“Now listen, little one. I’m going to sit you down by your mom, okay?” Her tiny arms wrapped harder around his neck, squeezing him tight. Glancing over to Beth, he saw tear tracks on her face.
“I want the three of you to sit against the wall. Then I’m going to push the table over the top of you. You stay underneath it. Understand?”
She gave a shaky nod. “Okay, please hurry. I saw it. I saw it on the west side of town when I was driving.”
“I know.”
He forced the little girl out of his arms and sat her down on the hard floor next to her mother. Quickly he leaned on the pool table and began to scoot it across the cement floor. The feet squeaked as it moved, but within seconds he’d maneuvered it against the wall.
“You okay down there?”
“Yes!” Beth called out. The whining of the wind had increased and Reeve could swear he felt the pressure in the room change. Her daughter began to cry again.
The house began to shake then, and it sounded as if a freight train were barreling down the tracks at a hundred miles an hour.
“Get under here with us!” Beth screamed.
Reeve frantically looked back and forth. He felt like there was something else he needed to do.
Plain Jane.
He cursed out loud and headed for the stairs.
“Don’t leave us! Please!” Beth screamed.
Her voice was muffled by the sound of the storm raging outside, and that was when Reeve knew he had to get under the pool table. The minute he got to his knees and crawled below, he felt the same small hands from before lock around his neck. Wrapping his arms around her fragile little torso, he held on tight, pulling her against his body. The next form he felt was Beth’s, her baby in her arms, sidling up next to him, grasping at his arms. Putting an arm around her shoulders he pulled her in tight, the four of them huddled together. He could hear Beth crying while simultaneously speaking soothing words to her children.
He barely knew these people, didn’t know their father, who was probably on base, panicked and worried sick. That man was a fellow soldier, and Reeve knew he would die before he let anything happen to this family.
He closed his eyes.
Within seconds he could hear the house above them splitting at the seams.
* * *
Emily walked up from the basement, almost afraid of what she’d find. Never in her life had she heard anything as frightening as the sound of a tornado passing through.
“Hold on,” Daniel said behind her. “Let me go first.”
Emily smiled at him. “Okay. Although I think we’re fine.”
They’d waited it out in the basement and were now only coming up because the all-clear siren had sounded.
Opening the basement door, Emily was surprised to see how bright the upstairs was, considering that before the storm hit the sky had nearly gone black. An odd feeling of peacefulness filled the air. And her house was completely fine.
“Holy shit. Look outside,” Daniel stood at the window that faced Emily’s backyard.
“Oh my,” she whispered. Her patio table and umbrella were in the pool, along with three of the four chairs and a carpeting of leaves. To the right of her yard, her neighbors’ trampoline sat on its side, having obviously jumped the fence. She quickly scanned the homes around hers that she could see, noting that besides some similar disarray and a few missing roof shingles, everyone seemed to have fared well.
“I have service now,” Daniel said, looking at his phone.
The electricity was still out, however, and Emily was pissed she couldn’t charge her phone and talk to Reeve. The thought of him made her feel sick. If anything happened to him she wasn’t sure if she could handle it. Maybe when Daniel was finished she could use his phone to search for Big Blue and find a way to get ahold of him through that.
She hoped against everything that he was safe.
She leaned against the kitchen counter unsure of what to do with herself. It was five thirty. Maybe he would come over, and then she would know he was safe. Surely he was wondering how she was, since they hadn’t communicated for a while. But there was also a chance he couldn’t get to her. Was there a lot of damage around town? Would roads be blocked? What if his own house had been damaged? She pressed her fingers to her head and blew out a breath. Chances were in her favor that he was fine, but the not knowing was terrifying.
Daniel’s fingers flew across his phone screen, texting people frantically. He stopped when it rang. Looking at the caller ID, he then looked at Emily. “It’s Kate.”
Emily’s eyes went wide and she nodded for him to answer it. Kate was the young woman who worked the welcome desk in the lobby.
“Hello.” Daniel listened as Kate spoke, his eyes rounding into saucers.
“What?” Emily prompted.
“Okay, okay. I’m with Ms. Phillips. We’ll be right there.”
When he got off the phone, Emily’s heart was pounding. “What did she say? Is she all right?” It was possible with the storm coming some employees had chosen to stay and wait it out in the basement and not risk driving home in it. Emily would never recover if any of her staff were injured. “Is everyone there okay?”
Daniel’s face was solemn as he spoke. “Everyone’s okay. But the building was hit.”
“Oh God.” Emily felt faint, her shoulders sagging and her heart skipping a beat. Holding a hand to her stomach, she took a deep breath, trying not to be sick. “How bad is it?”
Daniel shook his head. “She didn’t say. She was upset.”
“Let’s get over there.” Emily began to walk to the front door, grabbing her purse and keys. She tossed them to Daniel. “Will you please drive us?”
He nodded, looking a little surprised. Didn’t he realize the last thing she was worried about was her car?
As they headed through town, she and Daniel remained silent, the visible damage breaking their hearts. Getting around was slow going, and even though it had only been thirty minutes or so since the tornado went through, assholes were already out sightseeing, taking photos, walking around and looking at debris that littered the streets and lawns. Several times they had to stop for ambulances and fire trucks, and every time she heard the sirens, Emily felt sick inside, praying that none of them were heading toward Reeve.
Thirty minutes later they made it to the state highway that led out of town toward the LAM offices. It wasn’t long before they were pulling into the long driveway. Emily braced herself for what she was about to see.
“There’s a lot of cars still here,” Daniel noted.
He was right, considering it was Friday.
The part of the building they saw first looked completely intact, and Emily sighed. Whatever damage was done, it wasn’t leveled. The building still stood. She hoped that Kate was right and everyone had made it through unharmed.
As they drove through the parking lot, Emily finally spotted the damage. She inhaled, shocked at what she was seeing. The far side of the lot was leveled, several trees razed as if a giant lawn mower had gone straight through, cutting them down at the base.
“Pull around to the back, please.”
Daniel did as she asked, and tears welled in Emily’s eyes as she saw the backside of the building. One entire corner was in shambles, as if someone had cut it off like a corner slice of cake. People clustered in the yard, looking up at the structure, hugging one another. Two sheriff’s vehicles were pulled up in the fire lane, talking to those standing around.
The minute Daniel parked Emily got out and began to run. Every person she encountered she quickly looked over, assuring herself that they were okay. All of them were relieved to see her and gave her their sincere apologies.
“Emily?”
Emily turned to see Natalie rushing out from the side door.
“Nat!” Emily’s tears fell harder and she rushed to her CFO and threw her arms around her. “I can’t believe this. I just can’t believe it.”
“I know.” Natalie was
now crying, too. “It was terrifying. But everyone is safe. Only about twenty people were still here.”
They hugged for a long moment and then tried to pull themselves together. Natalie was still in her skirt, but she’d kicked off her shoes at some point.
“Ma’am, it’s not safe for you to be barefoot out here.”
The two women turned to see a young and handsome man in a sheriff’s uniform standing nearby. Emily glanced at the grass beneath him to find that he was right. The LAM corporate office was made mainly of glass, and the yard now sparkled with pieces of it.
“I’m afraid I took them off when I ran down the basement steps. I don’t know where they are.” Natalie wiped at her nose, her eyes swollen and red.
“I’d be happy to carry you back into the building and help you find them.”
Emily glanced at him, finding that he was serious as a heart attack, a completely professional look on his face. She glanced back at Natalie, who looked shocked but . . . intrigued.
“Okay. If you wouldn’t mind.”
He came forward and gently scooped Nat into his arms. As he began to walk toward the building, Natalie peeked over his shoulder and smiled at Emily. “I’ll be right back, Em. I won’t let you deal with this alone.”
“Thank you,” she called, giving her a faint smile. Clearly chivalry wasn’t dead here amid this tragedy, and the officer had been right. Natalie was in danger with all the glass strewn about. It was like a landmine, some of the pieces big enough to do damage even with shoes on. Emily picked her way through the yard and continued to speak with the employees who were still there. Many of them had left, hoping to get home and check on their families and their own homes. A few had driven back after being home during the storm, wanting to know how they could help.
Walking to the side of the building, she froze. The air left her lungs as she found the new patio completely devastated and her father’s willow lying on its side. Her hand went to her mouth as she began to walk over, a sob escaping her lips as she saw the base of it split like a twig. Making her way closer, she bent over and picked up the tiny copper plaque that had been dislodged from the earth.
Holding it to her chest, she took another look around. This company, this building, was her family’s legacy, and now it was destroyed. Not forever, of course; she knew they’d repair the damage right away. Insurance would cover it. But the feeling of helplessness that consumed her was like lead weighing down on her chest. So much trash and debris littered the yard, she wasn’t even sure where to start.
How did these things work? Did you go home and lick your wounds for the night? Or should she grab a trash bag and begin picking things up immediately? Who did she call? Who would help?
“Emily!”
Gasping, Emily turned to see Reeve making his way through the yard toward her. She choked out a sob and began running toward him. She’d forgotten that she’d told him she worked here, and he’d come looking for her right away.
As soon as their eyes met he began to run to also. The minute their bodies crashed together her hands locked around his neck, squeezing him as hard as she could. He did the same, his massive arms locking around her rib cage, hauling her up his body until her feet left the ground.
“Holy shit, Em. I’ve never been so happy in my life as when I saw you standing there. I hoped to find you back at work. I was so worried.” His voice was thick with emotion, and it forced more tears from her.
“My phone’s dead and I couldn’t call you. I was so afraid you might be hurt,” she said.
“I’m fine, baby, I’m just fine.” He suddenly jerked away from her, placing her feet back on the ground. His hands instantly went to her face and his eyes darted all over her body from head to toe. “Are you okay? Injured?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m fine. But . . .” How did she explain about her building? Now was the time. There was no more hiding it from him.
“Reeve. I have to tell you something.”
“There she is.” Daniel’s voice rang out through the chaos surrounding them. He was accompanied by a news crew, a man with a large camera and another man with a microphone. “Ms. Phillips, do you have a minute?”
Panic filled Emily’s chest. She glanced up at Reeve, whose brows were creased in confusion. The group was near and now waiting on her.
“Do they really need to talk to you?” he whispered.
Emily cursed to herself. “I’m so sorry, Reeve. Please wait for me.”
He nodded, not understanding, as she turned to the reporter.
“You’re Ms. Emily Phillips?” he asked, sticking out his hand. “I’m Todd Reynolds with Channel Four News.”
She smiled, hating that she could feel Reeve’s gaze on the back of her head. That he was standing there, taking all of this in. And she hadn’t had the guts enough to say it to his face. “It’s nice to meet you, Todd. I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances.”
“As am I. Your building appears to be the hardest-hit local business. I thought we might just get a small statement from you?”
“Um, sure. Okay. Although I wasn’t here when the tornado hit.”
“That’s fine. I’ll prompt you. It will basically be about clean up and moving forward.”
“Okay.”
Within seconds, Todd was signaling to his cameraman, a light shone in her face, and they were rolling. Todd introduced himself and then her. She could hear the voices of the newscasters back at the live studio coming from somewhere. Realizing she needed to focus, she listened as Todd turned to her.
“Ms. Phillips, what a tragedy this evening for LAM Theaters.”
He shoved the microphone in her face.
“Yes, it is. But thankfully no one was harmed, so I consider us all very lucky.”
From the corner of her eye Emily noticed Reeve had walked around to stand behind the cameraman. His mouth was tight and his arms crossed over his chest.
“Will you get started rebuilding right away?” Todd asked, then pointed the microphone in her direction.
Emily swiped a hair from her forehead. She had no idea what she even looked like right now. “Of course. This company is strong. Several employees have already made their way back, hoping to help. We obviously are fully insured and I plan to begin returning to normal as soon as possible.”
Todd nodded. “Your grandfather George Phillips passed away several years ago. How do you think he would have handled this situation? What advice would he give you?”
Emily tried not to reveal how shocked she was at his line of questioning. What did it matter that what her grandfather would have done? He wasn’t the owner now.
“I was left this company because my grandfather had complete faith in my abilities to run it. The past few years have been the best ever in LAM Theaters’ history. My team is strong and we take care of one another. I have no doubt in my mind that his advice would be to follow my gut and do what I see fit to rebuild us and move on from this terrible tragedy. He would also be ready to help the entire community of Manhattan in any way possible, as I of course intend to do as well.”
Todd apparently wasn’t as good at hiding his shock, but he quickly closed his parted lips and put the mic back up to his lips. “Thank you, Ms. Phillips. This is Todd Reynolds, reporting live from the LAM corporate offices. Back to you, Lisa.”
Without giving him a chance to speak again, Emily turned to Todd. “I would appreciate if you did not interview my employees. This has been traumatizing and I would prefer they were not bothered to speak of it. Thank you.”
She turned to walk away only to find Reeve gone. Her heart sped up as she peered around the lawn. A deep exhale left her lips as she spotted him standing amid the rubble of his once beautiful patio.
Emily took a deep breath and walked toward him. She knew her footsteps were far from silent as they rustled the pieces of glass and leaves, but he didn’t acknowledge her approach, just stood facing the cleared line of trees, his arms still crossed in a defensive posture.
Stepping around the broken cement, she stood in front of him and looked up. He didn’t meet her eyes. “Reeve. Talk to me.”
His lids closed for a minute, and Emily felt her heart split. When he finally looked down at her, she wasn’t sure what to think.
“You own this company.”
She nodded. “I’m so sorry. I should have told you. Right from the start. I had planned to do it this evening.”
He was silent for a long moment. Finally he spoke quietly. “Did you approve this design?” He nodded to the rubble surrounding them.
“I did.”
“And that was your special tree?”
Emily couldn’t look at the willow. “It was. No longer.”
“So I’ve spent the past few weeks working for you. Taking money from you. And you knew that. Is that what you’re telling me?”
“From my company, Reeve. Not from me. It was a business transaction.”
His eyes went stony. “A one-sided business transaction. At no point when I was fucking you did you see fit to inform me that I was employed by you.”
Emily shook her head, her mind muddled. “My company employed your company. You’re making this something it’s not. I should have told you. But . . .”
“You’re damn right you should have told me. This is a nationwide company.”
“I know.”
“And you own it.”
She whispered. “I do.”
He ran a hand down his face. “You were in my mother’s house.”
Emily’s shoulders sagged. “That’s irrelevant, Reeve.”
“No. No it isn’t. It was bad enough then. Now . . .”
He turned away from her. “I should have known when I saw you at the country club.”
Now she was angry. “So you’re going to judge me because I have money? That’s not fair. My money has nothing to do with us.”
All I Ask Page 21