Falling for Rain by Gina Buonaguro, Janice Kirk Page A

school. She went away and never came back." She said this in a matter-of-fact voice, and Emily breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment she thought she’d have to listen to another Cathy-style version of her life story. To further protect her anonymity, Emily paid with cash. The clerk handed Emily her change with a smile.  "Have a nice day," she said in a chirpy voice.
    "You, too," Emily replied.
    Emily locked her purchases in the trunk of her car before going into the Five Star Diner. She picked up a newspaper from the bar and went to the booth she had occupied the day before.
    Today’s waitress was named Gillian. To Emily’s relief, she took less interest in the customers than Cathy and only did what talking was necessary to do her job. Emily ordered soup and a salad and read an article in the paper on over-wintering roses. She was hungry today and ate gratefully, even ordering a piece of apple pie for desert.
    The movie was perfect, a thriller starring Matt Damon, with enough suspense and car chases to keep her from thinking about Jonathon, the farm and, most importantly, Rain for almost two hours. She was also happy upon re-emerging from the theatre to discover that the downpour had let up to little more than a monotonous drizzle. There was little danger of dinner being cancelled now.
    She drove home without difficulty and ran a deep hot bath, emptying a small bottle of rose-scented bath gel she had bought at Lady MacGregor’s into the tub. She closed her eyes and let the steamy, scented bath do its magic. When the water started to cool, she stepped out feeling relaxed and refreshed and looking forward to the evening ahead. She put on her new clothes and luxuriated in the feel of silk and cashmere against her skin. She dried her hair, but let it fall naturally, and for the first time in years was pleased with its unruly nature. She then started on her makeup, but looking at herself in the bathroom mirror, decided against everything but a touch of lipstick. She didn’t need it – her skin glowed and her eyes sparkled with excitement.
    Knocking on the door at six o’clock sharp, Rain let out a low whistle when he saw her. “You look great. And I like your hair like that." He smiled at her, and Emily felt her heart skip a beat.
    "Thanks," she said a bit breathlessly, thinking that Rain looked pretty great himself. He wore a black leather jacket over a creamy woollen dress shirt as well as the inevitable blue jeans, but he looked as sensational as ever in them. His hair was tousled by the wind, and Emily found herself wanting to smooth it down.
    "I thought we could take my car," she said, pushing the picture of her fingers in Rain’s hair out of her mind.
    "What? You don't want to be seen in my old truck?" he said defensively.
    "No, it's not that," she said hurriedly, afraid she had offended him again.
    "I'm just kidding," he said with a smile that lit his face and eyes.  This time Emily felt something lodge in her breast and turned away quickly for fear she'd betray herself. She took her coat from the coat rack.
    "I just thought you might like to drive something else for a change."
    "Okay. We'll take your car." He took the coat from her hands and held it out for her. “And you’re right – I would like to drive it.” She slipped her arms in the sleeves, only too aware of the brush of his fingers against the back of her neck.
    Close together under the umbrella Rain had brought with him, they ran to the car. It was cold and dark, and the rain came down with tedious persistence. He opened the passenger door for her before going to the driver's door and getting in. She handed him the keys. "This is nice," he said adjusting the seat to accommodate his height.
    “Just keep an eye on the speedometer,” she said with a smile. “It goes a lot faster than that old truck. Would you like some music?"
    "Sure. Where's the switch for the wipers?"
    "It's on the turn signal." She slipped a CD into the player and turned up the