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TWENTY-SEVEN

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One of Craig's foster parents used to warn him about being careful what you wished for, because it might come true. Lately, Craig had been wishing he had more time to take care of other matters, and, after the Fourth of July, the motel owner sent out a memo to the staff stating that due to slower than normal business, their hours would be cut. Craig would now be working one less day a week. Fortunately, he had picked up a few more freelance writing projects, including an article for a British travel magazine about ghost towns in western New Mexico. He planned on stopping by a used sporting goods store on his way home from work to see if he could find a good deal on camping equipment. He would have three consecutive days off the following week, and he planned to spend them camping in the New Mexico wilderness to take photographs and research his story. He would also stop by the courthouse on the way out of town and file the paperwork to contest Rachel's injunction against harassment. Once again, things seemed to be going his way. Hopefully, by the time he returned, he would have his six hundred dollars.

***

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RACHEL STUDIED HER reflection in the bedroom mirror after changing into yet another top. Shane would soon arrive to take her to his parent's house, but she still wasn't ready, and she couldn't understand why she felt so nervous. Perhaps it was because it would be the first time since high school when she would be meeting someone's parents.

Focusing on her refection, she let out another sigh. This time she had on the gauzy red blouse she wore the night she and Shane had made love for the first time, but instead of her short black leather skirt, she wore white pants and had no scarf tied around her waist. Overall her look was summery and not too suggestive, but she wondered if bright red would be too risque for his folks. As she pondered about what to try on next the doorbell rang. As usual, Shane had arrived right on time.

"Nice outfit," he said as she opened the door.

"Are you sure it's okay? I don't want to wear something that's too—"

"It's fine." He stopped and gave her a quick kiss. "Truth be known, my parents lived together for about a year before they got married, and it was during a time when living together wasn't as acceptable as it is today, which means they're hardly prudes, so you can stop worrying."

"I know, but I still want to make a good first impression."

He gave her a reassuring smile. "Just be yourself and you'll be fine."

She quickly gathered up her purse, along with a shopping bag, and followed him out to his car. His parents lived close by, in a large bungalow near the country club.

"Nice house," she said as she stepped out of the car.

"Thanks. I was in junior high when they bought it. They keep saying they want to sell it and get a smaller place, but now that Dad's semiretired he's spending more time on the golf course, and it's practically within walking distance."

Rachel's stomach turned flip-flops as they walked up the driveway. An attractive blonde answered the door. She wore shorts with a tank top underneath a shear blouse. Rachel thought she might be Shane's sister, or perhaps a family friend. Her jaw dropped when Shane introduced her to his mother.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. MacLeod."

"Likewise." She extended her hand gave Rachel a warm smile in return. "Shane's told us so much about you, so please, come on in."

Rachel cautiously stepped over the threshold as Shane followed close behind.

"Cute blouse," she said once Rachel came inside. "Red's my favorite color."

"Mine too," said Rachel as she handed her the bag. "I wanted to bring dessert, but as Shane may have already told you, I'm afraid I'm not much of a cook. I did, however, get some bakery cupcakes. They're yellow, with chocolate icing."

"Thank you, and don't worry. When I was your age, I wasn't much of a cook either." She led them to the kitchen and offered them some iced tea. As she handed them their glasses, Shane opened the sliding glass door and Rachel followed him outside. The backyard included a swimming pool and built-in grill, where his dad was busy cooking burgers. He and his son had the same red hair, although his was streaked with gray.

"Nice to meet you, Dr. MacLeod," said Rachel as Shane made the introductions.

"You too," he said with a warm smile. "Shane's told us a lot about you."

"Has he now?"

"Indeed he has," said another voice. Shane's mother had come out to join them, and she invited them to sit with her at the patio table. "Now that the sun's going down it's starting to cool off, so I thought it might be nice to dine out here, if it's okay with you kids."

"We'd love to." Shane turned on the outdoor lights and he and Rachel took their seats. Flames leapt into the air as Dr. MacLeod flipped the burgers.

"We did this all the time during the summer when I was a kid," said Shane. "Dad would grill burgers, and we'd eat by the pool."

"Assuming he didn't get called away on an unexpected emergency," said his mother. "It happened more often than you can imagine, but it goes with the territory of being a doctor's wife. Fortunately, my cooking skills improved greatly over time, and I got pretty good at taking over on the grill. Shane's a good griller as well."

Rachel immediately perked up. "He is?" She gave him a playful look. "So, what other hidden talents do you have that I don't know about?"

"You'll just have to wait and find out, won't you?"

Rachel had finally started to relax, and the conversation soon turned to stories of Shane's childhood. Before long the burgers were ready, so she offered to set table while Shane helped his mother bring out the side dishes. Shane's parents, Colin and Kelly, continued reminiscing over dinner.

"After I finished my residency in New Jersey, I accepted an invitation to join a practice here in Tucson," said Colin. "My specialty was sports medicine, so I jumped at the chance to return home, and this lovely lady sitting next to me was one of their nurses."

"Do you two still work together?" asked Rachel.

"Oh heavens no," said Kelly. "I took a job at another medical office once Colin and I started dating. Then when we had Katy, Shane's older sister, I quit nursing to become a full-time wife and mom. When Shane started high school, I thought about going back into nursing, but it's so different now, so I decided not to go back. I'd taken up yoga to get back in shape after Shane was born, and I was still doing it, so I ended up becoming a yoga instructor instead. It's a fun job, and I still teach it, but only part time now." She patted her husband's arm as she spoke. "Colin's cutting back on his hours as well as he plans to retire in about another year or so. After that, we plan on buying an RV and traveling around the country."

"Right after you sell the place, right, Mom?"

Kelly looked at Rachel. "See, no respect from my offspring. Typical, huh?" She turned back to Shane. "Actually, your dad and I have decided to sell the place to you. It's the perfect place for you to raise your own kids."

A jolt went through Rachel's body. She turned her attention back to her plate, wondering why everyone so fixated with the idea of her marrying Shane.

"One step at a time, Mom," said Shane. "Let's get Dad retired first. Then we'll see if you two really end up buying that RV."

As Rachel took a few sips of her iced tea, Kelly brought up something else.

"So, Rachel, Shane's been telling me that you've been having some sort of issue with an old boyfriend."

Rachel heard a slight tone of disapproval in Kelly's voice. She swallowed hard and carefully set her glass down. "He was never a boyfriend. He was a co-worker I once had, and, at the time, I considered him something of a mentor."

"I see. So, tell me about him."

"He had a live-in girlfriend, and we never saw one another outside the office." Rachel's voice was firm. "We simply took our coffee breaks together, and, as I said, I considered him a mentor. Then I got a promotion he felt I didn't deserve. That's when he turned on me."

"And why would he have done that?"

Rachel was quick with her response. "His girlfriend's niece had also applied for the job, and he thought she was more qualified than I was. And maybe she was, but she turned it down, so they offered it to me. Unfortunately, Craig, my former co-worker, didn't see it that way, and, for reasons I don't understand myself, he's been unable to let it go and move on."

Shane spoke up. "One of my old high school buddies, Lamar Northup, is now a private investigator in San Diego, so I had him look into it. It turns out Craig has some serious problems, stemming from his childhood, which Rachel was unaware of when she worked with him. Had she known then what we know now, she would have never befriended him in the first place. Unfortunately, people don't come with warning labels."

"I know that." Kelly sounded irritated. "I just don't want to see anyone getting hurt, that's all."

"It's okay, Mom. Rachel has it under control. She's taken out a restraining order against him, and her parents are willing to back her should she decide to take legal action. Hopefully, he'll move on, and it won't come to that."

Colin changed the subject and asked if anyone was ready for dessert. Kelly excused herself to go back to the kitchen, politely turning down Rachel's offer to help. She returned a few minutes later with fresh, strawberry shortcakes made from the cupcakes Rachel had brought. As they lingered over dessert, the conversation shifted back and forth between memories of Shane's childhood and discussions about his parent's future plans. Rachel remained quiet over the rest of the meal but offered to help with the cleanup.

"If you want to help clear the table, that's fine," said Kelly. "I can load the dishwasher later."

Once the table was cleared and the leftovers were put away, Shane took Rachel down the hall to show her his old bedroom. It still contained the furniture he grew up with, but a laptop sat at his desk, and a small file cabinet had been placed in the closet.

"Nowadays my folks use this room mostly as a home office," he said, "but, on occasion, it's also used as a guest room. Katy's kids stayed here the last time she came for a visit, but it's been a few years."

"So why are they keeping your old furniture?"

"Because if I ever have a son, it'll go in his room."

Rachel remained silent as they headed to the living room to join his parents. Shane had certainly put in a lot of thought about becoming a parent someday, and while she was becoming more attached to him, she still wasn't sure she if she wanted marriage and a family. She kept to herself as Shane and his parents chatted. When he finally looked in her direction, he gave her a concerned look.

"You okay? You've been awfully quiet."

"I'm just tired." She glanced at his parents as she stifled a yawn. "I've put in a long week. Shane's boss has been sending work my way, and it's kept me pretty busy."

Colin checked the time. "You know, it really is getting late, so why don't we call it a night?"

Rachel gathered up her purse and Shane's parents walked them out to their car, where all the goodnights were said. As they pulled away from the curb, Shane noticed the change in Rachel's mood.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired. I really did put in a long week this week."

"I know you did, but you also seem a little upset."

She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. "I guess I got a little thrown when your mother referred to Craig as an old boyfriend. Trust me, I never, ever dated the man. I never so much as went out to lunch with him."

"I know you didn't, and I'm sorry it happened. Sometimes Mom gets wrapped up in her own stuff and she gets things mixed up. She also gets a little too overprotective at times, but believe me, she never meant any harm."

"I know she didn't, but you have no idea of how much people don't understand what I've been going through. They always assume it's somehow my fault because I somehow encouraged him, when I never did."

"I know you didn't, Rachel."

"And I'm glad you understand, because a lot of people don't. You wouldn't believe some of the stupid remarks people have said, such as, 'Well he obviously likes you, so why not give him a chance? You might even like him.' Uh, no, I don't think so. The thought of going out with him actually turns my stomach. Another time some woman said to me, 'Gee, I wish I had your problem. I can never get a man to give me a second look.' To which I wanted to respond by saying that perhaps she was too stupid to get anyone to notice her, but I was polite. I simply told her anytime she wanted to trade places it would be okay by me. Then there's the old standby, 'Boys will be boys,' excuse. Really? So does it mean that because he's a man, it's okay for him to stalk like me a predator and make my life a living hell? Give me a break."

"I know, Rachel, and I'm sorry. Believe me, I've been trying to help you as much as I can."

"I know you have, and I'm truly grateful for everything you've done for me. I'm just tired and stressed. I wanted so much to make a good impression on your folks, but once again, thanks to Craig Walker, I failed. Miserably."

"No, you didn't fail miserably. In fact, I could tell they liked you, Dad, especially. Trust me, I know the signs."

"Well, that's certainly a relief."

Rachel remained quiet for the rest of the ride. Shane pulled into her driveway a short time later.

"I'd like to stay overnight."

"I know, and normally, I'd say yes, but tonight I really am tired. Can we take a rain check?"

He gave her a disappointed look and she suddenly felt pangs of guilt.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" he asked. "We don't have to do anything, you know."

"I know, but to be honest, Shane, sometimes the Craig stuff really does get to me, and right now I need a little time alone to sort through it." She squeezed his hand as she spoke. "But I still want you to know that had a good time, and I really did enjoy meeting your folks."

Shane still looked disappointed. "I understand, and they enjoyed meeting you too."

"Tell you what," said Rachel. "Let me sleep on it tonight, and by tomorrow morning I should be myself again. Why don't you stop by tomorrow evening? I'll fix dinner, and it'll be just the two of us. I really am trying to improve my cooking skills, and I have a new recipe I want to try, as long as you don't mind being a guinea pig."

"I'd love to, but I already have a prior commitment for tomorrow."

His comment caught her off guard. "Really?"

"Yeah," he said as he nodded. "Remember my old buddies, Rick and Marco?"

"Sure, I do."

"Well, as you and I have been getting closer, I haven't been spending as much time with them as I used to, so tomorrow we're doing a guy's night out and going to a sports bar for a pitcher of beer and a Diamondbacks game."

"I see." Now it was Rachel's turn to feel disappointed. "Well, that's okay. You need to spend some quality time with your other friends, and, now that I think about it, I really should call Pilar and find out the latest with Jacob's dad." She gave him a quick goodnight kiss and hopped out of the car. Shane stepped out as well, insisting on walking her to her door.

"Goodnight, Rachel." He gave her a final goodnight kiss and waited until she stepped inside. He still looked disappointed as she closed the door. She thought it over for a moment, realizing it would be okay for him to stay over it he wanted, but by the time she opened her door again Shane had already left. Rachel sighed as she closed the door and locked it.