Tree limbs and palm fronds littered the neighborhood. Tom immediately began walking around the house, trying to see the roof. There were patches of shingles missing, but fewer than he’d feared. Around them, houses had various degrees of damage from just missing shingles, all the way to one older house where the roof had been stripped all the way down to the bare plywood decking.
Part of their back fence had fallen under the force of the wind, and their neighbor’s tree had demolished another part of it, but other than that, they’d escaped major damage.
The cars, however, were a different story. His truck and Tyler’s car, both parked closest to the garage, were relatively unscathed except for some minor dents and dings on the roofs and sides. The passenger window of John’s truck had been struck by debris. A spiderweb of cracks had spread through the tempered glass, but the window remained in place.
“Must have happened on the back side of the storm,” John mused. “Otherwise, the whole window would have blown in if it’d been like that through the worst of it.” Kelly’s car had several larger dents on the exposed driver’s side, but all the glass was intact.
“Probably,” Tom agreed.
Pete and Eddie’s windshield had been blown in by what looked like a piece of roofing tile from the neighbor’s house. Jacob’s and Kyle’s cars both had glass and cosmetic damage. All the cars were plastered with leaves and grass blown by the wind.
Next door, the hood of their neighbor’s car had been crushed by a palm tree.
“Glad that’s not our palm,” Tyler mumbled to Tom.
He nodded. “Yeah, aren’t you glad I stopped you from planting any along the driveway?”
“You’re brilliant, love.”
“When do you want to get up on the roof to take a look?” John asked Tom.
“Not until the wind dies down.” Another spate of rain started, sending everyone back to the house. “And not until that stuff quits, either.”
Tom tried turning on the cable, but it was still out. That didn’t surprise him, considering the levels of damage being reported by the news, but he’d hoped it might be on.
“Well, what do we do now?” Tyler asked.
Tom realized everyone stared at him. When did I become the leader? “There’s not much we can do right now. Pete and Eddie can’t go home until we know their power’s back on. And their car’s a mess anyway. John and Kelly can’t even try going home until possibly tomorrow at the earliest. Kyle and Jacob don’t need to leave, and they probably don’t have power anyway. I say we stay put and break out the cards again.”
Nobody argued with him.
* * * *
The weather in Savannah deteriorated Saturday morning and throughout the afternoon as bands of rain trained through the area, one after another. By late afternoon, it looked so dark outside it resembled evening. While it was windy, according to local weather reports, the gusts only reached up to fifty miles an hour in their area. That was little comfort to Nevvie who tried her best not to pace the house and attempt to text the guys every few minutes.
They didn’t lose power, even though several neighborhoods in the area did, including Clay’s apartment complex.
“Thanks, Grandma,” Elle said. “I’m glad you made us come here.”
“I suspected it would happen. There are just way too many old trees in your neighborhood. It wasn’t hard for me to make the call. And this way I don’t have to worry about you.”
Peggy took control of the TV and had Adam show her how to play one of his video games. Nevvie sat on the couch with Andrew and watched Danny and Adam take on Laurie and Peggy. Mikey sat in Elle’s lap on the floor next to them and babbled at the screen.
Andrew leaned in close. “If you keep staring at your phone like that, it’s liable to burst into flames at any moment.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I can’t help it.” She laid it facedown on the couch next to her, but kept her hand on it so she could feel if it vibrated when a call came in.
“I would tell you not to worry, although I understand. I’m worried about them, too. They’ll be fine.”
The thought crossed her mind that he couldn’t possibly be as worried as she was when a duh moment hit her. Tyler was his son. Peggy and Andrew had to be just as worried as she was. If it were her kids in the path of danger, she’d be ripping her hair out.
She took a deep breath and handed him her phone. “Here. You babysit it for me, please.”
He arched an eyebrow quizzically at her but didn’t protest.
She moved to the floor to sit behind Adam and Danny. “Hey, kiddo. How about showing your mom how to play this game?”
Adam paused the game and turned to her with a huge smile. “You want to play, too, Mommy?”
“Yeah.”
“Yay!”
By dinnertime, Nevvie hadn’t managed to calm her nerves any, but she’d forced herself not to go online and watch news reports from Tampa about the destruction. It wouldn’t help her, and it wouldn’t help Tom and Tyler. All it would do would be to send her ever closer to breaking down and crying in front of Adam, which she desperately didn’t want to do.
When she went to tuck Adam and Mikey into bed, Adam grabbed her hand. With a very solemn-sounding voice he said, “Don’t worry, Mommy. Daddy and Poppa are fine. They’re smart.”
Nevvie forced a smile she didn’t feel. She didn’t want to tell her child that intelligence had nothing to do with surviving a storm. “I know, baby.”
“They’ll call tomorrow,” Adam said with certainty, nodding his head. “They will. You wait and see.”
“I hope you’re right, baby.” She hugged him and kissed both boys good-night. Then she said good night to everyone else before going to bed herself with Harley on her heels.
Instead of the Weather Channel, she found a movie channel playing a Cary Grant marathon. She put that on, then took the remote control into the bathroom and left it there so she wouldn’t be tempted to get out of bed and change the channel.
Then she curled up with Harley and cried herself to sleep.
* * * *
With everyone helping, it hadn’t taken long for Tom and Tyler to clean up their yard. They pitched in and helped a couple of their neighbors as well. After dinner, everyone was exhausted. Tom bid everyone good night and headed for their room, Tyler behind him.
Tyler followed Tom into the shower, grabbing a bottle of lube before he did.
“Is that a hint?” Tom asked.
Tyler pressed him against the wall. “Yes, in a way, love. Although I was hoping perhaps you were in the mood to bottom tonight.”
Tom kissed him as his cock hardened against Tyler’s abs. “Is that a good enough answer for you?”
“Absolutely, love.” Tyler spun Tom around so he faced the back wall.
Tom splayed his fingers against the cool tile. He closed his eyes and spread his legs so Tyler would have better access.
Tyler slipped his fingers into the seam of Tom’s ass, gently probing. “I’m not the only one who likes being fucked here, am I?”
Despite the steamy shower, the tone and timbre of Tyler’s voice sent a pleasant shiver through his body. “No, Sir,” he softly said.
Tyler’s fingers disappeared only for a moment before they were back and covered with lube. Taking his time, Tyler slowly pressed against Tom’s dark hole, spreading a generous amount of lube there before easing a finger in past his tight ring.
Tom softly moaned. His hips involuntarily flexed, trying to urge him in deeper.
“I know, love. Feels so good, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Tyler played with him for a minute before withdrawing his finger. When Tom moaned in disappointment, Tyler playfully swatted him on the ass. “Patience, love.” He added more lube and pressed two fingers into his ass.
“Yes!” Tom let his head drop. His cock throbbed, standing rigidly erect away from his body. Every nerve ending in his ass screamed for a good, hard fucking.
&nb
sp; Tyler added more lube and a third finger, this time deliberately playing with Tom’s sweet spot.
“Don’t come yet, love,” Tyler warned.
“Yes, Sir!”
“You have such a lovely arse, Thomas,” Tyler whispered. “I love knowing I’m the only man who’s ever fucked you here.” He brushed his fingers against Tom’s gland again, making him gasp as he struggled not to come.
“Yes, I know, my sweet pet. It feels so good, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, Sir!” He knew his voice approached a desperate whine and he didn’t care. It was all he could do to keep from coming.
“Are you close to coming?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Tyler’s fingers disappeared. Tom didn’t have long to think about the emptiness, because Tyler’s slicked cock quickly replaced them.
“Is that better? Is that what you wanted?”
“Yes, Sir.” His fingers curled against his palms. He caught his bottom lip under his teeth and breathed, wanting to be a good boy for him, wanting to hold back his near-desperate need to come.
Tyler took his sweet time sinking his cock all the way into Tom’s ass. Once his entire shaft was completely fisted inside him, he slowly started fucking him. “Nice and slow, love. Don’t you dare come until I tell you to.”
“Yes, Sir!”
It felt better than good having Tyler fuck him. He loved the way Tyler’s body pressed against his, how his thighs rubbed the backs of his legs.
“Get ready,” Tyler grunted. “I won’t last long.”
Tom gritted his teeth, struggling to hold back. Every stroke hit his prostate on the way in and out, deliciously sweet torture.
He felt Tyler’s fingers dig into his hips. “Now!”
Tom gasped with relief as his balls tightened, swelling before pumping his juices all over the shower wall. Inside him, Tyler’s cock hardened before he felt it pumping.
Tyler fell still leaning against his back, both of them breathing hard. “Did you make it over, love?”
Tom laughed. “Um, yeah. Good thing we’re in the shower. I made a mess.”
Tyler peeked around him and chuckled. “I suppose I could make you lick that up, but I suspect you’re as worn out as I am.” He carefully withdrew and washed himself off.
Straightening, Tom turned to him and enveloped him in his arms. “Thanks, buddy. I needed that.”
Tyler engulfed him in his embrace. “I suspected. It’s nice being able to let go sometimes.”
“Yeah.” He closed his eyes and rested his head against Tyler’s shoulder as the warm spray sluiced over them. “It sure is.”
Chapter Eight
Sunday morning dawned breezy, but only partly cloudy. With relief, Tom watched patches of brilliantly blue sky exposed by the high, scudding clouds passing overhead. As he stood outside, he was startled to hear the emergency generator kick off.
Dammit. I know I checked the propane. We had plenty.
He started around the corner of the house to check on it when he heard Tyler’s excited shout from the garage. “Power’s back on, love!”
He resisted smacking himself in the forehead. Of course. The generator shut down when the power was restored.
Tom returned to the garage, where Tyler was helping Jacob and Kyle with the shutters. “What about cable?” They hadn’t checked it yet that morning.
Kelly stuck her head out the garage door. “TV’s back on!”
They all rushed inside, where John, Pete, Eddie, and Kelly were watching the local NBC affiliate.
On the screen, a helicopter broadcast aerial shots of what Tom recognized as Davis Island.
“Holy fuck,” he whispered.
The helicopter pilot narrated. “And as you can see, guys, this is just…” His voice choked. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life, except for Charley and Andrew. Or the pictures we all saw of Katrina. There isn’t a single structure on the island, or along the entire Bayshore Boulevard region, that wasn’t flooded.
Many houses had collapsed. Others still standing, or partially standing, had severe roof damage if they even had a roof left. Cars not removed from the island had been washed into the streets and into buildings and houses. Planes not moved from the Peter O. Knight Airport had either been flipped over, destroyed, or shoved across the runways and into nearby streets and homes.
The helicopter made a turn and showed Tampa General Hospital, located on the island. As the pilot zoomed in, they could see where the floodwaters had engulfed the entire second floor of the building before receding somewhat. Windows had been blown or washed out all throughout the building.
“All the staff and patients from Tampa General were evacuated before the storm and moved to other facilities and shelters throughout the region. As you can see, it looks like the hospital isn’t going to be usable anytime in the near future.”
The view changed again, showing search and rescue dog teams staging at the base of the bridge where it connected to the island. “Emergency officials have reported recovering eight bodies from the island so far. Only twenty-five percent of the structures on the island have been searched as of yet.”
The picture switched to a studio view, two grim-looking anchors sitting at the desk. The man said, “Thank you, Dave. Those are sad numbers. And as we reported earlier, several residents who didn’t evacuate took shelter during the storm in the hospital, breaking in and trying to stay above the water during twelve harrowing hours.”
The picture changed again to an on-the-scene interview with one of them.
Kelly stood and walked toward the kitchen. “I’m going to fix us breakfast. I can’t watch any more of that.”
“I’ll help you,” Eddie said. “My stomach can’t take that, either.”
Tom exchanged a knowing glance with John.
* * * *
Nevvie tried off and on to call Tom and Tyler without success throughout Sunday morning. She didn’t like the reports she saw on the national news and the Weather Channel. From the looks of things, Tampa resembled a cross between Homestead post-Andrew, and New Orleans following Katrina.
Every time she called she got an automated “all circuits busy” message. The same thing happened if she tried calling John’s and Kelly’s numbers, or Jacob and Kyle. Or even Pete and Eddie.
Phone calls into the area just weren’t making it through.
Clay, Andrew, and Danny headed down the driveway to check on things. They returned for a chainsaw and Clay’s truck, as well as a length of chain, to take care of several trees that had fallen across the driveway.
By lunchtime, the center of Edgar was already out at sea, and their weather began dramatically improving. Still breezy, the rain only came in spits and spurts that weren’t any worse than regular summer thunderstorms.
Nevvie had developed a pattern. Call Tommy, call Tyler, call the house. Swear under her breath. Call John and Kelly. Swear some more. Jacob and Kyle, followed by more swearing. Ending with Pete and Eddie.
Must resist throwing phone against wall.
Repeat.
She felt too nervous and on edge to play video games with Adam. Instead, she sat on the couch with her Kindle in one hand and her phone in the other. Every few minutes, she’d look at her phone and will it to ring.
A little before four o’clock, she looked at her phone. Ring, dammit!
She let out a cry and nearly dropped it when it started vibrating in her hand. The screen read Tyler.
With trembling fingers, she answered. “Ty? Is that you?”
He laughed, the most beautiful sound in the world. “Yes, love, it’s me. Were you expecting someone else?”
“Oh my god, are you all okay? I’ve been so worried, I’ve been trying to call and—”
“Love, let me get a word in edgewise. We’re all fine. Our house is fine except for some roof shingles, although we suspect John and Kelly’s house might not have fared as well. Everyone is still here, and we’re all healthy and safe.”
Everyo
ne was staring at her. Adam had paused the game. “See, Momma? Told you they’d call.”
She burst out laughing and crying at the same time. “Yes, baby, you did say they’d call. They’re all fine, and our house is fine,” she said to everyone before she got up and walked to the kitchen. “I love you guys so much. I’ve been worried sick about you.”
“We love you, too.” That was Tom. “Sorry we haven’t been able to update you.” Tyler had it on speaker mode. “Like Ty said, it’s been a bitch and a half trying to get a call out. The house line is dead.”
“Have you gotten any of my texts?”
“No,” Tom said. “And when we try to send texts, it says it fails.”
Tyler chimed in. “So don’t panic if you can’t get in touch with us, love.”
She heard a noise in the doorway behind her and turned to see Laurie standing there, listening. Nevvie waved her in and put her arm around her shoulder. “Guys, Laurie’s right here. Can you put Mom and Dad on for her?”
“Sure,” Tom said. “Hold on.”
Nevvie handed her the phone. A moment later, Laurie started to sniffle. “Mom? Dad? Are you all right?”
Nevvie hugged her as she talked to them. After a few minutes, she said, “Okay. Love you, too. Here she is.” Wiping at her eyes with her spare hand, Laurie handed the phone back to Nevvie.
“Mom? Dad?”
“Hey,” Kelly said. “How are you all doing?”
“We’re okay. Just worried to death about you guys.”
“Quit worrying,” John said. “The worst is over. Well, the worst of the weather. I don’t know what our house will look like.”
“We’re going to give you back to Tom and Tyler,” Kelly said. “We love you.”
“Love you guys, too, Mom.”
Her men came on the line. “Well, love,” Tyler said, “we’re going to let you go.”
“I wish you wouldn’t.”
“We’ll be up there as soon as we can. We need to get Eddie and Pete home once it’s safe, and see about Kyle and Jacob’s apartment.”