Part 7 of As The Wind Blows

“AS THE WIND BLOWS”
© Copyright 2006 by Kathy Priebe
Part 7

(Continued)



She didn't feel as Brad place his hand on her shoulder for some small measure of comfort. All she could do was stand there and gape. And she didn't realize she was crying until he pressed a handkerchief into her hand.

"Here Honey."

"All of it...gone." She absently wiped her eyes.

"Not all of it." He pointed out the stone shed that was still standing.

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "At least we're still alive."

Brad's admiration for her went up a notch and he watched as she walked through the rubble picking her steps with care.

"Well," she looked around as she spotted things worth keeping. "Shouldn't you be getting back to work?" She didn't want to monopolize his time any more than she already had besides, she really wanted some alone time. She didn't want to break down in front of him.

"Are you going to be all right?"

Can this guy read her mind or what? She pulled her lips up into what she hoped resembled a smile. "I'll be fine. Really. I'm going to start going through this stuff. I want to lock up the bigger things that are salvageable in the shed."

"Do you have a ride back to the main land?

"Yes. I've got a ride with one of the rescue workers."

"Okay then." He looked like he was going to say something more but didn't, just stood there looking at her.

"Yes?" She could of swore that he was a little miffed by her having another ride back.

"Well, I'll look up your property when I get back to the office."

"Do you have a pen and paper?" She walked over to him suddenly not wanting him to leave yet, but knowing that it was probably best. At least she could give him her phone number and where she was staying with her mom.

Brad looked down at the small, neat handing writing. "I'll call as soon as I find out anything."

"Okay." She started to turn away.

"Mira?"

She turned back.

He reached out, cupped her chin and dropped a light kiss on her unsuspecting lips. Then he turned and left.

Her hand flew to her lips and she smiled as she watched him walk away.

*


"Are you sure Dave?" Brad couldn't believe it. There had to be some kind of mix up.

"There is no such policy in our data banks."

"Can you check with corporate?"

The branch manager looked at the growing stack of policy folders sitting on his desk and looked back at Brad. "In my spare time, Gable! She isn't the only policy holder we have, you know. If she has even has a policy!"

"She has one."

Dave's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What makes you so sure?"

"She too responsible not too."

The manager sighed and pushed his hand through his hair. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks Dave."

"Don't hold your breath Gable.” He’s seen it before. Another one looking for a free ride. “Now, get back to work!"

Brad walked over to his desk, sat down and stared at the legal pad full of notes that he had to go through. He couldn't get the sight of her eyes lighting up when he dropped that kiss on her lips. He knew when he called with this latest bit of news, the light would go out. He didn't want to tell her but it would be better coming from him then his boss.
He got up and grabbed his pad. “I have some follow up calls I have to make Dave. I’ll be back.” It wasn’t exactly a lie.

"Brad! This is a nice surprise!" Daffodil stepped aside to let the young man in. "Watch out for my oxygen hose. Don't want you tripping."

"Okay Mrs. Monteque." He came into the room stepping over the hose. "Is Mira here?"

"Call me Daffodil. She's in the shower. Worked hard all morning going through our trash on that island." Daffodil pointed Brad in the direction of the small table. "Have a seat lad. I heard you were hard at work all morning too. You know, I told her not to worry herself about what's left. The insurance should be enough to cover it. I don't have long to live, so she don't need much."

"Well Daff..." The sight of Mira coming out of the shower with nothing more than a towel wrapped around her, drove all thought from Brad's mind.

"Mom, who you talking...,to? Oh my!" Her hand grasped the front of the towel more tightly. "You could of told me mother!" She looked over at Brad, "I..., I'm so sorry." She grabbed her clothes off the chair by the door where she was standing and dashed back into the bathroom.

Mira leaned against the closed door and sighed. "Nothing like making a fool of yourself girl." She chided herself as she dressed and quickly ran a brush through her hair.

Daffodil just smiled.



...To be continued....

As The Wind Blows -6

“AS THE WIND BLOWS”
© Copyright January 2007 by Kathy Priebe
Part 6


(Continued)


"All right guys," Brad's boss spoke up from behind his desk. "Here are your assignments." He handed each of them a piece of paper of the areas that were hit worse from the hurricane. "We'll work our way through each site. Don't forget to document your pictures with notes and dates. It's starting to get confusing with as many hurricanes that we've had in the past two years." Dave sighed heavily, "we'll start at the worse hit and work our way to those with the least damage."

"Brad?" Dave called out as the three men started to file out of his office.

"Yes?"

"You have the furthest most Key Islands. They aren't letting the residents back yet, so you are going to have to hitch a ride with the disaster teams. They're using boats. I guess Rt. 1 was damaged in spots." Dave handed a pass on a neck chain to Brad. "From what I understand, some of the areas on the islands were hit bad. Field any inquiries from the residents to either the Disaster Hotline or our Central Field Office

* * *

"Now Mom, you have everything you need right here. The television, your meds, your oxygen and here's the phone in case you want something to eat or help with something." She was glad she was able to get into a room at the hotel. Everyone cleared out once the bad weather was over.
Mira sighed, clean up time, except for those on the Keys. Route 1 was closed for repairs and clean up. There was no going home till the causeway was open, of course she supposed, one could always rent a boat , if you had the money to do so.

Mira picked up her laptop and sat down at the small desk in the room. She had every intention to continue her work on an ad campaign she started right before the hurricane was announced, but her attention was elsewhere. She smiled to herself as she wondered what Brad was doing.

"Mira girl, you got that dreamy-eyed expression. You ain't going to get any work done today."

Her mother had an uncanny way of figuring her out.

"Why don't you go and see how our place feared?"

She closed her laptop, her mom was right. She was friends with the emergency help and was sure she could hitch a ride with any number of them. "Okay Mom, your right. I'll head over and see if I can't get a ride to the island."

* * *

Mira got out of her car in the parking lot for the ferry. She hurried over to a group of firemen that just broke apart from their meeting. She waved, spotting one she knew. "Hey Jeremy?"

"Mira! It's good to see you didn't blow away in the hurricane."

"Oh Jeremy, you're such a kidder!" She watched as a warm smile spread across his face.

"How'd your mom fare?"

"You know Mom. I don't think nothing bothers that woman!"

"I hear you. Now, I don't suppose you want a ride over to the island?"

"How'd you guess?" Mira smiled, because of her mother's health and unplanned emergency trips to the mainland, the whole department knew her and her mom fairly well.

"It'll cost you at least a platter of your cookies. That's the only way I'm going to get out of deep water with the chief."

Well that was easier than she thought. "As soon as I can, you know I will."

"Hop on in then."

Mira loved the ocean. She took a deep breath. She loved the smell, the sound and the mysteriousness of it. She looked out at the water. The sun was dancing like jeweled diamonds along the surface. So calm and blue now.

"Here we are." He gave her a hand out of the motorboat. "Just look me up when you need to get back."

"Thanks again Jeremy." With a final wave, Mira took off towards her place.

She started out at a good clip, but her pace slowed as she saw all the devastation around her. “Oh my!” She turned in a circle as she walked, gaping. This one was bad. She cringed, thinking about her own place as a knot began to form in the pit of her stomach.

“Hey! What are you doing here?”

Mira looked up from what was left of old man Steller’s place. It couldn’t be. “Brad?” She watched as he jogged over to her. He was in a pair of jeans that molded to his hips and a dress shirt that he rolled the sleeves up on. As he got closer, Mira noticed that he carried a thick notepad clipped to a clipboard. He also had a camera hanging around neck. "I live around the corner from here. What are you doing here?" She knew just about everyone that lived on the island. He wasn't one of them. She would have noticed him!

"I'm one of insurance adjusters for The Right Way Insurance. This is the area I was assigned to cover."

"Hey, I think that's my insurance company."

Brad fell in beside her as she continued walking towards her place. "Is your property far from here?" The was concerned in his voice.

She looked around. If she didn't know the island as well as she did, she would be lost. Nothing looked the same.

"A lot of damage."

The man seemed to read her mind. "About ten minutes from here."

"If you want, I'll go with you."

Mira sighed. "I'd like that." It would be nice to have someone there with her when she surveyed what was left.

"Okay, right around this..." Mira stopped as her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh no. No!" She ran the rest of the way, not even noticing if Brad was following or not.


T o Be Continued...

Sorry

Sorry. I have been battling a nasty lung infection, but I am on the mend now.

Thanks for your patience…..Kathy