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“See you tomorrow.”
He walked back to his car without waiting on her to sputter a response or narrow her eyes at him. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind she wanted to be left alone, but he just couldn’t. Raine had an underlying vulnerability, and like a fool, he couldn’t ignore the fact they shared a past and he wanted to know what happened after he left.
Even after all these years apart, all the blockbuster films, all the starlets on his arm and all the lavish parties, Max never felt so at ease, so...comfortable as he did with Raine. He honestly had no clue their past could come back at warp speed and take control over his emotions.
These next few months may be spent caring for his mother, but he sure as hell was going to have an interesting time with the beautifully sexy Raine Monroe.
Two
Raine all but sank against the door. Her heart was so far up in her throat she thought she was going to be sick.
The irony was not lost on her that, when Max had left years ago, she’d been so ready to be his wife and the mother to his children; yet, when he returned, she actually had a child.
But too many years had passed between. A lifetime, really. She’d lived through hell and was still clawing her way out. Her bank account was laughable, and her father was trying to play matchmaker with one of his minions.
Added to that, there was some sort of holdup with Abby’s adoption. Raine never could get a straight answer from her lawyer, who was equally frustrated at the untimely manner of the judge. Everything should’ve been finalized by now.
Other than all of that, her life was great.
Or it was until Max Ford had found her at a humiliating time when she’d wrecked her car thanks to a patch of black ice.
Raine shivered against the memories and the chill that had followed her inside. The Weather Channel update was calling for more snow, and this was just the start of several days. They hadn’t officially called it a blizzard, but they were talking in feet and not inches.
She’d have to go check on her chickens and her goats before it got too bad. Worry gnawed away at her, despite the fact that they were each in their own barn, and they had all the necessities an animal could need to endure rough elements. They even had a small built-in hatch to come outside, if they so chose. She loved owning such disciplined, albeit sometimes overly friendly, animals.
At least if she was snowbound, she could finish working on the new lotions for the Farmer’s Market next month. Raine was so excited that spring was right around the corner. Each day brought her closer to her favorite time of year, when she could sell all her goods at the market, meet new customers and chat with old ones.
Her finances always dipped in the winter, and she had to really watch her budget. Spring and summer were much more prosperous. Hopefully by next winter her online store would be even more popular, and she would feel more comfortable with her bank account.
Raine had gotten such great starts of cherry tomatoes, lettuce, kale, a variety of peppers and a few types of beans. Indoor winter gardening was quite different, but she had no choice except to take the extra effort to make these plants thrive inside. This was her livelihood and all that was between her and begging her parents for that money they’d taken away when she had refused to live by their haughty standards.
The vegetables were almost ready for the market next month, so all she needed to concentrate on now was making her soaps and lotions to prepare nice, cheerful gift baskets.
But first she had to get Abby sleeping through the night.
Mercy sakes, she had a whole new level of respect for single parents. This all-important job was most definitely not for wimps. But she wouldn’t have it any other way. She loved this baby, and her heart had ached nearly a year ago when her cousin, Jill, had come to her and said she was considering an abortion.
Raine couldn’t let Jill feel trapped into a decision she wasn’t ready to make, especially since Raine had once been in Jill’s shoes. Living as a teen with parents who had higher expectations had certainly taken its toll. Of course, their circumstances weren’t exactly the same. Jill was in college and just not ready for a baby, whereas Raine had been fresh out of high school and had just had her whole world torn apart. When Raine had discovered her pregnancy, Max had just recently left, and she’d felt so alone. Her parents had been less than supportive, so there was no way Raine would let Jill go through this without a friend and family member to lean on.
When Raine had mentioned adoption, Jill warmed to the idea. And when Raine had offered to be the one to take guardianship, Jill had wept with relief and delight that her baby could live in a loving home.
The scenario seemed so simple looking back now, but for months there were tears and prayers, moments of panic and indecision, hours of contemplation and ultimately pure happiness. After the birth, Jill had returned to school and settled back into her life. She kept in touch with Raine, but said she’d keep her distance for a while so Raine and Abby could bond.
Raine knew absolutely nothing would replace the baby she’d lost years ago. But she loved Abby with every fiber of her being. There was nothing Raine wouldn’t do for Abby, no sacrifice she wouldn’t make.
Which meant she would do whatever it took to ensure that the little girl’s future was secure. But that was easier said than done, since Abby’s adoption was still in limbo. All the legal paperwork had been put into place long before Jill ever delivered, so what could possibly be amiss here?
Frustration threatened to consume Raine, but she focused on the here and now. The adoption would go through...eventually. She wouldn’t allow any other outcome.
Raine bent down, unzipped the cover over the carrier and unfastened Abby from her seat. Her sweet little bundle was still napping. Raine had always heard the advice “Nap when your baby is napping,” but she’d never get anything done if that’s how she lived her life.
And who could nap now? Max Ford, Hollywood icon and most eligible bachelor, was back in town. He couldn’t get out of Lenox fast enough when he’d turned eighteen, and the tire tracks were still smokin’ after he’d landed his first role. Everything had fallen into place with his lifelong goals.
She recalled hearing that he’d been in a severe motorcycle accident not long after he’d gone to L.A., and at that moment, Raine had ached to be by his side. But she quickly realized that, if he’d truly wanted her with him, he’d have sent for her as promised.
And if she’d thought hell was when he had left and didn’t contact her, it was the entire year after that which had scarred her for life.
Bitterness threatened to bubble up. He’d gotten all he’d ever wanted—without so much as a wave goodbye. But when she looked to the sleeping baby in her arms, how could she be upset that her life had turned out to be less than what she’d expected?
If she’d gone to L.A. when he did, she wouldn’t be here now...and being there for Jill and raising Abby as her own was the most important task of her life.
Kissing Abby on the forehead, Raine walked through the old house and headed upstairs. Once she laid the baby down, she could call the tow truck. Hopefully her car was drivable when it was on all four tires again, because if there was any damage, there was no way she could pay for it.
But even if there was damage under the hood, she’d think of something. She’d been doing a lot of praying since Abby had come into her life. Every decision made wasn’t just for Raine anymore. Life may have been easier before, but it sure had been empty. Now she was filled with such a sense of joy and purpose, and it was due in large part to this precious little girl. As she lay Abby down in her crib, she made sure to place a very thin blanket over her legs to keep her warm. Raine tiptoed out of the room and went into her bedroom to call a tow truck.
But all she got was the receptionist who indicated all the drivers were out on calls from all over the county, and they’d put her on the list. Which was fine with her. She wasn’t going anywhere tonight anyway, and her car was off the road, so unless another driver went off the road and slammed into it, all was well.
Raine put on a kettle of water to boil. She may be the only person left living under the age of sixty who still used a tea kettle and boiled water the old-fashioned way. She knew she was old-fashioned in pretty much everything, which was probably why she had no man in her life. But in all honesty, Raine didn’t mind being labeled as “weird” or “hippie” or her absolute favorite, “tree hugger.”
So she liked to use her own herbs, grow her own veggies, and make organic lotions, soaps and other feminine products. Did that really make her stand out so much? All this processed stuff was killing people, and she wanted better for her life, her baby.
Which was just one more area where her parents thought Raine was being difficult. They simply didn’t understand Raine’s need to grow organic and make a little more effort in being healthy.
Her parents were more concerned about driving the flashiest cars, keeping up country-club appearances and being on the right board of commissioners at said country clubs.
Maybe men were just thrown off by Abby. Some men weren’t all that comfortable around children.
Like Max Ford. She hadn’t missed those wide, terrified eyes when he’d first caught a glimpse of the carrier. Oh, he’d been the perfect gentleman and had helped her, but she knew men like him, who, at the first sight of spit up or a smelly diaper, would turn tail and run.
Not that Max needed any reason to run. He’d had a life planned with her; yet he still had found something more appealing, and instead of facing her, he had avoided her.
The man was used to winning awards, filming epic movies and smiling that knee-weakening grin for the cameras.
The tea kettle’s shrill whistle cut through her thoughts. Why did he have to come back here? Why did she have to run into him right after she had driven her car into a ditch? And why on earth was she allowing past emotions—and unsettled feelings—to ruin her evening? Lord knows she had other things that she needed to focus on.
Just as she grabbed her favorite flavor of tea from the crock on the counter, her cell rang. Raine pulled the phone from her pocket and resisted the urge to groan...as she did each time she saw the number pop up on her screen.
“Good evening, Mother.”
“Loraine, I’m calling to let you know the luncheon I had planned for tomorrow has been postponed.”
Raine didn’t sigh, didn’t roll her eyes—okay, in her head she did—but she refrained from physically doing so, because she knew the gesture would come through in her tone.
She found her favorite mug for drinking tea. A tacky one with a hot, hunky man draped around it. When filled with hot liquid, his clothes disappeared. Who needed a traditional tea cup and saucer?
And if her mother forced her hand at this ridiculous luncheon, the mug might make an appearance.
“Mother, I hadn’t planned on coming, remember?”
“Oh, darling, of course you’ll be here. I mean, really. When are you going to stop being so stubborn?”
Raine opened the small cabinet above her stove and pulled out the bottle of whiskey she kept on hand for emergencies. And talking with her mother was most definitely an emergency.
“Let’s not go through this again, Mother,” she pleaded as she poured a dab of liquor into her hot tea. “We’ve agreed to disagree. You don’t like my social life. I don’t like yours.”
“You don’t have a social life, Raine!” her mother exclaimed. “I don’t understand why you won’t get out a little more, get a job, go back to college for heaven’s sake. Let someone else adopt that baby. It’s not too late to back out.”
Not even an option. No way was anyone else going to adopt Abby. Raine never dreamed the adoption process would take this long, but even if it took ten years, she wasn’t letting go of this beloved child.
She’d already lost one baby and was blessed enough to have been given a second chance at motherhood. Abby was a precious bundle that tucked so perfectly into Raine’s life.
“Mom, I have to go check on Abby.”
“If you’re so insistent on keeping her, the least you could do is let me see her,” her mother said with a huff.
That was a worry Raine had wrestled with, and one that had kept her up many nights. Raine had always heard the saying “It took a village to raise a child,” but she just wasn’t sure she could allow her mother’s influences to trickle down to Abby.
“You’ve seen her, Mom,” Raine said defensively, then took a sip of her tea, welcoming the burn as it slid down her throat.
“Not enough. She needs to know her place in this family, Raine.”
Setting the china cup down, Raine took a deep breath so she didn’t explode. “Mother, she’s three months old. Her place right now is as my child. Nothing more.”
“I didn’t call to argue. The luncheon has been rescheduled for next Saturday, and I expect you and Abigail to attend.”
“Her name is Abby, Mother.”
“Abigail is more dignified.”
“But that’s not her legal name, so if you refer to her again, call her by the name I chose for her.”
Her mother sniffed into the phone. “I don’t know where I went wrong with you,” she cried. “I just want what’s best.”
“For whom, Mother? Best for me, or best for you and your social status?”
Silence settled in on the other end of the line and Raine knew she’d gone too far...again. This is how nearly all of their calls went, and in the end Raine always felt guilty and mentally drained.
“I’ll talk to you later, Mother.”
Raine hung up and rested her palms on the edge of the chipped countertop. Why did she let her mother get to her? For twenty-eight years the woman had tried to make her feel like an outcast, and the majority of that time she’d succeeded. The only person who’d ever really understood her had been her grandmother; but when she had passed eight years ago, Raine had been truly alone.
The wind picked up outside, rattling the old windows. She took her cup and headed to her favorite room of the house. The room where she felt at home, where she could be creative, and no one was there to stifle the process.
Her grandmother’s old bedroom, where Raine mixed all her lotions and made her specialty soaps. This was the perfect place to work, since it was right next to the nursery, and she felt so much closer to her grandmother here. But as Raine pulled a few ingredients off the shelf, she thought of Max. At one time he’d consumed all of her thoughts, all of her heart and soul. And, damn him, he looked even better now than he had when she’d been totally in love with him.
Hollywood had put him on this pedestal, elevating him to superstar status in no time, and she’d been back home soaking it all in via media outlets talking up the hottest newbie on the scene.
And amid all that talk, flashing cameras and Max throwing that signature dimpled grin to the reporters, Raine had been back in Lenox, nursing a broken heart...and coming to grips with an unexpected pregnancy.
Max had never known he’d been a father. Had never known the grief, the anguish, she’d gone through in losing the baby. He’d been living the dream and loving life while she’d been burying the last bond of love they had.
But now Raine had a second chance, and she wasn’t going to blow it just because Max was back in town. No matter how much her heart fluttered when she’d seen him, no matter how sexy and handsome he looked, no matter how heated his gaze was when he looked at her.
Raine had more important priorities now, like making sure this legal guardianship of her cousin’s baby went through and keeping her grandmother’s home from going into foreclosure. Since she wasn’t exactly flush with cash, Raine had used the rest of her meager savings and had taken out a loan against the property in order to pay for the adoption.
However, none of that had felt like a sacrifice to her, because Jill had entrusted Raine with Abby...and Raine wasn’t about to disappoint her. So there was no way in hell she’d go down without a fight...not after getting nearly everything she’d ever wanted. Where there was a will, there was a way, and Raine had more will than anything else.
* * *
Max helped his mother to her bedroom, which was now a guest room on the first floor. With her being a little lethargic at times, he’d made sure all of her things were on the first floor so she didn’t have to climb steps.
Although she would say she was fine, he could see that she was tired and just being stubborn. He knew she’d be even more so when her radiation treatments started. So he’d let her keep her pride and just keep his mouth shut, but he would make her as comfortable as possible, which was why he’d made sure the nurse who had been here the past two days would stay on and come by for a few hours a day.
As he settled her into bed, he eased down to sit beside her.
“Care to tell me what Raine was doing here?” he asked.
His mother rested against her plush pillows. “She brought me a lovely gift bag.”
Narrowing his eyes, Max gave her a skeptical look. “So she just stopped by, because she knew you’d had surgery, and now you two are all chummy?”
Elise laced her fingers together across her lap and smiled. “Actually, no. During the past several summers when I’ve been staying here, she’s taken care of the landscaping, brought me fresh vegetables, fruits and eggs.”
“Wait, back up.” Max held up a hand, even more confused than he’d been seconds ago. “Raine does the landscaping?”
“During the summer months, she does a great deal of it. Just the flower beds, Max. You don’t have to look so angry. We have another man do the grass cutting.”
Raine worked for his mother? What the hell had happened to her dreams? To her trust fund? She shouldn’t have to work odd landscaping jobs for his mother. The thought of those small, dainty hands marred with calluses bothered him.
Most of the shallow women he knew back in L.A. wouldn’t dream of doing their own landscaping, let alone someone else’s.
“Who else does she work for in the summer?”
Elise shrugged a delicate shoulder. “Several families around here. Not her own, of course. Her mother is mortified that Raine does so much manual labor.”
“And what kind of manual labor does she do?” he asked.
“She’s quite the gardener and farmer. She prides herself on growing her own organic plants to keep them as natural and healthy as possible. Her grandmother would be so pleased.”
Max knew Raine had never felt a familial bond with anyone other than her cousin, Jill, and her grandmother. He’d seen firsthand how that elderly woman had catered to Raine, showed her all she would need to know about running a farm, raising animals and growing gardens. Raine’s maternal grandmother was accepted in Lenox because she was sweet and elderly but when a twenty-something woman tries to follow in those footsteps...well, he assumed that bohemian lifestyle didn’t go over so well in the posh, hoity-toity land of tea sippers and pearl wearers.
“I just saw her house,” Max stated. “It needs quite a bit of work. I can’t believe she’d let it get like that.”
His mother shrugged. “None of my business. But if she doesn’t take care of it, the Historical Society will come in and make her. That house is a landmark in Lenox, even with the barns. In fact those barns are kept up better than her house. That girl cares more about the animals and the people around her than she does her own comfort.”
As much as Max wanted to know more about Raine, his mother looked tired as her eyelids were growing heavy. He would be here for a few months, so there was no doubt he’d find out all he wanted about Raine and her new life.
His life was always splashed all over the internet and in the tabloids...or the life the media tended to fabricate. There was no doubt Raine knew more about his life over the years than he knew about hers. It wasn’t like he’d find anything if he did a Google search on her name...at least nothing of use.
