Brave The Storm (Storm Warning Series Book 6) Read online

  Scanning him head to toe, his cocky attitude made her temper flare. He had it under control, huh? Didn’t need her? Well, if he wanted to push her aside, fine. What else was new?

  Done with the whole thing, she threw her hands in the air. “Do whatever the hell you want.”

  Turning her back on her dad’s angry expression at her outburst, she made a beeline for her car. Enough was enough. She didn’t bother to say goodbye to anyone. She didn’t dare for fear of scaring them to death with the furious look currently stuck to her face. Behind the wheel she inserted the key in the ignition and grabbed her seatbelt, her eyes sweeping up to check that she was clear to back out as she did.

  Griff was stomping toward her, his face as stiff and hard as his firm torso.

  Not willing to engage him in another verbal battle, she stepped on the gas and sped away. Damn him!

  * * *

  Griff stood in the middle of the yard, his hands on his hips, shaking his head in disgust. So, that’s how it was going to be.

  “What’s she all fired up about?” David asked, coming up to him. “Who pissed her off?”

  “Me.”

  David looked at him, then took a long swig of his beer. “Yeah. That’d do it.”

  Tilting his head, he gave his friend an exasperated look. “You too, now?”

  David patted him on the shoulder. “Hell no. You know I’ve got your back. But she’s my sister. She might be wrong, but it doesn’t mean she isn’t hurt.”

  They watched her take a curve way too fast as her vehicle disappeared in the distance. “I can’t believe she’s still so mad,” he said.

  “Yeah, she’s stubborn all right. But these past years haven’t been easy for her.”

  He sighed. “I heard. I hate that she went through that. I wish I could pummel the guys who did that to her.”

  “We took care of them, don’t you worry.”

  He smiled a little at that.

  “I’m surprised though. Didn’t you two ever run into one another while your mom was going through her cancer treatment?”

  He shook his head and lowered his gaze. Watching his mom suffer like that nearly killed him. He feared losing her every day until they finally released her from the hospital.

  “No, we never crossed paths. I thought it was coincidence, but after today I’m starting to think it was by design.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I have to be honest, it wrecked me, what happened between us and why. But I had to get over it. I had no other choice. I thought by now she would have too. That maybe we could find a way to reconnect, clear the air. Maybe even get that apology she owes me,” he added ruefully. “Though I’m not sure that really matters anymore. I think I would be happy just to have her talking to me without getting angry.”

  David nodded, contemplatively. “She might have if Clint Butler hadn’t screwed up her whole life.”

  “Who?”

  “You didn’t know him. He was a fireman at the station. Moved here from Austin. He and Olivia became close and he asked her to marry him. Then, the night before the wedding, she learned he and her Maid of Honor had skipped town together. They even stayed gone for the honeymoon.”

  Ah, so he was the fiancé. When she told him about that it crushed his heart to think a man, any man, had treated her so callously. “Was it someone I knew?”

  David held up his hand, shaking his head. “No. Her name was Rhonda Johnson. Olivia and her became friends in nursing school.”

  “Wow, that’s a kick in the ass.” He cocked his head. “Did the guy come back to the station? To his job?”

  “Damn straight he did, and it burned my dad’s ass that he couldn’t do anything about it.” David took another sip of his beer. “I didn’t think she’d ever get over the embarrassment.”

  “He still at the fire station?” he asked, already planning what he’d say to the man.

  “Hell, no, and he better never show his face in Rainwater again. I wanted to beat the living hell out of him, but Lucas kept that from happening. However, a few days later I told him if he didn’t want to keep looking over his shoulder, he better take his tramp and hightail it out of here.”

  “And?”

  David smiled. “He left.”

  “I’m sorry for Olivia. That really sucks.”

  “You better never let her hear you say that. The last thing she wants is pity.”

  “That sounds like her.”

  David slapped him on the shoulder then turned to leave. “Give her a little time. She’ll come around.”

  “It’s been ten years, why would she change her mind now?”

  “Aren’t you going to give her a reason to?” David asked, surprised. “It’s been long enough. We aren’t kids anymore. I learned with Amelia that if you want something, if you feel in your bones that it’s right, you shouldn’t run from it.”

  He took a moment, then confessed quietly, “She broke my heart, man. Out of everyone, she was the one person who should have believed me when I said it wasn’t what it looked like. But out of the whole town, she was the one person who didn’t.”

  David gave him a weak smile. “I know that. I guess you just gotta ask yourself, is she worth it to you? Can you put that pride and hurt away to get her back?”

  Watching David walk away he wasn’t sure what the answer was. He just hoped he figured it out before it was too late.

  * * *

  Monday morning Griff met with the realtor, Benny Martin, who’d promised to line up several homes to show him. He enjoyed living with his mom, but he needed his own space. Having her constantly insist he eat, drink less beer and go to bed at nine o’ clock drove him nuts. He loved her, but he was beginning to feel smothered.

  Besides, he’d lived alone too long to be able to move into his mom’s house permanently and be happy. He liked the guys over on Sunday to watch the game, to hang out with buddies and occasionally invite a woman over for the night. Not that he made that a habit, but he was no monk.

  That thought brought Olivia to mind. Would he continue doing that, or was he going to take David’s advice and forget the past and listen to his heart? It was a small town, what if word got back to her? Would she be upset? Would it ruin any chance he had with her?

  Hell, why did he care, she obviously didn’t want anything to do with him. And he shouldn’t want to have anything to do with her either, but disappointment settled in the pit of his stomach at the thought of how things had gone the other day none the less. It was all so confusing and such a mess.

  After several hours of traveling the streets of Rainwater, looking at houses on the market, still nothing had caught his eye. At noon, they had just agreed to call it quits for the day when Benny received a call from his office. After hanging up, he turned to him and said, “There’s a house just put on the market. Let’s see what you think. It sounds exactly like what you’re looking for.” Benny grinned. “It even has a pool.”

  That made the house appealing even before he saw it or knew anything else about it. In the Texas heat, nothing beat having a pool to relax in after a hard day at the station. They traveled a short distance before he saw the sign in the yard.

  The ranch style house was well maintained on the outside, the yard meticulous and the neighborhood ideal. He had a good feeling about this one. They entered the dark interior and when Benny switched on the lights, it was all he could do not to gasp.

  The place was beautiful.

  Recently remodeled, it had a large living room with new hardwood floors and a big wall for his forty-two-inch TV. There was a separate dining room and a modernized, stainless steel kitchen with Corrigan counters, plenty of cabinets, and an eating area.

  A set of French doors led out to the back yard and the crystal blue pool, which had a waterfall with a walking bridge at the far end. A small dressing area sat behind that. Benny led the way, reaching over and flipping on the lights as they stepped outside. Even in daylight the water turned a midnight purple.

  He was sold!


  Excited, he toured the rest of the house. The bedrooms were nicely sized with the master big enough to put a couple of chairs in along with his bed, dresser and chest of drawers. The shower in the bathroom was all glass and huge.

  After a second look through the house, he turned to Benny and smiled. “I want it.”

  Benny shook his hand and said, “We’ll put in an offer right away. You’re going to love living here. The neighbors are great, and you’re only blocks from the station.”

  He slipped his hands in his pockets and glanced around. “I really like this place. And the pool is an extra bonus. I can tell you right now there will be a lot of parties taking place on that patio in the back.”

  “Great place for entertaining.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t get snatched out from under me.”

  Benny punched a number in his phone. “I won’t let that happen. The price we agreed on earlier has already been submitted. They have twenty-four hours to counter.”

  “Wow, I might the be owner of a new house.”

  “After living in an apartment, I know you’re going to love owning your own place.”

  He nodded. “I’m sure I will.” Glancing at the high ceilings he smiled. “I can’t wait for my mom to see this.”

  A few minutes later, he left with his stomach tied in knots. If this sale didn’t go through, he’d be bitterly disappointed. There wasn’t another house for him in Rainwater. He envisioned diving into the refreshing pool after a long, hard day at the station. Speaking of which, he wasn’t officially on duty until next week, but he wanted to stop by and say hello to the guys he’d be working with.

  He promised himself not to breathe a word about the house until it was wrapped up and in his name.

  Chapter 4

  Olivia had a busy Monday. Being a surgical nurse meant early, long hours and little to no time for anything else. She was lucky to get a bottle of water down her before the next scheduled surgery. While in the OR, she doubled as the Scrub Nurse and the Circulating Nurse which meant she stayed busy—all the time.

  As Scrub Nurse, she handled the tools and instruments necessary to perform surgery, making sure everything went smoothly. Other times, she was the Circulating Nurse and, in that capacity, she constantly monitored the patient and made sure everything went exactly as planned. In the event trouble sprung up, it was her job to notify the attending physician.

  This was not a job you took your problems to. You had to be on your toes every second. A patient’s life depended on how well you performed your duties. She prided herself on being one of the best. Griff Bradford showing up wouldn’t change that.

  She had just left the ladies room when she bumped into Janette Simmons. She assisted the anesthesiologist by monitoring the patient during surgery. “Did you have time to grab something to eat? Today’s going to be a long one.”

  “No,” she answered, heading for the OR. “I managed half a candy bar earlier, but that’s it.”

  Janette tsked at her. “You’re in medicine—you know how important it is to get a good meal. At least go for the protein bar.” She smiled sheepishly as they hurried along together. “How was the cookout yesterday?”

  She grinned. “Nancy Wigan is pregnant.”

  Janette’s eyes widened. “No,” she said in a hushed tone. “I didn’t think she could have children.”

  She shrugged. “Crazier things have occurred. She and Jeff are over the moon.”

  “I bet. I’m excited for them.”

  Biting the bullet, she shared the other bit of town gossip. “Guess you heard Griff Bradford’s back in Rainwater.”

  Janette lowered her head. “I have, but I wasn’t going to mention it.”

  “Not a problem.” She tried to shrug it off. “No sweat off my back.”

  “But you and he used to be a thing, right?”

  She glanced at her friend. “Until I caught him with Shelia Calhoun, we were.”

  “Sorry I brought it up,” Janette offered apologetically. “I thought he was madly in love with you and the two of you would ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after.”

  “Yeah, well that never happened.”

  They reached the door of the OR. “So, why is he back?”

  “My dad is retiring, and he offered him his old job. He’s the new Fire Chief.”

  “Oh, I bet that’s your greatest nightmare.”

  Truer words were never spoken. She’d lain awake all night debating between moving to Dallas and accepting that fabulous offer she’d received from Portland. Both would help her career, no question.

  The only problem was her dad needed her. He was getting up there in years and, with her mother gone, he had no one besides her and David. Oh, there were friends and a few relatives, but they had always been so close, it crushed her to think of leaving him all alone. Especially now that he planned to retire. And besides, she wasn’t going to run away. This was her town. He lost the right to it when he left the first time.

  Outside the OR the attending physician stopped her. “I’m running late. See if the patient has any questions.”

  She nodded and headed for the pre-op room, waving goodbye to Janette. With the patient’s chart in hand, she approached the curtained off area. Smiling she asked, “Mrs. Bybee?”

  A young, thirty-six-year-old woman looked up at her, concern clearly etched across her face. “Yes, that’s me.”

  She smiled and took her hand. “I’m Nurse Anderson and I’ll be with you in the operating room with Doctor Frasier. My job is to make sure everything runs like clockwork.” She observed the IV had been ran, her head had been covered with a thin blue mop hat and an oxygen indicator placed on her left index finger.

  “Good,” Mrs. Bybee’s husband said. “She’s pretty nervous.”

  “We don’t want her to be. A cholecystectomy is a very common operation. After your gallbladder is removed, I assure you, you’ll feel a lot better.”

  Mrs. Bybee rubbed her side. “It’s acted up twice. The pain nearly brought me to my knees.”

  “That’s why Doctor Frasier wants it removed before it affects your pancreas. Then we’re dealing with a completely different animal.”

  The patient tightened her grip. “Will I know anything during surgery? Will I feel anything?”

  Olivia leaned closer and widened her grin. “Nothing at all. Once you’re given the anesthesia you won’t know anything until you wake up in the recovery room.”

  “Will she feel any pain?” her worried husband asked.

  “No, our job is to keep the pain under control. That’s why she’ll spend a few days in the hospital before going home.”

  Mrs. Bybee looked at her name tag. “Thank you, Nurse Anderson. You’ve really put my mind at ease.”

  She patted her hand. “That’s my job.” She turned to leave, but Mrs. Bybee called out.

  “You’ll be in the operating room, right?”

  She turned to her and grasped her shoulder. “Every single second. You’re going to be just fine.”

  “Thank you,” her husband said.

  After the surgery, in the locker room she removed her hairnet and changed out of her scrubs. Rolling her shoulders, she groaned. Today had been grueling. Her feet hurt, her shoulders ached, and she was so hungry she could eat just about anything.

  Having nothing but a piece of a candy bar since the barbecue yesterday, her stomach rolled and her mouth watered as she headed toward the cafeteria. Since all phones were silenced during surgeries and she’d been busy in between with stocking the OR and running from room to room, she hadn’t had a chance to check her phone.

  Removing it from her rear pocket, she saw a missed call from her dad. Redialing his number, she smiled when he answered. “Hey, how’s your day going?” he asked. “Busy?”

  Glancing at her phone she noticed it was close to one thirty. “Very. I’m just now getting to eat lunch.”

  “You must be starving.”

  “That’s putting it light
ly. But, I only have twenty-five minutes to gobble down a sandwich. Did you need something?”

  “Yes, can you come by the station tomorrow and bring the Emergency Code book? I want Griff to familiarize himself with it.”

  She dreaded that, but she also knew he wouldn’t be officially reporting for work for another week. Maybe she’d be able to drop it off without having to explain it all to Griff like her dad had wanted her to. “Okay, I’ll leave it at the station.”

  “Griff is going to meet you here to go over the procedures. I told him around five. Does that work for you?”

  Busted!

  “No, Dad, it doesn’t!” She hadn’t meant to raise her voice when she answered, but she was tired, starving, and not emotionally prepared for all this. Exasperated, she let out a loud breath. “Dad, why on earth did you hire him, anyway? You know we have a history and it isn’t a good one.”

  He remained quiet long enough that she regretted letting her temper get the best of her. “Listen—” she began, trying to apologize.

  “No, you listen,” he snapped, which was totally out of character for him. “I understand that when you broke up it was hard for you. But you never told me the why of it and you have spent the last I don’t know how many years telling me you are fine and okay. It was ten years ago, Olivia. If you haven’t gotten over it by now then maybe you should take that up with him and see what’s what. As for work, I have an obligation to hire the best fireman for this town and Griff Bradford fits that bill. He’s a damn hero in his command. We’re lucky to have him and, by God, he’s staying.”

  When he was done, she heard his shallow breathing through the phone, a testament to how upset he really was. Duly chastised, she whispered, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”