Beyond Always (Lex and Amanda Series)

by Carrie Carr

  The feed store, like many of the other older buildings in Somerville, was surrounded by large shade trees. The top of one of the biggest trees from the west side of the building had broken off and crashed through the roof. He ignored the rain that dampened his face as he moved into the room. His first concern was his employee. "Rebecca?"

  He stepped cautiously toward the largest pile of rubble, where tree branches mixed with ceiling tiles and glass. "Rebecca, where are you?"

  Tom slipped on the wet tile and fell to one knee beside the debris. He noticed a scratched, pale hand only inches away from him, and he shakily reached for it. "Rebecca, can you her me?" It was cool to the touch. "Hey."

  The fingers wriggled and a weak voice called out, barely discernible above the sound of the rain. "Help me."

  "I'm here." Tom tried to separate the branches so that he could see her, but it was too dark. "Don't move, okay? I'll go see if I can find someone to help me get this mess off you."

  "Please don't leave me," Rebecca cried. She managed to turn her hand and grasped his with surprising strength. "I'm scared."

  He lightly squeezed her hand. "I know. Um, can you tell if you're hurt?"

  "I...I'm not sure." Rebecca's voice trailed off.

  "Are you in any pain?" Tom almost leaped out of his skin when the wind slammed something against the building. "God."

  Rebecca tried to pull her hand away. "Maybe you should be somewhere safer."

  Tom used his free hand to wipe the water from his eyes and face then looked around. Part of the roof was missing and rain had soaked everything in sight. "Not much else can happen where we're at."

  "Do you feel cold? I'm freezing."

  "It's a little cool, with the rain and all. You just hang in there, all right? As soon as the storm passes, I'm sure help will be here."

  "Could you do me a favor, Tom?" Rebecca's voice had softened to the point where he had to lean closer to understand her. "If something happens, could you--"

  He shook his head. "No, no. Don't start thinking like that. Everything's going to be okay."

  "I hope so. But, just in case, could you tell Shelby that I love her? Please?"

  "Shelby? Her?" Tom released her hand. "You...you're gay?"

  He hadn't gotten a chance to know Rebecca very well, but he had hoped to work up the courage to ask her out on a date.

  "Tom? Please, don't leave." Rebecca began to cry. "God, I'm so scared." She wiggled her fingers. "Please? Tom?"

  AS THE WIND and heavy rain slammed the VFW building, the five women huddled together in the darkness. The electricity had failed right after the storm started and the building had started to get warm and humid. They were underneath two tables that were pushed against the strongest interior wall. At one point, they heard the windows in the kitchen shatter, but no one made a move to investigate.

  "I don't think I can take much more of this," Kathleen whimpered. She had admitted a paralyzing fear of severe weather just as the storm hit, much to the disdain of Phyllis. "I thought I could handle it, but I just can't."

  "Sssh." Anna Leigh had her arms around Kathleen, who shook so hard it nearly rattled her teeth as well. "Listen."

  The howling wind had stopped, and now the only sound was the hard rain on the roof. They could also hear the rain coming into the kitchen, and could tell that one of the main doors of the building had blown open during the peak of the storm.

  Phyllis Chambers crawled from beneath her table. "Goodness that was intense." She brushed off her slacks and then looked at her hands. "I wonder how long it's been since anyone has swept or mopped around here."

  "Really, Phyllis. I think we have more important things to worry about than dirty floors," Evaline chastised. She was a friend of Phyllis' mother and had plenty of dealings with the snotty younger woman. She held out her hand to Kathleen. "Come on out of there, honey. We're perfectly safe."

  Kathleen accepted the helping hand and then turned to assist Anna Leigh. "Thank you for understanding, Mrs. Cauble."

  Anna Leigh hugged her. "Please, dear, call me Anna Leigh." She turned to the other woman in their little group. "How are you doing, Mary? I know it had to be painful for you to be under there for so long."

  "I'll live," Mary assured her. She was on the Ladies Auxiliary committee that had planned the barbecue, even though she had severe arthritis and couldn't always help. "I hope everyone outside was able to get to cover."

  Phyllis snorted. "They could at least see the storm coming. We had no warning at all. No one even bothered to run in and tell us."

  "Be that as it may, someone should go check," Evaline said, giving Phyllis a pointed stare. "Thank you for volunteering, Phyllis."

  "Excuse me?"

  Mary jumped in. "Come on. I'll go with you, and we'll see if anyone needs help." She grabbed Phyllis' arm and led her toward the open door.

  "Wow, she's obnoxious," Kathleen whispered. "What's her major problem, anyway? She was ordering everyone around all morning."

  Anna Leigh started toward the kitchen. "Do you mean Phyllis? She married a lawyer a few years ago, and now he's the county judge. Don't let her bother you."

  "Where are you going, Mrs., um, Anna Leigh?" Kathleen hurried to catch up to the older woman.

  "To see what kind of mess the storm made of the kitchen. Perhaps we can salvage some of the sandwiches, at the very least. I have a feeling it's going to be a truly long day."

  THE RAIN FELL steadily on the overturned truck and the cadence lulled Shelby into a semi-conscious state. She could still hear Lorrie sniffling, but her crying had stopped a few minutes earlier.

  "How're ya doin', kid?" she whispered.

  Most of Lorrie's weight was on her left foot, which had gained purchase on the steering column. Her right foot was on Shelby's seat, inches away from the older woman's neck. "I think my arm's broke. It hurts to move it."

  Shelby slowly raised her right hand to her face in an attempt to wipe the blood out of her eyes. Her mind was a muddled mess. "We can't be too far from the house. Think you can get out and call for help?"

  "I'll try." Lorrie looked around. "Shelby?"

  "Yeah?"

  "I can reach the handle and roll down the window on my side, but I can't climb out with just one arm."

  "Damn. That could be a problem." There was only one solution and she dreaded it. She released her seat belt. "All right. I'm going to need you to do something."

  Lorrie stood above Shelby, holding her injured arm against her body. "What are we gonna do?"

  "Do you think you can put both feet on the steering wheel or on the seat, so I can get up? Then I can boost you through the window and climb out after you."

  "Okay." Lorrie kept her balance by bracing her good hand against the roof of the truck. It wasn't comfortable, but she was able to move around until she was out of Shelby's way. "Do you need any help?"

  Shelby bit off a sharp reply. The girl was only trying to be useful. "Just ignore me for a few minutes, okay? I don't want your mom kicking my ass for using bad language around you."

  Lorrie giggled. "Momma cusses a lot, too. And I've heard my mom say things she doesn't know I've heard."

  "Yeah, I figured." Shelby took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Okay, here goes." She grabbed the steering wheel with her right hand and used it to leverage herself off the side window. The unsettling feeling of her sticky face peeling away from the glass caused Shelby's stomach to churn. She gritted her teeth as she struggled to a sitting position.

  "Argh! Goddammit, that fuckin' hurts!" The shoulder that she had landed on throbbed to the point where she thought she might pass out. Shelby closed her eye and bit her lip to keep from fainting.

  "Shelby?" Lorrie could now see the blood caked on the left side of Shelby's face. It slowly ran from her temple to her shirt and her hair was matted with drying clumps of blood.

  "I think I'm gonna need your help, after all," Shelby gasped. She held out her right hand. "If I can just get my balance, I think I'll be o
kay."

  Lorrie grabbed her hand and held on tightly as Shelby struggled to stand. She turned her head and noticed a crack along the back window. "Hey, look."

  Shelby leaned against the truck roof and opened her one good eye, but her vision was too blurry. "What?"

  "The back window has a big crack in it."

  "How big?" Shelby ran her hand across the window, but with the leather glove on she couldn't feel anything.

  "All the way across, I think."

  Shelby blew out a heavy breath. "Finally, something in our favor. I'm going to try and kick it out. It would be a lot easier than trying to climb up through that little window."

  "I can help."

  "I reckon between the two of us, it should be easy."

  Shelby tried to turn enough to use her leg, but the cab was too small. "Fuck. Okay, plan B. On the count of three, you kick and I'll ram it with my good shoulder." She closed her eye for a moment, inhaled deeply and then exhaled slowly. "One...two...three!"

  "I THINK I like storms." Ellie sat in front of Kyle, who had her arms wrapped around her. "And I never knew closets could be so...romantic."

  Kyle kissed the side of her neck. "Does this mean I don't have to take you out on our anniversary?"

  Ellie tilted her head as she enjoyed the gentle kisses. "I don't care where we are, or what we do. You know that."

  "Mmm-hmm." Kyle put her hands under Ellie's shirt and stroked her stomach. "Me either." Suddenly, something seemed different which caused her to stop. "Do you hear that?"

  "Huh?" Ellie was lost in a sensual haze. Anytime her lover touched her, she melted. Kyle had been wonderful during the storm, holding her close and exchanging gentle kisses to keep her calm.

  Kyle kissed Ellie's head and stood. "The wind's died down."

  "Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?" Ellie accepted a hand up and put her arms around Kyle's neck. "Next time, we have got to have a flashlight or something, in here. I hate not being able to see your eyes."

  "Yeah, I didn't think about the power going out. All I wanted to do was make sure you were safe."

  Ellie found Kyle's lips easily in the dark. Once they broke apart, she laughed. "Depends on what I'm supposed to be safe from. The storm, yes. I was very safe. Making out in a dark closet? Not so much."

  "I didn't hear any complaints."

  "And you never will."

  Kyle held Ellie's hand and led her from the closet. They both stopped when they saw the damage to the bedroom. "Whoa."

  The bedroom was soaked from the rain, which continued to fall. Glass was everywhere, as were wet leaves and small twigs and branches. The white, microfiber-padded bench that sat beneath the window was drenched and covered with mud.

  Ellie gingerly walked to the window and looked out. Although she was soon as wet as the rest of the room, she didn't move away. "Hey, Kyle?"

  "Yeah?" Kyle stood beside her. "Wow. I wonder where that came from?" Just outside their window was a narrow section of wooden trellis. "I guess that's what broke the window, huh?"

  "Probably." Ellie turned to take another look at the bedroom. "I hope everyone at the fair is okay. Lex and Amanda were going to take the kids."

  Kyle kissed her on the forehead and retrieved her cell phone from the nightstand. "I'll give Amanda a call and see." She put her cell phone to her ear and frowned at the annoying buzz. "Tower must be damaged."

  "Can we run by the town square and see if they're there?"

  "Sure, baby. How about you get into something dry and I'll board up the window, okay? I think I have some plywood out in the garage."

  Ellie grabbed her before she could leave the bedroom. "Thanks. But I don't see why I should change, especially since we're going right back out in this mess."

  "Maybe because I'm overprotective?"

  "Probably. But I love you for it." Ellie swatted her on the butt. "Go on. I'll try to get some of this mess cleaned up while you take care of the window."

  REBECCA'S PLEAS WERE more than Tom could ignore. He took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry. It's really none of my business who you, umm, you know."

  It wasn't as if he didn't know any gay people. Lex Walters had been coming to the feed store her entire life. But, Rebecca seemed different. Now that he was past the shock, he knew he had to help her.

  "I...I'm so cold, Tom."

  "I'm sorry. It's probably "˜cause you're lying on the wet tile. Look, let me run back to the office and see if I can call someone to get you out of there."

  Her grip kept him from leaving.

  "Rebecca, I promise I'll be right back. But I can't move this tree or any of the other stuff without help."

  She released his hand. "Please, hurry. I don't want to be alone."

  Tom got up. "I'll be right back, I promise." He stumbled along the ruins and slipped on the wet tile, but finally reached the office. He picked up the phone but heard nothing but static on the line. He didn't want to return to Rebecca without something positive, so he left the office and headed out the back door to find someone to help.

  BACK IN THE showroom, Rebecca couldn't stop shivering. She was lying on her stomach with her right cheek against the floor and she was chilled to the bone. "Tom?"

  She waited for an answer, but between the rain that fell and the noises made by the damaged building, she couldn't hear anything. As the cold numbed her body, Rebecca found it hard to stay alert. Her eyes closed and her mind began to drift.

  "I CAN'T BELIEVE all this damage was done by wind and rain. Good thing we keep our vehicles in the garage." Kyle was behind the wheel of her shop's truck, which she had borrowed until she could finish work on her own car's engine. "I've never seen so many beat up cars and broken windows from a thunderstorm before."

  Ellie pointed to a house as they passed. "It looks like their roof is gone. Do you think a tornado did this?"

  "I don't think so. But I wouldn't be surprised to find out we had hurricane-force winds. It's almost impossible to find clear streets."

  "I really appreciate you taking me to the town square. I just want to make sure my family's safe."

  "I'm worried, too. Besides, we can stop by the shop on the way. I want to check and see if we had any damage."

  Kyle stopped when they came upon a huge elm that had fallen across the road. She put the truck in reverse until they came to a cross-street. "We'll have to go around by the high school."

  Ellie ignored her mumbling and stared out the window. Tree limbs littered every yard and many of the cars had cracked or shattered windows. "Unbelievable." She held on to the handle above her door as Kyle drove onto the sidewalk to bypass another fallen tree. "Don't ever complain about my driving again, Kyle. At least I stay on the roads."

  "Not much choice, baby. Besides, it's not like--" Kyle slowed when she noticed the stopped truck ahead. "Wow. Look at the size of that tree. I hope those guys got out okay."

  Ellie unbuckled her seat belt. "We'd better go see."

  "Hey, at least wait "˜til I stop," Kyle yelled. She parked and jumped out to follow her lover. "Ellie, wait."

  The closer she got to the vehicle, the faster Ellie walked. Even from the back, the large, green Dodge pickup looked familiar.

  "Oh, no." She turned to Kyle, who jogged up beside her. "It's Lex's truck."

  "Are you sure?" Kyle tried to look through the driver's window, but it was blocked by a limb. The entire front of the truck was crushed under the weight of the tree. "I can't see inside."

  Ellie pointed to the door, where the edge of the Rocking W Ranch logo could be seen. "We need to see if she's in there."

  "I'll check the other side." Kyle walked around the truck and moved a plastic child's playhouse out of her way. The passenger's side of the truck was obscured, and one of the larger branches had blocked the door. She turned and headed toward the rear of the truck. "I couldn't tell--" Kyle stopped when she saw Ellie in the bed. "What are you doing?"

  "I think I can get through to the back window. The branch
es are thinner back here." Ellie disappeared into the foliage. "Kyle, do you have a screwdriver and a flashlight in the truck?"

  Kyle didn't bother to comment. She went to her vehicle and searched through the attached toolbox, grumbling the entire time. She found a small crowbar as well as a flashlight and a handsaw. "Better than nothing, I guess."

  Ellie stood by the tailgate and helped Kyle up when she returned. "A crowbar? Perfect! We can pry the sliding window open and I can squeeze through."

  "Oh, hell, no! You're not climbing inside. We're just going to look and see if anyone is in there."

  Ellie ignored Kyle's outburst and took the crowbar from her hands. Without another word, she squeezed through the branches and out of Kyle's sight. "Hon? Could you bring the flashlight?"

  "I swear, she's gonna be the death of me." Kyle struggled through the leaves and branches, only to see Ellie's legs and feet disappear through the window. "Ellie!"

  Ellie popped back out and almost bumped faces with Kyle. "The branches have covered all the other windows, and with the rain and clouds, it's too dark to see inside."

  "Maybe I should go in," Kyle offered.

  "I'm a nurse. If there is anyone inside, they may need medical attention."

  Kyle shook her head. "I don't want you to risk it. If the wind gets up again--"

  "All the more reason for me to hurry." Ellie took the flashlight from her. "I'll holler if I need help, I promise." She quickly kissed Kyle's lips and turned away.

  Kyle watched helplessly as Ellie disappeared into the cab of the truck. "Be careful," she called after her.

  Inside, Ellie was on her knees in the back seat and shined the light toward the front. She could see a dark head on the flattened airbag on the driver's side. "Lex?" Ellie stretched over the seat and touched the driver's shoulder. "Lex, can you hear me?"

  When she didn't get an answer, Ellie touched the side of Lex's neck, relieved to find warm skin and a strong pulse. "All right. Good." She turned the flashlight toward the passenger side of the truck to see a man in a similar state. His pulse was strong as well and she exhaled in relief.

  Ellie turned to the back window and stuck her head out. "Lex is in here, along with some man I don't recognize. They're both alive, but unconscious."