Chapter 17
It was hours later when Chloe and Dylan arrived at Samantha’s and Liam’s house—a charming two-story Victorian the color of the once-blue sky. By now, fog-grey clouds filled the atmosphere, and the mild gusts of wind morphed into ruthless gales, sending swirls of debris down the streets. On the drive over, Chloe had taken calls from her mom, dad, even a neighbor back home in San Francisco, assuring each one she’d be out of harm’s way. It was trust in the man she was growing attracted to by the minute that gave her confidence she’d made the right decision, staying in Fortune’s Bay.
“We’ll help you with your bags.” Liam and Samantha rushed to the trunk of Chloe’s rental to help Dylan unload the suitcases, bags of groceries, and—
“Your camera?” Samantha smiled up at her brother. It had been months since he’d brought what used to be his beloved camera out anywhere. He’d admitted that much to Chloe when he shoved it in the trunk of the car, back at his house.
“Yeah, I’m gonna try and capture some post-storm pics.”
Inside, Samantha showed Chloe to an upstairs bedroom, its walls painted a light tint of lilac, equipped with a full-size bed, a television, and a quaint wooden desk that sat beside a rectangular window. “As you can see, there’s a desk right here so you can write, and I thought you’d like to be in a room next door to Dylan.” She lowered her voice and whispered, “I think he likes you.”
Only that whisper was apparently loud enough to be heard by Liam, who popped in the room. “Now, Samantha, my love, don’t be like one of those pesky secondary characters in Chloe’s novels. No one likes a meddler.” His playful remark made them all let out a breezy laugh. “Dylan’s downstairs in the kitchen, preparing us all some dinner. I’m headed to the den to grade papers.” He kissed Samantha on the forehead before he disappeared down the hallway.
It was moving to watch the tender, frolicsome, mostly flirty exchange between them, making it obvious to Chloe, the two were positively in love.
Samantha leaned up against one of the walls and surveyed Chloe with a set of wondering eyes. “Would you care for a quick tour of the house before you get settled?”
“Sure, I’d love that.”
Chloe walked alongside Dylan’s sister, down the narrow hallway, glancing at what appeared to be family photos on the walls. “How long have you lived in Fortune’s Bay?”
“Just about my entire life, off and on.”
The statement left an inquisitive Chloe feeling curious. “Oh?”
Samantha simpered. “Growing up, I didn’t enjoy Boston as much as Dylan did. Don’t get me wrong, it had nothing at all to do with Mom and Dad. Yet, for some reason, I didn’t like the big-city life. So, when I was seven or eight, I began spending my spring breaks, summers, and parts of my winter breaks, here with Uncle Stan and Aunt Katie. They didn’t have any kids of their own and welcomed me with open arms. Spoiled me rotten, too.” She palmed a door open, showed Chloe it was a bathroom, then closed it and continued the tour. “It’s how I met Liam, actually. Literally the cute-looking guy next door. Hated his guts at first. Then again, at that age, most girls hate boys, right?” She looked at Chloe who offered a warm smile in agreement. “You met his parents, Marge and Mitch, at the shop. You may have noticed him hugging them earlier?”
It all made more sense to Chloe now; how they all seemed to have this endearing connection with the Early Brew Crew. “Yes, I did notice that.”
Samantha showed her three more bedrooms, the den Liam sat in, grading papers, then downstairs to a family room, living room, dining room, laundry room, and the kitchen where Dylan was busy cooking up a feast.
“Come on, let’s head back upstairs, give you time to get settled before dinner.”
Chloe trailed behind her up the stairs, taken by her hospitality. “Thanks again for having me here, especially on such short notice.”
“Don’t mention it. We’re honored to have you with us.” She paused at Chloe’s bedroom door. “I wasn’t kidding when I said my brother likes you. I think you like him too…am I right?”
A deep shade of guilty embarrassment stained Chloe’s cheekbones. Was it that obvious she had the hots for Dylan Hawke? “I’ll admit he’s growing on me.”
“Well, you'll probably have to make the first move. He’s as stubborn as they come, not to mention, super guarded after what’s-her-face did him wrong. He hasn’t been out on one single date since their demise.”
“Something for me to consider, that’s for sure.” Chloe thought making the first move would be too much of a risk for her to take. Then again, wasn’t she trying to loosen up, become that risk taker?
Just after whatwould have been sundown—if the yellow ball in the sky wasn’t obscured by a veil of storm clouds—Chloe joined Dylan, Samantha, and Liam downstairs for dinner: hearty, warm-your-soul, bowls of creamy chicken-noodle soup.
The four sat around the round oak table in the kitchen, eating, talking, as untamed winds howled, and the pitter-patter of rain could be heard dribbling along the pavement outside.
“News says the storm will hit hardest around midnight.” Dylan slurped a spoonful of soup.
“I don’t think the rain and wind will be too bad. Did you see the group text message from Dad?” Samantha too, slurped up soup.
“Yeah. Then I called both Mom and Dad, let them know I’m staying here with you two until the storm passes.”
Being their only two children, Dylan’s parents probably still worried about him and his twin, maybe even more now than when they were younger.
“So, Chloe…is this your first tropical storm?” Liam took a sip of white wine after he asked her.
“As a matter of fact, it is.” Sitting, speaking with them came to Chloe with ease, as if she’d known them for months, years even. “It’s kind of exciting, though. An experience I will, without a doubt, include in my novel.”
