Against the Odds A Love Story

Chapter 1

Change Is An Adventure.

One

  Six months later

Roswell, New Mexico

I can't believe I'm really in alien territory,” I joked, sitting across from Caroline.

She laughed and handed me a glass of cold lemonade. “Yeah, right. The closest we ever get to aliens is when some of the ranch hands come back to work after a weekend of drinking and carousing around the valley. They're usually so green, they look like aliens. And just between you and me, that's when David slams the bunkhouse door the hardest.”

I smiled, loving her sense of humor. “It serves them right.” Sighing, I sipped my lemonade. “I've missed you so much, Caroline.”

“I've missed you too, Raine. I've even missed Atlanta a little, if you can believe that.” She smiled. “We hated moving, but when David's father died, the ranch went to David and his brother, Hayden, so we had to leave. I'm sure Hayden could have handled the place alone, but it was half David's responsibility too, and he felt obligated to come.” She gazed through the kitchen window across the land. “Now I'm glad we came. I love it here.”

I quietly stared out the window as my thoughts drifted back to the first time I met Caroline and David. Jerome was hosting a party at his office for both his new and prospective clients. Caroline and David were in the process of making a final decision about Jerome's company handling some of their investments. They were being wined and dined by Jerome and his staff to solidify the deal. I connected with Caroline immediately and we were soon the best of friends.

Jerome and I saw quite a bit of the couple after that. Though Jerome and David had nothing in common, they got along well and the friendship was good. Good that is until David and Caroline moved away, taking their money with them. Caroline and I remained close, but Jerome had no use for them after that. Of course that was always the way with Jerome.

Pulling my thoughts to the present, I observed Caroline for a moment, taking in her youthful, motherly smile. There were streaks of gray in her dark hair and deep lines appeared around her blue eyes when she smiled, but she had gained an earthy beauty that wasn't there before. And it only added to the regal gracefulness she had always possessed. “I think this life suits you,” I finally said.

“Well, what about you?” she asked with a grin. “You've only been here for a week and just look at you! With that beautiful curly mane of yours pulled back and you walking around in Wranglers and boots, girl, you're already wearing this life well, too.”

Grinning, I looked down at my hands. After a week of helping Caroline with work around the house, my perfect manicure wasn't perfect anymore. Gone were the designer clothes and shoes. They were now replaced by feminine plaid shirts, t-shirts, jeans, and western boots. Also gone was the heavy makeup. Now my light brown eyes were only adorned with a little eyeliner and mascara, and my lips touched with clear gloss.

After studying these changes in the mirror earlier that morning, I decided I liked them. I liked them a lot. Having been a very busy model for five years and being made up daily, this more natural look was a refreshing change for me. Besides, walking away from that life was no sacrifice. I had done well. Now I was done, period.

Most of the people in Atlanta who knew me couldn't believe or understand my decision to leave it all and walk away. Sometimes I still found it hard to believe myself. To everyone that knew me, I had everything. And for a short while, I believed that as well.

All my life I had dreamed of being a model. I wanted the glamor and the glitz that came with it. Not to mention the money. But I never dreamed of the complications that would come with that life. When I was younger I thought, This is how I'm going to make my mark on the world. Had it been worth it? Maybe. Had it brought me happiness? Some. But in the grand scheme of things, I knew now that none of it mattered. It was all insignificant to what was really important. A family, something I could call my own. That's what was important to me. I thought I'd had that with Jerome. As unfaithful as he had been, I had been willing to keep trying. But it turned out those things weren't important to him. Truthfully, I think I had known that all along, but I let myself be strung along for the ride because of what a life with him would give me. A supposed family and financial security. I thought I could have it all, but it eventually became too much. The lies and deceit had drowned what feelings I had for him and washed them away like a sandcastle on a beach. I finally grew up.

I again looked down at my hands. I thought about Jerome and couldn't help but smile as I contemplated what he would think if he saw me now. I would get a kick out of his reaction to be sure. His black Barbie doll was history.

Caroline must have read my thoughts in my expression. “Raine, that man is a horse's hind end to treat you the way he did. I think if he was here now, I'd strap him to the back of one and let it drag his tail up and down this valley. Goodness knows he deserves it.”

I covered my mouth, laughing out loud. “The closest you will ever get Jerome to a horse is watching a race from the comfort of his leather recliner. And that's only if he has a bet riding on it.”

She chuckled a moment, shaking her head, her straight hair tumbling around her shoulders. Then she sobered and looked at me intently. “So, how are you really?” she asked earnestly.

“I'm doing okay. You know it had been a long time coming. Our marriage was over long before I got his John Hancock on the papers.”

“I know. And I keep thinking that in a way, it's good you didn't have any children.”

“I do, too,” I agreed with a sigh. “But it wasn't from lack of trying, at least on my part.”

“I know that, too.” Caroline took a drink from her glass. “Maybe it wasn't in the cards for you and Jerome. Or, maybe it just wasn't the time.”

“Well, either way, I can see now that a child wouldn't have made much difference in our relationship. As much as I wanted to be a mother, and still want to be one day, it sure wouldn't be good for a child to be in this situation now, being pulled back and forth between divorced parents. I know it happens, but it's still a sad way to grow up.”

We sat for a moment in silence as I pondered that thought. Truthfully, I really did feel grateful now that there were no kids between us. As unfaithful as Jerome had been in our marriage, any child of ours would most likely have a brother or sister or two running around somewhere in Atlanta. That would have been all I needed. To have one of Jerome's illegitimate children knocking on my door one day looking for his daddy.

I closed my eyes and shook my head as feelings of anger slowly entered me again. “Unfaithful jerk!” I muttered softly.

Caroline's snicker drew me from my thoughts. “All right, girl. Come back to Roswell.”

I smiled. “I'm here. Just doing some therapeutic reminiscing. Purely therapy.”