Summer Rayne

It had been an extremely interesting morning so far for Rayne Henderson, and as she clocked in for her lunch shift as a server at a popular restaurant called Dan’s Barbeque; she had the idea that it would continue to be a different kind of day. It had started off with her son, Tommy, bringing not one, but two extraordinarily slippery and agile frogs into the house, and they had spent over half an hour trying to catch them. Oh, Tommy, she sighed. The scene had been so comical; she couldn’t even be upset with him, even if a lamp did get broken during the chase. After releasing the creatures back into the wild, she had to rush to work.

Tying her apron around her waist, she went to find out what all the giggling was about and found Rene, Ginny, and Heather huddled together around the drink machine whispering and pointing. Her co-workers were clearly in cahoots about something.

“Girls! You sound like a bunch of junior high schoolers,” Rayne said, placing her finger over her lips to quiet them down. “What’s going on?” she asked. The ladies all wore matching silly grins.

“There’s someone new in town,” Ginny answered in a singsong voice. “And since we’re such good friends to you, we decided we would let you wait on him. See how selfless we are?”

“Selfless, huh? I’m sure you have your reasons,” Rayne replied as she reached for some straws to put into her apron pocket. Grabbing a towel, she wiped up the counter around the drink machine.

“I already got his drink, and I told him his server would be right with him, so go on,” Heather said, winking mischievously at Rayne as she pulled the towel from Rayne’s hand.

“What’s going on?” Rayne asked with suspicion darkening her blue eyes.

“You’ll see,” Rene said. “If you want a preview, we sat him in section two so that we could all observe him without being detected.” Clearly they had been strategizing, and they broke out into giddy laughter. Section two was the only one completely surrounded by large plants and bushy greenery- perfect for spying.

“Yeah, go take a peek,” Heather encouraged as she wiggled her eyebrows up and down and gave Rayne a gentle shove.

Rayne felt foolish as she crept towards the section where the newcomer had been seated, but she just had to see what these ladies were up to. Peeking through the large leaves, Rayne took a quick look and realized that they were up to no good, just as she had suspected. The stranger was mighty good-looking. Well, even if the customer was the most handsome man that had ever set foot in their little town, Rayne would just give him the quick and friendly service that kept all of her regulars coming in. She walked up to him with a friendly smile now.

“Hello, and welcome to Dan’s,” Rayne said, and the gentleman looked up from the menu to return the smile. Wow, Rayne thought. And, what a nice smile it was. Thick, wavy dark hair and unusual hazel-green eyes. The girls were right. They didn’t get visitors like this very often in Cherry Grove, Georgia.

As Christopher Davenport looked up to see the server approach the table, he couldn’t help noticing her pretty face with the striking blue eyes and shiny black hair, pulled back tight in a long ponytail.

“My name is Rayne, and I’ll be your server today. Are you ready to order, or do you need a few minutes?” she asked. He hoped he wasn’t staring too hard. He couldn’t seem to help himself.

“Rayne?” he asked, curiously. “That’s a pretty name,” the handsome stranger commented.

“Thank you, sir,” Rayne replied. “Well, my name is actually Summer Rayne. My momma said that she thought there would be a flood just like Noah’s because it seemed to have rained for forty days and forty nights during that summer I was born. There had been a terrible drought that year, though, so everyone was grateful for it,” she explained and noticed that the customer kept that sweet smile on his face and looked sincerely interested in what she was saying.

“I’m sure that you and the rain were both counted as blessings from God,” he replied. His comment brought a huge smile to Rayne’s face. She was glad to hear that the gentleman was a believer because she herself loved God dearly. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Rayne,” he said, enjoying her slight southern drawl as she spoke. “My name is Christopher, by the way.”

“And what brings you to Cherry Grove, Christopher?” she asked, knowing what his answer would be. The only time there were new faces around here was when Elegance on the Water, the houseboat company that employed practically half of the town, brought a new supervisor or engineer in for some reason or another. Or, he could be another wealthy customer coming to ensure that the sundeck and hot tub were perfectly designed to host an al fresco lunch on his houseboat.

“I’m an engineer contracted at Elegance on the Water. I’m introducing a new design for houseboats that will be manufactured here in town,” he explained.

“Another new design? Are the hydraulic drop, sonar, and navigation systems not high-tech enough?” she asked with a smile. Her cousin, Harland, was also an engineer with the company, as well as the owner of one fine double decker, so she knew quite a bit about houseboats. Her question surprised and amused him.

“It can never be enough for the people who have more money than they know what to do with,” he said. “We have to keep making them bigger and better.”

“Well, for one, they could give more to charity,” Rayne replied with a smile.

“Amen,” he agreed. “But, I do really like my job and would like to keep it,” he added. They laughed together. Rayne was surprised that she had been so chatty with a total stranger, but something about him put her at ease.

“Well, welcome to Cherry Grove. I hope you like it here,” she said with a smile.

“I already do,” he answered, staring just long enough to make her face feel warm.

“So, what can I get you for lunch?” she asked and tried to keep a straight face when out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Ginny and Rene spying behind the leaves of a large plant. Oh, those girls were aggravating!

“What are your specials today?” Christopher asked, not really caring because he already knew what he wanted, but in an attempt to keep Rayne at the table as long as possible. As she explained all of the dishes and soups for the day, he thought that Rayne was a very pretty lady indeed, and he adored the southern accent. When she mentioned the salads, he even asked what kind of dressings they had, even though he had no intention of getting a salad. He couldn’t think of any other questions, though, and there was a couple getting seated at the table next to him that she would likely have to attend to. So, he ordered the pulled pork barbeque sandwich that he knew all along that he would get. He had heard for months that Cherry Grove, Georgia had the best barbeque in the south- even better than the Carolinas reportedly. And the smell of the hickory wood permeated the whole town, beckoning him in.

“Good choice, sir. I’ll put your order in and will be back to bring you a refill on your drink,” she said as she turned away to greet her other customers. Regrettably, he never got the opportunity to speak with her again because there was a lunch rush, even though she was quick to bring him extra napkins and another drink without his having to ask. She anticipated all of her customers’ needs, he observed. Well, he had already decided that he would be one of Rayne’s regulars. Besides, the food was remarkably delicious. The barbeque sauce was tangy, sweet, and spicy all at once. The coleslaw and baked beans made perfect side dishes, as well.

Back in the kitchen, the girls kept encouraging Rayne to chat more with Christopher. Heather even insisted that Rayne bring him a piece of pecan pie on the house, even though it was with reluctance that Rayne agreed. She knew what the girls were trying to accomplish, of course. They, along with her entire family, had been giving her a hard time for months now that she had been alone too long. But, it wasn’t as if she were lonely. She had Tommy, an enormous family, great friends, her work and her house. And, she had also been donating her time at the local soup kitchen. Overall, she was satisfied and was very thankful to God for her full and rewarding life.

As Christopher gobbled up the pie, he wondered if the sweet gesture of bringing him dessert meant anything and realized with disappointment that they probably treated all of their new customers like this. After finishing the meal that had more than lived up to its reputation, he sipped on his drink slowly just so he could watch Rayne for another minute as she chatted with the customers. He noticed that her nose was slightly crooked- almost imperceptibly so, unless one stared at her, which was exactly what he had been doing with pleasure. For some reason, he thought it made her even more attractive. After leaving an exorbitant tip, he thanked Rayne and vowed to himself that he would be back soon. Very soon.

That evening, Rayne headed over to her cousin Rhonda’s house. Rhonda was her favorite cousin, and she usually kept Tommy while Rayne worked. Rhonda had three children, so Tommy loved to go over there to play. During the drive, Rayne kept the radio off and used the time to reflect on God’s provision. She thanked Him for another successful day at work. She had exceeded her goal for the day and was walking out with plenty of cash tips.

Awhile back, she had decided that she would never look to see what any individual customer left her for a tip. She would just pick up the money and tuck it away, and at the end of the shift, she always made out well. In the beginning, she would get upset if a customer left her a meager tip after she had tried her best to provide excellent customer service, but then she had noticed that other customers were exceedingly generous. Overall, it all balanced out, and Rayne had resolved to treat each and every customer well, no matter what they decided to tip her. She didn’t want to see a customer walk in and be resentful towards him by remembering the stingy tip he left last time, like the other servers often did. So, this new way of doing things worked out nicely. And, she reminded herself that it was kind of like the way God treated people- always compassionate and gracious no matter how they acted or what they did in the past. And her mortgage and all of her bills were getting paid. It was still strange to her, though, that she waited tables now for a living.

With a degree in accounting, she had started off in bookkeeping and office management for Raymond Turner, the most sought after attorney in the county. Raymond had referred her to several of his colleagues, and Rayne had made an excellent living handling all of their finances and taxes. Some of the other local business owners had also entrusted her to handle their taxes and payroll, as well.

Then, without warning, her comfortable world had been cruelly cracked into a million pieces by her husband, Chad, who had been her high school sweetheart. He had left without warning, and he took their entire bank account with him. So much time had passed since then that she could think about it now without any emotion, although the shock at the time was almost too much to bear.

Saying good-bye to her money and her husband at the same time was too much to handle alone, and she had leaned on her family hard. Tommy was just a toddler, and she was suddenly a single mother without a dime to her name. It was then that she had decided she would never deal with electronic money or banks again. She wanted cash in her hand where she could see and feel it. And control it. Her family chided her constantly for not going back to work where she could use her degree, and they often reminded her that the idea of control was really an illusion. Only God was in control. While Rayne truly believed that, it brought her comfort to have paper money in her hand when she had had to rely on her family for months to provide for her and Tommy after Chad took off. Thankfully, she had a huge family, including countless cousins, and she never had to worry about whether she and Tommy would have enough to eat or a roof over their heads. This realization was what had prompted her to begin volunteering to help feed the hungry at the soup kitchen which she had been finding rewarding. There were always people that were in far worse circumstances than she had ever experienced, and they needed help- just as she had needed help from her family.

Of course, it was inconvenient to have to purchase money orders or cashiers checks to pay some of her bills, but dealing with cash brought her a strange kind of comfort. The dollar bills were a tangible blessing from God to be used to care for her son, her home, and herself. This had been working out nicely for her for going on three years now. After renting a tiny apartment, she even had enough to recently buy a small house with a big, wooded yard and a creek. The creek where Tommy had caught those frogs this morning, she thought with a smile. Granted, the house needed some work, but thank God for her brother, Mark, who was a carpenter. And her cousins, who were all so handy, were helping her out, too. Richie had tiled the master bathroom and replaced the light fixtures to give it a more updated look, and Harland had replaced the countertops and the flooring in the kitchen, using surplus supplies from the houseboat company, so the expenses had been kept to a minimum. The men were also teaching and spending time with Tommy, which was the greatest blessing of all since Chad was nowhere to be found, and all boys loved to be around men, to play football, and to just be boys.

Much later, after saying bedtime prayers and tucking a sleepy Tommy into bed, Rayne fixed herself a plate of chocolate chip cookies and some hot tea and took it out onto her back deck. She absolutely loved the deck that she and Mark had built together just a couple of months ago. She had enjoyed being under her brother’s tutelage and working with her hands. And the best part was the huge sense of accomplishment when the project was completed. Now, she was better able to have her entire family over for dinner when the weather was nice. Sunday dinner was an important tradition to her family, and her parents, brother, aunts, uncles, and cousins each took a turn hosting dinner every single Sunday. Rayne’s kitchen had been too small to fit everyone, so people had to stand and eat or take turns at the table. Not anymore, she thought as she plopped down on one of the comfy deck chairs. Now, she could open the French doors between the kitchen and the deck, and there was plenty of room and seating. Waiting tables was paying off, but it was hard work, she thought as exhaustion began to set in.

Lifting one of her aching feet, Rayne massaged it as she gazed up at the star-filled sky. It was hard to believe Chad had left three years ago now- off to Chicago somewhere, the last she had heard, in pursuit of grander things, he had said. He was tired of her, Cherry Grove, and country life. She didn’t care what anyone said, though, nothing could beat living in the country, especially their town with such a majestic body of water like Smyley Lake. Houseboat communities were always so festive. To be on the water brought people happiness, and Rayne loved to hang out with Cousin Harland on his houseboat. The lights and noise of the big cities failed to measure up to the beauty of the night sky where there were no buildings to obstruct the view. As she sipped her tea she watched the flickering of fireflies in the trees and listened to the croaking of those Olympiad frogs down by the creek. In her soul, she felt peace. Even though her entire family had deep faith in God, they failed to understand that she was truly content and joyful. A husband couldn’t bring this kind of peace to her soul- only the love of God made her feel whole. She lacked nothing in her life.

Of course, she hadn’t always been this way, especially after Chad left. Her emotions had almost drowned her in despair, but she had gotten down on her knees every morning and every night, and God had never left her side. And she had to be strong because Tommy depended on her; in her mind there was no other choice. This inexplicable peace and strength had been gifts the Lord had given her, and she had learned to keep trusting Him no matter what. Would she have learned this lesson without these circumstances, she wondered. Would she know peace and contentment like she did now? Probably not. Would she prefer to have someone to talk to and strong arms around her tonight? Her thoughts moved momentarily to the handsome newcomer, Christopher, whom she had served at the restaurant today. It would be nice, but not something that she needed. She truly was not lonely.

Beautiful scripture came to mind from Philippians, chapter four, verse twelve: I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. The secret was an intimate relationship with God Almighty through His son Christ Jesus, and nothing could ever separate her from Him.

Her family kept asking her when she would try to find Chad to ask for a divorce, and Rayne would just say that she wasn’t going to force anything. In her prayers, she would continue to ask God to keep His hand on Chad no matter where he was or what he was doing. Maybe Chad was like the prodigal son who took the wrong road for a long time before finding his way home to his father who had been waiting for him all the while. God didn’t give up on people, and Rayne wouldn’t, either. She had been in love with Chad since the eighth grade, and she wasn’t willing to give up on him so easily.

Was she still in love with him, she wondered. After these three years apart, she wasn’t sure, but she only knew that God waited for people to come to Him and that He welcomed them back with open arms, and she would try to do the same. Maybe Chad just needed to sow some wild oats, or something. After all, they had married awfully young. Of course, she couldn’t say that their marriage would work even if he did come back, but she wanted to be able to say that she had tried to remain faithful and forgiving. She wanted to live a life where she didn’t have regrets, and if Chad did come back to her and Tommy, she wanted to at least give it another try.

And, it wasn’t like she was sitting around pining away for Chad. In fact, she needed to finish her tea and get to bed. She promised her family that she would bring her famous homemade peach cobbler to the family picnic tomorrow, so she had to get up early. As she drifted off to sleep that night, she felt content, and she whispered another prayer of thanksgiving for all of the blessings she enjoyed.