In the Eye of the Storm Read Free

lots gave way to homes that took her breath away.  They passed a rather large looking lake on the right side of the road and Holly saw what looked like a gazebo off in the distance.  At the prodding of the GPS, she turned in to Stephen’s driveway and had to stifle another gasp.  His home, once you drove up the winding drive, was very rustic looking with tons of stone facing and cedar shake shingles.  Colors could not be clearly defined but Holly knew it would be stunning.  As much as she hated having to be here at this ungodly hour, suddenly she wanted to get out and explore – rain and all.
    Stopping the car directly in front of his door, she waited for him to climb out.  It seemed that Mother Nature had decided to wait for that exact moment to throw more high winds and now hale in to the mix.  “Great,” Holly mumbled, “more fun for the drive home.  Can’t this night just end?”  Her head slumped forward on to the steering wheel in defeat.
    Without a word, Stephen reached across the car, turned the key and shut it off, taking the keys out of the ignition.  “Um, excuse me,” Holly chimed in a sing-song voice.  “What do you think you’re doing?  I can’t drive home without my keys.”
    “You can’t drive home at all in this.  It’s almost three-thirty in the morning and the weather’s gotten worse.  I may have been an inconsiderate bastard thus far, but I’m hoping to remedy that right now.  I have five extra bedrooms, Holly; you can take your pick and sleep.  I’ve kept you out and awake long enough.”  With that, he climbed out of the car and went to open the front door of the house.
    Holly sat mutely for a minute.  Was the man for real?  Sleep at Stephen’s house?  Was that appropriate?  Should she protest?  It wasn’t like she was sleeping with Stephen; she was just sleeping in his house.  She could choose whichever bedroom was furthest from his and it would be fine, right?  Chewing her lip, she looked up and saw him leaning in the open doorway, half asleep and waiting.  Sighing with resignation, she pulled up her hood, climbed out and went to join him.
    “Thank you,” she grumbled as she walked past him in to the house.  Stepping inside, Holley immediately kicked off her wet sneakers while she waited in the foyer for him to lead the way around. Within minutes she found herself walking up a grand, curved staircase before coming to stand in a room that was almost the size of the first floor of her own condo! 
    Besides being massive in size, it was beautifully decorated.  Holly had decorated Stephen’s last home but this one he had purchased as the model home with all of the furnishings.  The back wall had a huge picture window with floor to ceiling drapes in shades of cream and taupe.  The bed, which looked the size of a small continent with four posters, stood along the middle of the right wall and was piled high with pillows in jewel tones.  The furniture was large and honey colored and Holly just wanted to sigh. 
    “You have your own bathroom through here,” Stephen indicated, “and there are fresh towels in the closet.  There is soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste all in there, as well, and a robe hanging on the back of the door.”  He stopped with hands on hips and glanced around the room as if making sure he wasn’t forgetting anything.  And then it hit him, “Wait here.”
    He strode from the room and Holly peeled off her wet coat and was about to place it on the upholstered lounge chair that sat invitingly in the corner but then thought better of it – fearful of ruining it.  Glancing around for a better option, she walked in to the bathroom and just hung it over the shower curtain rod.  She came out of the bathroom just as Stephen was walking in with a small pile of clothes. 
    “I figured you might want something other than wet sweats to sleep in.  There’s a t-shirt here, a flannel shirt, dry sweat pants…I wasn’t sure what you