Three very restless hours later, Renee roused from sleep. Food was a sudden necessity, as was showering. “I’m getting food first.”
She made her way to the kitchen. CRACK! Thunder! “Gotta love South Georgia in the spring.” She mused aloud. The rain kept everything beautiful, until the heat kicked in. “One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one, four-one thou...” Lightning struck. “It’s about four miles away, or so. Maybe it won’t be bad this time.” Renee first started coffee, then put a pan on her gas stove and cracked six egg whites into it. She grabbed some ready-made onions and bell peppers to throw into her omelet, and seasoned it with sea salt and black pepper, and a hint of garlic for extra flavor. Then she grabbed turkey sausage patties and quickly cut them into small pieces and threw them in the pan with the eggs. While that finished cooking, she poured a glass of orange juice. Two slices of whole wheat/ whole grain bread went into the toaster. She reached for the butter... CRACK! She dropped the glass butter dish on the floor, shattering the lid, and her nerves. “Deep breaths, Renee, take deep breaths. It’s only thunder.” Since Jaden’s shooting, Renee didn’t do well with loud noises. Thunder was one that caused her skittish nature to surface. She cleaned up the glass, took the food out of the frying pan before it burned, and made a cup of coffee. She pulled a plate from the dishwasher, and placed her food there. Then, walking to the couch to eat, the lights went out! “Great! Again! The boonies are starting to wear on my last nerve.”
She sat in the dark, eating her food. “Maybe I should call Adam. At least I’d have company.” She dialed his number. The phone rang four times before he answered. “Hartman Mechanics. This is Adam!”
“Adam? This is Renee! I was calling to see if you still had power?” Renee asked, sheepishly.
“It just went out. Are you doing okay?” He sounded concerned.
“Yes. I was just sitting here, eating some breakfast. I had planned on showering afterwards, but don’t wanna do that in the dark. Do you feel like driving over and keeping me company? I’m really not in the mood to sit this stupid storm ou...” CRASH! Renee screamed! “Sorry. I hate thunder. I was trying to say I don’t want... Hello?”
Two minutes later, there was a knock on the door! “Renee? You okay? It’s Adam! I got worried when you screamed.” He found her in the living room. Renee placed her plate and cup on the coffee table, and then hugged Adam with a fierce need to be held. “Sweetie, it’s okay!” She didn’t have the heart to explain to him why she was so afraid right that minute.
“Sorry, Adam. I’m just overly emotional right now. I hate storms. Loud noises have always bothered me, but for some reason, today is worse than usual.” Renee confessed.
“I’m glad you called me. I’m here for you, neighbor.” She started crying when he said that, and he put his arms around her and hugged her again. “No need to cry. You’re safe. I won’t let you get hurt.” Adam’s calm voice soothed her frayed nerves.
Renee still couldn’t tell him about the note, or the unexpected visit from her EX-fiancé. The less he knew the better, in her thinking. She had not stopped hugging him. He reached up, and with trepidation, smoothed her hair. She timidly reached up and kissed him on the cheek. He smiled at her. “Thank you for rescuing me, Adam. Some days, a girl just needs a hero.” Awkwardly, they terminated the hug but continued to stand very close to one another. She searched his eyes, and saw a new depth of emotion in them. She whispered, “Adam? What’s going on?”
“I was just thinking; I wonder what it would be like to kiss you, that’s all.” He said in a deep, husky, breathless voice. He bent his head down. His breathing was fast and shallow as he hovered his lips over hers, gauging her response before continuing. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning into him, completing the contact. The kiss deepened so intensely that Renee lost all sense of clear thinking. He pulled her closer into the embrace. Suddenly, she pulled out of the kiss, and put her hands in her pockets.
“Adam. I’m sorry. That should not have happened. I guess I was caught up in the moment.” She apologized for the most incredible kiss she’d had in ages.
Adam laughed a small chuckle, and said, “No need to apologize for the best thing that’s happened to me in a good while! Any time you need to be caught up in the moment, I will gladly volunteer.” His grin spoke to her in a way that touched her heart and moved her deeply.
Reality struck her then, and she put her head in her hands and started to cry. She could not put him in that kind of danger. Adam moved a piece of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear, cupping her ear and the back of her head with his hand. “Renee, what is it?” He whispered.
“It’s nothing. I’ve just had an emotional couple of days, and not enough sleep. Fear grips my heart to the point where I can’t breathe.” I should not have said that, she thought.
“What has you so afraid that you cry during thunderstorms, Renee?”
“Adam, don’t ask questions when you are not prepared for the answer. I don’t want you to get hurt. It’s better for us to remain friendly neighbors than for him to find out about us.”
“What are you talking about?” He asked in a concerned voice.
“Adam, it’s better if you don’t know. If I keep you in the dark, you can’t get hurt.” She laughed at the irony of the power being out. She put her head on his shoulder and sighed. “Let me light a fire. This storm’s not going away any time soon.” As she stood, she laughed at the double meaning. Kissing him again would be so sweet, though.
She walked into the kitchen and brought back a cup of coffee for Adam. “Thank you, Renee. Mm. That is some good coffee.” He smiled at her, and held her hand with the one that was not holding his mug. “I need to know what’s going on. I can protect you, but only if I understand the threat.”
“I really do appreciate the thought, Adam, but you don’t know what you are getting into.”
“Then tell me.”
“I can’t.” And she started to cry again. He didn’t question any more, but put his arms around her, and held her close. She rested her head on his chest. He smelled like Stetson and motor oil, but the motor oil wasn’t overpowering. Her hands went around his waist. The warmth of the embrace brought a level of comfort she hadn’t had since Jaden had died. She dried her tears with one hand, and looked into Adam’s face. The compassion coming from his expression radiated peace. She held his gaze for a long instance. He bent his head down and kissed her again, but only a light kiss. She let him kiss her, but the doubts were swimming in her mind like sharks circling a boat. “Adam. I can’t, won’t get involved in a relationship. I mean it. It’s for your protection. If the situation were different, I would welcome this. I ... how do I explain?”
“I understand you are afraid. I’m here for you and I will do my best to keep you safe. Renee!” The fear in her eyes caught Adam off his guard.
“I don’t want you in danger. You don’t understand. I will tell you soon! I promise. Right now is not the time.” She was out of ways to explain to him without telling him what was going on.
“I won’t push the issue, then. I’m here for you whenever you’re ready to tell me. If, for one second, you think you might be in jeopardy, call me. I can be here in a second.” That knowledge sent relief soaring through the fear that captivated Renee’s mind, and shattered it.
“I am so glad to know you! I’m sure you’ve got my back. I do want you to know that I carry a weapon, and have several, other than my flashlight. He’d be stupid to try to come after me here, but smart’s not something he’s really ever been accused of.”
“Good. Don’t be afraid to lock and load. Protect yourself.” Adam said. He stood and walked to the window. The rain was pouring in sheets and the power had not returned. He then went and put another log on the fire.
He returned to the couch, but instead of sitting next to her, he stood Renee up. “While we’re here, just us, in the storm, waiting for it to pass, can I pretend you want more than a friendship, and kiss you again?” She nodded, and let reality slip her mind for a few more minutes. His kiss was sweet, intense, and soft all at the same time. Yielding a little more, she placed her hands around his waist. He did likewise, and pulled her until their bodies were touching. They molded perfectly, and the thoughts of being with Adam more than just right now ran like a herd of stampeding horses through her head. He could definitely make a woman forget the danger and melt her senses to mush, and fast.
Thunder crashed again, and he wrapped his arms tighter, but broke the kiss and pressed his lips to her forehead instead. Renee rested her head on his shoulder. “This is something that has been missing for a good while.” She looked at Adam, giggled, and said, “Did I just say that out loud?” He nodded and grinned, and kissed her again. “If you keep this up, you might get this girl in trouble. Just so you know, I believe in the sanctity of marriage, and am not one to sleep with any guy.” He kissed her again, saying nothing, but the look in his eyes changed from desire to consideration.
“I respect that more than you know. Renee, I don’t expect anything from you. This wasn’t exactly planned, you know? Until a few days ago, when I came to check on my neighbor during a storm, I wasn’t looking to find a relationship. You are quickly changing that, whether you want to or not.” This time, Renee instigated the kiss, and pressed her mouth into his in a passion that took her breath away. Desire stirred in her core, past what she’d ever felt, even with Jaden. Though no one could replace Jaden, Renee could easily see Adam as a serious relationship. His kisses were like nectar and she was a honey bee.
He pulled away this time. “Renee, I’m not going to take you farther than you want to go, okay? I think we had better call it quits. You are bringing emotions to surface that I have not explored before now. You’re taking my breath away. If things were different...” He didn’t finish the thought. Instead, he caressed her face with his palm, and trailed a finger down her throat. Stopping himself from going further, he kissed her quickly one more time, then left.
Renee wondered out loud to herself: “What just happened?”
She knew she’d have to tell Adam sooner rather than later. The sense of dread that followed her during the early part of the day had vanished in his arms. Butterflies replaced it. As she readied for work, Renee could not stop the smile on her face.