Disquiet bubbled inside her. “You think the house will be okay?”
Paul sorted through the groceries. “Barring any natural catastrophe, yes. She’s a sturdy broad.” He nudged her with his elbow. “Hey, it’ll be okay. It’s just a storm.”
“Just a stormis probably what everyone said right before half the town nearly floated away or drowned in the flood.” She lifted a mason jar full of clear liquid. “This doesn’t look like something you bought at the store.”
Paul smirked and grabbed the jar. “White lightning.”
“Moonshine?” Tessa gaped at him. “Where did you—”
He pressed his finger against her lips. “Don’t ask.”
Tessa jabbed her finger against the jar. “There is no way I’m drinking that.”
A streak of lightning lit the darkness outside, and Tessa stared at the windows as thunder vibrated the panes. The mint plant shivered and released a sweet, fresh scent into the air.
“It’s the perfect night for white-lightning grits and thunder eggs,” Paul said.
Tessa raised an eyebrow. “There’s no way that’s a real thing.”
Paul grinned. “An old family recipe. Notmyfamily, but someone’s.”
Tessa shrugged. “There’s always plan B if dinner doesn’t turn out.”
“What’s plan B?”
She pointed to the cereal box on top of the refrigerator.
“It’ll turn out.” He moved around the kitchen, pulling out the necessary pots and pans.
Tessa walked over to the window and stared out into the darkness. Rain splattered against the glass, and strong winds swirled around the building, whining in the night. She pressed her fingertips against a pane. “You sure she’ll be all right?” Tessa asked as she rubbed the back of her neck.
Paul turned on the stovetop. “It’s just a rainstorm, Tess. She’s withstood much more.”
Tessa nodded, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that the east wind would leave more than scattered leaves and mud puddles behind. The worddestructionslithered around in her mind like an uneasy serpent.
Chapter 24
A Wicked Broken Egg
ThenextmorningTessa’scell phone rang and vibrated off the bedside table. She grumbled as she dangled off the side of the bed and stretched her fingertips out for it. She answered just before her voice mail picked up. “Hello?” Her dry mouth caused her voice to come out as a croak.
“Tessa?”
She heaved herself back onto the bed and glanced at the alarm clock. It was five minutes past seven in the morning. “Charlie, hey.”
“You need to get to the house.”
Tessa’s shoulders tensed at the tone of her contractor’s voice. “Is everything okay?”
“You need to get here. Like five minutes ago. Can you leave now?”
Tessa swung her legs off the bed and stood. “What’s wrong?”
“Just get here.”
Charlie disconnected, and Tessa stared at the phone, giving her own anxieties a full minute to quadruple inside her chest. She ran to her closet and pulled on yesterday’s pair of already-worn jeans and a T-shirt. She yanked a comb through her hair and brushed her teeth. Then she hurried into the living room. She leaned over Paul’s sleeping form on the couch and touched his shoulder. “Paul.”
His eyes fluttered open. “Hmm?”
