“Christ, Amy, I’m so sorry.” He shook his head, lifting his hands to the side, palms up. “I feel like that’s all I keep saying, but I don’t know what else to say.”
“This might sound terrible, Liam, but my first thought was I was so thankful that his unsafe behavior hadn’t caused anyone else to be harmed. And then my second thought? I was so angry. Angry at a man who couldn’t seem to grow up. Angry that he never learned from his past mistakes. Angry that he could be so cavalier with his own safety, the safety of his friends, and not seeming to give a damn about me or Rosie.” She shrugged again, taking another big breath. “A few weeks after the funeral I discovered I was pregnant. To be honest, I was so angry at him over his death, I sought counseling for a while. And it was actually the counselor that suggested I make a change in my life.”
He cocked his head to the side. “This is quite a big change at this time of your life.”
Chuckling, she nodded. “She didn’t exactly tell me that I should pack up everything and move to another state, but that’s what happened.”
“And Tori?”
Her lips curved upward, her beauty once again shining through. “Tori had heard through a mutual friend about Marty. She called to express her condolences, and we started talking weekly. She knew I was in counseling and knew I needed to make a change. She told me about Baytown and how her husband was part of an American Legion that tried to get the news out to other veterans who were looking for a good home. She wondered if that would be something for me to do. A chance to make a huge change in my life since I was no longer tied to Ohio. A chance to start over. A chance to raise my children in a peaceful area. Since my job can be done from home, it seemed perfect.”
She shifted forward in the chair and then stood, her hands resting on her lower back, and stretched.
Jumping up from the sofa, he reached toward her. “Are you okay? Are you in pain?”
“No, believe me, I would let you know. I just get stiff and need to move around.” She bent and picked up her mug, grabbing his as well. As she moved toward the kitchen, he followed. Once there, she washed the mugs, and he dried them. She turned and leaned her hip against the counter, and he mimicked her behavior.
“So, that’s how you ended up on the Eastern Shore, heading to Baytown with your possessions in a trailer. I’m curious, though, what were your plans when you got here?”
“I looked online and found a small rental house outside of Baytown, but the landlord said it wouldn’t be ready for another week. My house had sold in Ohio, and the new owners weren’t able to extend the closing. Tori offered me a large room in her B&B until the rental was available.”
“You mentioned you can work from home?”
“Yes, after college, I worked in a large medical office for a group of orthopedic surgeons, first as an office manager. After Rosie, I wanted to cut back on my hours, and with my experience, I became their medical transcriptionist. I later took a job for a medical transcription company once Rosie was in pre-school. I can do the job from home, but it’s best if she’s not around to take away my concentration. Being pregnant again, my boss knew I was cutting back my hours. I had a continuing account with an orthopedic surgeon that just happens to practice here in this area. Dr. James Malcolm. His practice includes a telemedicine component as well. My boss said it would be nice for me to just keep that account to work on. He thought that if I ever wanted to go back to being an office manager, I might be able to work for Dr. Malcolm since I’d already be familiar with his practice.”
“Oh, so you’ve met the doctor?”
She laughed and shook her head. “No, actually, he has no idea who I am. Well, technically he knows his transcriptionist is Amy C. That’s how we’re identified, no full names. But I can contact him sometime and let him know that I’m here if I want to.”
“Wow, you had it all planned out.”
“Well, I thought so. I left Ohio two days ago, wanting to drive slowly since I had the trailer and not wanting Rosie stuck in her car seat for too long at a time.” She laughed and rubbed her belly again. “Plus, I knew I needed lots of potty breaks. I simply wasn’t paying attention to the weather. Believe me, I wasn’t being Marty,” she said, her fingers making air quotes around his name. “I would never be cavalier with my daughter or my baby’s life. I’ve never had to be concerned about a hurricane before. And instead of the radio, we were playing children’s music to keep Rosie entertained. It wasn’t until the rain started when we were coming from Maryland that I knew something was happening.” She sucked in her lips, her gaze on him. “And now you know just about everything there is to know about me.”
He stared, knowing it might appear rude, but couldn’t seem to stop. There was something refreshing about her. She was so open and candid. Here she was, in a new place, planning a new future, and a hurricane had stepped into the way. But it brought her into my path. When that thought hit him, he smiled.
7
Oh, my God. I’ve just blurted out my whole life to a complete stranger. A man. A Sheriff. A man who looks like he’s never made a goof in his life. Blowing out a breath, she decided running away was the only way to preserve what little dignity she had left. “Um… you’ll have to excuse me, Liam. I guess it’s pregnancy brain that’s made me keep blabbing. I’ll say goodnight and head to bed.”
“Please, don’t apologize.” His hand reached out toward her then settled onto the counter, close but not touching. “I’m glad to hear about you.”
She lifted her brows to her hairline. “Then you must be bored and craving any company to make it through my whole dissertation.”
His shoulders shook as he laughed. “No, really. I had wondered what made a pregnant woman with a small child get on the road during a hurricane. You explained and it makes sense.”
“Well, that explains today. You hardly needed to know about the past ten years of my life.”
Now it was his turn to shrug. “Well, you are staying in my home. To be honest, it feels nice to know more about you. And this is a bit belated, but welcome to the Eastern Shore.”
Laughter erupted from deep within, and her hand went to the bottom of her belly, offering support. She wiped a tear from her eye, saying, “Thank you. I hope for your sake you don’t have to show every newcomer such hospitality, but I’m glad you came to my rescue.”
The sound of the wind whipped past the house’s defenses, and her gaze shot to the window even though she couldn’t see outside. “I confess to being very ignorant about hurricanes, Liam. Will this be over by the time we wake up?”
He shook his head. “No, I’m afraid not. This is the biggest hurricane we’ve had out here in my lifetime. It’s hitting as one of the most ferocious ones with the highest sustained winds. We’re just on the outskirts of it now.”
Blinking, she jerked her head toward him, wondering if he was joking. His face was serious. “Really?”
“I’m sorry, Amy, but the hardest will hit us tomorrow. And if it stalls, then it could be with us for two whole days.”