Page 25 of Flirting With Forever
Gage had insisted on feeding her both days. They’d ordered Thai and burgers and pizza from a different location than the one that first day, and they’d gone to a popular restaurant Sunday evening when Gage declared they needed a break out of the house.
She hadn’t argued. Not when her arms and back ached from all the lifting and moving and squatting, and she had to work the next day with Cole.
Come Monday, the weather news wasn’t looking good. When she’d arrived at the rentals building, Cole had the Weather Channel playing on the television mounted near the checkout, and a big red swirl with lots of strings marked potential paths. The problem was nearly all of them ran through, or way too close to, Carolina Cove.
Cole turned when she entered, a scowl on his handsome face. “It can still change course, but we can’t put off prep any longer.”
She glanced at the television, only then seeing the recommendation to prepare. “Have they issued orders to evacuate?”
“Not yet. It’s still voluntary for the coastline, but regardless, the island will shut the bridge down when the winds reach a certain speed. We’ve got to get things buttoned up and be either on or off the island and hunkered down when that happens.”
She nodded, even though a big part of her wanted to run screaming to her car and drive until—what? Where would she go? She didn’t know hurricanes. She was a Chicago girl. She knew blizzards and ice storms but not hurricanes. “What do I do?”
“Pull up that list of yours with the home rentals on the island at the top, businesses next. We’ll do those first and then work our way through the properties off the island.”
“What about Blackwell Farm? The animals?” She’d asked Cole about the farm when she’d gotten the schedule sorted out and realized the men did regular maintenance days at their various properties. They were all very hands on, despite the fact they could undoubtedly afford to hire to get things done.
“We’ll board it up, too, but they’ll be okay. That area has never flooded. There’s always a first time, but if Finn leaves, he’ll haul the animals with him.”
Given the number of businesses the brothers owned, getting everything prepped seemed like an insurmountable task, list or no list. And they had two days to do it in? “So it’s hitting Wednesday…somewhere?”
Cole nodded. “They’ll narrow down the spot as the day goes on. You staying in town or heading out? If you plan to leave, I’d go now. Otherwise you’ll be sitting in traffic.”
Air gushed from her lungs in a noisy exhale. In two days, she could put some real distance between herself and the hurricane, but it felt wrong to leave. And regardless of where she went, she’d be sleeping in her car because a few days’ pay wasn’t going to go far.
Remembering Elias’s words from the dinner at Haven about hunkering down as safe as could be where he was, she lifted her chin. “I’m staying.”
“Let’s get to it then. Call Gage. I’d say he’s already on his way here but?—”
As though summoned, the door swung open with a sharp yank, and Gage stalked inside. He wore a sheen of sweat and a harried expression that could only be considered stressed.
“I’ve got the first of the boards on the trailer. Once they’re off, we can start loading the carts and scooters and take them back to get more boards.”
“So do I stay here? Watch the store?” She motioned toward the counter.
“I say we lock up and let her help where she can,” Cole said. “If anyone has a problem with it, they can go somewhere else.”
Gage nodded. “Agreed. Sloane, will you make us a new message for the machine? Closed until further notice due to impending hurricane.”
She moved toward the phone only to have Cole stop her.
“You sure you want to stay? By the time we get through the storm and the cleanup done, your two weeks will be up. No one would blame you for evacuating and leaving town early because of this.”
Sloane glanced from Cole to Gage and saw that he’d paused in the act of exiting, waiting for her response. “I want to help,” she said, her pulse picking up speed because it was true.
She liked this little beach town. These people. If she could help, she wanted to. “I said I’d do the job, and I will. I’ll stay so long as…so long as you promise not to kick me out during the hurricane or leave me behind if you evacuate.” Maybe they were needy-sounding requests, but a little reassurance would go a long way because other than working for these two, she didn’t truly know them. They could be the all-for-them-and-no-one-else types. Not that they seemed that way, but—people didn’t reveal themselves right away.
Gage held her gaze, a slight smile quirking his lips into a handsome tilt before he winked and nodded at her.
“I think I can manage that.”
And then her pulse went wild for a whole other reason.
Chapter Eight
Gage took a moment to wipe the sweat off his face with a shrug of his shoulder and paused to watch as his brothers, their wives or significant others and the community as a whole, pitched in to prepare. Sloane included.
She drew his gaze as she always did, and he found himself staring, watching, as she used a handheld screw gun to finish attaching the plywood sheet Brooks and Cole held in place.
