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He latched the shutter in place with the wing nuts. By the time he’d finished one side of the porch, his shirt and shorts stuck to his body. The howling wind and pounding rain blocked all sound. After attaching the remaining porch shutters, water streamed into his eyes and he was doing the install by feel more than by sight.
He worked his way around the main level of the house, fitting in the top, hooking the bottom over the bolts and adding and tightening wing nuts. His fingers were pruney from the water. He turned and pain ripped through his forearm. Damn bolt. Blood mingled with the rain.
Time for the second floor. He couldn’t hear the clang of the ladder over the wind gusts. Was the wind strong enough to blow him off the ladder? Sure would be nice if he had someone to hold and stabilize it, but he was on his own. And he was damned if he’d leave this shit for Carolina.
Climbing up and down the ladder was taking too long, so he tucked three shutters under one arm and, one-handed, climbed the wet ladder. Halfway up, his sneakers slipped. He dropped the shutters with a clatter and grabbed at the wobbling ladder.
“What are you doing?” Carolina yelled up at him.
He hadn’t noticed her car lights pulling into the drive. The rain had already soaked her hair and it hung down her back like long black ropes. She stood on the shutters so they didn’t blow away.
“Putting up shutters.” He jerked his head as he climbed down. “Get out of the rain.”
“Idiot men,” she muttered, grabbing a shutter and starting up the ladder. “I’ll hand them up.”
“Get inside.”
She ignored him. Probably good that he was soaking wet. Her glare might have incinerated him.
He took the shutter and jammed it into place. She was already hauling up the next shutter as he locked down the first panel.
The rain pinging on the siding, keeping their conversation to things like “Got it” “Next” and “Do you need another?”
They finished two sides of the house. Then lightning flashed.
“Get off this metal ladder,” he yelled. “I’ll finish in the morning.”
She hauled shutters back into the carport and secured them. “Thank you. I’m not sure how long it would have taken me to install the shutters.”
“No problem.”
He followed her up the main stairs into the now dark porch. They toed off their soaked sneakers. He wrung out his T-shirt. She did the same with her hair and water pooled at their feet.
Lorraine opened the door. “You’re both soaked. Here.”
She handed them towels and they dried off in the dark. With the shutters installed, the only light came through the doorway. The TV flickered in the background.
“Lorraine, thank you for staying with Mamá.” Carolina stepped into the house.
Sage followed.
“I was happy to do it. We laughed—a lot.” Lorraine took the wet towels from them. “If you’ll tell me what your schedule is, I’ll organize visits from the office staff so you can work.”
Carolina pressed her fingers on her trembling lips. “You would do that?”
“Of course. We’ve wanted to help Rosa, but didn’t know how.” Lorraine headed to the kitchen and into the laundry room. There was a metal clang and then the dryer hummed.
When Lorraine returned, she said, “My contact information is on the counter. Once this hurricane blows over, give me a call or send me a text. I’ll do the rest.”
Carolina’s eyes grew red. “I don’t know how to thank you.”
“You don’t have to. Your mother’s my friend.” Lorraine zipped her raincoat and pulled up the hood. “How were the roads down from Savannah?”
“Other than standing water by the fort, they’re fine,” Carolina said.
“Oh, I didn’t even think.” Lorraine took Carolina’s hands. “Do you have a place to stay?”
Carolina nodded.
“Good.” Lorraine gave Carolina a hug and headed out to the porch. “You call if that falls through or if you need anything.”
“Thank you. So much.” Carolina’s voice cracked.
Sage held open the outside door and Lorraine popped up her umbrella and pointed it like a sword into the wind.
Then he shut and locked the door.
Carolina wrapped her arms around her waist. Tears hung in her eyes. “Aren’t you…?”
“Going home?”
She nodded, her eyes full of pain.
He couldn’t stop his feet from moving closer to her. But he didn’t pull her into his arms. As much as every muscle and nerve ending wanted to comfort her, he couldn’t. Because what would his father…
Hell, that mantra wasn’t going cross his mind again. What would his mother do? Probably forgive Carolina.
