by Elle Wright
“I saw you at the Bee’s Knees. Did you enjoy the food?”
“I did. And you were right. That was the best western omelet I’ve ever had.”
“Good. I’m glad. Wellspring isn’t Detroit, but I think you’ll come to appreciate the hidden treasures here.”
Carter wondered if she realized that the treasure he wanted to unearth was standing right in front of him. “I don’t doubt it.”
* * *
Brooklyn stood out on her balcony later in the day. A storm was coming. She’d been watching the weather reports all day. Severe weather was a source of anxiety for her. When she was a kid, she’d pack a suitcase full of her underwear and her dolls and hide down in the basement during a thunderstorm warning.
Panic rose in her at the thought of being alone during a tornado warning. What would she do? Cower under the kitchen table? There were too many windows, and no storm shelters around. She knew because she’d already called. The units weren’t built with basements and the developer hadn’t added storm shelters yet.
Thunder sounded to the west, and she took a deep breath. It wasn’t a calming breath, because she wasn’t calm. She was scared as hell. Hugging herself, she peered out at the dark clouds.
A few years ago, there was a storm so bad, Brooklyn almost had a heart attack. She had hunkered down in the basement, inside a closet. The only problem with that was she hadn’t told anyone that she was there. When the storm was over, she’d emerged from her hiding place only to be yelled at for disappearing and driving them all crazy with worry. Parker had been beside himself, scared that she’d got caught in the storm and was lying dead in the woods somewhere.
The fear never abated. In fact, when Nicole went on her honeymoon last year, she and Kyle had caught a weather report about storms in the region, and called to check on her. That was Nicole, though. She’d drop everything for Brooklyn, and Brooklyn would do the same.
Tempted to call Nicole and Kyle, she weighed her options. The storm was due to hit within the next forty minutes to an hour. Selfish would be the word to describe her for begging her pregnant friend to come and sleep with her in the middle of the storm. But she could go to them. She might be able to make it before the worst hit.
“Are you okay?”
She let out a surprised yelp and whirled around to find Carter standing on his balcony, staring out at the darkening sky. When did he show up?
“I’m fine. I hate severe weather.”
“My sister is the same way,” he said. “But she can’t stay away from the TV, has to watch the weather channel.”
Brooklyn knew the feeling. She’d reasoned that it had more to do with safety than paranoia. “Your sister is a smart woman.”
“I prefer to watch the storm coming.”
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “I do that sometimes, too. It’s almost like I’m a glutton for punishment.”
He chuckled. “Maybe you’re just trying to be prepared?”
Brooklyn watched the river below, noticing how the current sloshed against the rocks. “I’ve never lived by myself before.”
He didn’t respond, so she forced her eyes away from the raging river to him. He was studying her, staring at her in that way again.
Rubbing the back of her neck, she cleared her throat. “I don’t even know why I said that. How was your conference call?”
He leaned against the railing, looking down at the ground. “It was like all conference calls. Boring and full of people who like to hear themselves talk.”
“Gosh, you’re so right. I’d rather be out in the field any day than stuck at the office in a meeting.”
The thunder was closer now, and Brooklyn tried to remain calm. The hair on her neck rose, but she was rooted to her spot. I need wine, preferably lots of it.
“So, you’ve never lived alone?” he asked. “Where did you live before?”
“With my father.” Brooklyn stopped short of revealing who her father was. She hadn’t gotten to last names yet, and she was okay with it. Things inevitably changed once people knew she was Parker Wells’s daughter. “And a roommate in college.”
She heard the crack of lightning and jumped. As if on cue, her phone rang. She picked up. “Hey, Nic.”
“Hun, are you good?” Nicole sounded out of breath.
“I’m fine. Are you okay? You sound like you’re sick.”
“We can come get you.” Her friend screamed in her ear for Kyle. “I can come right now.”
“Nic, you don’t sound too hot. Where are you?” She glanced at Carter, who was watching her intently. Like always.
“Damn it,” she heard Nicole say.
Brooklyn didn’t like the way her friend sounded and backed up toward the door slowly, ready to spring into action. “Nic, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”
“Oh hell. Yep, I’m in labor.”
“What?” Brooklyn screeched.
“Brooklyn?” It was Kyle. “Nicole’s water broke. I’m taking her to the hospital.”
“Oh shit!” Brooklyn looked at the menacing rain coming their way. Oh no. She gripped the phone. “I’m coming.”
“No, don’t drive. You’ll have an anxiety attack. We’ll swing by and get you on the way to the hospital.”
She heard Nicole scream in the background. “You don’t have time for that.” She took a deep breath. “I’m . . . I’m going to drive there. I’ll be fine. Just hang up and get Nicole to the hospital. I’ll be there. I promise.”
Ending the call, she rushed to the door. “I have to go,” she told Carter. “Nicole is having the baby.”
“Are you going to be okay to drive?”
“I have to be. Talk to you later.”
Brooklyn rushed through the house, packing up a bag of clothes. She unplugged her phone charger and threw it in her bag. She also grabbed her laptop from the kitchen table, shoving it into her tote.
Thunder rolled in the sky, closer than it was even two minutes ago. She looked out the window. It was getting darker by the minute. She gripped her shirt, willing herself to focus. Nicole needs me and I have no choice but to be there for her.
Sighing, she locked up the house and ran out to her car. Of course, she would drop her keys. Cursing, she scanned the area for where they fell. The first raindrop landed on her shoulder and she shuddered. Great.
The light sprinkling turned into a stinging rain fairly quickly and she still couldn’t find those damn keys. Finally spotting them next to the front tire, she went to grab them and tripped over a rock. Losing her balance, she reached for the door handle, anything to keep her upright, but she missed. She toppled over, dropping her bag and her purse into a puddle. Fortunately, she’d managed to turn her body so that she landed on her side and not her face or the car itself. Ah, that hurts.
The tears came next. Covering her face, she cried into her hands as the rain fell down on her. Then she felt two arms come up around her and lift her up. It was Carter.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Unable to hold her tears, she nodded her head. “I am so clumsy. I fell.” It was more a sob than an explanation. Not that she needed one.
His eyes softened and he brushed a hand over her cheek, then her neck. “You’re scraped up, but you’ll be okay.” He picked up her stuff, placed her bags in the back seat, and put her keys in her hand.
Thunder clapped in the sky and she closed her eyes. I can do this. “Thank you. I have to go.” She slid into the driver’s seat, gripping the steering wheel so hard her hands hurt. Only she couldn’t bring herself to start the car. The sky opened up even more and the rain battered down on her car. God, please don’t let me blow away in a tornado.
She jerked back, startled when Carter touched her shoulder. She peered up at him. “Yes? Is something wrong? Did I forget something?”
“Scoot over. I’ll drive you to the hospital.”
Thank you, God. She climbed over to the passenger side and he climbed in. “I appreciate this, Carter.�
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“No problem.” His gaze dropped to her mouth before he tore it away and focused front. “You just need to tell me where I’m going.”
* * *
Growing up on the east side of Detroit, Carter thought he’d seen everything. Well, he was wrong, because he saw two things he’d never seen before.
He was born and raised in Michigan, very familiar with the erratic weather, but the storm that was raging outside the hospital was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. The sky turned green, almost black, and the hail was the size of a softball.
When they’d pulled up at the hospital, which was actually in Grand Rapids, he waited for the valet to come out. He was tempted to pick up a ball of hail and ship it to Aisha, because he didn’t think his sister would believe him if she couldn’t see it for herself.
Then there was Brooklyn. He’d given up on her giving him directions to the hospital. The woman was terrified. So he’d let Siri lead him. On the drive, she’d pulled her knees up to her chin and buried her face in them. She was so quiet, it made him feel uncomfortable because she’d never struck him as the quiet type. He had to keep looking over at her to see if she was okay.
And even now, almost an hour later, the rain was still battering the building, the wind was pushing the trees like they were pieces of paper. It truly was a sight to see. He glanced out the waiting-room windows.
But even the raging storm had nothing on his other first. Brooklyn. She was like a storm of raging emotions, a contradiction of sorts. To see her so defeated, so scared, had been eye-opening, but the woman in the hospital with him now was a totally different person. Brooklyn was controlled, calm, and collected. She’d held Nicole’s hand, calmed down another woman in the hospital who was freaking out because her son had been struck by lightning, and talked to the medical personnel like she’d done it every day of her life.
“Carter?” He turned and found Brooklyn standing there. She’d changed from her wet clothes into blue scrubs. She held him out a pair. “For you. I don’t want you to catch cold.”
He was soaking wet, and thankful for the change of clothes. “Thank you.”
After he’d changed, he walked out into the waiting room. Brooklyn was on a chair, reading a magazine. When she saw him enter, she grinned. “Hi, Carter.”
“Hi, Brooklyn.”
The room they were in was pretty deserted. An older couple sat on the other side, watching CNN on television. A young mother and her child were over by the fish tank. Music played softly over the speakers.
“Oh God,” Brooklyn said.
“What?”
“This song. It reminds me of being a kid.” He listened. It was an 80s classic, “Roxanne.” “When I was a kid, I was the queen of misinterpreting lyrics.”
Curious, he asked, “How so?”
“My mother used to listen to a lot of old-school R & B. And there was a song called ‘Juicy Fruit.’”
Carter knew the song very well. His mother used to listen to that song every day. It played on repeat, over and over again. Chuckling, he shifted in his seat to face her.
“So, one day I was singing it at the top of my lungs because I thought it was about gum. Anyway, my mother chastised me for it and banned me from singing the song anymore. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I actually sat down and listened to the words.”
He smiled. “It wasn’t about gum.”
“Right?” She laughed to herself, seemingly swept away by the memories. “It’s actually pretty erotic.”
The lyrics to the song were racy for the era. There was no disguising the meaning, in his mind.
“And this song? ‘Roxanne.’ I was bowled over when I realized what it was really about. A man who falls in love with a prostitute.”
He barked out a laugh. “Yeah. But it’s not raunchy or anything. It’s still a love song.”
She eyed him, a small smile on her lips. “I guess. Anyway, those were good days. When my biggest worry was disappointing my mother for singing a song.”
There was a story there that he wanted to know. But he wouldn’t push her to talk. He watched her lean her head back against the wall.
“There you go again,” she said, her eyes closed.
Frowning, he asked, “What?”
“Staring again.” She opened one eye. “But it’s okay. I like it.”
Then she closed her eyes again.
Chapter 11
Brooklyn walked into her condo early the next morning, ready to climb into bed and not wake up for a day or two. She’d finally met her godson, Kyle Elijah Jr., after eleven hours of hard labor. And he was a doll, with a head full of hair, which explained why her best friend suffered from heartburn during her pregnancy.
The storm had passed sometime around three o’clock in the morning, but when it was over she was still in one piece and Carter was still next to her. He’d stayed the entire time. It could’ve had something to do with the fact that he’d driven them there in her car, but she appreciated it nonetheless.
Through the night, they’d actually talked. He’d opened up a little about growing up in Detroit and they’d bonded over a love of chewy SweeTarts and crime dramas. His favorite was Criminal Minds and hers, NCIS.
Brooklyn flicked the light switch. Nothing. The power was out. So much for chilling in front of the TV. She checked in with her job, to let her boss know she wouldn’t be in. She was grateful she worked for such an understanding company. She hadn’t had any problems so far. During their quick conversation, she found out half the town was without power. The last time a storm like that swept through the town, it had shut down businesses for days due to power outages.
After she checked her emails, she jumped in the shower and washed her hair. Glancing at one of her older wigs, perched on the shelf, she crinkled her nose. Parker was right, the wigs had to go. She picked it up and tossed it in the small trashcan. She’d donate her new and barely used ones to charity. She’d only started wearing them because her father hated that she cut her hair. Getting rid of them was another step toward independence.
Brooklyn was supposed to drive to the credit union to speak with the manager in person about her account, but the storm had prevented that. The more she thought about her money situation, the angrier she got. There was no way it was legal for her father to access that cash, not when it was her account. She’d decided to fight tooth and nail to get her money back. She was thankful for her brother, who’d slipped her a few hundred bucks when she saw him last. He’d always taken care of her, even when it caused him personal hardship.
Plopping down on her couch, she texted Parker, who told her that Wellspring had suffered widespread damage throughout the county. The expressway leading to headquarters was blocked by a fallen tree, preventing people from traveling to work, so they’d closed for the day.
Briefly, she wondered what Carter would be doing now that he didn’t have to go to work. She considered inviting him over to dinner. But she couldn’t be held liable for what she’d do if he turned her down again. What if he says yes this time?
A few hours later, Brooklyn awoke to a knock at her door. Stretching, she slid off the couch and padded to the front door. When she opened it, Carter was standing there with a pizza in hand and a few beers.
“I was hungry and had a taste for pizza.”
She held the door open for him, and he walked in. “Isabelle’s is open?” The pizza place was only about ten minutes from them, and she was surprised they had power.
He set the pizza down on the kitchen table and took a seat. “Not really. I was driving past and saw a line of cars, so I stopped. Strangely enough, they don’t have power so they fired up their gas ovens and started making pizzas so that their food wouldn’t go to waste.”
“Good idea.”
“I figured I’d share.”
Still pleasantly surprised that he’d taken the initiative to come to her, she walked into the kitchen and pulled out a few plates. When she turned around he was watching her,
his intense gaze glued to her like a hawk. Swallowing, she tugged at the hem of her oversized shirt. It was all she was wearing. Well, that and a pair of panties. She hadn’t thought to put on clothes because she’d been so surprised to see him.
“I’m going to go and change.” She brushed past him, but his arm on her wrist halted her steps. Looking down at him, she sucked in a deep breath. “Yes?”
Carter stood to his full height. He towered over her, the heat of his body searing her skin. She searched his face. “Carter,” she breathed as he stepped into her, “what are you doing?”
With his gaze fixed on hers, he ran a thumb down her face and over her jaw. “I don’t know.”
Brooklyn arched into him when his breath fanned across her lips. His breath was warm against her skin. It smelled like beer, and something uniquely Carter. She wasn’t sure what had changed to bring them to this point, but she wanted it. So much she could taste it. But there was something holding him back, preventing him from stepping completely over the line. Or is it someone?
He rested his forehead against hers. Smoothing a hand up his chest, she gripped his shirt in her fist. Caught in his gaze, she managed to formulate a response. “I think you better make a decision. Quick. Because—” Her sentence was cut off by his lips on hers.
* * *
Carter couldn’t believe he was kissing Brooklyn. More importantly, Carter couldn’t believe that he wanted to kiss her. It had been so long since he’d been close to a woman, since he’d felt skin against his skin. He wanted more, so much more.
He cupped her face in his hands, grazing his thumbs over her cheek as he continued to kiss her senseless. It was all tongue and teeth, and nothing else mattered to him in that moment but her mouth against his. For once, Carter couldn’t think about what they were doing because he wanted her, and didn’t want it to stop.
Carter found himself giving in to the feeling, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her closer to him. He allowed himself to get lost in her scent, the feel of her curves molding to his hands, the sound of her soft moans as he nipped and sucked at her lips as if they alone would save his soul. Every stroke of her tongue against his pulled him deeper into her. It was too much, and not enough at the same time.
