by Leddy Harper
“Yeah, I figured that was a longshot, but totally worth a try. Fine then. We will both head back, and you can stay in the truck while I return to take the most stunning pictures anyone has ever seen.”
I had been known to be stubborn from time to time, usually to make a point. So with the toe of my shoe wedged between two rocks, I pushed myself up, standing higher than before. “No, that’s okay. I’ll stay here. That way, I can fill you in on what you missed while you were gone.”
That was supposed to make him realize that he’d likely miss the entire thing if he left. And since this was such a rare event, I doubted he wanted to take that chance. But rather than decide to stay with me, he shrugged before swimming to the edge.
I shouldn’t have tested him. I should’ve known I wouldn’t win. And now I was all by myself, clinging to a rock, submerged in cold water, and watching a natural disaster head my way. However, the longer I stared at the magnificence of it, the more fascinated I became. If it truly was fog like Drew had claimed, then it would be harmless…and I would have witnessed it firsthand.
To my surprise, Drew came back before the haze even reached us. It was still far enough out that we could see what it was, but close enough that we both knew it wouldn’t last much longer. He scaled the rock wall, holding his phone high above his head before resuming his spot next to me.
“Once this reaches us, we will need to get out and hurry to the truck. I was able to see over it to the other side, and it doesn’t look pretty. I think the reason the wind was able to push the fog into a wall like this is because a severe storm seems to be chasing it.”
That didn’t make me feel safe or protected. “Then hurry up and take your damn pictures so we can get the hell out of here.”
Thankfully, he managed to pick up on my subtle panic, and with a smirk, he found me out of the corner of his eye. “The parking lot is literally right up that way. It won’t take us but a minute to get there.”
I waited while he went back to his phone. But as soon as the inside of my cheek felt like I had chewed a hole in it, I put my foot down. I couldn’t take it anymore. “It’s a cloud, Drew. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. How many more fuzzy, grey pictures do you need?”
“Don’t you want to experience it moving over you?”
I glanced to the side, realizing that it really wasn’t far away at all. “What about the storm?”
“We’ll be back at the resort before that hits us.”
“You swear?”
Drew fingered an X over his chest. “Swear.”
I couldn’t explain it, but I trusted him. I knew I shouldn’t, considering he hadn’t done anything to prove he deserved it. However, he also hadn’t given me a reason not to trust him. There was just something about him—his presence, his aura, him—that made me listen. Somehow, in only a few days, he’d managed to silence my overactive brain enough to go with the flow. I felt a deep, unexplainable urge to follow his lead.
I was a lot of things, but subservient wasn’t one of them. Never in my life had I felt submissive, or even the desire to be. I’d always thought those kinds of girls were weak, naïve, easily manipulated. Until now. Until Drew Wheeler. Until I experienced blind trust and an almost instinctual yearning to follow him. I had an incomprehensible connection to him, and oddly enough, it just felt right.
So instead of arguing or leaving without him, I remained by his side and waited for the fog wall to reach us. Which, thankfully, didn’t take long. One second, we were watching it move toward us, and the next, it consumed us, disappearing from sight.
I could see Drew perfectly fine, but the fog hid everything else. The waterfall. The rocks surrounding us, the river. I couldn’t see a single tree while the haze cloaked me. It was majestic, tranquil. The temperature seemed to have dropped a few degrees, and breathing felt different. Not easier. Not harder. Just different.
I must’ve been deep in concentration, because my thoughts were interrupted by Drew’s lips. I continued to hold onto the rock, as did he, the only parts of our bodies touching were our lips. The kiss was soft and slow, almost a gentle laziness about it. And just as quickly as it started, it ended.
The cloud had moved past, allowing the rest of the world to return to view. I was simply in awe; I felt as if I had witnessed something no one else had, as if Mother Nature had specifically picked us, declaring us as special.
“Ready to head back?” Drew asked, acting as though we hadn’t just kissed.
But I didn’t say anything, assuming the obvious—he was worried about the storm and wanted to make it back to the resort before it reached us. Instead, I nodded and then followed him up the trail to the gravel parking lot.
“How did you know what that was?” I asked once we settled in the truck with the heater on full blast.
He glanced at me and chuckled to himself; apparently, seeing me bundled up in a towel while shivering in the passenger seat amused him.
“My dad always had the news on every night during supper. We’d talk about anything and everything until the meteorologist came on. That’s when he’d turn to watch the TV and all conversation would stop. When the forecast ended, we’d finish our meal, discussing the weather. It was kind of our thing.” He managed to perform an entire three-point turn while explaining that to me.
“I’m having a hard time imagining how that conversation would go.”
A soft, beautiful smile lined his lips as he turned his head both ways, checking for traffic, before pulling out onto the main road. “It was always very organic. We’d start by discussing our local weather, which prompted questions about things like hurricanes, the Gulf Stream, blizzards. Anyway, some he could answer, others he told me to look up. I would, and then we’d talk about what I learned the next night.”
“Is that what you’re interested in—meteorology?”
“Once upon a time, that’s what I wanted to do in life. It’s basically the only job in the world where you can be wrong ninety-nine percent of the time and not get fired. But then I learned how many years of college that took, so I decided against it.”
Even though he wasn’t looking my way, I rolled my eyes. I never could understand that mentality. Several of my friends from school thought the same. If it was a passion, a genuine interest, then the amount of schooling shouldn’t matter.
“What about you? What are your career plans or goals?”
“A rehab counselor.”
He quickly gawked at me before returning his eyes to the road. “Like, for substance abuse? Or physical rehab?”
“The first one. After my grandfather came to live with us, I struggled for a while to understand addiction. I couldn’t wrap my mind around why he didn’t just quit drinking, and instead, ended up losing his family. Keep in mind, I was thirteen,” I reminded him. “So I looked into it, and ever since then, it’s been something I feel really passionate about.”
“Wow. That’s impressive.”
Thank God he was busy navigating the dirt road back to the office; otherwise, he would’ve seen my face light up as bright as Rudolph’s nose. Apparently, impressing Drew filled me with excitement. It made me wonder what else would have that same effect.
He backed into the carport attached to the side of the office, and then we quickly climbed out of the truck. Everything after that felt like it happened in double time, like when a recording is sped up and voices resembled chipmunks. Our voices didn’t change, but our actions were a blur. The storm was approaching, and it was coming in fast, so we needed to rush to keep from getting stuck in it.
“I’m sorry, Kenny, but I’m going to have to take you back to my place. Is that all right?” Drew asked after starting his golf cart. “When the siren sounds and the lights turn red”—he pointed up to a signal light at the top of a tall pole—“you have to stay inside. Surrounded by trees isn’t the best place to be during a lightning storm.”
Just then, a heavy roll of thunder rumbled in my ears, so deep and menacing that it shook th
e earth beneath the cart. In the back of my mind, I considered my attire—shorts, tank, and a bathing suit, all wet, and absolutely no undergarments. However, in the forefront of my mind, I contemplated the raging storm upon us. It didn’t take long to respond with a firm, “Fine by me.”
He sped through the trails that wound through the trees until we reached his house. After a very abrupt stop, we both hopped out and raced up the wooden stairs along the side of the cabin to a door. I refused to breathe properly until we were both inside where it was safe.
And warm.
“I’ll get you some dry clothes to change into and then get a fire started.”
The simple mention of a fire calmed my nerves. Between the sexual tension, the fog wall, and now the storm, they were fried. And the thought of getting out of these cold, wet clothes made me so thankful I could’ve kissed him. Except I couldn’t, because that would only lead to other things, and I wasn’t sure if either of us were prepared for that to happen.
Drew returned from his room with a folded T-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts in his hand. “These are probably going to be huge on you, but at least they’re dry. And if you need any, I have safety pins you can use.”
“Thanks.” I took the clothes and followed his pointing finger to the bathroom.
There were moments when I could be shy, but then again, I’d guess that was the same for just about everyone. I was reserved and modest, not shy. Yet for some reason, Drew had the ability to turn me into a complete introvert without even knowing. Or trying, for that matter. I knew alcohol could easily make the shyness dissipate, but then we were back to the same reason kissing was a bad idea.
This damn sexual tension ruined everything.
“Where do you want me to put…” My words turned into drool when I came out of the bathroom to find Drew sitting on the couch. Shirtless.
For days, I’d wondered what his body looked like beneath his clothes, and now his bare chest was on display. Right there, smack dab in front of me. It was amazing. Perfect. Like a Greek god—or Roman god, whichever had the better body. I’m pretty sure I began to actively drool as soon as I saw him. He wasn’t burly, but I wouldn’t use words like thin or skinny to describe him. In fact, I doubted there was a single word to describe his body. One word wasn’t enough; it would have to be a series of adjectives strung together by lust:
Defined abs chiseled into a slim figure with firm pecs carved above, which smoothed out into two solid shoulders connected to arms corded with impressive yet inconspicuous muscle, all painted with the most beautiful olive tone.
I never said his description wouldn’t be a run-on sentence.
“Where do I want you to put what?” he asked as he stood, giving me the complete picture of sexy. “Your clothes?”
When all I could do was continue to drool, nod, and blink, he came to me and took the bundle of wet clothes from my arm.
“I’ll throw these in the dryer for you. Take a seat and get warm.”
Little did he know, I was already warm on the inside…thanks to him.
Then again, considering his smirk, maybe he did know.
Chapter Ten
August 19th, 1974
Dear Diary,
I have been looking for AC around every turn for over a month now, ever since seeing him at the ice cream shop. At the very least, I’ve wanted to explain everything to him. And I finally got that chance today. What I didn’t expect was for him to explain so much more to me…things I still can’t wrap my mind around or process. And the worst part is I’ve romanticized our meeting for a month and a half, only to learn just how wrong I was. I still don’t know how I feel about everything. Hopefully, I’ll figure it out soon.
With an envelope clutched in her hand, Emily climbed the steps to the back of the church, memories of her night with Andy fresh in her mind. Conflicting emotions battled within her, the same war that had raged inside since the day she discovered Andy was a Crowe.
Shaking off those thoughts, Emily pushed through the heavy doors and headed straight for the main office. She handed the envelope to the church secretary before ambling toward the pulpit. She hadn’t spotted Andy outside the building when she walked up, so she hoped he would be inside. That hope faded with each passing second.
A hushed sigh slipped through her parted lips as she dropped her head back, staring up into the open belltower. It truly was a stunning sight, yet she couldn’t admire it for its beauty. July fourth had produced a new meaning for that old tower, and as Emily stood there, gazing up at it from the very center of the church, she began to accept that she’d only been gifted that one night.
An interior door closed, echoing throughout the stone building and breaking through Emily’s thoughts. She dropped her chin and peered straight ahead, in the direction of the offending noise, only to have her ribcage grip her heart and seize her lungs. Standing in front of her was none other than Andy Crowe himself.
He took one look at her and froze, metaphorically paralyzed. At first, his feet refused to move, but the longer he stared, caught in the trap of her hypnotic blue eyes, he began to move toward her. His feet moving on their own. As if he had no other choice.
“Hey.” His gruff voice surrounded her in the same warmth it had that night.
Even though she had come hoping to find him, now that he stood right in front of her, words refused to form. Instead, she smiled in return and tried to regulate her breathing. Yet the more he approached her, the harder that was to accomplish.
“What are you doing here?”
Emily glanced over her shoulder and pointed to the office in the back. “My dad asked me to drop something off for him.”
Andy nodded, racking his brain for something to say.
Ever since he saw her sharing ice cream with Bobby Tisdale, he hadn’t been able to face her—not that he even knew how to find her. Regardless, he’d decided that it would be in everyone’s best interest if they simply pretended they’d never met. It was a perfect plan…
Until now.
Being face to face with Emily was harder than Andy could’ve imagined. He figured he’d walk past her in a crowd and feel nothing. Except now that his eyes met hers, he realized how wrong he was; he couldn’t just turn away.
“Are you working?” Emily asked, hoping to prolong this run-in for as long as possible.
Again, he nodded. Although, the lack of verbal responses didn’t affect his painstakingly slow approach toward her. One foot in front of the other, he carefully and cautiously moved up the three steps surrounding the pulpit until they stood within breathing distance of one another.
Surprising both Emily and Andy, the area around them lit up. Without warning. Without reason. It was as if the sun had moved in the sky to peek through the windows at the top of the belltower just to see them. Warmth swaddled them; light bathed them. Awe consumed them, and conviction filled them with a confidence neither had ever experienced.
“You see this, too…right? It’s not just me?”
Andy clasped her fingers and waited until her wide eyes met his. “It’s not just you.”
“Do you know what they say about this?”
“Yeah, that your angels are with you.”
Emily glanced around, unsure what to make of it all. “Has this ever happened to you? Or have you ever seen it? Or heard of it happening to anyone you know?”
A huffed laugh escaped his smiling lips as he crouched down to take a seat on the top step of the pulpit. Still holding her fingers, Andy used their connection to pull her down with him until they sat side by side, the sun still shining brightly on them.
“Technically, I’ve heard of it happening, but not to anyone I know. It was always a friend’s uncle’s neighbor’s dentist type of story. Kind of hard to trust and impossible to verify.”
“I wonder if it really means that, or if it means something else—something sinister, maybe.” Chills ran down her arms and spine, causing her to shiver. “Never mind, I don’t even want to think th
at way.”
Andy didn’t argue; he felt the same. “Let’s change the subject then. Like…I heard you’re in bed with the Bennetts.”
Emily’s chest tightened, and the room began to spin. Despite the sun shining directly on them, her peripheral vision dimmed, and she wondered if this was a panic attack. No one had ever made her feel such intense emotion, so she wasn’t sure how to handle it. Never before had she experienced the kind of insecurity—and now anxiety—she felt when in the presence of Andy Crowe.
“I’m not in bed with them.” It was her only argument, knowing his intention for bringing up her relationship with Bobby. “I’m… We’re…” Emily shook off the apprehension, embracing the inner fight she was used to having, and turned her upper body to face him. “We’re not even dating anymore.”
Hope blossomed in his chest, though he wasn’t sure why. Ever since he’d walked into the ice cream parlor and caught Emily with Bobby, Andy had refused to allow himself to think about her. Granted, that didn’t always work, but when thoughts of her did cross his mind—which happened more than he cared to admit—he had to consciously push them away.
That wasn’t a mess he wanted to dive back into.
“Anymore? Meaning you were dating?” When she nodded, he followed it up with another question, one he desperately needed to know before carrying on with any conversation with her. “Are you still seeing him? Talking? Have any communication with him whatsoever?”
“Yes,” she answered hoarsely, not at all wanting to admit it aloud. “He’s still trying to win me back, attempting to prove that he’s the man I deserve. But I haven’t given in.”
Andy ignored the unspoken yet that seemed to belong at the end of that sentence and, instead, asked another important question. One that had plagued him for over a month. “Were you together on the Fourth?”
“No.” The conviction in her stare didn’t leave room for debate. “He had broken up with me a few days earlier. That’s why I didn’t want to go to Main Street—we were supposed to celebrate together. But my friends didn’t want me to sit at home and sulk all night, so they begged me to go with them.”