Leave it for the Rain: A Love She Couldn't Remember—A Woman He Couldn't Forget (Grayson Brothers Book 6) (23 page)

The other men joined in with their own whoops and a lot of backslapping.

Enamored of him, Rebecca stepped down from Dawson’s carriage, her eyes drinking in the sight of his handsome smiling face.

When he spied her, his eyes lit up and his smile widened, conveying so much:
I’m glad you’re here. I’ve missed you. You’re beautiful...
Unrolling his sleeves, he grabbed his jacket from a nearby chair back and scooped up his straw boater hat with its stylish blue striped band. He set the hat atop his head with a quick flick of his wrist and then threaded his way toward Rebecca.

They met in a splash of sunshine. People milled about them and carriages continued to arrive at the Grange, but Rebecca and Adam existed alone in that slant of summer sun, their eyes on each other.

“It felt as if you’d never get here,” he said. “You look lovely.”

Rebecca returned his flirtatious smile. “And you look utterly dashing today, Mr. Grayson.”

“Why thank you, my lady,” he said, swiping off his hat and executing a quick and very clumsy curtsy that made Rebecca laugh.

“You’ll need to work on that if you hope to impress anyone,” she said, still giggling.

“My goal was to make you laugh, at which I succeeded remarkably well, so you have just witnessed my first and last curtsy.”

“I certainly hope so,” she said, trying to stop the giggles Adam had brought on with his ridiculous playacting.

“I love your laugh,” he said, drinking her in within his warm and appreciative gaze.

She would like to have lingered there and banter and play with him, but their grandmother and Dawson were standing behind them and they were surrounded by a crowd of people. “That’s quite the flagpole,” she said, motioning to the staff that stood proudly in the ground in front of the Grange.

“I cut it myself at the mill this week.” He tipped his head, as if to share a secret with her. “Leo might have helped a little.”

Rebecca laughed. “Where is he, by the way?”

“Picking up Mary. They’ll be here for the flag-raising ceremony, which will happen in a few minutes.” He drew himself up and offered her his right arm. “Until then, Miss Grayson, may I show you around the tallest flagpole in town, soon to hold our country’s newest flag?”

Rebecca slid her gloved hand into the crook of his arm, happy to have him escort her anywhere. With him in his suit and she dressed in white with a turquoise sash about her waist and a matching band about her summer hat, Rebecca envisioned them as a married couple out for a daylong event. The idea pleased her so much it stunned her. She
wanted
to be his wife.

Adam proudly explained how he and Leo had carefully chosen the wood for the mast and then had shaped it with precision. They’d delivered the flagstaff early this morning to the Grange hall and had dug the deep hole for it.

“You boys work well together,” Rebecca said, admiring the tall sturdy pole as she reined her thoughts.

“Everybody works together here, like a family... like we Graysons do back home.”

“It’s nice. It makes a person realize they could be at home here,” she said, dropping a hint that they could build a life here, that they could remain connected to their family in Fredonia while also creating another family right here.

But Adam didn’t seem to notice her words because he spied Leo and Mary arriving and waved them over.

“Do you ever think about that?” Rebecca asked.

“About what?” Adam chuckled as Leo pantomimed exaggerated surprise at seeing the flagpole hoisted without his help.

“Do you ever think about staying here... permanently, I mean?”

Adam’s gaze immediately snapped to hers. “Here? No. We have a home in Fredonia awaiting our return.”

“Then you’ve never considered it?”

“No. You weren’t here,” he said simply.

“I am now,” she countered softly.

A host of questions gathered in his eyes, but Leo’s and Mary’s arrival interrupted anything Adam might have said.

Leo hooked one strong arm around Adam’s shoulders and mock wrestled him. “Nice work on the flagpole. Other than being a little crooked, I’d say you did a good job of getting it upright. Think it’ll stand up to a stiff breeze?”

Adam laughed and slid out of Leo’s loose hold. “That flagstaff is arrow straight and sturdy as a tree, and you know it.”

“Yeah, I do,” Leo said, his admiration for Adam’s work ringing in his words.

A bugle call quieted everyone and pulled the crowd’s attention to the middle of the lawn where several dignitaries had gathered about the flagpole, including the Crane brothers—Elias, Ezra, and Dawson, all of whom had served in the War Between the States. Men doffed their hats and pressed them against their left shoulders as everyone turned to face the Stars and Stripes. The Crane family had purchased the new flag, which arrived in late June, so it was only fitting that Elias Crane held the privilege of taking hold of the halyard and raising the new flag. First, though, he talked of liberty and freedom and justice. He spoke of service, honor, and perseverance, and how a country is strongest in community.

Then, in the sacred silence, Elias raised the twenty-first flag of the United States of America. It snapped in the breeze above the heads of men, women and children who honored the flag and all it stood for.

“It has been thirteen years since a new flag has been created for our country,” Elias said to the gathered crowd. “I am deeply honored to raise our new flag here at Crane Landing.”

“Did you know that?” Adam whispered to Rebecca.

“Can’t say as I recall,” she whispered back, giving him a playful look to remind him about her memory loss.

Adam tipped her an apologetic grin. “Of course you don’t remember. I’m sorry.” He reached out and caught her hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm.

Elias continued speaking to the crowd. “Five new stars have been added to the canton of our flag. These indicate the last of the Northwest Territories to become states, which did so in the past year. Let us give a warm welcome to Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Washington.”

The crowd cheered, and Rebecca’s eyes misted as a single shot was fired and then the call of the bugle sounded one last time. Its haunting tune carried out across the lawns and off to the ocean.

“It’s so beautiful,” she whispered, moved to tears.

Adam, with his own eyes misty, nodded as the crowd around them erupted into cheers again for country and flag and a day to celebrate both.

The picnic began immediately following the flag-raising service. Grandma went with Dawson and the other Crane men to find their wives while Adam escorted Rebecca across the grounds. Barrels of iced tea and lemonade stood in the shade, while every table boasted a myriad assortment of fruits, vegetables, and baked goods. The scent of roasted meat filled the air as two fire pits were kept stocked with all manner of wild game, chicken and beef skewered on roasting spits.

Nearby, a group of young girls tossed Graces hoops to each other, with the pink and white ribbons that adorned the hoops fluttering in the air. A number of teens played shuttlecock, while some rambunctious boys eyed the stacks of bats and pyramid of baseballs that Adam, Leo, and their friends would use for an afternoon of baseball.

“I’ll join you fellas soon,” Adam promised the eager lads. Then he set up a game of lawn croquet for Rebecca, Mary, Leo, and himself.

Rebecca didn’t need to be reminded how to hit the ball through the wickets and what counted as points because she was the reigning champ of their foursome. Despite Adam’s flirting and blatant attempts to distract her, it didn’t take her long to lead the game and outplay all of her opponents.

Twirling her mallet over one shoulder, she asked, “Shall we play again?” They all groaned, setting her off into a fit of laughter. “I’m jesting! I’m parched and in need of a glass of lemonade.”

“Me, too,” Mary said.

“I’m ready to eat. I’m ravenous,” Adam said, nipping Rebecca’s earlobe.

She gasped and clapped a hand over her ear, embarrassed by his overt display of affection. It was one thing to cuddle and kiss on her porch in the dark of night, but quite another to do so in the midst of a crowd on a sunny day. “Remember yourself, Mr. Grayson,” she said, trying to sound stern, but her breathless giggle merely encouraged his laughter.

She’d no sooner said the words than Adam hooked his arm around her waist and swept her off toward the food tables. They filled their plates and wandered to a nearby picnic table set back in the shade. Sipping lemonade and chatting, they lingered for a long time, enjoying the hearty meal and their deepening friendship.

From the distance rose a male chant of “Let’s-play-ball! Let’s-play-baaall!”

“Sounds like your game is about to start,” Rebecca said. “Go on. I’ll come and cheer for you.”

“I’d rather sit here with you,” Adam said.

“Is that the first lie you’ve ever told me, or were there others?” she asked, and then smiled, which eventually made him smile, and before she knew it, he leaned in and stole a kiss.

“It’s not a lie. Being with you trumps everything,” he said, “but I will admit to being a little in love with baseball as well.”

Shaking her head, Rebecca sent him on his way with Leo, who was already standing and rolling up his shirt sleeves.

“Come on, Adam,” Leo said. “Get the stars out of your eyes and your head in the game.”

The baseball games were fun and competitive, with Adam’s and Leo’s team playing almost as good as the Boston Beaneaters and the Brooklyn Bridegrooms. Rebecca and Mary, sitting side by side beneath their sunshades and enjoying too much lemonade throughout the game, cheered the loudest as each of the men ran across the makeshift home plate. Hours later Adam made a grand slam in the final inning, bringing Leo, John Davis, Micah Crane, and himself to home and winning the competition.

Afterward, in high spirits, the foursome strolled the grounds and took a leisurely walk to the beach. Once there the couples headed in opposite directions to afford one another a bit of privacy.

“I’m surprised you and Mary watched the whole match,” Adam said. “I’d have thought you might inspect the tables of crafts or converse with the women folk.”

“I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”

“I can never take my eyes off you,” Adam quipped.

“I’m serious,” she said, stopping to face him. “You’re really talented. It was fun to watch. Baseball was much more exciting than the crafts or conversation I would have found at the pavilion.”

“In that regard you haven’t changed at all, Rebecca.”

“Is my preference for excitement undesirable? There were plenty of other ladies watching the game.”

Adam laughed and picked a thin stone out of the sand. “I love your penchant for excitement and adventure,” he said. “If we were married I’d show you just how much I like it.” He tossed the stone into the ocean. It skipped twice before it sank.

A thrill zipped through Rebecca and her face burned. Adam was a gentleman in every sense of the word, but sometimes he utterly shocked her with the boldness of his comments. “Have we always flirted so openly?” she asked, her gaze focused on the vast body of water because she was unable to meet his eyes while asking such a pointed question.

“If you view playing and being honest about our feelings an act of flirting, then yes we have.” He took her hands and turned her to face him. “We’ve always been honest with each other about our feelings. We’ve never hidden the fact that we desire each other. Living that way has allowed us a wonderful freedom in our relationship. Knowing that you loved and desired me and longed for our marriage as deeply as I did was the only thing that kept me going while I was away at university.”

“I can’t remember that,” she said softly, “but I can tell you honestly that I love... the feel of your arms around me and... and the sound of your voice and the woodsy scent I smell on your neck and clothes.”

“How I’ve longed to hear words like that again from your sweet lips.” He pressed a kiss to the side of her forehead, drew in a deep breath and took her hand in his. “The smell of your hair and the feel of your small hand in mine will always make my knees weak. I love so many things about you I can’t begin to list them all.”

She smiled at the beautiful man in front of her. “You probably shouldn’t since we’re standing on the beach with a crowd around us. It might be safer to skip stones, but it appears you wore out your arm pitching,” she said, steering the conversation back to a safe topic.

“You think so?” he asked, challenge ripe in his voice.

“As a matter of fact I do. I’d wager I can out skip you with our first three throws,” she said.

Adam took the bait and proved her wrong, but their laughter floated down the beach and brought them another step closer to each other and a new and exciting adult love.

After eating lightly at the crazy supper Rebecca and her grandmother rode back to the house in Dawson’s rented carriage. They washed off the dust of a day spent picnicking and then began their toilette for the evening.

Rebecca donned her gown of white silk moiré accented in palest pink, with a fitted bodice, small puffed sleeves, and an A-line skirt that flared as she moved. In keeping with the gown’s simplicity, her only adornment was a choker of pearls about her throat and a glimmer of silver pins amid her upswept hair.

Jojo scampered beneath the flowing fabric of Rebecca’s dress hem and batted at her bare toes.

Laughing, Rebecca watched Jojo’s tiny paws peep out from beneath the lace hem, pounce on her foot, then zip back beneath the fabric curtain. “You little scamp. You’d better not snag my dress with your sharp kitty claws.” Rebecca bent over and fished Jojo from beneath her skirt. She brought the little minx to her face and rubbed her nose against Jojo’s tiny furry face. “I love you, little one. Thank you for rescuing me.”

In that moment Rebecca realized she was healing. For the first time since she had awakened to a world of strangers, she felt she possessed substance. She was refilling her well of memories, making friends, and falling in love with a darling kitten and a man who took her breath away. She couldn’t seem to recover her past, but she was making a new life right here at Crane Landing.

“Come on, Jojo. I need to feed you before I leave.” Rebecca returned Jojo to the floor. With her bare toes she nudged a ball of yarn across the hardwood and smiled as the kitten barreled after it.

While Jojo was in pursuit, Rebecca drew on her hose and shoes, then affixed a dance card to her waist. A pair of elbow-length gloves in the softest kid, French heeled slippers, and a small pink and white silk fan completed her outfit. Scooping Jojo into her arms, she headed downstairs.

As the kitten dove into her dinner of finely shredded chicken breast and a saucer of milk, Rebecca removed one of her pretty white gloves and knelt beside the kitten. As she stroked Jojo’s small back, her heart swelled with love. In that moment Rebecca realized that if not for her accident she and Jojo wouldn’t have found each other. The accident may have stolen Rebecca’s memories, but it hadn’t taken away her capacity for love or joy or a perfectly happy future. Like Jojo, Rebecca needed to accept her circumstances and embrace each moment with gusto and a sense of curiosity and adventure. Choked by emotion, she tenderly scratched behind Jojo’s tiny ears. “I need to get you a playmate, little one.” And Rebecca wanted her own mate as well.

With that thought in mind, she went to the parlor where her grandmother and Dawson were relaxing. “You look so lovely, Grandma!” Rebecca exclaimed, admiring the gown of deep blue and the blush on her grandmother’s face. Dawson served as a perfect complement for her in his dark suit and white bow tie. “You both look spectacular.” Rebecca clasped her hands in front of her chest. She was so happy to see her grandmother decked out in a pretty dress with her eyes sparkling with anticipation of the evening ahead. “Shall we head to the dance now?”

“Please,” Dawson said with mock exasperation. “Your grandmother is ridiculously eager to waltz with me.”

Rebecca and her grandmother laughed at the same moment. Dawson winked at them, got to his feet and escorted them outside.

Rebecca could barely contain her excitement as Dawson helped her into his carriage. She willed the carriage to go faster, and when they entered town it seemed all heads turned in their direction.

“Looks as if you beautiful ladies have made me the envy of every man in town,” Dawson said. “I haven’t garnered this much attention since Doc sent me to the asylum in Bangor.”

Rebecca gawked at her grandmother’s back, stunned, her mind awhirl with a hundred questions, none of which she could ask without being inappropriate.

Glancing over her shoulder, her grandmother gave a slight nod to indicate that she knew about Dawson’s history.

Rebecca sat silent in the aftermath of Dawson’s statement, trying to act as if she hadn’t heard him when she desperately wanted more information. Why had the doctor sent Dawson to an asylum? Dawson may be a tad peculiar, but he seemed as normal as anyone.

That knowledge chilled Rebecca.

Somehow, though, Dawson had managed to escape the locked doors of the asylum and live his life the way he chose. His peculiarities had been accepted here at Crane Landing. But what if he hadn’t been a member of the Crane family?

She fell quiet, lost in dark thoughts.

Her grandmother turned and reached one hand back to pat Rebecca’s knee. “Anyone looking as lovely as you should not be so Friday-faced, my dear,” she said. “That dress is only half as lovely without your smile.”

Apparently oblivious of the effect of his words, Dawson drew the horse to a slow walk as they entered the Grange lands. “Look who’s waiting for you,” he said as he stopped by the shelled walk. He disembarked and then came around to let down the step and help both Rebecca and her grandmother to the ground.

Adam stood at the edge of the makeshift dance floor that was rimmed with gaslights and spread out like an oasis atop the grass. He gave new meaning to the word handsome in his black tailcoat suit, white formal shirt, and black bowtie. His wavy brown hair lifted slightly with the breeze as he turned toward them... and his mouth fell open.

The sight of him swept away the darkness that had settled over Rebecca. As soon as she was at his side, the magic of his presence enveloped her and drew her away from her worries.

“What a vision you are,” he murmured. “You literally take my breath away.”

Warmth suffused her with his compliments. Quietly she handed him the dragonfly he’d created. “Will you please pin this lovely dragonfly to my dress for me?” She held perfectly still, watching him as he pinned it to the edging of her gown, just above her heart. After a couple of seconds, she laughed softly. “You remind me of your dad just now,” she said, “how studious Uncle Duke can be when he’s focused intently on a task.”

Adam lifted his brows at her. “That’s interesting considering I’m adopted.”

“Uncle Duke has had a big influence on you.”

Adam smiled. “That he has.” With his head bent close to hers she could smell his freshly washed hair and a hint of cologne. “There,” he said, finished with the pin. “With the dragonfly perched on your dress you look like a fairytale princess in a bucolic glade.”

Rebecca laughed and looked down at the delicate dragonfly and then back at Adam. “You make me feel like a princess. Thank you.”

He linked his warm fingers with hers and gazed down at her, his eyes dark with emotion. “Wait until I twirl you around the dance floor in that pretty dress. I won’t be the only one who thinks you look like a princess.”

Leo slapped his large hand over Adam’s shoulder and hauled him away from Rebecca. “I see I’m still keeping you two out of trouble. You can thank me later, Adam,” he said nodding toward Rebecca’s grandmother who was approaching on Dawson’s arm. Leo’s white teeth flashed in his tanned, handsome face as he laughed.

“I’m going to punch you later,” Adam said under his breath, but he and Rebecca, and Mary who had arrived with Leo, laughed and greeted one another with hugs.

Mary and Rebecca complimented each other on their dresses and secretly admired their handsome escorts. Leo was a darker, slightly larger man than Adam, but both men were similar in the quietly confident way they carried themselves.

“Go away,” Adam said, nudging Leo aside. “There is something I need to take care of before I whisk the beautiful lady out onto the dance floor.” He dropped his hands to her waist and reached for the dance card dangling there.

“What are you doing?” Rebecca asked as he drew her dance card toward him, tasseled cord and all.

“I am filling your card now so there will be no chance of losing you to another man later,” he said. He took up the small, slim pencil and scribbled his name beside several dances listed on the inside of the card.

Rebecca couldn’t suppress the warmth that spread through her. He’d claimed every waltz—all five of them—along with two quadrilles and the mazurka.

Leo hooted. “Adam, my friend, you live your life like you fish and play baseball, with purpose and a plan.”

Adam tipped a grin at Rebecca that made her dizzy with delight. “This night is ours.”

Her heartbeat thumped in her chest and her face flushed with heat.

Mary whacked her fan against Adam’s arm. “You should be ashamed, Adam Grayson. You told the hopeful young ladies at my wedding ball that you couldn’t dance.”

Adam cringed as if he’d gotten caught in a white lie. “Well... what I meant was that I didn’t know how to dance without Rebecca Grayson in my arms.”

Rebecca’s mouth fell open and she released a breathy sigh. A flutter of excitement swept through her stomach and left her in a near swoon.

“Oh, my...” Mary pressed her fan to her smiling mouth and shook her head, her diamond earrings sparkling in the gaslights. “You and Leo are both incorrigible.” She looked at Rebecca. “I fear you will have your hands full this night.”

“As will you,” Leo said, sweeping Mary into his arms and onto the dance floor.

Adam laughed at their friend’s antics and turned to Rebecca with a happy smile on his face. “Is it all right if I’m an incorrigible romantic?” he asked.

Struggling to get her breath back, Rebecca gave him a nod and smiled. “Were you always like this?”

“Only with you,” he answered, tucking Rebecca’s arm in his and turning her toward the dance floor. “It’s time to dance. I can’t wait another minute to hold you in my arms.”

Waltzing with him was dreamlike as he moved her across the floor with ease and sureness. Every smooth turn, each steady step carried Rebecca further into their dream of sharing life together. She felt her heart lift as she followed his strong lead.

“Surely we must have danced a hundred times together before this night to be so in tune with one another,” she said.

He smiled. “Only a dozen times or so, but we have been in tune with each other from the day we met. Dancing is just an extension of that connection we share.”

They were definitely connected. She felt it throughout the evening in their easy friendship and in her body when he held her. They may not have danced a hundred dances, but there was no question that she’d been in his arms that many times. The thought made her wonder if those previous occasions were anything like their late night visits on her back porch—or if they might have been even more intense and... passionate.

“I have a surprise for you later,” Adam said as he pivoted and turned, adding a playful flair to their waltz.

“Really?” she asked. “I love surprises.”

“I know.”

She made a face and said, “I wish I knew as much about you as you know about me.”

“You may find it boring if there was nothing new to learn.”

Her footstep faltered and he tightened his hold. “Do you find me boring?” she asked, dismayed at the thought.

He laughed outright. “Hardly, my darling.” He gave her another small twirl that flared her skirt. “You are more a mystery to me now than you’ve ever been. I’m thoroughly intrigued and captivated by you. Every word from your mouth is a delightful surprise. I love not knowing what to expect.”

He might change his mind if he knew about the irrational thoughts she wouldn’t allow out of her mouth.

“What is this surprise you have for me?” she asked.

“One you’ll definitely love, and that’s all I’m going to tell you.”

She gave his shoulder a gentle whack with her fan. “You are a tease, Adam.”

“As are you, my love. You’re so beautiful I can barely keep my hands off you tonight.”

“Perhaps you shouldn’t.”

Their eyes held and time seemed to stop. “Are you flirting with me?” he asked quietly.

“I am indeed,” she said, thinking of Jojo and how the little darling went after what she wanted without a lick of shame or fear. With her gloved finger, Rebecca gently closed Adam’s mouth. “You look a little stunned. Have I scared you?”

He released a snort of laughter. “Hardly. I’m just wondering how I can steal a kiss without shocking all these folks around us.”

She smiled and moved close to him, putting her mouth near his ear. “Wait a while and you won’t have to steal one,” she whispered.

With a low growl he pulled her into a quick hug. “I cannot imagine anything better than the feel of you in my arms,” he said near her ear, then stepped back to put some space between them.

“What about holding your baby?” she asked.

His eyebrows went up in surprise. “That’s an interesting comment and something I haven’t thought about since—in a while.”

“Gracious!” she said, her face flaming with heat. “That was entirely inappropriate of me.”

He shook his head. “It was a beautiful thought and I can imagine how utterly amazing it will be when that day comes.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, trying to cool her cheeks in the light breeze. “I have no idea why I thought to say such a thing.” It was a totally inappropriate time and place for such a comment and was one more example of her thoughts getting away from her. Would she be forever plagued by this? She was supposed to be healing. Doc Samuel said she seemed to be doing better. But her blatant flirting was as inappropriate as her words. “I’m parched all of a sudden,” she said. “May we forego the next dance?”