Rocky Ground

by Kaylea Cross

  “It wasn’t easy, I’ll admit that, but all of it made me who I am. And I got Ella out of the deal, so it was more than worth it.”

  That made him smile. “Aye. And I’m proud of who you are. You’re a survivor.”

  “Yeah.” There was pride in her voice. “I am.”

  Content to hold her like this, Aidan tucked her closer and kissed her temple. “Can you sleep a bit?”

  “Do you think Ella’s safe?”

  “Aye. I know she is.”

  “Okay. Then I’ll try.”

  Eventually they dozed off together, waking early in the morning as the sky turned pearl gray when another minor aftershock rumbled through the ground. He smoothed a hand down her back and kissed the top of her head. “Just a little one,” he murmured.

  “Hmmm.” She sat up, slid off his lap and moved to the passenger side to check his phone. “Still nothing.”

  Aidan curled his fingers around her hand, brought it to his lips for a kiss. “We’ll see her soon, I promise.”

  It took another three hours for the construction crew to clear the rubble blocking the road ahead. Once they did Aidan and a few other cars eased past the restriction and began their trek out of the downtown area.

  They finally reached the river just before noon, then waited hours longer to catch a makeshift ferry across. Since there was only one open route out of the city in the vicinity, the drive out was excruciatingly slow.

  Out of pure frustration, at one point he put the vehicle into four-wheel-drive, turned off the road and headed across a farmer’s field to reach a rural access road. Traffic was jammed there too, forcing them to a crawl for the next fifteen miles until an intersection opened up other options.

  “God, I wish we were in a bulldozer or a tank so we could just plow through everyone,” Tiana grumbled, surprising a laugh out of him.

  “At least we’re moving. At this rate we’ll be back in Crimson Point by nightfall.”

  She opened her mouth to say something but gasped and grabbed for his phone when it started ringing. “It’s Ella!” she cried, and answered. “Ella?”

  He glanced over in time to see her squeeze her eyes shut, her face twisting with a mother’s agony, and for one instant his heart plummeted, fearing the worst. Then a tremulous smile wobbled on her lips and she met Aidan’s gaze as she responded to whatever was said on the other end. “We’re coming, baby. We’re on the way to get you right now.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Due to landslides, downed power lines and other damaged infrastructure, it took them until two that afternoon to bypass the worst of the damage and make their way toward the coast. More than seven hours after getting out of Portland.

  “We’ll be running on fumes soon,” Aidan said to her as they waited in the endless traffic lining the two-lane highway. “We need a petrol station.”

  She stifled a groan of disappointment and frustration. “I think there’s one up ahead, but it’s still a few miles from here.”

  “Well, if we run out of fuel before then, you can steer and I’ll push.” He gave her a grin. “We’ll still move faster than this.”

  She gave a soft laugh to placate his attempt at lightening the mood, but her heart wasn’t in it. It was back on the coast with Ella, and having to endure yet another delay in getting to her was beyond frustrating.

  The next few miles passed with agonizing slowness. With only a few routes open, traffic was in total gridlock. “I hate motorcycles, but God, I’d kill to be on the back of one right now. We could cut through all of this and be there to pick up Ella in two hours.”

  Aidan reached across to take her hand from her lap. “I know, lass. We’ll get there.”

  It took the two hours it should have taken total to come within sight of the gas station. “Oh my God, is this the lineup for gas?” she blurted.

  “Looks like.”

  She was ready to jump out of the vehicle and start walking. She kept her mouth shut, because complaining wasn’t going to do anything but make this worse.

  When they were within twenty cars from the station, an attendant came out to post a sign saying they were out of fuel.

  Tiana groaned and slumped down in her seat, covering her face.

  “I’ll find out what’s going on,” Aidan said, and got out of the SUV.

  Tiana braced her elbow on the window frame and put her head in her hand, fighting back tears. Ella was waiting for her. Probably watching out the window right now, and they were God only knew how many hours from getting there.

  She sat up when Aidan came back, cutting a strong, sexy figure as he moved through the line of parked vehicles. “They’ve another tanker lorry on the way,” he said as he got back behind the wheel. “Should be here within the next hour or two.”

  Better than being stuck here for the next day or two.

  They were silent for a few minutes. Then Tiana pushed up the console between them and slid across into his lap. Aidan groaned and cuddled her close, the warmth and strength of his arms reassuring. “Not much longer,” he whispered to her.

  She hugged him tight. “Thank you for being with me.”

  “Thank you for being so brave.”

  She hadn’t been, really, not compared to him. She appreciated the compliment though.

  The fuel tanker arrived just over two hours later. It took another forty minutes to fill the reservoir and get the lineup moving. Finally it was their turn at the pump. They had enough cash left for two-thirds of a tank. It was enough to get them to Ella and then home.

  “Finally,” Tiana breathed as they pulled out of the station, sending a text to Ella.

  “Traffic’s picking up, too.”

  It was. Now that the congestion of the service station was behind them, they were picking up speed.

  Another two-and-a-half hours later, they were almost there.

  “I can’t wait to wrap my arms around her,” Tiana said, her pulse quickening as they neared the town where Ella had stayed overnight. During the drive she’d also texted Lizzie to let her know they were all okay, and Aidan had called his parents back in Edinburgh.

  Listening to the obvious affection in his voice as he spoke to them was endearing, and also highlighted the absence of Tiana’s parents in her own life. But she didn’t regret leaving and cutting them out of her life.

  Aidan squeezed her hand, making her look over at him. He’d been holding her hand since they’d left the service station.

  She didn’t want him to let go. Didn’t know how she was going to let him go after this.

  Everything they had been through had torn down the remaining walls between them. She couldn’t keep him at arm’s length anymore and didn’t want to. Even if it meant having her heart broken, she couldn’t walk away now. She wanted to have all of him, even if it was only for a few weeks more—but given what she’d been through, getting involved was probably another bad decision.

  “I think it’ll be mutual,” he said. “You’ve both had quite a scare.”

  “Yes.” The goose egg on his forehead had gone down a little but now a bruise was spreading out from the bandage she’d put on it. She couldn’t tell if the shadows beneath his eyes were from fatigue or if they were turning black because of the knock to his head. She’d dozed on and off through the night but he’d been awake the entire time, keeping watch. “Aidan.”

  He looked over, and the impact of that warm brown gaze sent a wave of yearning through her. “Aye?”

  Shit, she hadn’t anticipated this shift. But it was already too late, she was already emotionally attached, in a far more intense way than she had been with anyone before him. The man had literally put himself between her and all the danger they’d faced, both human and natural. He would have protected her with his life if necessary. How could she not yearn for him with every fiber of her being?

  “Thank you,” she murmured. It seemed woefully inadequate in light of all he’d done. “I have no idea what I’d have done without you since yesterday morning.
” It had been less than thirty-six hours, and yet it felt like an eternity.

  He focused back on the road. “You’d have done whatever needed to be done to stay safe and get back to Ella quick as you could.” His tone rang with conviction.

  His lack of ego about what he’d done only made him more heroic to her. “When exactly are you going back to Scotland?”

  He was silent for a second. “The twenty-eighth.”

  Just over two weeks from now. Shit, what a mess. The timing sucked and she was still gun-shy, but giving up her chance to be with him even temporarily might turn out to be one of her biggest regrets later.

  Twenty minutes later they reached the town Ella was staying in. The beige, two-story house looked okay from the outside but the entire area was without power also.

  Aidan had barely stopped the SUV in the driveway when the front door burst open and Ella came flying out, her hair streaming behind her in a golden banner. “Mom!” she cried, racing toward them.

  Tiana scrambled out and ran to her, grabbing Ella around the back to lift her off her feet and hug her so, so tight there in the middle of the driveway. “Hey, sweetheart,” she choked out, her throat so tight she almost strangled on the words. But she was also smiling so wide her cheeks hurt.

  Hearing over the phone that Ella was okay was one thing. Being able to see her and hold her made it real. “Oh, God, I’m so glad to see you.”

  Ella didn’t answer, her little arms squeezing the back of Tiana’s neck fiercely. A tiny sob shook her thin frame.

  “It’s okay now,” Tiana whispered, closing her eyes as she inhaled her daughter’s familiar scent. Every atom in her body relaxed, the tide of relief flooding through her entire body. “Everything’s okay.”

  A vehicle door shut behind them. Ella lifted her head to peer over Tiana’s shoulder. “Mac!” She pushed at Tiana’s shoulders.

  Tiana lowered her to her feet and let her go, all tangled up inside as Ella sprinted for Aidan. His grin would have melted the coldest of hearts, and the way he caught Ella when she launched herself at him, wrapping her up in those big arms for a bear hug…

  He unknowingly won another chunk of her reluctant heart.

  “She’s been waiting by the front window since you talked to her first thing this morning.”

  Tiana turned to face the birthday girl’s mother, who was walking toward her with a smile, carrying Ella’s pink backpack. “I’m just so relieved.”

  “I can imagine.” The woman handed over the overnight bag.

  “Thank you so much for taking such good care of her.”

  “No, not at all. I’d heard girls’ slumber parties can get a little nuts, but that was a level of crazy I was not prepared for.”

  Tiana laughed and drew her into a hug. “I owe you.”

  “No, you don’t. You’d have done the same for Danielle if she’d been at your place.”

  “Yes.” She stepped back. “Did you sustain much damage?”

  “Mostly just broken things inside. Still waiting for the power to come back on. I heard the highway to Crimson Point is blocked by a rockslide. You guys’ll have to backtrack inland and go around from the south to get there.”

  “Thanks.” Although she didn’t care how long it took them to get home now that they had Ella back safe and sound.

  Her daughter was still clinging to Aidan like a little monkey when she headed for the SUV. “Highway’s out south of here. We’ll have to go inland and around.”

  “All right.” He kissed the top of Ella’s head. “You ready to go home, wee lass?”

  The smile Ella gave him squeezed Tiana’s chest in an invisible vise.

  Oh, man. Aidan was going to break both their hearts when he left.

  Thanks to more destruction from Mother Nature’s fury, they didn’t reach Crimson Point until just before sunset. “Doesn’t look like the tsunami did much damage,” Tiana commented from the back seat as they drove along Front Street. She’d stayed in the back with her arm around Ella the entire way here, unwilling to let her daughter go.

  “Naw. Beckett said the largest wave was just over five feet high. The Sea Hag was flooded a little. Everything else just got shaken up.”

  The power was out here as well, and based on the way the roads were at the moment, it could be a few days or more before the town had electricity again.

  “Is our house still okay?” Ella asked. She’d slept off and on during the drive back. When she’d been awake, she’d chattered away with them, asking about what had happened in Portland, and wondering whether the kittens were okay. Tiana and Aidan had both omitted all the violence and chaos they’d seen.

  “Aye, lass. Beckett took a look at it. Some things inside fell over and there are a couple of cracks in the foundation, but nothing too serious. Everything can be fixed.”

  “So can I sleep in my bedroom tonight?”

  “We’ll see,” Tiana said, hugging her into her side. “We’re going to drop you off at Beckett and Sierra’s to help with the kittens for a while so Aidan and I can make sure the house is safe.”

  “Okay.” She frowned as she stared out her window. “You know how sometimes animals can sense earthquakes before they happen? I wonder if Walter knew and tried to warn them.”

  Tiana shared a smile with Aidan in the rearview mirror. “We’ll have to ask Beckett and Sierra when we get there.”

  Ella called out to Sierra the second she was out of the SUV and headed for the stately Victorian’s front door, where Beckett and Sierra were both waiting. “Are Walter and the kittens okay?”

  “They’re great,” Sierra called back.

  Aidan walked her and Tiana up to the house, shook hands with Beckett and talked outside with him for a minute while Ella hurried inside to see the animals. “Did you guys have much damage?” Tiana asked Sierra when they reached the kitchen.

  “Nothing major. Lost some dishes and a couple pieces of furniture and three of the stained glass windows need to be replaced. But we weren’t hurt and the house is still standing, so I’m counting my lucky stars.”

  “Yes.”

  “You both look like you could use a shower and a change of clothes,” Sierra said, taking in their bloodstained shirts and jeans. “We’ve got some hot water thanks to the generator.”

  Tiana groaned. “I would kill for a shower and a toothbrush.”

  “No murder necessary. Come with me.” Sierra led her upstairs to the guest bathroom. “We don’t have much hot water, so wash your hair first, fast, just in case it runs out,” she advised.

  “I’ll be quick. I don’t want to use it all up before Aidan has his shower.”

  Sierra got her a spare toothbrush, a top and a pair of jeans. “They might be a bit big on you.”

  “That’s fine, I don’t mind. Thanks.”

  “Welcome. When you’re done we’ll have something to eat.”

  Tiana washed her hair and scrubbed herself clean in the shower as fast as she could, toweled off, then brushed her teeth. The cordless blow dryer was under the sink. With clean, dry hair and fresh clothes, she felt like a new woman.

  Aidan was in the kitchen eating a sandwich when she got downstairs. “Shower’s all yours,” she told him, her insides heating at the way his eyes tracked over her body. Sierra’s jeans were a little big on her but the top was actually tight across the bust.

  “I put some clothes on the counter for you,” Sierra told him.

  “Thanks. Be down in a bit,” he said, his gaze lingering on Tiana as a smile tugged at his mouth. And all she could think about was him standing naked in the shower as the water ran over his long, hard body.

  She ate with Beckett and Sierra, talking about the earthquake while Ella was preoccupied with the kittens and Walter in the laundry room. “Until yesterday I didn’t even know there was a fault line in Portland.” Portland Hills, and it ran right through the middle of the city. That’s why the damage had been so severe there, and mostly limited there as well.

  “We’re dam
n lucky it wasn’t the Cascadia fault that gave way. That’s the one scientists have been warning everyone about for years,” Beckett said in between bites of his sandwich. “The damage from an upthrust quake on that fault would have been way more widespread, and the resulting tsunami would have wiped out most of the coast.”

  It chilled Tiana to think about it. “What we had was bad enough, but it sure makes me want to do even more to be prepared for the Big One.” She took a sip of her iced tea. “Aidan said he got texts from Noah and Jase saying everyone was okay. Have you seen them?”

  “Yes. Their places sustained some minor damage, but nothing serious.”

  “Molly must have been so scared, going through that with an infant.” There was nothing more terrifying than the thought of something happening to your child.

  “They’re all okay, thankfully.”

  She turned toward the stairs when Aidan came down dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and a plaid, flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

  Her mouth went dry at the sight of him, her body vividly remembering the feel of his hard weight on top of her during the shooting. Protecting and shielding her. The way his hands had felt in her hair. His mouth covering hers.

  “I’m going over to my place to grab a generator, then come right back to pick you up,” he said to her.

  “Oh. Sure.” She gave him a smile, her gaze lingering on him as he left through the door off the kitchen.

  “So what happened to you guys?” Sierra asked, slinging an arm around her waist and leading her to the couch in the living room where they could talk alone. Several garbage bags and boxes full of broken dishes sat near the wall, brooms and dustpans beside them.

  “Boy, where to begin?”

  Sierra’s deep blue eyes widened as Tiana recounted the events of the past day-and-a-half. “They were shooting at each other in the store?” she asked in horror.

  “Yes. I don’t know if that cop made it.” Then she told her friend about the armed mugger waiting for them at the truck. She frowned. “Aidan didn’t tell Beckett all of this?”