by Kate L. Mary
Surviving the Storm
A Zombie Apocalypse Love Story
Kate L. Mary
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Published by Twisted Press, LLC, an independently owned company.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to person, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 by Kate L. Mary
Cover art by Kate L. Mary
ISBN-13: 978-1987760248
ISBN-10: 1987760247
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Chapter 1
TESSA IS GOING TO KILL ME.
That was all I could think as I sped past the guard gate at Magnolia Plantation. The clock on the dashboard practically screamed at me every time I glanced its way. Six forty-two. Meaning I was more than half an hour late.
Tessa is going to kill me.
I pulled into a parking spot right next to Claire’s Toyota Camry and slammed my car into park. Somehow, I managed to throw the door open and jerk the keys out of the ignition at the exact same time. Everyone else had probably arrived when they were supposed to, and even though I had a great excuse for being late, Tessa wasn’t going to care. I could just imagine the temper tantrum my little sister would throw. It would probably even top the one from ten years ago when I’d decided to give her brand new Barbie a haircut, claiming she was getting ready to go find herself and that she needed a more manageable hairstyle for the journey. Even though I had gotten in trouble for that little stunt, I could only blame Mom for reading Eat, Pray, Love. It’s all she’d talked about at the dinner table for a month, and where I’d gotten the brilliant idea to give Tessa’s Barbie a makeover.
Tourists stared at me from the porch of the plantation house as I hurried by, heading for the gardens. The Charleston air was blistering despite the fact that it was May, and before I’d even reached the trails that would take me to my waiting family, my armpits were like a swamp. Why the hell Tessa had decided to have an outdoor wedding in Charleston was beyond me, but at the moment I was regretting the extra effort I’d put into curling my hair while wishing that I had instead used the time to buy some waterproof mascara. I’d have to make sure I got some before tomorrow or I’d end up looking like a bridesmaid at a Kiss themed wedding.
When people came into view, I slowed to catch my breath. Even though I was late and I knew it would be impossible to get out of a lecture from both Tessa and my parents, I wasn’t about to go charging in there out of breath and covered in sweat. I needed to hold onto my dignity as long as I could, because very soon it would be ripped away in front of both Tessa’s friends and our closest family.
I finally made it to the clearing where the wedding would be held and found everyone else already in place. Six bridesmaids were lined up on one side, with seven groomsmen on the other, and in the middle stood Tessa, all smiles and sparkling eyes and giddiness as she gazed up at Rick. Their hands were joined, and the pastor was talking. Probably going over what would happen tomorrow so everyone knew what to expect. It was a good thing I’d been in weddings before, because by the sound of it, I’d missed most of his little spiel.
I had only taken two steps down the aisle when everyone turned my way.
“Sorry!” I started to raise my arms, but then slammed them back down when I thought better of it. Probably shouldn’t show off the pit stains that were sure to be there. “The traffic was horrible.”
Mom caught my eye as I hurried forward, lifting her brow in a way that assured me I wouldn’t be escaping a lecture. Sure I was twenty-two-years-old and a college graduate, but that did not make me exempt from being a daughter of Sylvia and Patrick Smart, which meant they were entitled to let me know every time they thought I had screwed up.
I shot Mom a tight smile while I avoided Dad’s gaze. When my eyes landed on Tessa, I found her giddiness gone and in it’s place was the scowl she had been famous for while we were growing up—at least in our house. It was her typical I-didn’t-get-my-way look, and even though it was the night before her wedding, I wasn’t in the mood for it. Not after this morning.
“About time,” Tessa spit at me.
I plastered an apologetic smile on my face. Even though I desperately wanted to engage in a match of verbal fencing with her, right now wasn’t the time. Plus, Mom and Dad had already made it perfectly clear that I was not to bring it up. They would talk to Tessa later—meaning she’d get a slap on the wrist. As usual.
I hurried toward the line of bridesmaids and settled in next to my other sister, Claire.
She shook her head and leaned closer to me, whispering in my ear, “You didn’t miss anything. Don’t worry about it.”
Always the peacemaker, of course.
I shrugged so she’d know it wasn’t a big deal to me, and the pastor once again started going through what would happen tomorrow. Honestly, I didn’t understand the need for a wedding rehearsal. If you’ve been to one wedding, you’ve been to them all. Still, it got me a free meal and drinks, so I guess it was worth my time. Right?
My gaze moved past Tessa and Rick, who were once again staring at each other like they were caught in a trance, and over to the groomsmen. Claire and I shared the duty of maid of honor, but as the oldest I was at the head of the line. Meaning I would be walking down the aisle with Rick’s best friend. I’d heard a lot about Logan over the last few months, but had yet to meet him in person. After getting to know my future brother-in-law, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.
Not wanting to be too blatant in my staring, I snuck a peek at the best man out of the corner of my eye only to find him staring at me outright. When I turned my full gaze on him, he grinned, revealing teeth so perfect they could have been featured in a toothpaste commercial. I returned the smile, trying my best to ignore the tingle that moved down my spine as I looked him over. He was…hot. Super-hot, really. Broad shoulders filled out his white dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows to reveal tan forearms that told me he’d spent a lot of time in the sun this past summer. His dark brown hair had a slight wave to it, no doubt aided by the South Carolina humidity, and the stubble on his chin was business chic. He reminded me of a GQ cover model. Logan winked when I didn’t look away, his gray eyes twinkling, and I found myself almost laughing out loud. There was something very open and inviting about this guy.
“Are you listening?” Claire nudged me from behind and I was forced to tear my eyes away from Logan.
Everyone was staring at me. Of course.
Heat that scorched me even more than the sun and the humidity combined crept up my neck to my cheeks, and I cleared my throat. “Sorry,” I said, doing my best to sound repentant when all I really regretted was having to look away from the imitation Greek God across from me. “What?”
Tessa let out a sigh dramatic enough to get her nominated for an Academy Award. “Seriously. I made you my maid of honor and you show up late, and then zone out the whole time. This day isn’t about you, Melanie.”
“That’s enough, girls.” Dad’s voice boomed through the air, and when I turned to meet his gaze, the look of disappointment on his face was more than enough to freeze the anger in my veins until it felt like a blizzard. “You’re all adults now, so let’s act like it.”
I sucked in a deep breath, and turned to face my baby sister, my gaze holding hers. I exhaled, forcing the anger out as well. Dad was right. I was twenty-two and a college graduate, I didn’t need to act like a ten-year-old. Even if my sister had acted like a spoiled brat today.
“Sorry.”
The apology was meant to placate Dad, but Tessa relaxed and actually smiled, making me relax too. I looked up to find Logan chuckling quietly, and the expression on his face told me that he understood a thing or two about sibling rivalry.
“Let’s run through it one more time before we head to the rehearsal dinner.” The pastor’s eyes were focused on me. As if I were the irresponsible one in this family.
Great. This day just kept getting better and better.
WITH THE REHEARSAL DONE ALL I WANTED to do was grab a drink, but Mom grabbed my arm and pulled me aside before I had a chance to follow the rest of the wedding party into the restaurant. Tessa’s two best friends from high school passed, and Mom flashed them a smile that looked painful in its tightness, simultaneously wiping the sweat off her forehead. The sun was pounding down on us from above, and my own neck was beaded with moisture, my hair clinging to it tighter with each passing second. I wanted to get inside, but I also wanted to get this lecture over with so I could actually enjoy my day.
“Now I know your sister hurt you, but that doesn’t make it okay to hurt her back,” Mom said when most of the guests had passed us, her voice just slightly louder than a whisper. “I’m going to talk to her about it, but later. After the rehearsal is over. I want you girls to be close, which means forgiving and forgetting. After all, it’s not like any of you are perfect.”
Mom arched her eyebrows in my direction, as if challenging me to argue. Which, of course, I couldn’t. Because she was right. I wasn’t perfect. There had been plenty of times over the years when I’d hurt Tessa. We were sisters, and growing up we’d practically made hurting each other a sport.
“You’re right,” I said, “but just so you know, I didn’t get to the rehearsal late on purpose. I had a lot going on today.”
“I know, and I plan on reminding your sister of that fact. We told her how it was going to be when she chose today, but she wanted to get married in May when it was still cool.” Mom rolled her eyes because we had all known it wouldn’t be as cool as Tessa had thought it was going to be, and the sweat rolling down my back was proof that we’d been right. Then Mom’s lips turned up into a smile and she put her hands on my arms. “We’re proud of you, sweetie, and don’t worry about Tessa. After tomorrow she’ll be so blissfully happy she won’t even remember you were late to the rehearsal.”
“Thanks, Mom,” I said, even though I seriously doubted it. I had a strong suspicion that she would be bringing my tardiness up for the rest of our lives. As if today was the anniversary of my failure instead of her wedding rehearsal.
Mom gave me a quick squeeze before letting out a deep sigh. “Now that we’ve taken care of that mess, let’s get out of this heat.”
Cool air brushed over us when we stepped inside, and Mom let out an audible sigh. I closed my eyes and lifted my hair, trying to dry the back of my neck before joining the rest of our party. Hopefully, my deodorant had done its job. The little wink Logan had shot my way as we headed toward our cars was still fresh in my mind, and a couple hours chatting him up sounded like a great way to celebrate my recent achievement.
“Late again.” I opened my eyes to find the hottie in question grinning down at me.
Mom shot me a wink before hurrying away, patting the best man on the arm like they were old friends. I’m sure she already had us walking down the aisle in her head. People were always giving me shit about studying too much, and Mom was the worst one.
“I like to make an entrance,” I said, letting my hair dark drop as I returned his easy smile.
“You do a good job.”
The slow progress of his gaze as it moved down my body made it impossible to imagine it as anything but a caress. Every inch of my skin warmed under his gaze, and I swear my thighs clenched on their own. It had been way too long since I’d had sex.
“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Tessa’s big sister, Melanie.” I stuck my hand out, suddenly anxious to touch the perfect specimen of a man standing in front of me. An introduction was probably a better idea than ripping his shirt off and running my nails down his chest, which was the first thought that had gone through my mind.
“Nice to meet you.” Logan wrapped his hand around mine and the air between us sizzled. “Logan.”
“I can’t believe we haven’t met before now.”
My hand was still in his, and the softness of my skin contrasted with the callouses on his palm, telling me that he was the type of man who knew how to roll up his sleeves and do an honest days work. My gaze locked with his as all around us the room heated and warmth seeped into my pores, turning the blood that had been flowing through my veins into lava. How he could do that with just a look and a touch was beyond me.
Logan’s thumb caressed the top of my hand, letting me know he felt it too. “There wasn’t really time, now was there?”
“I guess not.” I laughed as a dozen different scenes played through my mind, all of which starred Logan and me. Each one was hotter than the last, and each one made me flush deeper until my cheeks were on fire. But with the way he was looking at me, it was impossible to think of anything else. He was like walking sex, and it didn’t matter that most of my family was standing just fifteen feet away from us.
“Nothing like a whirlwind romance to bring people together.” Logan’s lips tipped up on one side, and he winked again.
Damn. This guy had grabbed my interest, hog-tied it, and thrown it in the back of his truck.
Rick, my future brother-in-law, broke through the electricity when he popped up out of nowhere. “I see you two have finally met,” he said, shoving his hand through his blond hair.
His cheeks were slightly flushed, and his body swayed just enough to give away the fact that he’d been drinking. Which wasn’t like him. Sure, I hadn’t known Rick long, but other than this whole thing with Tessa, he wasn’t exactly the kind of guy to let loose.
“It was long overdue.” Logan didn’t take his eyes off me, but he did release my hand. Much to my disappointment.
I flexed my fingers, marveling at the tingle his touch had left behind. He’d somehow managed to get me all hot and bothered with just a handshake and a few sexy looks. I’d honestly never experienced anything like it. Either I was way more repressed than I’d thought, or this guy had some kind of sexy magic powers. Possibly both.
“Very true.” Rick glanced over his shoulder, frowning. “We’re about to get started and Tessa wanted me to ask you to take a seat.”
“Of course.” Logan offered me his arm, winking once again. “May I escort you?”
“Thank you,” I said, trying to play sexy, which meant ignoring my still damp skin and the way my dress stuck to my legs when I moved.
I tucked my hand into the crook of his arm and allowed him to lead me across the restaurant to where the rest of the wedding party was already sitting. His body heat once again seeped inside me, but unlike the Charl
eston air, it wasn’t unpleasant. It was warm and inviting, and there wasn’t an inch of me that didn’t want to get lost in it. Sweaty pits and all.
Tessa had assigned everyone places to sit, of course, so Logan deposited me at the bridesmaid table, along with my other sister, Claire, and Tessa’s five high school friends. All of them were decked out in tight little dresses that seemed more suitable for club hopping than a wedding rehearsal, and judging by the whispers and glances toward the groomsmen, they were already plotting their evenings.
“What were you and Logan talking about?” Claire whispered as Rick’s dad began talking, thanking everyone for sharing in the special day.
“Just introducing ourselves.” I shrugged like it was no big deal, but Claire grinned.
She swept her light brown hair back and leaned closer, her lips almost touching my ears. “It looked like you two were discussing running off together.”
I snorted. “I’m not about to follow in Tessa’s footsteps.”
“They didn’t run off together.” Claire glanced toward our little sister, who was smiling at Rick like he was the master of the universe. “That’s something at least.”
She had a point.
The food was served and a light chatter filled the room. Tessa’s friends whispered among themselves, not including Claire and me in the conversation. Not that it mattered. Claire was usually content with being on the outskirts of any event, and I was too busy ogling Logan from across the room. Which he was more than happy to reciprocate.
About forty minutes after the meal had been served, he pushed his chair back and stood. I followed his lead, earning me a grin that had my knees wobbling. His eyes held mine as we both made our way across the room, rounding the tables and meeting in front of them. I wasn’t sure where he was headed, but I did know that I didn’t care. There was something about this guy that was magnetic.
