Riding It Out

by Jennifer Foor

  Do Not Copy Or Share

  Jennifer Foor

  Copyright 2014

  JMF Publishing INC.

  Cover Art: Wicked Cool Designs

  Edited By: Pamela Snyder

  Cover Photo : Toski Covey

  This book is a written act of fiction. Any places, characters, or similarities are purely coincidence. If certain places or characters are referenced it is for entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. This book is not allowed to be offered for sale, discounted, or free on any sites other than Kobo, ITunes, Amazon and Barnes and Noble. This book may only be distributed by Jennifer Foor, the owner and Author of this series.

  Check out the other books by Jennifer Foor

  (Contemporary Romance)

  A Mitchell Family Series

  Letting Go -Folding Hearts - Raging Love -Risking Fate

  Wrapping Up - Wanting More - Saving Us - Blinding Trust

  Losing Him - Loving Her

  A Mitchell Healy Series

  Noah

  Isabella

  Christian

  Love’s Suicide

  The Kin Series

  Repair Me - Replace Me - Restore Me

  Remember Me – Reject Me – Redeem Me

  Hustle Me (A Bank Shot Romance)

  Hustle Him (A Bank Shot Romance)

  Diary of a Male Maid

  Twinsequences

  Lustly

  A Hope and a Chance

  Beta Readers

  Kayla Kennedy, Emma Clifton, Kristy Davidson, Catherine Roberts, Lara Petterson

  Web Design and Marketing by: Inkslinger PR

  Acknowledgements:

  To my husband.

  I owe everything I have to you.

  Thanks to Inkslinger, and my publicist Danielle. You make each day so much easier. Words can’t even say how appreciative I am.

  Thanks to my kick-ass street team, Foor Players, you’re always going above and beyond to pimp and support me.

  Thanks to all of my new friends on my FB, Twitter and Goodreads. Thank you for spreading the word and all of the support you give. Thanks to all of my other Independent Author Friends. (you know who you are) Thank you to all the book bloggers out there spreading the word for me and others who write.

  Bloggers: I wouldn’t be anywhere without you.

  Thank you so much!

  Erica

  Chapter 1

  Summertime.

  Heat wave.

  Blistering sun.

  Sweat.

  It’s pretty much all that can be expected when one lives near the beach. I for one have the benefit of being in a county that not only has hot sandy beaches, but also long dirt roads of southern soil. In the evenings, when the sun has finally set, the sky fills with flashes of lightning as far as the eyes can see. Usually the light display is all that it is, but at least once a week a thunderstorm follows. On a night like tonight the sky is not only filled with bright bolts, but also crashing booms.

  I look down at the paperwork we’ve been going over for more than two hours. It’s important that I leave the attorney’s office before the storm arrives. The last thing I want to do is get to that old creepy house and have to run through the rain to go inside. If I had a boyfriend this would all be easier to handle. Instead I’m alone to deal with whatever comes my way. That’s my fault for picking my job over everything else, including my family.

  I turned my attention to my great aunt’s lawyer. “Is there anything else I need to sign today?”

  “No, ma’am. The house and it’s contents are yours to do as you wish. I do hope you think about keeping it in the family. Your aunt ran that bed and breakfast for forty years. I know she left it to you for a reason.”

  It probably wasn’t to take the money and run, but if I wanted to pursue my future in the big city of Baltimore, I couldn’t be worried about the upkeep of an old house.

  There was a time when I loved coming to the beach and staying at my aunt’s large home. I had so many memories of being there. I remember pancakes on Saturdays, and the smell of fresh bread that she used to knead herself. I can also recall the crisp scent of freshly cleaned sheets that hung on the clothesline outside, right next to where the gazebo sat in the yard.

  When I was younger her rose garden was the talk of the town. Now it was just overgrown and hideous to fathom cleaning up. Cancer took a toll on my aunt, and after fighting for many years, her body had given up.

  I had brothers and sisters, but none as close as the two of us were. She was my godmother, and also my father’s sister. We spent many weekends together, and for a short time I even called the old house home when I was in college. It was the closest I came to having a beach experience for a whole summer. My family wouldn’t have allowed me to live in a small bungalow with a group of people my age that were seemingly intoxicated for the entire three month span.

  “I will consider it, Mr. Angelo. Thanks for seeing me. If you’ll excuse me for being blunt, I would like to beat the rain home.”

  He led me to the front door. “Go on now. We’ll talk once you decide what you want to do.”

  I already knew the answer. The house was going on the market, and after I sorted through her belongings for what I wanted to take home, I’d donate all of the rest.

  I rushed to my car, not even putting on my seat belt before pulling out of the parking spot. I could see the clouds gaining inches on me in the sky and knew it was only a matter of time before a late-afternoon downpour cooled off the ground.

  My aunt’s bed and breakfast was nearly four miles away from the center of the little town, and about halfway there the sky opened up and it began to hail. Ice the size of golf balls was steadily coming down hitting the windshield of my brand new BMW. I slowed to prevent them from cracking the glass. After a good few minutes the ice stopped, followed by a torrential downpour. I kept at my slower than normal pace and continued on, just trying to get home before the lighting and thunder frightened me any more than it already was.

  About two miles from where I was headed, I spotted a poor guy standing on the side of the road next to his motorcycle. It was rude but I silently chuckled at the fact that he’d not made it to his destination before the buckets began to come down. Seeing as storms in these parts were short, I figured that he’d climb back on his bike as soon as the sun broke out and begin on his way again.

  While driving the rest of the way I secretly envisioned myself riding on the back of a motorcycle, spreading my arms out as the wind blew. I imagined wrapping my arms around a handsome man, and having him ravage me in bed. It was all just a fantasy, as I wouldn’t have been caught dead on the back of something so dangerous. I thought about all of the months I’d deprived myself of a relationship, because work always got in the way. Sure, I’d been hit on by co-workers, but I knew better than to mix business with pleasure. I hadn’t gotten to where I was from sleeping my way up in the company. It was actually from countless hours of dedication.

  While imagining being ravaged by a handsome man, I thought about my last physical encounter. Regrettably I’d signed onto an online dating site. After talking to a man for nearly a month we met for dinner. Not only was he thirty pounds heavier than his photo, but everything about him repulsed me. I’d gone home that night and deleted the account, promising to never put myself through that again.

  Nowadays I spent my free time daydreaming about the perfect guy, who would sweep me away and make me forget that I’d even done without.

  I had more imp
ortant things to do than look for that special man to fill the empty spot next to me in bed. Plus I didn’t have the time to even know where to look for a good man.

  Pulling into the driveway at the same time a tremendous boom rattled the ground wasn’t very settling. My aunt’s house had been closed up for nearly a month and with that being said I knew it was going to have a creepy feel to it.

  The house was nearly two-hundred years old, once a farm that had been equipped with actual slave quarters, which was now converted to my aunt’s private living area located separate from the bed and breakfast. I remember being a teenager and hearing my aunt telling stories about the people that once owned the farm. She would always add that strange things happened from time to time, but that she always felt the spirits meant no harm. Honestly, it scared the living shit out of me every time. The idea of going inside when it had been vacant was also freaking me out.

  I looked around at the sky before deciding if I should wait out the rain. Unlike most storms I couldn’t see the clouds breaking in the horizon. Knowing that I’d be sitting there forever, I had to get out and make a run for it. After grabbing my bag from the back seat, I opened the door and hauled ass to the large covered front porch.

  The key, hidden in the same place as it had been for nearly a decade, was easy to find. I opened the door and listened to it creak as it moved. The hair on my arms stood up when I entered the foyer.

  Left as it had been when the business was thriving, the furniture sat covered and undisturbed. I pulled the white flat sheet off of the long couch and sat down on it, admiring the good condition of the upholstery. Another loud boom crashed and I jumped in my seat, watching the windows light up as the lightning flashed. Since I didn’t like being alone, I decided that it would be best if I kept moving around. The last thing I wanted to do was focus on every tiny creak the house made, and assume it really was some kind of poltergeist waiting to kill me.

  The piano in the corner was covered, but I could see the legs beneath the white sheet. Memories of late night songs filled my mind. My aunt’s choir voice was like an angel, and if she wasn’t baking, or working in the rose garden, she was singing for her visitors, offering free entertainment every night.

  The kitchen felt the emptiest, having nothing on the counters like I was so used to. My aunt was famous for her homemade breads and pastries. Seeing the empty granite countertops brought tears to my eyes. I opened the refrigerator, knowing that nothing would be in it. As expected, the bare shelves also gave me that abandoned feeling.

  Before making my way up the rear steps to her bedroom, I removed my shoes, which was something she’d always required the family to do. This part of the house was her private quarters and she liked them to be in perfect order.

  Once inside of her bedroom I felt a knot in the pit of my stomach. Her bed, made up as if she’d been the last person to do it. Every fold was as pristine as she’d taught me to do it when I was younger. I skid my hands over the quilt, feeling an eerie shiver come over me.

  Another crash of thunder caused me to startle. I sat down on the bed and reached for the lamp. The light came on and illuminated the dark room. I looked around and felt emptiness overwhelming me. My eyes began to burn while I fought the tears that I’d been holding in so well. My sweet aunt was gone, and her memories were all I had left.

  I don’t remember laying down, or falling asleep, but I awoke to a loud rumble. The sky outside was now dark, telling me that it had been at least an hour that I’d lost to rest. I sat up and heard a knocking sound. My stomach began to twirl when I considered what it could be.

  Since the noise wasn’t stopping, I crept down the creaky stairs and followed it. It became even more apparent when I reached the bottom of the steps. I walked into the living room freaking out. The sound was so loud that I was shaking. Then I realized what it was. One of the shutters on the front porch had come loose, and it was smacking against the siding. I turned on the porch light to double check. Just as I’d assumed, a shutter was slapping with the wind, causing the racket.

  I knew it was going to drive me crazy, so I headed to the kitchen and found a hammer and nails in the toolbox located in the bottom of the pantry. Knowing little about home improvement, I figured that it would assumedly be a temporary fix, if that.

  The wind was blowing something fierce when I made my way outside. In fact, I had to use all my weight to close the screen door and refasten it. My hair, instantly soaked, kept blowing in my face while I tried my hardest to get ahold of the shutter. Because my hands were wet, the nails kept slipping from my fingers, falling down in between the old deck boards. I’d taken five outside and was on my last one. Finally I was able to make contact with the hammer, and continuously kept hitting it until I felt it going into the siding on the house.

  Content that the noise had been fixed, I rushed toward the front door again, only to be startled by a giant bolt of lightning that lit up the sky behind me. Before the loud boom followed, I turned around to see that it had hit a tree. A giant branch fell to the ground, making a loud breaking sound.

  My heart began beating faster and I whipped back around to make a run into the house. That’s when I saw him standing there, at the foot of the porch steps. The obvious male figure was dripping wet. He had both of his hands on either railing, and was moving toward me. I backed up against the door, feeling like something terrifying was about to happen. He’d come out of nowhere and obviously hadn’t arrived in a vehicle. “Who are you? What do you want?”

  “Ma’am, I’m sorry to startle you.” He stood on the steps while the rain continued to pour, soaking him more as he spoke. “I got stranded on my bike a ways back. I’ve been walking for nearly an hour. Your place is the first I came to, and I wasn’t real sure if anyone was here. I saw the sign, and was wondering if I can rent a room for the night. The weather says that it’s not going to break until morning.”

  This was a stranger, and I certainly wasn’t open for business. “The business closed down months ago. Do you need to borrow a phone to call someone?”

  He took the few steps up until he was under the cover of the roof. Although the wind was blowing the rain on us anyway, it wasn’t as bad as standing out in the open. “That would be good if I had someone to call. I’m just passing through; been traveling for the past week from Florida. I didn’t hear about this storm until I stopped for dinner. Apparently it is a result of that tropical storm that came up the coast.” He looked out as another bolt shot through the sky and appeared to touch the ground just past the tree line. “Listen lady, I won’t be any trouble. I’ll stay out of your way.”

  It was another reason why I should pay attention to the news. Obviously I knew nothing about this so called tropical storm, or else I wouldn’t have planned my trip until after it was over.

  The wind whipped and reminded me of how serious the storm was becoming. This guy needed shelter, and had it not been for my aunt’s private quarters that was equipped with a lock, I would have steered him to keep on walking. A part of me still wanted him to, but for some reason, even a stranger staying was better than being alone in this creepy bed and breakfast. “I can’t offer you much, but come in and get dried off. The fridge is empty, but we probably have bottled water in the pantry.”

  “Are you a vampire?”

  It wasn’t a time to joke around, with me being all nervous, but I smiled anyway. “No. I just returned from a trip. I planned on shopping tomorrow.”

  “A nice dry place to lay my head is all I’m asking for.”

  “It’s about all I have to offer anyway.”

  My mother, siblings, and probably every single one of my friends would have told me that I was making a terrible decision. What sane person would allow a complete stranger to come and stay the night with her when she was all alone? They'd tell me that I was asking to get chopped up into a million pieces and left to rot in a locked ice chest.

  I'd soon find out if all of my fears were real, because he walked inside and sat
down his bag that he'd had on his back. "This is a big place. You here all alone?"

  "No!" It was the smart answer. If he thought there were other people around he'd be less likely to plan my demise. "My grounds keeper lives here. He's upstairs somewhere."

  The man nodded and took off the tight fitting do-rag that he'd obviously been wearing underneath of his helmet. Thick wavy hair was being fluffed by his hands. While doing it I could see his tricep muscles popping out of the black t-shirt he had on, that was so sopping wet it was clung to his body. My attention geared to his physique. He wasn't extremely muscular, but certainly wasn't too skinny either. In my opinion he was perfectly sculpted. Realizing that I was standing there like a wet dog, lapping up his essence, I turned and ran toward the laundry room. After grabbing a few towels, I returned to the foyer and handed him two of them. "Here. You can use these to dry off with."

  He stuck one over his head. "If you'll point me to a room I'll get out of your hair. I've got a change of clothes in my bag I'd like to get in to."

  My mind was all over the place. On one hand I was considering all of the ways that he could murder me. Then there was the storm, steady shaking the house with wind and thunder. Lastly, I was preparing to spend the night alone in a creepy old house with a stranger.

  Then the power went out.

  Chapter 2

  Panicked, I rushed toward the light switch, flicking it on and off with no result. "Shit!" Lightning illuminated the room for a brief moment and I could see that he was still standing in the same place.

  "Pretty sure we just lost power. Do you have candles or a generator?"

  I had no idea what this house was equipped with. "I'm not sure."

  "What do you mean, you don't know?"

  I was stuck in a terrible predicament and wasn’t really sure how to get out of it. I kept trying to read him, to see if I got a creepy vibe, but the moment was too rushed. “Look, I’m going to be straight with you. I inherited this place from my aunt who has passed away. I haven’t been here in years.”