Rayne leaned her head against Garrett’s shoulder and leaned up and kissed his cheek. “It’s the best thing. You can’t know what it’s like . . . and then to hear you say . . .
ah Garrett,
how in the world did I get lucky enough to look out my window and see you trying to plant pansies in my yard?”
Garrett grinned and held her close as he kissed her forehead. “So does that mean you might be thinking you could be maybe halfway to falling in love with me too?”
Rayne laughed again and held him tighter. “You’d be embarrassed if I told you the exact fraction, so I won’t do that to you, but yes. Very much so,
yes
,” she admitted as he laughed, his whole face lighting up and his eyes gleaming at her.
“You make me happy,” he said softly, sounding surprised.
Rayne grinned and kissed his chin. “Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to work?”
Garrett gave her a half-smile and looked away at the people walking by them. “It’s supposed to work that way, but the relationships I’ve seen, there’s not a lot of happiness involved. My mom took off when I was eight and the first thing I remember thinking was,
Good, now my dad won’t be so sad when she yells at him all the time.
Even Asher and all of his girlfriends aren’t great. He’s the type of guy who thrives on being needed you know. He’s just a giver. So he’s drawn like a magnet to these girls who just use him and dump him. Not just once, but over and over and he never learns. He won’t see the pattern. And then there’s me.”
Rayne blinked in surprise and sat up, looking at Garrett with a frown. “What do you mean, and then there’s you?”
Garrett grimaced and shrugged lightly but then stared at her with suddenly sad eyes. “Every woman I’ve ever fallen in love with has been what you might call emotionally unavailable. My therapist says it’s because my mother never loved me and so I’m always trying to find some shadow of my mom in the women I date so I can finally prove that I am lovable. So I can finally get her to love me. It’s kind of messed up.”
Rayne licked her lips and ached for the pain she saw in Garrett’s eyes. “So I must really freak you out then, huh?”
Garrett blinked in surprise and turned to look at her curiously. “In what way?”
Rayne shook her head and ran her hand over his short, soft hair. “Because emotionally, I’m completely available to you. And because I just told you that you’re very lovable. Does that make you want to run in the opposite direction?” she asked, morbidly curious.
Garrett winced and looked down at their entwined hands. “I’ve been in therapy for a while now and being aware of my emotional patterns has gone a long way to helping me. I wouldn’t say I’m cured, but when it comes to my mom issues, I’d say I’m healed now. No Rayne, you don’t make me want to run away. But I’ll admit that I’m scared to death that you’ll wake up someday soon and figure out that you don’t belong here with me. That you belong back in San Diego, in a mansion by the water, playing your piano for the wealthy.”
Rayne sucked in air and closed her eyes. “I’m not going back, Garrett. Ivy and I want to stay here. For good.”
Garrett stared at her sadly as if he wanted to believe her. “How could I ever be enough for you? Maybe not now, but in five years when life is hard and you get sick of me, what about then? I don’t think I could survive watching you walk away.”
Rayne felt something cold wrap around her heart, taking all the pleasure and fun out of their date. “My telling you that you are more than enough will never satisfy you. You have to know you are. You’d have to have faith in yourself and in me and my feelings for you. . .
if
it ever came to that,” she added.
Garrett looked away, staring moodily at the Ferris wheel and was silent for a few long moments. He finally blinked and shook his head. “Well, I guess we’ll have to see how things play out. I better get you home then,” he said and stood up, holding his hand out for hers.
Rayne stared at his hand and knew that he had been too hurt as a child to offer her his heart. At least not all of it. She wondered if he’d ever be whole and healed enough to offer her or any woman his whole heart. She smiled stiffly, feeling as brittle as glass as she took Garrett’s hand.
She was grateful that riding on the motorcycle meant that there was no need for conversation. She wouldn’t know what to say to Garrett. How could she be falling in love with a man who would constantly be looking at her as if she was heading for the door? How could she love a man who didn’t believe he was lovable? She felt a few tears slip down her cheeks and closed her eyes as they raced down the freeway.
She didn’t know the answers. All she knew, was that it was too late for her heart. She was 100% gone.
Garrett watched Rayne walk away from him and felt empty and on edge. He’d never been so open with a woman about himself and his feelings as he had been with Rayne. But opening himself up and pointing out the very real fact that not only couldn’t he trust her to love him, he couldn’t even trust her to stick around had hurt Rayne.
And he hated that.
She paused at the door as if she might turn around and wave at him, but instead took a piece of paper taped to the door and read it. He moved to put his helmet back on but stopped when he heard the faint sound of distress. She whipped around as if she was searching for a purse and then dug her phone out of her pocket. She pushed at the screen frantically as she made gasping sounds and he got off the bike and ran up the steps two at a time.
“
Rayne!
What’s going on?” he demanded before touching her shoulder.
It was like she’d completely forgotten his presence because she squeaked and flung herself back from him, ramming her shoulder against the door.
“
Garrett!
You scared me. Ivy’s been hurt. There was a drive by shooting and she was hit. Could you drive me to the hospital? They’ve been trying to call me, but being on the motorcycle was so noisy I didn’t hear,” she said, as she grasped his arms tightly.
Garrett’s eyes widened in shock but he nodded, slipping an arm around her waist and leading her back down the stairs. He quickly got on the motorcycle and waited for her to get her helmet back on before he was turning around and driving back out of the driveway. The nearest hospital was in Tacoma so he headed for the highway. Fifteen minutes later, they were rushing through the doors of the emergency room.
Garrett winced when he saw the tears on Rayne’s cheeks and held her hand as she stumbled to the information desk and asked for Ivy.
“Are you a relative?” the nurse asked, looking at her suspiciously.
Rayne nodded her head jerkily. “I’m her sister and her only living relative.”
The nurse nodded and glanced down at her computer. “She’s in surgery right now but she should be out within the hour. There’s a waiting room over there,” she said pointing to a large waiting area with waist high walls. There were five different vending machines, two TVs and about twenty chairs.
Rayne ran a shaky hand over her forehead and thanked the nurse before turning around. Garrett kept an arm around her as they walked over and took a seat. Garrett glanced around but couldn’t see Cleo anywhere.
“Did Cleo leave the note? Where is she?” he asked, frowning.
Rayne swallowed hard and hugged herself with her arms. “She’s probably talking to the police,” she said quietly. “I’ll text her right now.”
Garrett watched Rayne clumsily begin to text and took the phone away from her, texting the message for her.
“Rayne, you’re shaking like a leaf. You’ve got to calm down, sweetheart.”
Rayne stared up at him, her light green eyes welling up with tears again as she shook her head. “She’s all I have left in this world. They’ve taken my parents and now they’ve tried to kill my sister. I can’t take it anymore,” she whispered and then leaned her head in her hands and began sobbing.
Garrett groaned and pulled her onto his lap as he hugged her tightly. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and cried into his neck and he felt his heart burn. It was killing him to see Rayne in pain and at the same time, he was filled with rage that someone would try and kill Ivy.
He kissed the side of her face and cuddled her closer as he ran his hand up and down her back, wishing Cleo would text or call or
something
. “They’ll find out who did this. They’ll catch him,” he said, hoping it was true.
Rayne nodded her head, but her body continued to shake as she held onto him for dear life.
“You’re not alone, Rayne. You have me now too,” he said softly, smoothing her hair back from her wet cheek.
Rayne slowly tilted her face and looked up at him with sad, dark eyes and shook her head. “How could I have you if you can’t trust me?” she asked in a shaky voice.
Garrett looked away and licked his lips. “I want to. It’s not that I don’t
want
to believe that you’ll stick around. It’s not that I don’t
want
to believe that you could really fall for me. It’s just that . . .
why in the world would you
?” he asked, with an angry shake of his head. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Rayne slowly sat up and stared at him, her sad eyes turning angry and hot. “It doesn’t make sense to you because you’re an idiot,” she said and hopped off his lap, glaring at him.
Garrett blinked at her in surprise and let out a shocked laugh. “Did you just call me an idiot?” he asked, standing up and walking toward her as he began to feel a little heated himself.
Rayne poked him in the chest and stood her ground. “Well at least your hearing’s good. And yes, you’re an idiot. How could you sit there and tell me you don’t understand how I could fall for you?
Are you blind?
You’re the strongest, kindest most amazing man I’ve ever met. You practically raised your brother and he adores you. You started a business and are making it a success. You’re one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met. You’re always making me laugh and you’re flat out the most beautiful man I’ve ever known. I love being around you. I love kissing you. I love everything about you!” she yelled in his face, making everyone turn around and stare.
Garrett knew he was red in the face as he glanced around at all the curious stares. He sighed and looked back at Rayne who looked even angrier for some reason.
“And you’re such an idiot you can’t even see yourself for what you are. A very lovable man.”
Garrett cleared his throat and ran a hand over his hair. “You’re a sheltered, little rich girl who doesn’t know much about men. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said in a hard voice as all of his demons pushed their way to the front and laughed at him.
Rayne shook her head and sighed, stepping back from him. “
Pathetic
. You’re determined to believe what you want to believe and nothing I can do or say will change it. Unbelievable,” she muttered before turning and walking away from him. He watched her with a frown as she moved to the far end of the waiting room.
Garrett shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at the exit, tempted to walk away. But that wasn’t him. That was his mom. He stuck. “Look, this situation with Ivy getting hurt is what’s important right now. Let’s just focus on her and keeping you two safe and we’ll figure all of this other stuff out later, okay?”
Rayne refused to look at him but nodded. “Of course. Thanks for the ride Garrett, I’ll see you around. Don’t forget to drop off the invoice tomorrow when you start the walkways.”
Garrett opened his mouth in surprise and frowned. “Yeah, the invoice. I’ll be sure and bring it by. And you don’t have to
thank me
for giving you a ride to the hospital. I care about Ivy too. Rayne, I’m not leaving. I’m not going to just walk away and let you sit here, waiting by yourself.”
Rayne sniffed and made a shrugging motion with her shoulders. “Why not? I’m too good for you, remember? I won’t love you or stick around. And
jeez
, it’s not like you’re wealthy like me. Run while you can. Run away.”
Garrett sighed loudly and reached out and turned her around to face him. She glared at him and tried to step back but he held on.
“I’m not running. That’s not what I do. I care about you. Did you already forget what I told you at the fair? That I was well on my way for falling for you? Just because I can’t believe you’d want to stick it out with me, doesn’t mean that I don’t have feelings for you. Come on, Rayne, you’ve never played games with me before, don’t start now. Let’s put all this garbage aside and get through this and then we’ll talk again.
Okay
?”
Rayne stared at him with her big, green, sad eyes and he watched as her shoulders drooped and she sagged back against the wall. “
Garbage
. Yeah, we can put it aside,” she said quietly and walked over and sat down, leaning her head in her hands as if she was exhausted.
Garrett glanced at his watch and noted that it was already nine. It was going to be a late night. He took out his phone and made a couple phone calls, finally getting the man he wanted.
“Tate. I need your help,” he said into the phone as he walked away from Rayne.
He talked for a few more minutes to Tate Matafeo and then walked back to Rayne.
“Cleo is down at the station talking to the police about what happened. She and Ivy were out walking the dogs and when they were about a block away from the house a large black sedan drove up and Ivy was shot twice. Once in the shoulder and once in the arm. Cleo was able to get the license plate and they’re working on tracking the car down right now. Tate says they’re almost finished with Cleo and he’ll drive her to the hospital himself.”
Rayne stared at him and then burst into tears again, but this time when he put his arms around her, she pushed him away. “No Garrett, I’m fine,” she said, scooting away from him and putting a chair in between them.
Garrett stared at her in consternation and shook his head. “
Ah
Rayne, don’t be like this. You’re in pain. I’m here because there’s nowhere else I want to be. Let me comfort you,” he said softly and moved to sit next to her.
Rayne shook her head as she whisked the tears off her cheeks and Garrett pulled her into his arms. She was stiff at first but then she melted against him and he held her tightly.
He stared off into space as she calmed down, holding him so tightly he wondered if he was going to have marks on his skin. They stayed like that for an hour before a nurse approached them leading a man in blue scrubs wearing a surgical hat and glasses.
“Rayne Nyman? This is Doctor Carrol.”
Rayne slid off his lap and stood up shakily and he put an arm around her to keep her steady.
“How’s my sister? Is she okay?” Rayne demanded, her voice sounding low and croaky from all of her crying.
The doctor smiled and patted her shoulder. “Your sister did wonderful. We removed two bullets. One from her arm and the other from her shoulder. She’s being taken to a room right now. She’s already beginning to wake up from the anesthesia. Give us about fifteen minutes and we’ll take you back to see her. She’s going to be groggy for a while but she’s going to be fine. She’ll be back to new before you know it,” he said and smiled again before hurrying away.
Rayne slumped against him and he hugged her as she tried to smile. “She’s going to be okay,” she whispered over and over, relief palpable in her voice.
Garrett sighed in relief too and moved to sit down when he saw Tate and Cleo walk in the Emergency doors. He waved a hand and they immediately turned in his direction. Cleo broke into a run and grabbed Rayne in a hard hug. He watched grimly as the two women held each other and cried a little more. Rayne told Cleo what the doctor had just said and Cleo laughed almost hysterically.
Garrett grabbed Tate’s arm and pulled him aside. Tate was in his uniform and Garrett was grateful for once to see the gun at his hip.
“Were they able to track the car down?” he asked.
Tate shook his head. “The car was a rental and we located it abandoned at the airport. Whoever it was used a fake I.D. to rent the car. We have video surveillance of the man who rented the car but we can’t identify him yet. We’re doing everything we can but from where I’m standing, this was no accident. Drive by shootings are usually done by warring gangs. This wasn’t a drive by shooting. Someone meant to kill Ivy.
Or Rayne
,” he added, looking over at the two women who were still talking and hugging each other.