Storm Watch

16

LIZZY RAN INTO the bathroom for her cell phone. “Please,” she whispered as she yanked it out of her pocket. “Be Cece…”

But the incoming number was unfamiliar to her, and she sagged in disappointment. “Hello?”

“Lizzy?”

It was Cece. Her throat swelled. “Oh, thank God. Are you okay? Where are you?”

“Well, I was halfway between my place and yours, in a Hummer, but now-”

“Are you okay?”

“I am now. Lizzy, this phone’s going to die. Can you come?”

“Yes, of course, I’ll come help you.”

“That’s the thing. I don’t need help, I managed. On my own. Well-” She laughed. “Not on my own, not at all. Hunter was there with me.”

“Who? And where are you?”

“We’re…Hunter, where are we again?” Cece’s voice broke off and then there was some rustling.

“Cece?” Lizzy said. “Cece? Who’s Hunter-”

“That would be me,” said a deep, masculine voice in her ear. “We’re at the San Luis Memorial.”

And that was it, the cell died. “San Luis Memorial,” she said to herself, whirling to get dressed only to plow into Jason. He tossed her clothes at her as he hopped into his jeans.

“Come on,” he said, and grabbed her hand.

She spared the split second to stare at him in eternal gratitude. “Jason. You don’t have to-”

He didn’t even slow, just sent her an annoyed glance over his shoulder. “Really, Lizzy? You’re going to dump me and argue with me?”

No. No, she wasn’t. “She’s with some guy.”

“Okay.”

“No, you don’t understand. She gave up men. We both did.”

“Beg to disagree on that one.”

She sighed. “I had a momentary slip. You sneaked in past my defenses.”

“Right back at ya, babe.”

CECE LOOKED UP at Hunter as he replaced the hospital phone by her bed, then leaned in closer and stroked her hair from her face. “How are you feeling?”

He’d delivered her baby and then managed to wave down a boat floating past them, who’d transported them to a roadblock and emergency personnel. From there they’d gotten a ride to the hospital in San Luis Obispo, since Santa Rey’s had been so badly damaged they’d not been accepting patients.

How did she feel after all she’d been through? “Shockingly good.” She looked down at the sweetest little baby girl she’d ever seen. The infant lay on her chest, looking up with bright blue eyes, mouth pursed seriously. The peach fuzz on her bald head softened the rather severe expression, and Cece fell madly in love with her all over again.

“She’s beautiful,” Hunter said.

“Yeah.” She paused, then screwed up the courage to voice the thought foremost in her mind now that she could breathe. “I guess it’s over now, right?”

“Which? The storm?” Hunter glanced out the window and shook his head. “Not quite yet, though the worst has passed, I think.”

“Not that.” She paused. “This.”

He paused, too, and she figured he had no idea what the hell she was talking about.

Hell, she barely knew what she was talking about.

No, that was a lie, and she no longer lied, especially to herself. She knew exactly what she meant.

“Cece.” His voice was achingly soft, achingly deep as he hunkered down to her eye level.

Oh, God. Here it came. Another rejection. She should be good at them by now, but she wasn’t. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “I-”

“I don’t want it to be over.”

She closed her eyes, then opened them and saw his steady, patient gaze. “You don’t?”

Slowly he shook his head, then bent to press a kiss to the baby’s head, and then Cece’s mouth. They’d been through so much that she felt as if she knew him better than she’d ever known anyone, so it was a bit shocking to realize that it was their first kiss.

It was perfect.

Cupping her face, he looked into her eyes for a long moment, then kissed her again, letting her feel and taste the truth.

Yeah. He was right. It wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.

JASON GOT THEM back to his Jeep in an hour which, considering the conditions, was nothing less than a small miracle.

They didn’t speak, which was for the best. Lizzy could sense his frustration, his hurt, and it killed her that she’d caused it.

She hurt, too. It was the one thing she’d wanted to avoid, and yet here she was.

Sporting a damn cracked open heart.

The rain finally slowed to an immeasurable drizzle as they drove back the way they’d come to get to the highway. Lizzy couldn’t take her horrified eyes off the destruction. Houses had taken on up to ten feet of water depending on where they were and how high the foundations were elevated. There were bricks knocked off retaining walls, fences down, roofs missing. Entire streets gone.

“I can’t believe it.”

Jason managed to get them heading north along the coast with no mishaps.

And no words.

“Jason?” She hesitated. “Are we still friends?”

He gave her an inscrutable glance. “Is that what you want?”

It was the least of what she wanted. “I understand if you don’t,” she said softly.

“Really?”

“Yes,” she said slowly, thrown by his disturbingly polite voice. “I realize I’ve confused things, Jason. Muddled up the relationship.”

“Which was…what, exactly?”

“Uh…”

At her inability to put it into words, he let out a breath, revealing more frustration and a measure of temper. She’d finally busted through his infinite patience, which was quite the feat.

“You don’t want to answer?” he asked. “Or you don’t have an answer?”

She squirmed. Okay, so this whole talking thing had been a bad idea. “Here’s the exit,” she said, gesturing to the first off-ramp for San Luis Obispo.

“Code for shut up, Jason.” He got off the freeway and drove straight to the hospital’s emergency room entrance. “Go ahead,” he said wearily. “I’ll find you.”

“Jase-”

“Go.”

Right. She ran out of the car and into the hospital, thinking about his words. I’ll find you. She knew it would always be true. If she needed him, he’d find her. If she wanted him, he’d find her.

Bottom line-he was there for her, through thick and thin and storms and panic attacks. He was there for her for anything.

Who was there for him?

At the registration desk, she was directed to a room where she found her sister sitting up in the hospital bed, wearing a gown and a wrist bracelet signaling that she’d been admitted.

“Lizzy.” Cece’s eyes went bright with unshed tears.

Lizzy rushed forward, so full of anxiety and worry she could hardly breathe as she reached for her sister, hugging her. “You had the baby.”

“Yes. I had her.”

“Her?” Lizzy’s heart leaped into her throat. “It’s a her? Is she okay? Are you okay? Where is she?”

“Right here.”

Lizzy turned toward the tall, built, biker guy.

Holding a baby.

He looked at Cece, who nodded, and then he held the baby out to Lizzy, who took the bundle from his warm, solid arms.

“Meet Hope,” Cece said, her voice soft and thick.

Lizzy stared down at the sweetest, most serene little face, at the perfect bow lips and bright eyes. “Oh, Cece,” she whispered, awed beyond words. “It’s your mini-you.”

“Told you,” the man murmured to Cece, and then with an undeniable familiarity, stroked his hand down her arm.

Cece didn’t sock him. She didn’t shove him away. She didn’t flinch.

Instead, she smiled with her entire heart in her eyes.

Lizzy stared at the admittedly amazing-looking biker. “I’m sorry, who are you again?”

“My angel,” Cece said.

“You’re not the doctor,” Lizzy said.

“No,” he agreed. “I’m Hunter Bryant.”

Cece entwined her fingers in his and gave him a sweet smile that blew Lizzy away. “Hunter delivered Hope,” Cece said.

In Lizzy’s arms, Hope cooed, and Lizzy stared down at her, heart melting into a little puddle at her feet. “Hope,” she whispered, smiling as the baby yawned and stretched.

“Seemed fitting,” Cece said.

Hunter smiled down at the baby, then at Cece. “It sure did.”

“Okay.” Lizzy divided a look between them. “Okay, what exactly happened out there in that cursed storm?”

“It wasn’t a cursed storm.” Cece smiled up at Hunter. “It brought me a miracle. Two miracles.”

Jason appeared in the doorway, looking rumpled, edgy and exhausted. And yet when he saw Lizzy, his mouth curved, the smile reaching those gray eyes, softening him.

And Lizzy’s breath caught. Cece was right. It hadn’t been a cursed storm, not for her, either. Not even close…“Jason, come look.”

Pushing away from the door, he moved close, shoulder to shoulder with her as he looked down at Hope. “She’s beautiful.” He touched the baby’s cheek, his face softening even more into a sweet smile. He looked up at Cece. “Just like mom.”

Cece let out another smile, this one sleepy, and she leaned her head against Hunter’s chest, further shocking Lizzy.

“It’s okay, Liz,” she murmured quietly. “He’s one of the good guys you’ve been telling me is out there.”

As the baby yawned and nodded off, Lizzy felt Jason looking down at her, and she met his gaze. He touched her cheek as gently as he’d touched the baby’s, running his thumb over her skin, catching the single tear she hadn’t realized she’d let fall. “Ah, Lizzy,” he murmured so softly as to be almost inaudible. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

A promise. And he hadn’t failed her, not yet.

Nope, the only one who had failed here had been her.