Summer Rain

-----

It was easy for her to talk to the crew. They were all fairly young and new to the job; only the driver had been on this crew for more than a year, none of them would remember anything from five years ago. As she talked with Alex the driver she wasn't that surprised to discover that Eddie liked to keep his crew the most efficient. When he'd taken over the charge-hand job, he'd also taken on the high standards of the man before.

She knew she would have to talk to Eddie and she was getting a little nervous. She kept glancing at him in the mirrors. It was all very well wanting to meet him again, but what if he didn't still feel the same way about her? Or if he still felt that the age difference was too much? Was she just chasing an old memory? The driver looked over at her as once more she checked the mirrors. He sighed and put the handbrake on.

"Time for a shift change." He said, and slipped out of the cab.

-----

Eddie was a little surprised at the suggestion that he take over the driving; normally he almost had to pull Alex out of the cab to get behind the wheel. He shrugged his shoulders and then pulled himself into the driving seat. He looked across at Kitty. She looked as worried as he felt. He smiled at her.

"Hello princess. It's been a long time."

"Hello Eddie. It has, hasn't it?" Impulsively he reached out and caught her hand, pulling her towards him. They kissed. It seemed to last forever. A buzzing sound filled his ears, then he realised it was Alex wanting to move to the next pile of sacks. She pulled back, blushing.

"I'm sorry." He said with embarrassment, as he moved the vehicle forward.

"Don't be. I've waited a long time to see you again."

"You have?" He was genuinely surprised. "Maybe it'll be easier to talk about it later. Can I take you out tonight? Get a bite to eat perhaps?"

"The Chippie again?" She grinned.

"If you like." He laughed back. "Now, what about those questions for your article?"

-----

He was to pick her up at the motel where she was staying. Getting off the bike he suddenly realised he still hadn't recovered his spare helmet. With any luck she had a car they could use. Shrugging, he knocked on the door. She opened it, smiling when she saw his helmet beneath his arm.

"Come in, I won't be a second." She disappeared into the other room. Eddie was at a loss for a moment. How did you ask someone for the loan of a car when you were supposed to be picking them up?

"Er, I was wondering if you had a car." He asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Sure, but we don't want to use it, do we?" Her voice was muffled slightly. He shifted his feet uncomfortably.

"Don't be too certain." He muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Are you sure that you wouldn't be warmer in a car?" He was beginning to sound desperate and he knew it.

"Don't be silly. Anyway it's been absolutely ages since I was on a motorbike." She came back into the room holding something behind her back. "Come on then, let's hit the road."

"There may be a slight problem." He began to explain, stopping as she brought a helmet out from behind her. It was the one he'd left with her five years before.

"I thought I might be needing this again some day."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Premonition?"

"I meant why have you still got that particular helmet?"

"Premonition?"

"All right, I give in. Let's go."

-----

She looked across the table at him. He certainly seemed more self-confidant in public. Probably the responsibility had brought that out in him. The meal had been wonderful. They had come to one of the swish places just outside of town, but now it was time to go.

"Do you remember the last meal we had together?" She asked.

"I've never forgotten a single moment of the times we had." He looked away from her. "Although I've pushed them aside from time to time."

She recognised that reticence from before.

"You're not going to start on about that age thing again are you?"

"Never again princess. But you must realise that I thought I'd never see you again, or if I did, that you'd not want to speak to me after what I did. So I tried to forget you..." He trailed off. Kitty smiled at him, his imagination was obviously on overtime again.

"Don't torture yourself. I never truly expected to see you again either, but when I got the chance to try I jumped at it." She placed her hands on the table. "I know what you're trying to say, and you should realise that I've been out on other dates too, so don't worry about it." She was trying not to laugh at the way his face brightened then darkened as she spoke, the relief and jealousy intermingling. "Let's go." She said, reaching for his hand across the table.

Out in the car park she stopped him and pulled him close to her side.

"About trying to forget me, did it work?"

He shook his head slowly.

"Never completely or for long."

"Nor for me." Then before he could say anymore she kissed him. He responded. She lost herself in his arms. This kiss made all the others pale into insignificance, it went on forever. Abruptly they were interrupted by a car horn, as someone wanted to get past.

"I'll take you home." He said.

-----

During the ride back he was more aware than ever of her proximity. She had wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. It felt right, almost pre-ordained, as if it was meant to be. He didn't hurry.

It was starting to rain as they pulled up outside the motel once more.

"This sort of gentle summer rain has always reminded me of you." He said as they dismounted. She looked at him, slightly puzzled. "I first began to notice you when it rained on us in that close all those years ago." Impulsively he grabbed her hand. "Shall we dance Cinderella?" She laughed with him as he led her in a waltz around the car park.

"You're daft." She panted as they stopped outside her cabin.

"Only in your delicious presence." He smiled at her.

"Then kiss me, you mad fool, kiss me." He obeyed. It was another time-melting kiss. He decided he was getting better at them. Finally he pulled away.

"I'd better be going, it's getting late."

"But you're soaked; you'll catch your death. Come in and get dry."

He looked into her eyes and knew what she was feeling. He felt it too, maybe more. Then with an effort he said.

"No, I'd better go. It's for the best." He smiled. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Nothing especially, why?"

"Then I'll pick you up at nine."

"Make it ten."

"All right, ten it is. Au revoir, mon petite chere." He said, jumping onto the bike. She waved as he roared out of the car park.

On his way home he began to think, maybe he could put that extra hour to good use.

-----

Kitty sat on the bed drying her hair, turning things over in her mind. Tomorrow morning she would have to make a few arrangements. Now that she'd found him once more, she didn't want to lose him again for any reason. Maybe she could finish the course from here, if she could just sweet-talk the College Principal and the Editor of the local paper into it. That would have to wait until the morning though. Hopefully she would be able to get hold of them.

Satisfied, she lay back against the pillows, reliving the day. He was still as shy, still had to 'work his way up to things' as he put it. He was a little more serious now, but not much, thankfully. Really he was still the same person that she'd thought of for five years. She turned out the light, rolled on to her side and fell asleep.

-----

Eddie was a little late he knew. That errand into the shopping centre had taken him a little longer than he'd expected. As he knocked on her door he could hear Kitty talking on the phone through the open window.

"Right, I'll be down on Monday to sign the papers. Yes. Yes. All right, see you on Monday then. Thank you. Goodbye." She had opened the door, the phone clutched under her chin.

"So, leaving already?" He asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Just for the day, I couldn't bear it for longer." She said, pretending to swoon.

"But why?" He could feel the anxiety creeping into his tone.

She put the phone down.

"Aren't we insecure this morning? As I hate to see a grown man cry I'll tell you. I've one or two loose ends to tie up before I start my new job."

"New job?" He was puzzled.

"I'm the latest staff reporter on the local paper."

"I thought that was your job anyway."

"No, I was just on a placement from my Journalist course. But not anymore. So there are no barriers between us now."

"I didn't know there were any."

"Only the ones put there by you, you big idiot." She smiled and put her arms around him.

He was starting to feel confused. Then with a shrug he decided to forget it. He looked into her brightly shining eyes.

"Kitty, I think I love you."

"Only think?"

"I've told you before; I have to work up to things."

She gave him a punch on the arm.

"Come on then." She said. "Where are we going?"

"Straight to the top, princess." He said, in an appalling imitation of Humphrey Bogart. She laughed again. He grinned, and then became serious.

"Before we go anywhere, would you..." He struggled with the words. "Would you become my fiancée?" He looked down at his feet, that hadn't come out like he'd wanted. She kissed him gently on the cheek. Here comes the big let down he thought.

"You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that. Or something similar." She added with a grin.

"Is that a yes?" He asked bemusedly.

"Yes, yes, yes." She said, smothering his face in kisses. He just stood there, letting her enthusiasm roll over him.

"You'd better have this then." He said, putting his hand in his pocket and handing her the small box that had been the subject of his earlier errand. "Open it." She took it from him and slowly lifted the lid, sitting on the edge of an armchair as she did.

"It's empty." She cried, looking up into his face. Her look of despair was too much and he couldn't keep a straight face any longer. He held out a closed hand, laughing.

"I'm sorry princess, I just couldn't resist it."

She cautiously opened his hand to reveal an engagement ring.

"It's beautiful." She gasped.

"So are you." He said. "Come here." Their eyes met. "I do love you Kitty Summers."

"And I love you Eddie Harrison. Now kiss me."

And he did.

-----

Eddie Leaves A Trail

Friday morning and Kate Harrison was awoken by her husband of fourteen years, Eddie, again. It was the usual way. It wasn't his alarm going off (he was always already awake), it wasn't him making any noise as he got out of bed or moving around downstairs, he was very quiet. It was the absence of his body next to hers in bed. Sighing, she rolled over onto her back and tried to get back to sleep. She had been up late last night trying to finish another chapter in her third book. Her first novel had been a surprising success. She had been surprised anyway, Eddie hadn't, he knew her writing had been so much better since she had become a freelance after the birth of their second child, another girl. There was something else Eddie hadn't been worried about; most men seemed to want a son, and Ed truly was more concerned for her than the sex of the children. And he adored them both, Julie and Trudi, eight and six.

She rolled over again, still thinking, suddenly concerned that she and Eddie had slipped into a rut. He still told her that he loved her, but it didn't seem romantic anymore. He had moved slightly upwards in the last 15 years, now a supervisor for waste collection, but she knew he had turned down at least one chance to go higher at a neighbouring council and she suspected that he had been offered other jobs closer to home, but he preferred to stay in his comfort zone. She, on the other hand, had worked as a reporter for both of the local newspapers, the evening one at first and after Julie, the weekly. With Trudi's arrival she had freelanced for both papers and had started to write for magazines. The book had been Eddies fault, he was always talking about the old days on the bins so she had started to collect his stories together and they had blossomed into a comic tale which was apparently about to be turned into a TV show. She sighed again and got out of bed and padded downstairs.

Kate wandered into the kitchen just as Eddie was pulling on his boots. She looked around at the mess he'd managed to make just preparing tea and toast and sighed. He didn't do it on purpose, but he was just unconsciously messy. Eddie looked up at her sigh and then around at the debris he'd left on the table. Knife in the butter, bread not wrapped back up, crumbs on the tablecloth, plate and mug unwashed and a ring where he'd spilt tea.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" He asked quietly.

"No, but you could at least TRY and keep the kitchen tidy Eddie. Even the girls are better than you." For some reason Kate snapped back, rather than use her usual patient tone of exasperation.

"I was going to clean up you know, before I left" Eddie said, not wanting to get into their one continuing argument again, but feeling that he should try to defend himself.

"You always say that. Why not just keep things tidy as you go along?" She demanded

"Kitty, I..."

"Don't 'Kitty' me Eddie. It's been a long time since I was Kitty."

Eddie looked down. This wasn't how he wanted to start his day.

"Kate, I have to go or I'll be late. Tell me what you want me to do when I get back."

"I'll have a list by then. Starting with the total lack of romance from you."

"Fine. Whatever." He closed the door quietly behind him and then she heard the car start up and leave. She sat down and slumped onto the table and started to cry, wondering why she sometimes said these things to him, hoping that he never took them to heart.

The kitchen door opened and Julie came in.

"Why are you crying Mummy? Have you hurt yourself?"

Kate smiled at her eldest daughter and patted her hand.

"No dear, Mummy's just being a bit silly that's all."

"You and Daddy are all right aren't you? Sarah's daddy left when her mummy was crying." Kate was shocked that the girl had made the connection, however tenuous and took her hand again.

"Now that will never happen to us will it?" she said, "Daddy would never leave us."

"He does leave a mess though, doesn't he mummy?" Kate kissed her daughter on the forehead and laughed.

"Yes dear, he always has, and I should be used to it."

"I'll wash up for you both."

"Okay, let me get you something to stand on." Kate smiled.

"I am more than eight years old you know."

"Yes, I do know, I was there when you were born." Kate smiled at the girl, "All right then, I'll dry shall I?"

-----

Eddie Harrison walked into the office he shared with the other two supervisors, a worried look on his face. His old friend Alex was the early supervisor and looked up.

"What's up Ed?" He asked.

"I think I upset Kitty... Kate this morning, but I'm damned if I know how" He sat down and pulled out a pencil and some paper.

"Why doesn't she like 'Kitty' anymore?"

"Not sure, thinks it's childish now I suppose"

Eddie was scribbling furiously on the paper. Alex watched for a while then sighed.

"Are you going to tell me or do I have to guess?"

Eddie stopped and looked up.

"Kitty... Kate said something about a lack of romance as I came out, so I have a cunning plan."

"Choccies and Roses?"

"Alex, I said cunning and I mean cunning. I had the idea a week or so ago when I taxed the bike, Kitty is going to be romanced to the full."

"Don't you mean Kate?"

"I know who I mean." He stood up and looked out of the window, a smile creasing his face for the first time today. "Alex, why are two of our vehicles still in the yard?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice them."

-----

Kate was surprised when Eddie didn't make any reference to the morning spat. And he was humming. Eddie hardly ever hummed. All at once a horrible thought wormed its insidious way into her head, he had someone else! She dropped the glass she was holding. Eddie rushed over to her, concern in his face.

"Kate, are you all right?"

"Yes, yes. I just ... Just. Actually I don't know what happened." Kate looked into his worried face and knew, she just knew, how wrong she was. "Actually I was suddenly afraid I'd lost you."

"You'd lost me." He smiled as he picked up the shards of glass from the kitchen floor. "Kate, I still don't know why you put up with me. When I think about it, I keep things tidy, but usually I don't and..."

She shushed him.

"I know. It doesn't matter." Kate stood up, and then called up the stairs. "Are there two young ladies here who want to see their gran?" A pair of screams answered her, followed by Trudi and Julie bounding down the stairs with their overnight bags.

"What have I said about running down stairs, you pair?" Eddie said as he caught them both as they went past him.

"Sorry daddy." They chorused.

"Go on, and don't torment your gran too much."

Julie stopped.

"Does that mean we can torment her a little bit, daddy?"

Eddie smiled. She caught on quickly, his eldest daughter. She must get it from her mother. He bent down and whispered to her.

"Yes, but don't tell her I said so."

Julie giggled and followed her mother and little sister to the car. Eddie rubbed his hands, there was just enough time to organise a couple of more things for his cunning plan, and then he would have to act as he always did for the evening.

-----

Kate Harrison was awoken once more by the absence of her husband. She was about to roll over when she remembered that it was Saturday morning, Eddie didn't work Saturdays! Kate sat bolt upright and then heard his bike starting up. She jumped out of bed and raced downstairs, opening the kitchen door just as Eddie left. She called out but he didn't hear. Kate was suddenly aware of the cold. Looking down she realised she was nearly naked out in the street and bolted back indoors. Eddie's behaviour was worrying her. Then she saw the note on the table and her fears of the day before returned. Trembling she reached out for the note and opened it up. It read:

Darling, you said you wanted more romance so here it is. Follow the clues and hopefully you'll find what I found.

There was a damp newspaper with "Clue One" written on it. Kate sat down and scratched her head, what was he playing at? Obviously she would have to think like him. Slowly she stood up and went to get dressed. As she pulled on some clothes a thought hit her, wet newspaper! She knew where she had to be.

-----

The close where they had first met had changed a little in Twenty years. Trees and bushes were taller or gone, extensions had been built and garages had been altered, but nothing major. The memory of that damp day more than twenty years ago welled up. Now she couldn't believe how ... well, shy really, the two of them had been, neither realising how the other might feel. Kate got out of the car and looked around, not sure what she was looking for. A paperboy was delivering the morning papers. So some things never change, she thought, and then she realised that the boy was coming over to her.

"Excuse me miss, are you Kate?" He asked her. She nodded yes. "A guy asked me to wait and give you this about ten minutes ago." He proffered an envelope. Kate took it and thanked the lad. Inside was another message. It read:

My first surprise.

Kate furrowed her brow, trying to penetrate his meaning. Obviously this wasn't a surprise so he must mean the first surprise she'd given him. A smile spread across her face and got back into the car, tooting her thanks to the delivery boy as she left the close.

-----

The car park at the local centre hadn't changed at all, different cars perhaps, but a car park was a car park. Kate walked toward the shops, knowing she was in the right place in general, but not sure which of two surprises Eddie meant. He might mean that initial kiss when he'd brought her home after their first date. Somehow she doubted that, although the memory of his face when she'd kissed him always made her smile. And the car park had also been the setting for their first split, and Kate knew that Eddie regretted that now. So, if it wasn't that then... A memory came to Kate when she saw the old, old benches outside the shops. The look Eddie had given her when she had sat down beside him had definitely been one of surprise. She went over to the same seat and sat down. An idea struck her and she began to feel under the bench, but there was no envelope. The street cleaner who worked the centre on weekends came over to her. She recognised him from various events that the council had held. He held out an envelope to Kate.