Mark My Words (8 page)

Chapter Ten

The Morning After

Arthur woke up with a splitting headache the next morning. He looked at his watch and scoffed when it said 11:35 A.M. He never slept that late. Putting his plaid slippers on, he drug himself out of bed and wandered into the living room where Brant, Luke and Marv were relaxing on the couch. Arthur rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms.

That was the worst night of sleep, ever. I don’t even remember going to bed,
Artie thought.

“Good Morning, Sunshine…” said Marv with a beaming grin on his face.

“Rough night?” asked Luke.

“What time did I go to bed?” Artie asked.

“Oh, about quarter of four…” Luke said.

“Right after Mama Grizzly nearly claimed you as her supper…” Brant added

“What the hell are you guys talking about? I don’t remember anything about last night. I remember I was playing chess with you… Did I lose again?”

“Of course!”

“You had a lot to drink… and let’s just say you tried to get extra friendly with a Grizzly bear and Luke here saved your tail,” Marv said.

“Stop lying… There wasn’t a bear!”

“There was… You even took the pictures to prove it!”

“Let me see that!” Arthur said to Marv, motioning for his camera.

Arthur scanned through the pictures on his camera and with each one, his eyes grew wider and wider. The first was a simple shot through the window. Each shot got closer and closer, until finally Mama Bear was standing on her back legs, snarling and drooling before the lens.

Arthur needed to sit down. He damn near dropped the camera.

“Here. Have some breakfast.”

“I don’t think I can.”

“We have a long day ahead of us.”

“Why?”

“We have to dig out….”

“Dig out?!”

“It showed eighteen inches last night.”

“Aren’t we going ice fishing?” asked Arthur sounding disappointed.

“We went already. While you were snoring.”

Arthur looked out the window. Sure enough there was snow everywhere, with snow drifts piling over Luke’s tires.

“Eat that,” said Luke pointing to the pancakes he put in front of Arthur. “Then we have to go.”

***

Philomena soaked her sore toes into the foot spa as her manicurist painted her finger nails a vibrant shade of pink.

“Just what I need. A day of relaxation and spoiling,” said Philomena as Sloane tried not to laugh.

“You mean you weren’t spoiled enough last night?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Holly, can you please remind my mother of her behavior last night?”

“No, I think I’d like to hear it from you,” Philomena said with a confused look upon her face.

“Well, Mother… Since you thought it would be fun to order a stripper and act a hot ass mess, we decided to take pictures. Look.”

Suddenly, the events of last night came back to Philomena as a mortified look came across her face. She flicked through the photos on Holly cell phone rapidly, becoming redder by the second. Finally, she passed the phone back and gave an apologetic smile.

“What can I say, love? I have an animal magnetism.”

***

As Marv and Brant dug out Luke’s truck, Arthur caught a moment alone with his future son-in-law.

“You really saved my life?” asked Arthur with a bewildered look on his face.

“Of course I did. I wasn’t going to let you get mauled by a bear.”

“Even after I’ve been such a jerk to you and Sloane?”

“You’re her father.”

“I’ve really been an asshole, though…”

Luke shrugged as he looked at Arthur, unsure of what he should say.

“What do your parents say on the whole matter of this?”

“I couldn’t tell you…”

“I’m sorry?”

“My mother passed when I was a boy, and I don’t know my father. My grandmother heard the news, and she is pleased. She likes Sloane a lot.”

“I’m sorry, son. I didn’t know.”

“It’s fine.”

“You know… I’ve been thinking a lot about this. You seem like you have good intentions and you have a good head on your shoulders. I just want the best for my Sloane…”

“I’m not perfect. But we’re good together.”

“This is not to leave this room, but if marrying you will make her happy…” said Arthur sheepishly. “Then I am happy to give you my blessing to marry my daughter.”

“Thank you, Arthur. That means a lot. You should know that I was going to become your son-in-law whether you approved or not. This will mean the world to Sloane, though.”

“I also know that the wedding has been moved up.”

Luke looked shocked.

“How did you find out?”

“I know how my wife and daughter operate. But here’s the deal… They can’t know that I know… It’ll ruin the surprise.”

Luke looked at his future father-in-law with a smile on his face. Arthur wasn’t such a bad guy after all. Just really,
really
grouchy.

“Deal?”

“You got it,” said Luke as he shook Arthur’s hand.

Chapter Eleven

An Eye on the Weather

“Thanks for watching the kids, Aunt Doris. It really means a lot,” said Holly as she picked up Belle into her arms.

“No problem at all, honey! Mema loves them!”

Holly collected the kids and took them back home. Brant was not home from the mountains yet, so she popped a pizza in the oven for dinner and helped the kids unpack. No sooner was the pizza out of the oven that she heard her front door slam open. Expecting to see Brant in her living room she was surprised when she saw Sloane standing there looking disheveled and upset.

“Sloane… What’s wrong?” asked Holly as she ran into the living room.

Sloane had mascara running down her face. She looked like she had been crying… Ugly crying.

“It’s just a freaking mess!”

“What? What happened?!”

“Amanda! It’s all Amanda’s fault!”

“Amanda?”

“The bloody hurricane!”

“Oh, right… Okay, let’s turn on the Weather Channel.”

“She’s staying strong at a CAT-3…”

“That’s not that strong for a hurricane.”

“But St. Thomas is not that big. There might not be an island left!”

“Calm down. Sit on the couch with Chloe and Jake while I grab this pizza out of the oven.”

“Aunt Sloane… What’s the matter?” asked Belle as she toddled to her mother’s best-friend with a concerned look on her petite face.

“The weather has me sad.”

“You don’t like snow?”

“I don’t like hurricanes.”

“What’s a hurry-cane?”

“Belle! Jake! Chloe! Dinner!”

Suddenly forgetting all about Sloane’s worries, Belle ran into the kitchen with her brother and sister¸ ready to scarf down some pepperoni pizza. Holly was hoping that Brant and Luke would be back soon so that she would have someone to take Sloane’s mind off of the weather.

***

While Luke and Arthur were inside talking, Brant and Marv began to dig out Luke’s truck. While Brant dug out the snow under Luke’s truck and scraped away the layer of ice that lay underfoot, Marv heated up the vehicle. Brant had made certain that the emergency break was securely in place so that there would be no mishaps. His biggest mistake was letting “happy-go-lucky” Marv alone in a huge SUV by himself. While Marv heated up the car, he got the windshield wipers going, turned on the seat warmers and as he reached to turn on the radio, he accidentally released the emergency break. It all happened so fast. Brant got out of the way just in time as Luke’s SUV skidded backwards down the hill with Marv in the driver’s seat. Marv desperately tried to get the truck to stop, but the tires were sliding on the ice down the steep road. Brant ran after the truck with his heart in his throat. Flying down the icy road at break neck speed, Luke’s SUV veered right into the path of the frozen lake.

“Holy crap! Marv!” Brant screamed in a panic.

He continued to chase after the truck, but he stopped dead in his tracks when the truck swerved over the fragile ice covering the lake. Sitting in the middle of the frozen lake, the SUV finally came to a stop and Marv looked absolutely petrified. He was shell shocked and couldn’t move. Brant knew he had to do something. 

“Hold on, I’m coming!”

Brant ran as fast as he could until he reached the bank of the lake. He tread carefully over the ice, moving slowly and cautiously. Every nerve in his body was standing on edge. Finally, he was within feet of the truck. He could see the water bubbling up underneath the surface of the ice. 

“Hang tight, Marv…” said Brant as he kept eye contact with his father-in-law.

Moving quickly over the ice, Brant skidded to the driver’s side door and jumped in. Marv moved over quickly.

“What the hell were you thinking?!”

“It was an accident… I didn’t mean to hit the emergency break!”

“It doesn’t matter. We’re both in this mess, now. We have to do this very carefully.”

Brant pushed the gas pedal ever so gently. The ice creaked under the weight of the truck with each inch of movement causing more fatigue.

“Hold on…” said Brant as he prepared to gun it.

He put the truck into high four wheel drive and floored it. The truck skidded on the ice at first, but shot forward to solid ground. As they crossed the bank of the lake, Brant let out a sigh of relief. All that he could think of were Holly and the kids.

“Jesus Christ! Don’t you ever do that to me again!” said Brant as he gripped his father-in-law into a bear hug.

“Let’s go get the others and change our shorts. That was quite the adventure,” Mark quipped only half joking.

“I need to go home. You are
not
driving,” Brant said as he clutched his chest.

***

Brant and Luke didn’t walk in the house until 9:30 P.M., both looking exhausted and fatigued.

“They are both nuts!” yelled Brant looking agitated.

“Yeah, they are. We’re home!” called Luke, even though it wasn’t technically his home.

“Finally…” Holly said sounding relieved, “How did it go?”

“Well, let’s just say that they are both insane,” said Brant.

“That bad?”

“Well for starters… Arthur nearly got mauled by a bear. Marv nearly got Luke’s truck totalled when he took the emergency break off. It went skidding down an icy road and over a frozen lake. I had to run out there and get him!”

“What?!”

“Yeah!”

“Fun times,” agreed Luke looking completely worn out.

Brant swept Holly into his arms, just happy to be home, back in her loving care.

“Are you alright, babe?”

“I am now…”

“So, there’s a minor situation going on…” said Holly to Luke and Brant quietly.

Sloane was sitting on the arm chair dazing off into space at the television set. She was obsessed with the weather, tracking Hurricane Amanda’s path inch by inch.

“The hurricane hasn’t downgraded yet, and she’s a tad bit distraught…”

Luke looked at Sloane as his heart sank. He dropped his bag in the living room and walked over to her climbing behind her on the couch, he kicked off his boots and pulled her into his arms.

“I’m back…”

“I’m glad…”

“How was your weekend?”

“Our mothers are crazier than our fathers… How was yours?”

“Interesting to say the least. Now come here…”

Luke wrapped his arms around her waist as he pulled her in tight.

“This hurricane is not going to stop us.”

“It’s not?”

“No.”

“The weather channel said it’s supposed to make landfall.”

“USA Weather said it’s not likely… and it will be long gone by the time we get there…”

“Who would have thought a freak off-season hurricane would stand in our way. What if our hotel is damaged?”

“We’ll worry about that when the time comes.”

“How can you be so relaxed?”

“Because I have everything I need right here.”

Sloane looked up at Luke and she melted in his soft brown eyes.

“God, I missed you.”

Chapter Twelve

On a Clear Day…

“Sloane!” Holly yelled up the steps with excitement in her voice.

“Sloane! Wake up!” Holly yelled again.

Sloane lifted her head as the sunlight shone through Holly and Brant’s guest bedroom.

“Ugh! What time is it?!”

“Nearly noon! Hurry up!”

Sloane drug herself out of bed to see what Holly was fussing about. Brant, Luke and Holly were huddled around the TV set with charged looks upon their faces.

“I’m up! Now what?”

“Look, baby!” Luke said as he pointed to the TV.

The Weather Channel was interviewing a property manager on the island of St. Thomas. A blonde reporter stood right in front of the sign for the Sweetwater Hotel and Resort in Charlotte Amalie.

“That’s our wedding resort!” Luke gushed

“Sshhh…! I want to hear!” Sloane urged.

“This is Amy Brenton live on the scene at the Sweetwater Hotel and Resort in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas. I am standing here with Maven Sparks, property manager of the Sweetwater Hotel and Resort. Last night Hurricane Amanda made land fall and swept through the area causing damage to the farmland but largely steered clear of the hotels and residential areas. Maven, did you experience any power outages or damage?”

“No! None at all! It’s amazing! We are completely booked with weddings and such this weekend!”

“Do you expect any issues for those events?”

“No, we are in perfect shape. The hurricane made landfall on the opposite coast, so we are in great condition. Our beach is ready for our guests, and the water will be nice and warm.”

“Well, there you have it. No deaths or injuries have been reported, and the only major complaints have been lodged by hotels on the opposite side of the island. Authorities have set up emergency lodging for guests and citizens until they are able to get back into their homes.”

“Did you hear that?!” Holly said loudly to Sloane, a look of excitement all over her face.

“No damage at all!” Luke said, shining a smile at his fiance.

“Oh, my God… Luke! It’s amazing… I mean I feel bad for the farmers whose farms were flooded but Sweetwater is in perfect shape!”

“Now you can stop worrying,” said Luke as he pulled Sloane into a powerful kiss.

Nothing would stand in their way now.