Without thinking, her feet carried her over the threshold and out onto the porch.
Jack ran after her and caught her just before she hit the stairs. “You can’t go out there.”
“I have to. I left things in the back seat and trunk.”
Jack took hold of both her arms. “Raven, you have no idea if the tree took down power lines when it fell. You could be electrocuted.” He pointed into the dark at the mass of downed willow branches.
That struck her like a second lightning bolt. “Oh. Right.” She stepped backward.
“It’s okay. Come inside.” He wrapped his big arms around her and ushered her into the house and back to the fireplace. As they sat in front of the fire, he rubbed her back again. “It could have been so much worse. I don’t know how it missed the house.”
She nodded, still numb. “If it’d fallen just a few feet to the left . . . ” Shuddering, her voice trailed off. She couldn’t put a voice to the words, imaging the house’s destruction. Her family’s retreat—her sanctuary—could’ve been demolished so easily. “Instead, it destroyed my BMW.”
“It’s just a car.”
Easy for him to say. His Range Rover had been spared and sat untouched at the end of the driveway.
“It was my car. I loved it.” A hot tear spilled down her cheek.
“I know you’re upset.” He swiped it away with his thumb.
“I’m not upset. I’m angry.” Frustrated tears threatened to fall.
“I get it.”
Her hands balled into fists. “No. I don’t think you do. This is the cherry on top of my shit sundae, and now I’m stuck on this island without a way to get home.”
“Hey, come here.” Jack took her in his arms. “I’ll get you home. I promise.”
He held her there, her head against his shoulder, his hand cradling the back of her neck. As she sank into him, breathing in his scent and listening to the beat of his heart, her anger began to subside.
Jack was right. It was only a car—a beloved one—but still, merely a vehicle that got her from one destination to another. In the scope of things, it was small. They’d been spared the worst. The house was intact, and they were safe. And she trusted him to get her home.
“Is it so bad being stuck on this island with me?” He tilted her head back to look into his eyes.
She mustered a smile. “It has its benefits.”
He laughed. “That’s a ringing endorsement if I ever heard one.” Rising to his feet, he got up to add a second log to the fire. “For safety’s sake, I think we should sleep down here tonight. I don’t trust the other trees not to fall, too.”
That would be smart. The neighbors on both sides had large trees that could take out the upper levels of the house. That didn’t explain the butterflies that fluttered in her stomach when he suggested it, though. Raven was a grown woman. The idea of a living room slumber party shouldn’t make her that excited. Even if it was with Jack.
“I agree. And the fire will keep us warm.” Raven rearranged the throw pillows and blankets, then lay down on the floor.
“And so will body heat.” Jack settled behind her and pulled her close.
Against Jack’s solid body, the chill instantly left her bones. Grateful for his presence, she reached for his hand and laced their fingers together. If she’d been alone this weekend, her car would’ve been in the exact same place and suffered the same fate, but she’d have had to weather its destruction on her own.
Now, she didn’t have to. Jack had held her and told her everything would be okay.
Not that she needed it. Raven had been alone for a long time and had handled plenty of shitty situations by herself. Those times were hard. The stress could be overwhelming. She could deal with every emergency, but it would be nice to have someone share the burden once in a while. Tonight, Jack had done that for her.
“We were really lucky,” she said.
“We were,” he answered, his voice drowsy, and then he yawned.
“Are you falling asleep?”
“Just resting my eyes.” His breath grew slow and regular. A moment later, his arm twitched, a sign he was nodding off.
As the fire burned, Raven was struck by the realization that she was about to sleep with a man, and for the first time in her life, it had nothing to do with sex. They were simply going to sleep, bodies