North Dakota Weddings (63 page)

Rayne thought he might squeeze her, swing her around in a circle, and then kiss her. That’s what made the moment all the more awkward. “Paul, there’s something I have to tell you.”

H
e should have relied on his instinct about Rayne instead of taking Harold at his word.

Lord, this is a new thing for me, asking You for help. But, please
,
show me what to do
.

Using the Bluetooth in his car, he called the office. Gail answered, “FountainTech. How may I direct your call?”

“Gail, it’s Jack. I need to speak with Harold.”

“Harold’s in a meeting. He’s not taking any calls.”

Jack pressed the gas pedal, accelerating. What could be more important than what Jack had to talk to him about? “Can you tell him that it’s me? I’m sure he’ll want to talk to me.”

“Okay, Jack. Give me a sec.”

Fields zoomed past, littered with huge commercial farm tractors, as Jack raced down the lone North Dakota road, waiting for Harold to come on the line.

“I’m sorry, Jack,” Gail said. “He’s not responding. I’ll let him know as soon as I can that you need to speak to him. Is everything okay?”

“Everything is fine, why?” Jack wanted to know what she’d heard about this morning’s incident.

“When Rayne left this morning, she asked that I pack her office up and send her things to her family’s farm.” Her voice trembled.

Jack blew out a long breath he was certain Gail didn’t miss. What could he say? At least now he knew his suspicions had been right. When Rayne hadn’t been at her apartment, Jack headed toward the farm.

“There’s something else. It’s probably not important. I just…” Gail definitely sounded like she was going to cry. “I had to reject a beautiful bouquet of roses this morning. They were for Rayne.”

Oh boy
. That
Paul
again.

And Jack? He was nothing but a cad. While Paul was sending her flowers, Jack was firing her.

Though Jack certainly didn’t blame him, and it only fueled Jack to keep trying himself.

“Thanks for letting me know. I have an appointment and will be out of the office.”

And he did have an appointment. With Rayne.

I hope
. He also hoped that before seeing Rayne he would be able to solve the mystery of who passed on a company secret—Jack’s new design. Unfortunately, he knew exactly who to call next.

A woman who doubled as a shark and knew industry secrets that slipped past others.

A woman he once thought he’d loved.

He laid off the accelerator. What was worse, her cell number was still in his phone, that is, if she hadn’t changed it. Using voice commands, he called Kiera, though he seriously doubted she would answer. But he had to try.

She answered after the second ring. “Jack? This can’t be you,” she said, in a mocking tone.

He grinned. She’d answered, after all.

“Kiera.” It felt funny, saying her name out loud again. At one time he loved the sound of her name. Not any longer.

“I never thought I’d hear from you again.”

And Jack was certain she never wanted to either, but that was beside the point. “How are things?”

Her laugh was incredulous. “I’m engaged, now. I suppose I shouldn’t even have answered.”

“Whoever he is, he’s a lucky guy. Congratulations.” Surprisingly, the news didn’t sting. In fact, it might make this conversation easier. Jack needed to quickly steer this discussion away from their personal lives, though, or things would take a dive—as though they could go any lower. “Listen, I didn’t call to talk about our personal lives. Let’s talk shop.”

“Oh, I get it. Your new job not working out?”

“As a matter of fact, I might be looking.” Jack cringed, but truthfully, wasn’t everyone always looking for a better opportunity? And right now, yes, he was definitely digging.

“Ah, and you think they might want you back here. Well, I for one will not put in a good word for you if that’s what you’re asking.”

Oh man. This wasn’t going as he wanted it to. No wonder he wasn’t a lawyer. He couldn’t play good cop–bad cop either. Jack did not want to do this, but he was going to have to beg.
Okay, here goes
. “Kiera, I’m sorry that everything between us went sour.”

He drew in a breath.
I could use a little help here, Lord
. “And I apologize for every nasty thing I ever did or said to you.” There. Actually, that did feel better. “I wish…and I wish…”

What? Memories of the good times, though few, he’d shared with Kiera drifted over his heart. No. He couldn’t possibly wish that he and Kiera were back together because…because…

He was in love with Rayne.

There, he’d admitted it. And it felt wonderful.

Yes! He pumped his fist.

Except—Jack exhaled long and hard, feeling a deep ache creep back in—he’d just fired the woman he loved.

“Oh…Jack.” Kiera sounded softer now, oozing femininity. “I’ve waited so long to hear you say that. I made a mistake.”

Say what? Oh no, what had he said? “Kiera, wait. What I mean to say is that though things didn’t work out for us, you’ve obviously moved on, and there’s someone in my life who is special, too.”

There. He hoped she felt like she had the upper hand again, though he’d almost just blown it.

She sighed.

He knew that sound. Jack cut her off before she could turn nasty. “I want us to be friends, Kiera. Good friends. We don’t have to be angry with each other, do we? Especially since you’ve found someone better than me.”

And oh, he’d found someone so much better for him than Kiera.
Please
,
God, let me win Rayne back
.

“Oh all right, Jack. Truce. Let’s be friends. So, why did you really call?”

“Carvis is trying to steal one of my employees.”

“Jack, you know I can’t say anything about that. I don’t think she took the job anyway.”

Really? Jack wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not—because Rayne had reasoned they could be more romantically engaged if she were to work elsewhere—but that was beside the point. Where did he go from here?

“I’m not sure he needed her anyway. He got his hands on something else.”

Bingo
. Jack froze. “What did you say? Who did he get the drawing from?”

“I don’t think I said the word
drawing
. Come on, I’ve said enough already.”

“Look, Kiera, I don’t care about the design. I need to know who he got the design from.”

“I can’t believe I’m talking to you about this. But I don’t know anything anyway.”

“Can you do this one thing for me? Find out who passed on the design?”

“You could always make me talk, you know that? And now, what are you doing? Trying to get me fired so you can take my job?”

“For old time’s sake and because we’re friends now.”

“How important is it?” her voice grew stern and demanding.

Dread coursed through him. She could very well use this to stab him in the back. But he had no choice. “There’s nothing more important to me.”

“Really.”

He had never liked the Kiera he was hearing now. He bit his tongue, holding off his own sarcastic reply.
Lord, help me. Give me grace here
.

A memory from a Sunday school class he’d attended as a child slipped to the forefront of his thoughts—his Sunday school teacher speaking softly.
“ ‘A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.’ ”
Although he couldn’t remember the scripture reference for the verse, it had to be from Proverbs. That much he knew.

Jack slowly released a breath, feeling any remnants of pent-up anger toward this woman seep away with it.

“I hope this new guy knows how to treat you. I hope he knows what a real gem he has—you’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.” And he meant that.

“I’m onto you, you know that? But I guess if you’re willing to grovel like that, it must be pretty important. I’ll see what I can find out then call you back.”

Jack released the breath he’d held and grinned. “That’s all I can ask, Kiera.”

“Yeah, well, that’s asking a lot, Jack. You owe me.”

“Fair enough.”

Jack ended the call and tried to think positive thoughts. While he now believed in Rayne, believed she wouldn’t have sold him out, there was still a reason to be uneasy. Kiera could come back with Rayne’s name. Still, even if Kiera did, there might be some mistake or someone might be trying to place the blame where it didn’t belong.

A cool breeze swept against Rayne’s face as she stood at the ledge that allowed her to look over her father’s fields—her secret place, as she’d told Jack.

This year had been too wet to plant wheat, so her father was going with corn. But he had to get the soil prepared and the crop planted before midto late April or else he’d plant barley or soybeans. The farming thoughts settled her heart. In the distance, she spotted several tractors hauling corn planters behind them. In just over a week, she would be able to see the slender blades emerging from the soil, creating row after row of corn.

Her father was one of the few in North Dakota to use a watering system, but he only used it on corn or potatoes because their revenue was much higher than other crops. If she stuck around, she’d be able to watch the water again. Her spirits sagged at the reminder of FountainTech.

When she was a child, this was not only her secret place, but to her child’s heart, it was
sacred
. Here she’d talked to God. Here she’d been inspired to create her drawings that depicted wind flowing over wheat. Here she’d watched her father’s water sprinkling system irrigate the cornfields, and she’d fallen in love with the fluidity of water.

What had she been thinking, to bring Jack here of all places?

When she thought about it, the hours she’d spent here, after chores of course, had led her to her job at FountainTech. And now she was back.

She rubbed her sleeve against her eyes and cheeks, wiping away the last of the tears—evidence that she’d failed. Her father had been right—it had been a pipe dream at best.

All his proverbs, all his wisdom, and still he was blind to life outside of his farm. Rayne chided herself for thinking about her father in a negative light. But she couldn’t help it. At least she wasn’t blind to the fact that pride was eating her up inside—she dreaded, with everything in her, the moment when she would tell her father what happened.

That she was back at the farm after all.

Her parents wouldn’t gloat that things had worked out according to their plan and not hers. Nor would they care that she was in her twenties and an independent woman, capable of taking care of herself. An incredulous chuckle escaped. They would, however, expect her to marry Paul when all was said and done. He was one of their kind, and surely Rayne could find it in her heart to love him.

If only that were true. But she’d lost more than her job. She’d lost her heart and had nothing left to give to Paul.

She hoped she had put an end to that line of thinking by telling Paul the truth. She loved someone else. Rayne pressed her hands against her chest and squeezed her eyes against the pain balling once again around her heart, constricting her throat.

Crunching footfalls resounded in the copse of trees behind her. She steeled herself, hoping it wasn’t Paul. Her heart grew sad at the thought—he was persistent as a mule, considerate and forgiving to a fault. But she would not, could not, love him. Not like she loved Jack—though she’d been woefully mistaken where Jack was concerned. She couldn’t marry someone she didn’t love, not after tasting something as powerful as what she felt for Jack.

But that was over now. Drawing in a breath, she prepared to face Paul, or whoever had come to seek her out. She whirled around.

Jack?

And took a step back into air…

“Watch out.” He reached out and gripped her arm, tugging her away from the ledge.

Rayne was stunned to see him, and she looked down to where his hands still held on to her. Slowly, he released her.

Words and thoughts of anger, hurt, and love were jumbled in her head. She couldn’t speak.

“Rayne,” he said, in a hoarse whisper.

“How…how did you find me?” Her throat hurt, but finally she found her voice. The terrain had been snow-covered when she’d brought him here before.

“Paul brought me.”

Paul? Why would he do that? Rayne didn’t believe Jack. Feeling more confident, she asked, “Why are you here?”

Jack had the strangest expression on his face—a mixture of hope and fear. “Can you ever forgive me, Rayne? I’m so sorry about what happened. I need a chance to explain. Will you give me that?”

He searched her gaze, his eyes roaming down her face and then back to her eyes as if he hadn’t seen her in years. Like a man who…

No, he couldn’t have any feelings for her. “You fired me, Jack. You believed…”
A lie
. She allowed the anger and hurt to harden her, protect her. He didn’t deserve to know the truth if, after all they’d shared, he couldn’t believe in her, couldn’t defend her, and was more concerned about keeping his precious job. Making a future for himself. “You’ve got some nerve. All you care about is yourself.”