Raining In My Heart (Book One of the McKay's)

Raining In My Heart

Rita
Hestand
 

Raining In My Heart

C
opyright©
2013
Rita Hestand

License Notes

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebooks may not be resold or given away to other people. Please purchase an additional copy for each person you share with. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

Raining In My Heart
is a work of fiction.
Though actual locations may be mentioned, they are used in a fictitious manner and the events and occurrences were invented in the mind and imagination of the author. Similarities of names used within to any person, past, present, or future, are coincidental.

Chapter One

"Cade
?"
Julie
spoke
hesitantly into the phone.

There was a quiet moment on the other en
d before anyone answered
.
"Uh…yeah
Julie
, this is
Cade
.
How
are
you doin'?
"

The rich timber of his voice sent a shiver through
Julie
.
She'd forgotten how his voice affected her.

"I'm fine…just a little surprised to hear from you
?
I mean… it's been a while…and I didn't know you had my number.
"
Julie
sighed and leaned against the door frame as she pondered what this call could be about.
Now, hearing Cade's voice over the phone brought back that strange
impasse
she never wanted to broach
.

Cade Weston, the man
Julie
marked in her mind as
Mr.
Wrong
, was the only man that ever made love to
Julie
McKay
.
Not that she was in love with him, but there was something deep down that niggled within her, just hearing his voice. It wasn't so much that he'd made love to her, but the
way
he'd made love sent a warm fuzzy feeling flooding
through her she couldn't explain
even
now
.
Over ten
years
now
and she
still hadn't forgotten how he always seemed bigger than life to her
.
How many times had she told herself he was the wrong man? And how many times had the feeling she had made some grave mistake swept through her?

What should have been the clue was her own submission. She knew before they made love that she didn't want to stop
and that this was not
Wade
Weston
. Something echoed in he
r mind.
It had been the one time in her life she had relaxed and let it happen. And despite all her own inner
scoldings, she didn't regret that one time
.
In fact, she'd spent a lot of time relishing the night they made love. Cade had been everything she wanted
Wade
to be
:
tender, loving, sweet.

Cade's voice held a certain amount of strain
that she had never heard from him
.
Understandably so, and yet not like him at all.
"I didn't think you'd recognize my voice."

"Well, I never told you
…
"
S
he hesitated, wondering if she should admit anything
.
"
B
ut you have a very distinctive voice. Just don't let it go to your head." She laughed.

He was quiet again
.

That would never
happen;
Cade
hadn't a vain streak in his body.

"Uh…look,
Julie
,
I guess you didn't
expect me to call.
And that's perfectly understandable, after all this time, but this isn't a pleasurable call.
And
I hate to be the one to tell you this…but
it
looks like I
’
m elected.
"

"Tell me?" she queried.
"Tell me what?
You sound so mysterious.
"

"Yeah…it's your father
,
Julie…he's had a heart attack," Cade said with such exaggerated slowness it took a minute to sink into Julie's brain exactly what Cade was telling her.

"A heart attack…
oh my God,
well…he's okay though, right?"
Julie
affirmed.
"He's in the hospital, being monitored, right?
What hospital
,
Cade?"

Another long pause had
Julie
gripping the phone,
and holding a pen and paper to write down the number.
"Cade…he's okay, right?"

The silence was unbearable and tears clouded her vision
as an ominous feeling swamped her from his silence
.

"
Honey
…
"
H
is velvet voice melted all over her as she swallowed hard. "
I'd give anything in the world not to tell you this.
I
'
m sorry I'm the one
, but no, he didn't make it
."
Cade
let out a held breath.

Taking the phone from her ear,
Julie
stood
staring at the phone for a long moment.
His words slowly resounded and made sense, and yet they didn't. She gripped the phone
with a choke hold, held it away from her and never even realized that tears were beginning to blind her.

"
Julie
…."
Cade
called into the phone
softly
.

When she still didn't answer, he made some kind of noise
.
"
Julie
, are you alright?"

"Uh….no, of course I'm not alright. I can't believe it.
I just spoke with him a few weeks ago and he was fine. Now you're telling me he's dead?" she barked, her tears beginning to choke her.
"Please tell me this is some cruel joke.
Cade
…please….
"

"I'm sorry honey, I didn't know how to break it to you
;
I'm
probably
not the best one for this job, but…I had to call, to make sure you knew…
"
Cade
whispered
the compassion in his voice
,
sending an alarming thrill through her
.
It wasn't the time nor the place, but it happened. Cade always was kinder than his brother.
Julie
never fully appreciated it until now.
No one could have broken the news to her like this but Cade.
"I guess I didn't do a very good job.
Wade
should have been the one to cal
l you but he gave me the honor
.
"

His
voice cajoled for some reason, l
ike a calm settling over a stormy sea.
Cade
had that effect
;
so powerful
,
in fact, it felt as though he were putting his arm around her.

Julie
took a breath and sighed heavily, her hands beginning to shake.
Something in her head said she wished
Cade
was here in person, to lay her head on his big shoulders, to smother her tears in his strong cheek.

"
Julie
,
look,
I'm sorry to intrude into you
r life
, but
you
need to get out here, as soon as you can
.
Wendy
is the only one here, and she's pretty choked up too.
Wade
's in no mood, and the lawyer is comin' out in a day or two to read the will. You'll need to help make some decisions about the funeral
,
I guess
.
You'll get a letter, probably tomorrow from him, informing you to come home.
"

"Of course….yes, you are right. I'll be there as soon as possible. Thank you so much for letting me know
.
And…Cade, i
t was very kind of you
,
"
Julie
murmured
,
still in a state of shock.
"I'm sorry you were elected
,
but I can't think of anyone wh
o could deliver this kind of news better.
"

"
Honey, I didn't want to deliver this kind of news. I just thought someone should.
" Cade's voice went flat.
"
Wade
told me he hadn't notified you, so I took it upon myself to call
when he gave me the list
.
Your name wasn't on the list, but you're the first one I thought of.
So I took it on myself to find your number in your dad's things.
I hope I haven't stepped out of line, I just wanted you to know.
"

"
I-I appreciate it, Cade
;
I just can't believe it.
It was very thoughtful of you.
Tell
Wendy
I'll be there as soon as I can arrange it here.
And Cade….
"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for letting me know…I mean
,
personally.
I may not deserve it, but
I really
do
appreciate it."
Julie
tried to get
a
hold of herself.

"Sure thing. Guess I'll see you when you get here then.
If you need any help or anything…let me know.
"

"Thanks
.
"

"Talk to you soon…"
Cade
said, his words strung out like a slow violin.

Julie
hung up the phone
and glanced about her. Her nine
-
year
-
old daughter
,
Kellie
,
stood in the living room watching her.

"Is som
ething wrong, Mama
?" she asked innocently.

"Uh…yeah. Honey…your grandpa, he's…."
S
he couldn't finish. She couldn't say the words. She couldn't think.
Tears blinded her every time she tried to say the words.
Her daughter's brows lifted then came together in a worried glance.