A RAY OF SUNSHINE
He stood on the sidewalk looking at the plate glass window with its fancy gold lettering for some time, being jostled by pedestrians, scowled at by others as they moved around him. Finally, he shoved the sunglasses up on top of his head, grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. A bell jangled merrily. A few heads turned his way, but quickly turned back to their sandwiches and soup as he walked to the counter where a pretty redhead was pouring coffee for an elderly man. He sat down beside the old man, resting his forearms on the counter. “Coffee,” he said.
“Be right with you,” the redhead replied, topping up the old man’s cup. She dug some creamers out of her apron pocket, setting them on the counter beside the cup.
“Any day now would be nice,” he grumbled.
The old man turned his head and gave him a look. The young man with the shaggy, raven-black hair gave him a dark look in return. Shelley set a cup and saucer down before the younger man and filled it. “Still take it black?” she asked, drawing his attention away from the man beside him. His dark eyes met hers. “Three sugars?”
“You remember,” he said, his voice low. “That’s a surprise.”
“I have a head for trivial information.” She slid the container of sugar packets closer to him.
“Is that all I am to you?” he asked. “Just a bunch of useless trivial facts?”
“Not useless. You have your coffee the way you like it, don’t you?”
This was new, her talking back to him like this. She was more confident, more sure of herself these days. “You remember what I like to eat?” he asked next. Her hazel eyes began to slew away from his intent gaze. “For lunch,” he clarified.
“Grilled cheese and bacon on whole wheat,” she answered. “And tomato soup with a dollop of cream.” This earned her a sardonic grin. “It’s not on the menu, but I know the cook.”
“Is your old man going to kick me out of here?” he asked, stirring sugar into his coffee. Before she could answer he dropped the spoon, reaching across the counter to grab her left hand. His index finger and thumb massaged the faint indent of a wedding band that lingered on her ring finger. “I heard a rumor about this,” he murmured.
“It’s not a rumor, it’s a fact. He’s not here anymore. I have a new cook.”
“Is he just a cook or more than that?” he asked, his dark eyes rising to meet hers.
“Just a cook,” she replied lightly. His fingers continued to massage her finger a moment or two longer before he let go. “I’ll go put your order in.”
He watched her walk to the swinging door and go into the kitchen. She was still the prettiest girl in the Berkshires with her copper hair, now cut in a short pixie style that only emphasized her fox-like features. He’d been an idiot to let her slip away, but he hadn’t been ready for this sort of thing back then. He’d had a lot of wild oats to sow and she’d known it. That’s how Tommy had stolen her away, offering her a version of the American dream that had satisfied her at the time. If he’d been around he would have warned her about Tommy, saved her a lot of heartache. At least she’d gotten out of that marriage and he didn’t have to worry about any assault and battery charges beating up that asshole who’d cheated on her every chance he’d had.
“You know Shelley?” the old man asked.
“Mind your own business.”
Beside him the old man shifted on his cushioned stool. “She is my business,” he replied levelly. “Shelley’s my granddaughter.”
Reve turned his head and looked again at the man. “I know her. We graduated from high school together eight years ago. We dated some in school. Her parents weren’t crazy about that. I was from the wrong side of town.”
“I know who you are. Recognized you the second you come through the door. You’re that Sanborn boy. The middle one who went to jail.”
“No, I didn’t go to jail. Charges were dropped. There was no evidence that I robbed that gas station, primarily because I didn’t do it. I was in Springfield at the time.”
“Reve, that’s your name, isn’t it?” He nodded. The old man looked down into his coffee cup. “Things have never gone right for her. That damned son of a bitch she married, he cheated on her with every bimbo in town and the next towns over either side. He never treated her right, but she was afraid to leave him.”
“So what happened? How’d she get up the nerve to divorce him?”
“Finally took my advice and went for counseling. Met Caroline Shea. Good woman, that one. Took a couple of years, but Shelley finally got up the nerve to kick his ass out of here. This is still the family business. It’ll be hers as soon as I’m gone. Her father’s not interested. Her mother’s got her real estate license now. Shelley’s the one who’s always loved this place. I’m leaving it to her. Won’t be long now. I got liver cancer. It’s spread here and there.”
“Does she know?”
“She knows I been to doctors and the lawyer. She knows she’s signed papers, but I’m not sure she understands completely what it’s all been about yet. I’ve taken care of her. She’s always been a good kid. Smart. She could have done so much more with her life, if she hadn’t married that dumb ass womanizer.”
“Shelley’s always liked to cook and be around people. This is probably where she’s happiest. She’s worked here since she was fifteen, hasn’t she? I used to come after school for a burger and a Coke. She’d be running around here taking orders, dancing to the music, chatting up everyone, laughing.” He shook his head. “She’s a regular ray of sunshine, she is.”
“What are you doing back here? Thought you went to Connecticut or something.”
“Rhode Island. Vermont. New York state. I’ve been around learning my trade.”
“What trade would that be?”
“Classic car restoration, customizing cars.” He added a bit more sugar to his cup, slowly stirred it in. “I have my own place in Lee. I’m doing all right.” He turned slightly, nodding toward the window. “That’s one of my custom jobs out there.”
Mr. Colter turned on his stool toward the window. There was a black GTO with orange pin striping parked out front. Lots of chrome. “Nice,” he said. “You sell a lot of cars?”
“I find old cars, customize them then sell them at the shop or send them to auction. I make good money on them.”
Shelley came back with his grilled cheese and bacon and bowl of tomato soup. “Here you go,” she said, setting the plate and bowl down in front of him. “Anything else you want?”
“Your phone number,” he replied. Her eyes flicked to her grandfather and back. In the periphery of his vision he’d seen the old man give her a slight nod.
“Remind me before you go.”
“Give it to me now,” he answered, taking his cell phone from his hip pocket. “I may have to rush off. Bring me the check, too. I’m meeting someone at one thirty.” She gave him her cell phone number then moved off to wait on a couple that had come in and taken the last available booth. “She seeing anyone?” he asked, stirring the cream into his soup.
“She has dinner and goes to local hockey games with Pete from the post office now and again. No romance, just friends. He eats here every day.” Reve nodded. “You thinking of asking her out?”
Reve sampled the soup, nodding to himself. It was good. “Think she’d go if I asked?”
“She just gave you her number.”
“I saw you give her the okay.”
“She was always crazy about you. Never let anyone say anything bad about you. Still defends you if your name comes up and someone starts in on old history.”
Reve’s eyes rose as he followed Shelley who came back around the counter to go out to the kitchen with the order she’d just taken. “I broke her heart,” he said.
“You can fix that quick enough. She ain’t ever stopped loving you, you know.”
“I didn’t know.” Reve ate half his sandwich. Shelley came to refill his coffee.
“Grandpa, you want a piece of that banana cream pie you love so much?” she asked.
“A small one, sweetheart. Watching my weight.”
“Be right back. Reve, you still like chocolate cream pie?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll bring you a piece, on the house.” She disappeared back into the kitchen.
“You see what I mean? She don’t forget a thing, but she can forgive in a heartbeat.”
“I don’t deserve that kind of quick forgiveness. She’s too good.” He finished his sandwich, sipped his coffee then got out his wallet. “How much do I owe you?” he asked her as she set their plates of pie down before them.
“Seven dollars.”
He took out a twenty and a card, slid them across to her. “Keep the change. Keep the card.” He stopped her from picking up the card. “Let me see your pen.” She handed it to him. He flipped the card over and wrote another phone number on the backside. “That’s my cell number. Hang onto it.”
“I will,” she said, her eyes meeting his. He winked at her. She smiled and blushed simultaneously then looked at her grandfather who was enjoying his pie. “You good, Grandpa?”
“Yup. Thanks, sweetie.”
“See you again?” she asked Reve.
“I like the food here. I’ll be back,” he replied.
“Good.” She went to wait on a man at the far end of the counter who’d just sat down.
“Look,” said Mr. Colter. “I have a ’64 Mustang convertible in my garage. It was my mid-life crisis car. Needs work. You interested in it? Making it a sweet ride for my little girl?”
“You asking me to make it cherry for Shelley?”
“Yeah, guess I am. What do you figure it’ll cost me?”
“I’d have to see what you’ve got before I can give you a price.” He ate the last piece of his pie. “What if I swing by on Saturday evening? Will you be home?” Mr. Colter nodded. “I’ll take a look, make a list of what needs to be done then work up some figures and get back to you by Wednesday at the latest. We changing the color?”
“Buttercup yellow.” Reve winced. “She likes yellow.”
“Okay, but I can’t see myself tooling along the Pike in a bright yellow Mustang.”
“Not even with a beautiful redhead behind the wheel?”
Reve ran his fingers up through his tousled hair. “I’d have to think about that for a bit.” He stood up, held out his right hand. “Good seeing you again. You still out by the lake?”
“Good seeing you. Yup, still on Shady Cove Lane. White cottage with the bright blue shutters.”
“See you Saturday about seven o’clock?”
“Sounds good. You drink beer?” Reve nodded. “We’ll have a couple beers and look that car over good.”
Shelley came back through the swinging door. “You going so soon?”
“Have a meeting to get to. I’ll call you in a day or two.” He turned and walked to the door, pausing to glance back over his shoulder at her before he left. She was standing behind the counter watching him. Something about the way she was looking at him made him think that she was afraid he’d never come back. That told him what he wanted to know right there. He was pretty sure her grandfather would tell her what she wanted to know.
You awake?
Shelley reached over to the bedside table to grab her cell phone. She had been lying in the dark, unable to fall asleep. Reve had said he’d call her in a day or two, but he hadn’t called yet. Therefore, she was surprised when she saw the text was from him. Can’t sleep, she texted back. Too hot.
Want to go skinny dipping?
Her heart leapt into the back of her throat. Her finger hesitated over the keyboard. Taking a breath she quickly typed, Where are you?
Down by the lake.
Swimming?
Thinking about it. Want to join me?
She hesitated again then typed, Sure.
His response came about thirty seconds later. Put your suit on. Neighbors may be awake.
She blew her breath out, relieved. You want me to drive there?
I’ll come get you. Give me fifteen minutes.
I’ll be out front.
Her legs felt wobbly as she got out of bed to rummage in her dresser for the two pieces of her tankini. It was eleven thirty on a Thursday night and she was going to go swimming with Reve at the lake! It was insane! She had to be up at five to get to work for five thirty to do some prep work, get the coffee started, the deliveries checked in.
She looked at the phone she still held in her hand. She should text him that she couldn’t go. She had to get some sleep, but her heart was going a million miles per hour. There was no way she was going to be able to get back into bed with any hope of sleeping. “This is sheer madness,” she muttered as she tugged off her nightgown, pulled on the bottom of her suit. She slithered into the top then flipped on the overhead light, searching the floor of her closet for her flip flops. In the narrow hall linen closet she grabbed a beach towel then hurried to the front closet to get the tote bag she used for going to the lake. Groaning, she ran back to the bedroom, pulling on a pair of denim shorts. She stuffed a t-shirt into the tote bag, then threw her keys and a small bifold case with her ID and a twenty dollar bill in the bag.
She switched off the lights then ran down the steep stairs to the sidewalk door. She had the front apartment above the café. There was some traffic as usual for a Thursday night. The bars were still busy. There were a lot of people at the lake this summer. As she waited in front of the café she wondered where on the lake he was going to take her? The public beaches closed at nine o’clock. Was he at a friend’s?
“Shelley!”
A Jeep had pulled up to the curb. “Hi,” she said, climbing into the passenger seat, stuffing her bag down by her feet. She buckled up as he pulled into traffic. “Where are we going?” she asked. “The beaches are closed.”
“Not the private ones,” he replied. She glanced at him. “I just got back from Worcester at eight thirty. Had some things to do around the shop. Thought I’d take a swim before going to bed. I didn’t wake you?” She shook her head. “Thought I might be. You must have to get up early. Didn’t think of that when I texted you.”
“I couldn’t sleep. My air conditioner’s not working right.”
“You didn’t leave it on, did you?” She shook her head. “Good. Don’t want the place burning down if it’s a shot compressor.”
“I have the windows open and had the fans on.”
He soon slipped out of traffic to follow side roads. She had no idea where they were going. She wasn’t familiar with all the little roads and lanes around the lake itself, but he seemed to know where he was going. Still, her insides felt like wobbly jelly and she had to sit on her hands because they were shaking. It’d been a long time since she’d gone anywhere alone with Reve Sanborn like this. Her grandfather had told her he owned his own business, something to do with cars, but she hadn’t quite caught what he was saying as it had been during a rush of customers after Reve had left that day. If Grandpa had given him the nod then she should be all right, even though Grandpa was getting older and he had health issues now.
He pulled up in the yard of a two story beach house with a separate four bay garage with what looked like a small shop at one end. There was another building across the driveway, a bunkhouse, maybe? The main house had a deep front porch facing the lane they’d come in by. “Come on,” he said.
She climbed out and followed him along the path beside the house. The rear of the house had a huge deck for outdoors entertaining. There was a balcony off the second floor rear with atrium doors that must have an awesome view of the lake. “Whose house is this?” she asked as she jogged a few paces to catch up to him after goggling at the house.
“Does it matter?”
“We’re not trespassing, are we?”
He laughed. “No. We’re not.”
The path led to a private beach. White sand had been trucked in. Quite a lot of it. It went all the way from the end of the path to the water. Reve was stripping off his t-shirt, kicking off his sandals. Her heart nearly stopped as he unfastened his denim shorts, but he had a regular trunk-style bathing suit on underneath. She threw her bag down in the sand, tugged down her shorts. He told her to jump in before the mosquitoes drained her dry.
She ran down the sand and splashed into the water. The lake bed quickly graded down and she found herself neck deep in the water. It felt cold after the heat of the apartment and the sultry night air. Reve dove in close beside her, startling her. She caught glimpses of him as he swam underwater. He swam like a fish. It brought back memories of high school days, hurrying home to do her chores and homework, make supper for her parents who both worked so they could eat when they got home, then going to the lake with friends, seeing Reve there. They’d dated senior year for a while, but her parents had made a fuss about him. Then he’d been accused of robbing that gas station not too long after graduation and her parents had forbidden her to ever see him again. And Tommy had started pursuing her. She’d lost track of Reve in the hectic days that followed as she began working full time at the café.
She swam out a ways, felt something skim past her beneath the water and gasped. Reve surfaced a few feet in front of her. “You swim like a fish still!” she said. “I thought you were a shark!”
“No sharks in this lake,” he said. “Just big fish.”
She swept wet hair back from her face. “Are you a big fish?”
He swam toward her and she back paddled. “What did your grandfather tell you?’ he asked.
She shrugged. “Not much. He said something about cars. You do something with cars. It was crazy busy after you left. He’s been in Boston for tests the past few days. I haven’t talked to him.”
“I customize cars, restore vintage cars,” he said.
“Oh, like on TV?”
“I suppose so.”
“Who do you work for? Anyone I know?”
“You know him,” he replied. He ducked under the water before she could ask him who. She screamed when he lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder. She came up a few feet behind him sputtering a little. “Come back here.” She swam back to him. “Here, get your feet into my hands. You used to like to dive off my hands.”
“I’m not seventeen anymore.”
“You’re twenty-six years old. You’re not a decrepit old lady yet. Come on. Up you go.” She got her feet into his hand, squealed as he lifted her up. She flew off his hands, diving gracefully into the water. He let her dive off his hands about ten times before he chased her, easily catching her. She wrapped her arms and legs around him like she used to as he treaded water. “At least he didn’t beat the fun out of you,” he said.
Her face was close to his. Her eyes met his in the moonlight and starlight. “No,” she said. “He didn’t.”
“You divorced him?”
She nodded. “Grandpa helped me pay for a private investigator. He got enough evidence to prove in court he was unfaithful to me. Tommy couldn’t deny it. I got a lump sum of twenty-five thousand dollars before he took off. I haven’t heard from him since.”
“You’re well rid of him.” He touched her cheek. “I wish I’d been around to stop you marrying him in the first place.”
“What would you have done? Barge into the church, march down the aisle, rant and rave about him not being good enough for me then thrown me over your shoulder and carried me out to your Harley, roaring off into the sunset with me trailing seed pearls, bugle beads and baby’s breath in our wake?”
“If that’s what it would have taken, yeah, I would have done that.”
She bent her head, resting her forehead against his, her eyes closed. “Where were you, Reve? Where were you when I needed a black knight to come to my rescue?” she asked quietly.
“Off trying to make a better man of myself,” he replied. “I thought you’d wait for me.”
“My parents put too much pressure on me. I broke. I crumbled.” A little sob burst out of her. “I wasn’t strong enough to chase my dreams!”
“Shh!” he said. “Don’t cry, Shel. If you think about it, neither was I. I wouldn’t have left you behind if I’d had any strength or sense back then”
“I nearly fainted when you walked through the door the other day. I never thought I’d see you again.”
“I wasn’t sure I’d ever be back, but things worked out better than I thought they would. When I had a chance to own my own business I was ready to go west, or south. Then one night I had a dream and you were in it. I woke up the next morning and started scouring the internet for any sign of you. I Googled the café and there you were. You and your grandfather, right where I’d left you eight years ago, except you had Tommy’s last name.”
“The site hasn’t been updated. I took Colter back, got rid of the Birch. I’m Shelley Colter again.”
“Just like you were when I left.”
“Only older and wiser.”
“We both are, older and wiser.”
“Did you ever get married?’ she asked.
He shook his head. “Had my share of girls. I’m no saint, Shel. I’ll be honest with you about that. I had a lot of girls.”
“You’ve always been a chick magnet.”
He made a face. “Yeah, well, the only one I ever wanted I had to let go of.” He brushed tears off her face with his wet hand. “Shelley, you agreeing to come swimming with me like this, does that mean you were just hot and unable to sleep and needed a diversion, or does it mean you…”
“Oh, stop already and just kiss me!” she cried. “I just want you to kiss me.”
He did not hesitate. He caught her mouth with his and kissed her. Her arms tightened around the back of his neck and she kissed him back. Immediately, he was eighteen years old again, kissing pretty little seventeen-year old Shelley Colter in the lake behind the canoe, amazed that such a sweet and innocent girl would even allow him to touch her never mind kiss her. He wanted to make love to her back then, but knew he couldn’t. He’d waited until a week before her eighteenth birthday before he brought her back to the lake one night and made love to her under the stars. He’d been her first lover, and he’d liked that. She’d waited for him. Two months later everything went to hell with the gas station robbery, his being arrested, her parents forbidding her to ever see him again. Even after he was acquitted they had not allowed him near her. In frustration, he’d taken off. After a year of living rough, barely surviving, he’d found Henry Fitch and begun to learn all there was to learn about classic auto restoration and customizing cars. He’d worked hard to learn his trade, had saved his money by living frugally. Dreaming about the girl he had loved and lost because of some rattled gas jockey’s misidentification had led him back home, to this moment he had never dared dreamed of. “Shelley,” he said, his voice husky. “We need to get closer to shore. I need to put my feet on solid ground.”
“Mm, sorry.” She slid her mouth from his, tilting her head, trailing little kisses down his jaw, the side of his neck as she unwound her legs from his waist, sliding down his body, letting go of his neck. She sank beneath the water and he felt her circle him, brushing against him, not once, but twice, and then she was gone.
He swam after her, catching her near the shore, bringing her up out of the water. “Little fishy, I thought you were going to take the bait back there,” he said.
“Whose house is this?” she asked. “Is the owner home?”
“The owner is home,” he acknowledged.
“Oh, damn it all!” she cried.
“Why? What’s the matter?”
“I don’t want him calling the police, reporting lewd behavior on his private beach, trespassers. I don’t want to get you in trouble. We need to go. Come home with me.”
“To your hot little apartment? Why can’t we just stay here?”
“Because we’ll get in trouble!”
He suddenly laughed. “I’ve been in trouble before. I think I can get us out of this if the owner complains.”
“Reve…” She seemed exasperated, anxious.
He decided to set her mind at ease. “Shel, this is my house. This is my beach. And you’re my girl, aren’t you?” She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. “You still think you’ll upset the owner?”
“Are you serious?”
“You want to see the deed? I have it in a safe inside.”
“Do you have the keys?”
“Of course I do.”
“Where?”
“In my shorts pocket. Front right.” He watched her march up the sand to where he’d stripped off his shirt and shorts. She grabbed his shorts, dipping her hand into the front right pocket, pulling out his keys. “What are you going to do with those?” he asked.
“I’m going to go inside. Nothing is worse than sand in your cracks and crevices.”
He laughed, strode up the beach, scooping up their things, following her to the back deck of the house. She was trying keys when he caught up to her. “There’s an alarm system. It’s the next key. Get the door open then let me go in first to disarm it before the cops really do show up.” She opened the door and he slipped inside, going to the alarm panel. “All set. Come on in.”
She didn’t see much of the house in the dark. He secured the door then led her through a large room to a hallway, then up an open flight of stairs to the second floor to the bedroom with the balcony overlooking the lake. She really didn’t see much of the bedroom either except shadowy dark forms and then the bed as he picked her up and tossed her into the middle of it. “I’m wet!” she cried.
“I hope so,” he replied.
And that’s all the talking they did for quite some time except for a few murmured words here and there as they relearned one another’s geography. He was better at it then he’d been in high school from the sounds she was making. And she wasn’t as shy as she’d been back then. She’d learned some things that surprised and pleased him and made him want her all the more.
It was after two o'clock when they finally fell apart, breathing hard, lying side by side, arms touching. “You okay?” he asked.
“Never been better,” she replied, her voice a little raspy and breathless still.
“Think you can sleep now?”
“You taking me home?”
“No, I meant here, with me. Think you can sleep?”
“I have to be up in a couple hours.”
“I’ll be up. I’ll wake you up.”
“At four? I have to get home, take a shower, get to work for five thirty."
“I’ll get you up at four, we’ll take a shower. I’ll get you home for quarter past five. You can run upstairs and get dressed then get back downstairs in time to go to work. I’ll hang around, have breakfast, if that’s all right with you.”
“That’s fine with me.” She turned toward him, smiling. “Don’t make me late.”
“Okay, we’ll make love in the shower to save a little time.” She laughed. He liked how she laughed, how she smiled at him in the near darkness. This is what he’d missed all those years. This is what he’d wanted. He hoped it was what she wanted too, that it would last. “Go to sleep, little fishy.”
She turned onto her other side and snuggled back against him. “This little fishy has always been attracted to your bait,” she said, sounding drowsy.
He put his arm around her, pulling her closer, tucking her head underneath his chin. She was going to be tired tomorrow and so was he, but it had been well worth every minute he’d spent with her tonight. As her breathing evened out and slowed in sleep he let his mind drift to the 64’ Mustang convertible in her grandfather’s garage. Buttercup yellow. It wasn’t a color he’d have chosen, but Shelley was like sunshine in human form. It suited her, he thought. He felt warm and illuminated just being close to her. “I love you,” he whispered, practicing the words he had always wanted to say to her, but never had. He had a good feeling that maybe this time they would finally get said and he’d hear her say those same words back to him after eight long years of waiting and wondering if she still cared about him as much as he still cared about her. “Goodnight, sunshine,” he murmured as his eyes finally drifted closed.
copyright January 21, 2016 A Ray of Sunshine is included in Cupid's Darts: A Sweet Hearts Collection
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