Rainy Day Lovers (The Rocklyns Book 3) Read online

  Rainy Day Lovers

  The Rocklyns

  Alicia Street

  USA Today Bestselling Author

  Copyright © 2019 by Alicia Street

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Alicia Street with the exception of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Created with Vellum

  Description

  Raina spent her youth as the problem-solver and peacekeeper of her volatile dysfunctional household, then later continued in a similar role as a family law attorney often working sixteen-hour days. But as she watches her family and her clients move on with their lives, she is shocked to discover she forgot to get a life of her own.

  After a tragedy that left him orphaned and alone, Roman finally got a second chance and he made the most of it. Although he is now a plastic surgeon, an expert in repairing external scars, the scars from his own internal wounds still haunt him—and so does the memory of the girl whose act of courage and kindness changed his life.

  “After reading one book by this author, I had to read them all!”~ Amazon Reader Review

  “So much depth, emotion, passion and love.” ~ Unputdownable Books

  “If you’ve never read a romance by Alicia Street, you’re in for a real treat.” ~Leisure Zone

  Contents

  Description

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Excerpt ~ Lovers in Training

  A Note from the Author

  Also by Alicia Street

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  August 2001

  Queens, NY

  Eighteen-year-old Raina Meredith Rocklyn felt almost like an off-duty cop who was witnessing a crime. Well, not quite that, but after spending the last six weeks doing volunteer work at homeless shelters in New York City, she recognized what was going on here.

  The guy was dumpster diving and she’d bet every cent in her wallet that he was looking for food.

  What should she do? She couldn’t just drive off and forget about him. Couldn’t pretend she didn’t see someone who was hungry.

  But was he dangerous? Crazy? Would he take food if she offered it?

  Raina had pulled off the Sunrise Highway just outside of Queens, thinking she would pick up a large coffee to keep her alert on her long drive from the city back to the end of Long Island. Now as she sat in the white Nissan Versa she’d borrowed from her cousin, sipping her brew in the soft light of an August evening, she watched the dude in the back corner of the parking lot behind the diner.

  He jumped out of the dumpster and stood there examining the contents of a paper bag that he’d obviously found. His clothes were dirty and rumpled, his body rail-thin. His dark stringy hair looked like it needed a good wash. It hung past his chin and seemed to cover most of his face. She sensed he was young and tried to get a better look.

  Ohmigod.

  When he glanced in her direction, Raina saw a face straight out of a horror film. It was covered in purple blotches and one side had raised ridges of what she assumed were scars from his forehead to his mouth that dipped down on one corner at a weird angle. Poor guy. Her heart bled for him.

  That’s when she noticed a girl and a guy about her own age getting out of a gray Camry filled with other kids.

  As the two walked past the boy who was standing in front of the dumpster, the girl grimaced at him. “Ewww.”

  “Yo, dude! Halloween’s not till October,” her boyfriend said.

  The girl laughed and said, “Now that’s a face that’ll ruin my dinner.”

  The homeless guy mumbled something back and Rainy could swear it sounded like, “Then don’t look.” Like an animal whose sole mission was to survive and screw the peripheral, he turned back to the dumpster.

  But the boyfriend grabbed his shoulder and flipped him around, shoving his back against the dumpster. “What did you say to her?”

  Rainy heard a car door slam and noticed a guy in a baseball cap had gotten out of the Camry and sauntered toward the scene. Then the three other guys came swaggering over.

  She didn’t like the looks of this.

  “Hey, Josh, I bet it was Monster Man that stole your laptop outta your car,” the guy in the baseball cap said.

  “That true, Vomit Face? You got my laptop? Or did you sell it already?”

  Another boy with a shaved head chimed in, “Mark asked you a question. Now answer the man!”

  The homeless guy just shook his head. He was trapped against the broad wall of the huge dumpster, surrounded by this group of punks.

  Rainy’s gut clenched as she tried to think of what she could do.

  “Got news,” Mark said. “We’re gonna make you even uglier than you are now.”

  Then the five guys and the girl descended on him, shoving and pounding. The disfigured guy fought back and got a few punches in, even dropping one of the guys. But he was outnumbered and outweighed. They’d leave him a bloody pulp, if not worse. She just hoped none of them carried a knife.

  Raina turned the ignition, her foot on the gas, and, leaning on her horn, she drove right into the fray, sending the thugs diving for cover. She made a screeching turn, slamming on the brakes with the passenger side door next to the “monster,” who was now crouching on the ground.

  She reached out swung open the passenger side door. “Get in!”

  Looking stunned, he hesitated for a split second.

  “Come on! Now!” she yelled.

  As soon as the homeless boy slid into his seat and closed the door, two bully boys hopped on the front hood of her car.

  She hit the gas and cut a sharp turn, spilling her unwanted hood hitchers onto the curb. Then she drove out of the lot and onto the main street.

  As they sped off down the road, Raina checked her rear view. No sign of them. After a few turns down one street and up the next, she decided the posse wasn’t going to follow them, and her car became just another anonymous vehicle swallowed up in the never-ending swarm of Long Island traffic.

  But as she glanced at the guy sitting next to her, she realized what she had done and wondered what the hell she was going to do now.

  Shocked and baffled, Robbie couldn’t speak. He stole glimpses of the girl who’d rescued him with her ballsy move and kickass driving. Wow. She was really pretty, with long dark hair and rosy lips. Not that they’d ever kiss him. In fact, he’d better not look directly at her or she might get upset and decide to dump him out of the car.

  They stopped for a light and he wondered this was it, if she would tell him to get out here. But she didn’t.

  “Thank you,” he murmured, his chin on his chest, his hair hanging down and hopefully hiding his scars from her.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “I don’t know what I can do to repay you. I could maybe wash your car or something.”

  “Don’t be silly. You don’t owe me anything.” She gave him a frown, her eyebrows knit together, and instead of coming off stern, it only made her look even prettier.

/>   When he realized they were gazing directly at each other, Roman quickly turned away and pulled his hair over his cheek.

  “You don’t have to do that,” she said, going back to her driving as the light changed.

  “Do what?”

  “Turn away like that and hide your face. Hey, there’s a drive-thru place. Let’s get some burgers. You eat meat?”

  “I don’t have any—”

  “My treat, and I won’t take no for an answer.” She poked him in the shoulder with an insistent finger.

  He couldn’t help but smile. “Bossy.”

  “So I’ve been told.” She drove up to the glass window and ordered two jumbo burgers, two sets of fries, then turned to him and asked, “Chocolate or vanilla shake?”

  “Vanilla.”

  “Coffee too?”

  “Sure. Thanks.”

  She paid for the order and drove around to the pick-up side.

  Although he was grateful he’d get to eat an actual meal tonight, Robbie felt like a total loser. A “real” guy would be the one buying and this beautiful female would be his date.

  Of course Robbie knew no girl would ever date him with his ugly marred face, yet some part of him deep inside couldn’t help dreaming about it.

  She parked in the lot and they ate in silence, but he could feel the girl’s mind churning.

  Then she finally spoke. “Um, did you have anywhere you need to go?”

  “You’re joking, right?”

  She smiled and something inside him went all gooey.

  “No, I’m just…” She trailed off, as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t quite get it out.

  “Go ahead. Ask,” he said.

  “Okay. Since you were dumpster diving, I’m guessing you’re homeless, right?”

  He nodded. “Hmm. I thought you were gonna ask about my face. Not every day you meet someone who can make a woman want to throw up just from looking at you.”

  “That girl was an asshole and so were the guys with her,” she barked.

  Robbie focused on his burger, trying not to enjoy this too much, this experience of someone taking his side, because it wouldn’t last.

  “Okay. Mind telling me what happened to your face?” she asked. “It doesn’t look like a birthmark. Was it an accident?”

  “I was in a fire.”

  She shook her head. “That’s awful.”

  “It killed both my parents and my little sister.” He didn’t add that he often wished it had killed him as well.

  “Ohmigod, I am so sorry.” Her eyes actually got kind of wet. “How old were you?”

  “Ten.”

  “That must have been so hard.”

  “Hurt like hell too. I had some skin grafts, but when the state is paying, they’ll only do so much. You know, as long as the nose and mouth and eyes work okay.”

  “You have no relatives?”

  “Not that I know of. My parents came here from the Philippines.”

  “Then you’re an orphan.”

  He nodded. “Been in group homes and foster care till I aged out of the system.” He shrugged.

  “My name’s Rainy, by the way. Raina Rocklyn.” She snorted. “I hate it. Sounds like a stripper or something.”

  “No, it’s pretty. I’m Robbie Makalo.”

  “That’s prettier than mine.” She hesitated a moment, then said, “So, Robbie, do you believe in fate?”

  “Uh-oh. What’s this about?”

  “It’s about the fact that I’ve been working for the last two months with homeless shelters in New York City and I know people who could help you.”

  “That’s why you pulled me out of that mess? You think I couldn’t—”

  “No! I did it because what was happening was wrong and I’m not the kind of person who can stand by and do nothing.”

  And she meant it. He could tell. He could see it in her beautiful pale brown eyes. He’d met some really good people when he was growing up “in the system,” not that they could do all that much, but Robbie could see this girl was what his mom would have called “a heart person.” Someone who leads with their heart.

  Geeze. He hadn’t thought about his mother in so long.

  “Don’t be angry with me, Robbie. It isn’t meant as any kind of judgment. I’ve met all kinds of people living in the shelters, including some that had college degrees and full-time jobs, but they’d just run into some really bad luck.”

  “Aren’t you kind of young to be doing that work?”

  “It was part of a volunteer summer program. I’m going back to college in a few days. In California. That’s also my home.”

  His heart sank. But why should he feel so let down by this? It wasn’t as if there was the slightest chance in hell that Raina would be his girlfriend. Or even his friend.

  As if she could read his thoughts, Raina said, “I’m sorry we didn’t meet sooner so we could be friends.” And when she said it, she looked at him. At his face. She didn’t cringe or scoot her eyes to the side like most people. A rare bird, this Raina.

  “So you think I should go to one of these shelters?” He didn’t really want to go, but he knew it would make her happy if he said it, and right now that was his only way of thanking her.

  And it worked. She gave him a broad grin and went into a rap about the different places and the people she’d worked under and possible ways he could get help and move forward with his life. He just nodded and listened. He couldn’t bear to tell her that getting a job steaming dishes in a restaurant for minimum wage and scaring away the girls that worked there when they looked at him was not something he considered “moving forward.”

  He polished off the rest of his vanilla shake and finally couldn’t take any more of this sermon. “Why are you doing this? You don’t even know me. Maybe it’s not safe to have me in your car. For all you know, I’m a mean prick or a dumbass loser. Go save somebody more worthwhile.”

  Rainy pressed her lips together and when he turned away to look out the window, she grabbed his chin and turned his face to her.

  “Aren’t you afraid to touch the cootie man?” It was out of his mouth before he knew he said it.

  “Don’t give me that shit. And don’t get into self-pity. You’ve got handsome eyes that tell me exactly who you are. Haven’t you ever heard the eyes are the windows to the soul?”

  “Has anyone ever told you you’re a nutjob? A really sweet one, and I’m thankful for the save and the meal, but—”

  “Then repay me by going to see my friend Marjorie.” She dropped her hand, but touched his sleeve. “Talk to her. You can stay one night at the shelter she runs and if you don’t like it, leave the next day.” She blew out a sigh. “Look, I know you’ve had a raw deal, but I can also see you’ve got heart and smarts and I know you can turn this around. If you were given a chance I’m certain you’d make the most of it and fly. I can see that in you.”

  Whoa. He couldn’t remember anyone ever saying they believed in him like that. Not even his parents.

  Rainy started the car and pulled out onto the Sunrise Highway. She was quiet and he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to deflate her enthusiasm—and a part of him wanted so badly for her words to be true.

  She pulled into a train stop of the Long Island Railroad and turned to him. “If I were on my way into the city I’d drive you in, but I’m going in the other direction. I’ve got to get back to my aunt and uncle’s house where I’m staying and it’s a long drive out to the end of Long Island. So here is the address and train fare.” She dug in her big tote bag, pulled out a small pad, and wrote on it. Then she took out her wallet and handed him four tens. A lot more cash than he’d need for train fare.

  “I can’t take this.”

  “Yes you can.” She stuffed it all in the pocket of his ratty tee. When he opened his mouth to object, she snapped, “I’m not done.” Reaching into her bag she took out a necklace with an amethyst pendant that had a silver R in the center. “The letter R obviously
stands for Rainy. And guess what? Works for Robbie too. Take it for good luck.”

  “I still don’t get it.”

  “You don’t need to. Now you have a train to catch.”

  He got out of the car and she followed him to the platform.

  “Rainy?”

  “Hmm?”

  “It took courage to do what you did with those guys at the pancake house.”

  She met his eyes and took his hand. “I’m asking you to have courage now. In fact, I’m expecting it of you.”

  “Why? We’ll never see each other again.”

  “Probably not, but then who knows? The world can be a small place sometimes. And if we ever meet again I’m going to expect you to have a success story to tell. Don’t let me down.”

  Then she blew his mind by giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before trotting back to her car.

  Chapter 2

  March 2016

  Water Mill, Long Island, NY

  Most people got annoyed when it rained, but Raina Meredith Rocklyn liked it. Since her nickname had been Rainy her whole life, some primitive part of her had always identified with the rain and believed it was a good omen for her. Okay, maybe it was silly, but right now she’d take any kind of good omen she could get.

  Just as Rainy thought that, lightning flashed outside, followed by a crack of thunder so loud it rattled the windows of the storefront. Then all the lights went out.

  So much for the good omen.

  Luckily there were no customers yet, so she locked the front door of Halley’s Green Market in and then opened the catch-all drawer to the right of the cash register and fished out her flashlight. It was nine in the morning, but the storm clouds had turned an already gray day darker. Not that this old building was ever flooded with light. The big trees surrounding it cast so much shadow that Rainy hoped the autumn leaves would fall swiftly and soon.