Tempest Torn Read online

  The lawyer noticed. When he grasped her hand, he covered it with his left hand too. “You must be cold,” he commented kindly. “I’m Brantley Carter.”

  “Yeah. That’s it,” she mumbled as she tried to recover. “Oh, and I’m Marti.” Then she brightened. This was it, her first impression. How did it feel? Smiling widely, she realized it was like kissing her brother, not that she had a brother, but the way she imagined it would be if she did. There was no chemistry between them whatsoever. It was nothing like her experience with Joey at all. A relieved sigh was admitted.

  “Feeling better?” he questioned as a smile spread.

  The man was incredibly good looking. In fact, he kind of reminded her of Jensen Ackles. Good Lord. There would be a string of women through here. She frowned as she imagined a series of strange faces at breakfast. Of course, he’d be too popular to bother with someone plain like her. The relief soothed her.

  “I’m not sure what Deborah told you about me,” he began hesitantly.

  Shaking her head, Marti admitted, “Nothing. You’re a Vermont lawyer who is relocating. That’s all.” She shrugged to show she had no preconceived notions.

  Brantley seemed to study her a moment, his green eyes brightening. “Well, that’s it in a nutshell, I suppose. I’ll be setting up a practice in town and I need a place to stay in the meantime.”

  “Come on in,” she suggested amiably. “There’s not much to see at the moment. Your room won’t be ready for a couple of weeks, but you can see the rest of the house.” Gesturing for him to follow her, she shut the car door and climbed the steps to the front door.

  Soon they were in the big open space. “This is beautiful,” Brantley complimented. “I wasn’t sure what to expect in this small town, but so far, I have been very pleasantly surprised.”

  Once she had given him the grand tour, which took all of ten minutes, Marti made a suggestion. “If you decide you like the place, let me know. I’ll put together a rental agreement, unless that’s your specialty. Then we can meet at the cafe and sign it. I’ll introduce you to the few friends I have in this town.”

  Grinning, he laughed. “How long have you lived here?”

  Looking at the calendar on her iPhone, she mused, “It’s been almost a month now. I’m a Vermont transplant as well. So how did you end up here?”

  “Long sad story, I’m afraid,” Brantley admitted. “I loved, I lost, and I left. That’s the short version.”

  Nodding, Marti admitted, “I can see the sad in it. Maybe we could sit down one night with a slab of chocolate cake and a really great dessert wine. It’s my recipe for healing a broken heart.”

  “I’ll definitely take you up on that. I could use a friend right now.”

  “Yeah. We all could.” As they spoke, she steered him back out the door. She was eager to unload the van before it was too dark. They were still facing a long winter ahead.

  “Sounds great. And...I’ve already made my decision,” he warned.

  “That was fast,” Marti joked.

  “Well, this is a great house, a great location. And I think it will be the perfect fit. Can we meet tomorrow at two in the afternoon to sign the paper work? Will you have enough time? I just need a date for moving in.” There was a warm smile on his face as he reached out a hand to shake once more.

  Would it feel different now? She wondered. Hesitantly, she shook his hand again. Surprised, she realized nothing had changed. He was now a man with a name, but there was still nothing between them. Blaine had been easy to replace, but Joey, for some reason, was going to be much harder to get over.

  “We’ll have to do that cake and wine thing soon. I need to purge and get on with my life.”

  Nodding, Marti murmured, “I completely understand. Tomorrow. Carolina Cafe at two then.” Turning her attention to the contents of the van, she didn’t pay much attention as he walked back to his car and drove away.

  It didn’t take her long to unload. Some of it she brought into the house, like the seed packets. Some she left in the carriage house she expected to make a true garage at some point. Finally, she walked back into the house and tried to figure out what she was going to eat. It hadn’t been much of a good meal day. Frowning, she realized she had yet to go grocery shopping. There was really nothing here to eat. Keely must have known when she brought food over the other night. More than anything at the moment, she wanted companionship. It might be nice having Brantley around. It would be even better going to the bed and breakfast right now. If she stayed home, she’d only mope. With Keely, she could count on some laughs...and some amazing dessert.

  Feeling lighter already, Marti headed out of the house, locking the door behind her. She could always go grocery shopping tomorrow. Walking to the van, she hopped in and carefully pulled out of the driveway. It didn’t take long for her to drive to Hope House. As she pulled in, she smiled when she saw Keely open the front door to greet her.

  “I wasn’t sure whether you’d be in the mood to come for dinner or not,” Keely admitted. “Imagine my surprise when I see you showing up looking all hale and hearty!”

  Laughing, Marti ascended the stairs to the porch. “It’s good to be here. I hate being at the house these days.” She sighed as she walked into the foyer. “I’m just glad I have other options. You make my Saturday night so much less lonely. And...I think the new tenant may work out just fine.”

  “Tell me all about her!” Keely exclaimed excitedly as she shut the door behind Marti and headed immediately through the dining room toward the kitchen.

  They had the place to themselves as most of the guests spent the evenings out or in their rooms. Still, Marti spoke in a low voice as she announced, “Actually, it’s a guy.” Ducking her head, she prepared for Keely’s reaction.

  Her friend had stopped in her tracks instantly and turned to look at her. If Keely was shocked, she recovered quickly before she responded. “That may be just what you need...what Joe needs.” Scowling, Keely headed over to the fridge. “As cold as it is, I’m in the mood for comfort food. Should we make a pot roast, a meatloaf, or soup?”

  Eyes sparkling, Marti beamed. “I haven’t had meatloaf in so long. I’d love to try yours. I’m sure it’s delicious.”

  Pulling out a family pack of hamburger and a couple of eggs, she shut the door and turned to drop it on the stainless steel worktable. With her back still turned, she murmured, “People have a way of finding comfort in the unlikeliest of places.”

  Leaning back against the counter, Marti wondered aloud, “Are we still talking about our dinner plans?” She smirked, guessing the answer.

  “Of course we are, girl. What else would we be talking about?” Then Keely winked at her and grabbed for the saltines.

 

  He didn’t know what to do with himself. As the day wore on, he simply wanted to go home. Still, he accepted at the moment he had no home to go to. While he could have made a home with Marti, he had blown it by coming to stay with Finn. By now, Keely had definitely told her where he had landed. The pain in his chest had been nagging at him on and off all day.

  Unsure of where to go or what to do, he hung around Finn’s place, waiting for her to return from work or at least call. It was closing in on seven in the evening and he had yet to hear from her all day. In the past, he had wondered if she did this on purpose, just reveling in the ways he tortured him. Now, he was certain. What the hell was he doing here? Worse, where the hell could he even go? After last night, he had probably sufficiently burnt every bridge he had.

  Still, there was always the hope things could be different with Finn this time. She did have her own place and a seemed to be holding down a job. Maybe she was just busy. Maybe she was his lifeline and his future after all. Slowly, he walked over to the window and glanced out at the parking lot. His truck was right where he left it. Beside it...was her car. Puzzled, he wondered over how long it had been there. Maybe she was on her way up. Walking over to the door, he opened it, thinking she might need hi
s help carrying things. When he stepped outside, he heard her voice, recognized her laughter.

  Taking slow, painful steps, he walked to the open stairwell. From there he followed the noise to an apartment just across the parking lot. She was in another man’s arms, talking, laughing, and drinking a beer. Swallowing hard, he realized she hadn’t changed. She would probably never change.

  Briskly walking back into her place, he grabbed his leather jacket from the back of the kitchen chair, snatched his keys from the table, and flew down the stairs to his vehicle. When he had unlocked the door and slid onto the seat, he looked up at her. The guy was kissing down her neck. Joey’s blood boiled. Worse, she was looking at him with her wide-eyed innocent look that quickly morphed into her sexy seductive smile. With one hand, she waved at him, letting him know she was aware he had seen everything.

  Nearly blinded by a white-hot rage, he considered going up there, banging on the door and beating the shit out of the guy who answered. Then he realized, this was Finn’s game, had always been her game. How many guys had he done that to over the years? And for what? Her? She wasn’t worth it. Never had been.

  Waving back, he forced a smile on his face and slammed the truck in reverse. The pain was real. His chest felt ready to explode. He had to find Marti. She could make it better. Even if she made him pay, made him grovel, it was better than staying with Finn. He drove as fast as he dared toward New Hope. It normally took half an hour, but he figured he could make it in twenty minutes tonight.

  When he reached town, he drove directly to Marti’s house. Joey didn’t even have to pull in to see she wasn’t there. No van, no Marti. It only took him a moment to problem solve. She had to be at Hope House. After doing an illegal U-turn in the street, he drove like a man possessed. Just as he expected, her rental was in the parking lot. She and Keely must be having dinner together.

  Parking the truck, he hopped out, locked it, and headed to the steps, holding his chest the whole time. The pain had grown even more intense. It had to be a heart attack. There was no way he would ever survive this. At least he would get to see her one more time before he died. Finally, he reached the front door and shoved it open. Then he stumbled in.

  Keely and Marti had heard him from the kitchen and wandered out. They both wore alarmed looks on their faces when they saw him leaning against the wall in the dining room.

  “It’s just me,” he managed through the pain.

  “I see that.” Keely was the first to respond while wiping her hands on her apron.

  Yet it was Marti who realized something was wrong. “Where do you hurt?” she asked, rushing toward him, her brow furrowed with concern.

  “My heart.” Joey slumped where he stood. From his position, he could see Marti was beside him. Her teeny tiny feet were inches away from his. She was wearing these cute little black ballerina flats and some leggings. It was a good look for her. Looking up, he wondered why she hesitated. “What?”

  “I’m just trying to decide if you’re messing with me. The whole...my heart, slumped against a wall thing.” She tapped her foot and studied him.

  Eyes squinting in pain, he frowned. “Nope. It’s really my heart.”

  “Then I guess we better really get you to the hospital.” Marti watched his reaction.

  Nodding, he murmured, “Let’s go.”

  The drive was fast. Marti had her flashers going as she followed her GPS to the nearest hospital. She pulled up in front of the emergency room and rushed to the other side of the minivan to help him out. “I’ll park and meet you inside,” she explained.

  By the time she reached his side at the desk, he was struggling to answer the questions. Given that his complaint was heart related, however, they were shown to a room immediately. Marti couldn’t help but comment. “From now on, whatever’s wrong with me, I’m going to add chest pains to my list of complaints.”

  His eyes lit up briefly. “You’re really funny.”

  “Thanks.” Her words sounded flat. It was obvious she was still hurting from his actions, but she was still here.

  There was a knock on the door and a young slender nurse with long dark hair entered. She started by asking the usual questions. “What brings you here tonight?”

  Lying back on the bed, Joey’s hand was fisted on his sweater just over his heart. “Chest pain,” he grunted.

  Then she asked a question he hadn’t heard before. Gesturing to Marti, she asked, “And this is…” while her pen hovered over an area on the paperwork.

  Laughing, Marti asked, “What are my options? It can be anything from ‘neighbor’ to ‘it’s complicated’.”

  “Okay then,” the nurse remarked before scribbling something down and leaving the room.

  “You could have said you were my girlfriend,” Joey muttered.

  Stiffening, she remarked, “Nope. My boyfriend would never spend the night with another woman if we were really a couple.” Standing, she began pacing around the room.

  “This isn’t helping me calm down, you acting like this,” he reminded her.

  Pausing mid-step, she turned on her heels and marched to the side of the gurney. Leaning over him with one eyebrow arched dangerously, she smiled before closing the distance and planting one long lingering kiss on his lips. Then she pulled back. “How about that?”

  Sighing happily, he admitted, “A few more of those would definitely help.”

  Shaking her head, she warned, “Sorry. That was the last one you can expect for a good long time.” Still, her smile showed she was pretty pleased with herself.

  Joey couldn’t help but smile despite her words. “We’ll see,” he teased.

  Soon there was a tech entering the room to hook him up to an EKG. Though he was in pain, he couldn’t help but keep up appearances as he pulled off his sweater like a model or actor would. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Marti covering her mouth. That woman loved to laugh at him. Some blood was drawn when the nurse returned. Then the stickers on his chest remained, but the machine was wheeled away. Through it all, he saw Marti watched him silently.

  Once they were alone, she began speaking to him again. “So, about my house…”

  “Are you really bringing up your remodeling project right now?” He lifted his head from the hospital bed long enough to glare at her.

  Lips puckered and with a slow nod, Marti responded. “Yup. You’re not dying.”

  Looking less than convinced, Joey asked, “How can you be sure?”

  Exasperated as she was with him, she blurted out the first words that came to mind. “Because the good always die young. You’re safe!” She threw her hands up in frustration and slapped them against her thighs when they rapidly descended. Then, at the shocked look on his face, Marti burst out laughing. “What?”

  “You think I’m bad?” Joey’s head slammed back on the bed. “You think I’m bad.”

  Walking closer, she held his hand in hers, examined it as she ran her other hand over it and up his forearm. “You hurt me, Joey. I never thought you would, but the moment you had the chance, you did.” Shrugging, Marti looked away, seemingly unsure of what to say. “Staying with Finn...not good.” She sighed heavily. “I’m sure you slept together.” Turning to look him in the eye, she added, “And I don’t mean that you simply shared a bed. Sex.” Her look was accusing.

  Writhing under the truth of her words, Joey first offered a pleading look, then realized he couldn’t meet her eyes. “What do you want me to say?” he asked. “I was backed into a corner.”

  Releasing his hand and sitting in the chair beside the bed, Marti studied him a moment. “You made your choice, Joey. You embarrassed me...in front of her.” He cringed when she spoke those words. The pain in his chest increased and his breathing was labored again. Studying her, he watched as she shook her head as though to clear those memories away. Abruptly she stood and walked to the far side of the room. Turning, she leaned her back against the wall and crossed her arms over her chest.

  Eyes narrowed, J
oey asked the question which had been nagging at him. “So why did you bring me to the hospital? Why not send me in an ambulance? Why did you even offer to help me?”

  Slowly she expelled her breath as if to even her emotions. “You were hurting and scared. No matter what you’ve done to me, I couldn’t turn you away.” Her shoulders drooped. “What can I say, I’m a perpetual doormat.”

  There was a knock on the door just before the emergency room doctor opened it. Quietly, he walked into the room and sat on the rolling stool, wheeling himself into a position where he could see both Joey and Marti. “Well, we’ve looked at the EKG and the blood work. The good news is you didn’t have a heart attack.”

  His chest still ached, despite the diagnosis. “So what’s wrong with me?” he asked through gritted teeth.

  “I believe you’re having a panic attack. The two feel much the same.” Standing up from the stool, he added, “I’m going to recommend you follow up with your physician and figure out what’s bothering you.” Then he walked over to the door and pulled it wide open. “We’ll have you discharged in just a few minutes.