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“These blackouts are going to fucking kill me, I swear, Fred,” he responded, using my awful nickname in an obvious effort to add some levity to his complaining. Nobody liked to listen to someone whine all the time, but my husband was anything but a moaner. He was a hard worker with a sometimes-broody exterior, but let me tell you, I’d never met a man who put more effort into his family. He didn’t need to work so hard at protecting my mood at the expense of his own needs, but after so many years before him with the kind of men who only knew how to look out for themselves, I was eternally grateful for the effort.
Truthfully, I actually felt a little satisfaction in knowing that I wasn’t the only one feeling off-kilter.
“Aw, babe, I know. I can definitely relate,” I answered. “The backup generator still holding out?”
“It’s running, but we’ve had to consolidate everything from three fridges to one. That’s all it can handle right now, along with basic electricity. Because of that, at least six shipments of chicken have bitten the dust.”
My eyes went wide. “Oh man, that’s no good.”
“I know.” His sigh echoed inside the receiver. “Part of me doesn’t even know why I’m fighting so hard to save everything. If the blackouts don’t stop, no one is going to come to the restaurant to barbecue anyway. Everyone in New York is going to escape to the Hamptons for the Fourth, or, you know, anywhere else but here.”
God.For as long as we’d been together, it still surprised me how much I hurt when he did. I didn’t like disappointment of my own, sure, but oh boy, that was child’s play compared to what I felt at the forlorn sound of Wes or Lexi not getting the outcome they wanted.
“I’m sorry, babe. I wish there were something I could do to make this all easier on you.”
“You’re already doing it, Win. Just talking to you has me feeling better. Not to mention, Kline and Thatch are headed over now to help triage what we can, and then we’ll make decisions from there. Honestly, we might be better off just canceling.”
After all the work Wes and his staff had put into this Fourth of July celebration at BAD restaurant, I knew canceling wouldn’t be an easy decision. I just hoped that whatever he decided to do would make him feel better, rather than worse.
My phone buzzed at my ear, and I pulled it away briefly to check the source.
A group message with Cassie and Georgia sat front and center, the messages piling up on top of each other by the second. Combine that with the fact that my phone was slowly but surely running out of juice, and I needed to hang up sooner rather than later.
Still, I didn’t want to rush my sweet husband.
“Whatever you decide, I know it’ll be the right decision. Plus, just think, if you cancel…well, maybe we can be like the rest of our fellow New Yorkers and escape the city to somewhere that’s still got power? I’m pretty sure my aunt Paula and uncle Brad’s lake house would be an ideal spot…”
“Advantage noted, Fred. I’ll take that under advisement and, either way, decide soon,” he responded, and I loved that I could hear the smile in his voice. Hell, I loved it so much, it had me smiling too.
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Everything okay at home?” he asked, and for a fraction of a second, I thought about telling him about the anticlimactic test, but the mere thought of seeing the wordsNot Pregnanthad a ball of emotion migrating into my throat. I knew he would gladly share any burden of news, but with everything he had on his plate right now, it could wait.
“Everything’s fine. Lex just went outside to play with the mill, and I’m trying not to turn into a puddle.”
He laughed. “Okay, babe. I’m gonna go, but I’ll call you later, all right?”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me, swallowing around stupid unshed tears.Ugh. Get a grip, emotions. Come on.
“Yep. I’ll talk to you later.”
“I love you, Win.”
“Love you too, Wes.”
Despite the disappointments and difficulties of the day, I knew I was one fortunate woman because I had a man I could always count on. But I couldn’t deny that, with the way things were stacking up, getting out of the city and going somewhere fun was starting to sound like a better idea by the second.
And even though I didn’t want to risk the chance of draining my battery on a text conversation. I couldn’t resist stealing a quick glance at what Cassie and Georgia had to say.
Cassie: I FEEL LIKE I’M LIVING INSIDE SATAN’S ASSHOLE.
Georgia: Thank you, Cass. What a lovely visual you’ve just presented me.
Cassie: I can’t help it. It’s hot as balls, and Thatch left me to help Wes with his meat, so I don’t have anyone to complain to right now. If New York doesn’t turn on her fucking power soon, I’m leaving the bitch. I don’t care how much history we have.
I laughed.And it looks like I’m not the only one liking the idea of seeking refuge someplace with some damn A/C.
“How much beef can one man have? Fucking hell,” Thatch complained, lugging yet another cooler full of meat toward our one working refrigerator.
