Temptation - Brenda Jackson [28]
She heard a branch hit the window and jumped. It had been windy all day and now it seemed it was getting windier. Forecasters predicted the hurricane would make landfall sometime after midnight. They predicted that Royal would be spared the worst of it.
She glanced around the room where she had already set out candles. The lights had been blinking all day; she hoped she didn’t lose power, but had to be prepared if she did.
She was halfway up the stairs when the house suddenly went black.
The winds have increased and we have reports of power outages in certain sections of Royal, including the Meadowland and LeBaron areas. Officials are working hard to restore power to these homes and hope to do so within the next few hours…
Zeke was stretched out on the sofa with his eyes closed, but the announcement that had just blared from the television made him snap them open. He then slid into a sitting position. Sheila lived in the Meadowland area.
He knew he had no reason to be concerned. Hopefully, like everyone else, she had anticipated the possibility of a power failure and was prepared. But what if she wasn’t? What if she was across town sitting on her sofa holding the baby in the dark?
Standing, he rubbed a hand down his face. It had been four days since he’d seen or talked to her. Four days, while working on clearing Brad’s name, of trying hard to push thoughts of her to the back of his mind. He’d failed often, when no matter what he was working on, his thoughts drifted back to her.
What was there about a woman when a man couldn’t get her out of his mind? When he would think of her during his every waking moment and wake up in the middle of the night with thoughts of her when he should be sleeping?
Zeke stretched his body before grabbing his keys off the table. Pushing aside the thought that he was making a mistake by rushing off to check on the very woman he’d sworn to stay away from, he quickly walked toward the door, grabbing a jacket and his Stetson on the way out.
Sheila glanced around the living room. Candles were lit and flashlights strategically placed where she might need them. It was just a little after ten but the wind was still howling outside. When she had looked out the window moments ago, all she could do was stare into darkness. Everything was total black.
She had checked on Sunnie earlier and the baby was sleeping peacefully, oblivious to what was happening, and that was good. Sunnie had somehow kicked the covers off her pudgy little legs and Sheila had recovered her, gazing down at her while thinking what the future held for such a beautiful little girl.
Sheila left the nursery and walked downstairs. She had the radio on a station that played jazz while occasionally providing updates on the storm. It had stopped raining, but the sound of water dripping off the roof was stirring a feeling inside her that she was all too familiar with—loneliness.
Deciding what she needed was a glass a wine, she was headed to the kitchen when she heard the sound of her cell phone. She quickly picked it up and from caller ID saw it was Zeke.
She felt the thud in her chest at the same time she felt her pulse rate increase. “Yes?”
“I’m at the door.”
Taking a deep breath and trying to keep her composure intact, she headed toward the door. The police had asked for cars not to be on the road unless it was absolutely necessary due to dangerous conditions, so why was he here?