AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was a risk, but Nolan knew if it was the other way around, Milo wouldn’t even hesitate. His keys would be in his hand, and he’d be out the door already. That’s what friends did. They were there for one another no matter what. Nolan would never let Milo down. “I’ll be there. And Mi…?”
“Yeah?”
“Be careful.”
Milo laughed. “I have to, or Harper will kill me.” The line went dead, and Nolan took a deep breath, forcing away any fear or doubts. He would get to Milo no matter what and some day they would laugh about this. First, he had to tell Isla he had to leave.
He turned to her. Her big blue eyes wide with curiosity. “What’s going on?”
He didn’t beat around the bush. Milo needed him, and he couldn’t waste any time. “I have to go.”
“What do you mean you have to go?” She grabbed his arm, halting him from heading out the door.
“Milo is stranded. I need to borrow the truck; my Porsche will never make it.”
“I’m coming with you then.”
He cupped her cheek. “No. It’s too dangerous out there.”
“So what? I’m supposed to stay here by myself? I came here because I was scared to be alone. Being in your house alone is no different than being over there in mine.”
“I’ll never forgive myself if I put you in danger. Not to mention your grandma will haunt me for the rest of my days.”
“I can’t argue that, but I’m still scared.”
He kissed her forehead. “You’re safe here. I promise.”
“I know that, deep down I do, but right now, I’m not worried about me.”
The corner of his lip quirked. “I’ll be okay.”
“I didn’t say I was worried about you either.”
“You didn’t have to.” He squeezed her hand and ran out into the storm.
Chapter 21
Nolan drove well below the speed limit, leaning over the steering wheel and attempting to see beyond the curtain of rain. The windshield wipers were no match for the intensity of the storm, and it wasn’t even the worst of it yet.
He needed to get to Milo and get them both safely home before the eye of the storm made landfall. The truck swayed at a powerful gust of wind, and Nolan tightened his hands on the steering wheel. There was no way in hell he was going to bang up Isla’s grandma’s truck.
The tree branches flopped back and forth as the wind gusts picked up even more speed. He didn’t even want to think about how Milo was putt-putting along the flooded streets on a raft. He’d be lucky not to get blown out to sea.
He had faith in Milo, though. The guy was a jokester, but he was far from stupid. He had more common sense than most and had lived in this town his entire life. He knew water safety, they’d been through bad storms before, and he would make it to their meeting point in one solid piece. If not, Harper would find his dead body and kill him over again, and Nolan wouldn’t blame her.
What made him think he could ride the storm out, especially when their house was in the evacuation zone. The weatherman had predicted unprecedented flooding, and with their house right across the street from the water, there was no way around it.
Once Nolan got Milo safely in the truck, he’d give Milo hell for interrupting him and Isla, but he had to get to Milo first.
A lawn chair flew out in front of the truck, and Nolan slammed on the brakes. His heart thudded in his chest as he took a minute to regain his breath. His phone beeped, and he glanced down to see a tornado warning pop up on the screen.
“Great, just great.”
He put his foot on the gas and kept his eyes on the road in front of him. Dark, menacing clouds slashed through bright spots in the sky and the rain came down harder. A sheet of water lay in front of him, pounding the truck with unyielding persistence.
The truck swerved with another gust of wind, and he white knuckled the steering wheel to keep the truck from going off the road. Pieces of tree scattered across the road and Nolan slowed the truck down to avoid any big limbs. Getting stuck wouldn’t do him or Milo any good.
Water ran down the sides of the street and started to pool in the actual road the closer he got to where he had to meet Milo. He was more than grateful that he was smart enough to take the truck and not his car. His car wouldn’t have gotten this far.
