After the Fall

Chuy threw Lalo a glance and then turned to Megan with a smile. “Prescott Oil. We’re in their job-training program.”

Her green eyes widened. “You guys are engineers?”

Lalo wiped a napkin over his forehead. “Nah, they have me doing janitorial work in one of the offices. But Chuy, they have him working on the wells, and—”

The glasses and beer bottles on the table trembled.

“What’s that?” The bartender asked, trying to keep the glasses from falling to the floor.

“I think it’s an airplane flying overhead,” a waitress said.

“It’s happening again.” Jeremy glanced at Naomi, his face furrowed with worry.

“Do you know anything about this?”

He shook his head. “I was only told about my assignment. It’s not difficult to figure out where this could lead to, though.”

The shaking grew more violent. People started screaming and running toward the exit.

Naomi watched Chuy catch Megan when she lost her balance and then help her to the door. She followed them closely, thankful that she was near Chuy and Lalo and could make sure they were okay. She hoped Welita was safe, wherever she was.

As soon as they stepped outside the bar, the trembling stopped.

“Are you okay?” Chuy kept his arm around Megan.

“Yes, I’m fine.” The flirtatiousness in her voice was gone, and her face grew serious. “I-I need to get home.”

“I’ll walk you to your car. Where is it?”

“My truck’s over there.” She pointed to across the lot.

When they reached the truck, Chuy and Lalo stood off to the side as she tried to start it.

“Damn it!” She slapped the steering wheel when the engine didn’t turn over.

“Hold on.” Chuy popped up the hood and tinkered under it for a few minutes. “Try it again.”

She turned the ignition. “Nope. Still nothing.”

“Could be the alternator,” Lalo said.

“Yeah, it looks like it. Megan, let me take you home. I can fix this up for you in the morning.” Chuy closed the hood.

“Oh, I don’t want to be a bother. I’ll find someone to give me a ride.”

“No bother at all.” Chuy grinned. “Lalo, I’ll leave you off at Sunrise Haven. Look in on Welita, and let her know I’m helping out a friend.”

* * *

Naomi stood in the middle of the circular drive in front of Sunrise Haven. Welita was in there, somewhere inside that two-story building. She wanted to see her so badly.

It was a nice facility. Paved sidewalks were lined with perfectly trimmed hedges, and there were beds of flowers scattered around the building. There was even a huge porch that wrapped around one side of the wood and brick building. Naomi could imagine Welita sitting in one of the rocking chairs, enjoying the evening sunset and fussing with the landscapers for not feeding the surrounding flowers and plants enough.

When Lalo jumped out of the truck and waved after Chuy and Megan, she watched with deep yearning as he went through the sliding glass doors of the entrance. It took every ounce of strength for her to not run inside.

“Naomi,” Jeremy said softly. “We need to go.”

“Can’t I stay? Just for a few minutes?” The glass doors slid open as a couple walked out. It would only take her a few seconds. She would be quick. Run in and out. She just wanted to make sure Welita was safe.

Jeremy placed himself in front of her, blocking her view of the building. He placed a hand underneath her chin, lifting her head. Blue eyes gazed into hers. “We have jobs to do. If you see her, it’ll just make it harder for you to leave. We need to go.”

Naomi looked deep into his eyes and saw how much he wanted to let her stay, to give her what she wanted. Then she thought of Lash, and her heart ached. She was still upset with him, but she couldn’t help that she needed him, wanted him with her. He would understand.

No, Jeremy’s right. She had a job to do. She pushed the thought of Lash to the back of her mind, focusing on what was expected of her.

“Okay, let’s go.”

They caught up with Chuy’s truck as it rambled down a rural gravel road. There were no other houses in sight, and she wondered how far from town Megan lived.

After a few minutes, he finally turned the truck onto a dirt path, barely visible from the road. He came to a stop a few yards from a small ranch house with green shutters. The porch was a matching dark green that looked freshly painted. On one side of the porch, a Texas flag hung proudly. A U.S. flag waved on the opposite side.

A few yards to the left of the house were a few cars. Most of them had flat tires. She smiled, thinking how Chuy and her father would love to get their hands on them. They loved to bring old cars back to life.

Naomi took a deep breath, wishing she could turn back time. She missed her parents.

She furrowed her brow as she inhaled a strange odor. “Do you smell that?”

She looked to Jeremy with alarm when he didn’t respond. He simply looked down at her with a knowing sad look in his eyes.

Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. Whatever it was, he knew, and he wasn’t telling her. She tensed, readying herself. Whatever was coming, it was coming soon. She hoped and prayed that Chuy wasn’t involved.

She watched carefully as Chuy jumped out of the truck, ran to the door, and opened it. Megan’s pink lips curled into a delicate smile.

A breeze blew hard, making the flags flutter wildly. Megan swiped a hand around her hair as it blew wildly in the wind and then tied it into a ponytail.

“Everything looks all right,” she said, glancing at the house. “Thank you for everything tonight. You don’t have to fix the truck. I can get it towed in the morning.”

“I want to. Lalo and I fix up stuff like that all the time. It’s simple, really.”

“You’re sweet.” She tapped his muscular chest. Her finger slid down his tight-fitting T-shirt and started outlining his abs. She then looked up at him and smiled.

Chuy reached out and tucked a loosened blonde strand behind her ear. “So are you.”

He dipped his head, and his lips gently touched hers. Her hands worked their way up his bulging arms and into his thick hair. A soft moan escaped her as he placed a hand against the small of her back and pressed her against his chest.

The front porch light switched on, and there was the sound of a door slamming.

“Megan, is that you out there?”

They jumped.

“Crap! It’s my aunt.” Megan stepped away from Chuy. “Yeah, it’s me. Are you guys all right?”

“Emma’s in her room, sleepin’ like a rock.” Verna took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from the pocket of her robe. “The house could fall down ’round her and she’d still be sleepin’. Nothin’ can wake her up once she’s down.”

“That’s good!” Megan yelled back. “I’ll be right in!”

Verna placed the cigarette in her mouth. “Take your time.” She raised the lighter.

“I should be going,” Chuy said as Megan turned back to face him. “I’ll call you—”

Naomi heard the flick of Verna’s lighter, followed by a loud explosion. She screamed as fire flashed out toward Chuy and Megan.

Chuy threw himself over Megan, sending them both to the ground. Without thought, Naomi rushed to them, her body shielding both from the intense heat.

“Aunt Verna! Oh my God!”

Chuy tightened his grip on Megan, who clawed the ground. His eyes widened at the ball of fire blazing on the side of the porch.

There was another explosion, and flames shot through the windows, sending shards of glass flying through