I wasn’t worried—not one bit. These people made me feel safe, secure—and almost loved. A little voice in the back of my head said I should worry about putting on pounds here, but I had no idea where that was coming from.

  Soon, we’d finished moving all the food from the fridge that would perish quickly. Then Charise said, “All is not lost, though. We’ve got propane, so coffee and breakfast will be served soon.”

  Alex said, “Should we go ahead and make all the eggs?”

  “I think so, just to be safe.”

  It wasn’t long before Charise had both eggs and bacon frying, along with boiling water. She had me take over working the French press so we could all have a cup of coffee when the food was done cooking. I loved how they were completely relaxed and making it all work, but I sensed that the old me might have felt a little stressed out about all this.

  Maybe, I wondered, that was the difference between city and country folk?

  “Bryan, would you mind helping me haul in more wood before breakfast?”

  “I’d be happy to, Mr. B.”

  After they stepped outdoors, Charise said, “Poor Alex.” In response, I simply turned my head while continuing to make the coffee. “We’re used to city life, so it’s been an adjustment. We had to deal with this kind of thing in January—so we bought the generator, but I know he was hoping to not have to worry about this now that it’s spring. But we prepped the chest freezer and I stocked our pantry full of foods just for this sort of event, so we won’t suffer. It’s a little tougher, but it’ll be fine.” When I nodded, she said, “So don’t worry, okay?”

  While I understood that I didn’t like what was happening, I figured these folks—or Charise, apparently—had it under control. “You know what? I actually haven’t felt worried, not one bit, not this whole time. I don’t know if it’s you and Alex or if maybe I’m not that kind of person, but I’m not worried, not even a little.”

  “That’s so sweet of you to say—and I’m glad. I just try to put my trust in the Lord and believe that everything’s going to work out all right.”

  It wasn’t long before the men had piled enough wood in the box beside the fireplace that it was practically overflowing. After they hung up their coats and made their way back to the kitchen, Alex said, “It’s way past raining cats and dogs out there. I’m pretty sure I saw some hippos and elephants coming down, too.”

  Charise let out a soft chuckle and said, “All right, everyone. Have a seat. We want to eat this while it’s good and hot, and then we’ve got some work to do.”

  “Let the honey-dos begin.”

  After we all had our plates full and began eating, Charise said, “I just want us to be prepared before nightfall. These candles and the open curtains help a little, but we’re going to need a lot more light come evening. I’ll have you men get the kerosene lamps out of the utility room.”

  “Where did you put them?”

  “Up on the top shelf. Bryan is tall enough that he should be able to reach them without a ladder. And Violet and I can get all my candles out of the linen closet. We might want to fetch extra blankets, too, because the only real heat we’ll have is right by the fireplace.”

  “It’s not freezing out.”

  “No, but it’s not exactly toasty, either. I’m just trying to think of all the things we might need before we need them.”

  Alex finished chewing his bacon. “You should be able to wash the dishes.”

  “I can’t tell you how grateful I am for that, honey.” At first, I thought Charise was being sarcastic, but she spoke directly to me as if to clear up my misunderstanding. “When we lived in Colorado Springs, every single thing was electric, so if the power went out, we couldn’t do anything except maybe flush the toilet. Having the stove and hot water heater on propane here has been a godsend. Maybe next year we should get a more powerful generator so we can keep everything going when we have an outage.”

  Bryan said, “We’re thinking of putting in solar at our house so we don’t have to rely on the power company. I don’t know if you folks had considered that.”

  Alex said, “A fat lot of good that would do right now. I haven’t seen the sun in days.”

  “That’s a common misconception. The sun doesn’t have to be out for it to work, so long as you normally get lots of it. The energy is stored so you don’t have to—”

  “I was just ribbing you, son.”

  Bryan said, “Oh,” a sheepish look on his face as he brought his coffee mug to his lips. It had been an honest mistake. Meanwhile, Alex was being a regular comedian today, maybe because he was letting his guard down around us, but his humor was dry, so it was easy to miss it sometimes.

  Still, I appreciated it. Bryan seemed to as well.

  “I’m more concerned about the roads.”

  “Agreed.” Bryan pushed the last bit of eggs onto his fork with a piece of bacon. “That’s part of why I have that big truck. If there are places where the road is washed out, I’ll probably still be able to make it—but we won’t know till it’s over.”

  “How quick is the county with road repair?”

  “I think it depends on who the commissioners are.” Bryan’s comment made Charise and Alex laugh—but I had no context to base it on, so I felt a little like the odd man out. After a few seconds, Bryan said, “Even without power, this is a great breakfast, Charise.”

  “Thank you, Bryan.”

  All the talk of the roads, compounded by the incessant sound of rain hitting the roof, returned me to thinking about the flood in the Bible. I somehow knew that I’d read that story as a child, and I tried to remember how long the rain came down while Noah and those animals were trapped in the ark. Because it had only been raining for over one day and already we were worried about the effects.

  Still, I felt safe and cared for—which seemed like a different emotion for me. How could I know really, though?

  After breakfast, Charise and I did the dishes by hand while the men found the kerosene lamps. I’d never seen one used before, so I was curious and checked them out. “They’re kind of messy, but they come in handy,” Charise said. “If I had my choice, we would just use candles.” After we placed both lamps and candles in key places, along with little boxes of matches, we fetched extra blankets while the men brought extra wood up on the porch.

  Once we’d done everything we possibly could, we sat down in the kitchen, now with extra light flickering on the table so we could continue working on the puzzle. I could feel an undercurrent of anxiety, and I suspected it was for so many reasons. The nonstop rain, for one thing, was weighing heavily on us. Charise and Alex had to be feeling some stress having unexpected visitors for days on end, not to mention their modern amenities failing thanks to the forces of nature, and Bryan might have been worried about his family who, in turn, was probably worried about him.

  And what about me? Was someone out there wondering what had happened to me?

  Because of all that unspoken tension, the three of us were quiet as we placed piece after piece inside the puzzle, and I realized that we were probably going to finish it soon. Sure enough, as we got to a couple of small sections that were slowly getting filled, the process sped up. Charise placed one piece in the puzzle and then Bryan looked at me. “Ladies first.” With a grin, I tried to fit my piece where I thought it should go—and it did. Bryan placed the last one and then Charise ran her hands over the completed puzzle as if smoothing it down.

  “There are few things more satisfying than completing a puzzle,” she said, and I might have agreed, but I really had no frame of reference.

  The tension I could sense was making me nervous, so when we made sandwiches for lunch, I didn’t eat much. Alex curled up in his recliner for a nap, and Charise said, “We’ve got all kinds of books in our bedroom. Either of you want to pick something out?”

  At this point, it felt like we were simply biding our time. Until I could get home, I wanted to be a good guest, and reading seemed like a decent enough thing to do that would keep me out of their hair. And who knew what something like that could spark? Bryan picked a novel that he said would be full of intrigue and mystery. I didn’t know what to choose, so Charise handed me what she said was one of her favorite books, one she went back to over and over again, a novel by Victoria Holt.

  I decided to read in my bedroom, hoping some of the weird vibes would ease up by the time I awakened. Lying on top of the covers, I started reading the book and found I couldn’t put it down—but I was immediately grateful that I was able to read, meaning I hadn’t forgotten that much. I loved being inside the head of the narrator in the book but even getting lost in the story didn’t stop the tendrils of sleep from wrapping around my eyelids, and soon I found myself drifting off.

  When I woke up, it was dark.

  I was disoriented, because I hadn’t lit a candle when I’d been reading, and only seeing shadows around felt strange.

  But I noticed something. The incessant pattering of the rain on the roof that had been the norm since I’d awakened the first morning here had changed. It seemed to be gentler, quieter. I was afraid to ask if, perhaps, it was slowing down.

  I needed to confirm it, though, because until I could get back to civilization, I would never know who I was. That, too, was a large part of the tension I’d been feeling today, because I was growing weary of being in limbo.

  Getting up, I tiptoed to the hallway and noticed the ambient light from the fireplace giving the walls a warm glow. Then I could hear voices and, as I entered the living room, I saw the three others sitting around the kitchen table.

  As I got closer, I asked, “Is it my imagination, or has the rain slowed down?”

  “Bryan and I went outside a bit ago and can confirm that it’s still raining, but it’s not pouring anymore.”

  “Is anyone hungry?” Charise asked.

  “I shouldn’t be with all this sitting around, but I am.”

  “You didn’t eat much at lunch, Violet. We should probably get some food in your belly.”

  But I wasn’t hungry, and I wasn’t sure why. Still, I forced a smile and nodded.

  “We have some canned chicken soup and, since we need to use up the cheese, I think I’ll make grilled cheese sandwiches with it.”

  “Would you like some help?”

  “I don’t think I need it—but thank you.”

  I sat in the empty chair at the table while Charise got up, and I stared at the kerosene lamp just in front of me. Surprisingly, with the two lamps they had in the kitchen, not to mention several candles, the room was brighter than I would have imagined—but it had also taken on an eerie quality, thanks to the dancing shadows and dark corners.

  Alex said, “If the rain stops soon, we actually may get you to town by the end of the week.”

  Ah…the concept of time, something I hadn’t thought about since…I didn’t know when—and it prompted a question. “What day is today?”

  Bryan said, “Tuesday.”

  Hmm. Tuesday. What did I ordinarily do on Tuesdays?

  Once more, we were quiet, as if we had nothing left to say. I would most definitely be ready to return to my life soon, because this place was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Fortunately, though, Charise suggested playing a board game after dinner, and we enjoyed a game of Monopoly—but it still wasn’t done by the time we’d grown tired of it. Charise announced that we could still shower if we wanted to, because the hot water heater ran on propane—so I took her up on the offer, taking a shower by the light of a candle and brushing my teeth before heading to bed.

  I fingered the book I’d been reading earlier but didn’t feel like straining my eyes. The candle didn’t afford enough light for me to comfortably read—so I blew it out and closed my eyes, once more focusing on the sound of the rain softly hitting the rooftop. I knew now that it had definitely slowed down, because it wasn’t drowning everything else out. I could even hear the breeze blowing off and on.

  The nap I’d taken earlier made it hard to fall asleep now—that and the anxious feeling in the pit of my belly that wouldn’t go away. Soon, my thoughts roamed back to Bryan, not surprising, really, because I simply didn’t have much history to dwell on.

  Someone was in the shower, I could tell by the sound as it was right next to my room, and I imagined it was him. When Charise had been showing us the books in her bedroom, I spied what I thought was a master bathroom, and I figured my hosts would use that one.

  After a while, the shower stopped, leaving me to listen mostly to the rain outside again, but I couldn’t go to sleep. I was nowhere near drifting off, and I tossed and turned in that bed. Finally, I sat up and groped the nightstand until I felt the match box. After striking one, I was able to light the candle, and I slipped my feet into the slippers on the floor next to the bed and walked out of the room.

  I didn’t want to wake anyone up, but I needed something to do. I was keyed up, in need of release. So I tiptoed through the hallway and averted my eyes from the couch, even while walking through the living room. I couldn’t hear Bryan breathing, so I wondered if he was asleep. Making my way to the kitchen, I found a glass and poured some cool water, drinking it down, grateful that I could still drink from the tap even though the power was out.

  As I walked back through the living room again, I noticed that the fire had dimmed but still looked like it could burn for hours. Making my way to the front door, I unlocked it and stepped out onto the porch. I set my candle on a small table close to the door, hoping it would stay lit until I was ready to go inside.

  I was amazed at how dark it was outside, and I wondered if I’d ever been in this kind of darkness in my past life. Walking over to the railing, I leaned my head on the post and sucked a deep breath into my lungs. The air was chilly but fresh, and I marveled at how good it smelled. After having pulled myself out of the river, I’d thought I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near cold water again—but this was nice. I held my hand out past the overhang to feel the rain, and the way it gently caressed my palm assured me that it most definitely had slowed.

  When I heard a noise behind me, I turned around as the door was opening. Although I strained to see, I couldn’t tell who it was until he was all the way out, and I was surprised by how that little candle did a great job illuminating the space.

  Just the vision of Bryan made my heart almost skip a beat, but I couldn’t find any words. I smiled, though, even if he might not be able to see it. As he joined me at the railing, he said, “Couldn’t sleep either?”

  “Nope. I think it’s because I took a long nap earlier.”

  “That’ll do it.” He propped his forearms on the railing, leaning forward. “It’s nice out here.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  We grew silent, so quiet that I thought we should have felt uncomfortable, but it felt natural. For several minutes, we stood side by side, simply taking in the natural beauty of the evening.

  “Hey, look over there,” Bryan said quietly.

  “Where?”

  Although it was dark, I was able to make out his arm when he pointed to the left where a cloud was moving enough that we could actually see some stars. Somehow, I knew that those little pinpricks weren’t as easy to see in the city, but here they were vibrant, breathtaking. “Wow.” There was no moon out right now, and I wondered if I’d ever seen such a beautiful sight before. The clouds continued moving slowly, showing different twinkling lights as they drifted by.

  “The storm’s finally breaking up.”

  “Yeah, looks like it.” A slight breeze made me shiver.

  We were quiet again for a while, just watching the clouds as a few more stars peeked out here and there. Then he said, “You really don’t remember anything from your past?”

  “No. It’s so aggravating. It feels like it’s right there, like I should be able to grasp it.”

  “You’ll remember when you’re ready.”

  I was quiet for a bit before I said, “That’s what I’m afraid of. What if I’m never ready?”

  That was when he looked at me instead of the stars. I don’t know if my eyes had adjusted so they could see details better or if my imagination was filling in the gaps, but his expression seemed so sweet, so sincere. As if he couldn’t help himself, he touched my cheek. “What happened to you?”

  Before he could take his hand away or rethink what he’d said or done, I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his. It felt like the most natural thing I could do—and I wanted to. He seemed a little hesitant at first but then his lips softened against mine for just a moment that felt like a day, warm and gentle. But I was greedy and wanted more, and I began kissing him more, still slowly, but more insistently, and he brought his hands to my cheeks. I wrapped my arms around his waist and then it felt like we melted into each other. When his tongue brushed my lips, I felt my entire body respond, from the way my fingers grew rigid for a moment to my toes curling, and I knew I wanted more. I opened my mouth, inviting his warm tongue inside, enjoying the way every nerve in my body was beginning to tingle and my skin felt flushed. His whiskers rubbing against my cheek felt rough, but I didn’t mind, and I enjoyed the way our tongues were intermingling. Suddenly, my legs felt weak as his hand cupped my neck and our kiss grew deeper.

  When we stopped, I slowly opened my eyes and found him looking at me. I couldn’t read his expression, but I didn’t sense that he was feeling the same way I was. Even though that kiss had felt mutual, had seemed like such a beautiful connection between us, his eyes told me maybe I was mistaken.

  “Violet, I really like you—but, until we know who you are, where you came from, maybe we shouldn’t be doing something like that.”

  “But—”

  He gently placed a finger on my lips. “I insist. Right now…you’re like an innocent. A newborn baby. You don’t know where you’ve come from. You don’t have a wedding ring, but that doesn’t mean anything. I feel like I’m taking advantage of you—”

  “But you’re not.”

  The way his brow furrowed told me his answer was final, so I simply frowned in response. Suddenly, I had a flash of…something. It told me I was used to getting my way.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26