Page 43 of Small Town, Big Storm

Until I walked up the cracked driveway, finally shielded from those curious stares by the overgrown trees on either side.

The itching between my shoulder blades disappears and I take my first full breath of the last ten minutes.

At least until I open the door and?—

Walk straight into chaos.

In the form of an inch of water on the floor and my brother cursing as he runs toward me, a pair of wrenches in his hand.

“What the fuck?—?”

But I don’t get to finish the question because I’m jumping out of the way as he rushes out the open door.

“Shit,” I mutter, spinning to go after him and nearly going down on the slippery floorboards.

I right myself, turn to follow my brother, the water already soaking through my shoes and socks, and find Rain nearly at the street, kneeling on the sidewalk.A concrete lid sits to the side of him, and he’s reaching into a hole.

And he’s doing that still cursing.

“Jesus fucking Christ!Motherfucking piece of shit!”He grunts, struggling with something.Then his head flies up, eyes locking with mine.“Come help me already, asshole!”

I glare at him, but I take myself and my wet ass shoes back down the driveway.“What do you want me to do?”

“Grab that wrench.”He grunts again, repositions the other one.“Hold it still.”

I reach in, keep the wrench steady.

He curses again, body straining, and just as I’m about to tell him to let me do it already, his wrench starts turning and I hear awhooshas the water turns off.

Another curse as he sits back, scrubbing his hands over his face.

And that’s when I process he’s just in a towel.

At least the nosy gazes are likely on him instead of me for a change.

“Why are you almost naked?”I mutter, pulling out the wrench he commanded me to hold, and tossing it beside the other.

“Was in the shower when the pressure disappeared.”He exhales and stands.“Realized the pipe blew about two seconds later.Got the wrenches and considering the amount of water already on the floor, I didn’t exactly have time to find pants.”

I snort.

Then again when he straightens and smirks, waving as he calls out, “Hey, Clover!”

I watch, even in the waning evening sunshine as our shy (but still nosy) neighbor’s cheeks go pink.But to her credit, she waves and calls back, “Hey, Rain.”

“Who’s with you?”my brother shouts, lifting a hand and pointing at the woman sitting next to Clover.

My brows fly up.Who’s the nosy one now?

And also, how doesn’t Rain know who she is?

Doesn’t everyone in Cedar Hollow know everyone and everything about saideveryone?

Maybe more’s changed than I realized.

“I’m Riley,” the woman calls before Clover can reply.“Clover’s cousin.I just moved to town to work at the inn.”Then she adds, “So when are you going to trim back those cedars so they stop dropping needles into Clover’s gutters?”

Rain looks at me.