Tempest Torn

by Nicole Andrews Moore

  “I know they’re around, but I have yet to see one, if that’s of any comfort. My guess would be you had an earwig fall down your shirt. Those we see all the time. They hurt, but they don’t kill you.” Walking around to the other side of the counter signaled she was done checking. At the moment, she wondered whether or not she should go after Joey. For some reason, she cared what he thought. Maybe it was because he had been burned so many times by Finn, she wanted to prove not all women were inconsistent, wanted to reassure him nothing was going on. Though he had given her the time she had requested, though he had followed all her rules, she had yet to figure out what she wanted, what to do about the state of their relationship. It hurt how quickly he had run off to Finn.

  “Well, I guess I’m going to get back to work,” Brantley announced as he pulled the shirt back over his head. “See you at dinner?”

  “Yup. I’ll make something later than normal tonight. There are a few things I want to get done first. Let me know if you need anything.” Though distracted, she guessed she was friendly enough to not set off any alarms in her new tenant.

  Without saying another word, he had headed out of the kitchen and back up the steps. She could hear him moving around up there, the occasional thud of boxes hitting the floor. It was strange to have someone above them now. Shaking her head, she corrected herself. She and Joey weren’t a couple at the moment. If they were, he’d be sleeping with her and not on the couch. Determined to stay busy and not wallow, she decided to make good on her claims of projects.

  Glancing out the window, she realized she still had some daylight to work with. There was plenty of time to get some work done. Thinking about it made her happy. She was going to have a garden. Though it was early spring, she had already discovered in the south, by now, everyone started thinking garden. A few weeks ago, after going to the hardware store, Marti had started working on growing some seeds indoors. They were strong enough to survive outside as long as she accepted they would grow slower than normal due to the colder temperatures. Seriously, it didn’t bother her. She could wait however long it took for the cabbage and broccoli to come up. Stretching, Marti yawned. Like clockwork, she was tired already and had no idea why.

  For the last week, she had started sleeping later and not even on purpose. Marti simply couldn’t rouse herself from the bed. Yet every day by mid afternoon, she was dragging. It had to be the mental exhaustion of all the projects going on, the people in and out of the house all day, and the two men she was now living with. It all added up to her being beyond tired. It must be a physical manifestation of her mental exhaustion. Despite it, she knew these seedlings weren’t going to plant themselves. Grabbing the egg crates near the window, Marti headed out the door to the back yard.

  Unlike Vermont, the ground never really froze here. There might be some frost, but it was usually gone by mid-morning at the latest. Smiling, she walked to the area she intended to plant. Then Marti slapped her forehead. Oh, she had bought all kinds of stuff from Hank. Unfortunately, she had forgotten anything to turn the soil.

  Though there were footsteps behind her, she refused to turn around. Doing so would mean she’d have to face one of the guys and admit she had forgotten tools. It was a huge oversight.

  “So, I knew you wanted a garden. Even though ‘till the garden’ hasn’t made my list yet, I thought I’d offer my services. And my equipment.”

  When Marti turned, she saw Joey standing there, pushing a rototiller and holding a shovel, garden rake, and a hoe. Beaming, she murmured, “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  Slightly emboldened, Joey shrugged and grinned. “Well, they were just sitting in the shed. They were my father’s. I’ve never used them.” He glanced across the street at the burned out pile of rubble that used to be his house. “At the rate things are going, you’ll have a huge vacant lot for a garden too.”

  “Nah. You’ll get your house rebuilt. I’m sure Finn will come through for you.” Marti watched him for a reaction.

  Shaking his head, he explained, “Finn isn’t someone I could ever count on.”

  Tilting her head, she realized something. No matter what, even when he was being a complete ass, Joey was someone she had been able to depend on. As much as it might pain her to admit it, at least for now, she needed him. It made her incredibly uncomfortable. Shifting where she stood, she asked, “So how long do you think it will take for you to till the garden?”

  His shoulders heaved. “Well, how big do you want it?”

  Eyes wide, Marti all but shook in excitement as she glanced around the big open space. “Ummm.” Smiling at him, she spread out her arms.

  Shaking his head, Joey chuckled. “That’s not going to work. Find some stones and set them in the four corners. Then I’ll fire up the machine, okay?”

  Soon they were doing it again, working together as seamlessly as if they had years of practice. An hour later they were nearly done. Marti was congratulating herself for planting the seeds in eggshell halves. It not only made the planting easier, it also was good for the plants, extra nourishment and all. Suddenly, her shirt pocket began vibrating. Sitting down, she pulled it out and realized it was Reagan.

  “Hey, how are you?” Marti asked happily when she answered.

  “I’m doing okay. What are you up to?” Reagan began. “I’m only asking because I haven’t seen you for a few days, which is pretty unusual. I can’t teach you if I can’t see you,” she warned.

  “I know,” Marti grumbled. “I’m a little worn out. There’s so much going on here. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

  “Well, I suppose,” Reagan conceded. “We have to go early. Can you be there at eight in the morning?”

  Gosh. Even a week ago, it would have been nothing. She could be up at five every day and stay up as late as midnight. Five hours sleep was plenty for her. Now Marti was wondering if she would be able to make it out of the house by seven forty-five. It was time to see if she had an iron deficiency. She made a mental note to call the doctor for some blood work.

  “Sure. I’ll see you then,” Marti announced with far more confidence than she actually felt. Then they ended the call and she realized she already felt tired just thinking about it. Gradually, she reclined on the grass until she was flat on her back. The quiet was only broken periodically by the sound of the tiller crunching against a rock. It was actually kind of relaxing. The sky above was this beautiful clear blue, a huge contrast to the gray winter skies Marti was accustomed to in Vermont. Finally, she truly felt at home here. Her eyelids felt heavy. She was only going to close them for a moment to rest them. When she woke, the clock in her bedroom showed it was 6am.

  Marti had been asleep for roughly thirteen hours. In shock, she took a moment to assess her situation. It seemed she had slept in her clothes. Whoever had tucked her in had removed her shoes and socks, but otherwise left her alone, not even disturbing the covers, just throwing the comforter from the other side of the bed over her. Considering the possibilities, she realized it had to be Joey. Brantley would probably have simply woken her up.

  Smiling, and feeling wonderfully rested, she slipped out of bed and headed towards the bathroom, but froze when her bedroom door started to slowly open. Glancing around, Marti discovered there was nothing close to grab and use for protection. Then her heart remembered Joey was only around the corner on the couch, unless he was peeking in on her. He had always been protection enough.

  Sure enough, in the dim light Joey’s face was barely visible. When he saw her standing there, he rushed over and wrapped his arms around her. “Are you okay? You’ve had me so worried, I’ve barely slept. This is probably the fifth time I’ve checked on you since you passed out on the grass.” His voice was laced with concern.

  Despite the bare feet and the cool temperature in the room, in his arms, she was plenty warm. “Just overtired, I guess. Thank you for carrying me in.” Slowly his arms released her and Marti stepped back. “Dang. I never even made dinner. Poor Brantley.” She frowned at the
thought of how badly she had dropped the ball.

  With a hiss, Joey responded, “Poor Brantley? Poor Joey! I had to cook.”

  Marti chuckled. “Poor Brantley again. He had to eat it.” Reaching over to her nightstand, she turned on the lamp. Then she backed up and sat on the edge of the mattress. Smiling, she patted the bed beside her.

  Joey looked first over one shoulder, then the other. Finally, he patted his chest while mouthing the word, “Me?”

  Throwing her head back, she laughed. “Get over here before I change my mind.” Folding her arms over her chest and pretending to be stern, Marti waited for him to join her.

  Taking two big steps toward the bed, on the third, he dove, arms out, onto the mattress. When he came to a stop, Joey was lying on his side, head propped on his bent arm. “You were saying?”

  “Seriously, did I miss anything?” She turned and lay parallel to him, mirroring his pose.

  His mouth quirked as he considered the question. “Nope. I cooked. I cleaned. He went back to his room. I watched some television when I wasn’t in here hovering over you. Pretty boring night.”

  “Sometimes boring is good.” Marti grinned then glanced at the clock. “Damn. I’ve gotta get ready. Leaving in less than an hour.” She popped off the bed and bolted for the bathroom.

  “Where are you going?” he called after her.

  Opening the door a crack, she leaned out and announced, “Shopping.”

  While she was brushing her teeth, Marti heard the bedroom door click shut. Joey must’ve left. It was just as well. She needed thinking time. He took up so much space in her mind, it was impossible when he was around.

  By the time she showered and dressed, she was ready to go back to bed. By the time she met up with Reagan, she was yawning. “I’m on time,” she pointed out without much enthusiasm.

  “Clearly.” Reagan studied her. “Are you getting enough sleep?”

  “Thirteen hours last night,” Marti admitted sheepishly.

  Her brow furrowed, she asked, “Is this new?”

  Nodding, Marti covered another yawn. “I’m gonna call my doctor after this. My iron must be off. Let’s get going.” She started to push her cart down the far aisle when Reagan caught her arm.

  “Wait,” she ordered while she flipped through her coupon binder. “Let me save you the trouble. You’re going to need this.”

  Confused, Marti took the coupon she offered. Reading it, she was even more puzzled. “E.P.T.”

  “Yup. Take it as soon as you get home. Then give me a call if you want to talk.”

  Frowning, Marti argued, “I can’t be pregnant. It’s really hard for me to get pregnant. And I had miscarriage about three months ago.” All these excuses for why she couldn’t be having a baby raced through her mind. She was still married to Blaine. She and Joey weren’t together. She would never be able to have an abortion, for all she knew the town would ostracize her. Her heart pounded in her chest. At the same time, the side of her mouth upturned slightly. Marti could have a baby, all hers to raise and love. Scary as the prospect was, she knew she could do it and excitement bubbled in her stomach.

  “Yeah, I’m pretty sure,” Reagan added, interrupting her thoughts. “I did go through this rather recently, you know.” Then she held out her hand, palm up.

  “What’s that for?” Marti asked.

  “I just saved you a doctor visit. That’ll be thirty-five dollars.” She chuckled and withdrew her hand. “Come on. Let’s grab a test and get focused. Now you really have to watch your money.”

  Ninety minutes later, Marti had finished loading her groceries in the minivan and was driving home when her phone rang. When she looked at the screen, she recognized Brantley’s number and sighed. She was deep in thought, eager to get home, and really didn’t want any distractions. Still, she dug deep and used her cheeriest voice when she answered. “Morning! So sorry about last night.”

  “Morning!” He sounded really excited and a little breathless. “So I ran into Deb this morning at the cafe. She wants to show me some real estate, you know offices, and maybe some houses. I was kind of hoping you could come. Meet me for lunch at the cafe?”

  Marti sighed and felt instantly guilty. “I’m sorry. I just finished grocery shopping and I have a ton of things to do today,” she explained.

  “Please, I don’t want to do this alone and you’re the only friend I have here in town,” he pleaded.

  Oh, this guy was good, playing on her conscience, making her feel sorry for him. “What time?” she asked, even as she groaned inwardly and struggled against her natural instinct to decline.

  “Say...one o’clock?” Brantley was silent a moment while he waited.

  Glancing at the dashboard clock, Marti decided there really wasn’t a reason to object. He had given her plenty of notice and so far, her big day consisted of putting away groceries and taking a pregnancy test. How long could that possibly take? “Okay, I’ll see you then.” She had given in. It was the right thing to do, even if it made her miserable.

  “Great! See you then!” He sounded so excited and grateful. It made her feel even worse.

  Still pre-occupied, Marti didn’t think much of the guys sitting on the porch when she returned. She figured they were just taking a break from work. Stepping out of the vehicle, she waved at them and turned her attention to getting the groceries into the house. Earl, who seemed to be Joey’s right hand man, rushed over and herded the rest of the crew to come with him. As soon as she had the back of the van opened, he stepped in.

  “We’ve got these.” Then he passed each of the guys a couple of bags and ordered them into the kitchen. Then, when he had Marti’s attention, he spoke. “We’ve hit a few problems in the upstairs.”

  Leaning heavily against the vehicle, she grumbled, “Of course you did.” With a frustrated sigh, she asked, “Now what.”

  “Well, for the other two bedrooms, we thought we could just fix the nail pops before painting.” He began uneasily.

  “But?” Marti was growing frustrated with how long it was taking him to explain the problem.

  “We’ve run into a few things that should be changed to make it safe.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he struggled to help her understand. “We already knew about the lead paint. It’s not an issue if we’re just painting over it.”

  “Right. Just spit it out!” she snapped.

  “Okay, but then we had to take out the tiles from the drop ceiling in those two bedrooms. We always thought it was strange only those two rooms and bathroom had drop ceilings and not the other side of the hall where the second master is. Now we know. There was a water leak at one time. Could have been an old roof, or pipes, since there are some running through there, but the bottom line is that the leak was never properly fixed. There’s black mold. And the ceiling tiles…”

  Slumping, Marti was almost afraid to ask. “What about the ceiling tiles?”

  “Asbestos,” Earl said simply.

  Throwing her head back, she laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. “I have lead, black mold, and asbestos. What? No rats? How about termites? Maybe we need to tent the house?” She clutched her sides, doubling over as she laughed. Sitting up again, she wiped at her eyes, since tears were falling. In all honesty, she didn’t know if they were happy or sad. Marti just felt overwhelmed.

  Just then, Joey pulled in. Judging by the materials sticking out of the bed of his truck, he was returning from Lowe’s. On his face, he wore a look of concern that was evident even before he stepped out of the truck. “Marti, are you okay?”

  “Did you know?” she demanded.

  “Earl called me. I already picked up some materials to start fixing everything. And I called a guy I know in Charlotte who offers mold remediation services. He’ll be here in about an hour to take a look at the affected areas and give me a quote.” He reached out and held her upper arms. “It’s all under control. Promise. Nothing to worry about. It’s just a minor delay.” Joey stared at her calmly, waiting for
a response.

  Though Marti wanted to fall into his arms, bury her head in his chest, and cry tears of frustration, she held back. After all, Earl was still standing there. Then it was like he read her mind, like he knew her heart.

  “Earl, what if you grab the materials and get them in the house. I’ll be in soon.” Joey nodded at Earl and it seemed to spur him to action.

  “You got it.” Walking to the back of the truck, Earl loaded his arms with all he could carry.

  Staring at the ground for a moment, Marti waited until she heard the footsteps retreat. This wasn’t how her day was supposed to go. Shopping. Maybe a nap. She’d been thrown one curveball after another. Leaning forward, she started to walk into Joey’s waiting arms, then stiffened. The guys had brought her groceries in. The pregnancy test! What if one of them saw it and casually mentioned it to Joey?