The next morning Michelle and Danny had planned a day for all five of them. After breakfast a ride in the hills and ending at the beach for lunch. Danny was up at six and already anxious for everyone to get the day started.
Ray was not sure about a 4 hour horseback ride. It had been years since he had been on a horse and was not looking forward to a repeat of the last time. He remembered ending up in a grove of bushes while his horse grazed contentedly nearby. Danny nearly strangled laughing at him.
Michelle was not a horsewoman and really was not sure about this adventure either. Pilar was earnestly trying to convince Bill that it would a wonderful morning. Bill didn't look too sure.
After breakfast they headed for the stables and Danny and Pilar were relating stories of their childhood escapes from their mother. Riding into the hills and driving her mad with worry . She knew they loved the rides. ..Mick always refused to go with them hoping his mother would finally notice him. She didn't.
As they rode the trails at a walk. Danny came up on the side of Ray and said quietly "What has been bugging you, Ray? Something is going on with you.. what is it. You know I will find out."
Ray replied that he was too busy trying to stay on this horse.. he didn't want to talk. He tried to make it sound like a joke.. hoping Danny would move on to something else. He should have known better.
"Ray what's with you and Cassie.. it looked pretty cozy. You talked all afternoon.. what was that all about?"
"Danny , she has suffered a loss recently. She wanted to talk , o.k.?" another lie .. he sighed.
"Yeah, I remember hearing about that , Michelle told me.. pretty sad. Ex- wife shot him or something. Too bad." Danny looked at Ray and didn't believe a word he said.
"Yes , very sad" Ray looked off in the distance and told Danny he should watch his wife.. she looked a little scared.
Danny rode off at a canter toward Michelle.
Ray gave a sigh of relief.
Reva and Josh had plans for today too.. they invited Cassie but she said she really was tired and didn't want to go hiking in the hills. Reva explained that for some reason she and Josh were bursting with energy today and since it was such a beautiful day a hike seemed in order.
Cassie sat in her room and tried to think of something other than Ray. She tried reading a book and the pages were a blur. The words meant nothing..
She turned on the radio and hoped it would distract her. Ricky Martin was singing .. this did not help at all.
Stay with me
Met you underneath the moon
Night was over much to soon
We shared a kiss til daylight came
and kissed the night goodbye.
When the sun came up that day
we smiled and went our separate ways
But I can't leave the thought of you
behind
Oh you stay with me
You stay with me
Oh, in my heart
and on my mind
Oh, like a melody that keeps
haunting me,
Oh, you stay
I look into the small cafe's
and hope by chance I see your face
I hear your voice and realize
it's just the summer wind
Something in your eyes that night
Swept away this heart of mine
Now I just want you in my arms again.
How was I to know in that one night
my whole life would change
From the moment I looked in your eyes
I've never been the same
And if I could have one chance to have that
Moment back again
I'd never let it end
I'd never let it end
Met you underneath the moon
Night was over much to soon
We shared a kiss til daylight came
and kissed the night goodbye.
When the sun came up that day
we smiled and went our separate ways
But I can't leave the thought of you
behind
Cassie sat on the bed and cried. She felt so guilty. Why did she feel like this.. she felt as though she were reverting back to some teenage crush.. "Grow up Cassie.. " she threw her book across the room.
Ray , Danny and Michelle ended up at the beach at the same time. Pilar and Bill were nowhere in sight.
"Maybe you should look for them Danny." Michelle said
"Pilar is a big girl and she can outride anybody.. don't worry about her." Danny laughed
Ray nodded in agreement. Pilar would disappear for hours not so much to spite Carmen but because she loved riding.
Three days later Ray was ready to go home. He felt as though he were walking a tightrope around Danny. Every day Danny had a new question. Ray was running out of lies.
Cassie was feeling the pressure as well. Reva kept asking her why she wasn't having a good time. Couldn't they do something to cheer her up.. find her a date. Josh had met some people and maybe they could find her a nice date.. someone charming and nice." Sort of like Danny's cousin, Reva said with a smile, "but without the collar"
Cassie called the airlines to change her ticket. She could not stay here any longer. Everyday was becoming more torturous. She could get a flight this afternoon. She looked forward to getting home , away from thoughts and memories of that night.
Josh and Reva drove her to the airport complaining the whole way that she would missing out on all the wonderful days ahead. She explained over and over that she really had been away from the children long enough. She was needed at home. She hoped that they believed that was the reason for her leaving.
Ray stepped up to the counter and put his luggage down. He was so glad they had a seat available on this flight. Another day of questioning by Danny and he was going to explode. Michelle had joined the chorus and was teasing him about being a their moody Santos.
His ticket in hand, he wandered into a coffee shop and sat down. Alone with his thoughts at last.
Cassie walked into the terminal . Josh and Reva were parking the car. She took her luggage and checked in. As she was walking away she saw Ray coming out of the coffee shop. She didn't know what to do, he was walking in her direction. He saw her and smiled.
Reva and Josh walked into the terminal and saw Cassie talking to Ray. They exchanged puzzled looks.
"I wonder if this the reason... " Reva started to say. Josh cut her off.
"Reva.. don't go there."
"Well, how nice. Looks like Cassie will have some company on the way home" Reva said
"Yes, looks like we both felt like vacation time was over." Ray said
Cassie's smile was frozen in place. She did not know what to say.
The flight was called and both Ray and Cassie looked more than grateful.
Escape at last.
They boarded the plane and found there were plenty of seats. Cassie sat by the window and Ray had been assigned a seat further back in the same row. He walked back to his seat and sat down. Two minutes later he came back and sat next to Cassie.
"Listen, this is silly. We might as well have someone to talk with on the way home."
There were those brown eyes pleading again. She couldn't say no.
They both started to speak at once and both said the other should "go ahead"
"All right I will, Cassie said, Ray I feel so guilty about all of this. You know I will never say anything to anyone. I know it was wrong and we both know it will never happen again"
"You didn't do anything wrong Cassie. You gave your love to someone. That is never wrong. You just gave it to someone who didn't have the right to receive it.. I am the one at fault. I know what I have to do about it. "
Cassie looked out the window and suddenly she remembered that silly fortune teller. Madame Zuma... "A great adventure.. a woman standing in the way." Well if the church is a woman.. she is definitely in the way. She turned and looked at Ray. His profile. The strong determined jaw. He would never turn his back on a commitment.. certainly not one to the church. She felt tears on her cheek and she didn't even realize she was crying. Crying for Hart , crying for herself.. maybe even crying for Ray.
Ray was forming in his mind what he would tell Father Tomas. He knew that this weakness would pass. They all do. His conviction of his calling was strong. He made a mistake, he would make it right. Somehow ..he would make it right, with God's help.
He turned and looked at her. She was lovely .. a good person. A giving person. She would be all right.
