Falling for Rayne (6 page)

             
Rayne poured two glasses of lemonade, handing one to Garrett before she took a small sip. “No Ivy, we’re staying.”

             
Ivy’s whole body seemed to relax as she stared back at her. “Even now that Graham knows we’re here? I still remember the way he practically attacked you after the funeral.”

             
Rayne swallowed sickly remembering the way Graham had turned a comforting hug into a chance to kiss her. She glanced at Cleo before nodding. “Even now.”

             
Becket frowned and glanced at Ivy. “You girls are obviously mixed up with some kind of trouble. It sounds like you need to go to the police.”

             
Rayne frowned and took another sip. “Not yet. I’m waiting for more information,” she said, not wanting to lay out everything in front of Asher and Becket whom she knew nothing about.”

             
Garrett noticed her tight frown and cleared his throat. “We’ll be keeping an eye on things when we’re around the house working.”

             
Ivy snorted. “Yeah, but what about when you’re gone? What then?”

             
Rayne sighed loudly and looked at Cleo who was giving her
the look
. “Ivy, Cleo isn’t just my friend. She’s also your bodyguard. She’s been looking out for us for the last couple of months.”

             
Ivy’s eyes went huge as she turned and stared at Cleo. “You’re not serious. You’re a yoga instructor. What can you do to protect us from a crazed nut job who wants to marry my sister and might want to kill us off? Downward Dog? Warrior’s Pose?”

             
Rayne winced and glanced at Garrett whose face had gone dangerously hard. Cleo laughed lightly and lifted an arm, making a muscle.

             
“I’m tougher than I look, Ivy and I’m licensed to carry.”

             
Rayne walked over and touched Ivy’s shoulder. “She taught me everything I know about self-defense, Ivy. She’s good.”

             
Asher stared at Cleo and smiled slightly. “A yoga instructor slash body guard? And you told me you were just hanging out with the Nyman sisters for kicks.”

             
Cleo grinned and glanced at Asher from beneath her lashes. “You’re on a need to know basis.”

             
Asher grinned back at her and Rayne rolled her eyes. “Regardless, there’s nothing to worry about. I’ve got this covered okay?”

             
Ivy and Cleo looked at her doubtfully and Rayne tried to smile.
At least she hoped she did
.

             
A few minutes later, Garrett, Becket and Asher left, promising to be back the next day. Ivy stared out the window at them pulling out of the driveway and smiled slightly.

             
“Do you think Becket’s cute?” she asked no one in particular.

             
Rayne looked up with a quick smile. Ivy had always done a good job of keeping men at arm’s length. Dealing with OCD and the depression that came along with it had affected her attraction to men. She’d just been completely uninterested. Seeing her sister’s obvious interest in a good looking, healthy man was a sign that she really was on the way to recovery.

             
“He’s gorgeous,” she said firmly, looking at Cleo pointedly.

             
Cleo shrugged. “How could I notice Becket when Asher was in the room? Now that man is beautiful.”

             
Rayne laughed. “They’re okay, but come on, compared to Garrett they’re kind of faded at the edges, don’t you think? I mean, when Garrett walks into the room, what’s the use in looking at anyone else?”

             
Cleo and Ivy looked at each other and burst out laughing. Rayne winced and looked between the two. “
What?
What did I say?”

             
Ivy shook her head and kicked her legs up on the couch. “I believe you just admitted that you are totally into our handsome landscaper.”

             
Rayne sniffed and looked at Cleo. Cleo smiled and nodded. “She’s right, but who cares. Oh and by the way Ivy, Asher was telling me he’s on the lookout for a lead singer for his band. His last singer ditched them and they’re about to break up unless they can find someone fast.”

             
Ivy’s eyes brightened in excitement even though her body language remained relaxed and uncaring. “Oh yeah? What kind of music do they play?”

             
Cleo shrugged and straightened a pleat in her skirt. “Alternative Rock. They do a lot of covers too. Asher is the one who writes their original music. You should talk to him about it. That song you wrote last week was beautiful. It would be a shame if no one ever heard it.”

             
Rayne blinked in surprise and threw a pillow at Ivy. “A new song? And you didn’t tell me?” she said feeling a little hurt that her sister would share it with Cleo but not her.

             
Ivy blushed and pulled some of her hair over her face. “Sorry Rayne, but you always just tell me everything I do is amazing. I needed an honest opinion.”

             
Cleo kicked off her sandal and stretched her long toned legs in front of her. “You can’t get more honest than an audience.”

             
Ivy let her hair fall away from her face as she stared at the ceiling. “True, but if they hate it then I’ll want to drive off a cliff.”

             
Rayne looked down at her lap and felt the raw and aching sorrow she’d been pushing away squeeze her breathless.

             
“
Ah sorry Rayne
, I wasn’t even thinking,” Ivy said as she moved to her side, falling down on her knees in front of her sister and leaning her head against her knees.

             
Rayne sighed as she ran her hand over Ivy’s silky brown hair. “It’s okay Ivy, I know you were just kidding.”

             
Ivy lifted her head and stared at her directly, smiling sadly. “I’ll call Asher about the band.”

             
Rayne grinned and reached down and hugged her sister hard. “Good. I can’t wait to hear your song.”

             
Ivy stood up and grimaced. “That’s assuming Asher would even want me as a lead singer. I could try out and he might laugh in my face.”

             
Cleo threw a pillow at her. “False modesty is so irritating for everyone who doesn’t have any talent. You know Asher will fall at your feet in gratitude.”

             
Ivy gnawed on her lip thoughtfully as she picked up the pillow and hurled it back at Cleo, catching her off guard and sending her head snapping back.

             
“I guess I better go practice then,” she said and walked out of the room with a grin on her face.

             
Cleo glared after her and then gave up and laughed. “Such a brat. So what about you? Are you okay? Coming face to face with Graham on your front porch probably gave you a heart attack.”

             
Rayne blew out a breath and picked at the cuff of her shorts. “It was like my whole body froze like a rabbit does right before the wolf chomps down. It was a shock.”

             
Cleo frowned and stood up, stretching out her back. “You won’t turn into Graham Mitchell’s snack on my watch. I’m going to go target shooting this afternoon and hit the gym so I can be on my game. I want you to come with me.”

             
Rayne nodded. “That would be wise,” she agreed and stood up too, following Cleo out of the room. She had a feeling though that when Graham did come for her, none of her self-defense moves were going to do her much good.

             
Rayne woke up the next day sore from her work out with Cleo. Cleo had focused on core and strength training and kick-boxing for their cardio. Ivy had thrown in the towel an hour in and had spent the last hour drinking smoothies and catching up on emails while Cleo pushed her mercilessly.

             
She groaned as she stumbled to her bathroom and took the longest shower of her life. She rotated her sore shoulders and swore vengeance on Cleo as she slipped on a maxi skirt and t-shirt. After she finished blow drying her hair, she heard the sound of trucks and immediately perked up. She peeked out the window and grinned happily as she saw trucks with Murphy’s Landscaping logo on the side and immediately forgot all about her sore muscles.

             
She ran lightly down the stairs to the kitchen and glared at Cleo who was eating a bowl of oatmeal with Nutella. Cleo grinned and motioned toward the pot on the stove.

             
“Sore?”

             
Rayne rolled her eyes and grabbed a bowl out of the cupboard, dishing herself up some oatmeal before answering. “You enjoy torturing my body and you know it.”

             
Cleo laughed and pushed the Nutella toward her. “I don’t deny it. But I will say this. You’ve made a lot of progress since the first time I met you. When you signed up for my yoga class you had no muscle tone at all, you thought a good diet meant eating protein bars all day and you couldn’t even run a half a mile. Now? You’re toned, you eat like a champion, and you can kick box anyone into the ground. I feel sorry for anyone who thinks they can mess with you.”

             
Rayne smiled, feeling slightly mollified. “Then why am I so sore today?”

             
Cleo took a sip of her Almond Milk and smiled. “Probably because I wanted you to be. We have to break you down to build you up and you’ve been plateauing lately.”

             
Ivy walked in yawning and pointing toward the front of the house. “Can you tell the landscapers not to arrive before ten o’clock in the morning please? They’re making so much racket I couldn’t sleep.”

             
Rayne lifted an eyebrow. “Ivy, you know you’re an adult right? You can’t sleep until twelve every day for the rest of your life.”

             
Ivy waved her hand in the air and wandered over to the stove to scoop up some oatmeal. “Well, I never got around to calling Asher last night so I guess I could just go find him outside.”

             
Rayne smiled happily. “That’s right, you have an audition to schedule. And don’t forget, you two are supposed to be flirting like crazy with Garrett so I know if he’s worthy of my interest.”

             
Cleo frowned and glanced at Ivy who was frowning too. “
Hmm
, maybe we can just trust your judgment on this one,” Ivy said innocently as she put two big heaping spoonfuls of Nutella in her oatmeal and swirled it around.

             
Cleo cleared her throat lightly and crossed her legs, smoothing her hand down her maroon colored capris. “It was a dumb idea, Rayne. I mean, you’re an adult,
we’re
adults, Garrett’s an adult. There’s no reason to play games.”

             
Rayne smiled to herself as she took a sip of her milk. “But I thought you two had a really good point. I mean, why go through the effort with Garrett if he’s not worth the time? Honestly? You and Ivy are the only two people in this whole world who have my back. I mean, if I can’t trust you two to flirt with the man I want to date, then who can I trust?”

             
Ivy squinched up her face before running her hands through her pink streaked hair. “Yeah, well here’s the thing Rayne. On my little walkabout yesterday with Becket I came to the realization that as honorable as it would be to flirt with Garrett, I’d much rather be flirting with his friend.”

             
Cleo smiled in relief. “Yes! And I’d rather be flirting with his little brother.”

             
Rayne bit her lip to keep from laughing. “So you’re going to just turn your backs on me? Dang, I’ve heard of selfishness, but this . . . this is brutal.”

             
Cleo and Ivy frowned at her and then looked at each other with twin looks of dismay. “Well, if it means that much to you,” Cleo said as she stared at her oatmeal.

             
“It does, it really does,” Rayne murmured.

             
Ivy sighed loudly. “Fine, but if Becket hates me after this I won’t come to your wedding.”

             
Rayne laughed at that and took a big bite, feeling much better about her sore muscles knowing Cleo and Ivy were now going to have to flirt with Garrett.

             
“Trust me, wedding bells are not ringing.”

             
The sound of large machinery had all three women running to the front living room and looking out.

             
“Rayne, they’re not cutting down Grandma’s tree are they?” Ivy asked in horror.

             
Rayne’s eyes were huge with shock. “They better not be,” she breathed out before sprinting for the door. She ripped it open and ran full out toward the side yard where the tree her grandmother had planted when she was first married to her grandfather was about to become sawdust.

             
“
Stop
!” she screamed, waving her hands in the air like a madwoman. The engine of the saw hooked onto the end of the bobcat was so loud that no one was paying her any attention though.

             
“Stop!” she screamed again and put on a burst of speed. It was a Douglas-Fir and although not the prettiest tree in the world, it had been planted by her grandmother.

             
She finally reached the bobcat and pounded on the side and immediately the engine turned off and the blades came to a stop. Becket Lowell frowned and stepped down taking off his safety goggles and not looking happy.

             
Rayne felt Ivy and Cleo join her as she fought to catch her breath. “You’re not cutting down that tree,” she wheezed, pointing to the large sloppy looking tree that towered over the house.

             
Becket sighed loudly and rubbed his forehead. “Actually, I am. Yesterday you signed a contract approving the landscape plan and taking out this tree is the first thing we need to do before anything else.”

             
Rayne’s mouth fell open in surprise. True she’d spaced everything Garrett had been saying yesterday but in her defense she’d still been reeling from seeing Graham on her doorstep.

             
“I signed off on this?” she asked staring up at the tree her grandmother had loved.

             
Becket nodded patiently as he crossed his arms over his chest. “To be honest, the thing is a monstrosity. It’s right in the middle of your side yard and it ruins the symmetry. Garrett is going to put a walkway through the middle that leads to your new gazebo over there,” he said as he turned and pointed.

             
“Gazebo?” she asked stupidly.

             
Becket raised his eyebrows at her and shook his head before grabbing his phone. He slid his finger across the screen and pushed a few numbers.

             
“Garrett, I’m over here at the Nyman’s and we’re having a little tussle over this Douglas Fir. Rayne wants to keep it . . . I know it’s ugly . . . I’m not sure she’s aware . . . No way man, this is not my fight, and I mentioned the gazebo and she has no idea what I’m talking about. You need to head over. If I’m not taking down this tree, I’m just wasting money over here. I could be over at the Latham’s digging out the trench for their waterfall.”

             
Rayne stared moodily at Becket as he talked for a few more minutes before hanging up. When he did, he didn’t look any happier than she felt.

             
“Garrett will be over here in five minutes,” he said as if that fixed everything.

             
“Fine, I’ll just wait over on the porch for him,” she said with as much dignity as she could muster and turned and walked away. Cleo fell in step with her, but Ivy was leaning up against the bobcat and pointing to the different gauges while Becket patiently explained them to her.

             
“Sounds like they’re not a big fan of Grandma’s choice and placement of trees,” Cleo said dryly.

             
Rayne grit her teeth and nodded. “Well, I’m not a fan of people who want to chop down perfectly beautiful trees for no reason. Symmetry? Who needs it?”

             
Cleo grinned at her and sat down on the top step of the porch. “Yeah, who needs symmetry, or a gorgeous yard? Add a few flowers and no will even notice the jolly green giant staring down at everyone.”

             
Rayne glared at Cleo and then sat up as Garrett’s truck turned into her driveway. “That was fast,” she said, swallowing nervously before standing up.

             
Cleo sighed and stood up too, pushing her in the back lightly toward the truck and the large and irritated looking man who was hopping out of it.

             
Rayne straightened her shoulders and walked toward Garrett who was striding toward her purposefully. She licked her lips nervously and then glanced up at the tree. Maybe it wasn’t worth it?

             
“You’re kidding me.” Was all he said as he came to stand in front of her and she immediately felt like a naughty little girl.

             
She glared at him. “Do I look like I’m kidding? You can’t just cut down my grandmother’s tree,” she said crossing her arms over her chest and stepping forward as her eyes narrowed.

             
Garrett turned and looked at the tree and closed his eyes as if he was praying for patience. “Then we might as well go back and get all those pansies you hate so much because nothing we do is going to help this yard look better until we get rid of that tree. It’s an eyesore right in the middle of everything and it needs to go, Rayne.”

             
Rayne frowned and looked back at the tree again. He might have a point but it was her grandmother’s tree and she didn’t want to see it go.

             
“Well then you’ll just have to be creative and make my yard look beautiful anyways, because it’s not going anywhere.”

             
Garrett ran a hand through his hair as he stared at her. “You can’t be serious. I sat in your living room just yesterday and walked you through everything we were going to do. You nodded your head and told me that it sounded wonderful and then you signed the contract. First I bring the pansies and a crew over here just to be sent back for the day. Rayne, I pay those guys by the hour. I had to discount all of those plants and I’ve lost a lot of money because of it. You pull my guys off this job again after we brought all the equipment and scheduled the men and I’m out again. What is going on?” he asked in quiet but serious tone.

             
Rayne bit her lip feeling horribly guilty now. “I didn’t know that . . . about the money. I’m sorry and I’ll add in a bonus to cover your expenses, but Garrett, that’s my grandmother’s tree. I can’t just let you cut it down.”

             
Garrett frowned and looked at the tree again, wincing automatically. “You’re the boss, but it’s hideous, it blocks the light all of your new flowers are going to need and its smack dab in the middle of your yard. Rayne, let me cut it down.”

             
Rayne looked at her feet and shook her head. “No.”

             
Garrett growled low in his throat and turned and stomped away before turning around coming right back. “Give me one good reason other than the fact that your grandmother liked it,” he demanded.

             
Rayne pursed her lips and looked up at the tree. He had some valid points, but she couldn’t imagine this old house without the big ugly tree in the middle of everything.

             
“I like it?” she said hopefully, looking up into his hard, pale blue eyes.

             
Garrett gritted his teeth and shook his head. “That was a question which means you don’t like it. Rayne, what are you doing? Are you just bored? Are you playing games with me?”

             
Rayne’s eyes widened and she stared at Garrett as if he’d slapped her. “You mean, am I some bored little rich girl who has nothing better to do then pull men off of their work because I’m so spoiled and like to get my way all the time?” she asked in a soft voice that had Garrett blinking in surprise.

             
“Now don’t put words in my mouth,” he began but she held up her hand and stopped him.

             
“You are such a jerk. Fine, go ahead and tear the thing down,” she said and stared at him for a long, cold moment before turning and walking away.