First Mates (13 page)

“You mean something other than your brother's wife's affair?”

She nodded while the wind continued to blow and
her long hair whipped across her face. He playfully pushed the stray hairs behind her ear. “I think so. It's just a feeling that I have. I want to see my parents, but I'm not looking forward to going home, not under these circumstances anyway.”

He pulled her into his arms and whispered in her ear. “Let me help you to forget about your problems for a minute.” As his lips pressed against hers, waves of joy fluttered through her soul, calming her frazzled nerves. “Would you do me the honor of dating again? I promise I won't mess up this time.” His breathing sounded labored and intense, and she tried to calm her racing heart.

Closing her eyes, she recalled the pain and disappointment she'd endured when he broke off their relationship the first time. She swallowed, as she prayed to say the right words. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

She placed some distance between them, scooting farther away from him on the blanket. She finally looked at him again, wondering what he was going to say.

He sighed, his full lips set in a grim line. “I understand why you're concerned, but since I've accepted Christ in my life, I make sure I always tell the truth. Now that you know why I was hesitant about having a relationship with you, and everything is out in the open, I feel more confident that things can work between us.”

He touched her cheek, and feelings of warmth and happiness flowed through her like sweet honey.
“Sweetheart, I've missed dating you. I enjoyed working with you during the seminars, but it was hard, seeing you, and knowing that we couldn't be more than just friends.”

She cleared her throat. “And now we can be more than just friends?” Her soft voice was barely audible in the large park.

“I think we can be. Please, give me a chance and we'll see how this works.” He paused and gazed at the stream again. “I know you're worried about your family and all, and I'd like to be there for you while you help them to work things out.”

She licked her lips as her breathing returned to normal. She closed her eyes, and said a brief prayer before giving him her response. “This is so sudden.”

“I've been wanting to do this but I was scared. My aunt Gladys had to convince me that my bad attitude could ruin one of the best things in my life.”

“I can't give you an answer right now,” she whispered.

“How about I give you a few days to think about it?”

She nodded, her long hair swinging in the warm breeze. “Okay, I'll let you know my answer soon.”

 

Over the next few days, Rainy's office became flooded with flowers. Roses, lilies, baby's breath and carnations exploded the small space with vibrant colors. She opened her office door and peeked into Linda's cubicle. She found another bouquet of blossoms sitting on her assistant's desk, while Linda openly read the card.

“Are these for me?” Rainy asked, snatching the card away, upset that her assistant would read the personal messages Winston had been attaching to the flowers.

Linda stood, smoothing imaginary wrinkles on her skintight red dress. She ran her long nails through her bleached platinum-blond locks. “I'm sorry, Rainy. I was just making sure they were yours before I put them in your office.” She giggled, covering her full red-painted lips.

Rainy huffed, taking the flowers and card into her office. The deep perfumed scents clung to her nostrils, making her feel as if she was in the midst of an exquisite garden. Dropping into her leather chair, she pulled the cream-colored cards from her desk and read every one again. In each card, Winston proclaimed his desire for them to start dating again. She dropped the cards on her desk. While closing her eyes, she recalled the romantic days she spent with him on the cruise ship.

The loud ringing of her phone broke into her reverie. She lifted the receiver, relaying her greeting.

“Hi, Rainy.” Winston's deep tone sounded hesitant. “Did you get all those flowers I sent you?”

She gazed around her cluttered office, wondering if he had gone into debt by sending her so many flowers. She sighed, twisting the phone cord between her fingers. “Yes, I got them. They're lovely.” She stopped and sniffed. “And they smell nice, too.”

He chuckled warmly. “I'm glad you like them. I just want you to know that I'm determined not to mess up this time. That is, if you decide to go out with me again.
It would mean so much to me if you said yes and gave me another chance. I promise I'll do my best not to mess things up.”

She stroked the ivory-colored cards, pondering Winston's words. The pain in her heart could be quenched if she were in Winston's company again. Squeezing the most-recent card between her fingers, she answered his question. “Yes, I'd like for us to date again.”

 

Winston smiled as he clutched the receiver. “You've made me a very happy man today. You don't know how much this means to me.”

They talked for a few minutes, and she mentioned her dreaded trip home to see her family. He knew she wasn't too excited about making this trip, and he wished there was something he could do to make it easier for her.

He stood and sat on the corner of his desk, still listening to her speak about her family's troubles. When she finally paused, he said what was on his mind. “I want to talk to you about something.”

Her voice faltered. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

“Did you need some friendly support when you go home next weekend?”

“Friendly support?”

“Yeah. Did you need somebody to lean on?”

“What are you suggesting? Did you want to give me a ride to the airport?”

“I was going to drive you to the airport and get on the plane with you. That is, if it's what you want?”

“I'm not sure if it's a good idea for you to come home with me.”

He squeezed the receiver and gazed out the window to the busy city street of Miami. “Why not? We've already agreed that we're going to date again. I'm serious about being honest with you and making this work. I like you.” He swallowed. “I like you a lot. I know making this trip will be difficult for you and I want to come with you if it'll make things easier for you.”

“I know, but…” She paused, again. “Well, I don't know. I still don't quite understand why you would want to come.”

He sighed as he ran his hand over his face. “I just explained why. I can't get any plainer than that.”

He wondered what she was thinking. “Okay.”

“So, I can come with you?” His heart lifted when he heard the news.

“Yes. I don't quite understand why I'm agreeing to let you come with me next weekend. I just know I'm going home, and it feels right that you should come with me.”

R
ainy dragged her suitcase to the door. Scanning her living room, she made sure everything was in place. She glanced at her watch as she sank into her couch. “Where is Winston?”

Parting her yellow curtains, she looked in her driveway for his familiar car. As she continued to wait, she thought about how much her life had changed over the past week. They were officially dating, and now they were going home to her family's dairy farm. Hearing his strong voice every night on the phone before she went to bed was like music to her ears.

Minutes later, the sound of his horn blared into the room. She opened her large oak door and he strolled into the house. “How much luggage do you have?”

She pointed to the dark blue designer case. He frowned slightly as he lifted the luggage. “Is this it?”

She shrugged as she followed him outside, locking
the door behind her. “You should be pleased. I'm one of the few women on this earth who travels light.” Shadows gathered in the clouds, hiding the warm sun. The only sound whispering in the early morning was their feet, crunching over the gravel driveway. He opened his trunk and deposited her suitcase beside his.

She sighed as she leaned against the seat, watching the palm and orange trees race before her window as he navigated to the Miami International Airport.

A few hours later, the plane taxied down the runway and accelerated into the sky. Once they reached their altitude, she gazed from her window, watching the ugly gray sky change to a beautiful shade of cornflower blue.

He laced his fingers through hers. “Why are you so quiet?” His deep voice was a whisper in her ear. His sweet breath smelled like mint toothpaste.

She tilted her head toward the window. “Look, isn't it beautiful?”

He glimpsed through the window. A smile touched his full lips. “That is beautiful. You know, when people doubt the existence of God, I think they just need to look around them…observe. God is good, and it's obvious when you see this beautiful earth He created.”

She agreed. “Amen.” They stared at the sky a few moments longer. The flight attendant approached, offering cookies and beverages. He ripped his cellophane bag and popped a few cookies into his mouth.

“You know, I'm so worried about my brother. When he married Cindy, I figured it would be for better or
worse, but it looks like I was wrong. Divorce is such an ugly word, and I can't believe Mark will be going through that experience pretty soon.”

He finished his snack and sipped his soda. “Are you sure there's no hope for them at all?”

“From what I hear, it's pretty grim.”

“Have you talked to your brother?”

She shook her head. “No. I've just spoken to Mom and Dad. I think Mark's in pretty bad shape right now.” She paused and ran her fingers through her hair. “I remember when Mark and Cindy were dating. They were so young and so much in love! I never would have believed they would have such huge marital problems. I figured their deep faith in Christ would help sustain their marriage.”

He massaged her shoulder and pressed his lips to her cheek. “Don't worry so much about it. The Lord can work miracles. You never know—in due time, they might find their way back to each other again.”

 

When they arrived at Baltimore-Washington International Airport she rented a car. Moments later, she maneuvered the vehicle onto the highway, toward her parents' dairy farm. “I know you'll be shocked when you see where I grew up.” She flipped her turn signal as they exited the main highway.

He sighed as he leaned back into the seat. “Why are you so apprehensive about showing me your home? Don't you understand that it doesn't matter to me where you came from?” He paused, gazing at vast plains.

As soon as they were off of the highway, she turned onto a long winding road. An unpleasant odor filled his nostrils. There was also a nip in the air, and he snuggled into the light jacket she'd told him to bring. He closed his window. “What is that?”

“You mean the smell? You're in farm country now, so you'd better get used to it.”

When she pulled into the driveway of her family's dairy farm, the smell was almost unbearable. “How can anybody get used to that stench?” Wrinkling his nose, he slowly exited the car.

An elderly woman with salt-and-pepper hair strolled down the driveway, and an elderly man followed close behind. They hugged Rainy as tears streamed down their brown cheeks. “Rainy, we're so glad you came. Things are going so bad here. We've been to Pastor John about Mark's problems. Now we're just hoping and praying things will work out.” They held each other in a tight unit, and Winston toyed with the zipper on his jacket. As they continued to console one another, he opened the trunk. As he removed the luggage, they broke their embrace, and her parents gazed at him, curiosity in their cinnamon-colored eyes.
She didn't tell them that I was coming?

Pulling his sleeve, she pushed him closer to the couple. “This is Winston.”

“I'm Paul Jackson.” He shared a firm handshake with Rainy's father. “I'm glad you came with our baby.” Rainy rolled her eyes at his words.

Her mother approached. “I'm Constance. I'm so
glad you came.” She spoke in a warm gentle tone as she enfolded him into an embrace. Her pine-and-cloves scent reminded him of his own mother.

As they walked up the steps, the cracked porch came into view. An old swing suspended on a rusty chain moved in rhythm to the suddenly howling wind. Paul was the last to enter the kitchen. “Looks like we might get a storm tonight.”

Constance nodded. “I hope so. We could really use the rain for the crops.”

The worn linoleum floor creaked as Winston strolled around the kitchen. “Rainy tells me this farm has been in your family for generations.”

Constance nodded, a thoughtful smile curling her lips as she made a pot of coffee. “Yes, dairy farming is in this family's blood. Me and Paul love this farm.” She sighed as the coffeemaker hummed and the liquid dripped into the pot. “Rainy, I just don't know what we're going to do. We've always been an upstanding, Godly family, and this is the first time something so devastating has happened to us.”

Paul kneaded his wife's shoulder before hauling the suitcases upstairs.

“How is Mark holding up?” asked Rainy. The coffee stopped dripping and Winston fixed her coffee for her. He squeezed her shoulder as he sat beside her.

Paul returned to the kitchen, hearing Rainy's question. “He's been a basket case.” After pouring a cup of coffee, he eased into a chair. “He barely gets up early enough to milk the cows. I've been doing the morning
milking myself because he won't get up. You know how bad my joints hurt in the morning from my arthritis.”

They spent the next few hours wondering what to do about Mark. Rainy glanced around the quiet house. “How's Amber?”

Constance stood at the sink, washing dirty cups. “She's been staying up here with us. We figure it'll be easier on Mark if she does. She went to bed already, but I'm sure she'll be glad to see you.”

Paul placed his arm around his wife's waist. “We'll talk to you kids in the morning. I've got to get to bed. You know I've got to milk those cows early.”

Constance nodded. “Say a prayer for your brother and his wife. We're still hoping things will work out between them.” After they shuffled from the kitchen, Rainy and Winston strolled into the nippy night. The fallen leaves crunched beneath their feet as they walked to the barn.

Some of the cows were lying on their stomachs while others chewed their food, their tails swishing in the cool night air. Looking through the barn window, Winston gazed at the large flat plain of farmland.

He stepped away from the window and touched one of the large cows. As Rainy swept the floor, she told him about the mechanics of running a dairy farm. “It's so much hard work and like I told you on the cruise, farming is just not for me.”

She placed the broom in an adjoining closet. She led him to the heifer barn and he observed the smaller cows
as they slept. “What do you think will happen to the farm now? Will Mark still want to run the farm with your parents now that his wife is gone? Do you even think she'll come back?”

She shrugged her slender shoulders. “It's hard to say if Cindy will come back. I still don't quite understand what happened. I know they'd been having marriage problems since Amber's birth. When I heard about the affair, I nearly freaked out! I never suspected something that drastic would happen to them.”

As they walked back to the house, he pulled her hand into his. “I brought a lot of old clothes like you suggested.”

“I'm glad. Now you see why.” She gestured toward the barn.

When they stepped onto the porch, he removed the shoes he'd borrowed to go to the barn. She reminded him that it was not a good idea to wear good shoes while stepping around cow manure.

 

Later that night, Winston tossed and turned in his sleep. Fat drops of rain plodded on the roof and thunder sounded in the sky. The wind howled all night, and he wondered if he would ever fall asleep.

The next morning, he heard a rooster crowing at the crack of dawn. He groaned as he rolled over in his bed. The mattress was as soft as cotton and the handmade quilt provided a cocoon of warmth. He heard Paul downstairs and he recalled Rainy's father saying he had been doing the morning milking since Mark had been depressed over his wife's sudden departure.

He quickly scooted out of bed, brushed his teeth and pulled on his worn jeans and faded sweater. He pulled his jacket over his broad shoulders and when he got to the kitchen, he donned the shoes he'd borrowed the previous night. He briskly walked to the barn, barely paying attention to the crisp sunny morning and the chicks scampering in their coop. He noticed Rainy's mother gathering eggs and he waved to her as he entered the barn.

Paul seemed surprised when he saw him. “Winston!” The stench of cow manure greeted him, but he didn't notice it as much as the previous day.

“I remember you saying Mark hadn't been doing the milking in the morning so I thought I'd come and help.”

Paul's brown eyes crinkled with amusement as he pitched feed into the cows' tray. “Rainy didn't mention that you could milk a cow.”

He grinned, hoping he wasn't making a fool of himself. “Well, I can't, but since Mark's not out here helping you, I thought I could substitute.”

Paul chuckled. He spent the next few hours showing him how he did the milking. Winston did make himself useful for a while, until a cow urinated a few inches from his shoes. He jumped away, and Paul laughed. After the milking was done, he joined Paul in the adjoining room to help clean the milking equipment.

As the water ran over the cups and hoses, Paul looked thoughtful. “You know, I was surprised to see Rainy bring somebody home with her.”

Winston leaned against the wall as he watched Paul do his chore. Cats skittered across the barn floor, eagerly seeking stray drops of white milk. “To tell you the truth, Mr. Jackson, Rainy didn't ask me to come. I offered. She seemed so upset, and…well, I care about her, so I wanted to come.”

“You don't have to call me Mr. Jackson. Paul is fine.” He turned the water off. After wiping his hands on a towel, he sat on an empty crate. Winston found another empty milk crate and sat also. He lifted one of the cats and stroked its fur. The cat purred contentedly.

“Why do you have so many cats?”

“Keeps the mice away.” He lifted one of the feline creatures as they sat in comfortable silence. The cows had been led out of the barn and were in the fields, enjoying the sweet green grass. He noticed that Constance had returned to the house.

“So you care about my little girl?” Paul released the cat. He gave Winston his full attention, suddenly serious.

“Yes.”

Winston sighed as he released the cat. He leaned back against the barn and the door creaked. A rooster crowed and the breeze ruffled the leaves in the trees. “You know, I think Rainy's still hurting over the way Jordan treated her.”

Paul nodded. “That Jordan was a no-good…well, I'm a Christian, so profanity isn't part of my vocabulary. But that guy needed Jesus in his life. I just wish we had been able to find a way to keep them from fall
ing in love and getting engaged. I never liked the guy, but Rainy was so smitten with him that I made the effort to accept him into our family. That's why we gave the engagement party.”

He waited for Paul to continue. Rainy had never mentioned her parents' disapproving of her engagement to Jordan. “Well, I told Rainy that I had apprehensions about her relationship with Jordan, but she didn't want to hear the truth about my feelings. I had no concrete evidence about his disrespectful behavior, but you'll realize that as you get older, you just get a feel for people. And let me tell you, Jordan Summers gave me a bad feeling.” He swallowed as he rested his chin in his hand. “I told Rainy that maybe she should get to know Jordan better before she accepted the ring, but she refused to listen. It got to the point that whenever she called home, we always ended up arguing about Jordan.”

“What did your wife say?”

He shrugged. “What could Constance say? She just pointed out to me that she didn't disapprove of my feelings toward our daughter's fiancé, but she said that when a girl is in love there's no reasoning with her. If we didn't show that we accepted her man into our life then we risked losing a daughter.” The milk crate creaked as he changed his position. “So as a peace offering to our daughter, we gave her the engagement party out here. It was the only thing we could think of to do to show we finally accepted Jordan into our lives.”

He paused before he continued. “I can tell you're a
good man. You're a Christian, a true Christian, and I like that about you. I can tell you have feelings for Rainy. I don't know what troubles you're going through, but if you ever want to talk to me or Constance about anything, just let us know. I know you'd never mistreat our Rainy the way that Jordan did.”