Sultry Storm (Kimani Romance)

by Norfleet, Celeste O.

  With her father’s rain slicker and galoshes on, Mia walked around outside checking the windows and shutters. She noticed for the first time just how badly the house had been neglected. She began picking up fallen branches and debris. A long section of fence had been torn away, so she gathered the pieces together and put them in what was left of the shed.

  She gathered more debris and stored it away with plans to call a removal company in the next few days. While gathering in the front yard she found a Foreclosure–For Immediate Auction sign. Her heart sank. She didn’t realize it had been put up. She took it to the shed and tossed it in.

  After about an hour cleaning up Mia, completely drenched again, went back inside. As soon as she closed the door she heard her cell phone ring. The fickle signal, apparently, was back. She ran upstairs to get it.

  “Mia, where are you? I’ve been trying to call you all day.”

  “Hi, Mom,” she said dryly.

  “Where on earth are you? This connection is horrible.”

  Mia paused a moment before answering. She knew her mother would have a hysterical fit when she found out what she was doing. That’s why she didn’t tell her before she left.

  Katherine James Truman Kent was considered by all to be a woman of power, standing and means. She had married well three times. Once for prestige with her father, Leo. Once for money with Janelle’s father and lastly with Nya’s father for connections. Now she finally had everything she wanted.

  “I’m at Dad’s place.”

  “In Key West? Are you out of your mind? The weather report said that there’s a hurricane down there. I thought you were going to Paradise Island with Janelle and Nya.”

  “No, I had to change my plans. I need to save Dad’s house.”

  “So you risked your life to save an old shack. If this isn’t the silliest thing you’ve done yet. Mia, get in your car and get back here.”

  “Mom, I’m a bit old for chastising. I need to do this.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I just do,” she said, not wanting to go into detail about her feelings with her mother, the queen of cold.

  “Mia, I spoke with Neal’s mother. She told me that Neal has been asking for you.”

  Mia rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to hear this.”

  “Mia, the man made a mistake. Surely you can see that.”

  “Mom, a mistake is forgetting to pay your electric bill. He lied to me about everything. How can you possibly be on his side after everything he put me through?”

  “I’m not on his side, Mia. I just want you to be happy.”

  “My fiancé eloped with a coed. How could that make me happy? I was humiliated via the World Wide Web. All of my friends, my colleagues…” She stopped not wanting to even think about it. “Mom, I have to go. I need to change and get to the county court building. It was closed yesterday, but hopefully it’s open now.”

  “I don’t know why you’re going through all this. Just let the bank sell the house and be done with it.”

  “I can’t. Its Dad’s house. He left it to me to take care of. I let him down the last two years of his life, I can’t let him down again.”

  “Mia, you didn’t let him down.”

  “I could have been here when he died, but I wasn’t. I was too stubborn, too angry, when he called. He needed me and I didn’t come to him. He told me to get rid of Neal and I didn’t listen.”

  “That’s an old argument, Mia. Your father’s gone and I really think Neal’s changed.”

  “I can’t get into that with you right now, Mom. I need to get to town.”

  “This really doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

  “Good idea or not, it’s what I need to do.”

  “Fine, just be careful out there. Call me tonight.”

  “My cell’s been going out. If you don’t hear from me, the connections are just down again.”

  Mia closed her cell and checked the battery level. It was low. She couldn’t plug it in since there was no electricity. She wanted to preserve the battery for when she needed to make an outgoing call, so she dropped it into her pocketbook to hopefully charge in town.

  Outside the sky was still dark and overcast, but the winds had calmed down to a brisk warm breeze and the rain slacked to a steady heavy drizzle. Maybe the worst was over, Mia considered as she turned on the radio hoping to get more information.

  To her surprise the Holy Terror was still on the air. Apparently hurricane advisories were still being issued and he warned not to be lulled by the break in weather.

  “Local officials expect flooding and severe weather, and remind residents that this is still a dangerous storm.”

  Driving into town, Mia saw firsthand the damage Hurricane Ana had done. What looked like a ghost town the day before looked more like a war zone today.

  As she drove she noticed only a few cars on the road. She assumed most people were still away. She pulled into the same spot she had the day before, got out and walked up to the building. Before she even got there she saw that the office was closed. Frustrated, she went back to her car. She had two choices—go back to Atlanta and forget about the whole thing or stay and wait for the office to open no matter how long it took. She decided to wait.

  But waiting meant she needed to get supplies in the house. She looked around at the closed stores on the street. There had to be someplace in town to get supplies. Driving around, she noticed an open grocery store. An hour later she came out with four grocery bags and even found the local Key West Citizen newspaper.

  Her next stop was to a hardware store. The shelves were mostly empty and the store ran on a generator that blinked the lights every ten minutes, but she picked up what she needed to sustain her for a few days or at least until the county office opened again. She loaded the supplies into the trunk of the car and noticed that the winds had picked up again. The sky seemed darker as if there’d be a downpour any minute. She needed to make one last stop.

  Mia remembered seeing a coffee shop open as she drove into town. It was just down the block and around the corner. They touted free Wi-Fi, so she hoped there was electricity that she might recharge her cell phone. As she walked to the small shop the weather was steadily getting worse. The wind began gusting and what had been a light mist turned to drizzle. She quickened her pace hoping to get back to her dad’s house before it got worse.

  She turned the corner and saw Stephen standing in front of the coffee shop beneath a stationary awning talking to two other officers. She smiled instantly. He was too handsome and the thought of her taking him out of that uniform gave her a brand-new fantasy to consider. Seconds later her smile slowly faded when the female officer turned and Stephen wrapped his arms around her playfully. He smiled and laughed then reached out and touched her swollen stomach. It protruded at least six months.

  Mia’s heart sank instantly. She had asked Stephen and he’d denied being married or engaged. She hadn’t pursued other committed relations.

  Of course they didn’t have any connection other than the one night they’d spent together, so her being jealous was ridiculous. Still, she could feel the pain in her heart deepen. Surprisingly she didn’t have this reaction when she found out about Neal. She’d felt humiliated, but never jealous.

  It was one night, she reminded herself. One night with a stranger, nothing more, nothing less. She had enjoyed being with him, not just sexually, although that was incredible, too, but she also just liked talking with him. He listened and seemed to care and understand. Maybe it was all a show to get her into bed. But she’d wanted and pursued him, not the other way around.

  Without realizing it, Mia had stopped walking. She stood across the street watching him as he interacted with the female officer with a familiarity she’d never know. Sadness filled her. As apropos to her mood, thunder rumbled in the distance. She started walking. By the time she got to the coffee shop, Stephen and the other officer had walked off and another woman, a civilian, walked up. Mia approached the sho
p’s door. She smiled at the two women talking. “Good morning,” she said.

  “Good morning,” both women said, turning to face her.

  “See, Helen, another brave soul out in this mess.”

  “Well, Natalia, this soul is getting out of this craziness and heading to my brother’s place. I’m already packed to go, but wouldn’t you know, I’d have a taste for your sister’s key lime pie, of all things? You ladies have a good day, and be safe. Natalia, I’ll see you in a few days.”

  Mia smiled and nodded as the woman hurried away. The officer Stephen had hugged stayed. “So, what brings you out in this craziness?” she asked Mia.

  “Hunger and bare cupboards. Is the coffee shop still open?” Mia asked.

  “Yes, sure, but better hurry if you want baked goods. They go fast when the weather’s clear. When it’s like this you can just about forget it.”

  Mia smiled at the woman’s friendly remark. She seemed likeable even though Mia really didn’t want to like her. “Do you live around here?”

  “Yes, not too far. Are you lost?”

  “No, actually I was just wondering if you might know when the county clerk’s office might be open again.”

  “Probably not for a couple more days, that’s if the storm passes,” the woman said. “But actually the woman who just left, Helen Parker, works there. Shame you didn’t ask earlier. She might have opened the office for you.”

  Mia turned. The other woman, Helen Parker, had already gotten into her car and driven away. “Oh no,” she said miserably. “Helen Parker, that’s who I needed to see.”

  “Is there a problem?” Natalia asked.

  “No, well, actually yes. I need to speak with Ms. Parker. It’s extremely important. Do you know where she lives or how to get in touch with her?”

  “Yes, I know where she lives, but as you heard, she’s going to her brother’s place.”

  “Do you know where he lives?” Mia asked.

  Natalia half smiled, amazed at Mia’s adamant persistence. “Helen has six brothers scattered across Florida.”

  Mia was instantly dejected. She nodded. “I see, thanks anyway.”

  “I’m sure the office will be open again in a couple of days. Are you visiting Key West?”

  “Not really. I used to vacation here a while ago. My dad lived here most of his life. His name was Leo James.”

  “Leo, sure, everybody knew Leo. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “You knew my father?”

  “Sure, Key West is actually a very small community in the off season. After a while everyone knows everyone. Leo was a really nice man. He’ll be greatly missed.”

  “Thank you. It’s nice of you to say. He was difficult.”

  “He was real.”

  “You’re right,” Mia said, finding herself enjoying the conversation and liking the woman’s friendly personality. “I’m Mia James.”

  “Hi, Mia, I’m Natalia Coles. Nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise, I love your name. It’s different.”

  “Thanks, for some reason our mom and dad gave us all Russian names. Try getting through elementary school with names like Natalia, Dominik, Mikhail, Nikita and Tatiana.” They laughed heartily. “So, Mia, when did you get here?”

  “Yesterday.”

  “During the hurricane?” she asked. “Girl, you must have been either desperate to get here or to get away from wherever you were.”

  Mia looked at her, slightly surprised. Natalia’s intuitive perception was amazing. “A little bit of both actually. You’re very intuitive.”

  “Comes with the job,” Natalia said, winking.

  “Mia.”

  At the sound of Stephen’s voice, Mia turned to him.

  “Hi, Sheriff, nice to see you again,” she said, trying to be as cool and detached as Neal always told her she was.

  “Oh, you two know each other,” Natalia surmised. “Mia, we’re just about to grab something to eat, why don’t you join us?”

  “No thanks, I need to get back to the house. The weather looks like it’s just about to turn again.”

  Natalia nodded. “We’re still under a hurricane watch.”

  “Right, so I guess I really need to get back. It was nice meeting you, Natalia. Take care, Sheriff.” She quickly turned and walked away, swallowing hard and taking a deep breath. So what if she didn’t have phone access again tonight? There was no way she was going to sit and have lunch with Stephen and his “friend.”

  “Mia,” Stephen called out, hurrying to catch up with her.

  Mia kept walking as he fell in step beside her. “She’s nice. I like her. Baby momma?” she asked.

  Stephen turned to look back at Natalia. “She’s my cousin and you’re right, she is nice. You two would really get along.”

  “Look, Stephen, don’t stress it. It’s all good. I know the science and psychology of what happened between us last night. We both needed a physical release to counteract the strong emotions caused by the hurricane.”

  “That’s a bit clinical, don’t you think? Is that all you think happened between us last night?” he asked.

  “We were—” She paused and corrected herself. “We are strangers. Last night was last night. The opportunity presented itself and we went with it. No harm, no foul, right?”

  “Wrong. Mia—”

  “You’d better get back. Natalia’s probably waiting for you,” she said. “I gotta go.”

  Stephen glanced over his shoulder, seeing Natalia standing outside the restaurant smiling at him. “We need to talk, Mia. I’ll be by later.”

  “Why? What’s there to talk about?”

  “We need to talk,” he said again. “There are things you should know. Things you need to know.”

  She shook her head. “Stephen, there’s nothing to say.”

  “Mia, believe me, there is,” he said as he walked her back to the car.

  “Stephen, last night was really special and I don’t want it to turn into something awkward between us. I don’t know your situation or how long I’ll be here, but I’d like to have you as a friend or maybe—” She stopped, catching herself.

  “Or maybe what?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” she said, walking as quickly as she could. She couldn’t believe she left it hanging like that.

  “I’ll come by when I get off,” he said.

  “No, don’t.” She unlocked the car door as the rain came down heavier.

  “I have to,” he said earnestly.

  She got in her car and Stephen waited until she drove away. There was so much he wanted to say to her, but the time was never right. He hurried back to the coffee shop, where Natalia was already inside sitting at a table. She was smiling as usual.

  “Does she know about you yet?” she asked.

  “No, not yet,” Stephen said as he sat down. “Not everything.”

  “For a brilliant businessman, you’re obviously clueless.”

  “I know what I’m doing, Natalia.”

  She smirked. “Ah yes, the famous last words from every person about to screw up what could have been a good thing.”

  Stephen frowned. “Do you ever mind your own business?”

  “You know I don’t, so why even ask?” she said, standing. “I’ll be back. I need to talk to Nikita.”

  Stephen chuckled, totally agreeing with Natalia’s statement. She was impossible. As he laughed he looked up seeing his two cousins walk in. Greeting each other, Dominik and Mikhail shook Stephen’s hand before they sat. “I didn’t know you guys were coming. When did you get back in town?” Stephen asked Mikhail.

  “I got in earlier this morning. I figured I’d check out the pier and assess the damage.”

  “How’s it look out there?” Dominik asked.

  “Not too bad. Looks like Ana was kinder than the last few storms passing through this way. Most of the larger vessels left days ago and the smaller ones were able to be moored inland.”

  “So how’s it going at the hospital?”
Stephen asked Dominik.

  “A lot better than we anticipated. We just had a few minor problems, and of course baby Ana arrived last night. Thankfully the city is almost empty, and so there haven’t been a lot of injuries.”

  “So what’s going on with you?” Mikhail asked Stephen.

  “It’s been quiet. As you said, most people left the island, so law enforcement has been light. Plus, I’m still technically on injured reserve, so they only call when I’m needed or for light duty.”

  “That’s not what I mean,” Mikhail said. “What’s going with you personally? I hear you’re in a bit of trouble.”

  “What do you mean?” Stephen asked.

  “Natalia told us you needed our help,” Dominik said.

  “Exactly. So what’s up?” Mikhail added with interest.

  Stephen shook his head, puzzled. “I’m fine.”

  Natalia walked up, greeted her older brothers and then sat. They talked a few minutes about the hurricane then her pregnancy. “So, guess who I just met,” Natalia said happily. Stephen looked at her murderously, but she smiled and continued anyway. “I met Leo James’s daughter, Mia. She’s in town, came in yesterday. She already met our cousin here.”

  All eyes turned to Stephen. This was the last thing he needed, his family on his case again. As expected, questions and comments followed and a full discussion began.

  “Man, of all the women in the world to fall for,” Mikhail said, shaking his head in profound astonishment.

  “I’m still stunned that you and Leo ever became friends,” Dominik added. “What were you thinking when you moved here? You had to know your father would be pissed when he found out.”

  “Don’t you know? That’s why he moved here,” Natalia said smugly, “to piss Carlos off. Don’t you just love Freudian slips?”

  “Your psychology degrees are going to get you in trouble one of these days, Gnat,” Stephen warned sharply, using the childhood nickname he gave her because she was always buzzing about and annoying him. Even now, years later, she was still driving him crazy.

  Natalia laughed and enjoyed his discomfort. “Come on, Esteban.” She was the only one who ever used his birth name. “You know I’m right. Leo was the father you always wanted. He was everything Carlos isn’t. Of course you bonded with him.”