Gianna saw the pretty green shutters covering all of the windows. She’d noticed them before, and thought they were just for decoration.
“They don’t really get hurricanes where I live. We occasionally get a tornado every now and then, but those are few and far between.” Gianna bit her lip. “How bad is this going to get?”
“It was only a Cat Four in Georgia, but it went south into the Gulf of Mexico and gained speed and is now heading our way. I’m hearing it could be a Cat Five by the time it lands. It’s not good. Now pack a bag, and I’ll get the shutters closed on the first floor when we get back to the house.”
“Okay.”
4
When Sebastian went out to the tool shed, he found there was a combination lock on it.
“Dammit,” he grimaced, as he ran back to the house. He needed the power drill so that he could lock down the shutters. When he went into Armand’s room to find out if he knew the combination, the sorry bastard had no idea.
“Didn’t Neil give you the combination before he left?” Sebastian asked. “Weren’t you supposed to close up the shutters on the first floor?”
Armand lifted himself up on his elbow and frowned. “I can’t remember. I think so. Don’t need to, though. Neil always worries too much.” He flopped back down onto the mattress.
“What is the combination to the shed?” Sebastian asked again.
“Go away.”
Sebastian slammed Armand’s bedroom door shut, then went downstairs. He grabbed his phone to call Lazar; maybe he’d have Neil’s phone number, because sure as shit, his grandfather wouldn’t have the combination. His call went to voicemail.
“Dammit.”
Sebastian headed to the kitchen, hoping that there would be a screwdriver in the junk drawer. Gianna was there, mixing something in a bowl. He opened the drawer that he remembered that housed a lot of miscellaneous shit and started to dig through it.
“What are you looking for?” she asked.
“Need to lock down the shutters. Would like to use the power drill, but don’t know the combination to the shed.”
“Won’t Neil know?” Gianna asked.
“Sure.” He nodded as he sifted through pencils, pens, gum, decks of cards, and matches.
“I have Ophelia’s number.”
Sebastian’s head jerked up. “Well hell, I should have thought to ask you. Can you give it to me?” he asked as he pulled out his cell phone.
Gianna laughed.
“I don’t have it memorized. Come with me and I’ll get my cell.”
They left the kitchen and Sebastian waited at the bottom of the stairs as Gianna ran upstairs to get her phone.
He tried not to be too obvious as he watched her breasts bounce as she ran down the stairs to hand him her phone. “Just call from mine,” she said as she handed him her cell.
“Thanks.” He pressed the contact for Ophelia.
“Hey, Gianna, how are you holding up? Did you like the ambrosia salad I made for you?”
The sound of Ophelia’s voice hit Sebastian like a ton of bricks. He hadn’t realized just how much he had missed her until that very moment.
“Hi, Philly,” he whispered.
“Sebastian? Is that you?” Her voice was a mere whisper.
“Yeah.”
“My God, boy. Oh my God. Talk some more. Say something for me, baby.”
“Gonna cook some of my favorite foods while I’m here?” he asked, trying to put a smile in his voice.
“Ophelia, are you okay?”
Sebastian heard Neil speaking in the background.
“I’m fine, I’m fine. Don’t bother me. I’m talking to Sebastian. Hush up.”
“Sebastian? Let me talk to the boy.” Neil bellowed.
“Old man, I told you to hush up.” There was the sound of rustling, then Ophelia spoke again. “My boy. Are you home? How long are you going to stay? Are you all right? Why are you home?”
Sebastian chuckled. “One question at a time, Philly.” He watched as Gianna walked down the hall, most likely to give him some privacy.
“You can handle it. Now answer me.”
He could hear the tears in her voice and it was gutting him. Fuck, why hadn’t he kept in touch with her?
“I’m here at the house. I’m going to be staying at least a couple of weeks. I’m fine, absolutely fine. Grandpère asked me to come home. We have some unfinished business.”
He was met by silence.
“Is this a good idea?”
Ophelia knew more than almost anybody in the world about Sebastian’s life. She knew the hurt and pain he’d suffered in this house.
“It’s been years Philly. It’s time.”
She blew out a long breath. “Lazar isn’t due home for a couple of days. I’ll make sure to be there when he gets home.”
Sebastian’s smile got even bigger. Absolutely nothing had changed; Ophelia was still trying to be his protector.
“I’m a big boy now, Philly. Gianna told me you’re spending time with your grandkids. You take your time. I’m just calling because I need your loving husband’s combination to the shed. I need to get the drill to get the shutters locked down.”
“Hold on, let me get him.” There was a pause. “I love you, sweet boy.”
There it was, another shot to his heart.
“Love you too, Philly.”
“Neil! Sebastian needs you. Get your butt over here.”
Sebastian grinned. Some things never changed.
“Whatchya need boy?” Another voice that he’d missed.
“I need the combination to the shed,” Sebastian said.
“What in God’s name do you need that for? You should be hunkering down. The hurricane is about to hit.”
“I know that. Gotta get the shutters locked down. Need the combination so I can get to your tools.”
“Armand should have done that already. Told him what to do. I handed him the damn drill, God knows where he put it. Made sure he was sober at the time.”
Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck. “My fault, Neil. What in the hell was I thinking? I asked for the combination for the shed so I could lock down the shutters—never occurred to me that he had the drill.”
“Dumb son of a bitch should have known what you needed. Jesus, that man has never had a lick of sense.”
“Ain’t that the truth? I’ll go wake him up and ask him where he put it.”
“You do that. Good to have you back, boy. I want to hear what all you’ve been up to when Ophelia and I get back, so make sure you set aside some time for me.”
“Will do.”
“Wanna talk to Ophelia again?” Neil asked.
“Nah, gotta get the shutters locked down. I’ll see you soon enough, but don’t let her cut her visit short, I’m going to be here for two weeks.”
“I won’t. She loves spoiling our grandbabies. Bye, Son.”
“Goodbye, Neil.”
Sebastian ended the call, then went looking for Gianna. He found her at the back of the house, in the sunroom, she was in one of the rocking chairs, studying one of the old coffee table books that Lazar had lying around the house.