[Desert Roses 03] - Beneath A Harvest Sky (12 page)

Still, there was something very romantic and lovely about an evening carriage ride. Rainy settled back against the leather upholstery and sighed.

“I hope that was a sigh of contentment and not boredom,” Phillip whispered.

His nearness made Rainy straighten a bit. “It was the happy kind,” she replied. “I always enjoy coming home to Albuquerque. My folks . . . our house . . . well . . . it’s just very nice to be around the things and people you love. I’ve cherished growing up here. My mother always made our house a home. She has the most marvelous gardens in the inner courtyard. You’ll have to see them sometime.” Rainy found that she never quite realized how much she loved it here until after she’d been gone for a time. “I’ve enjoyed working with the Detours, but I also like the idea of taking time away from my job. I’m going to greatly enjoy my two weeks off.”

“But you will still consider postponing for just a few days, won’t you?” he asked so sweetly that Rainy couldn’t do anything but nod.

“I suppose I can postpone my vacation by a day or so to show you around Santa Fe.” Rainy couldn’t believe she was agreeing to do such a thing. She could easily remember the disappointment she’d felt when Sonny told her of the trip to the Grand Canyon. Now, however, the idea of delaying wasn’t at all unappealing. With Phillip Vance in the picture, in fact, the delay seemed quite promising.

“Phillip, may I ask you something?” Rainy decided the only way she’d get answers would be to ask very specific questions.

“Of course you may,” he said, taking hold of her hand.

“What are your plans for the future? I mean, do you always intend to work as a movie star? Will you stay in California?”

He chuckled softly and turned a bit to better face her. “I see my future only getting better. I see the movie industry booming like a gold rush, and I see myself in the midst of that boom. California is a perfectly lovely place to live and my new home is marvelous. But without the right woman to share it all . . . well . . .” He looked away momentarily. “I want a wife and children. I want a closeness of family that I never experienced growing up.”

“I thought from the way you spoke that you and your mother and sister were all very close,” Rainy said, not giving any thought to how personal the statement might seem.

Phillip’s expression seemed pained. “No, it wasn’t as it might seem to an outsider. What I want is nothing like what I had growing up. I want honesty and love— compassion and open-mindedness.”

Rainy thought she’d never heard anyone sound so sad. She trembled as he returned his gaze to her face and reached up to gently stroke her cheek. “I’ve been searching for the right woman,” he murmured. “A woman who wouldn’t be intimidated by the fanfare and nonsense that accompanies me. A woman who would understand the attention I’d be given by my fans. A woman who would take all of that in stride and still manage to give me the support and love I need.”

Rainy felt as though time stood still as he softly spoke of his desires. Could she be that woman? Would she want to put herself into that life—take herself away from the world she knew and loved? A tiny voice in the back of her mind questioned,
What about the support
and love
you
would need?
Rainy quickly pushed the thought aside. There would be time to figure that out later.

The driver slowed the horses to a stop in front of her parents’ house. The sudden lull caused Rainy to look up, almost startled. “We’re here.”

Phillip nodded. “I hope I didn’t bore you with my talk.”

“Not at all,” Rainy said, more confused than ever.

“I’ll walk you to the door.” Phillip climbed down from the carriage and reached back up to help Rainy.

As her feet touched the ground, Phillip’s arms went around her and he pulled her close for a kiss.

Rainy was too surprised to really enjoy the kiss. She was so shocked that Phillip would take such a liberty with her, and yet at the same time she couldn’t help but wonder if this, too, was a part of God’s plan to show her the truth of His choice.

Phillip pulled away, a hesitant look on his face.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Rainy shook her head. “I would have preferred that you had not. We barely know each other.”

He laughed. “I tend to forget myself. I have women throwing themselves at me all the time. I suppose it seemed strange not to have you respond in the same manner.”

“That’s who I am,” Rainy defended. “I’m not like your throngs of fans.”

He released her and took a step back. “Please forgive me. Don’t let my ill manners spoil our evening or our future.”

Rainy couldn’t be angry with him. “Of course I forgive you.” She smiled sweetly. “Thank you for the wonderful evening, but now I really need to get to bed.

Tomorrow is the final day of our tour, and you’ll want to get your money’s worth.”

“I think I already have,” Phillip said, laughing.

————

“Where have you been?” Sonny asked as Rainy came through the door.

“You know perfectly well where I’ve been. I’ve been out with Phillip Vance.” She pulled off her dress jacket and tossed it aside. “Where are Mom and Dad?” she asked, looking around the room.

“They went to bed about an hour ago. It’s ten o’clock, Rainy.”

“Goodness, I didn’t realize it was so late.”

“That much is obvious,” Sonny said, trying not to allow his worry to turn to anger. “Rainy, I really was starting to worry. First you take off with Phillip instead of spending time here at home with us, and then you don’t return until ten. It’s not at all like you.”

Rainy sat down opposite him. “No, I suppose it’s not. I just felt it was something I had to do, however. I couldn’t help but wonder if God had brought Phillip Vance into my life for more than just a tour.”

Sonny got a sinking feeling inside. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I wonder if he’s the man God will have me marry.”

“What about Duncan?” Sonny questioned. He knew his sister’s feelings for Duncan Hartford were more than a passing interest. How could she so easily trade one man for another?

“What about him? I’ve tried to show him interest and make it clear that I find his company enjoyable, but he doesn’t seem to have the slightest interest in me.” She leaned her elbow on the table, then shrugged. “I suppose Duncan Hartford has too many other interests to consider me.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure. I also wouldn’t expect him to show his true feelings and compete with a movie star.”

“But Phillip Vance wasn’t even in the picture when

I first showed Duncan my interest in him. You can’t blame Phillip.”

“I’m not blaming anyone,” Sonny replied. “I just think you should be cautious about this. Phillip Vance seems to be the kind of man who’s used to dallying with women. I’d hate to have to straighten him out over his dalliance with you.”

“I’m a grown woman, little brother. I know how to handle myself.”

Sonny smiled. “I’d like to believe that, but actions speak much louder than words.”

“Oh, go on with you. Stop worrying about me. I’m just trying to seek out God’s will for my life,” Rainy replied. “God doesn’t expect me to just sit around and wait for Him to drop a husband in my lap.”

“Oh, He doesn’t? When did He tell you this?”

Rainy squirmed a bit and shifted in her chair. She refused to meet Sonny’s eyes and looked to the table instead. “I just can’t imagine that He wants me to do nothing. I’ve prayed about it, and I just figured it was partly up to me to do something about it.”

“If God wants you to marry Duncan Hartford or even Phillip Vance, don’t you think He can handle the task of bringing it about, without you having to work double time to see it to fruition? It’s not like you’ve been asked to take on an extra tour shift. We’re talking about God’s ability to do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Remember?”

“I remember.”

“Besides, what if God has called you to be single?”

Rainy glared at him for this. “He hasn’t. I know without a doubt that God wants me to marry and have a family. I’ve prayed about it. I have real peace that this is His will for my life.”

“If that’s the case, then why not rest in it and wait for Him to act? It’s not like He’s going to forget you.”

She yawned. “I know all of that.” Straightening a bit, she asked, “So how did you spend your evening?”

Sonny laughed. “Changing the subject, are we?”

“Yes, please. What did you do?”

Now it was Sonny’s chance to grow uncomfortable.

“I met with some old friends of mine. They came here to the house and we visited for a couple of hours.”

“Truly? Who were they?”

“You remember Jess and Richard, my friends from college?”

Rainy nodded.

“Well, they’ve gotten themselves involved in an Alaskan Territory exploration group. It’s a government project.”

“How exciting for them. When will they head to Alaska?”

Sonny straightened, knowing he had to tell her his plans. Finalizing his departure without letting her in on it seemed almost criminal. “Part of the team is heading up at the end of August. The other part will leave in September.”

“Seems like the wrong time to head up north,” she said, laughing. “Don’t birds usually fly south in the winter?”

He smiled. “Well, a team of thirty scientists can hardly be mistaken for birds. They’re doing a winter study.”

“Oh, well, that makes sense—if you like that kind of thing.” She yawned again and got to her feet.

“There’s more. It has to do with the team and I want to tell you about it,” Sonny said, a desperate tone to his words. He knew he needed to tell her the truth of his plans. He didn’t want her to accidentally learn it from someone else.

“Oh, Sonny, not now. I’m completely spent and want to go to bed. You can tell me about your friends tomorrow.” She came around and kissed him atop his head. “I’m sorry I worried you.”

“I just want you to be safe and happy,” Sonny said as she walked from the room. She didn’t reply, so he wasn’t even sure she’d heard him.

Sonny felt a sense of guilt and knew it was silly. He was a grown man with every right to plan to travel to Alaska with his friends. A job as a government geologist was something he simply couldn’t pass by. Rainy would understand and be happy for him, but he knew she would also be hurt that he hadn’t discussed it with her early on.

“So did you talk to her?”

Sonny looked up to find his father standing in the dining room doorway. His well-worn robe was the same one Sonny had seen him wear since he and Rainy were kids. “I tried. She was tired though and wanted to get to bed.”

His father nodded and joined Sonny at the table.

“There will be time.”

“I’m worried about her,” Sonny said, shaking his head. “She’s so caught up in trying to figure out whom God wants her to marry. Then there’s the whole issue of wanting to figure out who framed her and got her fired at the university.”

“I’d like to get to the bottom of that myself,” Dad replied. “Seems senseless that a young innocent girl should be singled out like that and blamed for something everyone knew she couldn’t possibly have done.

I’ve tried to talk to Marshall Driscoll several times, but he won’t even discuss it.”

“He was on our tour this last trip,” Sonny began.

“I was stunned to see him and Mrs. Driscoll but even more surprised to find Chester with them. Rainy feels confident that Chester was somehow behind the entire incident. She said he spoke with too much familiarity regarding the matter. Yet when she’s tried to talk to him about it, he turns the tables on her and reminds her that his father kept her from prosecution.”

Dad nodded knowingly. “I’ve never understood it.

Rainy was always so very conscientious about anything regarding the artifacts. I know she would never have taken them for any purpose—not even for cleaning them, as Chester suggested.”

“Chester showed way too much interest in Rainy then
and
now. Even on the trip this week he was always finding ways to be alone with her. Duncan and I tried to keep that from happening very often, but it wasn’t easy. Between Chester and Phillip Vance, we had our hands full.”

“Well, your sister is a grown woman and times are changing. Women are able to vote and to speak their mind. Certainly they’re able to choose the company they keep.”

“I suppose,” Sonny said, feeling rather deflated.

“But I don’t think at this point she knows what’s good for her.”

His father laughed. “I guess I could wonder if running off to the frozen north was good for you, but you’d give me some long discussion about it being your lifelong dream and how”—he got up from the table and looked down at his son—“you’d waited forever for a dream position like this to come along.” His father smiled. “Hmm, on second thought, I guess we had that conversation.”

“I know what you’re saying, Dad.” Sonny got up and stretched. “I’ll try to just pray it through.”

“That’s the best you can do, son. Rainy knows better than to plunge into anything without taking it to God first. She’ll do all right.”

CHAPTER NINE

I
can see why Jennetta loves it here,” Phillip declared as he strolled the streets of Santa Fe with Rainy.