by L. P. Maxa
“How many of your clients do you need to contact?”
“All of them.”
Noah tsked. “How many do you absolutely have to contact?”
“Why?”
“If I could get you an Internet connection, and that’s a very big if, how many do you need to email?”
Lucy ran through the projects with upcoming deadlines and ticked off on her fingers. “Half a dozen. And if you can get me online, I can send one email and blind copy everyone and explain the situation.”
“Let me see what I can work out. I’m not making promises, but I’ll try. Can’t let a fledgling business go under.”
Lucy bounced with excitement.
Noah seemed to be watching her body with specific interest. He slipped off the bar stool and inched closer before giving her a top-to-toe scan. “Hmmm. Seems I have strong motivation to make it work.”
He took Lucy’s hand in his, lifted it to his lips, and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. A flame of longing coursed up her arm and short-circuited every possibility of rational thought. She focused on his face—the piercing blue eyes, that sexy mouth with full lips she’d dreamt about taking for a test drive.
“Maybe I could give you something to help strengthen that motivation.”
“Maybe?” Noah’s voice was low and husky. He inched closer still. “I’d love that sample now.” Noah tugged her into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers. A soft whimper escaped her lips and he deepened the kiss. She wrapped one arm around his neck and pressed the other hand to his chest, feeling the thump of his heart hammering under her fingers. He held her closer, and their bodies melded chest to toe. Okay, now she felt more than his heart hammering, and nothing about this man was small. She was so glad one of her arms was around his neck because her legs had turned to jelly.
And on that thought he broke the kiss, which elicited a moan that came from her core. He squeezed her waist as he angled his head in the opposite direction and then dove right back in.
Damn the man could kiss. And his lips were as soft and demanding as she’d imagined. She was in deep trouble here and she had a feeling if she didn’t extricate herself from his arms, she was going to find out all kinds of things about what Noah could do in that big bed of his.
When he pulled back, he nibbled her bottom lip, before licking his. Then he winked. Yep, winked. And in a deep, raspy, sex-filled voice, he rumbled, “Can’t wait for full course.”
She blinked, unable to string words together. Her body hummed with need, and his sexy wink had curled her toes. But in the back of her mind, lies and deceit, betrayal and hurt made themselves known as the memory of a promise she had made to herself surfaced.
She knew she had to halt this train before it ran away from her and became unstoppable.
“M-maybe later.” She punctuated the sentence with a shrug, then turned her attention to Baby, who had moved to her side at some point during the kiss. She stroked his jet-black coat and cooed gibberish to him until Chessie sat up and barked.
“Don’t worry. I haven’t stopped loving you. I’ll pet you next.”
And after that I’ll figure out how to get us out of here so I don’t fall under the spell of another man.
Chapter Nine
By the next morning the skies had cleared and so had the crazy emotions that had blanked her brain the previous day. Every time she had thought of kissing Noah, a silly thrill had raced through her.
And that couldn’t stand.
She had formulated an escape plan and would implement it after lunch. She had overheard him talking to his boss on the two-way radio. Noah had to leave to patrol part of St. Magnus in a few hours.
She had packed her belongings and casually scouted the house and carport for supplies needed to transport the puppies to her home. The pool wouldn’t fit in her small sedan so she would have to leave it behind. She had found a cardboard box in the storage shed and would line it with the rags Noah had left in the bathroom to use for puppy cleanup.
“I’m grilling some bratwurst. Would you like one for lunch?” Noah poked his head into the living room where Lucy had curled up with some back issues of a cooking magazine she had found. She wasn’t sure why she’d pulled those particular ones from the overflowing basket of periodicals since she rarely cooked anything more complicated than hot dogs.
“Sure. That sounds delish. Anything I can help you do?”
“Not a thing. I’ll holler when they’re done.”
Lucy rose from the overstuffed chair when he left and tossed the magazine back in the basket. The aged oak mantel over the wood-burning fireplace held a jar of small seashells in addition to a turquoise pot of ivy whose vines trailed from one side of the mantel to the other.
Two small photos, one of an older couple and the other of Noah and a man who looked like he could be related, sat amidst the plant vines. She wondered if the photos were of his parents and perhaps a brother.
Lucy was an only child, and her parents now lived wherever they landed in their spacious RV. Tina and Ralph Jansen had pulled up stakes eighteen months earlier after his cancer scare at age sixty-one, determined not to waste any more time punching a time clock. So far they had covered the entire eastern seaboard and visited the northern half of the continental United States. Two weeks earlier, Lucy had received a postcard from Yellowstone Park. And when she remembered, she checked her Instagram for her mother’s latest travel news.
But unlike Noah, Lucy had no family photos scattered about except for a few left by Aunt Ruth. And she had always felt knickknacks and houseplants were something else to dust or water.
Any coziness in her house was because of her aunt’s touch while Noah’s house screamed, “I’m occupied by a man who loves life, his family, his community, and his dog.”
No evidence of a woman though. Surely a man as handsome as Noah would have no trouble attracting women.
“Oh hell, of course he doesn’t,” she mumbled to herself. “He had me in a puddle at his feet after two kisses.” Maybe he had a girlfriend but they hadn’t dated long. Or he was between girlfriends. Or he was…
“It doesn’t matter,” she said to Chessie, and the dog barked in agreement. Lucy crouched down, face-to-face with the Beagle, and scratched her under the chin. “We’re making a run for it as soon as he leaves. We’ll go back home and get on with our life. Your puppies will grow up and one day you’ll find your forever home. And we’ll all live happily ever after.”
Chessie licked Lucy’s hand, then turned suddenly and trotted off, most likely to tend to her offspring.
“Come on, girl,” Noah called. “Want to go outside with Baby and me?”
Lucy heard two excited barks, and harrumphed. Well, that would stop soon enough. Chessie better get her fill of Noah and Baby, because tonight she’d be under Lucy’s roof.
###
Despite Noah’s report that her house was undamaged, Lucy held her breath until she saw for herself. The yard was a mess, and she figured she would have to set aside a day or two to clear away the worst of it. But when she went into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and got a whiff of food that had been without refrigeration for three days, she knew what her first priority was. She should have known this was coming since Noah had cleaned out his fridge hours after Dolly hit the island. At least she wasn’t dealing with floodwater inside like houses she had seen closer to the village.
She felt a trifle guilty leaving Noah’s house while he was on patrol, but she knew he would try to talk her into staying longer. As she’d moved her belongings and then Chessie and the puppies to her car, she had flashbacks of moving out of Rob’s house. After she’d seen his bare ass surrounded by his secretary’s long legs, Lucy had packed a suitcase and stayed in a hotel. By week’s end she had found a more permanent arrangement with a friend and moved all her belongings from Rob’s house. When Aunt Ruth had decided to move to assisted living, Lucy used her vacation to help her aunt, and by the time she had finished moving Ruth out of the
house, Lucy had decided to move in, resign from her job in Atlanta, and start a new life and job on St. Magnus Island.
She had left Noah’s house under far less traumatic circumstances, and congratulated herself on her independence. He was a nice man and a good deputy who’d helped out in a pinch. She didn’t owe him anything except a heartfelt thank you.
Then why did she feel like she’d walked away from something important?
After getting the dogs in the house, she cooed, “You’re home now,” to Chessie’s puppies as Lucy carefully moved them from the cardboard box to the shower in the master bathroom. She had lined the stall with towels and the rags from Noah’s house and used an old board from the garage to fashion a gate across the opening. Chessie could get over it, but the pups couldn’t.
Once the pups were settled, Lucy took inventory in the kitchen and found half a loaf of bread on the counter and a jar of peanut butter in the pantry. She scrounged up several cans of tuna, a sleeve of crackers, and some fruit cups.
Taking a page from Noah’s patio cooking, she ventured outside and found a rusty grill behind the garage. It required charcoal, though, and Lucy was unable to find a bag of it anywhere. She began a mental list of things to buy once she could get to a store that was open, and added charcoal along with replacements for everything she’d cleaned out of the fridge.
After clearing a path through the storm debris to the front door and cleaning up a small area in the backyard for Chessie, Lucy flopped onto the living room sofa to rest and formulate her next plan of action. In the dim light, she grew drowsy and bored. Lucy missed bantering with Noah.
Nope. Not going there. She was home now. She had lots to do to recover from the storm. She had Chessie and the puppies to care for. She did not need a man in her life.
Not. At. All.
Chapter Ten
Patrolling the island had taken longer than expected, and while driving past the hardware store, Noah had spotted the front door ajar and stopped to investigate. When he detected movement inside the store, he radioed for backup, and the resulting arrest landed three men in jail. They had come to the island with the express purpose of looting in the wake of the storm. By the time Noah had discovered them, they had hauled thousands of dollars in power tools and small appliances out the back door to a panel van waiting in the alley.
With cell phone service still not restored, he’d had no way to let Lucy know he would be delayed. And when he finally returned to his house and saw Lucy’s car gone, he hadn’t been alarmed. Well, not too alarmed. He figured she had driven to Beachside Drive to see for herself that her house had survived.
“I’m home,” Noah called from the back door. Baby lumbered through the room to greet him, and together they went into the backyard. Once they returned to the house, Noah went to the bathroom to wash up and saw Chessie and the puppies were gone
“Damn woman,” he cursed and strode to his office. The sheets and blanket were neatly folded and stacked on one end of the sofa. Lucy’s belongings were gone.
“Why’d you let her leave?” He scowled at Baby, who sat on his haunches in the hallway. “You could have blocked the door, you know. And growled. You’re bigger than she is.”
Baby yelped, then went into the bathroom and nosed around the empty shower stall.
“Yeah, I know. Nothing stops a woman when she’s made up her mind. But maybe I can convince her to come back since you’ve grown pretty fond of her.”
###
A knock at the front door roused Lucy from her nap, and she knew Noah was standing on the front porch, most likely to try to talk her into leaving her house again.
She debated ignoring him, but figured he would either break down the door or toss tear gas in to smoke her out.
“Lucy, I know you’re there. Answer the door.”
Chessie came running from the bathroom, and her ears perked up at the familiar voice. “Oh no. Don’t you dare bark,” she whispered. “Don’t encourage him.”
Three more knocks sounded on the heavy wooden door. “We’re still under the evacuation order. I could arrest you for failure to comply.”
Lucy started to reply and call his bluff, then stopped in case he wasn’t.
“Sheriff Henderson got word earlier that power might be restored tomorrow, but water and sewer service are iffy. You and the dogs will be better off if we join forces at my place.”
Lucy’s shoulders slumped at the thought of another day without water.
“Open up. Now, woman.” He punctuated the order by pounding the door.
Chessie whimpered, and Lucy nearly did too. She knew he was right, and she hated to admit it, but she felt safer with him. Dammit.
When she finally caved and swung the door open, Noah and Baby stood on the porch, shaded by the overhanging roof and oak trees. Baby wagged his tail, but Noah’s expression was far less welcoming. She stepped out onto the porch and pulled the door shut behind her.
“Why did you leave?”
Lucy glared. “Well, hello, Deputy Tindall. It’s so nice to see you again, too.”
“Please don’t get all cutesy with me. I thought I made it perfectly clear that you could stay at my place as long as you needed.”
“You did. And I did. Stay as long as I needed, that is. But I also needed to get home today. Spoiled food, you know.” She pointed to the overflowing bin sitting in front of the garage door. “I may never get the stench out of the fridge.”
Noah grunted. “You know I could have cleaned that out for you. All you had to do was ask.”
“I can take care of myself.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
He looked down at his boots and she could have sworn she heard him counting. “Not in these conditions,” he muttered.
“Oh, please. The only thing we really need right now is water. The threat is gone.”
He lifted his head and glared at her. “Really?”
She punched a hand on her hip. “Yeah. Really.”
“So the three assholes I arrested looting the hardware store were what? Harmless?”
Lucy rocked back on her heels. “Someone broke into Dooley Brothers Hardware?” Jasper and Silas Dooley ran the hardware store their grandfather had opened eight decades before.
“Yeah. They had merchandise from the store in their van along with items that most likely came from private homes. This is the kind of Wild West atmosphere that can develop after a natural disaster.”
Lucy’s mouth formed an “O” but no sound emerged. The possibility of looters had never crossed her mind.
“Thanks for letting me know. I’ll make sure my doors are locked.”
“The hardware store was locked and they kicked the door in. And when we searched their van, we found several guns along with the stolen merchandise.”
If Noah was trying to scare her, he was succeeding. But she wouldn’t give in. She couldn’t give in. Not now.
“Word will get out that you made the arrest and any other would-be criminals will know to stay away. I’ll be okay here. I can take care of myself,” she repeated. “I have for a while now.”
“I’m not saying you can’t any other time, but not now. It’s too dangerous and you have a dog and six puppies to take care of. Let me help you.”
Lucy let her head drop back, and she stared at the porch ceiling for a few beats before closing her eyes. “There you go again. Always the hero.”
“Nothing wrong with being a hero.”
“Unless there’s no need for one. I’m fine. Really.”
“Are you? Really?” Noah’s voice grew husky, and he reached out and ran a finger along her cheek.
Lucy took a step back. “Look, you’re a nice guy. And I appreciate all your help. But, I don’t do relationships.”
“Bullshit.” Noah’s nostrils flared and he fisted his hands at his side. “Your body told a different story yesterday, sweetheart.”
“A couple of great kisses don’t count as a relationship.” Lucy stepped back and flattened ag
ainst the front door. “I’m fine. The dogs are fine. My house is fine. Thank you, and good-bye.”
A muscle twitched in his jaw, he glared at her for a few beats, and then he shook his head slowly before turning and walking away. “Come on, Baby,” he called. The dog cocked his head to one side and gazed at Lucy with amber-colored eyes. She held out her hand and Baby took one step forward before Noah called again, this time in a stern tone. “Baby, come.”
The dog obeyed and left Lucy standing with her back against the door. As Noah’s car drove off, Chessie whined from inside and scratched at the door. When Lucy opened it, Chessie bolted out and raced back and forth across the front lawn.
It took several minutes for Lucy to corral the dog and get her back inside. “We don’t need them,” she explained. “We’re fine.”
And if she repeated that enough times, Lucy thought she might actually begin to believe it.
Chapter Eleven
The lights flickered several times, then remained on, and Lucy heard the sweet sounds of the central air conditioning and the refrigerator humming to life. She nearly cried with happiness at this step toward recovery. She glanced at the battery-operated kitchen wall clock—quarter past noon. Nearly four days had passed since Dolly had plunged the island into darkness.
Hoping against hope, Lucy went to the kitchen sink and twisted the faucet. The water sputtered and hissed, and for a couple of minutes ran brown. Then, finally it ran in a cool, clear stream. She splashed water onto her face and made a silent promise to never again take running water for granted. She filled a water bowl from the tap, and Chessie slurped loudly, then stretched out near the air vent in front of the kitchen bay window where cool air once again poured forth.
“Care if I join you?” she asked the dog and stood over the vent, allowing the air to blow up the legs of her shorts. “This is awesome, isn’t it, sweetie? We’re going to be back to normal soon.”
