The Devil's Storm Page 24

  Emily gave a mischievous smile. “Oh, I like that cocky side too.”

  Speaking of the devil, he was already feeling stiff just from that one statement. He had to clear his throat and change the subject. “Well, I don’t want to ruin your dinner plans—”

  “Don’t leave,” she pleaded. “I’ve got more than enough food for everyone, and I’ve kind of been dying to cook for you.”

  A smile spread across his face. “Okay, you convinced me. Do you need help with anything?”

  “I keep forgetting you’re not helpless in a kitchen like Adrian. Do you mind just keeping an eye on everything for me? I’m just going to pop out for a minute and check on Aaron and Mark.”

  He rounded the island to take over. “I got this." She popped a kiss to his lips on her way out, and Lee gave an involuntary sigh as he watched her sashay her way out to her back porch.

  Oh, he had been right to tell Henry that he had royally messed up. He was falling for her way too fast with no way to stop it. They were going to crash and burn, and when they did, he was swearing off women for the rest of his life. They were just too much-damned heartbreak and trouble.

  He turned down the heat on the vegetables and checked the salmon fillets in the oven. Lee swore he’d seen less appetizing fish in five-star restaurants, but it could have just been his utter infatuation with Emily that was convincing him of that.

  Lee was just testing one fillet when Emily came back in with

  Aaron and his husband, Mark. He’d have to shape up and be his most charming self so her boss and friends wouldn’t think she was dating a complete asshole. He always hated this stage of dating. It was almost as important as meeting a woman’s parents. He hadn’t had to do all this with Madeleine, seeing as she was on short supply of friends and had no family by the time they’d met.

  “Lee!” Aaron greeted him with a handshake. “I’ve heard so much about you I feel like I already know you.”

  He grinned as he shook Aaron’s hand. “Oh, so she talks about me, huh?”

  “Nonstop,” he muttered in response.

  “Lucky me,” Lee smiled with a glance towards a blushing Emily. Aaron grinned, a glint shining in his eyes. While Aaron was talkative and outgoing, his husband, Mark, was the complete opposite. He was extremely nice, but it was obvious he was shyer. As they ate dinner that night, Lee thought Aaron and Mark’s relationship seemed a lot like his and Madeleine’s...at least the way it was before everything went south.

  Lee did his best to be polite and engage them both in conversation though, and he’d even made a few decent jokes that kept them entertained. When Aaron and Mark had decided it was getting late, he and Emily walked them out to the porch. Emily kept her arm wrapped around his waist, her body contouring to his against his side. Lee thought for a moment they already felt like an official couple. The idea made his heart skip a few beats.

  “I just want you two to know you’re great together,” Aaron said on their way out. “Lee, you take care of my girl.”

  “Oh, he does an excellent job taking care of me,” Emily returned cheekily with a wink. Lee coughed and laughed, unsure of whether he should feel embarrassed or proud.

  “I’m sure I’ll hear all about it tomorrow at work, you perv.”

  “Every sordid detail,” Emily promised.

  Lee gave a nervous laugh. “Jesus, Emily...”

  “Stop now. You’re making him blush.”

  “He’s the cutest,” she said, planting a kiss in the hollow of his cheek.

  “You both are,” Aaron said, giving Emily a hug goodbye then skipping down the stairs to catch up with Mark. “Goodbye!”

  They waited until they had both gotten safely in their car and

  driven away before going back inside. “I didn’t embarrass you too bad did I?” Emily asked with a cute grin.

  “A little.”

  “Awww, I’m sorry.”

  “No, you’re not,” he scoffed in response.

  Emily beamed and shook her head. “No, not really. Let’s get back in. I made a blackberry cobbler for dessert, but I was being stingy and didn’t tell Aaron.”

  “I love blackberry.”

  “I know you do,” she answered. “That’s why I made it. You know, just in case you used some executive privileges.”

  She served them up two bowls of hot cobbler, served with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. They turned on ESPN and caught the baseball highlights in her living room while they ate dessert together. Lee liked this. It was comfortable and real. As steamy as their week together had been, he loved the fact that there was already more to their relationship than just sex.

  “Dear God. I’d marry you just for your cobbler,” he said, swallowing another bite.

  “That’s the second comment you’ve made about being in love with me tonight. I’m sensing a trend.”

  Lee looked over to her and tried to read her expression. The playful expression she had worn throughout the night had dissipated and she now looked more reserved, more serious. “I’ll stop if you want me to,” he said.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s one thing if you mean it, it’s another if you don’t.”

  “Are you worried I don’t?”

  “Yes,” she said very pointedly, looking him straight in the eye. In the background, ESPN droned on, filling the silence but not making it any less uncomfortable.

  Lee cleared his throat. It was time to gather his courage and tell her how he felt. “Emily, I’ve had the best week of my life in years, and I don’t want to rush this but...”

  He stopped and swallowed, his hands nearly trembling. He didn’t think he’d been this nervous since he’d asked Madeleine to marry him.

  “But?” she questioned, urging him to explain.

  He pressed his lips together close. He was at the point of no

  return. Time to say what was on his mind. “I want a lot longer than a week with you. But, I also don’t want to scare you. If you need time to think—”

  Emily leaned over with her bowl in hand and rested her head on

  his chest. “Nope. I’m pretty sure you’re exactly what I want.”

  For a moment, Lee was in shock. Did that really just happen? Was it really going to be so simple?

  “Are you sure?”

  She didn’t even bother looking up at him. “I was just hoping you weren’t going to make me pretend to think it through for an entire week. I’m kinda crazy about you if you haven’t noticed.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “You’ve got terrible taste in men.”

  Emily laughed. “Lucky for you.”

  As happy as he was, later that night, Lee couldn’t sleep. Emily was sawing logs next to him. He knew better than to say anything about a woman snoring. Besides, snoring was better than the piercing silence torturing him since Madeleine left. It was comforting just to know that he wouldn’t have to sleep alone, at least until Emily figured out that he wasn’t the man he was trying to be.

  But there was something more than Emily’s snoring that was blocking his ability to sleep. Something was wrong, he just couldn’t quite put his finger on what. For the most part, it had been a wonderful day. He talked through his issues with Henry, gotten to see Madeleine, and Emily had officially landed herself the worst boyfriend ever.

  When they’d gone to bed that evening, they cuddled up, enjoying each other’s company, when he made a joke about her saddling herself to the wrong horse. “I wish you would quit saying stuff like that,” Emily said. “Don’t be nervous. Trust me, you’re going to have your hands full with me, too.”

  “I think you’re perfect,” he breathed, lacing his fingers through hers.

  Emily laughed. “Oh, you’re in for a big disappointment.”

  Lee smiled and shook his head. “I’ve learned to love the imperfect, anyway. I promise I’ll be the best I possibly can.”

  “Sounds like you’ve learned to accept everyone else’s flaws, but not your own.”

  He looked
at her and started getting lost in her eyes again. He’d

  come to love them over the past week. It was such a short time, but the pull to her was magnetic. He truly wanted to be better for her, but Lee knew from experience that the spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak.

  “Well, you can ask Maddie,” he sighed. “The flaws I have are

  unacceptable.”

  Emily shook her head. “You made mistakes, but that’s in the past.”

  “Yeah, but they were huge mistakes. Before I met Maddie, I was such a player. I guess I never really matured; I just got married.”

  She fell to her back and laid there in silence, staring at the ceiling. “So you’re saying you learned nothing from your experience?”

  “No, I learned a lot. I learned I don’t do well with temptation and need to do my best to avoid it. And I think I’ve gained more self-control.”

  “I think you sell yourself too short. You’re not the person you were, and it’s time to quit punishing yourself. Learn from your mistakes, but it’s okay to be move on and be happy.”

  Emily settled herself in the crook of his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her, pressing his cheek against her soft hair. “You make me happy,” he murmured.

  “You make me happy, too.”

  It wasn’t long before she fell asleep, but without her to distract his every instinct, a sense of worry seemed to replace the joy she planted in his heart. For a moment, Lee pretended he didn’t know exactly what was wrong, that the mental replays of his conversation with Madeleine that afternoon had nothing to do with his swelling anxiety.

  As time ticked on, minutes turning into an hour, his mind rattled off questions. What if he’d damaged Madeleine’s relationship with Adrian? What did he care if he did? They deserved it, didn’t they?

  He looked at Emily, then sat up on the edge of her bed with a sigh. Instead of worrying about it all night, he would just text Madeleine. Or better yet, he would man up and call Adrian. If they were fighting, his brother wouldn’t appreciate the fact that he was calling Madeleine at midnight. Lee grabbed his phone and headed downstairs, plopping himself on Emily’s sofa as if he were right at home. Although he should have taken Adrian’s information out of his contacts ages ago, he never could bring himself to hit the ‘delete’ button. What was one more contact when he had hundreds? Even if it came first alphabetically and stared him in the face every time he tried to call anyone.

  Lee took a steadying breath. This would take some courage. If only he could imbibe some liquid courage...That might make this easier. Before he could convince himself not to, Lee pressed the call

  button and waited.

  One ring.

  What if he didn’t answer? Could he call Madeleine then?

  Two rings.

  Maybe he should have just sent a text.

  Three rings.

  It wasn’t as if every couple fought like he and Madeleine did. Maybe everything was perfectly—

  “What the hell are you calling about?”

  Or not.

  Lee was at a loss for words. What had he planned on saying to Adrian, anyway? This was a terrible idea. “I wanted to make sure you were okay. Well, you and Madeleine, really,” he finally sputtered.

  Adrian didn’t answer at first. Lee felt tension so tight and hard that it might snap at any minute.

  “Why did you take her out to lunch today?” Adrian questioned.

  Lee’s mouth fell. “I—I saw her at Henry’s office, and...and I was just happy to see her. I just asked before I even really thought about it.” he stammered.

  “And that whole conversation about Harrison Aerospace—”

  “I tried to get out of that. I didn’t know you hadn’t told her. But you know how she is. For someone so quiet, she is exceptionally good at reading people. And then, she either tricks you into saying what she wants to know or presses you because she knows you’re not being completely honest. The woman should have worked in police interrogation.”

  “Ha! You’re telling me.”

  Lee did not expect that reaction. Silence fell between them, but Lee had to satiate his curiosity if he was going to get a single wink of sleep tonight.

  “Maddie left, by the way. Since you wanted to know.”

  “Oh...” Lee started, somewhat shocked. “Seriously? Over the

  whole job thing? I mean, I get it, you told a white lie, but I told her that was just how we were raised.”

  “I...I know you did,” Adrian struggled. “I also know you didn’t tell her about mom and dad, and dad offering that money...”

  Lee groaned. “Oh, but you didn’t know that before you told her everything yourself, did you?”

  “How’d you know?”

  “Oh, she’s pulled that shit on me before,” Lee rattled on. “I told you. She’s tricky...So what do you mean she left?”

  “As in she’s gotten a rental car, and she’s on her way to Savannah. I’m trying to catch up with her.”

  “Yeah, but she didn’t leave you-leave you...right?”

  A pause. “Why would you care if she did?”

  Lee took a sharp breath. Jesus, he didn’t want to answer that. It would hurt to admit it. “Because she was really happy this afternoon. And Jesus Christ you’re all she talked about.”

  Silence.

  “She won’t answer her phone. It’s either dead, or she shut it off,” Adrian choked. “Or she’s gotten to Savannah, and she’s gotten hurt, or she’s hurt herself—”

  “Don’t say that.”

  “But it’s possible.”

  Lee had to admit that was true.

  “You know I always said that her being upset didn’t mean she was going to hurt herself. She said she still loves me, that she just needed a break,” Adrian said in a choked voice. “Maybe she’s fine.”

  The entire statement was a sucker punch to his entire being. Every word was painful—the fact that there was no doubt Madeleine loved Adrian, not him. She wouldn’t love him ever again. The mere suggestion that she might attempt suicide again was heartbreaking.

  Adrian spoke again. “I’m sorry—”

  “Um, no, no. You’re fine,” Lee lied.

  “I realize I did a lot of things wrong. Maddie and I both know that.”

  Lee just sat there listening, frozen. “Well, you let me know if Maddie’s okay,” he finally instructed. “And I mean it if I have to call you I will.”

  “Jesus, repeat of this bullshit? Please let me avoid that at all costs.

  I’ll send you a text ASAP,” Adrian joked. A short laugh escaped

  Lee before he stopped himself.

  “I’d appreciate it.”

  “Will do. See you later, Lee.”

  See you later? Would he see his brother later? It was becoming less of an impossibility than it was yesterday. “See you later.”

  Chapter Thirty Five

  The past twelve hours of Adrian’s life had been some of his most exhausting. He felt he had sucked the life right out of him. He was mentally, emotionally, and physically drained. By the time he arrived in Savannah, he was well past the 7:00 mandated curfew, and he certainly wasn’t important enough to enter until the last phase of re-entry began. He heard of others finding ways in the city, but they blocked every back road Adrian knew. He’d eventually given up and driven back to the outskirts of Savannah. There wasn’t a hotel with a spare room for miles, forcing Adrian to pull off to the side of the road, lean back the driver’s side seat of his Jeep, and attempt to get some sleep.

  It was a damned fool endeavor.

  As much as his body craved it, his mind was working overtime worrying about Madeleine. He couldn’t have been a couple of hours behind her, and that was being generous. If the last phase of re-entry hadn’t yet begun, that meant that she wasn’t in the city yet, either. Maybe she had gotten a room, or was sleeping in a car somewhere, too.

  Unless she was one of the rumored few who had found a way in.

  The idea made his st
omach cringe in worry. A woman all alone after a hurricane evacuation? He thought back to all the news of post-Katrina rapes and assaults. People in desperate situations had the potential to act out in the most terrible ways. He just hoped and prayed she was safe, wherever she was.

  He kept checking his phone in vain. Subconsciously, he already knew there wasn’t going to be a missed call or text, but the sliver of chance alleviated his worry for a few fleeting seconds. He’d lost cell reception about twenty miles outside the city. Utility companies had dispatched fleets of trucks to the area, and Adrian supposed it would be days before they restored landlines, and maybe even a week or more for cell. Being disconnected made the entire situation feel even lonelier, and scarier. He needed to know Madeleine was alright, and until he got to the house, there would be no surefire way

  of knowing.

  The sun began rising in the horizon at 6:17 am, casting a brilliant orange glow over I-16 and dissipating the long night. Adrian turned the ignition and pulled his Jeep back onto the road, driving straight for the roadblock he’d come to last night. His was the third or fourth car in line, and it was another thirty minutes before a National Guardsman came to check his identification. He muttered some vague warning about floodwaters but didn’t give any specific advice or information on dealing with it. Adrian reckoned he would figure it out when he got there.

  It wasn’t a terribly long trek down I-16 before he arrived at their exit. As soon as he made it down the ramp, it soon became obvious what the Guardsman had been talking about. A foot of gently roiling, brown water covered Gaston Street. Adrian crept down the street, surveying the damage. Felled trees lay everywhere, many of them pulled up by the roots. Abandoned vehicles showed evidence of an even higher water level at some point, with the windows marked with a grimy film. His biggest concern was downed power lines, but surely if they were letting residents back in the city, they had already dealt with anything too dangerous.

  When Forsyth Park came into view, Adrian felt his heart began to hammer. It happened slowly at first but became stronger and faster the closer he came to the house. He kept telling himself everything would be fine, and deep down, he knew it would, but seeing home become a helpless victim of the forces of nature wasn’t easy. It was all fixable, but something about the entire situation seemed to build tension inside his heart. Adrian wanted things restored to normal. He wanted Madeleine, in their home, on their way to a future to create a legacy together.