Walk Between the Raindrops Read online

  Now she let out an excited squee. “Thank you, Dad!”

  “Don’t thank me yet, honey. I ran our budget. We won’t be able to afford to send both of you around the world. I don’t know how we’d even manage to help one of you travel to events overseas. So even if both of you make it, I don’t know how we’ll afford it. I don’t know how you can earn that much money, either. I’m not trying to be cruel, but I want you prepared for reality. I don’t want you getting your hopes up and then hating us.”

  * * * *

  June’s excitement had been so strong she could barely sleep that night once they did reach the hunt camp and set up.

  The next morning, her dad and one of his friends were out on a different section of the property while June and Mark climbed up onto a permanent tree stand platform to hunt from there. They were scanning the woods for any signs of antlered deer, their rifles at the ready, when Mark broke the silence.

  “I meant what I said last weekend.”

  She stared up at him. “What?” She’d been torn between trying to find a deer and thinking about her beam routine for regionals.

  “Waiting to have sex. I mean it. I love you.”

  They hadn’t slept together yet, although they’d played around with each other quite a few times. No way would she blow her chances at Olympic gold just because she wanted to get screwed and then accidentally got pregnant.

  “I love you, too.”

  She knew July and Matt slept together, more at his insistence than her desire, but June hadn’t ratted her sister out.

  Yet.

  June tended to get migraines every month, though, and July had used the opportunity to fake getting them as well when their doctor suggested they go on the pill to help with that.

  It might be enough insurance for July, but it wasn’t for June.

  She loved Mark even more for understanding and not pressuring her to take things all the way. She’d been the one to take things to the level they were now. He was excitingly take-charge in the good ways, yet in other ways, he was sweetly kind and considerate. In other words, he was everything Matt wasn’t.

  “I’ve got some money saved up. If you and July don’t have enough by Nationals, I’ll give it to you, if it’ll help. I’ll even borrow against my salary from my dad. He’ll loan it to me.”

  Now he had her full attention. “But aren’t you using that money for a new car?”

  Like July, he had an academic scholarship. Majoring in accounting and having fun with a drama minor to balance life out, he’d been unofficially working for his father for years. An accountant, Mark’s dad put his precocious son to work a couple of years ago as a numbers checker, especially during tax season. Verifying the math of the tax accountants on simple tax returns to save them processing time.

  If he found an error, he flagged it and returned it to the accountant. If he didn’t, the return was noted for a final review by the preparer before being presented to the customer.

  His father was looking into a new computer system that would automate a lot of the process, then instead of numbers-checking, Mark would be doing data entry.

  “My car will be okay for a while. Besides, I have my motorcycle if I need a backup. It’s cheaper on gas, anyway. I can ride that if I have to. You guys deserve a chance to go to Nationals. I can always get another car. You won’t get another chance like this in your lifetime. I want you to take it. You’ve earned it.”

  Unlike Matt, Mark was supportive of their efforts. Both of them. And not in a creepy way with July, either. She was the little sister he’d never had.

  Although Matt despised Mark with a passion and never failed to take a chance to gripe to July about how much time Mark spent driving them to practice in the morning despite the fact that Mark was in college now and not attending school with them any longer. And Mark frequently drove them to weekend practices, or even meets within the state.

  Despite Matt now working and not going to college, not once had he volunteered to drive them to an afternoon practice, much less a morning one.

  The girls had their driver’s licenses, but there wasn’t an extra car for them to drive. May needed her car for school and work, and their parents both worked.

  She finally found her voice. “I don’t know what to say.”

  He shrugged, in that easy way he had. The way that always made her feel good, because with Mark, what you saw was what you got.

  Real.

  Safe.

  “Just say yes.” He met her gaze. “Promise to work hard. And I promise to wait as long as I have to until you’re ready. Because I love you.”

  * * * *

  Mark wanted June. He’d be lying if he denied it.

  His parents, however, had set a good example for him. Never force a woman. Ever.

  Not that he had any desire to force June.

  But there were lots of ways of forcing someone, including manipulating them. Like the way Matt manipulated July all the time. He hadn’t understood that at the time, when his dad was having “the talk” with him, but now…yeah, he got it.

  Matt forced July to do all sorts of things without her seeming to realize it was force.

  The last person he wanted to imitate was Matt.

  He knew some friends, if they knew he and June weren’t sleeping together, might think he was stupid for waiting. That he could find another girlfriend who’d put out.

  He wanted June, had been in love with her almost from that first week when July had introduced them in the cafeteria last school year.

  He had known then that he wanted to marry her.

  Watching her and July do gymnastics was like watching magic. July was damned good.

  June was even better, a force of nature, clouds and tornadoes and lightning and thunder and sweet rainbows following a storm, all in one beautiful body. He wanted to ride the waves of her tsunami and walk between her raindrops as she commanded everyone’s attention when she performed. Her solid, lithe body flowed in ways that looked impossible for humans to move. The world stopped when she stepped into the arena.

  At least, it did for him.

  And he had no doubts June would make the US team if she had a chance.

  She deserved every bit of that chance.

  Meanwhile, he would wait for her if she did, supporting her however he needed to, until she finally came home for good.

  His parents got married when his mom was nineteen and his dad twenty, and they were going on close to thirty years together, and happy.

  That’s the kind of marriage he wanted, and he knew June was that woman.

  And if his father had kept his mother happy for thirty years, the man obviously knew what the hell he was talking about.

  Her sweet brown eyes stared up at him. In the early morning light, he caught tiny flecks of green and amber in their depths.

  “Yes!” she whispered.

  Touching his forehead to hers, he smiled. “Just think, when you finally tell me you’re ready, you’re going to need all those gymnastics skills to finally get away from me.”

  She giggled, soft, light, airy. “I don’t want to get away from you. Ever. But why are you so okay waiting?”

  His smile faded. No reason to lie. “My parents did things right. I can see how wrong Matt is. It’s really not a hard choice to make.”

  * * * *

  Not quite as far back in the past

  “Maren! Sonya! Would you two please move it?”

  Trying to get her daughters somewhere on time was increasingly becoming a Herculean feat.

  Sonya emerged from the hallway first. She’d just turned twelve and her attitude was starting to head downhill.

  “I’m coming.” The expression on her face looked like she’d rather eat a bug. She wore jeans and her Girl Scout T-shirt, her vest on over it, but not the full uniform.

  “What is your problem?”

  “I don’t want to do macramé. That sounds boring.”

  “You’re going to do it, and I don’t care
if you like it or not, the rest of the troop is doing it. Including your sister. And since I’m the troop leader, I’m pulling rank. You guys will be able to earn a badge for it. Mrs. McManus is being generous enough to come teach you guys, and you will be gracious and pay attention and learn something.”

  Ten year-old Maren blasted out of her bedroom in full uniform, her backpack slung over her shoulder.

  Even her beret sat perfectly arranged on top of her head. “Let’s go, loser.”

  “Maren!” Mark roared from his study.

  Both girls froze.

  June crossed her arms over her chest. “Uh huh. Now you did it.”

  She sensed Mark appear in the hallway behind her. She didn’t need to see he stood there, because she felt him.

  The way she always felt his presence when he was close.

  “Apologize to your sister right now, young lady.” Mark rarely needed to use that voice with them. Neither of them had ever so much as laid a hand on either girl. But Mark’s two years spent as a drama minor served him quite well as a father. Especially when combined with his height, bulk, and beard and mustache.

  It was a no-brainer that he was the disciplinarian when the girls wouldn’t listen to June. Most of the time, all it took was a raised eyebrow or a scowl to keep them in line.

  Both girls’ eyes widened. “Sorry, Sonya,” Maren said.

  Mark stalked down the hallway, June effortlessly flattening herself against the wall to get out of his way before he ended up standing in front of the two girls.

  “What’s the first rule in this household, Maren?”

  “Always be kind, sir.”

  “Was that a kind thing to say to your sister?”

  “No, sir.”

  “No TV for two days. That includes movies or the Internet.” He pointed at her. “You are sisters. Just because you get irritated at each other doesn’t mean you can be cruel to each other. Now hug.”

  June felt the unexpected prickle of tears hit her and quickly blinked them back. The girls resembled her more than Mark, although they had his gorgeous green eyes.

  In moments like this, it was impossible not to think about July.

  About what her babies might have looked like.

  “Out to the car,” he ordered. “Not another word out of either of you until your mother says so.”

  They scrambled past June to head for the garage.

  He walked back to her and enveloped her in a hug. “Better, baby?”

  She stared up into his eyes. “Better, Daddy. Thank you.”

  He smiled down at her. “Maybe when the girls go to May’s this weekend, you and I can practice some macramé.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, making her laugh.

  “Oooh, kinky.”

  He kissed her, then delivered a light swat to her jeans-clad ass. “Daddy wants to play tonight, baby. Once they’re asleep.” He nipped the shell of her right ear. “Be ready for me, my sweet little slut,” he whispered.

  She practically melted into a puddle right there in front of him. Almost fourteen years married, and he could still do that to her.

  Every.

  Damn.

  Time.

  “Yes, Sir,” she said.

  Unlike her daughters, she used a capital S when addressing him like that.

  She wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Chapter Five

  Then

  June stared at her sister. “I don’t like this plan at all. I’m sure Mom and Dad wouldn’t, either.”

  It was eight o’clock on a Friday morning. They’d already spent three hours at the gym together training and helping coach, came home, showered, and had to go to classes today. All in miserable rain from an unsettled tropical system that was moving in.

  Tonight was a rare night they didn’t have to be at the gym after classes, because Cara was heading to a small regional meet for some of the littler kids tomorrow. June, July, and Mark would have to be there tomorrow morning, though, to open the gym and supervise the practice session before the other part-time coaches arrived.

  July crossed her arms over her chest while her gaze studied the cheap carpet in the duplex they lived in. “You promised not to say anything to them.”

  “I know. I won’t. But it’s a good thing they’re out of town this weekend.” They had flown to Atlanta that morning, May driving them to the airport and then taking their mom’s car for the weekend.

  “I’m breaking up with him for real this time, okay? I swear.”

  “It’s about damn time. Because if I see him even look funny at you again, I’m going to put a hurting on him. Or Mark will. And I’ll tell Dad, and you know how badly he wants to gut Matt already.”

  July sniffled. “Please don’t come by until later, okay? I want to talk to him alone and tell him we’re through.”

  “You sure you don’t want me and Mark here? Because, honestly, I think being alone isn’t a good plan.”

  “He won’t do anything except probably get upset. I can handle that.”

  “If he hits you, we’re calling the damn cops and filing a report.”

  “He’s not like that—”

  “July. I’ve seen him get angry at you before. The only reason he hasn’t hit you yet is because he’s afraid of me and he’s terrified of Mark.” Mark had nearly a head in height on Matt.

  And June had once gone out of her way to explain to Matt, in excruciatingly graphic detail, how to gut and butcher a deer.

  From that moment on, he’d always seemed to be more than a little wary around her.

  Which was fine with June.

  July didn’t answer, at first. “You know, if we compete at Worlds and make the US team, you’ll have to give up your college scholarship. How are you going to make it through college later?”

  “Who cares? I can make enough money to get—”

  “How, June?” July turned on her. “You’ve always had it in your mind some magical windfall will hit, and it won’t. Making the team is a major if no matter how good you are. Yes, you’re good. Damn good. But I’m not willing to throw away my education when there’s life after gymnastics. Or what happens if we get hurt? Can’t compete and earn, can’t afford college?”

  “But you’ll throw away your life for Matt?”

  “No. Not anymore. I see what you all see now. Yesterday was the last straw, the way he was telling me he wanted me stop texting with Mark, even when I showed him my texts and proved there was nothing to hide. I never understood why he hated Mark so much. Matt’s jealous and insecure and controlling. I get it.”

  She rested her hands on June’s shoulders. “But listen to me. Nationals weren’t some magic gateway. Lots of gymnasts are competing for the US coaches’ eyes, too.”

  “Watch me shine. I want that gold. Don’t say you don’t, too. You heard the coach in Myrtle Beach. He said if we do as well as we did there, we’ll have no problems being picked. He’s going to be in Indy. Don’t lie to me and tell me you wouldn’t like that.”

  They had killed it at Nationals. And now they were traveling to an elite camp in two weeks, where coaches were going to be selecting the world team.

  From there…Olympic gold could be theirs.

  Right now they were seventeen and not even two months into their freshman year at college, sharing a two-bedroom duplex apartment close to campus and the gym. Their parents had given them the choice of buying them used cars, or paying for their rent and utilities for the school year, if they didn’t want to live at home.

  Mark had quietly nudged them toward taking the cars. Then he kicked in five hundred of his own money to them for rent every month, paid from his pocket. He not only worked for his dad, he’d started working as Cara’s bookkeeper at the gym, plus making cash money on the side tutoring other students. Since he still lived at home with his parents, they weren’t charging him rent, so he had the extra money to spare for them.

  June knew it was another point of contention for Matt, who didn’t give July any monetary support. He
ll, he rarely bought dinner for her, or picked up the tab when then went out to the movies. And his parents were rich, his mom always giving him money when he ran short at the end of the month, in addition to paying for his truck.

  June and July made money working at the gym for Cara, and there was a little leftover from their scholarships, but Mark’s help made it possible for them to save over an hour of driving time every day by living on their own. Their neighbor was an old friend of Mark’s parents, a snowbird currently up in Ohio until November, and the owner of the duplex.

  June suspected Mark’s parents had asked their friend to do them a favor and charge the girls less than they normally would rent it for.

  She wasn’t going to question it, though. It was in a quiet neighborhood with little crime, and it wasn’t like they threw parties. Heck, if they were home and not studying, they were likely asleep. Especially when they had to be up around four every morning for practice.

  “I absolutely would love it.” July sadly smiled. “But let’s be honest. You’re ten times better than I am. What comes effortlessly for you is hard for me.”

  “So? You’re good!”

  “Good isn’t good enough. I know you’ve always had this dream we’d stand on the podium together in the Olympics somewhere, first and second. But I gotta tell you, I have a feeling I’ll either be on the coaching staff, or in the stands, watching. Plus, Mom and Dad can’t afford for us both to go. You know that. They took out a credit card to pay for us to get to the camp even though they’d told us they wouldn’t do that anymore. I feel bad about that. I want to pay them back.”

  “We’ll get sponsors.”

  “And lose my college scholarships?” July slowly shook her head. “I’m not willing to make that gamble, sis. I’m sorry. I love you, and I’ll support you every step of the way, but I want my degree. That’s my passion. I want to teach math classes, especially to girls. I’d love to coach gymnastics on the side as a hobby, but I want security. After the camp, I think I’m done. Especially if I don’t make it. There’s nowhere else to go, and I’ll be competing in college. I don’t want to be killing my body trying to stay at a world level. I hate waking up in pain every day.”