Page 46 of Falling Again
CHAPTER 13
Natalie woke wrappedtightly in the comforter, clad in only her bra and panties. A flash of the night before raced through her brain—her foot, the storm, and most importantly, their attempt at love making. Flopping over onto her side, she reached for Anthony and found his side of the bed cold and empty. She frowned and found her phone to check the time. It was barely eight o’clock, and the power was still off.
“Anthony?” She called out as she attempted to stand. A flare of pain shot up her leg and she grimaced. Falling back onto the mattress, she breathed through the discomfort. Who knew a sprained ankle could be so painful?
The sound of Anthony’s footsteps grew louder as he entered the bedroom. He wore his South Bass Island uniform—shorts and another polo. His hair was mussed from the night before, giving him a charming, relaxed appearance. Natalie liked what she saw. A lot.
“Good morning,” he said, walking to the bed and scooping up Natalie. “Power is still out on the whole island. But I’ve been working on breakfast.”
“How?” she asked as he carried her to the bathroom. He put Natalie on her good foot and made sure she was stable before stepping back.
“I’ve got the grill going outside. I boiled water and have a pot of tea waiting, and I’m grilling up some toast and bacon.” A look of utter satisfaction crossed Anthony’s face, and Natalie had to fight the urge to jump him right there. Morning breath be damned.
At the sound of her breakfast menu, Natalie’s stomach grumbled. “That sounds amazing. I’ll be right over.”
Anthony raised a hand to stop her. “Don’t come over on one foot. I’ll be right back to grab you.” Before he left the bathroom, he kissed her forehead. Her skin tingled where his lips had been.
By the time Anthony returned, Natalie managed to brush her teeth, do her hair, and put on enough makeup to look semi-human. With one of her sundresses flung over her head, she was as presentable as she was going to be without a shower. She would kill for one, but icy water didn’t seem appealing at the moment. Especially when there was bacon waiting.
Anthony hesitated in the doorway and cleared his throat. “You look great.”
Natalie flashed him an appreciative smile. He remembered their talk last night. Granted it was only one compliment, but it was a start. A good start. “Thank you,” she breathed as he reached out and wrapped his arms around her.
Without saying another word, Anthony carried her straight into the back yard. The small patio had a table with two chairs and a side table to prop her foot. A pot of tea sat in the middle, flanked by a plate of bacon and another of toast. “This looks cute,” she said as Anthony eased her onto one of the chairs. “Thank you for doing all this.”
Anthony bristled slightly at her praise, busying himself with making a plate for Natalie. He added an extra slice of bacon and slid a jar of strawberry jam over to her. “Don’t thank me. I’m working with what CeCe gave you in that huge box. I don’t know how she’d feel about her beloved sourdough being toasted on the grill.”
Natalie grinned and took a bite of bacon. As the salty meat melted on her tongue, she motioned to the grill. “I think she’d be impressed you thought outside of the box.” And Natalie knew that was true. CeCe respected other people’s culinary game, but it didn’t mean she didn’t get competitive.
For a few moments they ate their breakfast in silence. Natalie looked up to see Anthony fiddling with his napkin, turning it tightly in his hands. While he was relaxed, he still looked distracted. Before Natalie could inquire, Anthony went into business mode. “I checked again with some of the neighbors this morning, and the whole island is out, but they expect to have the lines repaired by nightfall. I guess the storm destroyed two separate lines.”
Natalie’s pulse quickened at the mention of the storm. She couldn’t place when in her childhood it had started, but thunderstorms always terrified her. Now a parent herself, she strived to stay calm when Mother Nature wanted to put on a show. Fortunately, Madeline seemed fascinated by thunder and lightning, and Otis was quick to follow in his big sister’s footsteps. Lost in her own musings, Natalie missed Anthony’s train of thought and had to shake herself back into the moment.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
Anthony took a bite of his toast and swallowed some tea before replying. “Dr. LeFeber has a golf cart that we could borrow today if you’re up for a little drive around the island. He still wants you off your foot for at least another day or two.”
Natalie smiled at the mention of the golf cart. During their first visit to South Bass Island, they had driven all over the island, exploring the backroads, vineyards, and hiking trails. Lifting her leg, Natalie frowned. “I don’t know how much exploring I’ll be able to do right now.”
