Bring on the Rain (35 page)

Ruby was smiling as her gaze met
Madeline’s. Nothing like a good-looking man to say what a mother
can’t, and a friend might not think of.

Brook laughed at something and Ruby and
Madeline both released a sigh of tension. The next song started,
Brook was talking back to Rafael. He was nodding, grinning and the
conversation stayed like that awhile. Finally, he allowed a bit of
liquor in her soda, but he said that was all she was getting, and
she soberly agreed.

Madeline was sitting beside Ruby now,
her back to the small bar. They both looked up when Rafael led
Brook on the dance floor. There weren't many people left on it,
some were even leaving. They had a good view of them in the
spotlight. Rafael said something to the band, and they nodded. He
took Brook’s hand, put one of his own around her narrow waist, and
the strains of Kissed by a Rose began.

Madeline sighed as Rafael swayed,
dipped, moved as one sensual shadow against Brook. They danced well
together, flowing, hypnotically. He leaned her back, his lips a
whisper away from Brook’s throat. She was up again and they were
turning, turning, feet close, legs touching. The dancers faded from
the floor.

Madeline saw that people were in awe,
standing by their tables, watching them traverse the whole floor,
one body moving to the words, perfectly matched, strangely romantic
and sensual.

That music eased and
switched to the pop version, sung by a girl in the band, smoky,
husky, and deep, of
It’s your
Love
, by Faith Hill and Tim
McGraw.

Ruby and Madeline were crying sappy
tears as Rafael sang in Brook's ear, rubbed her back, and waltzed
with her with the most amorous rhythm. Even when they turned and
Madeline saw Brook’s eyes closed, tears spilling, and the hold she
had on Rafael's lithe body, Madeline knew it was terrible and
wonderful. Her daughter was hurting, and being held.

When it ended, she watched Rafael lead
Brook to a corner table, and pull their chairs close. He sat
talking to her, his hand on the back of her chair.

“
Where was he, in our day?”
Ruby sighed and blew her nose on a napkin.

“
Not even born yet.”
Madeline finished her drink.

Ruby said, “I thought he was a flirt, a
conceited flirt.”

“
He’s deeper than he looks.
Sometimes, when he jokes around, it lifts me out of the dumps. I
know he knows what he’s doing. But when you try to get him to admit
he’s a special guy, Rafe jokes again. Say’s something
racy.”

“
Brook is
crying.”

“
Yes.” Madeline could see
Brook’s head on the table, see Rafael rubbing her back and talking
to her. “Did you hear him speaking that language? I thought he was
from Brazil?”

“
Someone told me he was from
Rio.”

“
God only knows.” Madeline
got another drink. “Right now, I think he’s from heaven.” She saw
Brook raise her head and Rafael dry her eyes, make her laugh again.
“I don’t care where Sunny found him. He’s wonderful.”

“
Mitch is here.” Ruby
elbowed her.

He was standing by the door, looking
serious and watchful, dressed in a dark blue T-shirt, boots, and
jeans. He met Madeline’s eyes, cautious. He started walking and sat
down beside her, facing the bar and ordering a drink.

The band was playing loud dance music
again. However, she heard him perfectly, as he leaned in and said,
“Coy’s gone crazy. I had to go over to Jude’s and get him out of
the house. Jude was trying to hold him down. By the time I arrived
there, they were on porch. You could hear them all over the hollow.
The house is tore all to hell. I called Jason. Together we wrestled
him into the truck. Jason was holding him in the back. He kept
screaming for Brook. He’s drank a gallon of Jack Daniels, ran the
car in the ditch. Jude is all to pieces. Hell, we don't know what’s
going on? Jason knocked Coy out. He’s watching him. And I came to
find you.”

Madeline looked at him and grit, “You
see my daughter over there, in the corner?”

Mitch leaned back, saw Brook hunched
and crying on Rafael's shoulder. “Yeah.”

“
Your nephew screwed her
best friend tonight— right in front of Brook, not two feet away, at
the last Prom. The Prom where Brook decided to give Coy her
virginity. She had gone on the pill, was crazy in love with him. He
told her he had to go smoke—” Madeline sneered, “-apparently, had a
hard on from waltzing with Brook. When she went to find him, he was
screwing Karla on the hood of the car.”

Mitch closed his eyes. His hand shook
as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He turned, tossed back his
drink…, and then turned back to her. Mitch cussed, looked down, and
cussed again.

Ruby elbowed Madeline.

She told her what Mitch had
said.

Ruby shook her head and excused herself
to go to the restroom.

“
I don't reckon it would do
her good to see me here.”

Madeline answered, “No, it
wouldn’t.”

He knocked off another, stood, leaning
in to say in her ear, “I’m sorry. I know what this must be dragging
up for you. Hell, it reminded me of— me— when I saw Coy. It tore my
guts out.”

“
I’m concerned with Brook
right now.” Her tone was tight, because of Brook’s pain. She hated
being right about Coy. Absolutely hated the fact she had warned
Brook and still had to watch her go through it.

Mitch glanced at Brook again, where she
was sitting back now, taking a drink of soda.

“
Well, guess I’d better go.
I… Call me, please?”

“
I’ve got a few more things
on my agenda, Mitch.”

He sighed. “I’m sorry.” He turned and
left.

When Ruby came back, they talked. The
band played its two last closing numbers, slow tunes, and Rafael
took Brook back to the dance floor.

The place was almost empty, a hand-full
of people by the door. No one but Brook and Rafael on the shadowed
floor, no spot light, but a slow moving amber one
overhead.

Ruby and Madeline helped Ashley clear
the tables, and put the bar in order.

Madeline said to Ashley, “Take off.
I’ll help Rafe lock up.”

The woman watched the couple on the
floor. “She looks like you.” She smiled sadly. “And looks…like
she’s got a broken heart.”

“
Yeah. It’s Prom night too.
Her world crashed in on her a couple of hours ago.”

Ashley got her purse and came back
saying, “If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”

“
Thanks.”

When the band stopped, Ruby put plenty
of quarters in the jukebox while they packed up, and Rafael and
Brook sat on the edge of the stage, swinging their feet and
talking.

The lights were up. Madeline was
finished behind the bar. They locked off the stage doors, and she
did a check through of the whole building, while Ruby told Rafael
what was up.

Soon they were all in the parking lot.
Rafael pulled his car beside the van and sat on the hood, talking
to them awhile.

“
Hey, Brook?” he
murmured.

Brook glanced at him, having repaired
her face. She walked over.

He reached out, took her hand and
pulled her over him, then laid a French kiss on her that had both
Madeline and Ruby’s mouth hanging open. When he finally eased up,
Brook looked dazed, staggered. He slid off the car, caught her, and
whispered something in her ear.

Brook walked like a zombie to the van
and got in. Ruby got in too, but Madeline walked over to
Rafael.

“
I think you’re a great guy.
I had no idea what to do with her. I thought to keep her
distracted. You seemed perfect tonight, gentle, and just
right.”

Rafe didn’t have his usual smile. His
eyes were dark with hidden thoughts. “He did a number on her. She
is too damn young to have a guy putting her through hell. She’s
going to love him a long time, and hate him too.” He shook his head
disgusted. “I don't know why those Copper Creek men don't realize
what they have, when they got it. The rest of us never get close to
something like that.”

“
You will, with your kind of
soul, you will.”

He gazed at the van with a small ironic
smile. “I think it’s too late for me.”

Madeline stared at him. Something
hushed fell on her heart. “You were serious all along, weren’t you?
You had a thing for Brook…you tried to throw me off by pretending
and flirting with me,” she whispered, “I’m sorry—”

He shrugged, tucked his hands in his
pockets, and looked away. “She told me she’s going away from here.
It’s what she needs. To grow up. I’ll get over it. Sometimes...a
man dreams of something…beautiful in his life, and most of the
time, it’s just the dream he wants. I would have never tried to
make it real, you know. She’s too young, has too much to do in
life.”

He slowly walked to the driver’s side
and got in and murmured, “I know how to keep to my own kind anyway.
But yeah, she was a sweet dream, a possibility in the future; I
fanaticized about now and then.”

Madeline said, “You’re good enough for
any woman, Rafe. It’s just happened that Brook is still more girl
than woman.”

His dark eyes met Madeline’s. “It
wasn’t that kind of love, until that kiss, it actually wasn’t a sex
thought at all.”

She felt bad for him. “What can I say
or do, Rafe? You’ve been good for her tonight.”

“
You can forget we had this
conversation.” He turned the key and the low purr of the motor
hummed. He added, half smiling, “And I told Brook a few secrets
that I hope can stay between her and me?”

“
Sure.”

He saw the troubled frown again and
said, “Madeline, chill out. Everything is going back the way it was
before. Okay? I just played a little mind game with myself, that
someday Brook would grow up-maybe our paths would cross and I’d...”
He grunted and laughed. “Go on Madeline, go take care of your
daughter.”

Madeline bit her lip, staring at his
handsome face. “I’m not sure I understand, did you have a crush on
her and you feel bad because she’s so young?”

He shrugged. “Brook understands it.
Can’t that be good enough for now?”

“
Of course.” Madeline nodded
and reached in to touch his face. When she pulled back, he put the
car in gear and pulled off, down the highway.

In the van she said, “We’ll stay at
Ruby’s tonight.”

“
Fine.” Brook was looking
out the window. Apparently lost in her own thoughts.

They did stay, not sleeping much, lying
in the dark, tossing, and turning, waiting for the daylight, and
the hour to face reality again.

Chapter 19

It was only Madeline who pulled into
the yard the next morning.

Brook didn’t want to deal with Karla.
The betrayal was too new and was physically sick today. Madeline
had left her at Ruby’s, in the bed.

Madeline shook her head, noting Karla’s
car was still there. She could not believe it, thinking Karla would
be smart enough to pack up and go to her own house.

She got out of the jeep and walked
tiredly up the steps. It was going to rain today. Madeline was
going to tell Brook about Max… Thunder rumbled overhead. Perfect.
Life was peachy.

Karla was sitting on the sofa, her
bags, and things packed up. Madeline felt a surge of hostility
toward the girl and stood a moment, eyeing her fresh washed hair
and the jeans and T-shirt, the sneakers she wore. Too damn calm.
Normal.

Afraid of what she might say, Madeline
tossed her keys and purse on a table and went to make coffee. She
turned and stared at Karla while it brewed her stomach flipping and
her head throbbing. Karla was staring at the floor.

When she had filled a mug, Madeline
walked into the living room and sat in a chair opposite her,
forward and holding the mug with both hands.

Karla looked up, her hazel eyes on
Madeline’s. She said stiffly. “Where’s Brook?”

“
Is that all you can say?”
Madeline’s tone was sharp, “Did you think Brook was going to come
and get some sort of an explanation from you? When you are
supposedly friends! Karla. There is-no excuse.”

“
It…just…happened.”

“
Oh, please. Don’t give me
shit this morning!”

Karla swallowed. “It was only
once.”

“
Karla.” Madeline felt like
cussing much more explicitly. She took a breath. “Your mom will be
back in the morning. I think you should go on home now.”

Karla waited a moment, arose, and then
started gathering her stuff. On her second trip, the door wide
behind her, Karla said, “Tell Brook, I’ll see her Graduation Day,
okay?”

Madeline felt a nerve throb in her
temple. She gave the girl a killing look until Karla left, shutting
the door behind her.