Just saying.
Well, stop. Just saying. He shook his head. You always did have a problem asking for help.
Me? I never needed your help. It was your teacher who made you come to me for tutoring.
Well, I guess that makes us both stubborn asses then. He pulled out his vibrating cell phone and looked at the ID. Its Dustin. He flipped open the phone. Yeah, yeah, Im home two days early. You order all this rain for me? He listened a minute then looked out the window, away from Lizzy, his shoulders tensing. If youve talked to Mom, you know Im fine-No, I dont want to talk about Matt. Jesus. He glanced back at Lizzy. Yeah, Ive got her. She came to the house, looking for you-Uh-huh, thats the plan. He paused. Okay. Ill tell her. He closed his phone, shoved it into his pocket and put the Jeep into gear.
Tell me what?
Dustins at the hospital, part of the roof blew off and the backup generator failed. Theyre transporting patients to San Luis Obispo Memorial, hell be busy for hours. So you really are stuck with me. He looked at her as if expecting further objection. When she didnt say anything, he pulled out of the driveway and turned right.
Except they needed to go left to get into town. Where are we going?
He downshifted to merge onto the main highway above town. Keeping out of the low areas. There were no other cars on the road that they could see, which was just as well, as every time he turned, the rear-end of the Jeep fishtailed. He kept his focus straight forward, his body seemingly relaxed, but she knew it was taking all his concentration to keep them on the road.
According to Dustin, he said. Main Street is a water slide. The Jeep might be able to plow through.
Or might not.
He didnt say it, he didnt need to.
A foot of floodwater will float most vehicles. Two will plain and simple just carry us away. I dont know how much water were dealing with right now, but its clearly rising. Well go the long way around, get on the highway and come in from the other side. Its an extra two miles, but on higher ground.
Okay, smart move. Thank you.
He flicked her a glance. Are you going to thank me every step of the way?
Maybe.
His lips twitched as he drove down the highway at ten miles per hour instead of the speed limit of sixty-five miles per hour. Still, the water shot up from beneath the tires in two matching plumes along either side of the vehicle. Lizzy leaned forward as if that would help her see better. It didnt. She had no idea how he could tell where they were going. Maybe youll be thanking me for something by the end of the day.
He flicked her a glance. Are you going to thank me every step of the way?
Maybe.
His lips twitched as he drove down the highway at ten miles per hour instead of the speed limit of sixty-five miles per hour. Still, the water shot up from beneath the tires in two matching plumes along either side of the vehicle. Lizzy leaned forward as if that would help her see better. It didnt. She had no idea how he could tell where they were going. Maybe youll be thanking me for something by the end of the day.
Yeah? He looked amused. Like what?
Well, he had her there.
Maybe youre right, he said after a minute. Maybe youll save my sorry ass again, like you did with the window. Or better yet, tell me what the hell to do with my sorry ass. He offered a self-deprecatory smile, letting her in on the joke, and a reluctant one tugged at her mouth, as well. Look at that, he murmured. That smile sure looks good on you.
I smile plenty. Okay, maybe not plenty. When its warranted.
Yeah, see, the thing about smiling is that its supposed to happen whenever and wherever, not just when warranted.
There are inappropriate times.
Like?
Like this. This is an inappropriate smile time. Its a serious situation.
Theres always a serious situation. His smile faded. Its what you make of it.
Wasnt that the truth. She could see in his eyes, from the sudden haunted hollowness in them, that he was once again speaking from experience. Like her, hed lost his father young, but unlike her and Cece, he still had great family support. Hed grown up with a sense of responsibility, even giving back with his job. In fact, his job was the ultimate give-back, putting his life on the line for his country. I think its amazing, what you do.
No different than you, he said.
Im an R.N. in the emergency room, Jason. We both know Im a dime a dozen.
Thats not true. He flicked her a glance. And you dont really feel that way.
No. No, she didnt. In the beginning, shed resented being a nurse instead of a doctor, but truthfully, shed come to love her job. It gave her a sense of purpose, a belief that she was here for a reason, and yeah, thered been times when shed desperately needed that belief. In the fall, things would change. Shed be going into the unknown. How do you know what I feel?
Lets see. Were driving into a storm that we should be running from because someone might or might not need you.
Its not any someone. Its my sister.
Come on. Youd be doing this for a perfect stranger.
And you are, she pointed out. Youre doing this for a perfect stranger.
Im doing it for you.
She looked at him and saw the truth. Much as she wanted to think of him as that laid-back kid hed once been because it helped her keep her distance, she really couldnt.
Because the man hed turned into was amazing.
More flood warnings, the deejay announced. Mandatory evacuations for all of Eastside. Head out toward the west, via Highway 1 or 101. The shelters are at Madison Junior High and the Huntington Library.
Its the fires we had this past summer, Lizzy said. They destroyed the natural landscape, and now weve got too much rain. Well be lucky not to get mudslides, as well.
Theyd had mudslides ten years ago, which had washed out dozens of homes. Shed been nineteen at the time, trying to raise Cece, still grieving her parents, and terrified at the devastating destruction the slides had brought.
Dont you think Cecell head to one of the designated shelters? Jason asked.
Yeah. But the truth was, Cece didnt do what she was told. She had a little authority problem. Okay, a big authority problem. They were working on that.
You just want to make sure.
Yeah.
He slid her a look. So who checks on you?
I dont need checking on.
Come on. Everyone does once in a while.
Really? she asked. Even you?
My mom will be calling me even when Im old and gray. So why arent you a doctor, Lizzy?
Things came up.
Thingslike checking on your sister?
Youre a funny guy, Jason.
I try. He took the last exit for Santa Rey. Eastside. The road took a natural dip down and the car hydroplaned. Shit, he muttered. Hold on.
Lizzy bit her lower lip and gripped the dash as he fought for control and barely found it just as the road curved. The back end of the Jeep fishtailed, then the tires lost their grip.
They went sliding directly toward a grove of trees, one of which had lost several large branches, which were blocking the road.
The brakes didnt catch.
They spun away from the fallen branches, but Jason swore viciously as the car whipped around toward the trees themselves.
A cold shot of horror skittered down Lizzys spine and she heard herself gasp in terror as they flew at the two massive trees, and then-
Jerked to a sudden, neck-snapping stop, with the nose of the Jeep a mere inch from two of the biggest tree trunks shed ever seen, both of which filled the entire windshield.
5
IN THE SHOCKED SILENCE, with the Jeep still rocking from the sudden stop, Lizzy felt Jason whip toward her, his eyes dark and fiercely protective. Lizzy.
Present, she whispered, still staring at the big, fat, thick tree trunks. That wasadrenaline-pumping.
Yeah. He put his hands on her arm and turned her to him.
Oddly enough, her gaze went-inappropriately-to his mouth. She couldnt help it. Another inch, and wed have been kissing those tree trunks.
He let out a low laugh as his hand traveled up her spine, coaxing her even closer. Wed have been swallowing them whole.
She didnt resist the pressure of his hand, but willingly shifted to him, nearly melting when his fingers swept up and then down again, this time finding their way beneath all the layers she wore.
His fingers were sure and warm, a sweet shock to cover the nasty one of the near accident.
You okay? he murmured.
Yes. And getting more okay by the second. His face was so close to hers that the roughness of his jaw brushed the skin of her cheek. She closed her eyes to better absorb it, not even trying to figure out what the hell was wrong with her that this languid sensuality could take her over here, now. Jason?
Uh-huh. His lips barely grazed hers once, and then again, and she leaned helplessly into him, seeking more than just the promise of a kiss, and getting it as his tongue took itself on an erotic foray in her mouth.
He kissed different than anyone else shed ever kissed. He kissed as if it wasnt the way to a prize, but the prize itself, and she could have kissed him forever. His lips were slow and searching, hard and then not, causing a rising heat within her that unbelievably, given where they were and what they had yet to do, had a languid pleasure unfurling from deep within her. She became extremely aware of the fact that she was trying to crawl into his lap just as he lifted her with astonishing ease, bringing her over him, his mouth never leaving hers, delving deeper, longer, while she did her best to swallow him whole.
In the back of her mind, she knew this was simply pent-up fear and adrenaline, but she didnt care. She wanted his tongue, she wanted his body. Hell, she wanted to throw the seat back and feel him sink into her aching flesh. She wanted it all. It was as if something had been cut loose, and even knowing she had the storm, the craziness of the day to blame for it, deep down she also knew it was something more.
In the back of her mind, she knew this was simply pent-up fear and adrenaline, but she didnt care. She wanted his tongue, she wanted his body. Hell, she wanted to throw the seat back and feel him sink into her aching flesh. She wanted it all. It was as if something had been cut loose, and even knowing she had the storm, the craziness of the day to blame for it, deep down she also knew it was something more.