After the storm, p.1
After the Storm, page 1
Copyright © 2023 by Ashley Farley
All rights reserved.
Cover design: damonza.com
Editor: Patricia Peters at A Word Affair LLC
Leisure Time Books, a division of AHF Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission from the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, establishments, organizations, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously to give a sense of authenticity. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For my darling girls, Emmie and Willa
contents
Prologue
1. Lizbet
2. Jamie
3. Sean
4. Sean
5. Lizbet
6. Sean
7. Lizbet
8. Sean
9. Jamie
10. Lizbet
11. Sean
12. Jamie
13. Lizbet
14. Sean
15. Jamie
16. Sean
17. Lizbet
18. Jamie
19. Sean
20. Lizbet
21. Jamie
22. Sean
23. Lizbet
24. Sean
25. Jamie
26. Lizbet
27. Jamie
28. Sean
29. Lizbet
30. Sean
Also By Ashley Farley
Acknowledgments
About the Author
prologue
The storm systems slammed into the South Carolina coast as a Category 1 hurricane with 80 miles per hour winds. Driving rain pounded the window from which Sean watched pine trees sway and the tidal surge spill over the seawall into the yard. With dusk setting in, he could barely see the dock or the marsh beyond. The damage to the area would be widespread. Meteorologists really blew it by predicting the hurricane would be downgraded to a tropical storm. Most locals didn’t consider it a threat and therefore didn’t bother to prepare.
A loud banging sound startled Sean away from the window. At first, he thought a tree had fallen on the house, but hearing the noise a second time, he realized someone was pounding on a door. Who in their right mind was out in this weather? His parents’ home on their ten-acre estate was secluded—the last house at the end of a winding inlet creek—and sometimes creepy, especially when he was here alone in a storm.
After checking the front door on the main level, Sean hurried down the stairs to the game room. The figure in the door’s window stopped him dead in his tracks. He almost didn’t recognize his own twin brother at first. Cooper looked like he’d been through hell.
Sean unlocked the bolt, swung the door open, and hauled his brother in out of the storm.
He engulfed Cooper’s drenched body. “You scared the heck out of me, Coop. What’re you doing here in the middle of a hurricane?”
“When I left Richmond, the forecast was only calling for rain and wind gusts. I didn’t know it would be this bad. It’s raining so hard, I had to drive ten miles an hour from Charleston.”
“Thank goodness you made it safely.” Sean helped Cooper out of his sodden raincoat and draped it over the back of a chair. “Come on up.” He motioned him to the stairs. “I was getting ready to make some dinner.”
Cooper cast an uncertain glance at the door. “I should get my stuff.”
“Forget it, bro. You can get it tomorrow.” Sean nudged him toward the stairs. “I stopped by Sweeney’s and picked up some mussels on my way into town.”
“I’m not hungry. But I could definitely use a drink,” Cooper said as he traipsed up the stairs. He went straight to the bar in the family room and helped himself to their father’s whiskey.
Sean watched him with curiosity. Cooper usually preferred beer.
“What’re you looking at?” Cooper asked, filling the glass with ice and brown liquor.
“You! You look awful. When’s the last time you showered and shaved? And since when do you drink the hard stuff?”
Cooper mumbled something Sean couldn’t make out, but he didn’t ask him to repeat it. Something was off about his twin, but Cooper would confess his problem in due time.
Sean went into the kitchen, removed a bowl of mussels from the refrigerator, and set it on the counter. He was melting a chunk of butter in a pan when his cell phone blared out a piercing alarm. An automated voice alerted them to a tornado sighting and directed them to an interior room on the lowest floor.
“So much for dinner,” Sean said, returning the mussels to the refrigerator.
The lights blinked several times. “There goes the power.” Sean grabbed a battery-operated lantern off the counter. “The downstairs bathroom doesn’t have windows. It’s probably the safest place for us.”
The brothers were halfway down the stairs when the house went dark. Sean clicked the lantern’s power button, but the light didn’t come on. “Ugh. The batteries must be dead.”
“And you call yourself an Eagle Scout.” Cooper snatched the lantern from him and fiddled with it a minute. “Yep. Dead batteries.”
“For the record, I got more Scout badges than you,” Sean said, and used his phone’s flashlight to guide them through the game room.
Closing the bathroom door behind them, the brothers sat side by side on the floor with their backs against the wall. Sean turned off his phone’s flashlight to preserve his battery, and they were once again enveloped in darkness. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?”
“It was an impulse decision. I needed to get away from Richmond for a while,” Cooper said with an unfamiliar edginess in his voice. The twins were close. Even though they lived in two different cities, two states away, one rarely made a move without letting the other know.
“How long are you staying?”
“Indefinitely. My boss gave me approval to work from home.”
Sean’s suspicion mounted. “Indefinitely doesn’t sound like an impulse trip to me, bro.”
“Stop with the inquisition already,” Cooper grumbled. “Why are you here anyway? I thought I’d have the place to myself.”
“Good to see you too,” Sean said, sending an elbow to his brother’s ribs.
“Where are Mom and Dad?”
“In Charleston. They were invited to a big engagement party tonight. Since I was coming down for the weekend, they asked me to secure the house. I took the boats out, but since the storm wasn’t supposed to be bad, I didn’t bother with the hurricane shutters.”
“You’ve been down here a lot lately,” Cooper said. “How are you managing so much time off work from your busy restaurant?”
Sean sighed. “Believe me, my boss isn’t thrilled with me at the moment. But that job is getting old. I’ve been thinking about moving back to Prospect. Competition for restaurant management jobs is steep in Charleston. I have a better chance of finding something here.”
“I couldn’t wait to leave South Carolina when I went away to college. I was eager to spread my wings and set the world on fire. But lately, I’ve been homesick for the Lowcountry. I miss my family and the outdoor life.”
While Sean couldn’t see his brother through the darkness, he imagined the expression of longing on his face. “Mom and Dad are thinking of selling Moss Creek. They’re hardly ever here anymore. Maybe they’ll change their minds if we both move back.”
“I hope so. Moss Creek is our home.”
“I still enjoy spending time here,” Sean said. “I’ll be heartbroken if they get rid of it.”
The floor beneath them vibrated. “What’s happening?” Cooper said with fear in his voice.
“It’s the tornado, bro! Cover your head.”
Lizbet stood at the door with her suitcase at her feet and a backpack filled with cherished mementos from her brief marriage slung over her shoulder.
“Where are you going?” Jamie asked, his face a mixture of confusion and concern.
Lizbet hesitated, asking herself if this was really what she wanted. Once she took this step, there was no going back. “Home. To Charleston.”
The bottom dropped out of his stomach. “But this is your home now,” he said, spreading his arms wide.
“You know what I mean. Tradd Street is where I grew up. It will always be my first home.”
“But why do you have to go now? In the middle of a tropical storm?”
Lizbet stared down at the floor, unable to meet his dark eyes. “I need to leave while I have the nerve.”
She sensed him moving toward her and saw the toe of his Xtratuf boot when he drew near.
“The nerve for what, Liz? What’re you saying?”
She inhaled an unsteady breath as she raised her gaze. “I need some time to myself, Jamie. I’m having a personal crisis.”
Emotions marched across his face—bewilderment, anger, and fear. “How long will you be gone?”
“I’m not sure. Indefinitely.”
He shook his head, as though baffled. “I don’t understand. Are we separating?”
Lizbet bit down on her quivering lower lip. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? Where is this coming from? We’ve built a life together.”
A beautiful life. Her dream life. “I realize that, Jamie. I’m confused about some stuff right now, and I need to get my head straight.”
“What about your job? Are you just gonna walk out on Annie?” Ja mie’s voice was tight, and she could tell he was close to tears.
“She’ll find someone else.” Lizbet fidgeted with the zipper on her yellow raincoat. “Business is way down, anyway. Annie should close the Garden Cafe and let your mom use the space for the wine shop she’s always talking about.”
“Where will you work when you come back?”
If I come back, Lizbet thought. “I’ll find something more challenging. I have a degree from the finest culinary school in the country. I’m overqualified to manage a sandwich shop.”
Jamie took her hands in his to stop the fidgeting. “So, this is about your career?”
Lizbet shrugged. “It’s about a lot of things.”
Outside, a tree branch cracked and dropped to the ground with a loud thud. “I should go before the storm worsens,” Lizbet said, reaching for the doorknob. When she turned the knob, the wind blew the door out of her hand, banging it against the wall. She grabbed her suitcase and darted down the sidewalk to her car before Jamie could stop her.
Tears blurred her vision as she drove away from the small house she and Jamie had so lovingly renovated. She smiled through her tears at the memory of them refinishing the floors and painting the kitchen cabinets. They’d put down new tile in the bathrooms and hung fresh wallpaper in the master bedroom. They’d turned the second bedroom into a home office, but she’d had such big plans for the third bedroom.
Lizbet let out a loud sigh as she merged onto the highway, heading for Charleston. Jamie’s happiness was all that mattered to her. If she couldn’t give him what he wanted, she would step aside so someone else could.
Jamie ran out of the house after Lizbeth, but she sped off down the street before he could stop her. He remained at the end of the sidewalk until her taillights disappeared out of sight and a crack of lightning sent him running back inside.
He wandered around the empty rooms, oblivious to the rainwater dripping from his clothes. Signs of Lizbet were everywhere. The pink lipstick smudge on the coffee cup in the kitchen sink. Her silky bathrobe hanging from the bathroom door. Her phone charger on her nightstand. Why leave behind essential items like her robe and charger? Was she in such a hurry to get away? Or was she not planning to be away for long? He remembered what she’d said when he asked how long she’d be gone. Indefinitely.
None of this made any sense. Lizbet had been subdued lately. He’d tried talking to her about what was bothering her. But his wife was a private person. From experience, he knew it was best to give her space when she got in a funk. He felt marginally relieved. Lizbeth needed some girl time with her sister in their Charleston childhood home. Brooke was a level-headed young woman. Jamie trusted her to offer Lizbet the support she needed.
When he could no longer stand the silence, Jamie grabbed his raincoat and hurried out to his pickup truck. He navigated the neighboring streets that were lined with renovated ranchers, much like his own. He turned left onto Main Street and drove slowly through town. He was unprepared for the flooding he encountered as he approached the T-intersection at Main and Creekside Drive. His heart sank at the sight of four feet of water in Sam Sweeney’s on his left. His grandparents had started the seafood market over sixty years ago. Fortunately, they owned the land. They’d rebuilt after a fire destroyed it several years ago. They would rebuild again if necessary.
Straight ahead, his headlights illuminated the assortment of boats floating in the parking lot at the Inlet View Marina. If things were this bad in town, Jamie knew the flooding would be even worse for the houses further down the inlet. Some residents would undoubtedly lose their homes. He hoped his mom and Eli were safe. He pulled out his phone to call them, but the cell service was out.
This system turned out to be way more than a tropical storm. Locals would be cleaning up from Hurricane Ian for years to come. At least Jamie would have something to occupy his time while Lizbet was gone. Pain gripped his chest. What if she never came back?
one
lizbet
Lizbet hid behind the kitchen doorjamb, eavesdropping on her sister’s conversation with her partner.
“I can’t take it anymore,” Sawyer said. “You have to talk to your sister. All she does is mope around here, day in and day out. Her negative aura will be detrimental to the baby once I’m pregnant.”
“You’re being melodramatic. Liz is going through a rough time. We need to be sympathetic.”
“I have been sympathetic, Brooke. She’s been living here for seven months, and she hasn’t been on a single job interview. Why can’t she live with your dad?”
“You know why. His condo is only one bedroom. Besides, this is my family’s home. Liz has as much right to live here as I do.”
“Then maybe we should find our own place.”
Lizbeth sneaked out the front door, the sting of Sawyer’s words continuing to bite at her as she strode angrily down Tradd Street. The truth hurt. She did mope around all the time. She did have a negative aura about her. And she did need to find a job. Sawyer and Brooke were ready to start a family. They shouldn’t have to move. Lizbet needed to get her own place. Unfortunately, she was flat broke and couldn’t afford the rent.
She could no longer hide out in her house. She would have to look for a job. But how would she explain the seven-month void on her resume to potential employers?
Lizbet tripped over an uneven sidewalk paver, catching herself before crashing into a crepe myrtle tree. She leaned against the tree while she composed herself. She had one option. It wasn’t ideal, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
She typed out a text to Annie. Do you have time for coffee this morning?
She waited under the tree until Annie’s response came a few minutes later. If you can come by the shop? I’m swamped with work. We have two large parties tonight.
She took a deep breath. I’m on my way.
Lizbet’s concerns about working for Tasty Provisions were legitimate. Serving fried oysters on ritz crackers to snooty people at cocktail parties held little appeal to her. The bigger issue was the obvious conflict of interest. Annie was Jamie’s half sister. She would be ticked off at Lizbet for leaving Jamie. On the other hand, Annie and Lizbet had been friends before Jamie and Lizbet started dating. And Annie could offer her the temporary work she needed while she finished sorting out her life.
Lizbet took a left at East Bay Street and walked four blocks to Tasty Provisions, the gourmet shop Annie owned with her mother. The renovated warehouse building was also headquarters for their catering company with the same name.
The door was locked, the gourmet shop not yet open. Peering through the window, Lizbet spotted Georgia dusting a rack of wine bottles and waved to get her attention.
Georgia flung open the door and engulfed Lizbet in a bear hug. “I heard you were back in town. I’m disappointed you haven’t been to visit me.”
Georgia used to live next door to Lizbet’s family on Tradd Street. Not only was she Lizbet’s late mother’s best friend, Georgia had been Lizbet’s confidante during her troubled teenage years. Many times over the past months, Lizbet had been tempted to reach out to Georgia. But how could she explain her problems to Georgia when she didn’t understand them herself?
Lizbet pushed away. “I’m sorry. I’ve been figuring out some things.” Truth be told, Lizbet had figured nothing out. Correction, she’d figured one thing out. The most important thing. The thing that complicated everything else. But at least she was here, taking the first step back into the real world.
She stood back to admire the shop. Tasty Provisions sold everything from gourmet pepper jelly to prepared dinners to unique hostess gifts. “The shop looks fantastic, Georgia.”
Georgia’s face lit up. “Thanks, sweetheart. Heidi has finally turned all the purchasing over to me.”
