A Night in the Rain
I look up into the most incredibly blue eyes I have ever seen, eyes I have noticed watching me for several days, eyes that belong to a man that I am always aware of his presence anywhere near me. I had seen him earlier, over in the corner of the hotel restaurant, stealing glances when he thought I wasn't looking. But then I had stolen a few too, images to keep me warm during the cold nights. He had left his table abruptly, his meal half-eaten, just as thunder rolled in the distance but before the rain came slashing against the windowpanes.
I had finished my dinner, but I felt the disappointment of his departure like a knife in my heart. I had hoped he might ask to join me at my table, since we were the only two patrons eating alone. I had hoped...but dashed hopes were the reason I had come to Four Corners in the first place and why I would soon leave.
And now, he stands before me, his clothing wet, his dripping hat in one hand. From beneath the soaked poncho he pulls out a small bouquet of wildflowers. They are completely dry and uncrushed.
"For you," he says and smiles.
My heart flutters in my chest and I take the flowers, our fingers touching longer than necessary. I hold them close and breathe in the delicate scents from the blossoms.
"Thank you," I whisper because I cannot trust my voice. No one has ever given me wildflowers before.
"Would you like to go for a walk in the rain?" he asks.
The rain is a steady beat against the roof of the porch and the muddy street. The thunder has long since faded away. It is a temperate night, a good night to walk in the rain.
"Yes, that would be nice."
He holds the poncho over us and I make sure my precious bouquet is protected from the elements. We step off the boardwalk and head in no particular direction. But it is awkward trying to shelter two people with the poncho and we find ourselves laughing as it slips away once more. Finally, I take the poncho from him and use it to cover the flowers. Soon I am as drenched as he, but the rain is warm and is no more than a sprinkle by now.
"How long have you lived in Four Corners?" I ask.
In his succinct way, he tells me how he came to be here and why he has chosen to stay. "To keep the peace," he says and I can hear a hint of pride is his voice as he tells me how he and another rescued a man from a lynching, then saved an Indian village from destruction. He is a man of few words, but is never at a loss for words.
He stops and looks at me suddenly. By the glow of a lighted window, I can see the expression on his handsome face. He is surprised he has told me so much in such a short time.
"Why are you in Four Corners?" he asks.
But I cannot tell him the real reason I am here. I can never reveal the truth to anyone. I can only run and hide and hope no one ever knows my secret. So I spin a fabrication made out of the gossamer threads of desperation and wishes. Oh, how I wish my lie was reality so that I might stay here longer and learn more about this man. But I have very little time.
"I was supposed to meet my brother here, but I was delayed. He left a message saying he had to go on to Eagle Bend and will wait for me there. I'm staying in the house he rented. I wanted to rest a few days before moving on."
The lie is not as easy as those I have told before. I do not like lying to this man. But I try to keep it simple and pray that he does not know the owner of the house that I myself had rented but a few days ago. I thought perhaps I could stay longer, but I should have known it was impossible. When I leave here, I will go to Purgatorio and beyond, into my own personal purgatory.
He moves closer to me, his head bowing slightly, his lips parted, and I raise my head, ready for his kiss. His lips touch mine, gently at first, then more demanding as our mutual desire takes over. I want more than a kiss and the arms that glide around me, holding me close. I want this man. I want him to make me forget my tortured past and my uncertain future, at least for a time. My arms encircle him and I don't want to let go, but we are standing in the middle of the street for anyone to see. I pull away, with one last quick kiss.
I take his hand in mine and lead him to the end of the street, behind the stable. I could take him to the dry comfort of the rented house, but I want him here, now, all wet and wild with the rain and the night. I want a memory that will last me a lifetime.
Beneath the trees, the rain is little more than a drizzle and I carefully set the poncho aside, keeping the flowers inside safe. Tomorrow when I am gone, I will press them and in the coming weeks, months, years, I will occasionally take them out and remember.
He looks at me, an adorable half-smile curving his sensual lips.
"What's wrong?" he asks. He has sensed my desperation and need but I do not want him to question me anymore. If he asks again, I might tell him. I do not want to drag him into the quicksand of my life.
I shake my head and laugh. "Everything is right."
And this one night in the rain, it is the truth.
I go into his arms once more and hold him as I have never held anyone before nor will again. We sink onto the carpet of grass and find our way to one another. My eyes fill with tears but they mingle with the rain and he does not notice. Tomorrow I will be gone, but I will have left my heart here and taken his with me.
The End
Sequel: A Day in the Snow