Trapped in Tourist Town (23 page)

Her relief was palpable, knowing she'd be able to keep an eye on them over there. She got one of the giant urns out of the storage room and ran it out to her truck parked behind the bakery. When she got back inside, Burke was ushering the last of her customers out. He shut the door and turned the open sign to closed.

“What the hell is with those clouds? It's damned creepy, if you ask me.”

“They were predicting high winds and intermittent thunder showers on the morning news. We've had some bad summer storms before, but nothing that has made my skin crawl like this. I'm worried, Burke. Something tells me it's going to be a lot rougher than the forecasters were expecting.”

The wind whistled through the cracks in the old door, rattling it inside its frame. Cady stepped into Burke's arms, just for a moment, siphoning a bit of his rugged strength. To think that just a few months ago, he'd walked into her bakery, a
GQ
city guy to the core. Now he looked more like an advertisement for L.L. Bean.

“Didn't know you'd be signing up for this, did you?” She gave him a shaky grin.

“I'm on a mission to seek out adventure. Whatever I may have missed in my sheltered childhood.”

“Well, speaking of shelter, I'm headed to Kittredge Manor. I need to make sure Auntie is okay. I've sent Feeney and the others on ahead.” She slapped her forehead and spun on her heel.

“The rest of your family? Is Chase on duty?” Burke gripped her arm to hold her in place.

Her anxiety suddenly multiplied as she realized she couldn't be in two places at once.

“Chase asked me to stop by and check in on Amanda after work. With her due any day now he's so worried she's going to go into labor while he's at work. And my parents—”

“I'm on it. You go to Kittredge. Mr. Feeney told me to remind you that you promised to bring whoopie pies. I've got enough room in my car for Amanda and your parents. I'll go get them and bring them to you. Everyone can ride out the storm together.”

“You'd do that? You'll go get them for me?”

Cady threw her arms around Burke's neck. She gripped him tightly, kissing him hard on the mouth.

“I love you.”

“Good, because I love you too. I wish like hell that we had more time to discuss this. I'll see you at Kittredge.” Burke headed for the front door, pointing toward the display case of whoopie pies, lest she forget her priorities.

Her cell phone jangled in her pocket and they both paused. She pulled it out and checked caller ID: Amanda.

“Hey, sweetie, what's up? Some storm coming, huh?” Her smile faltered when she heard the panic in Amanda's voice.

“I can't reach Chase. He's not answering his phone. Something's wrong, Cady. I know it.”

“Okay, listen. You need to stay calm for the baby. Burke is on his way out to pick you and my parents up. We're bringing you all into town to wait out the storm. Burke has no medical training, so let's not force him to deliver a baby in the middle of a thunderstorm, all right?”

The poor man's eyes were wide as dinner plates as he listened in on her end of the conversation. Cady wasn't sure whether to laugh at his reaction or freak out along with her sister-in-law over Chase's safety. Her nerves were already completely shot.

“Tell him to hurry. We'll look for Chase together.”

“Okay, sit tight, sweetie. He'll be there in a few minutes.” She jabbed the end button and stuffed the phone back into the pocket of her denim skirt. Like hell were they driving all over Scallop Shores, putting their lives in danger to look for a police officer who was likely busy keeping the town safe. Chase would be furious enough when he learned she'd had Amanda moved into town, instead of keeping her safe at home like she'd promised.

“She's going to try to convince you to go looking for Chase. You take her directly to Kittredge. My brother can take care of himself.” She closed her eyes and sent up a silent prayer that Amanda's worries were for naught.

Cady pressed her fingers to the cool glass of the bakery case. She gulped in a long, cleansing breath. Burke stood half in and half out of the doorway.

“I told you, I've got this. And Cady? I really do love you. Save one of those whoopie pies for me.” He winked and was gone.

• • •

Great gusts of wind, malicious in their intent, tried to push Burke's car off into the trees. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, forcing himself to stay on his side of the road. Branches fell around him as he drove past, missiles launched from above. Though that was safer than the lawn chair that had come at him on Main Street. He'd been grateful the street was clear of traffic, as he'd had to veer into the other lane to avoid it.

He was nearly to Cady's parents' house when the rain started. One minute it was dark and forbidding, windy as hell but dry. The next thing he knew, a wall of torrential rain slammed down. Scrambling to get the wipers started, Burke cursed a blue streak. Mother Nature sure was pissed today!

The wipers going at full blast, it still wasn't enough to fully clear the windshield before the next pass. He had to slow down as he peered hard through the glass. The Eatons' long driveway was coming up on the left. A cluster of Oak leaves, still attached to a thin branch, thwacked against the windshield, making him jump in his seat. Heart pounding in his ears, he gritted his teeth and whipped his car hard to the left. The sooner they got back into town, the better.

Even though he parked as close to the porch steps as possible, he was still soaked to the bone by the time he raced up the stairs and pounded on the sliding glass door. May opened the door and practically yanked him inside. Burke stood dripping on the rug, catching his breath. Compared to the raging chaos of the storm outside, the quiet of the cozy house was almost eerie.

“Let me get you a towel.”

“Don't bother. I'll just get soaked again on the way to the car. We need to hurry. It's friggin' nuts out there. Cady wants you guys all at Kittredge.”

“She should have come here, instead. We could have waited it out here.”

“Too many trees. She's afraid something is going to happen, being too far from town. And given that drive from hell to get here, I am inclined to agree with her.”

“Let me just pack Wallace's medicine. Honey, get your shoes on. We need to leave.” She hollered into the living room.

“'Bout damned time I get to leave my own house. That's some storm, ain't it, Burke?” Wallace shuffled into the dining room, a twinkle in his eye.

They all jumped at the resounding crack and subsequent crash, as a good-sized branch bounced off the roof of the storage shed. Burke steeled his spine and gave Cady's parents a grim smile.

“Grab what you need and let's go.”

Buckling into the small car, the trio backed up the driveway until the fork that led to Chase's and Amanda's house. Fortunately, they still had power. But Burke imagined that was only temporary. It wasn't quite noon but the darkness made it feel like closer to twilight. Lights blazed in the downstairs as Amanda waited for them.

“I'm going to run in and get her. You wait here.” Burke barked against the roar of the wind.

He was halfway to the door when he turned and went back to the car. His stomach churned and, though he couldn't say what exactly, something just didn't feel right about leaving them alone. He yanked open the door and reached a hand in to help them out.

“Change of plans. We all go together. Let's go!”

They hurried up to the covered porch, raindrops the size of plums pelting them as they ran.

“Thank God you're here. Chase hasn't answered his phone in hours. He knows to keep in touch because of the baby. Something's wrong.”

Amanda didn't stop chattering as her in-laws and Burke pushed through the door. May slogged across the linoleum to the coat closet and took out Chase's long rain slicker and slipped it around her daughter-in-law. Burke gripped the young woman by her shoulders, nodding his head as he listened patiently, even as his brain was screaming at him to hurry.

A screech unlike anything he'd ever heard rent the air. His blood chilled in his veins when the unmistakable sound of breaking glass and wrenching metal met his ears. The house shook on its foundation just as the lights flickered out. Amanda screamed. Clutching at each other, they all moved as one, opening the door to take a peek outside.

Burke's car was crushed beneath a tall maple, ripped from the ground by its roots and now lay sideways across the driveway. Unashamed of the tears that flowed freely, he hugged May and then Wallace, kissing them both loudly on the forehead. They would have been sitting ducks out there.

“You saved us, Burke.” May's trembling voice came out in a croak.

“We aren't out of danger yet.”

“We're trapped. Chase is hurt somewhere and we can't get to him because we're trapped.” Amanda was fast becoming hysterical.

He had to do something quickly.

“Does Chase have a chainsaw? I need to clear a path so we can get out of here.”

“Son, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but have you ever used a chainsaw before?” Wallace frowned, arching a bushy grey brow.

“No, but I had never used a lawn mower before either. I can do this.” Burke stepped out onto the porch, only to be stopped by Wallace's hand on his forearm.

“You've got balls, kid. I'll give you that. But Cady would kill me if I let you near a chainsaw, God help me.”

“We've got to get the women out of here.”

“And we will. Just have to go for a little walk through the woods, is all.”

Huddled together, they left the house, descending the stairs and veering off for a path that Burke would have missed if Wallace hadn't been guiding him directly toward it. Amanda was muttering under her breath, with May chanting calm reassurances to counteract the hysteria. They ducked through wet branches, dodged a few broken ones and hurried as fast as they could through the trees back to the Eatons' house.

“I just need to go in and get my keys in the house,” Wallace said.

“No need. I have a set right here.” May patted the purse she held like a quarterback racing for a touchdown.

Had the situation not been so dire, Burke would have laughed. He held out his hand and waited while she rifled through the deep purse. Wallace hovered over the women like a gruff old bear, his arms extended as though that would protect them from the trees.

“Ah, here they are!” May pressed the key ring into Burke's fingers and rushed to help Amanda to the passenger side.

Everyone clambered into the car and Burke didn't even wait until they all had seatbelts on before gunning it up the driveway. Who knew how long they had before it, too, was blocked? The road was a barely passable mess. Wallace barked out instructions on how to turn on the wipers and where the lights were. Amanda curled toward the car door, crying softly.

Lightning flashed across the sky, backlighting the dark clouds. Burke wasn't sure if he was relieved or frightened when the deluge of rain quit as suddenly as it had begun, only to be replaced by hail. Now it was Wallace's turn to chant a litany of colorful words from the backseat.

“Hey, it could be worse. They could be the size of golf balls. These are kind of cool, actually,” Burke ventured.

“Stop it! You're making it worse,” Wallace snarled.

They settled into a tense silence. Burke navigated the road with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. Amanda studied the scenery as they passed, as though she expected to see Chase at any moment. Apparently they were the only ones foolhardy enough to be on the road.

Pulling into the nursing home parking lot, Burke wasn't the only one to thank his maker for getting them there safely. The rain and hail forced them to hustle to the front door. Burke guided Amanda, while he couldn't decide who was helping whom as May and Wallace leaned on each other as they hurried up the walkway.

The hallways were teeming with residents and unexpected guests. Burke discovered Cady in the cafeteria, presiding over her precious coffee urn. He imagined that in another life, she had been an Italian mama, happiest when she was feeding her huge family. That scene led to one of Cady in his new home, sitting down to dinner with their own large brood.

She squealed once she'd spotted him, wiping her hands on her bakery apron that he doubted she even realized she still wore. She looked over his shoulder, trying to spot her family. He gave her a quick kiss and put an arm around her shoulders to lead her to the rec room.

“The good news is we're all here and in one piece.”

“And Amanda isn't in labor.”

“Not unless her water broke in the time it took me to settle her on the couch with a blanket.”

“Bite your tongue!” Cady swatted his arm. “Wait. Then what's the bad news?”

“My brand-new car is sitting under a giant-ass tree in your brother's driveway. Flat as a pancake.”

“No!”

“It was wicked cool.” He grinned.

“Wait. Did you just say ‘wicked'? Look at you, sounding more like a Mainer every day!”

They joined her family in the rec room and Burke smiled to see Cady hug and touch them, reassuring herself that they were all perfectly healthy. Auntie hurried in with a handmade afghan, which she wrapped around May, stroking her damp hair before she took a seat on the couch beside her.

“Cady, I'm not crazy. I feel it in my gut. Something is wrong with Chase. He would have checked in by now. Even just to text and let me know he's too busy to call.”

Burke looked from Cady to Amanda. Both women look scared spitless. The problem was, they had no idea where Chase was. He could be anywhere in Scallop Shores. Cady wrapped her arms around her friend. His jaw rigid, Burke turned to Wallace.

“With your permission, I'd like to borrow your car and go look for Chase.” He put a hand on Amanda's shoulder. “Do you know where he was the last time you spoke with him?”