Page 13 of Stolen Summer

Just my fucking luck.

Beeeeep. Beeeeep.

Two long alerts sounded on the diner’s TV, scaring the shit out of me for a few heartbeats. It was followed by an emergency broadcast, and I stopped to read the message scrolling across the screen. The National Weather Service has issued a hurricane warning for this area. Take cover and urgently complete efforts to protect life and property.

Setting aside the silverware rolled in a napkin, I turned to Miranda beside me. “Why are we just now hearing about the hurricane?” These messages were usually sent out days in advance to prepare the community.

Mir reached for another set of forks and spoons to wrap up. “Where have you been? They’ve been sending out warnings all week. Even advising possible evacuations for a few towns. We’re one of them, and judging by the severity of this storm, I wouldn’t doubt if we’re next on the list.”

I rarely watched the news, and I didn’t listen to the radio, but still, this was the type of information that spread around town easily. Cursing under my breath, I thought about Dad. If I’d known yesterday on my day off, I would have prepped the house. Now I barely had time.

Explained why the diner had such a slow morning.

Ann came out of the kitchen looking frazzled. Pieces of long silvery hair fell out of her usual neat bun. “Girls, we’re closing the diner.” She went to the door and flipped the sign around, peering out the blurry window. We only had two guests who were finishing their breakfasts. They were regulars. “The kitchen is already starting to close up.”

“Arie and I will get the hurricane shutters up,” Mir offered, dropping the last of the prepped silverware into the bin.

Twenty minutes later, most of the guys in the kitchen were gone as well as Miranda. I lied and told her I had a ride, or she would have insisted on driving me home. Mir lived on the opposite side of town, and she still had to pick up her kid. I didn’t want to risk her getting caught in the middle of the hurricane because of me.

The harbor looked like a ghost town. So wholly different from my last shift when people had been scrambling about. Most of the shops had also closed, windows boarded up with storm shutters, giving the strip an eerie feeling.

I breathed in the mist and fresh rain that continued to plummet from the skies. Hurricane sirens blared in the distance, sending a shiver down my spine.

I should have taken the car. So stupid.

Walking home in a potential hurricane…risky.

Fuck. My. Life.

I could call Sadie. Pulling out my phone, I checked the time. She would already be at my house with my dad. I should send her a message and tell her to go home while it was still safe.

My fingers flew over the keys, typing out a quick text when a black SUV rolled to a stop in front of the diner, its tires splashing up the inch of water covering the road and soaking my black pants which had only recently dried.

A deep scowl pressed into my lips as a dozen curse words flew readily to my mouth. I lifted my head to let loose a string of colorful words, thinking it couldn’t get worse.

Oh, but it could.

Chapter Five

With the gloomy skies and the car’s tinted windows, I couldn’t see inside. The passenger window rolled down as I tucked the borrowed hoodie tighter around my chest. “If you’re about to apologize, save your breath,” I said snippily.

“Get in,” a man with a deep voice ordered.

As I clutched my phone with one hand, recognition flared in my gut. “Cole?” I murmured with uncertainty. It couldn’t be him. Why would he be out in this storm? “What are you doing here?”

“Saving your ass, Quinn. Now you can stand in the rain and argue with me, or you can get in and I’ll drive us both home.”

“How did you…?” I shook my head. “Never mind,” I mumbled, moving toward the car. I lifted the handle and climbed in, thinking about the plush leather seats and then not giving a shit. A little water wouldn’t ruin them…I thought. I clicked my seat belt into place before sliding my gaze to him.

Cole hit the gas, and the SUV pulled away from the curb. A muscle along his jaw ticked. He seemed…agitated. “Were you seriously going to walk home in this?”

Buckets of rain pinged off the windshield, the wipers working overtime to keep the glass clear, but the water and fog only muddied visibility a second later. I studied his profile. I hardly knew this guy and wasn’t so sure being alone with him was the best idea. “Are you mad at me?”

His fingers flexed on the wheel. “I’m the opposite of happy.”

Confused, I tried to figure him out. His attitude had changed since I’d last seen him a few hours ago. “Okay, so you’re pissed, but where I go and how I get there is no concern of yours. I don’t need a fucking knight in shining armor to save me from a storm.”

“Noted. Good thing I fucking hate horses.”

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