Always with You Read online

  Always with You

  Andrea Hurst

  The Sonoma County setting used in this book is mostly authentic. However, the story and characters are completely fictitious and derived from the author’s imagination.

  © 2014 Andrea Hurst

  All rights reserved.

  First edition printed March 2014

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the author, except in the context of reviews.

  ISBN-13: 978-1495326783

  ISBN-10: 1495326780

  Cover Design: Natasha Brown

  Copy Editor: Audrey Mackaman

  Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,

  while loving someone deeply gives you courage.

  ~Lao Tzu

  Prologue

  THE SUMMER of 2007

  Sonoma County, Forestville, CA

  On a day like this, nothing could be wrong with the world. Cathy’s rocker glided back and forth in the breeze as it whispered across her redwood deck. Daylight filtered across the rolling, oak-lined hills, and a sparrow’s song complemented the melodic sound of her wind chimes. June was a glorious month on the Russian River in Sonoma County. The grass blazed emerald in the sun, laying a backdrop against the pink roses that bordered her garden. Toys from her granddaughter Alicia’s visit were scattered across the deck. They were quickly abandoned when her mother, Annie, arrived and announced that it was time to leave Grandma’s house.

  A blazing ray of sun pierced through the pines. Cathy lifted her hand to block her eyes. A figure appeared in the distance walking toward her. She remembered a dream she’d had years ago, where a man walked ever closer, in the misty fog, his blue eyes piercing into hers. The day she’d met Jamie, the dream had become real, and her life had never been the same.

  The figure continued forward through the white picket gate and up her garden path. She squinted, trying to identify the form, but her aging eyes wouldn’t register his identity. Not that she was so very old, even if she was considered a senior. Her auburn hair was barely streaked with gray; her olive complexion held its own against gravity. Most never guessed her age.

  Age is just a number, her husband, Alan, had taught her. Nothing scared him; life was for living to its fullest. Back when she met him, almost thirty years ago, even in her broken state, he’d taken her by the hand and never looked back.

  Cathy’s soul mate had left her a month before, and was not coming back. But he, too, left her a gift. To know true love, even though it was impossible to keep, had finally cracked her heart open enough to let someone else in.

  The bright sunlight was in her eyes again. She reached for her prescription sunglasses. Maybe they would help identify the visitor who stood in the yard looking up at her. His silver-streaked hair glowed in the sun, creating a halo effect. “Perhaps it is my guardian angel,” she chuckled. “But I don’t think angels wear jeans and a T-shirt.”

  His jawline looked familiar, as did the slight droop of his shoulders. Suddenly, Cathy couldn’t catch her breath. Her heart pounded against her ribs. Was she having a heart attack? Was she hallucinating?

  “Cat?” he said.

  Only one man called her by that name.

  Threatening tears prevented her response. Cathy wanted to run to him, but her limbs froze in place. Nothing made sense.

  Jamie stood in front of her now, backlit by the sun, his expression exactly the same as when they first met so many years before. The memory of him burned in her heart, and his eyes still held her fate.

  CHAPTER ONE

  THE SUMMER of 1977

  Sonoma County, Forestville, CA

  Cathy steered her Honda over the familiar twists and turns of River Road as it meandered along the green waters of the Russian River. The summer sunrays blinded her as they leapt between the pines and flashed across her windshield. Her leisurely drive home from her shop was always hectic this time of year due to the tourists. It was those same tourists that kept Health & Hearth thriving, she reminded herself, for seven years now.

  She looked down at the framed photo on the front seat. “Surprise!” they’d yelled before she left. “Happy seventh anniversary.” Jill, her café manager, handed her the photo of ‘the gang’ wrapped in a gold ribbon. What would she do without them? These people were more family to her than hers had even been.

  Her shirt stuck to her back from working in the hot kitchen all day. She wanted to get home and jump in a cool shower. Cathy lowered her visor, switched on the radio, and sang along to the Fleetwood Mac song about freedom and dreams. The words, the sound of your own loneliness, stopped her. The chorus taunted her. What you’ve lost…what you had… That was not a place she wanted her mind to go. Not on this wonderful day. The past was hidden away; where she’d left it, and that is where it would safely stay.

  Horns blasted. If this guy in front of her didn’t stop slamming on his brakes, she was going to lose it. Cathy took some deep breaths. She needed to get back into yoga again. The traffic suddenly slowed. Without warning, a golden retriever sprinted out of the trees and onto the highway two cars ahead of her. She heard the screech of brakes and slammed on hers as hard as she could. Veering off to the right, she almost collided with a tree. Cathy jumped out of her car, and pushed through the onlookers. The dog was lying on the edge of the street, its chest heaving with every breath. Relief flooded her…it was still alive.

  “I’m so sorry, so sorry,” the lady with the red car kept saying. “The sun was in my eyes. I couldn’t see.”

  Cathy moved around her and bent over the dog. She petted his silky head and whispered, “Hang on, boy. It’s going to be okay.” The dog’s soft, brown eyes showed signs of understanding.

  Memories of Cathy’s own golden dog years ago, gripped her stomach. She had to get this dog out of here now. She looked up at the crowd forming in the street. “Can someone help me? Please.”

  Cathy rested the dog’s head in her lap. The traffic edged by with people gawking out of windows. “Just go away,” she wanted to scream.

  A station wagon made a sharp turn and pulled beside them, blocking the road and creating a protective barricade. A man shot out of the car. Bright sunlight grazed his face as he walked briskly toward Cathy.

  “Back away,” he told the onlookers. “Someone call the police.”

  He knelt beside her, his blond hair falling into his face as his hands moved adeptly over the dog. “Is he yours?” the man asked.

  Cathy looked up and nearly gasped. Those startling blue eyes—like the man in her dream.

  The man stared at her, waiting for a response.

  “No, he’s not mine,” Cathy finally said. “I just saw him run in the street and pulled over. Poor guy.”

  “Not everyone would do that. That was kind.”

  “Not everyone would pull over and help either,” Cathy said.

  He turned over the dog’s tag. “Well, Charlie, it looks like you wandered from home and got into some trouble.”

  The dog’s tail thumped against the pavement.

  “We have to act fast,” he said. “But I think he has a good chance.”

  Cathy looked down at the innocent, sweet dog. “He has to make it.” She broke into tears.

  He put his arm around her shoulder. Cathy let her head rest into his warm chest. “He’ll be fine. He will,” the man murmured into her hair.

  Cathy wiped her tears. “Thank you.”

  He stood and reached a hand out to pull her up. “Let’s go.”

  “There’s a vet just down the road,” she said. “You can follow me.”

  The man carefully picked up the retriever, folded him into his strong arms, and brought him to his car. Charlie moaned softy and made a valiant attempt to wag
his tail.

  The police had arrived and were waving traffic around the accident. One of them was interviewing the woman who had hit the dog. An officer motioned for Cathy, with the station wagon behind her, to enter the road. Cathy led the way to the downtown Forestville vet clinic, trying not to speed. When they arrived, she held the door open while the man carried the dog in. Cathy explained what happened to the receptionist and promised to handle any vet bills if the owner did not show up. Exhausted, she sat down on the wooden bench to wait for the results. He sat beside her.

  She glanced at his profile. The dimple in his chin, the way his light hair framed his carved face. She knew him. Those familiar eyes. Just like in her dreams, where a man walked toward her through heavy ground fog. And when he approached, the image of his intense blue eyes boring into hers would jolt her awake. Who knew what dreams meant? She knew she could not ask him to stay, for in their haste with the dog, she had not noticed what she saw now: the gold wedding band on his left hand.

  “You’ve been so kind,” Cathy said. “You don’t have to wait. I’ll take care of him.”

  The man hesitated. “I do have to get back to the city but…”

  Just at that moment, a teary young woman ran into the vet’s office. “Where’s my Charlie?” she asked the receptionist. “He’s my dog. He got out of the fence, that bad boy. When I got home, I heard and…is he okay?”

  “I think he’s doing well, let me check.” The receptionist went into the back offices.

  Cathy went over to the owner and helped her take a chair. “We found him and brought him here. He’s a beautiful dog. I’m sure he’s going to be fine.”

  The woman looked up with a stricken expression. “I love him so much. I feel so bad.”

  The vet walked out. “Well, I’m happy to say Charlie seems only to have suffered a broken front leg. He’s in shock, so I think we should keep him overnight. But I’m confident he’ll be going home with you tomorrow.”

  The woman jumped out of her seat. “Thank you, doctor! Can I see him now?”

  “Of course,” the vet said, leading her back.

  She turned to Cathy and the helpful stranger. “I’m Paula. How can I thank you?”

  “Just go love your dog,” he said.

  Cathy stood. Her legs were wobbly.

  “Are you going to be okay?” he asked. The kindness in his eyes almost made her cry again.

  “I’m fine. Thanks. You can go back to the city now.”

  When he reached the door, he turned and waved. “Take care of yourself.”

  She stood and watched him go. Like a white knight in a station wagon, he drove out of her life.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Summer 1977

  Forestville, CA

  It was 2:00 p.m., too early for wine but not for chocolate. Cathy surveyed the house again. The oak floors glowed thanks to vinegar and water. Ceramic vases filled the rooms with colorful wildflowers from her garden, and the sun shone through the freshly washed windows facing the woods.

  All day she’d obsessed, trying to get the house clean enough for her guests. Two adults and a four-year-old child. She was used to a quiet house all to herself, but short-term company sounded like it might be fun. It had been years since she’d last seen Pam. They’d been pretty good friends back then when everything else fell apart. But they’d barely spoken in over ten years. Cathy was surprised to hear from her.

  “Cathy,” Pam said when she called. “We need a place stay on and off while my husband interviews in the wine country up there.” She’d gone on about their living situation and how they were staying with Pam’s mom in Oakland until they got on their feet. With her mom’s Alzheimer’s, and being a part-time caregiver, that must have been hard on them all. “We want our little girl to grow up in that nice environment,” she’d said so sweetly.

  Pam was right. Oakland was no place to raise a four-year-old girl. The orchards, open fields, and woods here in the country would be much better. Even though it was only about sixty miles north, Forestville was worlds away. Her husband had just graduated from the fancy new Culinary Academy of America in San Francisco and hoped he’d be able to get a good job in Sonoma County.

  Of course Cathy was pleased to help them out. Marriage could certainly be a challenge. She knew that only too well. She was happy for Pam, but marriage was the last thing on Cathy’s mind. Thirty years old and she’d already been divorced for several years. That took planning, like marrying just out of high school. Or picking the absolutely wrong guy, for all the wrong reasons, who’d then abandoned her alone and pregnant. Her parents’ marriage hadn’t been much better.

  Cathy wised up after that and moved to Sonoma County to start over. She’d worked hard, buried her pain, and took charge of her own life. And now she ran a successful health food store and café. There were men in and out of her life, but she always kept it light. Now that handsome stranger who appeared last week and helped rescue Charlie, he might make her change her mind. Those eyes…she could look into them and see forever. But for now, she’d have fun dating and steer clear of any commitment. It was safer that way.

  Cathy entered her kitchen and admired the newly tiled cobalt-blue counters. They looked striking against the oak cabinets. She took out the bag of dark chocolate nuggets she’d bought at Organic Grocers and headed toward the front deck to enjoy the day. On a whim, she pulled her old high school yearbook off the shelf and brought it outside.

  “I wonder if Pam is still as perky and blonde as she was in high school?” she said aloud to her lanky black cat, who’d followed her to the deck. Libby rubbed against her leg, purring like a motor. It was hard to imagine this contented cat was once a starving feral kitten. She’d found Libby with her little sister pathetically mewing in the yard. The cat jumped up and curled into Cathy’s lap. Snowy, her all-white partner in crime, was probably out somewhere stalking lizards. There must have been two different dads for that litter, she mused.

  Cathy grabbed another handful of candy and savored the rich, creamy flavor. They would be here soon. Had she thought of everything? The lawn was cut. Tall pink daisies reached for the sky in her flowerbeds alongside sweet alyssum. Perhaps she should put some daisies in the little girl’s room and remake the bed with rose-colored sheets?

  Libby spied something in the yard and jumped off her lap, distracting Cathy from her thoughts. She stared at the high school yearbook sitting on the table next to her. Did she really want to go down that memory lane? Why not? She threw open the book and scanned the glossy pages. They were full of petite little Pam in her cheerleading outfit, all golden curls and big eyes. Cathy had been an awkward five-foot-nine as a high school freshman and was one of the tallest girls. It was embarrassing then, and she’d envied Pam’s small frame. Later, as years passed, people told Cathy she looked like a model. Her height and long, thick auburn hair were suddenly assets.

  She turned the yellowing page. A huge photo jumped out from senior prom night. There Cathy was in her flowing, pink chiffon dress standing next to a beaming Todd, both of them sporting glittery crowns. “The King and Queen are announced for 1965.” Her hair trailed down almost to her small waist. Her classic smile was there, but the sadness in her eyes spoke the loudest. No one ever seemed to notice. Some days she wanted to scream right into the middle of the schoolyard, “I hate my father. He’s not the perfect man you all think he is!” But people would have just walked back and shook their head.

  Cathy had almost forgiven herself for the bad choices she’d made back then. The pain of her father’s death and the way her family fell apart was so encompassing, she’d blindly reached for anything or anyone who’d offered comfort. Even Todd. How had she been so blind? She laid the yearbook down and looked out at the lush ferns sprouting under the redwoods. The sun was moving down the sky toward the west, but the warmth of the day still lingered behind.

  Her eyes closed for a short nap. “Very short,” she murmured, drifting off.

  Bells rang in the distance
. It was the phone. She jumped up, hurried toward the kitchen, and lifted the receiver.

  It was Pam. They were on River Road, at the phone booth by Speers market, only minutes from Cathy’s house.

  “Make sure you take the left turn after the red barn and drive through the white picket gate,” Cathy instructed.

  Pam sounded excited, which got Cathy feeling that way too. It might be nice to have company, a cute little girl to read to, someone else cooking dinner. The cats would be happy for some extra attention when she was working at the shop.

  A white Plymouth station wagon pulled in scattering dust. Libby jumped straight in the air, reaching for a colorful butterfly, then startled and ran into the woods when the tires hit the drive. The car was packed to the brim, even though the plan was for them to stay only a few days. Hollers from their little girl pierced the air with excitement. For a moment Cathy questioned her good intentions having a family of three invade her home. Then Pam jumped out of the car, ran over, and threw her arms around her.

  “Cathy, you look great!”

  Gone were Pam’s golden curls, now pulled back in a ponytail. Her petite frame had taken on a few pounds, presumably from motherhood and marital contentment. “You look happy,” Cathy said. “I can’t wait to catch up.”

  Pam shifted from one foot to the other. “Mind if I use your bathroom? Been a long ride.”

  “Sure. Go through the living room to the right and you’ll see one.”

  Pam scampered up the stairs. “Be right back.”

  A man with sandy blond hair curling down over his shoulders exited the car. Cathy’s breath caught. He walked over with a squirming little girl in a pretty yellow sundress.

  “I’m Jamie.” He started to offer his hand and froze in place.