Summer Sunsets (19 page)

Fighting the wind, I
scramble to my feet so she can see me. “I’m all right,” I call. I
turn my efforts back to moving the branch from her legs. My feet
seem to dig into the mud, kind of like the tree is pushing me
instead of the other way around, but I keep adjusting the placement
of my hands until I find a spot that seems to allow me to unsettle
the branch. Granted, it’s not much, but it’s a starting
place.

I look back at Skye. “Okay,
be ready! I think I can push it enough.”

She nods again, knowing I
probably won’t hear her over the storm. Turning back, I shove at
the tree with all I’ve got. That does it. Skye awkwardly pulls her
legs from under it, and once she’s free, I stop pushing.

“
Can you walk?” I
ask

“
I don’t know.” She starts
to scramble to her feet with me hovering nearby. The minute she
plants her foot atop the sodden ground and puts her weight on it,
the ankle gives. She starts to collapse, but I catch her before she
hits the ground. Her face is contorted with pain.

In a quick motion, I sweep
my arm beneath her legs and hoist her into my arms. Even as she
leans against me, I feel her shivering. Hell, I’m shivering, too.
The rain and wind are chilling, and there’s no telling where the
hell this storm came from. No, I hadn’t checked the weather, but
I’m not sure anyone could’ve predicted this to hit so suddenly. The
sun had been out earlier, so what happened?

Skye tucks her head beneath
my chin and clutches me tightly, as though she’s scared I’m going
to drop her. It’s probably because she feels the force of the wind
I’m fighting, and she knows how hard it is to see. I wish the
damned rain would ease up.

“
Relax,” I say. “I’ve got
you.” I start making my way toward the path. Around me, I see a few
stones the storm and fallen branches have toppled. Nothing like an
obstacle course in a storm. I ease my way around the debris and
finally start toward the exit again, this time knowing Skye is
right here with me.

“
How’s your ankle,” I
ask.

“
Throbbing.”

I nod. Just ahead I see the
exit, and relief spills through me. “Do you think you need to go to
the hospital?”

“
No,” she gushes, probably
afraid I’ll actually take her. “I just want to go home.”

I clench my jaw, well aware
I could argue this point until I’m blue in the face. It’s better
just to get us both out of here, drive to her house, and see what
the injuries look like. While I don’t think the branch hit her too
hard, that doesn’t mean it didn’t. It’s hard to tell if she just
twisted the ankle or whether the tree made the injury worse. And
then there’s the gouge on her head.

Despite the wind’s force, I
manage to get her through the gate and to the Jeep where I open the
door and carefully deposit her into the passenger seat. I rush
around, anxious to get the hell out of this rain. Once inside, I
dab at my face, uselessly trying to dry it off with a wet
hand.

“
Let’s get you to the house.
Your mom will probably be freaking out.” Speaking of mothers, I
reach into my pocket for my phone. Just as I thought, it’s soaked,
and the display isn’t working. Shaking my head, I shove it back
into my pockets and start the engine.

As we drive home, I keep
slowing down. If it’s not the rain, it’s the wind or branches which
have fallen into the road. The crews are going to have a field day
with clean-up, I’m sure.

“
You okay?” I ask, risking
only a glance away from the road. The conditions are just too
dangerous to give her the attention I want.

“
I’ll be fine,” she
whispers. She’s shaking, so I reach out and flip on the
heater.

“
Give it a minute, and it’ll
warm up. Once we get you home, you can get out of those soaked
clothes.

I force myself to focus
back on the roads, and a drive that should take us about five
minutes ends up taking twenty because of the storm. We get there in
one piece to find numerous branches strewn around Skye’s yard. The
driveway is empty except for Skye’s vehicle. I’m guessing Warren’s
car is parked in the garage because he’s away. At least Skye’s dad
is gone, and that’s a blessing.

“
Where’s your mom?” I ask,
surprised she would

consider getting out in
this mess.

Skye suddenly sits up
straighter. “Oh, no. Warren’s flight is supposed to come in
tonight. She’s at the airport.” Her voice is breathy and
panicked.

I gently grasp her
shoulder. “I’m sure his flight has either been delayed or
cancelled. They won’t fly in this storm.”

“
I hope you’re right,” she
murmurs, staring out at the falling rain.

“
I’m always right. Even
about the weather, and you know it,” I smirk, opening my door.
“Wait for me to come around and get you. I want to take a look at
your ankle before you try walking on it again.”

“
Yes, Mother.” She leans
back in the seat, closing her eyes. The gash on her forehead is
still bleeding, and I’m betting that whether Skye likes it or not,
we’re going to end up at the ER to take care of that gash. I guess
we’ll see.

I step out into the hard
rain and dart to her side. I jerk open the door. She reaches for me
so I can carry her to the door. Neither of us says much of anything
until we’ve finally made it inside, where I set her on the couch.
Her teeth chatter, and she folds her arms across her chest,
probably trying to hold in all the warmth she can.

Before I look at her ankle,
I go to the cordless phone in the kitchen and grab the receiver to
take it to Skye. “Call your mom’s cell and find out what’s going on
while I check your ankle.”

“
Thanks.” She takes the
phone and starts dialing as she leans back. I focus on untying her
sneaker and gently easing it from her foot. Even that slight motion
brings a grimace to her face, and I mouth the word “Sorry” before
gently prying the soaked sock from her foot.

“
Mom?” Skye says. “Where are
you?” She pauses and frowns. “What’s going on with Warren’s flight.
He’s okay, isn’t he?” Her voice teems with all the emotions she
tries so hard to bury. She gasps, revealing just how tender the
ankle is. It’s swollen—there’s no doubt about that. It could just
be a horrible sprain, but it worries me.

“
Okay. Yeah, I’m here at the
house. Devin is with me. We got caught in the storm, and I think I
did something to my ankle.” She pauses, watching my fingers as
though waiting for me to tell her something. “No, Mom. Don’t leave.
You need to stay in case they do send the flight on its way. If I
need something, Devin will be here. He always is.”

With that I smile, aware
Skye is disconnecting the phone. “I’m always here, am I?” I run my
fingers lightly over the discolored area, trying to feel anything
unusual.

“
Of course you
are.”

“
I do. I was just waiting to
see if you’d figured it out.” My finger happens upon a particularly
sensitive spot, and she groans. The foot spasms beneath my
touch.

“
Are you done yet?” she
manages in a voice made raspy by pain.

“
Yeah, I think it’s probably
a bad sprain.” I lift my hand and look at her. “What about Warren’s
flight?”

“
Like you said, it’s been
delayed.” She clenches her teeth, trying to still the
chattering.

“
That’s a good thing.” I
look towards the stairs. “You ready to get out of those wet clothes
and into a warm bath?”

I don’t wait for her answer
but instead lift her into my arms.

“
You really want to take me
upstairs?”

“
What, are you doubting I
can carry you or something?” I challenge, aware of how dark her
eyes look right now delving into mine.

“
The stairs are kind of
steep,” she says, snuggling closer.

“
I think I can manage—as
long as you’re still.” I head that way and start up, my gaze
alternating between her face and the steps ahead. It’s not like I
don’t know where I’m going. I know Skye’s house just as well as I
know my own.

At the top of the stairs, I
pause before heading into the bathroom. I set Skye on the counter
before turning to the tub, settling the drain plug in place and
turn on the water, opting more for a very warm bath than not. Skye
and her crazy love of hot water. When I turn back, she’s pulled off
her shirt and bra.

I inhale sharply as desire
hits me—a punch in my solar plexus that steals my breath. She’s the
most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. My hand knocks the shampoo
bottle into the tub and I have to bend to fish it out. As I turn
back, I see her about to hop down from the counter to get the pants
off.

“
Here, lean on me.” I wrap
my arm around her so she can keep the weight off that ankle and
shimmy out of the pants, leaving them in a sodden pile on the mat.
Then comes her panties. I force myself to take a deep breath and
think of something stupid. SpongeBob SquarePants comes to mind as I
scoop one arm beneath her legs and lift her to set her into the
tub.

“
Thanks,” she mutters as I
slowly release her and straighten up.

“
You’re welcome.” My voice
is rough, and I know it’s because of the effect she’s having on me.
She
always
has that
effect on me. Right now it’s just been magnified about ten times.
Go figure. “Do you have what you need?”

“
Yeah.” She begins splashing
the water over her body, trying to get warm. “I think if you look
in my second dresser drawer, you’ll find a pair of your sweats and
a t-shirt you gave me.

I frown, trying to remember
giving her those, but I don’t, not that it matters. I’m sure I did.
It’s not like I wouldn’t have given her everything I
had.

I look at the blood still
oozing from her forehead, and I douse a washcloth with some
peroxide and dab the wound. She flinches. “Hurt?”

“
Not so bad, she whispers.
“It’s just kind of cold and fizzy.”

I pull the rag back, not
liking the way there’s a lot of blood there, and as quickly as I
draw it back, there’s more seeping out. “Yeah, well, you’re still
bleeding, and if we can’t get that stopped, we’re going to have to
go to the ER.” I nod to the rag. “Hold that while I take a good
look at your ankle.”

Her hand creeps up, and her
fingers touch mine as she takes my place at holding the rag. Once
I’m sure she’s got it, I turn and look at her ankle. Even from a
distance, the swelling strikes me. If it’s just a sprain, it
doesn’t look good. “I’m thinking maybe we should check out your
ankle, too.”

“
I’d rather try some ice on
it first once I get out of the tub.” She shakes her head. “You
worry too much, Devin.”

I trace my fingers down her
ankle, trying to figure out if I’m missing something. Only an x-ray
would be able to tell me for sure. I look up and smirk. “This,
coming from you? You’re an accident waiting to happen, Skye. One of
us has to worry.”

Convinced I can’t tell
anything by touch, I slowly rise. That’s when I figure I can
finally tend to my own needs. Water drips from my hair, and I’m
finally aware of being too cold and wet for my own comfort, so I
pull the shirt over my head. It’s a battle, sure, considering how
the rain has plastered it against my chest, and once I’m done
struggling out of it and the wet fabric lies in a pile on the rug,
I look up and find Skye staring at me with a curious expression
I’ve never seen on her face before. It’s out of place, and it
strikes me, but I can’t exactly put my finger on what it hints
at.

“
What are you staring at?” I
finally ask, raking my fingers through my hair.

“
You,” she whispers, and
turns off the bathwater. The tub is almost full, and I can tell by
the way she lies back and closes her eyes she’s content.

“
Okay, that’s a given. Why?”
I grab a towel from the cabinet.

“
I don’t know.”

Another non-committal
answer. Skye is famous for those. I towel off. Figuring I’m
probably not going to get an answer, I thumb toward the door. “I’m
going to go find those clean clothes, and I’ll be back. You stay
put.”

“
All right.” I head out the
door and down the hall to Skye’s room. Even after all these years,
I pause at the doorway. Skye’s moved all the furniture around, but
that doesn’t stop me from staring at the bed and remembering.
Nothing stops that.

I stiffen and slip across
the threshold, heading for the dresser. I open the second drawer,
and just like Skye said, I find a pair of navy blue sweats and a
white t-shirt. I squint again and try to think back to when I might
have given them to her, but I honestly don’t remember. Yet she has
them. I look deeper in the drawer and realize this is where she
keeps her nightgowns.

Skye sleeps in
these?

Another piece falls into
place. Perhaps it really wasn’t about her going off to college to
make sure of what she wanted. Perhaps she knew even when we
separated to go to different universities she had feelings for me,
and she was trying to give me time to make up my own mind, not
realizing I had already made it up.