in case we need it.” She let out a tiny laugh. “Actually, there is a geocaching app, too. I didn’t know it until a couple of days ago. I guess Brook didn’t realize it when she bought the GPS.”

  Grant chuckled. “I didn’t know either. I haven’t upgraded my phone yet. The way I see it, my phone is for making calls, and even then I leave it in my truck sometimes when I don’t want to be bothered. I prefer the no-frills way of life.”