Protecting Rayne

by Emily Bishop

  She guides us over to a corner of the room where the camera crew is set up and directs us to sit on a couch. Rayne laces her fingers with mine as we get comfortable, and a woman with a makeup kit powders Rayne’s face a little, and then Suzie sits across from us.

  “Please don’t feel uncomfortable. You don’t need to look at the camera at all. You can look at me, if that helps.”

  “Sure.” I’m not so sure about this, but Rayne is convinced it will help business, and I want her to be happy. It’s all I’ve wanted for a while now.

  The cameraman counts down and then points to us, and the interview begins.

  “I’m here with Lorn Hart and Rayne Carr, the sweethearts swirling in intrigue. The world is dying to know, how are you two doing?”

  Rayne laughs, and it’s a light, tinkling sound. I’ve never heard her laugh like that. She’s put on her press face. Perhaps I should do the same, but I can’t be bothered anymore.

  “We’re doing great, Suzie, thanks for asking.” Rayne doesn’t elaborate.

  Suzie laughs to fill the silence. “OK, my fault for asking such a broad question. How about this: What’s it like living out here in the mountains of Wyoming when you’re so used to the glamourous life back home?”

  Rayne looks up at me, and I shrug, perfectly happy to have her answer for us.

  “Well, when I came out here a year ago, I was running from my past. As you all know from the reports, it caught up with me, and if it weren’t for Lorn, I might not be here today. During the first weeks that I was here, I didn’t realize that I fell in love with the place. Once I did, I proposed to Lorn that I build a bakery lounge up here to attract more guests, and luckily for me, he was on board with the idea.”

  “And it’s certainly been a massive success, of course. The wait list for this place is years long at this point, isn’t that right?”

  “I believe it is.” There, I’ve said my piece. While I’m not averse to the limelight anymore, not with Rayne by my side, it doesn’t mean I’m going to play as nice as I used to. I’ll never be the man I was. Rayne knows and accepts that, and that’s what makes her the best woman I know, among so many other things.

  “You said you fell in love with this place,” Suzie says with a gleam in her eye. “Don’t you mean you fell in love with the man?”

  We both laugh at her question, and Rayne holds my hand a little tighter.

  “That was a bonus, yes,” she says.

  “How about a kiss for the fans?” Suzie cajoles.

  “We have fans?” I ask, my tone dry.

  “Of course, you do! Are you living under a rock?” she asks.

  I stare at her. When she doesn’t get it, I nod. “Yes. That’s the whole point of this place. Although I suppose we’re living on top of a high rock, wouldn’t you say?” I ask Rayne.

  She grins up at me, and her eyes glow with love.

  I could never tire of that look.

  “On top of the world,” she breathes, then smiles back at Suzie. “I will say that people shouldn’t be deterred by the waiting list. We are going to build a few more cabins, though we don’t want to detract from the natural beauty of this place. There will be openings soon.”

  “I’m sure many people will be excited to hear that. Thank you both for taking the time to sit down with me today.”

  “Thank you, Suzie.”

  With that, the cameras shut off, and Suzie shakes both our hands with profuse gratitude for doing the interview again. We accept her thanks several times over, then wave her off as she and her camera crew pile back into their truck to make their deadline. My arm slides around Rayne’s shoulder again, and she looks up at me with an unreadable expression.

  “That went OK, right?”

  My eyebrows lift in confusion as I gaze back down at her. “Yeah, why?”

  “I want to make sure that you’re OK, putting yourself back into the spotlight.”

  “I’m fine. I have you with me.”

  At that, she beams as bright as the sun. I gaze out into the midafternoon light. A recent snow has rendered the scene glistening white, and I look forward to the snowy treks we’ll make together.

  “You want to go on a hike with me?”

  Rayne doesn’t miss a beat. “Always. Let me get my coat on.”

  My heart jumps as I slide into my own jacket. Rayne waits for me at the door, and we fall in step together as we head down one of the many trails. This time, Rayne knows each one like the back of her hand, and she is quite the nature guide. I would trust her with my life.

  And my heart.

  We walk in comfortable silence until we reach the lake. All around us the world is silent except for the sound of the river stones beneath our boots. Rayne grins.

  “What?” I ask.

  She reaches into her coat pocket and pulls out a smooth, teal stone. “The first time we came here, I slid this into my pocket. It was meant to be a keepsake, a memento of my time spent away before returning to the real world. I guess I didn’t need it after all.”

  She twirls the stone in her palm as her gaze scans the horizon, her eyes lost in memory.

  “Why don’t you throw it in? Make a wish?”

  She looks up at me and her lip tilts up ever so slightly. “You think it would work?”

  “Only one way to find out. Throw it.”

  Rayne closes her eyes and throws the stone. It plops with a ripple, and when she opens her eyes, it takes her a moment to realize I’m down on one knee. When she looks down, her hand shoots to her mouth.

  “Rayne. I could never imagine a life without you. You have made me into the man I wish to be. You brought me back from the dead, and this past year I’ve finally remembered what it’s like to be alive. Will you stay with me forever, here by this lake? Will you be my wife?”

  Tears fill her eyes as I pull a ring from my pocket and hold it out to her. It’s not flashy. It’s a white gold band with a small diamond in it. For up here, it’s practical, and, coming from our world, I know she has nothing like it. All she’s ever been offered is big and flashy, but I offer a simple life. A happy life.

  She nods, and a tear falls from her eye.

  “Yes,” she whispers, and my heart soars.

  I grin from ear to ear as I stand and pull her into my arms, where I kiss her silly even as I slide the ring onto her finger.

  I can’t believe this woman is going to be my wife, but at the same time, I can believe it.

  It could never have been anyone else.

  There’s more...

  Thank you for reading! If you’re left craving for more, get the prequel to the book you just read! Get the story before Chapter 1 to find out more about Lorn and Rayne.

  BONUS! I’ve included two best-selling novels for you to read starting after this page.

  Click here to get the Prequel!

  One Secret Could Destroy Everything.

  Aurora

  Fate has taken everything from me. My mother, my home, my happiness.

  It’s gained me a bad rep in this town.

  I hate every second of it, until Jarryd Tombs strides into my life.

  Famous actor and a specimen of perfection.

  He’s everything I want. And exactly what I can’t have.

  Especially since he’s jeopardized my master plan: To rebuild my image.

  But he won’t take no for an answer.

  His life is about to implode. And our secret, too.

  Jarryd

  Aurora is mystery made flesh.

  Sexy.

  Elusive.

  Meeting her was a big mistake. But a beautiful one.

  Now, I’ll pay the price.

  One night with her will destroy everything I’ve worked so hard to build.

  If the press finds out, if my ex finds out, our plans to film in this small town are done.

  Money gone with it. And Aurora’s struggling reputation crushed.

  That should stop me, but it doesn’t.

  I won’t keep “us”
a secret anymore.

  Chapter 1

  Jarryd

  Lights sparkled among the tents, and the scent of buttered popcorn drifted out of the entrance to the Moondance Fairgrounds, accompanied by low chatter and the tinkle of music from a carousel.

  “You OK, man?” Luke asked, elbowing me. My buddy, a Clark Gable look-alike without the mustache, wore concern like a badge.

  “I’m fine,” I replied and took another swig of beer. “If you looked up ‘fine’ in a dictionary you’d find my picture right underneath it.”

  FINE: Jarryd Tombs, 6’4”, dark hair, that hooked nose, bulky as hell and busting out of a suit. See also: HEARTBROKEN.

  “There aren’t pictures in dictionaries, Jarryd,” Luke replied.

  “You see? This is why I need you around, bud. You’ve always got the inside edge. The information that sets me apart from the other actors.”

  “Smartass.” Luke cuffed me on the shoulder, and a bit of beer splashed from my can.

  “Now look what you made me do. How am I s’posed to drown my sorrows if you make me spill it?” I forced a half-smile—I couldn’t produce any other kind right now.

  “Here, you hold the others. I’ll pay the entry fee.” Luke nodded to the tiny stall nearby and handed me the pack of beers.

  I swung the Bud Lights back and forth as we approached the entrance to the fairgrounds, drawn on by the promise of one huge-ass bag of popcorn. “Extra butter,” I muttered.

  “What’s that?”

  “I said ‘extra butter.’” I didn’t make any sense. but I was allowed this, for once. Tonight, I didn’t have to have it together. Work wasn’t on the agenda. All I had ahead of me was a long night of melancholy, food, and beer.

  “Hello? Anybody in there?” Luke tapped on the window in the stall.

  “Just a sec.” A scraping, the sound of zipper—what the hell?—and finally, a guy, thin as a rake and sporting a pair of wireframe glasses, scooted around the side of the stall, tugging on his pants. “Hey, there. You want in?”

  “Depends on what you mean by that,” I said.

  Luke waved me to quiet. “Yes, we want two tickets, please.”

  “Two tickets.” The stall guy opened the door then then paused and scanned me. “You look familiar.”

  “I’m nobody,” I replied and stifled a beer burp. “An illusion.”

  “Is he drunk?” Stall Guy asked. “He looks a little –”

  “Just tipsy.”

  “Then I can’t let you in, sorry. No alcohol allowed on the property.”

  “This isn’t alcohol,” I replied, lifting the Bud Light. “It’s elixir. The stuff of the gods. This is the lifeblood of the ancients.”

  “Uhhh.”

  Luke rolled his eyes at me. “Actors,” he muttered. “What if we lose the beer?”

  “I did not agree to that,” I said.

  The forest and the nearby entry to what looked to be an RV Park hazed slightly. Sharp air and those smells. Man, I needed to go on a ride or something, make myself forget.

  It shouldn’t be this difficult to get over a woman. People did this every damn day. Shit, that’s a depressing thought. How many people in the world are heartbroken, right now?

  “Cut us some slack?” I caught the tail end of Luke’s question.

  “I don’t know, man.”

  “Look, we’ll leave the beers out here. We’re not that drunk. I’ll pay double for the tickets if I have to.”

  Stall Guy wriggled his nose, scratched it.

  “This is a special circumstance, you see,” Luke said and lowered his voice. He cast a furtive glance in my direction. “My man here, he’s lost his fiancée.”

  “No shit,” Stall Guy said and didn’t sound too bothered.

  “He walked in on her with another—”

  “That’s enough,” I said, a whip-crack command. “No need to spread it to the locals, Luke.” This was supposed to be a low-key visit to Moondance, and to the fairgrounds.

  “All right. I guess I can let you in.” Stall Guy eyed the beers. “But you’ll have to, uh, leave those with me. I’ll confiscate them, yeah.”

  Confiscate. Another word in the dictionary, this one with the note See: Drink Greedily underneath it.

  “Fine, that’s fine,” Luke said.

  We shuffled to the front, while Stall Guy darted inside, opened the window, and clicked on a tiny light inside. It cast weird shadows down his nose. Kind of made him look like an oversized rat.

  “Here you go,” he said, handing over the tickets and taking Luke’s cash. He accepted the beers from me then then did a double take. “Wait a second, you’re that guy. You’re that actor. What’s his name?”

  “Jarryd Tombs,” Luke said, proudly.

  “Nobody. I’m nobody. Like I said, I’m an illusion.” We took our tickets and wandered inside. I made a beeline for the popcorn stall and purchased two massive bags.

  The girl beside the machine grinned at me. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” She tipped a striped cap to one side. “Aren’t you Jarryd Tombs?”

  “Yes,” I replied. Much good that it’d done me. Jarryd Tombs, the workaholic actor who’d been engaged to the hottest A-list celebrity in Hollywood. And then you found her fucking someone else.

  How long was this weird ache in my chest supposed to last? It’d been two weeks, for god’s sake.

  “That’s—wow. It’s so nice to meet you,” the girl gushed, pink-cheeked. She had to be around sixteen years old, with dark brown hair and doe eyes. I’d seen this look hundreds of times. It meant one thing only. “I’m a huge fan. Look, I know you’re here to enjoy yourself, but I wondered if maybe—uh, could I maybe have an autograph?”

  “He’s not doing that tonight,” Luke said, firmly.

  “No, that’s OK.” I patted my buddy on the shoulder. “I’d be happy to give you one. What’s your name?”

  “Felicity,” she said.

  Thunk. A stone weight dropped in my stomach. Felicity. The same name as my ex.

  “Are you OK? You’ve gone pale.” The girl gave Luke the bags of popcorn and wiped her hands down the front of her striped uniform.

  “Fine,” I said. “Do you have a pen?”

  “Right here.” She scooped up a pen, the end all chewed up in classic teenager style, and an empty popcorn bag. “Thank you so much!”

  “Dear Felicity,” I said, as I wrote out the words, gritting my teeth. “Keep working hard and you’ll achieve your wildest dreams. Love, Jarryd Tombs.”

  “Oh, wow.” She took it, reverent. “Wow, wow, wow. Thank you so much. That’s such a nice thing to say. Best autograph ever. My sister’s going to be so jealous! She skipped out on working tonight.”

  “It’s my pleasure,” I replied then then glanced around the grounds. “It’s pretty quiet around here. People don’t like fairs?”

  “Oh, it’s late, and there are clouds gathering, see? We usually shut earlier on storm days. Most of the stalls are closing up at the moment,” the girl said.

  “Is there anything we can do—anything still open?” Luke asked and shoveled a handful of popcorn into his mouth.

  I took my bag from him and did the same. “Oh man, this is good,” I said.

  “Well, hmm.” Felicity pouted her lips. “The carousel’s still going, but, uh, you might be a little big for that.”

  I pictured myself on a carousel horse and managed a chuckle. “What else?”

  “What about the Ferris wheel?” Luke asked.

  “Already closed, sorry. But there’s a new tent out here.” The girl’s eyes lit up. “I’ve been meaning to go myself. Look there, see, the velvety one? It’s the fortune-teller’s tent.”

  “A fortune-teller,” I said, flatly. I’d never bought into that type of thing.

  “That’s right. The woman in there is such a sweetheart,” Felicity said. “She read my palm the other day, for fun while she was waiting for her popcorn, and she was so nice about it. And pretty, too.”

  �
��A fortune-teller, eh?” Luke asked. “That’s interesting. Don’t you think that’s interesting, Jarryd?”

  “Not particularly.”

  “You have to try it,” the girl said. “You’ll like it. And her. She’s so nice.”

  I didn’t see myself liking any woman for a long time, not romantically. Ridiculous. That’s not what the kid means. The fortune-teller is probably in her sixties.

  “Come on, Jay, do it,” Luke said. “Get out of your comfort zone for once. Maybe she’ll tell you your future.”

  I eyed the velvety tent, shrouded in mystery. A purple-lettered sign planted in the ground outside read: Mistress Mystery.

  “You won’t regret it,” the teenager said.

  I hedged. What harm could it do? Shit, it might even be fun, interesting, and the tent itself gave off an atmosphere of mystery. Candlelight flickered within, and the tent’s flap hung slightly open, providing a glimpse of its interior—a collection of crystals, a bookshelf, and a shadow that shifted along the wall. The silhouette of curvy woman.

  “I’ll try it,” I said.

  “Have fun,” Luke replied.

  “You’re not getting yours done?”

  “Nah, I already see my future. A warm bed and a hangover in the morning.” He paused and looked up at the gathering storm clouds. “Besides, you know how I am about storms. You go on ahead, Jay. I’m going to hit the hay. Tell me about it tomorrow, all right?”

  I shrugged.

  In the distance, thunder rolled, and a cold wind picked up and buffeted the outside of the tent, tugging at my suit jacket. I didn’t look back but hunched over and entered the tent, immersing myself in the scent of flowery incense and something else. Something illusive.

  I halted just inside.

  A woman with long, raven curls swaying past her shoulders, stood within, back to me. She wore a silken blouse, just transparent enough to hint at the curves beneath it, and a long skirt that swayed each time she moved her ample hips. This was her? This was the fortune-teller?

  Damn, I’d come to the right place after all.

  Chapter 2

  Aurora