Page 54 of Storm Bound
Everything had gone back to normal when only a week ago people were trying to fix all that had been damaged by Tropical Storm Ana. It shouldn’t surprise me. These people grew up around these parts; storms were a part of their lives. For them, it was no more a nuisance than heavy rain was for us in Chicago.
Charlie parked up in a space by his sister’s B&B and turned off the engine.
“How are you feeling, sweetie?” he asked.
“Excited,” I said. “Can’t wait to meet everyone.”
“Cool. If it all gets too much, just say you’re tired and I’ll get us home ASAP,” he said.
Home. It sounded so sweet and heart-warming coming from his lips. And I knew that he meant my home, but I liked the ambiguity of his sentence, as if he was already treating my home as his.
“Okay,” I said, and he leaned in for a kiss.
When we got out of the car, he told me about his sister and took me inside to the reception area to introduce her.
She was a beautiful woman about my age—if I took a guess—with long, dark, wavy hair and a gorgeous, curvaceous body that was complemented by the long, ethereal dress she was wearing.
“Adam, that’s my crazy sister Melody,” he said.
“Hey,” she yelled.
Charlie laughed as I took her hand to shake it.
“Nice to meet you, Melody. I’m Adam,” I said.
“Oh, just call me Mel. Everyone else does. And so good to put a face to a name. I’ve heard so much about you,” she said.
I turned to Charlie, but he raised his eyebrows and shook his head.
“Oh, no. Not from him. He’s as secretive as Andy. Getting anything out of him is like trying to get water out of a stone. I have many friends and locals who’ve paid you a visit.”
“Oh,” I said, trying hard not to cringe.
“Don’t worry. They’ve got nothing but good things to say. So, Charlie, you decided to showcase your new beau around town?” she said with a vengeful glare that told me she was just trying to get back at her brother for calling her crazy.
“I wasn’t hiding him. Just getting to know him,” he replied. “Where are you off to? You’re not coming out with us, are you?”
The horror in his eyes was quite funny but so unnecessary. I wouldn’t mind if his sister joined us on our night out.
“Please, Mr. Big Head. You think I got no friends and no plans on a Friday night? Pfft. I’m meeting Evelyn, and we’re going clubbing in New Harlow,” she said.
“Am I supposed to know who Evelyn is?” Charlie asked.
“She’s Kyle’s mom. Kyle is my oldest brother’s boyfriend,” she explained to me.
I nodded. That was an unusual sentence, but from what Charlie had told me, his older brothers were in relationships now which only left him and Luke single. Well, I guess just Luke now.
“Okay. Have fun. And don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Charlie said.
“Please, hon. I want to have fun. Of course I will.”
She rolled her eyes, gave me a peck on the cheek, waved goodbye to her receptionist, and left the building.
“So… that was my sister,” Charlie said with an almost horrified grimace.
“I like her,” I said, and he walked out, as well.
I followed him.
