[Desert Roses 03] - Beneath A Harvest Sky by Tracie Peterson Read Free Book Online Page B

of another human being caused all thoughts to fly out of Rainy’s mind.
    She felt herself falling backward. As she fought to regain her balance, she looked up to catch Duncan’s stunned expression change to one of intense concern. He reached out to take hold of her but missed her by inches. Rainy smacked down hard on her backside.
    “Making friends with the floor?” he questioned good-naturedly. The look of amusement changed to concern, however, as Rainy frowned. “Are you all right? I tried to catch you but . . .”
    “I’m fine,” Rainy said, trying to gracefully get to her feet. He reached down to help her up and kept his hold on her while she steadied herself. She rubbed her lower back.
    “I’m so sorry.” He gently rubbed her upper arms.
    Rainy momentarily lost herself in his dark brown eyes, his tenderness her undoing. Could he be the one, Lord? Could he be the man I’m to spend the rest of my life with?
    “It was all my fault,” she said, finally finding her voice. “I wasn’t watching where I was going. I was a bit preoccupied.” Rainy’s words sounded foreign in her ears. What’s wrong with me? I’m acting so silly . She straightened and pulled away. With a much more serious tone, she added, “Sonny’s looking for you. He’s out at the car. I need to get the guests out there as well.”
    Duncan’s manner became quite formal, almost as if she’d somehow offended him. “Very well. Mind your step.”
    He moved around her with little fanfare and walked toward the door. Rainy watched him momentarily. Oh, Father, please show me what to do. Help me to be patient, because I’m not at all sure I have it within myself to keep from charging ahead .
    “Miss Gordon, I have my family rallied for the trip,” Mr. Van Patten announced as he brought his entourage down the hall.
    Rainy smiled. “I was just coming to find you. Looks like we’ll have a beautiful day for travel. The temperature has warmed quite nicely but shouldn’t get too hot. That’s the luxury of traveling this time of year.”
    “I cannot bear the heat,” Mrs. Van Patten said, her chin raised ever so slightly.
    Rainy could tell the woman would most likely be a problem guest. Guests came in three varieties. Accommodating— those with easygoing personalities, who rolled with the punches and unexpected catastrophes.
    Confused—those who were too old, too young, or just too misplaced to enjoy themselves fully. And the problem guests—those who found fault with everything from the food to the transportation to the color of the tour guide’s hair. Rainy actually had one woman refuse to take a tour with the Gordons because they had red hair and that was an omen of bad luck for her.
    Rainy tried to push aside her fears of Mrs. Van Pat-ten being just such a guest. “I shouldn’t imagine it will be a problem this time of year, Mrs. Van Patten.”
    “And what will you do if it is hot? How will you see to our needs?”
    Rainy smiled. “I shall pray for cooler temperatures and find you a fan. But right now we need to be on our way. We have a schedule to keep.”
    She left without waiting to hear what Mrs. Van Pat-ten might have to say. Sometimes Rainy had a hard time keeping her sarcasm to herself. Again she sent up a petition to God for patience, only this time it was for an entirely different reason.
    Along the route of their tour, Rainy told them of rock formations and rivers, of vegetation and wildlife. She pointed out a roadrunner that seemed rather intimidated by the huge touring car.
    “I’m sure he’s afraid we might eat him,” Rainy said, laughing. She glanced at her watch. “We’ll be arriving at the San Augustine Church in Isleta in about fifteen minutes. Before we get there, and because the stop is a very short one, I thought I’d give you the history of the church. Something quite unusual has taken place there, and for over one hundred years everyone from officials in Rome to the president of the United States has been