Chasing Rainbow

  Jake nodded. “I’ll grant you that much,” he said with a crooked smile. “However, the chair is still on my ceiling, and I’m damned if I know why.”

  “Well that’s a step forward,” Joe said to Lucinda. She was reclining on their cloud, juggling fluffy little balls of cloud-stuff. “He’s at least beginning to consider other possibilities.”

  Lucy sighed, wishing Joe would get over his fascination with being on a cloud. She wanted that wing chair more than ever, and tossing balls of cloud-stuff was an act of desperation. “Can we get a regular living room, Joe?”

  “Why?” He looked at her, momentarily distracted from Jake. “All my life I believed when I died I’d float on clouds.”

  “I know, dear, but… well, it’s such a cliché.”

  He laughed. “I know—I love it.” Then he sobered. “Just a little longer, Lucy? If you really want a regular living room, we’ll do that next, okay?”

  She felt her heart melt at his boyish eagerness. “All right, dear.” She tossed a ball of cloud-stuff in the air and willed it to stay suspended. It did. She could wait a little longer for her easy chair, she decided.

  Joe returned his attention to Jake. “The boy is getting a real shock here, Lucy. He needs it.”

  “I still don’t know why you think it’s so important,” she said. One of her balls landed on Joe’s back. He didn’t notice, and it vanished instantly. Lucinda tossed the rest of her balls away and rolled over to look at Joe. “I thought you wanted justice. We’re not getting any closer to that at all.”

  He flashed her a grin. “First things first, my love.” He touched her chin gently. “When he starts to believe, everything else will fall into place. You’ll see.”

  Lucinda shook her head. “I have a bad feeling about this, Joe. So far, all you’ve really managed to do with this is introduce Gene and Nellie. And pardon me, but I don’t think that’s such a good idea. He’s a ladies’ man. He’ll love her and leave her, and she’ll be worse off than ever.”

  “Well, that was an unexpected side effect,” he admitted. “I never imagined that. For heaven’s sake, Lucy, he was all the way in California when I started this.”

  “Mmm.” Lucy picked up a handful of cloud-stuff and threw it at him. “And what about Rainbow? She likes Jake, but they’re never going to find common ground. They’re too different in outlook. They may have an affair, but it’ll never last. He’ll never be able to live with her psychic abilities, and she’ll be hurt all over again.”

  “I’m working on that.”

  “That’s what worries me.” She sighed and looked down from their cloud. “I guess it’s time for me to empty a watering pot on Gene’s head—before Nellie gets in any deeper.”

  “You want me to put a chair on her ceiling, too?”

  She frowned at him. “You’ve already done quite enough, Joe. It’s time for me to start mending things.”

  He shook his head. “Careful, sweetheart. Some things here are happening of their own accord, and I’m not sure we should interfere too much.”

  “You should have thought of that before you started!”

  Joe sighed and looked dubious, but he’d never yet been able to keep Lucy from doing something once her mind was made up.

  As her family was getting ready to return home, Rainbow looked at Jake. “You never did say why you came over this evening.”

  He looked uncomfortable, glancing at Gene, Roxy, and Dawn, all of whom were clearly listening intently while pretending not to. “I, um, thought you might want to go for a walk on the beach.”

  “Oh, well my mother and sister just arrived—”

  “Of course she wants to go,” Roxy said, “and we don’t mind in the least, do we? Rainbow, give your keys to Gene. He can drive us home.”

  “But I haven’t figured out where everyone is going to sleep.”

  Roxy clucked her tongue. “I’ve been a mother a long time, my dear. We’ll sort it out by the time you get home. I do remember how to make up a bed, you know.”

  Gene took the keys from Rainbow, giving her a wink. “Outmaneuvered, my dear.”

  She scowled at him, but he was already ushering the other two women from the apartment. Then they were alone—except for the ghosts, of course, a presence Rainbow could sense but not get a firm handle on.

  “I’m sorry,” Jake said. “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. If you’d really rather go home, I’ll drive you.”

  She was touched by his uncertainty, and his willingness to offer her an escape. Walter had been very different, assuming from the outset that he was God’s gift to her, and that he was always right. Insecure herself, she had initially liked his confidence, although it had begun to wear a little thin toward the end.

  “I really would like to walk on the beach,” she admitted. “I just don’t like being maneuvered.”

  “Sorry about that.”

  “Oh, I didn’t mean you. I meant my mother.” She shrugged and smiled. “I ought to be used to it by now. But let’s get out of here. I don’t feel—alone.”

  He looked almost sheepish. “I do feel like I’m being watched again.”

  “We are. I just wish I could figure out what they want.”

  “They?”

  “Two of them. A man and a woman.” She didn’t offer any more because he was getting that “Oh, God, I want to get away from this” look, and right now she didn’t want to deal with it either. Not the ghosts, not the furnishings on the ceiling, not her mother nor her uncle, and nothing remotely related to the paranormal. For just a little while, she wanted everything to be normal.

  For a little while, she wanted to forget that there was a gulf so wide and deep between her and Jake that not even his forbearance could bridge it. For a little while she wanted to be an ordinary woman, just like every other woman in the world.

  Jake left a light on and locked the apartment behind them. “I wonder what I’ll find on the ceiling when I get back,” he joked.

  “I don’t even want to think about it,” Rainbow said honestly.

  “Neither do I,” he admitted. “It’s as if there’s this great big stumbling block in my brain, and I keep banging my shins on it.”

  She nodded, understanding exactly what he meant.

  Their escape to the beach was not quite so easy, though. Downstairs, the patio party was still in full swing. Gene, Roxy, and Dawn had joined the crowd, and everyone else seemed to want Jake and Rainbow to join in, too.

  It took a few minutes, but they finally made their escape, leaving behind a lot of knowing looks. Rainbow took off her sandals and they walked across the white sand down to the water’s edge. The moon hung high in the east, dappling the water with silver. The waves were gentle tonight, the roar of the surf muted. Far out on the water they could see the lights of a day-cruise ship heading toward harbor.

  “Have you ever taken one of those day cruises?” Jake asked her.

  “No, never. Most of them are for gambling, and I don’t have any interest.”

  “Still, I hear they provide good food and music.”

  “I imagine so.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just never thought it would be exciting to ride a boat out past the twelve-mile limit so I could eat and drink while other people spend hours gambling. Does it appeal to you?”

  He smiled, his teeth glinting white in the moonlight. “Being away from everyone and everything appeals to me. The longer I live in that building, the more I feel the urge.”

  “Are your neighbors bothering you?”

  “Not exactly. But being president of the association means I’m seeing more of some of them than I’d like. I was envisioning this quiet year of writing my book. Instead, I’m worrying about finding engineering firms, and whether the building’s plumbing needs an update, and whether Elsie Murchison ought to be able to hang flowerboxes on her balcony railing.”

  “Can she?”

  He shook his head. “Strictly forbidden by the covenants. She may never speak to me again.”
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  “That’s a shame.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” He laughed and shook his head. “There are worse things I can imagine than that woman never speaking to me again. She’s a born pain in the you-know-what.”

  Rainbow laughed, too, but the laughter died as he reached out and took her hand, depriving her instantly of breath.

  For an instant she felt almost stunned at how good it felt to have her hand tucked in his, how warm and dry the callused skin of his palm was. That simple touch caused a soft, melting feeling to spread throughout her entire body. Never had she felt so soft inside.

  Together they started walking south along the water’s edge, toward the quieter, darker end of the beach.

  “It’s a beautiful night,” he remarked.

  “Yes.” She couldn’t have said any more, simply because she was having trouble inhaling.

  “I love the breeze here at night,” he continued, s so cool and dry, coming off the land.”

  “Yes.”

  He squeezed her hand, driving the last breath from her body. “The sea turtles should be hatching soon. I hope I get to see it.”

  She didn’t reply. It seemed more important to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other in the cool, damp sand. It seemed more important to let the warmth spread from his palm throughout her entire body.

  He continued, “Someone told me the reason they don’t allow outside lights at night on the sea side of the building is because of the turtles.”

  She nodded, and finally managed to draw a full breath. She hoped he didn’t hear the faint tremor in her voice. “Sea turtles tend to lay their eggs on dark beaches. If there’s too much light, they go back out to sea. If the turtles nest, the babies hatch at night, and when they do, they head for the brightest horizon. Back when there were no people, that was the sea. Unfortunately, even if the buildings have no light on the backside, there’s still too much light from town. It confuses the hatchlings and they head the wrong way.”

  “That’s sad.”

  “At least people are trying,” she said. Pointing to an area of beach that was staked off and surrounded on three sides by mesh, she continued, “That’s a turtle’s nest right there. The mesh is there to encouraged the hatchlings to head toward the water.”

  “That’s a great idea.”

  “Unfortunately, only one out of a thousand hatchlings will survive to adulthood.” She shook her head sadly. “And of course, with each passing year, their habitat grows smaller.”

  “Somehow I don’t think we can make people give up their beachfront homes.”

  “Of course not. But there’s probably a lot we could do.”

  “Such as?”

  “Turn off all the unnecessary lights at night, instead of keeping the place lit up like the World’s Fair. Be more careful with beach renourishment, so we don’t make the sand inhospitable for nesting. There are probably dozens of things; I’m no expert. But I did see a turtle lay her eggs once. And a few years ago, I actually saw the hatchlings crawl out of a nest.”

  “I’d really like to see that.”

  “Come down here every night and watch that nest. You might have to stay out until all hours for a while, but you’ll get to see it.”

  “Maybe I will. Would you like to watch with me?”

  She caught her breath, and nearly missed a step. “Um … I’ll think about it.”

  He squeezed her hand again, and this time she squeezed back. The sand was cool, damp, and sensuous beneath her feet, and the breeze tossed her hair, causing it to caress her cheeks and neck.

  And inevitably she found herself wishing it were Jake who was caressing her with gentle, suggestive touches. He was such an attractive man with his sun-bronzed skin and his blue eyes, but it was his smile that really melted her. When he smiled, his entire face smiled, creasing the corners of his eyes in a way she found irresistible.

  She was surprised that he wanted to spend time with her, given their differences of opinion on matters she considered extremely important, but right now she didn’t want to worry about it. All she wanted to think about was how beautiful the evening was, and how good it felt to be strolling along :he beach with her hand in his.

  She knew she was taking a risk by allowing herself to feel these things. Disappointment would follow; it always did. But the risk was exhilarating - av, the emotional equivalent of the time she had gone parasailing and had felt like a seagull soaring high above the beach and the swimmers below.

  They found a hole of darkness created by the shadow of a building that blocked the streetlights behind it. Only the moon touched them here with its silvery glow. The surf pounded its steady rhythm, sealing them off from the other sounds of the world.

  Jake paused with Rainbow beside him. When he turned to face her, she knew what was coming. It was too soon, some little voice in her head warned her, even as her heart leapt with eagerness. But it would always been too soon for the two of them, she argued back—always. There would never be a right time or a right place when they were poles apart in what they believed.

  This was a moment stolen out of time, and she was entitled to it. Why shouldn’t she take what life offered if she was willing to pay the price for it later?

  And it had been so long, so very long, since the last time a man had wanted to hold her and kiss her. When she was younger, men had been more eager to touch her, and she had been more willing to accept their advances. But with time, she had become more particular, and so had the men near her age. Since Walter there had been no one, and even her dates with the chief of police had been platonic rather than romantic.

  But tonight was romantic. The moon, the sea, the sand, and the cocoon of shadows conspired to make the night magic.

  And Jake. His face was shadowed, but his eyes gleamed. He stepped closer and she could feel his warmth beckoning to her across the gentle breeze. Unconsciously she tipped her head back, signaling her welcome. She wanted this; oh, how she wanted this! Her heart beat rapidly even as she felt her insides liquefy.

  He reached out, wrapping his arms around her, giving her an astonishing impression of his leashed strength, and then she was pressed to the hard breadth of his chest, feeling his solidity like an anchor as the world around them vanished.

  He murmured something, but his words were lost in the pounding of the surf and the pounding of her pulse in her veins. His head bowed, a mysterious and entrancing mask of shadows and silvery light from the moon, coming closer.

  She felt as if she hovered on the brink of some dangerous and exciting journey. Her breath caught in her throat, and a thrill very like fear shot through her. Then his lips found hers, drowning her in a sea of sensation.

  Warm and firm, his mouth found hers, caressing gently, tasting sweetly. Her hands lifted, clinging to his shoulders, and her head fell back as she surrendered to a kiss so exquisite she could hardly believe it was real.

  He was so hard and warm against her, and his strong hands caressed her back gently, seeming to cherish her. Every nerve ending in her body awoke, soaking up sensation, storing it up, savoring it. It had been so long … so long … so long.

  He deepened the kiss, running his tongue along the crease between her lips until she opened to him, inviting him in. Then his tongue tangled with hers, at first teasing and taunting, and then settling into a rhythm that made her knees go weak. A heaviness filled her center, a slow, warm, pulsing weight that drove her to press even closer.

  His shoulders beneath her hands were hard and powerful, and her palms joined the play, running over them, measuring them, loving them. One of his hands slipped down her back until it cupped her bottom and pressed her even more firmly against him, sending a sharp thrill of delight to her very center.

  Yes, oh yes! She felt as if she had been lifted on the waves, and they were rocking her gently, lifting her higher and higher. The ache between her thighs was growing harder, compelling her, driving everything else from her mind. With just a kiss … just a kiss…

&n
bsp; And then he was gone. He lifted his mouth from hers and tilted his head back, looking straight up at the heavens, his mouth open and his eyes closed.

  But he didn’t let go of her. He held her, steadying her as she struggled to find her way back to reality. Little by little she became aware of the sand beneath her feet, of the stars wheeling overhead, and the pounding of the surf was no longer inside her.

  And she was once again on the beach with a man she hardly knew, held more intimately to him than seemed wise. Fear pierced her, and suddenly she felt as if she were standing alone on a cold, windy precipice. She considered stepping back, trying to regain her distance as well as her space, but then he looked down at her and smiled.

  “Wow!” he said.

  Rainbow felt herself smiling back at him, and suddenly everything was okay. She was no longer alone in the world into which his touch had catapulted her. He had come there with her, and somehow that made her feel so much safer.

  He released her with obvious reluctance, pausing to drop a gentle kiss on her cheek. For an instant she hoped he was going to sweep her up into another embrace, but it was not to be. He gave her another soft kiss, this one on her lower lip, then seemed to shake himself.

  He stepped back, still smiling, and took her hand again. They started walking, this time heading toward her house.

  “I like your mother,” he said, clearly trying to find a safe avenue of conversation.

  “She can be a pill.”

  “I imagine so.” He shook his head and gave a low chuckle, the sound barely audible above the surf. “Still, she’s fun and opinionated. I guess you never have to wonder where you stand with her.”

  “That’s a fact.”

  “My father died when I was very young,” he said. “My mom had to work, and Uncle Joe was more of a father to me than an uncle. I really miss him.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that Joe was watching over him, but she bit the words back. And that, she thought unhappily, was the whole reason it was foolish to let this man kiss her. If she couldn’t tell him things like that for fear of upsetting him, there was absolutely no hope for them, other than as friends.