It was simply because of their confusing history, he reminded himself. He had no lingering feelings for Rain. And Rain had never been interested in him romantically. She had made that abundantly clear on that painful night five years ago.
He raked a hand through his long bangs in an effort to physically push the unpleasant thoughts from his mind. The late June sun soaked into his black T-shirt and karate pants, pushing his body temperature increasingly higher. He glanced at his watch; hopefully he’d have time for a shower. The lake house was only about an hour and twenty minutes away, but traffic on a Friday afternoon could be heavy.
He strode past the elevator and jogged up the stairs to the apartment he shared with Cara. As usual, she had left the place in chaos during her frenzied morning routine. Ignoring the mess, he stripped off his sweaty clothes and tossed them in the hamper. He would need to shower and pack quickly to avoid being late; he had promised Rain he would be there by 5:00.
Once again, Rain had somehow pushed her way to the front of his mind. It’s unavoidable, he told himself, turning to let the hot water pound against the tight muscles of his back. They would be spending five days together, along with Allie and A.J.—of course she would be in his thoughts. And he was happy they would have a chance to reconnect. He and Rain had been friends since grade school. Hell, they all had.
But there had been a time when he would have done anything for Rain. His only reward had been grief. He had vowed to never let her, or any woman, have that kind of influence over him again. Jason turned off the water and grabbed a towel. It’s not even a valid concern, he reminded himself. They were different people now. She was recently divorced and probably relishing her independence. And he was with Cara. Even if their two-year relationship was on the verge of collapse, they still lived together—as incompatible roommates, if nothing else.
He twisted the towel around his waist and squared his wide shoulders determinedly. His messy domestic situation didn’t need immediate attention. He would worry about that later. It was time to relax and enjoy his vacation. His friends were waiting.
Chapter 2
Rain perched on a kitchen stool and scrolled through her texts. According to Allie’s earlier message, she should be the next to arrive. That would be the best possible scenario, Rain thought as she chewed on her bottom lip nervously. She wanted to get past any initial awkwardness with Allie before the guys showed up.
She conjured up an image of 18-year-old Allie Beauchamp: cute, bubbly, and blonde—the quintessential cheerleader. She was Allie Campbell now, a wife and mother. Rain hadn’t been invited to the wedding, nor had she invited Allie to hers.
A frown creased her forehead as she realized her cell phone had no signal. Sliding off the stool, she wandered toward the front door with her gaze on the screen. A few bars appeared as she walked outside and stood on the step. No new messages. She waited expectantly for a few minutes, hoping to see Allie’s car pull into the drive.
Only silence and a few lilting bird calls greeted her. She gave up with an impatient sigh and returned to the kitchen. A wave of icy air enveloped her just seconds after she came to a sudden stop. Her skin prickled with goose bumps as she looked around warily.
She had left her purse sitting on the island, but now it was tipped over; the contents had spilled out, revealing a folded letter that had been residing in the bottom of her bag. Her eyes scanned the room quickly before they landed back on the messy pile. She stared at the wrinkled square of paper that had brought her here.
Rubbing her arms to ward off the chill, she advanced slowly toward the island. The letter from Brandy’s mother was sitting on top, almost as though her purse had been upended intentionally. She lowered herself back onto a stool as she picked up the battered letter and unfolded it carefully.
Memories of the day she had first read it washed over her as she smoothed the pages on the island countertop. It had arrived at her temporary home in late January, about a month after she had caught Rick cheating and stormed out of their Westgate townhouse before realizing she had no place to go. When the letter had eventually found Rain at her friend Holly’s, the return address on the envelope had been enough to start the blood draining from her head, threatening to drag her consciousness with it. The haunting dreams were bad enough—a letter from Brandy’s mother was a truly ominous sign.
Rain read the distressing words again, sympathy for Mrs. Pierce causing her throat to swell with emotion. She’d known already that Brandy’s mother had terminal cancer. But the letter had revealed that Claudia Pierce was convinced that her missing daughter was trying to communicate with her through increasingly vivid dreams. Claudia’s solution had been to arrange a reunion of Brandy’s best friends in a desperate attempt to solve the mystery before she succumbed to her illness.
The crunch of gravel pulled Rain out of her ruminations. She tucked the letter back into her bag gently before tossing the rest of her scattered belongings in as well. Hopping off the stool, she hurried to the front door, her heart rate spiking as excitement warred with anxiety.
Rain exhaled with an audible rush of relief as Allie emerged from her car with a cheerful wave. While the changes in her appearance were significant, her mannerisms were instantly recognizable. Joy bloomed in Rain’s chest as she crossed the yard to greet her old friend.
Allie’s formerly bright blonde curls were darker now, and cut shorter. She had gained some weight, probably the result of giving birth to twins. Faint smudges shadowed the skin beneath her warm hazel eyes. She looked like a tired mom, which in fact was what she was. Her wide smile still lit up her pretty face, though, as she opened her arms to embrace Rain.
Allie released her after a few moments and stepped back, looking her over. “Rain, you look great! Exactly the same. No, better! How have you managed to stay so thin?”
“Having a cheating husband is a great appetite-suppressant,” Rain said wryly.
Allie’s face fell. “Oh, Rain, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to bring that up!”
Rain realized they were out of sync, perhaps not ready to joke around the way they used to and pick up on each other’s cues. “Allie, don’t be silly,” she reassured her. “I’m the one that brought it up, not you! And it’s fine, he’s a jerk, and I can laugh about it now. It’s either laugh about it or cry about it, and I’m done crying.”
“Oh, sweetie, I wish I’d been there for you.” Allie pulled her into another tight hug.
“You’re here for me now, and that’s what matters. And I’m here for you.” Rain rubbed Allie’s back comfortingly. Allie had told her during one of their first conversations that her 2-year-old twins had been diagnosed with autism last October. “How are the boys?” Rain asked as they parted.
“They’re great,” Allie replied as they pulled her suitcases out of the car. “The school they’re attending is excellent. It’s a full day, year round program, but the doctors say it’s the kind of intense intervention that will make a big difference in their future. And of course my parents are thrilled to be there to spoil them when they get home. Thankfully Brian’s fine with them staying there. He works so much that he’s just grateful for the help.”
Allie’s face broke into a sheepish grin as they plunked her bags down next to Rain’s in the great room. “Look at me, I’ve been here for five minutes, and I’m already talking your ear off.”
Rain shook her head emphatically, dislodging her long side bangs from behind her ear. “I am so happy you are finally here, and I want to hear everything you have to say! I’ve been trying to work on dinner, but I’ve mostly just been looking out the window and checking my phone.”
Allie stood back and surveyed Rain’s luggage. “Did I under-pack?”
“No. I decided I’m going to stay here all summer.”
Rain fidgeted under Allie’s suspicious gaze. “You’re going to live here all summer? Alone?”
“Of course alone!” Rain rolled her eyes. “I mean, I’m hoping you will all come and stay whenever you can get away. Mrs. Pierce did rent the lake house for us until the end of August; we may as well take advantage of it. I could definitely use the change of scenery. Plus I don’t want to wear out my welcome at Holly’s.”
“Huh. Okay, well then you should take the master bedroom probably.”
Rain shrugged. “I thought we should give it to A.J. It still feels like his house, even though it isn’t anymore. He was so hesitant to come here even for the weekend, maybe it will be an incentive to get him to come again. And that way he’d have more privacy if he wanted to bring someone.”
A loud bang made them scream in unison as they both spun toward the noise. “What was that?” Allie gasped.
“I think it was the front door slamming.”
“But it was closed. We closed it, I’m almost positive.”
Rain chewed her bottom lip as her mind whirled. She wasn’t ready to talk about Brandy yet. They had all decided they deserved one carefree night to celebrate before any painful memories were discussed. “I think the latch is tricky.”
“Oh. Must have been the wind picking up, then—it’s chilly in here now.”
Rain nodded weakly, averting her gaze.
“So, why don’t you take the room closer to the bathroom?” Allie gestured toward the bedroom off the kitchen with her chin as she lifted her bags. “And I’ll take the one on the other side, across from you. The guys can have upstairs.”
“That sounds perfect.” Rain grabbed a large suitcase and hauled it toward her new room before her traitorous physical reactions could expose her lie. “I’ll meet you back here,” she called over her shoulder.
She wrangled her suitcase onto the double bed and drew a shaky breath. The door slam could have been random. But the timing hadn’t escaped her. She had been talking about A.J. bringing another woman here when it happened.
If it was meant to be a message, it was easy to interpret: Brandy didn’t like that idea. The hair on Rain’s arms prickled as she tugged at the zipper on her bag. She was probably jumping to conclusions. Still, Brandy had always had a jealous streak, fueled by the instability that defined her life.
“Rain?”
She spun from the dresser at the sound of Allie’s voice, clutching a pair of shorts to her chest. Her heart fluttered like a frightened bird.
Allie’s eyes went wide. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s fine. I was just thinking about…I was just lost in thought.” Rain smiled wanly and deposited the shorts in a drawer.
“Well, here’s my thought—how about we open a bottle of wine?”
Rain nodded enthusiastically. “I think that’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.”
Allie drifted toward the front door to check her cell phone as Rain pulled out a bottle of chilled Pinot Grigio and hunted down a wine opener. “No new messages,” Allie called. “I’m thinking Jason will probably get here next, since A.J.’s coming all the way from Manhattan.”
Rain murmured in agreement, trying to ignore the tingle of anticipation that warmed her belly. She poured them both generous glasses as Allie slid onto a stool and planted her elbows on the island.
“Just wait until you see him, Rain. He’s gorgeous now. I mean, he was always a cutie, but now he’s really come into his own. He’s filled out and grown up. His hair’s the same, still on the long side, but his face is all strong and chiseled, like a model or something. And when he sees you, well, maybe you two will end up sharing a room.” She smiled mischievously and took a sip of the pale gold wine.
“Allie! What on earth are you talking about? You said yourself he has a serious girlfriend, and that he lives with her.” Hot blood began creeping up her cheeks.
Allie studied Rain’s reaction over the rim of her wine glass, her eyes shining playfully. “Yeah, I know, but she’s a real diva. A pain-in-the-ass one, from what I’ve heard from my mom. And you know that info comes directly from Jason’s mom. I don’t think she’s a fan.”
“Well, Jason must like her. And anyway, you know what happened between us in high school. I’m just hoping we’ll be able to be good friends again.” Rain turned her back to Allie and began searching through the cabinets.
“Need help?” Allie asked.
“Thanks, but I’m pretty much all set. I just need something for the salad.” She extracted a large white bowl from the top shelf. “This will work, but it’s pretty dusty.” Rain set the heavy bowl down carefully in the sink and pulled the faucet’s spray attachment from its base.
The sound of a car in the driveway startled Rain, and she accidentally turned the sprayer on herself as Allie jumped up to look out the window. “Damn it,” Rain cursed, looking down at her splattered shirt.
Allie met her gaze and they dissolved in giggles. “It’s Jason,” she said, covering her mouth with her hand. “I doubt the guys would mind the wet T-shirt look, but maybe you should go change. I’ll go say hello.”
Rain blew out an exasperated breath and wiped her hands on a dishtowel. She hurried toward her bedroom, snatching up her wine glass on the way.
Chapter 3
Rain paused in the doorway, watching Jason and Allie chat. Jason was turned away from her, but what she could see of him took her breath away. The tall, muscular man was a far cry from the lanky teenager she remembered. Allie gave her a quick glance and a knowing smile. Swirling the wine left in her glass, Rain took a sip for courage. What the hell, she thought, and finished the rest with a gulp. After setting the glass on the little hall table, she started across the yard.
He turned when he heard her approaching, and her nerves trembled as she studied his handsome face. His cautious gaze gave way almost immediately to a genuine smile, and relief flooded through her. She resisted the urge to fling herself into his very strong-looking arms. Instead, she just smiled back and said, “Hey, you.”
His long legs closed the distance between them quickly. “Hi, Rainy. You look great,” he said sincerely, opening his arms to her. She moved willingly into his embrace, a bittersweet ache piercing her heart even as a shiver of joy traveled up her spine. He pulled her gently into his solid chest, then lowered his lips toward her ear and whispered, “Are you doing okay?”