10. Quiet before the Storm
CHAPTER TEN
Brooke
Quiet before the Storm
B rooke had felt like a fool calling Dalton out on his hasty departure from town fifteen years ago, and now she regretted revealing that she’d cared. But lashing out at him seemed to work because she hadn’t seen him for days. She half wondered if he’d already left town again, until she arrived at her parents’ after work to pick up Max and heard all about how Dr. Dalton Hart was the big hit at career day.
“Ya, and he brought in his stethoscope to let us all try it. Then he handed out stickers. Look.”
Max lifted up his water bottle that now sported a red sticker with the familiar physician’s logo, a pair of angel wings, a staff, and two snakes.
“It means healing. We all got one.”
“It sounds like it was a very exciting day,” her father said. “I heard Dalton was a SEAL, but I didn’t realize he went to medical school as well.” He looked at her with interest.
“Did you know that, Brooke?” her mom asked.
She sat down at their eat-in kitchen table where they already had dinner waiting, a perk of their insistence on helping her out during the week with Max. Her dad was also a great chef.
“He stopped by the hospital last week and we caught up briefly. He won’t be in town long,” Brooke said.
“I think he’s staying forever, Mom,” Max said.
She nearly choked on her sip of water. “Why do you say that?”
“Because we all begged him to be our doctor and to teach us how to be SEALs,” Max said before he took a huge bite of his lasagna.
“Oh, well, who could pass up that offer?” her dad asked.
Once their meal was done, Brooke was exhausted and ready to head home.
“Why don’t you let Max stay here tonight? We can get him to school in the morning and you can get a little extra sleep,” her mom said.
“Oh, yah, can I, Mom? Grandpa makes the best pancakes.”
“Are you sure? I didn’t even check to see if he had homework.”
“We already took care of that.” Her dad guided her to the door. “Go get some extra sleep, read a book, or whatever you’d do with a few hours to yourself.” Her dad opened the front door.
“If you’re sure, but first—” She marched back over to Max and gave him a big hug and a kiss. “Call me before beddy or if you need me later. I love you, baby.”
“Love you, Mom,” he said. “Wait, do you think we could have a playdate with Dr. Dalton, since he says he knows you?” Max said.
“I think we have plenty of playmates, and you can always ask Dr. Tommy about being a doctor.”
“Yah, but I want to hear more about being a SEAL.”
She brushed back his hair. “Good night, baby.” Then she walked back to the door, where she could see that it had just started to rain.
“Drive safe. We’ve got bedtime covered.”
She hugged both her parents. “Enjoy a good night’s sleep.”
“Thanks again,” she called back as she jogged out to her car so she wouldn’t get too wet.
In the car she turned on the radio to find her favorite country song playing, and she smiled at the thought that she could listen to what Max called her “kissy music” because the singers always talked about being in love or falling out of it.
After a few blocks the rain was really crashing down, and she turned her wipers on high as she passed back through Main Street toward her small house. It was just on the outskirts of town, a few miles from her parents’ place. It hadn’t been her first choice, but when her marriage ended there was no way she was going to stay in Savannah. Her parents had helped her get into the small two-bedroom and fix it up, and it was all she and Max needed.
Just as the upbeat song about a cowboy returning to his hometown ended, a large popping sound forced her to clutch the steering wheel and pump the brakes. But then her right tire started making a thumping noise, and the weight of her car dipped.
“Oh no, is this what a flat tire feels like?” she said to herself.
She pulled to the side of the road as the sound of the rain continued to pound and the feel of her tire’s thump thump thump all the way. There was only one way to confirm it was her tire—which meant getting out in the rain—but either way she was going to need to call for help. She couldn’t change a tire by herself, much less in a storm. She could call her dad, but she didn’t really want him out in this weather. She could call Miles and he would no doubt show up to help her, but that would only make her feel more beholden to him. Option number three was to call May, who was the next most responsible person, but she wasn’t sure her more artistic talents would be of much help.
Or, Brooke thought, she could wait out the storm then walk home and not have to ask anyone for help. Then deal with the flat tomorrow.
So she put on her hazards, slid her seat back as far as it would go, turned the music on low, and closed her eyes. Just as she started to drift off to sleep, lights lit up the inside of her car and the purr of a strong engine vibrated to a stop behind her. In her side mirror she could see a large man in a raincoat with the hood pulled low exit the truck. When he showed up at her window, she rolled it down a few inches. It was still pouring rain, and drops ran off his jacket, but she could still easily see baby blue eyes and a handsome smile.
“Hey, Brooke, pop the trunk and I’ll change out the flat.” Dalton’s voice was unmistakable.
She hesitated for a moment, not wanting to be indebted to one more person, much less Dalton Hart. She was constantly feeling like she couldn’t take care of herself, and Dalton was the last person she wanted to need.
“Stop being stubborn. It’s a monsoon, and you can’t sleep in your car.”
“I don’t want your help,” she said honestly.
“Tough. Pop the trunk.” He walked to the back of her car where he insistently tapped her trunk for added effect.
The internal struggle was real but she knew he wouldn’t just go away, so she pulled the trunk latch and got out of the car to help.
“Go sit in my truck,” he ordered as he pulled up the flooring of her trunk to find her spare tire and the jack.
“You’re not in charge just because you know how to change a flat and won’t take no for an answer.”
“Yes I am, so go get in my truck because you know you can’t afford to get sick, and you won’t be any help with the lug nuts or the tire.”
“I’ll sit in my own car then,” she argued.
“It’ll make it harder to use the jack, so go sit in mine, please,” he said, grabbing the spare and the jack before closing her trunk.
“Fine,” she said, and realized her feet were already soaked. He was a SEAL, he wanted to be helpful, he didn’t have work tomorrow—let him handle it, she told herself. Stomping off to the passenger side of his truck, she nearly had to pull herself up to get in but was rewarded with the warmth of his dry, lush interior that smelled like him. He had the same country station she’d had on, and she settled back to watch. He already had the jack in place and one lug nut off. She knew his grandmother didn’t have a truck, and wondered if he’d driven it down or if it was a rental. A few minutes later he had her flat tire off, but then he pulled out a flashlight and practically lay down next to her car to look at something.
Then he strode back to the truck on her side, and she pushed the window down.
“I can’t change it. The axle is cracked.”
“What? How the heck did that happen?”
“My guess is a bad pothole you didn’t see in all this rain. Can I get your keys?”
The sting of unshed tears had her biting her lip, and she dug her keys out of her pocket to hand to him but then stopped.
“I’ll put away the tire and jack in the trunk then take you home,” he said.
“I’ll call my sister to come get me.”
“Damn it, Brooke, just let me help you. Don’t make your sister come out in this storm because you hate me.” Then he charged off.
Her chest was heaving, and her eyes blurred. Something had burst inside her, and a dam of disappointment and I’ll do it myself collapsed. She blinked furiously and took a few more deep breaths while Dalton put away the flat tire and the jack, and locked her car. Finally, he pulled open the driver’s-side door and sat soaking wet next to her, then pulled out her bag that he’d retrieved for her from inside his coat.
“Sorry I snapped at you earlier,” he said, his head hanging in defeat.
She could see him in the reflection of the passenger window she was facing. But she kept her face turned away and hoped he didn’t notice she was on the brink of a meltdown.
He sighed, and the cab started to feel much smaller with him enclosed in the space with her.
“Brooke, please look at me.”
“I just want to go home,” she said, but her voice cracked.
“Did I make you cry?” he said, sounding tortured.
Before she could respond, his warm hand found the back of her neck and his other hand stretched out to grip her thigh as he leaned over to her.
“Brooke, I’m so sorry I left and never came back, and I’m sorry I didn’t know you cared. I’m sorry I made you come sit in this truck, and I’m sorry I snapped at you. I just didn’t want you in the rain, I wanted to help you tonight, and I really don’t want you to cry.”
“I just wanted to go home and get a good night’s sleep. I’m tired and feel like I’m failing at everything, but I don’t want to feel all of this,” she said, gulping for more air. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
Dalton’s arms scooped her up and he pulled her in to sit closer to him in the middle of the seat.
“Nothing’s wrong with you. Sometimes we can’t go around it or over it, and we just have to go through it. Even when it’s hard and feels like it’s going to break us. But it won’t—you’re strong and you have people who support and love you. People who want to help you.”
He wrapped both his arms around her so that her head was resting on his shoulder, and the last of her resistance shattered. She sank into his strength, absorbing his heat, reveling in the novelty of being held. His body was so welcoming and big, and one hand ran up and down her shoulder trying to soothe her. After a little while, he reached over her to open the glove box.
“Sorry. I just got this thing and I think I stuffed some napkins in here.”
“You bought a truck?”
“Yah, Gran’s car is a little small for me, and I felt like a teenager asking her if I could use it.”
He was using a paper towel to help dry her arms, which he’d soaked when he held her.
“If you don’t stop being nice to me, I’m not going to be able to stay mad at you,” she said, accepting the tissue and wiping at her own nose.
“In that case, you can have all my napkins and you can cry all you want in my new truck.”
A laugh bubbled up, and she buried her face in the tissues.
“Was that a smile? Does that mean you don’t hate me anymore?” One of his hands gripped her chin and gently tilted her face up so he could look into her eyes.
“Yup, there it is, that beautiful smile.”
She just stared into his blue eyes. It was like looking at the clearest part of the ocean, and she held her breath.
“I like holding you but I can’t believe I never realized.”
“What?” she said.
With his hand now cupping her face, he leaned in and brushed his lips over hers. “How much I always wanted to do this.” Then his mouth captured hers, his teeth skimmed her bottom lip until she parted her lips, and their tongues tasted each other. Before she knew it she was climbing onto his lap and wrapping her arms around his strong shoulders, making sounds she didn’t recognize. It was like a gunshot at a race had gone off; the floodgates were opened. She was unleashed, and he didn’t hesitate to sink his hands into her curves and pull her closer to deepen their kiss. His tongue ran along hers as her hips ground down from the thrill of being this close to him.
It wasn’t until his mouth moved to her neck and the sound of the rain started to lessen that she considered what she was doing. But she didn’t want to stop either—she had wanted Dalton since the day she met him in high school and every day since. Reality only came crashing back when another set of lights stopped behind his truck, the telltale red and blue of a police car.
“We have company,” she said, leaning back out of reach of his mouth and hitting the horn.
They were both panting and then a huge, sexy smile spread on his face. “That was unexpected.”
She moved to sit back in the passenger seat and wiped her smeared lip gloss as the sound of a car door being opened and closed sounded.
“If that’s your brother, I’ll die right here.”
He laughed, then rolled down the window to see a young, fresh-faced deputy in a Sandy Point police poncho.
“Sir, do you need any help?” The deputy peeked in to see Brooke and she waved.
“Hey, Deputy. I got a flat, and Dalton was just giving me a ride home.”
Dalton cleared his throat, and she fought the urge to hit his shoulder.
“Oh, hey, Ms. Brooke, I could change the tire for you if you want. The rain has let up enough.”
“Actually, her axle is cracked, so it’s going to need a tow,” Dalton said.
“Oh, that’s terrible. We’ve had quite a few disabled cars on this road tonight. I’ll have to let Chief Hart know.”
“Chief?” Dalton asked, surprised.
“Well, technically he’s the deputy chief, but you know he’s the one we all like, and it’s just easier to call him the chief. But don’t tell the real chief.” The deputy sounded worried.
“Copy that. If you can get her car towed that’d be a huge help, Deputy. We appreciate you checking on us.”
“You got it, sir. Ms. Brooke, I’ll have Jake’s Garage tow it if that’s okay.”
“Thanks.” Her voice had gone back to normal and her heart had stopped beating a million miles a minute, but she rubbed her hands down her thighs to ward off the shivers.
“Alright, y’all have a safe night,” the deputy said, and walked back to his car.
“Nice kid,” Dalton said. “Even though I hate him for interrupting us.”
She let out a breath and buckled her seat belt as Dalton pulled his huge truck out onto the wet road. After she rattled off her address, the sound of the wipers filled the quiet. When he parked in her empty driveway and turned off the engine, both doubt and need lingered as she thought about what would have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted. Or if she invited him in.
“I don’t know what that kiss was, but it can’t happen again. This isn’t going to be a thing while you’re in town for a visit,” she said, pointing between them.
With one arm still resting on the top of his steering wheel, Dalton just nodded. She could feel his eyes studying her in the dim light bouncing off her front stoop and into the cab of his truck.
“Whatever you say, Brooke, as long as you’re not mad at me.” His eyes narrowed in on her.
“Thank you for rescuing me tonight.”
“I would rescue you anytime from anywhere if you would let me.”
Her breath caught in her throat. He sounded so believable.
“Okay, good night.” She plucked her keys out of his hand and was almost disappointed when he didn’t try to keep her in the truck longer or invite himself in. Maybe he could tell she was too fragile to handle a one-night stand. He waited to leave until she’d let herself in her quiet house, and she leaned against the door until she heard his truck drive away. As exhausted as she was, she couldn’t seem to fall asleep once she was dry and warm in bed. All she could think about was Dalton and what could have happened, and she was a little mad they’d never know.