Page 25 of Taken By Storm

“That’s true, but damn if Mama and Daddy didn’t stretch that saying to its limits. While Daddy’s timid and quiet, Mama could have talked the paint off the wall. She had an opinion on everything, a saying to fit every situation, and a laugh that could split your eardrums wide open.” Kasi’s smile as she spoke was the first genuine one he’d seen on her face in ages.

“And none of that bothered your father?” he asked.

“Oh my God, no. He loved her laugh, loved listening to her talk. My daddy is…” Kasi paused, clearly looking for the words. “He’s quiet and a gentle soul. The kind of person who traps a bug in the house to set it free outside. He never raised his voice to me or Keith when we were little, which meant Mama was the disciplinarian. He says the greatest feeling on earth is when those first rays of sunshine heat your skin every morning. Daddy is one of those guys who would give someone the last dollar in his pocket if they were hungry.”

Levi could see how much Kasi loved her father. The man, up until his wife’s death, had been one of the hardest workers Levi had ever known, and generous almost to a fault.

“How did they meet?”

Kasi smiled. “Mama was ten years younger than Daddy, so they were never in school together, though she said she’d always noticed him around town and such. After she graduated fromhigh school, she went to college and had a serious boyfriend for a time. She moved to New York with him, working in the finance sector. She hated everything about big city life, so she moved home, back to Gracemont after a few years—without the boyfriend. She said she never forgot Daddy, so after many—MANY—attempts at catching his attention, the queen of confidence just gave in and asked him out on a date.”

“I take it he said yes.”

“He did. She was thirty when they married, Daddy forty. After the wedding, they moved in here with my grandfather, who was still alive at the time. This farm has been in my family for a long time. I came along when Mama was thirty-three, and she had Keith when she was thirty-nine.”

The Mills family, like the Storms, had deep roots in Gracemont.

“After Granddaddy passed, Mama stepped in and ran the farm because of her background in business. She was the brains. Daddy was the strong back,” Kasi added.

Levi wasn’t surprised by that, given Mrs. Mills’ take-charge attitude. She’d served as president of the Ladies Auxiliary for the fire department, his mom the vice president. Between the two of them, they’d raised enough money over the years to buy a much-needed new tanker truck for the department.

“Mama made Daddy a list every morning of chores. She decided what we would plant, when and where. She was the one who came up with the idea to open the stand and to deliver eggs. She struck the deals with the local grocery stores, getting them to stock our produce. It was all her. Daddy used to say the greatest day of his life was the day she walked up to him outside the barbershop and asked him out to dinner.”

“Sounds like your parents had a relationship very much like my mom and dad, despite being one of those opposites-attractcouples,” Levi mused, glad she’d grown up surrounded by love. It was the exact kind of life he wanted to give her…and their kids.

He could imagine the two of them telling their own story on his cousin Lucy’sKiss and TellYouTube show, sharing how they’d met and fallen in love. They’d sit on the couch together and he’d look at Kasi and swear the best day of his life was the day she passed out in his arms.

“God, they were even opposites in appearance,” Kasi added. “As you know, Daddy is tall and skinny, while Mama was short and fluffy.”

Levi chuckled. “Fluffy?”

Kasi’s eyes traveled around the kitchen as she spoke. “That was how Mama liked to describe herself. Food was her love language, and she strongly believed in sampling what she cooked before she served it. I’ve wondered…worried…well, I think now maybe her weight contributed to the heart attack. Her doctor had warned her about her high blood pressure and cholesterol, but Mama refused to cook without salt and butter, and she swore everything was better with bacon. I should have tried?—”

“Don’t,” Levi said, leaning forward to place his hand over hers. “No good ever comes from what if.”

Kasi considered that, then nodded. “She died in this room.”

Levi didn’t know that. How hard must it be for Kasi to spend hours in here, day in and day out, with that memory tucked inside her head. He squeezed her hand.

“I found her.”

Fuck.

Kasi was staring at the kitchen floor. Levi used his grip on her hand to tug her out of her seat, pulling her onto his lap. She sat there stiffly, but when he wrapped his arm around her waist and tucked her closer, she loosened up, sinking into his embrace.

“I’m sorry, Kasi.”

Something in her eyes softened. “I’ve never talked about this.”

Levi cupped her cheek, forcing her gaze to his. “You need to.”

“Yeah. I think I do.” She swallowed hard, then took a steadying breath before continuing. “Keith and Daddy were out in the barn, repairing the roof because it was leaking and the forecasters were calling for some bad weather that night. Mama and I were baking in the kitchen, just like we always did, getting things ready to sell at the stand. We were a few eggs shy for a cake Mama wanted to make, so I offered to grab some from the chicken coop. When I got back, she was on the floor.”

Every word she said felt like a dagger in his heart, but he didn’t stop her.

“I yelled for Daddy, then called 9-1-1. I tried to do CPR, but… The doctor called it a massive heart attack. There was a total blockage. She didn’t even mention feeling bad that morning and she didn’t act sick. One second, she was there and the next…gone.”

Levi pressed his cheek against the top of her head, slowly rocking her, though Kasi wasn’t shedding a single tear. He couldn’t tell if that was because she’d cried them all out or because she was holding them in so tightly.

---