Storm Watch

point, that Cece is fine.” She paused. “But I’m grateful.”

“I don’t want you to be grateful.”

“What do you want?”

“So suspicious.” He ran his thumb along her jaw, played with her earlobe. “Maybe I just want a peek at your sweet and sunny disposition.”

She had to laugh at that, even as parts of her tingled. She wasn’t sure what they were going to do with all this shimmering chemistry, but she had an idea, and it made her shiver. “Jason.”

“Lizzy.” He leaned in, his mouth nearly connecting with hers, letting the anticipation build for a beat, until-

Something smacked into the car hard enough to make her gasp and jump. It was a large branch, which rolled off the hood, landing in front of them. It caught on something in the water and snagged, blocking their way.

Jason looked out and shook his head. “I’ll get it.”

He’d just shut the door when his cell phone vibrated in her pocket. She’d forgotten she had it. She debated with herself for a minute, then flipped it open. “Jason’s phone.”

There was a moment of silence, then a soft, unsure female laugh. “Well, hello, strange woman answering my brother’s phone.”

Oh, boy. “Uh, hello. Hang on, I’ll get him-”

“Oh, no, please don’t. I’d much rather talk to you because Jason won’t tell me a damn thing except that he’s alive. Is he okay? Is he really okay?”

Lizzy took a peek at Jason as he came back into the Jeep. “He is.”

“Is he exhausted?” his sister asked. “Pale? Are his eyes haunted like they get when he’s first on leave? Because he says he’s fine, but that’s all he ever says since Matt. So maybe you’ll tell me the truth. Is he still hurting?”

At the love and worry in her voice, Lizzy softened immediately. “Maybe a little.”

Jason slid her a look. “Who is it?”

“Your sister.”

“Don’t tell him I’m drilling you!” Jason’s sister whispered frantically. “He’ll take the phone and tell me he’s fine. That he’s not still blaming himself for Matt’s death.”

Lizzy felt an overwhelming surge of emotion for his sister, and for Jason. It felt like protectiveness, empathy. Affection.

And more, so much more. She felt the need to wrap herself around him and squeeze until he felt better, or until she felt better, whichever didn’t come first-

“Listen,” his sister said quickly. “Whoever you are, promise you’ll at least feed him. That you’ll-”

Jason gently relieved Lizzy of the phone. “Shelly. It’s sort of a bad time. Can I call you back?” He listened to what sounded like a long litany and rubbed a spot between his eyes. “Well, I am fine.”

Lizzy had been looking at him all day, and yeah, no doubt he was incredibly fine, but she could see beneath the surface now, past the rugged face and body which tended to rob her of cognitive thought, and she agreed with his sister.

Beneath the easy, calm, I-can-handle-anything air he wore, there was that edge she’d already seen, that haunted hollowness she now understood. And added to both was a sheer exhaustion that probably went to the bone. As she’d worked all night, he wasn’t alone in that, but Jason was more than just physically tired, and her heart ached for him.

“I promise,” Jason said in the affectionate but frustrated voice that was a universal sibling-to-sibling tone. “I’ll come see you and Mom the second the storm’s over and I’m free.” He looked at Lizzy. “I’ll invite her, yes, but the decision is hers.” A reluctant, fond smile curved his lips. “Yeah, you, too, brat. Bye.”

“They love you,” Lizzy said softly into the silence.

Well, not silence. There was no silence, not with the whipping wind and rain hammering the poor Jeep.

“They love me,” Jason agreed, craning his neck to look around them. “But love isn’t going to get us out of this mess.”

Water was rushing and running beneath the Jeep’s tires, the force of the storm rocking them back and forth. No. Love wasn’t going to help them. “I’m sorry. I can’t believe I took us out in this.”

“Don’t be.”

She knew Cece was capable, dammit, she knew. But a small part of her couldn’t help but try to be there, just in case Cece still needed her.

Hell, maybe even a small part of her wanted Cece to still need her. “Aren’t you glad you came home for some food and rest?” she asked drily. “And…what else was it you wanted?”

His eyes heated, and her breath caught. “Oh, that’s right,” she murmured. “Sex. You wanted sex.” At just the words out of her own mouth, something deep inside her belly quivered. She peered out the window toward where she knew the power lines were. “And I nearly gave you electrocution. Man, did you get ripped off.”

“Guess that means you owe me.”

She turned back with amusement. “Is that right?”

He just smiled.

“Are you really suggesting I owe you sex?”

He arched a brow. “Is that on the table?”

“No. I was just wondering.”

He laughed. “God.” He swiped a hand down his face. “Somehow, even in the middle of hell, you can still make me laugh.”

Lizzy took in his smile, and how good it looked on him, and smiled, too. “I really like this whole not being in awe of you thing.”

“Well, damn. I am going to miss the awe.”

Now she laughed. “Are you ready then?”

“For the sex?” he asked hopefully.

“Ha. No, but nice try.” She grabbed her bag and tossed him his. “I assume we have to walk from here.”

“There’s no way to get the Jeep past the wires.”

“Okay.” She looked at her watch. Past noon already. Unbelievable.

“Wait,” he said when she reached for the door handle. Leaning in, he pulled up her hood, his fingers warm and callused, the touch going right through all her protective layers and her inner brick wall, making itself at home right in the center of her heart.

“That’s not going to help for long,” she told him, her voice a little husky.

He kept his fingers on her, and lightly stroked her jaw. “Stay close. There’ll be underwater currents, and if your feet get swept from under you-”

“I’ll be okay. I will,” she said with soft steel when he started to speak again.

“I know.” He looked at her, then hauled her to him and kissed her hard and long, with a promise of more to come. Then, still breathing hard, they opened their doors and headed out, meeting at the back of the vehicle. Jason grabbed her hand, and together they trudged for higher ground, with Lizzy hoping that Cece-in labor or not-had done the same.

7

DOUBLE FISTING her flashlight, Cece waddled down the flight of stairs to the single-car garage beneath her condo unit, where she made the unhappy realization that the entire place had sprung a leak.

There was four inches of water swirling at her feet.

Which was perfect, really, because now it was official. The day had gone to hell in a handbasket.

She surveyed her car, which was as useless as her phone, because the garage door was shut and she had no electricity to open it. In the corner, soaking up water, was a bag of skinny clothes, also useless.

And the raft from last summer’s river trip…

No.