Seventeen Days (36 page)

How can I not kiss her after that? I can’t form any words to say back to her. She’s left me speechless yet again. This amazing, fierce woman has left me speechless by loving me. Too bad it was all about to come to an end, I just didn’t know it yet.

Waking in my own bed felt foreign to me. The smell of Harrison didn’t envelop me like it would on any other morning. 

It’s the first morning since coming to Alabama I’ve felt
off balance.
 

Nothing feels right. I’m not able to explain it. And then I look outside and see the storm clouds. Shit. That’s why I’m feeling off. It’s storming out and Harrison is out on the water. He promised he wouldn’t leave if the weather was bad. Dammit, he promised. He fucking
promised
.

Jumping from my bed, I run down the stairs to find the house empty. What did I think I’d find, my aunt in the kitchen as worried as I am?
You’re a stupid naive girl. What he said about not going out in the rain yesterday, was only bullshit. Of course he was going to go out in the rain. You’re a stupid twit. It’s his job after all.

Take it easy on yourself, Morgan. Quit calling yourself names.

Telling my internal voice to fuck off, I run to locate my cell phone, and I quickly dial him, and what do you know, it goes straight to voicemail. Not taking that for an answer, I call the satellite phone. Not getting an answer on it, either, I call Gentry next. He doesn’t pick-up. Figures. 

After about twenty minutes, I try all three again with still no answer and only Mac and the thunder keeping me company. At least there's no lightning, that’s a good sign, right? Can I honestly take a lifetime of this kind of worry? Always wondering when a storm hits if he’s going to come home? Am I strong enough? Can I be that kind of woman?
Yes. Wait, no. Maybe.

I’d like to think I can be, but honestly, I don’t know. I’ve never felt like a strong person until recently, and it’s mostly due to Harrison. All it’s taken to break me apart is a stupid little storm. I’m freaking-the-fuck-out right now. If there was any hard liquor in this house, it’d be my best-friend-forever at this point. I’d be slushed and not giving two fucks. Laughing to myself, I realize exactly how crazy I sound.
Calm down, Morgan, it’s a storm and not a bad one. Harrison is fine. He’ll see you called and will call you back shortly. Calm your tits, girlfriend.
Did I really tell myself to calm my tits? You bet your ass I did. 

Trying one more time to reach him with no luck, I call Julian. May as well try to take my mind off things by focusing on anything else. Wouldn't you know it, his voicemail picks up too. My luck today sucks. Leaving him a quick message, I hang up and call my aunt. She, at least, answers. 

“I know, I know, you’re freaking out. I’m on my way home. The weather reports aren’t too bad. So don’t worry about it more than you have too. My last patient left a few minutes ago, I’ll be there shortly.” She didn’t say hello. God bless the woman. 

“Thank you,” is all I reply. Running back upstairs, I decide to take a shower. Might as well do something productive with my worry while waiting for her to get home. Taking both my cell and the home phone into the bathroom with me—wouldn’t want to miss a return call. 

When I finally make it back downstairs, my aunt is pulling into the drive, and there’s still no word from Harrison. 

She runs to the back door, but she should’ve walked, running didn’t stop her from getting soaked. “Do you want to go wait for him at the office? Will it help you worry less?” 

The thought has crossed my mind, but what he said yesterday evening also comes to mind about his worrying if I was in the office. “No, I don’t think it’s a good idea. There’s too many windows at the office. We’ll be better here; I’ll worry anywhere. The weather reports truly aren’t too bad? Be honest, give it to me straight. Don’t sugar coat it.”

“They said the worst has already passed us by. It didn’t really hit us here, and the clouds should be lifting shortly. We’ve seen the heavy rains, but most of it skipped over this area. I don’t think we should let ourselves worry too much. Have you tried calling him? Of course you have, don’t answer me. It was silly of me to ask.” 

If I wondered where my nervous rambling came from, I don’t any longer. She’s as bad as I am. Funny, I never noticed Sienna doing it. It appears most of my best traits I get from my aunt. And Julian, I’m sure. Although, I haven’t spent enough time in his presence to know for sure. 

“It may be only eleven in the morning and I’m a minor, but can we open a bottle of wine? Don’t know about you, but I could go for a glass or ten.” Like I said, if hard liquor would’ve been in the house, we already would’ve been acquainted. Aunt Savannah doesn’t have a problem with my drinking on occasion, she did see me having a beer last night, but I’m not entirely sure she’d be a fan of my day-drinking.  

“That’d be okay with me. But, I think this calls for something a tiny bit stronger. You’ve earned it. In the pantry all the way in the back on the top shelf is where I keep the good stuff. Tell you what, I’ll go grab it. You grab two glasses and meet me in the living room.” 

There’s something stronger here and I didn’t know it? Good damn thing, or I’d be passed out on the floor by now. Mac follows me into the living room and plops down at my feet. “Hey, I know when we first met, we didn’t get off on the right foot, but you’re an okay dude. Can we be friends, Mac? I could use a friend right now.” As I’m rambling to Mac, tears start to form in my eyes. What ifs start playing in my head again. I can’t help but think of the worst possible outcome. If only Harrison would answer my call.  

Stupid storm. 

Stupid love. 

Stupid dog. 

Stupid hormones. 

Doubt if I wasn’t on my period I would be half this emotional. Oh, who am I kidding? We all know I would be. Fucking Harrison. Stupid guy making me fall in love with him. He all but dared me to love him. He said a lot could happen in a few short days. He was right. He made me love him within those days. Although, I’m pretty sure I loved him the first day, the moment my jade eyes met his stormy gray eyes. 

“Wasn’t sure what you’d like best, so I grabbed three bottles. We have my friends Jim, Jose, and Jack. If you haven’t met them before, now you can meet them again. We’re good friends on occasion.”

Laughing a little, because hey it
was
funny, I reach for the bottle of Jack. We’ve had a good relationship in the past. “He’s a been a good friend to me. Jose, not so much. Jim? Maybe, but the jury's still out.” 

“Good call. Jack is always the right choice for us Young women. We can’t go wrong with a little Jack in our Coke. In case you need to know, Jim is a good standby. Jose is good in emergencies which is why I brought him out. But he can go back in hiding now. He’s a fair-weather friend.” She’s trying her best to crack me up this morning. It’s mostly working. Mostly. Good to know my sense of humor is still intact. 

“Use a heavy hand when pouring, Aunt Savannah.” The heavier, the better as far as I’m concerned. Screw the glass and let me drink from the bottle. That’d be better. 

“Only because you’re stressed and worried am I even allowing this. I’m pouring you three fingers, and that’s it. It’s equal to three shots, and it’s more than enough. You’ll be lucky to stay awake after that much straight Jack. If we hear from Harrison before you drink it all, or the storm passes, you’ll dump it down the sink. You hear me?” 

Well … shit. 

“What if I drink it super-fast?” 

“If you drink it that fast, you deserve to pass out, sweet girl.” 

If I pass out, then I won’t have to worry about Harrison and Gentry. 

If I pass out, I’ll wake up and this will be over.

If I pass out, I’ll wake up and this will all have been a nightmare.

If I pass out, Harrison will be here when I wake up. 

If I pass out. 

If I pass out. 

If I pass out. 

If I pass out. 

When
I pass out.

Taking the glass from her, I down the entire contents in one big gulp. Letting the fire burn the whole way down my throat into my stomach. 

Come on, Jack, do your job, make me forget. 

Let me pass out. 

Wake me up from this nightmare. 

Bring Harrison home. 

Not caring she told me no, I grab the bottle from her and take a swig straight from it.

It only takes about half a bottle and less than twenty minutes for me to be greeted by the blackness. 

The alcohol may have done its job and made me forget for a while but not for long. It gave me peace of mind for a slightly over three hours. Those three hours were nothing but blackness and it was heaven. When I woke up, though, it was hell. A slightly drunk version of hell, but still hell nonetheless. 

Aunt Savannah was sitting on the couch next to me with my head in her lap and Mac was lying at my feet. After hour four, I called Steve to see if he’d heard anything from Gentry. He hadn’t. He told me not to worry, storms like this happen all the time and the guys would be back like normal, but how could I not worry?
Hello! They weren’t even answering the satellite phone!
Besides, I’m a young girl, don’t all young girls overreact? 

Hour six and Harrison still isn’t back and there’s still no word from him. The storm has passed, and the sun is shining, but not a single word from him or Gentry. Nothing. We’ve alerted the Coast Guard, and let them know their planned route for the day. They in turn let us know the storm is still out over the gulf and more than likely the guys are stuck in the middle of it. As soon as it clears enough, they’ll send in the chopper to look, but they already have a few boats out searching for Harrison among other charters. 

Harrison and I will think back on this when we’re old and laugh. Won’t we? It’ll be one of those crazy stories we end up telling our children and grandchildren. Or we’ll tell it to each other’s children and grandchildren, you know if we’re not together. Since we’ll be in each other’s lives one way or another. At least we plan on it.

It’s nearing six when Aunt Savannah suggests my eating. “You haven’t eaten a bite all day, dear. The only thing in your stomach is liquor. You need to eat. You should at least
try
to eat something.” She’s right, I know she’s right, but the thought of eating makes me sick. It’ll only come right back up, so why put anything in? It’s my theory anyway. 

“No, I won’t be able to keep it down. It’ll be a waste. If we don’t hear anything in another hour, I’ll try and eat then, not like it’ll be any easier, or I’ll be worrying any less, but I’ll try. Can we go get Dog now? I’d like to bring him over here so he’s not alone all night.” Not mentioning the fact I don’t have a key to Harrison’s, Dog does have a doggy door, I’m planning to be able to coax him out of it so he can come here. “It’s okay if he stays here with me, right? Him and Mac are friends, and I miss him.” 

“It’s not an issue if we go get him, but don’t you think you should put your clothes on before we do?” What is she talking about, I have clothes on, don’t I? Glancing down, I bust out laughing and can’t stop. Falling to my knees on the floor, I laugh for a solid five minutes. Why the fuck didn’t she tell me I was walking around in only my bra and panties? Knowing full well I took my robe into the bathroom with me, I wonder what happened to it. She must think I’m insane.