Page 84 of Boss

Chapter 18

“Okay, try it now!” he said.

She flipped the breaker switch. The lights popped on. Stunned Kassidy took a step back and stared up at the light fixture in wonder. “You did it. I’ll be damned.”

He walked out from around the corner. “I didn’t think it would work. Guess we had some kind of surge that blew out the fuses.”

“Does that mean the rest of the house is now lit?” she asked.

“Let’s see,” he said. They went up the stairs and out of the basement. She turned the corner and found her answer. The lights were back on. But to her dismay the snow had started to fall again. Kassidy walked over to the front picture window. “It’s snowing again. Hard.”

“I think I should try now to make it to the barn. See if I can get the tractor fired up.”

“But we have electricity now. I dunno Tarek, the snow is deep. What if you get stuck out there or something? I won’t be of any help. Not in this weather.”

“I can handle it,” he said.

“Can we at least check the news first?” she asked.

Tarek paused. He had a curious look on his face. “Why is it every time I try to leave for the barn you try to stop me?”

She shrugged. “Anxiety, I dunno. Seriously it’s been crazy here with you, every time I blink something unexpected happens. I can’t take another spin on the Tarek Marshall merry-go-round.”

He frowned.

“I don’t want you to go out there, not unless we know what we’re facing. And you don’t.”

He glanced from her to the door and then back to her again. She may be a bit paranoid, but since she stepped out into that snow she had no desire to venture back out there again. Tarek started off toward the sitting room where the television was. He picked up the remote and turned on the television. She sat on the sofa and waited for him to find the weather channel. And as she suspected the storm was far from over. The broadcaster said they had up to eight inches of snow and in some places triple that amount. It was unheard of. The Governor had declared a state of emergency.

“No one is driving out in that. No one is coming. Even if we make it in the tractor to your neighbors, we’ll be stranded there too,” she said.

“We need food, what about that honey? We need food. And I don't think I got anything left but three steaks, and some spoiled milk.”

“Oh, well I'm not hungry.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you like my company.”

“Yeah, you don’t know better,” she smiled.

Tarek dropped down next to her on the sofa. He put his hand on her knee. Even though it felt natural for him to do so, there was still awkwardness between them. Forty-eight hours ago he was the boss from hell.

“How about a brandy?” he asked and handed her the remote.

“Does it taste like tequila?” she replied.

“No more tequila for you,” he winked.

Kassidy wore another one of his shirts and a pair of sweatpants he gave her after their kitchen passion left the clothes she wore in tatters. He changed into a t-shirt and jeans. She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.

“Where’d you get that picture?” he asked as he poured her brandy.

“From your family scrap book,” she said.

“Which one? We got about thirty in here.”

“Really, that many?” she asked.

“It’s the family place where all things Marshall are laid to rest.”

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