Stormy Surrender

By the time she drove over to the house that evening, she was relaxed and happy. The remainder of her afternoon had been spent reading a book. And she had even started a new one. She chose something light and happy. Jennifer Crusie romance novels always fit that bill. Soon after Joey left, Laurel had returned to the gazebo with a fresh sweet tea and a Boston Cream Cupcake. It was heaven. Really, though it may get uncomfortable, there was no way that she was going to leave this town. It had already become more like home to her than Burlington ever was.

After freshening up, for goodness knew what reason since she was only going to be seeing Joey, she headed down the stairs to leave again. Naturally, she wasn’t able to avoid Keely again. They had made a dinner date, which suited Marti perfectly. It gave her an excuse to not go to Joey’s house, to not get drawn in, to not stay and make a memory…even if it might have been the most amazing memory of her life.

The charm in his pocket felt warm to the touch. And it should. He had been holding it in his hand for over an hour as he imagined giving it to Marti. He loved the way she lit up every time he found an excuse for a new addition to the bracelet. There was no way he wanted her to ever forget the night before; even though it hadn’t turned out quite like he had hoped. The best part was that he could tell Marti was enjoying herself, too. He would have been absolutely certain had he managed to get her pants down before they were hosed down by his crazy neighbor. Still, nipples don’t lie. Hers responded to him…to his lips, to his touch, and especially to his tongue. He squeezed the sterling silver piece as he waited.

She pulled in. Why couldn’t she ever take his advice? As much as he wanted to call her out, to remind her that it was safer to back in, he resolved to stay away from that conversation since he was determined to have a nice evening with her. He watched her emerge from the Escape and he had to admit that vehicle was much better suited to her than the Vue. Blue was her color. She walked toward him and smiled.

“So what would you like me to see?” She asked. She was so calm.

“You look great,” he remarked as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. “You must have had a really nice day.”

“I did, thank you.” She looked toward the house. And he was bothered that she was so interested in the house. Maybe this ruse to spend time with her wasn’t going to work after all.

“Well, there has been a lot of progress in the house. Can we pick some colors and cabinets? I have samples in the kitchen.” He threw an arm around her and walked her toward the backdoor, since the new porch wasn’t completely finished yet.

When they entered the room, she all but squealed in delight. The room really was shaping up. There was so much light. The new tile looked great, but he walked her straight through to the front room. “The grout hasn’t set yet. I don’t want us to walk on it much.”

“It looks amazing. It’s just like I imagined it…only better because it’s real.” He pointed her in the direction of the cabinet samples. He even had a few spare tiles so she could get a sense of what the room would look like with all the different products together.

She sat on the floor and moved tiles and cabinet samples around. There was a light wood that appealed to her. Or there was a cherry that looked really nice. White could make a great fall back and it would really brighten up the room. She was really agonizing over this decision. In the back of her mind, she really wanted the same finish on the cabinetry in the house. That meant that she would have to have matching bathroom cabinets.

“What do you think?” She asked him honestly. “I’m torn. I really like wood. I know white matches with everything but I think it can look too contemporary or too cheap. So then I thought maybe this light wood to keep it light and bright in here. But I love these cherry finished ones. And if we use those, the bathrooms will have the same wood finish and I really like that idea. I guess the cherry is perfect as long as we go with lighter paint. Yup, that’s what we’ll do. Thank you!” And she smiled at him.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t say anything…” His voice trailed off.

“You didn’t have to. You let me think it out and I really appreciate that.” She was beaming. “Is that everything, or did you need me for something else?” She stood and brushed off her pants. “I have dinner plans.”

His face darkened. “Who do you have plans with?”

Her eyebrows rose at his reaction and tone. Part of her wanted to remind him that it was none of his business how she spent her time, but the other part of her realized that she had pretty much purposely baited him. And she couldn’t be mad at him for reacting, especially since it was the reaction she secretly hoped for. Instead, she smiled. “I’m having dinner with Keely. It’s been a while since we’ve done that and she asked me just before I left.”

“But you knew you were coming over here. Why would you agree to meet her for dinner?” He looked as though he was completely baffled.

“You said you needed my input for the house. You didn’t say you wanted me to stay and hang out. You never mentioned that you wanted plans with me. Why would you think I knew that invitation meant more than it did?” She looked at him with sad eyes. “Do you know how much time I spend alone? If I have a chance to do something and not be alone, I’m going to take it.” And with that, she turned on her heels and prepared to storm out of the house.

“Wait.” He sighed. He spent entirely too much time chasing this woman down. “I’m sorry. I figured it was understood. I didn’t think. I should have asked you to spend the evening with me.” He walked over to her where she hung out by the kitchen opening. “I have something for you before you leave.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the charm. It was a bonfire…crossed logs and a flame. The minute she saw it, she softened, she beamed, and she walked into his arms. “Never forget,” he murmured into her hair.

She looked up at him. “How could I?” She buried her face in his chest. He was growing used to it, welcomed it. He had even taken to making sure he was wearing cologne when he knew he was going to see her. He wanted her to think of him fondly.

“Let me fix it.,” he said as he reached for her wrist. She backed away and looked up at him with glistening eyes. “Are you happy?” She nodded. “Good.” He wrapped the bracelet around her wrist and smiled as it returned to its rightful place. He held her close against his chest for a moment, simply enjoying the closeness. “I don’t suppose you want to come back here after dinner?”

“No, we’ll get talking. It will be too late.” She smiled. “There will be other times.”

“Even if I leave the lights on for you?” He stopped even as he realized he was sounding desperate.

“What about a movie tomorrow?” She hadn’t been to a movie in such a long time. It sounded like a nice change of pace.

“Sure. We’ll meet here. We’ll go to a theater in Charlotte. Obviously there are none in this town.” He leaned down and kissed her on the bridge of her nose, high up between her eyes. “Go enjoy your dinner. Have fun. I’ll walk you out.”

He offered her his hand to lead her through the kitchen maze and out the back door. They walked side by side down the driveway to the car. He opened the door for her. He was about to tuck her into the car when he looked up and saw Miss Gracie out on her front porch looking their direction. Without thinking, he dove into the bushes.

It was the second time in one day. He was standing there talking with her one minute and gone the next. This was dangerously close to becoming a habit. And she might have laughed, if it had been someone else’s story, if it wasn’t happening to her. Only…it was. “What the hell? Really?” She stood with her hands on her hips.

Slowly, he peeked out of the bushes, leaned out, and looked around. “Is she still out there?” He whispered loudly.

“Is who out where?” She asked, clearly irritated. “Listen, I don’t have time for this. You can stay in my bushes. I’m going to meet Keely for dinner. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night…assuming we’re still on for the movie.” She looked at him. He peered out at her. “Are we still on for the movie?”

He sighed. “Yes, we’re still on for the movie.”

She all but growled as she opened the door of the Escape and hopped behind the wheel. He had sighed. One minute he wanted to spend time with her, the next minute he was sighing. She shook her head in frustration. It really didn’t matter. Soon they would have a break from each other. She would be back in Vermont. He would be here.



When she reached Hope House, she was feeling slightly better. It was hard to be angry when the sky was a rich blue velvet shade simply littered with stars. And planets. In all honesty she wouldn’t know the difference. Oh, a plane. That she recognized.

As she walked up the steps she could feel the warmth of Hope House welcoming her. It didn’t hurt that Keely was standing near the door ready to greet her. “I was watching for you,” she laughed. “I thought we might try something different tonight.” She was so excited about this dinner plan, that there was no way that Marti would have ever been able to say no to her.

“What did you want to do?” She asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

“Fondue!” She squealed. “I found a couple of recipes for fondue that I have been dying to try. I cut up some apples and bread and carrots for the cheddar fondue. I have this special white wine and chicken stock fondue recipe for cooking the chicken and shrimp in. And then…the standard chocolate fondue for dessert. If I do it right, it should taste like we’re dipping strawberries and pound cake in fudge!” She was clapping her hands together as she spoke.

“You know what?” Marti said honestly. “That sounds really good. And it won’t just be a meal; it will be an event.”

They spent the next two hours in the kitchen, eating dinner in courses off the big stainless steel prep table. While the food was exceptional, it was the conversation that Marti would remember even more vividly. As they had begun to dip into the dessert fondue, Keely finally opened up about something that was obviously on her mind. “So, what’s going on with you and Joe?” She asked seriously.

“Nothing…really…I guess,” Marti responded with a shrug. “He’s one of my few friends in New Hope. He is showing me the ropes, remodeling my house, and helping me cope with the divorce and all the changes my new marital status entail.”

“And is one of those changes getting used to sleeping with other men?” She raised a blond eyebrow with her question.

“We didn’t sleep together. We haven’t slept together. We just..”

“Came damn close from what I’ve heard.” She stabbed a hunk of pound cake and dunked it in the warm chocolate. “I like you, Marti. I like Joe. I don’t want you to get hurt. Do you understand?”

She set her skewer down. “No. No, I don’t understand. I don’t know why everyone cares. I don’t know why people keep warning me. Maybe they should be warning Joe.” She was starting to get agitated and it was difficult for her voice to stay even in that situation.

Keely chuckled. “Oh, they are warning Joe, all right. They are warning him to stay away, to not hurt you.”

“Well, maybe I would hurt him!” She crossed her arms over her chest. Keely tipped her head and smirked in obvious disbelief. “Well, I might. I’m tough. I’m smart. And I don’t know what’s going to happen. I do know that right now, I just want to relax and have fun. I want to start taking chances instead of playing it safe. Most of all, I want to make my own decisions and live with the consequences instead of having others decide for me and then I have to live with the results of that.” She tucked her head to her chest. She was silent for a moment before she met Keely’s eyes once more. “Please. Just let me live my life. I’m thirty-five years old and I’ve never really lived.” There was a pleading edge to her voice.

“This means a lot to you?” She asked Marti and watched for the nod. She settled back on her stool and seemed to think a moment. “And I guess that you may have already considered the consequences. You are right. You are an adult. And since you are the one to live with the consequences, you should at least get to make the choices that precede them.” She lowered herself from the stool and walked around the table until she was beside Marti. Then she threw an arm over her shoulders. “I wish you the very best. I will be your friend always.”

Turning on the stool, Marti looked at her with tears in her eyes. “Thank you,” she said simply. “Can you do me one favor?” She wore a shy grin.

“Of course. Anything for a friend.” And she gave Marti one last squeeze before stepping back to hear her out.

“Since you are all so quick to spread the goings on, spread the word that it’s time to let us alone.” She smiled. “I’m ready to live.”



He was no good at sneaking around. He never had been. That’s why he tried to live a life he was comfortable living out in the open. It had never bothered him to bring a different woman to Hope House for Sunday Brunch every week. It never worried him who he was seen with at lunch. And he definitely never cared who came and left at all hours of the night.

While he might seem completely unprincipled to some, he had his ideals. No woman ever slept over. He never saw a woman two nights in a row. He made sure she achieved orgasm before he did. Was there more to consider? No woman was ever given the mistaken impression that what was between them was anything other than what it was. There were two types of girls. There were girls you slept with. Those were his favorite. And there were girls you married. Those he gave a wide berth.

Now there was Marti. She was the marrying kind. Everyone knew it. And he was not the kind to get married. Not after Finn. Before Finn, he had never given marriage much consideration. He had seen what marriage did to his father and that had convinced him he was not the marrying kind. When he met Finn and they started dating, all he could think about was marrying her, keeping her forever. Only, she wasn’t the kind of girl who wanted to be kept. There wasn’t enough drama and excitement in that. While they were together, he had never felt more alive. Then when it ended…when he ended it…he wanted to die.

It seemed like the best option at the time. He couldn’t imagine how he was going to dig himself out of that debt. He couldn’t figure out where he would go. He didn’t know how to make a life. Never much one inclined to pray or believe in prayer, it wasn’t until his hour of need that he found himself crying out for a miracle. He has been carrying the guilt of that ever since. It has weighed heavy on him. Hours after he uttered those words, his father died. It was an aneurism. It was sudden, unexpected, and by all accounts…painless. He suddenly had some place to go, some extra money to get out of debt, and a way to make his life. And so he had decided…that was enough. He didn’t deserve more. He didn’t want more. Then he met Marti and he did. He wanted a real life. It was time to live.

And that scared the hell out of him. He was standing there, claiming that he wanted a fresh start, thick into his second chance, making the best of his miracle. Then, out of nowhere, she appeared and changed everything. His eye lids were heavy. He had been staring at his dark bedroom ceiling for hours. He had been too wired to sleep, too worried to rest, and too rundown to run away again. Marti was different. Maybe it was time for something different.



It was just after 6pm when Marti arrived at her house. Though she parked at her own home, she exited the vehicle and prepared to walk across the street to meet up with Joe when he called to her from the front porch. She about skipped all the way to the steps…the newly constructed steps. Though the railing still wasn’t completely installed yet, there was enough done for her to get a feel for what the finished porch would look like.

“This is amazing!” She said and then beamed. “I love it. Let me just take a look around.” She passed him and entered the front door of her home for the first time since she had fallen through the porch nearly a week ago. It was nice to feel firm boards beneath her feet.

The kitchen was shaping up nicely. She loved the new cabinets that had been installed. There were still a few custom ones that were on order, but in a pinch, she could probably make a meal there. She glanced behind her. And soon enough she would even have a place to serve it. She smiled while turning to speak with Joey. “Nice job. Now…what movie would you like to see?”

Walking closer to her, he put his arms around her and said seriously, “I just want you to know that I will do everything in my power to make sure that you can move into your dream house as soon as you get back from Vermont. I can’t promise that everything will be done. That can take another month. I can, however, promise that the house will be livable. You will have a safe and sturdy front porch, a working kitchen, a functional bathroom, and a place to lay your head. I don’t want you to worry.”

She cocked her head to the side. “I wasn’t worried. That thought never occurred to me. I have faith in you, Joey. You make things happen, good things, like this house and my new life.” She walked into his arms. “Or is this how you handle all the single ladies? You remodel their house for materials and labor, and then you remodel them for free?”

It was obvious to anyone that she was trying to be funny, that she merely wanted to be playful, but to Joe it felt like another dig at how he spent his free time. He started to back away, to back out of her embrace, but she wasn’t having it. She held on…for dear life.

Then she looked up at him with those melted chocolate eyes of hers and spoke. “I need you to know how much I appreciate this, all of this. The house is simply amazing, but the way you make me feel…” She seemed to be at a loss for words. “I know I joke, but I do that when things feel too serious for me to handle. Be patient with me Joe. In some ways when we met, I was just as broken as this house. Just as surely as you and the crew are fixing this place, you are rebuilding me, too.”

Staring down into those eyes, he knew there was no way he’d be able to walk away from her. This wasn’t going to be easy with the town against them, but she needed him. He was the best man for the remodel…both of them. He watched as the look on her face turned from serious to playful.

“Have I buttered you up enough?” She asked, giving him a naughty smile.

It stirred hope. And aroused something in his pants. Her earlier words had already excited his heart. “What did you have in mind?” He asked, feeling pretty playful himself.

“Well, I wanted to see that new chick flick…the Nicholas Sparks one…” Her face transformed once again. There was this appealing innocence about her.

“So then I guess we’re going to go see that Nicholas Sparks movie.”



They drove his truck. And when she questioned why they would do that instead of taking her vehicle, he said that he didn’t want her running up any more miles on her vehicle than was necessary. He proceeded to share a long lecture on vehicle maintenance and the importance of low mileage. He might have continued, but he had looked at her face and could tell her eyes were glazed over.

“Marti? Are you listening?” He gently prodded.

She shook her head. “Nope.”

“Why not?” He was surprised. Anyone else would have claimed to have been paying attention. Not her. And she seemed proud of it.

“Dead horse,” she said simply.

“You saw a dead horse?” He glanced around wondering where she would have seen one on the interstate.

“Nope,” she said. “You are beating a dead horse. I can only listen for so long.”

Part of him wanted to laugh, the other part was frustrated that she was ignoring his pearls of automotive maintenance wisdom. “I just thought with this being a new vehicle that you might have some questions about the maintenance schedule. I didn’t mean to bore you.” His hands had a white knuckle grip on the wheel as he tried to control his temper.

She stared up at him in surprise. “You’re joking right? I mean about the scheduled maintenance?”

“No, why would I joke about that? Every vehicle sold has a book outlining what needs to be done and when.” He was getting frustrated.

“Huh. There’s a book?” Suddenly she seemed interested.

“I’d call it more of a booklet. It comes standard in all vehicles.” He watched her. She was tapping her chin with one finger. It was pretty cute.

“Standard in all vehicles you say? And where might this magical booklet be found?” She glanced about, pulled down the visor, was about to open the console, when he stopped her.

“If you are looking for the booklet…glove box.” He sighed and pointed. He smirked as she turned her head and anticipating her next question, he responded. “And yes, a glove box is where it is kept in all vehicles which works nicely since glove boxes are standard in every vehicle.” He shook his head. She had done it again. She had raised his ire and then put out the fire. Damn, he could really like this woman.

They were still riding in companionable silence when they arrived at the theater. And the only thing that had changed was that now they were holding hands. They let go to exit the truck, and then he met her around on her side again to walk into the theater. He backed away from her extended hand. “Oh, I should warn you. I don’t do PDAs.” And with that, he drew closer, but planned to simply walk beside her.

She shrugged and looped an arm through his. Marti was humming and happy as the walked up to the ticket booth. They were about to see their first movie.

Glancing conspicuously at her arm looped through his he said, “I thought I just mentioned that I don’t do PDAs.” He waited for her remove her arm, but it didn’t happen.

“Oh, well I do.” She gave him a defiant look that showed she was prepared to argue. “Listen I spent years in a marriage where just about every aspect of my life was dictated by the other person. I won’t do that again. This is my compromise.” And she jutted out her chin and dared him to argue with the soundness of her reasoning.

As much as it pained him, he loved her spirit. This woman was going to rock his world. Maybe that was for the best. He didn’t move to New Hope for his life to stay the same. He wanted a change. He wanted life to be different. And this was definitely different. She was nothing like anyone he had ever known. And he meant that in the best possible ways.

The movie was good, another fine example of the typical bittersweet love story that was the hallmark of all Nicholas Sparks novels. During the movie, she had looped her arm through his once more and snuggled against his shoulder. And although it took him a moment to get used to it, he had warmed to her closeness by the time the movie ended. In fact, he was feeling downright mushy. He was thinking that if he convinced her to come into the house for a bit, he might just get her to stay.

As they walked toward the truck in the nearly empty parking lot, he noticed a group of guys near his truck. His guard was raised instantly. “Wait here,” he said sternly. “Do not come closer until I tell you it’s okay.” He peeled her off his arm and looked her in the eyes. What he saw there surprised him. Instead of seeing fear in her eyes, he saw determination. “Is that your game face?” He asked.

Nodding, Marti said, “Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.”

He sighed. “Just stay here. I won’t be able to concentrate if I have to worry about you getting hurt.”

He walked over to the vehicle. The guys finally noticed him and froze. They were in the process of breaking into his truck. And now he was in the uncomfortable position of interrupting them. When he glanced at the tool box on the driver side, Joe discovered that it had been opened. Luckily, that was the side with the nails and caulk and screws. All of the hand power tools were stored on the other side.

“What are you doing?” He asked. His voice was stern, serious. Many times guys like these would simply run away. Other times, the guys would buck, try to fight their way out of the situation. Now it was just going to take a moment for him to figure out which case this was. He had Marti to worry about. He crossed his arms over his chest and planted himself as a barrier in between them and her.

“Get out of here,” one of the guys said menacingly.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he said calmly.

One of the larger guys stepped forward. “And why is that?” He sneered.

“Well, for starters, it’s my truck.” And he stepped forward, too.

Apparently he was dealing with the fighters. Great. And he was only outnumbered by three to one. He stepped forward one more time. It was on. The biggest guy lunged at him, but Joey was ready. He went low and hefted the guy up and slammed him on his back on the grassy median. In seconds, he had straddled him and was punching him in the face. The guy’s friends reacted immediately. Instead of trying to pull Joey off, one guy started kicking him and another jumped on his back.

That was all Marti needed to see. Without thinking, without considering what Joey had told her to do, she rushed into the fray. She grabbed the shoulders of the guy who was kicking Joey and yanked him back and away. He reacted by pulling his fist back and preparing to hit until he realized it was a woman who had pulled him away. “Fair fight!” She yelled. “Stay out of it.”

Then she went to the guy who was on Joey’s back and pushed him off. He reared back to hit but she just stood her ground, convinced no one would hit her because of her gender. Last time she was right. This time…she was wrong. She took a hard fist to the jaw before he realized the error of his ways. Joey had reared up to get the guy off his back just as Marti pushed him off. And then the fist connected with her face. It happened so suddenly.

She stood there as her head whipped around. She didn’t have time to block or react. She was too proud to cry or fall. She stood there with her face burning. The inside of her cheek felt like ground beef, the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, and Joey was instantly enraged. He had grabbed the guy who hit her and threw him to the ground. Something about the look in his eyes told her he was in a blind rage, completely unaware of what he was doing. Two of the three thieves were bleeding. It might have been all three, but the one guy came to his senses and ran away.

Finally he stopped hitting. He stood and moved away from the guys rolling around moaning. And he walked over to Marti with his hands outstretched, palms cupped. She knew he wanted to examine her face.

“Dammit,” he grumbled. “I told you to stay out of it. Why can’t you ever listen to me? Now you’re hurt!” He felt her cheek bone, her jaw. “I don’t think anything is broken. We’ll see how you look in the morning before we decide whether or not to go to the hospital.” He sighed and drew her close to his chest. “Okay, let’s get you home. We’ll ice your face.”

He walked her around to the passenger side of the truck, opened the door for her and helped her hop in. Once he was convinced she was okay, he went around and hopped in the driver’s side.

Her neck hurt, not as badly as her cheek, but still…it really hurt. She could see Joey eyeing her. He had this horrible look on his face every time he did. He was upset she was injured. He was angry he hadn’t prevented it. And she thought he might just be a little upset with her, too.

“It wasn’t a fair fight,” she explained quietly. “You were outnumbered and they were hurting you. I was only trying to help.” Though she hadn’t cried in front of the other guys, she had no qualms about letting go in front of Joey. He made it safe for her to be real. Huge, hot tears rolled down her face and dripped onto her shirt.

“Baby,” he murmured as he tried to gently wipe away all evidence of her sorrow. “You did this for me? You silly woman, I can handle myself in a fight. I could have taken one maybe two more even.”

In an effort to make her feel better, he had actually managed to make her feel worse. “Oh.” That was all she could think to say. It’s not as though there was anything more to be said. So she stared out the window until they made it to his house.

Joe spoke first. “Let’s get you inside.”

“I thought I was going home,” she argued as she moped over to his side.

He grabbed her hand and led her into the house. They were so quiet for the first time ever. And this time, it was as uncomfortable as those other visits had been relaxing. Finally, as soon as he managed to get her in the kitchen, he sat her on the couch with a bag of frozen peas. “I can’t believe you took a punch like that and didn’t fall down. You are a champ.” He smiled at her. “Have you been hit before?” She shook her head. His face turned serious. “Never again.” He pulled the peas back so he could glance at her face. And when he was finally content with what he saw, he walked her to the bedroom.

It was evident that she was too tired to protest. He laid her down on the bed, climbed on to join her, wrapped himself around her and they both fell ever so soundly asleep.

When Marti woke up, her cell phone revealed that it was 4:30am. She felt rested. Her cheek hurt. And Joey was still all around her, but now she was hot. She felt like she shouldn’t be here. Yet she didn’t know where she wanted to be. She realized she had three missed text messages waiting for her. Once she opened them, she discovered they were all from Blaine. That settled it. She would just get up and start her day.

Joey’s arm was across her stomach with his hand tucked under her side. She gradually lifted it, so as not to disturb him, and slid out from under. Soon she was completely free. Instead of feeling liberated, she felt alone once more. Grabbing her purse off the nightstand, she headed out of the room, down the hall, and out the front door. She looked around before crossing the road as a precautionary measure then she unlocked the Escape, hopped in and drove back to Hope House.

At least she had the happy memory of being in Joey’s arms to take the sting out of having to deal with Blaine first thing in the morning. Though she had planned to talk to him after the late great hour of eight o’clock, it wasn’t to be. Her phone began to ring insistently and it wasn’t even five in the morning yet.

“What?” She was frustrated as a matter of principle.

“I thought you were going to come and pick up what you wanted from the house,” he began. “And now Suzette is urging me to sell the place. And you aren’t helping. And I have had just about enough.”

It was a good thing she had just pulled into the parking lot because she would have slammed on the brakes after hearing what he had to say. “Really? You have had enough? You are bothering me because the home wrecker doesn’t think I’m arranging my life fast enough to suit her purpose?” She stepped out of the vehicle and slammed the door angrily. “You tell that bitch that I will get there when I can f*cking arrange it! And if I’m not moving at a speed she’s comfortable with, she can chill the hell out or eat shit and die. I’m not particular about which choice she makes, either!” She disconnected the call as she stomped across the gravel drive to the porch and was surprised to discover that Keely was awake, showered, dressed, and sitting there drinking her coffee.

Marti shook her head in dismay. “Great. Just great.” She collapsed in a nearby chair. “I guess you heard that.” She sighed. “I’m sorry for my colorful choice of adjectives.”

“Don’t be. I’m proud of you,” Keely said as she reached over to pat Marti’s leg. “It sounds like you are finally standing up for yourself. It’s about time.”

Marti could see that Keely was studying her face. “Oh, that,” she remarked. “After dealing with Blaine I had nearly forgotten that.”

“I know I promised that I wouldn’t interfere. All I’m going to say is that if this is your idea of living, you need to slow down. It looks like it could hurt you.” She raised her hands.

“It’s a long story and while Joe is a part of it, he didn’t inflict the damage,” she said pointing to her face. “I think I need to go crawl back into bed for a while longer and see if my second start to the day isn’t better.”

She stood up from the chair, walked over to Keely to give her a warm hug, and then headed into the house and up to her room. She had just finished undressing and climbed into bed when her phone rang again. This time, it was Joey. And though she toyed with the idea of answering it, she just couldn’t handle one more pre-dawn conversation. She’d call him back when she woke, or even later as soon as she was good and ready.



When she woke up a few short hours later, she still couldn’t catch a break for a better morning. Instead there was a long voicemail from Blaine and a text message, both of which explained that the lawyer was involved and that she had 48 hours to remove her property from the home. After that, it was no longer her property. If she had let out a string of curse words out in the parking lot, it was nothing compared to the creative crafting she had just completed after listening and reading.

She showered and dressed while deciding her next move. Apparently she had to break down and go to Vermont sooner or forfeit all of her belongings. She considered both sides. It would be nice to make a totally fresh start, to be rid of any and all baggage from that past relationship, but that cost money. And her assets were frozen. That rat bastard. She really had no choice but to go. And a last minute ticket to Vermont in the middle of prime ski season would not be cheap. While she had never been one to get caught up in money, there was something to be said for being able to consider what was most convenient and not what was most affordable. Right now, the difference was flying and driving. She would have to leave bright and early in the morning or even in the middle of the night again. She wondered how long it would take to load everything. Her original movers would no longer be a possibility. She would have to start considering other options.

It was an all day affair that kept her from returning Joey’s phone calls…and texts. Finally around 7pm, once she had everything set, she drove over to his house. True to his word, the lights were on. She walked to the front door and knocked. He came to the sidelight, saw that it was her, and opened it with a frown.

“I know I didn’t return your calls or answer your texts,” she began apologetically. “I had to change my plans for going to Vermont. He started calling and texting at 4:30 this morning.”

“Is that when you left me?” He asked. His voice was unmistakably sad.

“Yeah. I was upset and I didn’t want to wake you. And his lawyers gave me 48 hours to move everything out. So, I’ve been trying to work that out all day.” She sighed. “I hope you understand. That’s why I wanted to talk to you in person.”

He wrapped a protective arm around her. “So, when are you leaving now?”

“I have to leave in the morning. I have to drive. I have a POD being delivered. I still don’t know how I’m going to do this…”

“Who’s helping you load?” He asked.

“Oh, you know…me. And then there will be…me…” She laughed, but knew it was hollow even before it escaped her mouth.

“Well, I can fix that.” He made some phone calls. And while he worked on that, she wandered around the house. She looked at this place that he clearly hadn’t worked on at all to personalize. He loved color, warm color. She knew that from the choices she had made on her home. This style…well, there was no style. It was like he didn’t care.

In the living room once more, he turned to face her. “I have three big strong guys who are going with you. They will be here at 7am. You will all take four hour shifts behind the wheel so everyone gets a chance to rest. This will be a super quick trip. You are going to have to pack and load, pretty much through the night in order to make this deadline and then be able to drive back. Think you can make this work?”

“With that much help? Shoot, I could be back before you even know I’m gone.” She smiled. “Thank you for that.”

“Anything for you.” He stared into her eyes. “I mean it.”

She shivered. “Yes, I know. Well, I gotta go get ready, I guess.” She turned and headed out the door. She didn’t know what to say. She stood outside for a moment and stared up at the night sky. There was not a single star to be seen . She could tell even without sunlight that the clouds were dark and menacing. She pulled her fleece up around her neck and walked across the road. Just as she was about to open her vehicle door, he stopped her.

“What is your problem?” He looked utterly annoyed. “I do everything for you.”

“I said ‘thank you.’ What do you want me to say?” She was confused. “You want undying gratitude? You may get that, but not tonight, not right now.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

“I don’t know what to do here. I don’t know what this is. And I don’t like the way it feels not knowing.” He gestured wildly in frustration while he spoke. He ran his fingers through his hair. “All I know for sure is that I went to bed holding you last night, and then I woke up this morning alone in a dark room. I hated it. I didn’t like the way it felt one bit. Oh, and I hate that, too!”

She was stunned by his admission. He missed her. He liked having her close. And he was all unbalanced because he didn’t know where he stood. “What? You want me to define this? We’re friends. We’re friends and more. I don’t know how I feel yet.”

There was thunder rumbling in the distance. She looked at him. She knew nothing of southern storms. This would be her first. He stood silently. He was more interested in what she was going to say next.

“Okay, I guess that isn’t entirely true,” she admitted. She watched as his face took on a smug look. “I feel like I’ve had the rug ripped out from under me.” She glared at him.

“I feel pressure. And I’m mad as hell because this is my first chance to be free, to be finally independent.”

“How can you claim to be independent and need me as much as you do?” He crossed his arms and stared at her as though he had made some statement that should have sparked an epiphany for her.

“What are you talking about? I’ve been doing fine on my own.” She glared at him and waited for him to back his claims up.

“I had to pull you out of your porch. You fell through. If I hadn’t been there who knows what would have happened to you!”

“That doesn’t count. That could have happened to anyone!” She could just throttle him for bringing up that incident.

“Well, what about the bathroom. By the time I stopped you from demo-ing the tile, you were already a bloody mess.” He leaned towards her while he spoke for emphasis.

“I think we should leave the demo out of this. What about you? Without me, you would have ended up in the hospital last night!” She could see that was a sore subject by the way he straightened.

In the background, lightening flashed. A few seconds later there was more thunder, followed by even brighter flashes of lightening. She paused to watch and worry before starting again. Then she mumbled under her breath, “I don’t know why you want to define this when you can’t even stand to be seen with me in public.” She turned to open her door once more. “It’s like Blaine all over again.”

He stopped her. “What are you talking about? I’m not afraid to be seen with you.” He walked closer, determined to take her in his arms. “How can you even think that?”

“Ha! Simple.” She shook her head. “So far you’ve thrown yourself out of a gazebo and into the bushes to avoid being seen with me.”

He laughed. “Is that what you think?”

“Well, what else is there?” She shook her head. “I like you. You feel like home. You and me…we seem to fit in so many important ways. Only…I can never settle again. And if you are just going to be a rebound, I’d rather wait because you are the kind of guy I’d like to try for so much more with, but not the way things are, the way that they should be.”

“What are you talking about?” He closed the gap between them and pulled her into his arms just as the rain started to come down. He started to lead her to the porch, but she made him wait.

“I don’t want you bossing me around all the time. I don’t want you changing me. I like me. I’m comfortable with me. And if change anything, it’s going to be on my terms.”

“Is this about the makeover?” She nodded. “Babe, I thought girls loved days of beauty. I thought it was good for the soul. I wasn’t trying to change you.”

“Not even just a little?” She raised her eyebrow at him and pushed her already wet hair back from her face.

He thought for a moment, then sighed. “Maybe a little, but for all the right reasons.”

“I don’t know anything about love, but I thought that the basis of a relationship was finding someone and accepting them for who they are. Instead, you are trying to remodel the house and me.” She looked down and water started to run into her eyes, so she threw her head back again.

“Can we go talk on the porch or inside?” She just looked at him. “Please.”

“Fine.” There was a nearly simultaneous clap of thunder and a lightening strike all at once. She scrambled a little faster. The storm seemed more powerful than any she could recall back home.

“Is it always like this?” She asked as he passed her a few bags from the car when he met her on the porch.

“Yes, whenever I see you, whenever I’m with you, it’s always like this. I’m always tied up in knots. I’m always bossy and protective. I’m always looking out for your best interests. That’s the basis of a good relationship. I think in a good relationship you begin by liking the person for whom they are, but if you are going to last, you have to evolve, you have to expect change. And you work to make each other better.”

She was staring up into those blue eyes, like the Caribbean waters on a clear day. The house shook with the power of the next resounding thunder clap. She shook, too. This was too much. All of it was too much.

He wrapped his arms around her. “And you can’t say that you haven’t done it, too. I saw you looking around, imagining remodeling me and my father’s house.”

She hung her head some at the truth of his statement. “I know. You’re right.”

“Of course, I’m right.” He leaned in to kiss her. It wasn’t a simple grazing of the lips. It wasn’t a sweet peck. This was passion to the nth degree. This was lip crushing madness. This was tongues thrusting. This was what she had read about but never experienced. And when he finally released her, she discovered her knees had the consistency of jelly and were equally sturdy. He was prepared for that though, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her into the house while she clung to the bags he had passed her.

“Strip,” he urged. “Time to get out of these wet clothes.” He brought her into the bathroom where she discovered that progress meant that a shower rod had already been installed. And that was where he intended for them to place their clothes. They stood there, naked, in the dark. While the house had electricity, it didn’t have light fixtures yet. The room would be intermittently lit by the lightening flashes.

She shivered and he pulled her close. “Come on,” he urged, as he opened her bags from the back of the Escape. He had seen the towels in there when they transferred everything from the Vue to the Escape at the dealership. And since she had nowhere to keep them for the time being, it worked out rather well. They could dry off.

She cocked her head to the side as he towel dried her. “Did you plan this?” She asked as he worked on her hair.

“How could I plan this?” He paused and looked about. “And I might as well warn you now that there’s a blanket in the closet that I brought over on the off chance we ever decided to have a picnic here during the construction.” He shook his head at his motives being called into question.

That response made her feel better. She didn’t object in the least when he went to the closet, spread out the blanket and walked her onto it. He started kissing her, while laying her back on it, his hand cradling her head in the process. There was something in her that just didn’t want to hold back any more. She had been so uptight for so long. Blaine had created that Martha. Yes, she was that way by his design, but now with Joey, she could be different. She just had to surrender. In her mind, the Dido song started playing.

Now his look changed again. He was calmer, completely at ease. He lay with her, covering her nakedness with his. And the effect was so exciting. His touch was electric. He ran a hand down the side of her face, found her lips and cupped her head, drew her closer. Then he shivered held her tight and asked a question she could tell had been plaguing him for some time. “What are we doing?”

Smiling, Marti pulled his lips to hers, she stared into his eyes for a moment. She wanted to remember every second of this, every bit of this time between them. Pressing her lips to his, she murmured, “We’re finally starting to live. Let’s make a memory.”

Apparently that was all the encouragement he needed. Soon Joey had taken the lead once more. He was caressing her, holding her close, warming her rain chilled body. Together they made more than adequate heat. And outside the window, the storm raged on. They paid little attention, instead concentrating on one another.

In the back of Marti’s mind, she couldn’t imagine anything more perfect. No one would venture out in this weather. No one would bother them. There would be no crazy Miss Gracie to hose them down, no Keely or Laurel showing up with disapproving glances. All they needed to concentrate on was each other.

At first, relaxing, just simply being, surrendering to all the feelings was so frightening for her that she didn’t think she could do it. She had only been with Blaine her entire life and although the romance novels she read suggested that this experience was supposed to be so much more intense, so much more passionate, so incredibly moving…they had barely moved the mattress. Now there was this…Joey with his hands touching her and setting little blazes wherever her stroked or licked, nibbled or sucked. She might have admired the way he worked with his hands on the job, his confidence running the project…while bedding her…everything…more so. He knew just where to touch and how much pressure to apply when squeezing and caressing. He knew how to start that raging inferno inside.

Though she had little experience in this area, she followed his lead. She touched him the way she wanted to. She explored his bare chest with sparse hair. She ran her fingers down, down his ribs, over his abdomen until she could trace his happy trail. Obviously he believed in manscaping. His ginger pubic hair was virtually gone. She rubbed his furry muscular thighs, gripped his smooth pale buttocks, and while she explored, she was aware for the first time how much she wanted this man.

She wanted him in every position that she had ever read about and more. She wanted to try everything with him, like toys and lotions and lingerie. She wanted years and years of being as close as two people could be. They were on their sides all intertwined, and she pushed him onto his back. He seemed a bit surprised, but was completely willing to roll with it. And that’s when she climbed on top. She had to. The urge to lick and suck and taste him was so great. She was throbbing. There was a good deal of discomfort as her body longed for him to be deep inside her.

Now that she had the dominant position, she could see to it that it happened, when she was ready, on her terms. She took him in her mouth and felt him jerk in shock and then pleasure. She heard him gasp as he arched his back. She looked at him to see if his eyes were open or closed. The near dark was making her braver than she normally was. The man lying beneath her made her comfortable and secure, more fearless than she had ever been during sex before. She licked off the liquid beads at the end of his penis and then smiled as she crawled up him, letting her body graze his as she moved.

His eyes were wide open now, watching her as she drew closer to his face, as she straddled his pelvis, as she reached between her legs and took him in her hands. She smiled, realizing he was holding his breath in anticipation. Emboldened as she was, she wasn’t going to make it easy on him. Instead, she rubbed the head back and forth inside her velvety wet folds. When she met his eyes again, he was smiling. Fascinated, she tried new approaches, letting him sink slowly into her, then pulling back before he was completely buried inside her. It was agony, she could see from his face. Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide, grabbed her hips, and pushed as far as he could, then he rolled her over onto her back.

“Your turn,” he whispered into her ear, his breath warm and making her tingly.

Because she was afraid that her eyes would reveal too much, she closed them, she turned her head, and she faced away from him. That’s when he stopped thrusting, stop gliding in and out of her. Her body was so tight around him. Every sense so heightened, so aware of everything he did, everywhere he touched, that it overwhelmed her. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her up until she was sitting, impaled on him.

“Baby,” he murmured against her neck as he kissed and sucked and nibbled his way to her ear. “You have to tell me if I’m hurting you. Okay?”

She nodded and held his face against her throat. She couldn’t get enough of him, not of his warmth, his touch, his scent. She was downright greedy for him. Every move was sweet torment.

“Open your eyes,” he commanded gently.

She shook her head, ashamed of how intense her emotions were at the moment. She had never felt so connected to anyone before. It wasn’t until he started to withdraw, to ease out of her that her eyes flew open. “No,” she whimpered. “In. In.”

He smiled. “Okay, in. Just smile for me.”

And so she did. She smiled and smiled. She smiled as a completely unfamiliar pressure built. She smiled through her first orgasm, an experience so intense that she cried out as her muscles rolled and contracted around him. With two thrusts more, he joined her, burying himself deep as he spilled into her. Instead of crying out like she had done, or growling as he did in the past, he clutched her as close as their bodies would allow and all he could say was, “Mine.”

They stayed connected for just a moment before he pulled out and rolled her to her side so they could spoon. Her wrapped them in the blanket, used a couple of the remaining towels as pillows, and urged her to rest.

“I guess I could close my eyes for a couple of minutes,” she said, in a weak voice.

“You are going to need it, love. I haven’t had nearly enough of you yet.” He laid his head on hers. The storm outside still raged, although they were practically oblivious to it, wrapped in their warm happiness bubble.



They might have stayed there, too, had it not been for the sirens that soon permeated the air. Joey was the first one to stand up and peek out the front window. What he saw shocked him. “Dammit! My house is on fire!” He rushed to the bathroom to yank on his wet jeans and damp t-shirt. He pulled on his still soaked socks and Lugz. Then he raced out the front door.

It didn’t take long for Marti to be behind him, but she soon realized that may have been a mistake. When she made it out the front door, she saw that there were more people gathered together than she had seen to date anywhere in the town. And every single one of them had just seen Joey and Marti rushing out of her house looking incredibly disheveled. This was the biggest walk of shame ever. Strangers, neighbors, firemen, and police…they were all there. Even Laurel and Keely were walking up with big coffee urns. There was a tall, thin, balding man walking behind Keely carrying bags of supplies.

“Mind if we set up on your porch?” Keely called. “We need some place covered.”

“Come on up!” She shouted.

The rain was still pouring down. The damage to the house was considerable. Marti watched from the porch, helping her friends pass out coffee, and giving away Laurel’s day old baked goods. It was nice to see that this town was everything she had imagined it to be, a place where they truly loved one another and rallied around their neighbors. She watched as Joey raked his hands through his hair again and again. He was angry, frustrated, judging by his actions. Her heart hurt for him.

Looking at Keely, Marti asked the question that had been plaguing her, “What took them so long to respond? It looks like this was burning for quite some time.”

Shaking her head, she replied, “Miss Gracie has worn them out. She calls all the time. I believe twice even in the past week. It was a case of her crying wolf one too many times. I know the place is insured. That isn’t the problem, but poor Joe doesn’t have a lot of disposable income.”

Marti could feel all the eyes on her. And in her mind, she knew it was her fault. She was the reason that Miss Gracie had been calling the fire department so much lately. And if Joey hadn’t been with her, then he would have been home and called. Her eyes studied the boards as she pondered what to do, how she could help, if there was any way she could right this awful wrong.

Ironic. That’s what this was. He had stood in the front window more days than he could count and wished that Marti’s house would disappear, be leveled, anything so that he didn’t have to look at it and remember the big dreams he had for it and his relationship with Finn. Now it was his house that was almost completely destroyed. What wasn’t damaged in the fire was destroyed in the process of putting it out. Water damage. Smoke damage. Fire damage. It was the magical trifecta. He had it all. Now he found himself rubbing his chest again as he considered it. Maybe this wasn’t ironic. Maybe this was karma. He had spent all that time wishing ill and now it had come back to haunt him. What was the universe trying to tell him? He believed in signs, and this one was a complete mystery.

“Hey, Joe!” The fire chief, Danny called to him. “You are lucky you weren’t here. You probably wouldn’t have made it out alive between the lightening and the gas…whew! Count your blessings.” As he spoke, Joey had sought out Marti in the crowd. He smiled when he found her on her porch with Laurel and Keely, passing out drinks, lifting spirits, feeding souls. The fire chief noticed. “I haven’t met her yet. She’s cute. I should go introduce myself.” He started to turn, and though Joey realized he was probably just being tested, he couldn’t help himself.

“She’s off limits. She’s completely taken…by me. Back off.” He had crossed his arms over his chest and straightened some at the idea that someone else might want to chase after the woman he had just shared such a passionate experience with. Danny just smirked at him. “I mean it,” he said as he walked away, directly to Marti.

He wasn’t thinking. All he knew was that he longed to find comfort in her arms. He had lost what little he had. And his spirit sure could use her special brand of nourishment. He pushed through the crowd until he reached her. She passed a fireman a cup of coffee and was giving one to the policeman to her right who was eyeing her with more interest than Joey was comfortable with. As soon as that mug had left her hands, he whirled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair.

“What was that for?” She asked as she slowly extricated herself from his grasp so she could see his face.

“You saved me,” he said simply. “If I had been there, I would have more than likely died from the lightening igniting the gas explosion.” He hauled her back against him. “And I’d like to point out to you that now we have one more thing in common.”

She giggled. “Oh really? And what is that?”

“Now we both own homes we can’t live in.” He shrugged. He had been through worse. At least this wasn’t so bad, knowing that he had someone like Marti to depend on in this situation. Without asking, he knew that about her. He just knew her.

“You can come stay with me at Hope House. I will be leaving bright and early for Vermont with your crew. You can have my room while I’m gone. You can stay as long as you need to or until one of us has a house to live in. How about that?” She hugged him back.

Setting his chin on top of her head, he responded, “I’d like that very much.”