CHASING RAINBOWS
by Genie Gabriel
Romantic Comedy/Rated PG-13
April in my part of Western Oregon brought sunshine for a couple weeks, then a return to rain and cooler weather the past two days. Today, the sun is shining again--we've been having perfect weather for chasing rainbows! So of course I'm celebrating spring with an excerpt from my book of the same name, Chasing Rainbows. Enjoy!
***EXCERPT***
Anticipation hurried Rissa out of the office at five o'clock for the first time in weeks. It was just as well, she reasoned, since all her thoughts were on Ian MacGregor and she wasn't getting much work done.
Accelerating her sedan as the hill sloped upward, anticipation flowed through her bloodstream. If Madelaine had returned, she would have an excuse to call Ian MacGregor. The man had disturbed her routine since she had met him and she wasn't quite sure what to do about it.
Once on the castle grounds, she pulled around the main house to the garages--then slammed on the brakes. A body was hanging in the net in front of her.
Rissa rummaged through her purse for the can of pepper spray then slowly emerged from the car. She approached the net carefully, unsure if one of the neighborhood boys had been playing again or if they had actually captured someone up to no good.
"I'd like to get down," the captive called out.
"Ian? What are you doing up there?" Rissa circled beneath her fantasy man. How could he have set off Horace's booby trap? It was only supposed to activate if someone tried to break into the garages.
"Rissa, watch out!" Horace puffed around the side of the building, carrying a metal rod with a cone-shaped sphere on one end, which he pointed at the net.
"Whoa! Careful with that thing!" Ian yelled.
"Mr. MacGregor?" Horace peered upward. "What are you doing up there?"
Rissa and Horace stared up at Ian, waiting for an answer.
"If you let me down, I'll explain."
Rissa glanced at her uncle, then ducked under one of the archways and pushed a red button. The net slowly moved downward until it touched the ground.
Horace hurried forward to free Ian. "I'm so sorry, Mr. MacGegor. I don't know how this could have happened."
"No harm done," Ian assured Horace as he stepped out of the criss-crossed lengths of rope.
"Well, as long as you're not hurt." With an absent wave, Horace meandered back toward the house, leaving Ian to confront a scowling Rissa.
"Why exactly were you by the garages?" Rissa crossed her arms over her chest.
"Waiting for you or Madelaine to show up. Horace said you could write me a check for the Pinto station wagon."
Truth or cover-up? Rissa wondered. "I'll need to confirm the price with Madelaine."
A muscle tightened in Ian's jaw as he drew a deep breath. He stared hard at Rissa for a moment then executed an abrupt about-face, tossing a retreating comment over his shoulder. "Fine. Call me when Madelaine shows up."
Rissa followed Ian back around the garages to the front of the castle. His long strides carried him quickly to the Pinto, where he jerked open the door. Before he slid inside, he paused and looked once again at her. The sun broke through the clouds for a moment, shining through the droplets of rain, casting a rainbow across the sky, its bow coming to rest behind Ian.
"Your dreams lie at the end of the rainbow." Madelaine's whispered advice niggled at Rissa through years of memories. She squeezed her eyes closed. When she opened them, both Ian and the rainbow were gone.
Excerpt copyright Genene Valleau, writing as Genie Gabriel
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