LITMIR.BIZ

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always keep a blanket in the car for emergencies. Fold it up a few times so you’ll have somewhere to sit.”

      She did as he asked, and after she’d folded the thick, plaid blanket into a neat rectangle, she placed it next to the door and took a seat to one side. Looking up at the handsome man towering over her, she thought she’d follow her mother’s sage advice. When life gets salty, make margaritas. Rachel Myers Dandridge was known for her odd little sayings, and that was probably one of Sierra’s favorites. It meant make the best of a less than ideal situation. To that end, she patted the blanket next to her. “You can sit here. There’s plenty of room.”

      He seemed surprised. “Really?”

      “Sure. No reason for you to stand up the whole time, either.”

      “Even though I got you into this mess?” He seemed pretty disappointed with himself.

      “Everybody makes mistakes, Campbell. Besides, it’s your blanket.” She patted the spot again. “Join me.” Even as she asked him to sit, she realized how rare it was for her to do something like this. She hadn’t earned her nickname by being cordial to men, especially those that inconvenienced her. But something about Campbell intrigued her. There was something endearing, and, if she were honest, enticing, about him.

      Finally, he nodded, and took a seat next to her. “Thanks.”

      “You’re welcome.” She realized her rectangle wasn’t as long as she’d thought, because now that he’d sat down, his muscular outer thigh pressed against her own. A tingle went through her body, originating from the point of contact and radiating through her every cell.

      * * *

      Campbell shifted a bit to his left, trying to put a little distance between them out of respect. But there wasn’t much farther he could move without ruining his slacks on the concrete landing, so he stilled. Their thighs were touching, and there was no way she hadn’t noticed. If it bothered her, she didn’t let on.

      The swirling wind and rain continued to pound the building, and he grabbed her umbrella and opened it in front of them to protect them from the elements. The lengthening silence between them made him feel nervous, so he spoke. “Tell me a little about yourself.”

      She nodded. “Let’s see. I’m an only child, and I’m from Los Angeles. My parents still live there. My father owns a welding business and my mother writes historical novels.” She paused. “What about you?”

      He wanted to hear more about her life, but thought it only fair to divulge a little about his own. “I was born and raised on the island. I’m sure you know my younger sister, Hadley. She’s married to Devon. We have an older brother, Savion. MHI is the family business, and we kids took over about six years ago when our parents retired.”

      “I see.” She looked straight ahead, as if focused on the falling rain.

      He observed her, enjoying her regal beauty in profile. She was dressed just as casually as the previous day, this time in jeans and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Her hair was up on top of her head in a messy bun, with a few tendrils hanging around her face. She appeared thoughtful, and he kept quiet to avoid interfering with whatever gears were turning in her mind.

      The stormy weather filled the air with the sounds of rain and howling wind, and he kept quiet and listened to the cacophony.

      Jacob’s car pulled up then, parking a few spots away from Sierra’s. As Jacob jogged through the rain with the key, Campbell met him halfway up the stairs.

      “Thanks!” He switched keys with Jacob, raising his voice to be heard over the wind. “Now try to get home before the storm gets any worse!”

      “Yes, sir!” Jacob ran back to his car, and soon pulled off.

      His shirt damp with rain, Campbell returned to the door and slipped the key into the lock. Turning it, he swung open the door. “Welcome to your unit, Ms. Dandridge.”

      She started to get up, and he offered his hand to assist her. On her feet, she smiled as she passed him, entering the condo.

      He gathered the blanket and the umbrella and followed her inside, closing the door. The sound of the rainstorm was now buffered, but he could still hear the rain and wind. “Let me give you a quick tour, and I’ll be out of your hair.”

      “Okay.” She trailed him around the unit and let him show her all the features and amenities it had.

      “You’ve got plenty of space to stretch out here.” He showed her the living room, kitchen/dining combo, the hall bathroom and the guest bedroom. In the master suite, he showed her the king-size bed and the attached bathroom, complete with soaking tub and separate shower. She lay across the bed for a moment, as if to test it, and he turned away to keep his thoughts from going in that direction.

      As if sensing his discomfort, she sat up and got on her feet again. “Everything looks wonderful. Anything else you want to show me?”

      He gestured for her to follow him back up the narrow hallway. “There’s a terrace off the dining room. You can access it by those glass doors. Nice views of the inlet from out there.” He pointed at them as they returned to the main living area. “But you’ll probably want to wait for better weather to check that out.”

      She chuckled. “Definitely.”

      It was the first time he’d heard her laugh. The sound, brief as it had been, seemed to brighten his world. He walked over to the stainless steel double-door refrigerator in the kitchen, and opened both doors. “As you can see, our shoppers have stocked your fridge with everything you requested from the list.”

      She came over and inspected the contents, grabbing a Gala apple from a shelf. “This is great.” She closed the doors, then went to the sink to rinse the apple.

      “That’s about it. Sorry again about the whole key mix-up.”

      She’d searched out a knife and cutting board, and was busy cutting up her apple. “It’s okay.”

      “I’m gonna head out and leave you to relax, then.” He bundled up his blanket, tucked it under his arm and walked toward the door. As he swung it open, greeted by the fierce winds, he thought he heard her call his name.

      “Campbell. Wait.”

      He turned around to face her in the doorway. “Did you call me? Do you need something else?”

      She stood by the kitchen counter, with the slices of apple on a napkin. “I don’t need anything else, no.”

      He shrugged. “See ya.”

      “Wait.”

      He turned back again. “I thought you said you didn’t need anything else?”

      She looked conflicted. “I don’t. But...I don’t think you should be going out there in this weather. We’ve been here for a little while, and it’s been getting worse this whole time.”

      He watched her face, and saw the lines of concern there. While he didn’t know what had given rise to her concern for him, he couldn’t help but be flattered by it. “Let me take a look out there.”

      He took a few steps out onto the landing, to ascertain conditions below them. The wind and rain were still steadily pounding the building, and the trees below appeared to be dancing as they waved their branches in time. His eyes swept over the parking lot, and he saw the deepening puddles forming on the black concrete. Instinct told him to walk to the other end of the landing, so he pulled the door shut gently and strolled to the right, past the door to the A unit. From that end of the landing, he craned his neck a bit to get a view of the inlet.

      Sure enough, the banks of the inlet had disappeared beneath the rising water. This part of the island was particularly low lying, but bordered Cooper Inlet instead of the Atlantic Ocean. When flooding happened here, it was often due to too much rain overflowing the inlet as opposed to seawater breaching the island’s curved seawall.

      She’s

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