Page 79 of Hard Hat Hottie

“Hell, Harry. Be careful. That’s not going to be an easy commute. I’m sure the wind and rain are going to make it tough, especially if you’re driving back in the dark.”

Hadn’t really even thought about that. Just the fact I don’t want to get trapped here and not be able to get home. We have a generator, but it doesn’t power the whole house. And we haven’t lost power long enough to see what impact that might have on Mom.

Pacing about the room, I grapple with whether I should attempt to get some shuteye before I go. I rose with the sun this morning. While I might be fueled by adrenalin right now, I’m not ignorant of how storms affect the roads in southern Florida.I could be sitting in traffic for hours and don’t want to fall asleep at the wheel.

Deciding to give Joyce a call to ease my mind enough so I might be able to get a hot shower and a few hours of sleep, I grab the phone and dial her number. Placing the phone down onto the nightstand, I set the speakerphone on, plug it into the charger, and set my alarm for 3:00 a.m. That should give me four solid hours of sleep after my shower. Hopefully, I’ll make it there before Mom and Joyce are up.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Joyce. I’m sorry to call so late, but I heard about the storm heading toward Candy Cane Key and wanted to check on you guys.”

“Oh, we’re fine. Just a little wind and rain, but nothing we aren’t used to here.”

I can feel my shoulders drop, both at the reassuring news and her ever calming tone. “I’m afraid air traffic control doesn’t agree with you. I wanted to fly out tonight to beat the storm, but the pilot said everything is on lockdown. So, I’m going to drive back. I should be there early tomorrow.”

“Okay, Harry. Whatever you think is best. Just be careful, son.”

“I will. How’s she doing?”

“She seemed really tired today. Didn’t feel much like eating and wasn’t interested in getting up.”

“Was she in pain?”

“I don’t think so. It’s been weeks since she’s needed pain killers. If it keeps up, I might take her to the doctor and make sure there isn’t anything going on. But it’s hard to tell. She seems to have these days so often. Then the next she’s up, following me from room to room like a duckling.” She laughs.

“Okay. Well, thanks for taking such good care of her. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’ll see you tomorrow. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Harrison.”

I head for the shower, worry beginning to course through my veins. I need to let this go. There’s nothing I can do this far away. Hell, Joyce is there with her, and she’s more capable than I am. It’s merely the nature of the beast when they can’t communicate if they’re okay.

Deciding to focus on something else so I can relax enough to get a few hours of sleep, I picture the one thing that I know will work. I move under the steamy spray, picture Harlow in those mesh panties, and soap up my rapidly growing dick.

Rolling over, I stretch my arms overhead. I’m feeling remarkably alert for only a few hours’ sleep. Reaching for my phone, I pat the nightstand and come up empty.

What the hell?

The room is still pitch black, so I feel around for the lamp and flick the switch. As my eyes adjust to the light, I notice my phone on the floor. Bringing it to my lap, I discover it’s dead.Jeez. Had I knocked it off in my sleep? Or when I got into bed?I admit that shower did the trick. I fell asleep faster than I expected.

Turning to the other nightstand, the red digital alarm clock reads 5:05. Holy shit. No wonder I feel alert. I often get up earlier than this at home to get to the job site on time.When, I got to the job site on time, I should say.When I was there waiting for Harlow.

No time to think about that now. Hell, I’ll probably be in the car for the next five hours. I can think about it then.

Rushing about the room, I gather up my things. I’d packed what I needed last night so I could head out the door quickly.At 3:00 a.m., you moron.Throwing on some clothes, I reach for my phone and mutter to myself. “I can charge it in the car at least.”

As I head out, I’m tempted to grab coffee in the lobby, but it appears that service hasn’t begun yet. No bother. I’m sure I’ll have to stop for gas at some point. I’ll get a cup then.

The sliding doors open, and I practically hear the rain before I see it. I’d almost forgotten that’s why I’m driving back instead of taking a plane. I shield my face as the wind occasionally thrusts the downpour almost perpendicular. The sting of the harsh pellets washing away any remaining drowsiness.

Dropping into the driver’s seat, I toss my overnight bag into the back and start the engine. Hell, I may have to stop sooner than I planned. The gas register notes it’s barely reaching a quarter of a tank. Retrieving my phone and charger, I plug them into the dash and start the trek south.

I search for a news channel as I drive, but the announcer’s voice is nearly drowned out by the torrential downpour and the wipers sloshing fast enough to see a few feet in front of me.

Hell, this is going to be a long drive.

About forty-five minutes later, I pull into a gas station to fuel up. While I could’ve driven further, it’s apparent the phone either suffered a terminal blow when it hit the floor, or the charger did, as it’s refusing to power up. The first station I stopped at had gas, but no electronics. So, I kept driving. I hate the thought of being out in this mess without some mode of communication. At least Joyce knows I’m headed their direction.

Thankfully, the next fuel station I find is similar to Salty Jo’s. It may not look like much, but it has gas, charging cables, and hot coffee. I don’t even care if the coffee tastes as bad as Jo’s.

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