After the Storm Page 5

  Penn grinned for the first time in days. “Come here, you.” He held his arms out to hug her. She stepped toward him and hesitated before wrapping her arms around him cautiously. “I’m fine as long as you move slow,” he told her.

  She gave him a quick, gentle hug and stepped back, looking him over critically.

  “Mom really sent you down here to check on me?”

  “What did you expect? You called us three days after major back surgery to tell us you’d been injured almost two weeks before?” Zoe shook her head, her chin-length brown hair swinging with the motion. “I’m the first to agree she’s hard-core, but really, you kind of deserve it this time.”

  Penn, wearing the god-awful Hawaiian shirt again, looked away. He had no argument that his mom, or even his sister, would accept.

  “So she bought you a last-minute plane ticket? Isn’t that a little overkill?”

  “It’s the only way we could be sure you’re okay. That you’re taking care of yourself. Seriously, Penn, we didn’t even know if you could walk!” She hauled in a hefty duffel bag he hadn’t noticed sitting on the outdoor walkway. It landed against the wall next to the front door with a substantial thud.

  “I’m okay. Walking just fine.” At this particular moment, anyway. He went toward the kitchen as he spoke.

  “And I’m babysitting him,” Cooper said, perched on the counter and craning his neck to see around Penn. “What more could a guy need besides twenty pieces of chickenlike bliss with dipping sauce?”

  Uh-oh. Penn cringed even before Zoe replied.

  “Some food with a little health value, maybe?”

  “Ah. I get it.” Coop hopped down. “You’re one of those.”

  “Coop,” Penn said, trying to convey an unspoken warning to his blockhead friend. “This is my sister, Zoe. Zoe, my roommate and junk-food zealot, Cooper Flannagan.”

  Cooper crossed the space and offered his hand. Zoe, who’d been too serious since her first breath, hesitated a moment as she assessed him, then shook it.

  “Nice to meet you,” Coop said.

  “Same.” She dropped her hand and stepped back.

  Penn made the mistake of thinking she’d let Coop’s previous comment pass.

  “I’m one of what, by the way?” his sister asked.

  “Health freak. Which is cool. But you have to understand, bachelors have different standards. Especially when they have a physical job. Our priority when it comes to mealtime is quantity. How many burgers can I get for my buck?”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Instead of launching into one of her value-of-nutrients speeches, Zoe inspected the kitchen and wandered back to the living room doorway. “So this is your secret hideout.”

  “Nothing secret about it.” Penn followed her into the room and watched as she spun around slowly, then went to the window to check out the view of the community swimming pool. He started to lean against the doorjamb out of habit but stopped himself at the first jab of pain.

  Zoe raised one brow at him, an expression that had always bugged him, mostly because he couldn’t master it himself. “How long have you lived here?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “Three, three and a half years.”

  “And I’ve never been here.”

  “You could have visited.”

  “You never invited me.”

  “Since when do you need an invitation? You showed up today without one.”

  “I showed up today with a decree from Mom.”

  “You’re twenty-four—”

  “Twenty-five,” she corrected. “And until I finish my doctorate, I’m living in Mom’s house. I value peace, so when she has a grand idea like having me check up on my dear, derelict brother, I usually go along with it. Especially when it includes a free trip to an island.”

  “Martyr,” Penn said dryly. “So you’ve checked on me. I bet Coop can give you a ride back to the airport.” Though he didn’t mind Zoe in general, he wasn’t in the mood for houseguests. At all.

  “Nice.” Zoe strode past him, back into the kitchen. “I’ve confirmed that you’re alive and mobile—”

  “You hit at a banner moment for that,” Cooper said, watching her with amusement as she waltzed around the kitchen and checked out all the cabinets. Wasn’t much to see in there except for cheap dinnerware, some pans and a few likely expired dry goods. “He’s up right now for food, but he spends most of his time in his room, on his back.”

  Penn glared at his traitorous roommate. He bit down on a sarcastic comment, though, fully aware that Coop had gone out of his way so far to make things easier for him. He was under no obligation to do that, and there were times, like now, that getting a meal would be a lot harder for Penn to manage without his roommate.

  “That’s what I suspected. And then there’s the problem of your kitchen.”

  Penn joined Cooper by the far counter, out of his sister-with-a-mission’s way, and helped himself to the chicken nuggets his roommate offered.

  “This kitchen is spotless,” Cooper said defensively.

  “Not hard to keep an empty room clean,” Zoe said. She exhausted her search, turning to face them and crossing her arms over her chest. “In all seriousness, what on earth do you guys eat? There’s not enough in here to feed a dieting mouse.”

  “Don’t ask a question unless you can handle the answer,” Penn said.

  “We eat a balanced diet,” Cooper insisted.

  There was no way this was going to end well. As soon as Penn devoured his food, he was going straight back to his room to take cover.

  Zoe looked doubtfully at them both.

  “Mexican, Chinese, American, seafood,” Coop continued. “See? Lots of balance.”

  “Maybe I’ve never told you,” Penn said to his roommate. “My sister is getting her PhD in nutrition. You aren’t going to win this battle.”

  “There’s no battle,” Zoe said quietly. “I’m here to ensure my brother gets the best possible nutrition so his body can heal. If you want to kill yourself slowly by eating garbage, that’s none of my business.”

  In response, Cooper took out the remaining large order of French fries and handed it to a grateful Penn.

  “It’s all we’ve got,” Penn said to his sister. “You can reform me later, but right now I’m starving.” He shoved a couple of fries in his mouth. “So where are you staying and how long will you be in town?”

  She looked up from the smartphone she’d whipped out. “I’d hoped I could stay here on your couch?”

  “I guess so.” Penn thought twice and looked at Coop. “Okay with you?” It was Cooper’s condo, after all. His parents had left it to him when they’d died. Penn paid a token amount of rent each month to live here.

  “As long as she doesn’t try to reform me.”

  “Get her started cooking,” Penn said, “and you may not want her to leave.”

  “Yeah? If she promises not to hide veggies in my spaghetti sauce, we’ll give it a go.”

  “Funny,” Zoe said, smiling.

  “He’s serious,” Penn told her. “He and vegetables don’t get along real well.”

  “How old are you?” she asked Cooper, mimicking Penn’s earlier words and tone.

  “Thirty-three years of a vegetable-free lifestyle.”

  “It’s a miracle you guys survive on your own. This is why God created marriage.”

  “God or Satan,” Penn said. “One of the two.”

  “Your sister might have a point. Nothing wrong with having a woman around to take care of you. If it’s the right sort of woman.”

  “And what’s the right sort of woman, O wise guy?” Penn opened his mouth and dumped the last of the fry crumbs in.

  “The one you sent packing seemed like a good start.”

  Zoe was reaching into the upper cabinet behind her for a glass. She turned and eyed the two of them curiously.

  “Nadia?” Penn said in disbelief. He’d thought Coop was over that rant.

  “My brother had a girlfriend
?”

  “Nah, he screwed it up too early for that. She brought him a gourmet dinner from one of the island’s best restaurants. He sent her away practically in tears.”

  “She wasn’t in tears,” Penn said.

  “What did you do to her?” Zoe asked, filling her glass from the tap.

  Penn had been trying to forget about it, forget about Nadia.

  “He yelled at her.”

  “You’re lucky I can’t take a swing at you right now,” Penn told Coop. “I didn’t yell.”

  “They could hear you all the way at the station. She’s a beautiful girl,” Coop said to Zoe matter-of-factly. “Seems nice, too. She visited him in the hospital, offered to give him a ride home when he was released. Do you think he took it?”

  “I’m guessing no?” Zoe said, taking a few steps toward them.

  “Hell, no. The moron waited around another six hours before I could get there and drive him home. I’m a pretty all-around awesome guy and all, but I’m not nearly as hot as Nadia is. You need to quit blaming her for your injury, dude.”

  “Don’t you think I’m trying?” Penn demanded, his volume increasing.

  “Why would you blame her?” Zoe asked, looking from one to the other.

  Cooper gave her a brief blow-by-blow of what had happened. Handy, since Penn wasn’t about to do it.

  “Ooh,” Zoe said. “She must feel awful. I’m sure that’s why she brought you food. And then you still made her cry.”

  “She didn’t cry.”

  “You need to apologize to her, Penn. I’ve been on the receiving end of your mean side.”

  “At least thank her for the grub,” Coop said. “She spent a big chunk of change on it. Can’t remember the last time I ate so well.”

  “Okay, okay,” Penn said grumpily, feeling more and more like crap and not just because he’d been standing for too long. “I’ll tell her I’m sorry if it’ll get you two off my back. I’m sure she’s fine, though.”

  “Fine like your senior prom date?” Zoe asked like the little smart aleck with the infallible memory that she was.

  Cooper checked his watch. “I’d love to stay and discuss Penn’s screwing-up-with-girls history but I’ve got to run.”

  “Where are you going?” Penn asked, hoping Zoe could find something to do because he was talked out, stood out, everythinged out.

  “Shell Shack. Two-dollar Sandblasters tonight.”

  A fact that was as ingrained in everyone’s head at the fire department as CPR and house fire protocol. “I have a back injury, not a brain one, jackass.” Yeah, he was pissed he couldn’t join them. “Drink one for me. Or two.”

  “You got it,” Coop said on his way out. “Nice to meet you, food chick.”

  “Um, yeah,” Zoe said, frowning. “Same.”

  Penn spoke up before she could launch any complaints about Cooper. “You never said how long you were staying.”

  “My flight home is Friday.”

  “Three days? Are you sure you can stand us for that long?”

  “I’m a little out of practice, but yeah. It’s good to see you, Penn. You don’t look quite as bad as I’d imagined.”

  “Thanks, I think. I’ll be fine. You really don’t have to stay.”

  “You want me to leave?”

  “I didn’t say that. But I’m not good for much tour guiding. I need to go back to bed. Hope you don’t mind entertaining yourself.”

  “If you consider working on my dissertation self-entertainment, I’m good to go. I have a lot to get done while I’m here. As soon as I go pick up some dinner ingredients and feed you a proper meal. Mind if I borrow your car?”

  “If you’re getting food, you can borrow whatever you want.”

  “While I’m gone, you’re going to call Nadia, right?”

  “Wasn’t planning on it.”

  “Come on, Penn. You’re a firefighter. What happened to being noble and heroic? I know you’re in a really bad state right now but…she didn’t do anything intentional.”

  “I told you I’d apologize,” he snapped. “But I’ll do it when I’m damn good and ready.”

  He made his way to his room for his keys and some cash, knowing full well that his sister was right, which just pissed him off even more.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  NADIA HAD A GOOD FEELING about this guy. Well, these people, technically, but there was no question that Dr. Gene Morris was the one who called the shots.

  He was the president of a regional association of podiatrists and his group was scrambling to reschedule their annual conference. In Nadia’s experience, it was rare that he was taking such an active part in it—most busy professionals left the organizing to paid planners. His planner was with him, but because the storm had forced their last-minute venue change, he wanted to personally see to it that they booked a facility that could offer a well-run conference. That, of course, was where Nadia came in.

  She opened the door to the Sea Grass patio of the hotel and let Dr. Morris and Stacy, the planner, pass through ahead of her. “This is another possibility for a dinner setting if you prefer something outdoors,” Nadia said. “We can place heaters throughout the area if the temperature’s a little cool, always a possibility in February, and you still have the amazing view.”

  Their timing couldn’t have been better tonight. Because the doctor wasn’t able to get away until after office hours, they’d set this appointment for the evening. As they walked outside, the sun had dipped low behind them and cast a particularly stunning show of oranges and reds over the water. Nadia couldn’t have paid for better advertising.

  “I see. Fantastic.” Dr. Morris turned to Stacy. “This would be nice for Saturday night, don’t you think?”

  “Absolutely.” Stacy typed something on the electronic tablet she’d toted around for the entire tour. “Are all the usual options available out here? Buffet, sit-down…”

  “Anything you want,” Nadia said.

  Though the storm had caused the hotel’s events department all kinds of chaos, this possibility of new business was an upside. The conference for podiatrists had been booked for two years on San Solana, the island north of San Amaro. Unfortunately, the hotel they’d planned to use was all but destroyed. While Nadia truly felt for the hotel owners—like Silver Sands, it was one of the few family-owned operations left in the area—she wasn’t about to turn down the extra business. Every little bit helped, and a conference with an anticipated four hundred and fifty attendees was more than a little bit.

  As Dr. Morris wandered across the large concrete area toward the beach, Stacy shot several questions at Nadia and noted the answers on her tablet. She nodded slowly as she typed. “We’d definitely want our final dinner out here. It’s beautiful. So what’s—”

  “There you are, Nadia!”

  Nadia frowned and turned to see her mother walk purposefully out the door. When Joyce realized Nadia wasn’t alone, she faltered.

  “Oh. I’m sorry,” her mom said, smiling at Stacy. “I didn’t realize you were with someone. Come find me later.”

  “It’s okay, Mom. This is Stacy Keller. She’s working on rescheduling a conference that was misplaced by the storm. Stacy, this is Joyce Hamlin, our general manager and my mother.”

  Dr. Morris rejoined them, looking eager for an introduction so Nadia did the formalities again. He complimented her mother on how well maintained the property was and what a calming atmosphere it had. If only he could see behind the scenes, where there were never enough minutes in the day. Calm on the outside was what they strived for, though, and her mother beamed at the praise.

  “Why don’t we sit down and talk more specifically about what your group needs and what you have in mind,” Nadia said.

  “Is it okay if I join you?” her mom asked. A vague alarm went off in Nadia’s head—her mom trusted her implicitly and wasn’t one to check up on her, so the request was…odd.

  “Of course.” Nadia’s mind returned to the business at hand as she sil
ently reviewed the information Stacy and Dr. Morris had offered so far. “The most direct route to my office is this way.” Nadia led them across the patio, with Stacy falling in next to her and her mom and the doctor following. “If your attendees bring family members, we have a long list of activities to keep them busy. We have two pools, two hot tubs, a workout room, sauna, tennis court, basketball, surf lessons, beach volleyball....”

  Her phone buzzed with a message and she absently pulled it out as she walked. “Our restaurant serves everything from salads and sandwiches to steaks and seafood. There’s a breakfast and coffee cart daily. The bar is open until—”

  She made the mistake of glancing at the screen of her phone. The text message was from a local number she didn’t recognize and her eyes skirted over it to the actual message.

  Nadia, it’s Penn.

  “Uhhh…” She struggled to remember what she’d been saying.

  “The bar,” her mom prompted. “It’s open till midnight on weeknights.”

  “And two on weekends.”

  Why was Penn texting her? He’d made it clear he didn’t want to talk to her when she’d brought him dinner. Better yet, why did a text from him have her instantly rattled?

  Business, she reminded herself. Potential clients.

  Bar hours, restaurant, what else did she need to tell these people? “Oh, and we have a top-notch full-service spa.”

  “Now you’re talking,” Stacy said. “I haven’t had a massage for years.”

  Nadia barely heard her, and thankfully her mother joined in about the excellent skills of their spa staff.

  It was a bad idea but Nadia stole another peek at the text message.

  Sorry for yelling the other day. You didn’t deserve that. Dinner rocked, even cold. Thx.

  She slipped the phone back in her jacket pocket and tried to play it cool. Attempted to tune back into the conversation that had taken on a more casual tone.

  Penn had gone out of his way to apologize. She hadn’t thought she’d hear from him again.

  As the four of them sat down around the table in her office, her mom caught her attention with a curious glance that said, What the heck is going on?