Trusting Love by Dixie Lynn Dwyer Read Free Book Online Page B

need to call the fire department. Yup.” He disconnected the call and they headed down into the basement.
    “Fuck, this isn’t good.”
    She covered her mouth and gasped, seeing things floating on the flooring including boxes of pictures and things from her grandparents. She went to step down and he grabbed her. “What are you doing?”
    “Trying to save the boxes of stuff.”
    “Forget it, they’re ruined, and if not, then you’ll get them after the water is pumped out.”
    “No. Those things are all I have left right now to look at of my grandparents. No.” She headed into the water that was nearly up to her knees and she started grabbing at boxes.
    “Jesus,” he scolded but then went in and started helping her. They carried a few items up when they heard yelling from upstairs. “Jesse and Jack are here,” he said, carrying the box of items to the top of the stairs.
    Jesse appeared. “One more please, Milton,” she said to him. He grabbed it from her and passed it to Jesse, who joined them.
    “What the hell is going on? This has never happened before,” Jesse said.
    “We haven’t had rain like this in a while. We’ll know more once we start pumping out water.”
    “Well, the forecast said this storm is right over us and just sitting here. It’s going to go on for hours.”
    “Shit,” Milton stated.
    “What do we do first?” she asked them and then Jack was at the top of the stairs.
    “Here are two pumps. I need help with the generator to start flushing out the water.” She noticed how Jack and Jesse looked at her top and she remembered how wet she was—and probably showing off how cold, too.
    An hour later the humming sound continued and the smell of diesel and dirty water filled the small cottage. She was exhausted and hungry as they all gathered around the kitchen. She looked at the boxes on the floor that she and Milton had saved. She pulled out a picture of her grandparents. She missed them so much. She wished she could hear their voices. She closed her eyes and imagined her grandmother’s lotion she wore. The clean, sweet scent of vanilla and orange.
    God, she missed them. She called one time since she took off after they helped her. Her grandfather said, “Don’t call again. Damn telemarketers.” Then she heard Collin’s voice in the background and she hung up. She prayed he and Steven hadn’t hurt them trying to find out where she ran to.
    “Who is that?” Jack’s voice surprised her and she nearly dropped the picture. She wiped the unshed tears from her eyes and then placed the picture into the box.
    “My grandparents,” she said and then stood up.
    “They still alive?” he asked and reached down into the box to take the picture back out. She shivered, worrying about what other questions he would push to ask her.
    “Yes.”
    “Where do they live?”
    “Far from here,” she replied and then watched him and crossed her arms in front of her chest. Jack looked her over and she felt every bit of the effect that had on her.
    “You look a little like your grandmother,” he said to her and looked from the picture to her. Her heart soared a moment and she couldn’t hide her reaction.
    “You think so?” she asked, stepping closer. He lowered the picture and pointed at her grandmother.
    “I can see the resemblance in your eyes.”
    She looked at the picture and then up at Jack. He reached out with his free hand and stroked her cheek and jaw.
    “Gorgeous blue eyes, so filled with emotion.”
    She lowered her head and stepped away.
    Jesse was repairing the sink and she finished mopping up the floors. Thank God no pipes burst or seemed to have additional problems except the rotted wood around the kitchen window.
    “Is that going to be expensive?” she asked, leaning over the counter on her elbows. She was dirty, wet, cold, and tired.
    “It’s not your responsibility but ours. We’ll get it fixed as soon as the rain clears. I’ll pick up a new window at the lumber yard and