Body Rocks [The Andersons 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) (21 page)

Clutching onto the doorjamb for dear life, trembling with fear and shock, Samantha waited for the quake to end. Thankfully it was much shorter than the previous one. Once the air had cleared of dust, she crawled over to where she had last seen Daniel and began shifting debris in order to get to him. Tears then blurred her vision when she came across an eight-foot rectangular section of wall. Knowing there was no way on earth she would be able to lift it, she started crying in earnest.

She had no idea how long she wept before she heard what sounded like a groan coming from under the wall. It was Daniel, and he was injured, possibly seriously. She had to get to him. Wiping her tears away, she took hold of the edge of the wall, took a deep breath, and lifted it.

And dropped it in surprise. It was really light, and if anything, the photograph of Daniel looking frozen solid while standing on the deck of an icebreaker that was still in situ probably weighed more than the wall.

With newfound hope—if the walls were this light, then Daniel might be okay—Samantha took hold of the wall again and flipped it up. She looked down. Pinned by a wooden beam across his chest, Daniel was staring up at her, a bemused expression on his dust-covered face.

“I don’t believe it. My earthquake-proof house collapsed on me.”

“Daniel, are you okay? Oh, darn, that was a stupid question.”

Then with relief, shock, and fright striking her like a freight truck, Samantha laughed until her hysterics turned to loud, racking sobs.

* * * *

Taking on board Samantha’s hysterical state, Daniel decided not to alarm her further by saying some of his ribs felt more than a little bent out of shape. He grinned and tried to make light of the situation. “Yeah, it was rather a stupid question. But as my father would say, ‘I’m just peachy.’ What about you, are you hurt?”

Her sobbing receded into whimpers. “No, just scared, Daniel.”

“There’s nothing to be scared about. Not anymore.” Not surprisingly, she didn’t look convinced. Well, that put the kibosh on asking Samantha to move to Simi Valley and live with him. In fact, judging by the expression on her face, the entire state of California was not an option for them to build a home together.

Speaking of living together—he no longer had a house for them to live in! He looked at the beam across his chest. Murphy’s Law, the heaviest piece of building material that made up his house had fallen on him. Gathering energy, he put his hands on the beam and pushed. It moved half an inch and then stuck fast.

“What can I do?” Samantha asked, bending down beside him. He noticed she was still naked, and though her eyes were glassy with brimming tears, she had more composure.

“If you can lift it a few inches, I think I’ll be able to crawl out.” Daniel smiled an encouraging smile. She nodded and moved into a different position, one that had him silently cursing his inability to ignore the wicked thought that popped into his head. If it weren’t for the fact she was bent over him, her sweet ass almost stuck in his face, and huffing and puffing from trying to lift his earthquake-proof house off his chest, he would have grabbed her hips and given her tasty pussy a thorough licking.

“I can’t, Daniel, it’s too heavy.” She moved back to beside him and brushed the hair from her face.

“Then you’re gonna have to get some help. Try one of my neighbors.”

“Okay.”

She went to stand up, but he grabbed her hand and pulled her back down to his side. They might not have a home together, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t start a life together right now. “Just before you go, baby. Will you do two things for me?”

“Of course.”

“I should have done this earlier, baby. I know I’m not in the right position for it, but will you marry me?”

She gasped and clutched her hands to her chest, the brimming tears of fear now falling as happy ones. “Oh, Daniel.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes!” She gave him a delighted kiss on the mouth and then drew back. “What’s the second thing?”

“Put some clothes on before you go outside. I don’t think your mom and dad will be too happy with their future son-in-law if you go home with a rap sheet for streaking.”

A beam of white light from outside then cut across them and a man’s voice called out, “Hello? Anybody in here?”

“Yes,” Samantha called back. “Please help. My boyfriend’s trapped.”

“You mean fiancé,” Daniel corrected.

There were sounds of debris being shifted and then a man appeared beside Samantha. To both their relief, he ignored her nakedness. He took hold of the beam, heaving it off Daniel’s chest as easily as if it were a matchstick.

Daniel gingerly rose to his feet and tested his bent ribs by taking Samantha into his arms, shielding her naked body with his, the pain that speared through his chest made a bit more bearable by the kiss she gave him.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked on seeing him wince.

“Baby, I’m fine.” Daniel turned to the man. Goose bumps immediately surfaced on his skin and his arm hair stiffened. The man’s face was indistinct, shadowed by the torch light that was being pointed downward, but there was something familiar about him. “Thanks for your help…?” He paused, waiting for a name, but the man just nodded and began to walk away.

“Let’s go,” the man said over his shoulder.

“Hey! Wait a minute. Do I know you?”

“Yes and no.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” The man turned around. Further away, he looked even more familiar, even more so when he smiled. But damn, Daniel just couldn’t kick-start his brain into working out why. Samantha grew still in his arms. Her expression reminded him of the one on Frank Walsh’s face when they visited the police station earlier that day. It was like she had seen a ghost.

“No, it can’t be. You’re dead.”

The words were a whisper from Samantha’s lips, yet Daniel heard them as clear and as loud as a trumpet fanfare. He stared at the man and really studied him. They were of the same height and build. They had the same dark-blond hair, although the man’s was graying. And although the face was older-looking, they had the same straight nose and defiant chin.

If Daniel didn’t know any better, he would say he was looking at himself in the mirror some thirty years down the line. Thirty years? The time scale hit him hard. It hit him so hard he actually backed up and promptly fell over the discarded wooden beam, Samantha falling awkwardly and heavily on him, causing them both to groan out loud.

The man’s colorful language as he helped them to their feet made Daniel grin. He now knew the man’s identity. He again shielded Samantha’s naked body, but the man averted his eyes—eyes Daniel could now see were blue with gold flecks—and removed and held out his shirt. She looked lost in it, but it was better than nothing. “You’ve been following me,” Daniel stated.

The man shrugged. “Have I?”

“Yes, you have. You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

Before the man could reply, there was a very worrying cracking sound above their heads. “Time to make a sharp exit,” he said, grabbing hold of Samantha’s hand and Daniel’s arm and yanking them toward the way he’d entered.

“I don’t believe it,” Daniel murmured after they’d left his house and he was watching the rest of it collapse. “It’s meant to be earthquake-proof.”

“At least you’re alive,” Samantha chided Daniel. She turned to the man, but he had vanished. “Hey, where’d he go?”

“I don’t know,” Daniel said, scanning the immediate area. His house wasn’t the only earthquake-proof house that had collapsed. All the houses on his side of the street had also been reduced to a pile of rubble, but the houses on the other side of the street—the non-earthquake-proof ones—were still standing. Go figure! He also noted with sorrow that the VW Beetle had been squished like a bug. What a freakin’ shame!

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

Daniel snorted and stared at the fire engine that screamed up the street, sirens blaring and lights flashing. “Like I said, Jessica’s the only one who believes in ghosts. Sam was as real as that shirt you’re wearing.”

“Then where is he?” Samantha asked. She then squealed with fright when somebody tapped her on the shoulder from behind. She spun around. A smile on his face, Sam Carrick held out a pair of boxer shorts to her.

“Where did you go?” Daniel asked, standing in front of Samantha while she put the boxers on.

Carrick nodded to the house on the opposite side of the street. “My house.”

“You’ve been living opposite me?” Daniel stuttered, stunned right down to his toes. He’d realized whoever had been following him—now known to be his brother—had been close, but that was ridiculous.

Carrick grinned and spoke to Samantha. “Sorry they’re not your usual style of panties, Samantha, but at least they’ll spare your blushes. And they’re clean.”

Samantha smiled and wiggled her ass. “Thank you. And look, they’re the perfect fit.”

“Not to mention as sexy as sin,” Daniel said before he could stop himself.

Carrick cleared his throat. “Ah, I think on that note, I’ll leave you two to it.” He turned to walk away, but Daniel grabbed his arm.

“Hey! You’re not going anywhere. Like I said, you’ve got a lot of explaining to do. And not just to me, but to my father…Our father. And to Sammy’s mom.” Daniel noted the wistful expression that appeared on Carrick’s face. He put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Especially to Sammy’s mom.” Carrick nodded, but then made out like a tree and stood rooted to the spot.

“No. Wait!” His eyes took on a look of uncertainty. “I’ve waited a long time for this. Thirty years to be exact. I can’t afford to fuck it up.”

“And you won’t,” Samantha assured him with an understanding smile. “Everything will work out fine. I’m sure of it. Now let’s go home.”

Let’s go home.
With everything smelling of roses in his world—he had Samantha and her love—Daniel just hoped the ominous feeling in his gut at that statement was the difficulty they might face in actually getting home, and not that of a second catastrophic disaster.

THE END

WWW.BOOKSTRAND.COM/MARIE-JERMY

Hmm, let’s see. Well, I was born on August 1, 1972, which makes me a Leo. So am I a lioness? Yes, although I only show my claws when provoked. I am married to Richard and have three children, collectively and affectionately known as “The A-Team”, so called because their first names start with an “A.” I would consider myself to be quite crafty, a trait inherited from my late father, and clever (well, I like to think so!). I also have a sarcastic, sometimes dirty sense of humor, and because of my time employed by the police, I am completely unshockable. When I’m not writing or looking after the kids, I can be found with my nose stuck between the pages of a romance novel or a book about the
Titanic
.

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