Page 33 of The House Beyond the Dunes

“Just stay on,” I say.

I shut off the burner, settle the burger on a bun, and squirt ketchup and mustard. One bite into my burger, the power flickers again, and this time it goes out. The entire house is pitched into darkness.

“Damn it.” Setting the burger down, I reach for my cell phone. I’m surprised I only have 25 percent power. It should be fully charged by now. The phone is new, so there should be no issue. Did the house lose power while I was asleep? Still, it’s enough juice to power the flashlight. I rummage through the drawers again, this time in search of a battery-operated flashlight. Ten drawers later, still nothing.

Outside, the wind howls, pressing against the glass windows. Kyle had warned me the storms could be fierce up here. He knew I had a thing about thunder, lightning, and darkness.

As I sit in the inky silence, my fingers click against the side of my wineglass. A great glass of wine in a stunning home is certainly not roughing it. I’ll be fine, lights or no.

Bam!

I jump at the sound of a fist striking the front door. Wine sloshes onto my hand.Bam!The sound reverberates through the house.

Moving to the front door, I wipe my hand on my jeans. Through the locked door, I ask, “Can I help you?”

“I’m staying across the street,” the man says. “My name is Reece Trent. I’m a contractor.”

“Okay.”

“We’ve all lost power, but I have a generator if you’re worried about the dark. It could be up to ten hours before we get power back.”

I open the door. Reece Trent is a big man. At least six foot three. His dark hair is cut short, and he’s clean shaven. Lines furrow across his brow and feather out from the corners of his eyes. He’s not attractive, but he’s also not the kind of guy you ignore.

“Hi, I’m Lane.” I don’t bother with the last name. McCord will mean nothing to him.

He looks me over, his eyes narrowing a fraction. “Are you okay?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m the one that found you and Kyle.” His words are deliberate and careful.

“Oh.” He’s remembering me from yesterday, lying in a heap surrounded by Kyle’s blood. “Thank you. I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t come by.”

Whatever concern I imagine he has for me quickly sours to suspicion. “Why did you come back here?”

“To get my phone and purse. The EMTs left them behind. I meant to be on the road by now.”

“You’ve been here for almost eight hours.”

“I sat down on the bed for a second, and then I was out. I just woke up.”

That didn’t seem to satisfy him. “A miracle you made it up here at all.”

“I realize that now. I can’t leave until morning.”

“Yeah, you’re trapped for now. Most likely the cattle guards at the hard surface road are flooded.” His eyes reflect distrust and something I can’t quite pin down. “Like I said, I have a generator.”

“I appreciate that, but I’m okay for now. A little dark never killed anyone.”

“You should be stocked up. I saw Devon at the house on Thursday afternoon.”

“She’s packed the refrigerator. Long as I keep the door closed, I should be able to retain the cold until morning.”

“Fair enough. Give me your number, and I’ll call you. Then you can call me if you need anything.”

“Or I can walk across the street.”

“Provided we don’t have forty- to fifty-mile-an-hour winds.”

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