Sun Still Shining (Rain Must Fall Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Information

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Cover

  Title Page

  Sun Still Shining

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  Deb Rotuno

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  RR Books

  Copyright Information

  Sun Still Shining, Copyright © 2017 by Deb Rotuno

  All Rights Reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher.

  ...

  Published by RR Books, February 2017

  ...

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

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  Cover and Interior Book Design by Coreen Montagna

  Dedication

  For everyone fighting their own personal battles

  Chapter 1

  SARA

  Clear Lake, Oregon

  5 months & 3 weeks after Hurricane Beatrice

  “WE’RE GONNA NEED more firewood,” Tina grunted as she poked at the glowing embers. “Winter is coming,” she stated dramatically, grinning at my laughter. “Damn, I miss TV.”

  “No kidding,” I said, still laughing and setting down the bucket of water. “There’s some piled up behind each cabin. I’ll go grab some.”

  “Thanks,” she said, but we both turned at the squeal of laughter coming from the lake. “Oh my damn, Sara. You know, the whole time, I thought you were exaggerating about Jack, but no…”

  Grinning, I shrugged a shoulder, watching my husband and son just being silly with Joel and all the kids. They’d started fishing early that morning. Even my dad had gotten in on it, though he was still limping on that leg of his. He shook his head at Joel, who was using a cartoon voice for the worm, which made all the kids laugh.

  My eyes fell to Mallory, who was fighting a smile at it all. She’d been lost without Hannah, though she and Margaret were leaning on each other through their loss. Margaret was still emotional over Ivan’s death. They’d sort of adopted each other, and both were watched over by Jonah.

  The loss of four people the night that Jack and his group showed up had been hard on everyone. Martin was missed terribly, though Rich and Dottie had stepped up to take on the tutoring, which now had more kids in it. It ranged from first grade—little Rina—to twelfth—the handsome young man, Quinn. Considering my background, I handled math classes occasionally. Tina was good with English, and Abe—the older gentleman who’d arrived with Jack—was amazing with history. We all filled in when and where we could.

  That went for other aspects of the camp as well. Brody, Derek, and Josh tried their best to hunt at least once a week, even if it was to snag rabbits, ducks, or more wild turkeys. With the days getting colder, deer would be easier to find soon, but a longer hunting trip hadn’t been discussed yet; neither had Klamath Lake.

  Mose, Derek, and Brody were adding to the spiked fence, just to be safe, though the military experience that came from Jack, his parents, and Joel had given them another project—a fire ditch. It ran almost the length of the camp and a part of the lake. It wasn’t deep, and it wasn’t an elaborate thing, but it would stop vehicles from getting into the campsite when lit. It was filled with small sticks and drizzled with diesel fuel. All it would take is a lit match to send a wall of fire along the east side of camp. There had also been another, bigger treetop lookout built on the driveway side of the camp, which was occupied most of the day and night. Ruby and Olivia were up there now.

  They were a happy and welcomed addition around the camp. Ruby was an anomaly—she was beautiful but could fight like a man. She was loyal to Jack and was completely head over heels for Joel, though the feeling was mutual. I was glad. Joel deserved someone as good as Ruby. Olivia was quiet, shy, but sweet all the same. She was excellent at cutting hair—something that Jack hadn’t even known. I was pretty sure all of us in camp had lined up to have her give us a trim, especially the men.

  The only one I didn’t know was Lexie. She mostly kept to herself. She was smart and good with a gun, but she never said much…or maybe she was avoiding me specifically. She kept lookout at night a lot, as did Derek, though we tried to mix it up to keep it fair. I knew Lexie’s story through Ruby, and my heart broke for her. I couldn’t imagine what she’d been through, and I most certainly could understand how she could develop feelings for Jack.

  My husband’s deep chuckle met my ears, and I smiled at his praise of his son as Freddie caught another fish. Just seeing them together, happy, safe… It made my heart hurt with the love I had for them. I still woke up at night reaching for Jack, not believing he was there, that he was real. It seemed our alone time was never enough, but I knew that would ease up eventually. It was always the same when he’d return from a tour, so I tried my best to think of it that way, that he’d simply been away on a tour. Thinking about how far he’d come, the things he’d experienced, and the close calls he’d had scared the ever-loving shit out of me, so I focused on the fact that he was back—safe and sound.

  Happy brown eyes—shining with flecks of gold from the sunshine—caught my staring, and he gave me a sweet, curious smile. When Freddie called for him, he broke his gaze from me to speak to his son.

  “Sometimes it doesn’t seem real that he’s back,” I said softly to Tina, who smiled my way. “I’ll get those logs for you…”

  I walked between my cabin and Rich’s, dodging clean laundry hanging in the sun on the lines strung between them. The stack of logs lined the back wall. There was plenty for now, but we’d have to chop more soon. I bent down to pick up a couple, only to have familiar hands grip my ass.

  Smirking, I stood back up straight and glanced over my shoulder. “You shouldn’t sneak up on an armed girl,” I told him.

  Jack’s grin was shameless, his eyes dark as his hands gripped again, only to reach for my gun at the small of my back. “Oh, Shortcake, I surrendered to you a long time ago.”

  He set the gun down on the stack of wood in front of me, pulling me back to his chest. One hand flattened on my stomach while the other moved my ponytail out of the way. A moan escaped me when he tugged it just right in order put his lips, tongue, and teeth to my throat he’d just exposed.

  “What was that look out there, baby?” he whispered against my skin, nipping at my earlobe. “You looked at me like I was your next meal.”

  “Maybe you are.” I giggled, reaching back to thread my fingers into his hair. His scruffy face scraped deliciously along the back of my neck as the fingers on my stomach shifted beneath my shirt. “Oh fuck…”

  “Shh,” he hushed me through a soft chuckle. “Tell me, Sara.”

  “I…” I started, but it morphed into another moan when he swirled his tongue beneath my ear.

  “What was that?”

  “You’re evil,” I huffed in a laugh, but my eyes rolled back into my skull when his hand slid between my legs. Despite the jeans I was wearing, he knew exactly how and where to touch me.

  He smiled against my skin, nipping softly with teeth. “Tell me, baby.”

  “S-Some�
� Sometimes, you don’t seem real,” I finally blurted out through gritted teeth, and immediately, hands and kisses stopped. I was spun around and set on top of the stack of wood, gazing up at serious and still very much turned on. “I’m sorry…”

  Worried eyes met my gaze, only to rake over my entire face as he cradled the back of my head in one hand. He stepped between my legs, using his free hand to grab my ass and pull me forward roughly.

  “Do you feel that?” he whispered harshly, dragging his tongue along his bottom lip sexily as he pressed into me just the right way. “Do you? Oh, I’m real, Shortcake. I’m real and back and safe, and it’s taking everything in me not to fuck you against this wall, just because I just…can. I get it, baby. I do. Sometimes I’ll be working on the fence and freak the fuck out when I can’t see you or Freddie right away. I really get it.”

  Nodding, I grabbed either side of his face, pulling him to me. We kissed like we’d never come up for air, like we’d never stop. Jack’s tongue was claiming, and his hands were everywhere, seeking out skin. Teeth raked against lips, moans pushed out against cheeks, and hips moved over and over, and I thought I’d explode.

  “How fucked up is it that I want you to come…just like this?” he asked roughly in my ear, pressing into me over and over. “I don’t give a fuck if I do… I just wanna see you fall apart.”

  “Jesus,” I hissed, shaking as he got me closer and closer to the edge. We hadn’t made out like that in what seemed like years. The fact that anyone could walk up made me nervous and even more turned on than I’d expected. “Right there…there…”

  His deep, humming laugh against my throat was evil and deadly, and God, I loved him, which came spilling out of my mouth in a chant when my climax hit me out of nowhere. Stars exploded behind my eyes, and I could feel Jack’s smile against my neck.

  “Evil,” I reiterated, making him chuckle. “Evil and now…messy,” I added with a giggle into his shoulder because I’d felt him let go.

  He smiled crookedly, shrugging a shoulder. “Worth it.”

  “Mmhmm,” I hummed, closing my eyes when his kisses didn’t stop.

  “Sara, I… I know it’s been crazy, but… I’m here, I promise,” he vowed sweetly, pulling away from my neck and pressing his forehead to mine. “I love you so much. You need reassuring, then just…come smack me.”

  Grinning, I kissed him, and he let me control it, deepen it, though his hands were soothing along my thighs and lower back. The snap of a twig brought both of us back to reality.

  We turned mid-kiss to see Lexie standing there, only to see her spin and walk away.

  Jack groaned, his forehead falling to my shoulder. “I should talk to her.”

  “Not now,” I told him softly, running my fingers through his hair.

  He pulled back to look at me questioningly.

  “Aw, Jack. Just take it from a girl… She’s really embarrassed right about now.”

  “You feel sorry for her,” he surmised, brushing my hair from my face.

  “I do. It doesn’t seem that long ago that I was the one with the crush on you, and you were…oblivious,” I explained. “That kind of crush hurts, whether the feelings are real or a part of something else or even just because the guy was a hot senior football player.”

  He grinned but backed up a little as it fell quickly from his handsome face, and he ran a hand through his hair. “But I can’t change anything, Sara. I just…”

  I slipped down to the grass, walking to him to cup his face. “I love you, and she may just need time, baby. That’s all.”

  He sighed, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

  “Look at me, Jack,” I said firmly but softly so we weren’t overheard. “She was an important part of your group. I get that. You saved her. I get that too. But she’s also lost everything. And you…you got everything back. That’s a tough pill to swallow when you’re already pissed off at the world. Just…give her space. I trust you, baby, so if you feel you need to talk to her, go ahead, but I think you should wait until this…” I gestured between us and then at the spot where he’d just made me come silly. “Wait until this isn’t all smashed in her face.”

  He leaned forward, pressing his lips to my forehead. “Okay.”

  “Okay,” I repeated, smiling up at him. “But now that you’re here, help me carry some wood to Tina and Millie for dinner.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He saluted with a laugh before reaching for my gun and handing it back to me.

  “Then you might wanna clean up,” I suggested with a laugh.

  We stepped back around with our load of logs, handing them over to Tina, and Jack dropped a kiss to my cheek.

  “So worth it,” he whispered in my ear.

  My laugh was soft, but he heard it, shooting a wink my way before turning toward our cabin.

  “You look like the cat that ate the canary,” Tina noted through narrowed eyes, only to grin. “Good for you.”

  We started to work on stoking the fire and preparing dinner for everyone. Millie joined us, and the conversation was light and easy. I glanced up when Jesse helped Lucy to the table. The poor thing was miserably pregnant.

  “She’s due any minute,” Millie muttered to us. “In fact, she’s dropped already.”

  Smiling, I nodded. “Dottie looked at her, says she’s healthy and right on course.”

  “Oh, good,” Tina sighed. “It’s nice having doctors around. Nothing against Margaret—she’s a great nurse—but still…”

  Dinner was talkative and light. My dad discussed an extended hunting trip. Both Derek and Josh volunteered, as did Quinn, but Derek looked to Jack.

  “I could use you, man,” Derek stated, and he looked to me as I leaned back against Jack’s chest.

  I flinched because it wasn’t that long ago we’d had a conversation about whether or not I’d let Jack leave to hunt if he’d been there. My answer at the time had been that I didn’t know, that to wish for Jack there was painful. But Jack was there, and I still didn’t damn well know. They’d be safe together; I knew that much. I also knew they’d be stronger and more likely to bring home something. However, the thought of him leaving, even for just a day, made my stomach knot up.

  “Sara?” Jack asked softly, turning my face to his. “If it’s too soon,” he whispered, “then just say it.”

  “Oh, no. I’m not…” I huffed a humorless laugh. “You don’t need my permission.”

  “It’s not permission, Sara. It’s…common courtesy,” he argued.

  “Twenty-four hours,” Millie suddenly said, eyeing her son and then Derek, but I could’ve kissed her stupid for that suggestion. “Just like before. No longer, no less.”

  “You know what?” Dad asked, smiling a little as he glanced briefly at Jack and me. “I agree. Twenty-four hours, you’re back here, whether you’ve caught something or not.”

  I turned to Jack. “You want to go?”

  “I think I could help. I’ve hunted with Derek before, and we’ll need the meat. There are so many of us now.”

  “Fine, twenty-four hours,” I sighed, but before anyone could start planning, I pointed at Derek. “But you’ll mark exactly where you’re headed on that map, and you’ll not deviate from that area one damn inch either, Derek.”

  “I wanna go with Dad!” Freddie suddenly piped up, and my eyes closed as fear washed completely over me.

  “Shit,” Jack hissed under his breath, but he pulled his son closer. “Not this time, bud. This is a quick run, nothing to be excited about, I promise. I know you want to learn to hunt, and I promise you I’ll teach you, but not this time.”

  “But…when?”

  “Soon, Freddie, but not this time,” he reiterated, tilting his son’s angry gaze up. “Look at me, son. I need you here. I heard about everything you did before I got here. I need you do keep doing that until you and I can go hunting. Okay?”

  Freddie’s glare was fierce and angry, but I was sure that it was more than wanting to learn to h
unt. He’d just gotten his dad back.

  “Freddie,” I whispered to him as the dinner table started to empty and Derek pulled out the map. Looking Jack’s way, I whispered, “Your dad won’t be gone long enough to miss him, baby.”

  “Yeah, but—”

  “No…no ‘yeah buts,’” I told him firmly, continuing because I—he—needed a diversion. “If your dad’s to teach you, you’ll need more target practice.” He huffed, but I shook my head. “That’s my deal. Take it or leave it.”

  Freddie’s face fell, but he nodded, looking to his dad. “Will you practice with me when you get back?”

  “Absolutely,” Jack vowed, leaning to kiss my cheek. “Thanks,” he whispered.

  “Mmhmm,” I hummed, narrowing my eyes at him. “You’d better—”

  Jack smirked, kissing my lips. “I promise. Don’t even finish that threat, Shortcake.”

  Nodding, I got up from the table to start cleaning up as everyone broke apart to settle in for the night, whether going to bed or guard duty, but we all heard the call for Dottie from Jonah’s RV.

  “Lucy’s water just broke!” Jesse cried in a panic, and a few gasps and then cheers rang out around us.

  “Oh, hell,” Mose said with a chuckle. “We’re down a night guard.”

  I glanced around, realizing it was going to be just Lexie and Brody. Brody would be walking the grounds. Lexie would be in the tree, and Jesse would’ve been with her.

  Taking a deep breath, I said, “I’ll do it.”

  “What? Sara…” Jack groaned, shaking his head.

  “There’s really no choice. Your parents are in with Lucy. Ruby and Olivia had duty up there all day. You and Derek have to leave in the morning, so you’ll need the sleep. Mose’s been working on the fence all day. Joel was up before dawn. One of them can relieve me in the morning, and I’ll wait until you leave to get some sleep. It’s simple and the only way.”

  We both watched as Lexie walked away silently.

  “See? Fun,” I sighed, smirking at Jack’s snort.