Micah
“IT’S A GOOD THING YOU decided to go ahead and buy those big-ass ceiling fans, boss,” Randy tells me as we walk around the dining area of the restaurant.
“Yeah, they were a splurge but I know they’ll be worth it. Plus, they just look freakin’ cool.” I look up and admire the fans. They look like upside down windmills. They’re functional, while keeping with the industrial look of Lagniappe. I love them.
“They also work well. We can’t turn ’em up too high or else they’re likely to blow the salt and pepper shakers off the table.” Randy laughs but he’s not wrong.
It gets hotter than forty hells in New Orleans in the summer, and I want to make sure our customers are comfortable. Hell, even now, during what’s supposed to be winter, we can leave the fans on and not freeze anyone out. Granted, it’s been unseasonably warm here lately, even for Louisiana. It should make the upcoming Mardi Gras celebrations very interesting. I guarantee there will be a rise in naked people on Bourbon Street over the next month.
“You nervous about the soft opening?”
“Nah, man, I’m excited. I can’t wait to show everyone what I’ve been workin’ on with this place and see what they think. It’s gonna be a great night.” Of course, there will be times of nervousness during the soft opening, but everyone I love will be here experiencing my dream and supporting me. I can’t fucking wait.
I glance down at my watch and sigh, which doesn’t go unnoticed by Randy.
“Missin’ your woman?” he asks.
His word choice for Dani makes me chuckle, but he’s not wrong. “I am. We usually speak first thing in the morning, but all we managed today were a few text messages. She must be busy workin’.”
This doesn’t really surprise me, because Dani is extremely hard-working and she’s amazing at what she does. When she’s on a job, she’s focused, so much so that she tends to get lost in her work and lose track of time. I don’t want to become one of those guys who has to talk to his significant other throughout the day like they’re on a schedule; I just love talking to her and seeing how her day is going. I also miss her so fucking much I can’t stand it.
When she gets back in a couple of days, I’m gonna lock us both up in my cottage and make sure we don’t resurface for at least twenty-four hours. We have some serious time to make up. Naked.
A few of hours pass, and when I realize the time, feel a rush of disappointment that I haven’t been able to talk to Dani. I’ve busied myself with last-minute preparations for a while, but now that I’m done, I can’t think of any more ways to distract myself.
I suppose I could drive to Baton Rouge and see if Deacon needs any help at Grinders. I could also drive to the house and bother my mama for a while, but I’m too antsy. She’d get annoyed with me real quick. Next thing I’d know, I’d be hauling fertilizer again.
No thanks.
Picking up my phone, I open up my calls and hover over her number. I don’t want to disturb her if she’s still working, but I need to hear her voice. Dialing her number, I begin to pace in front of the bar.
Hopefully, if she’s at work, she’ll have her phone on vibrate and I can leave her a message. I know she’ll call when she gets the chance, but that doesn’t mean I can’t let her know I’m thinking about her.
My call immediately goes to voicemail, which is kinda weird but I let it go, leaving her a message saying I’m missing her and hope to talk to her soon. Maybe her phone died while she’s on location.
Sighing, I put my phone back in my pocket and busy myself with a stack of napkins that still need folded.
If anyone would’ve told me I’d be such a lovesick puppy this time last year, I’d have laughed in their faces. I didn’t realize what I was missing out on. I thought I was content with one-night stands and occasional flings. All it took was the right girl to shake my entire world up and now I can’t imagine my life without her. I refuse to.
I decide to call it a day. I sent all the employees home early today. They’ve all worked hard these past few weeks and deserve some downtime before the real work begins. As I’m closing my laptop, I hear my phone ring. I rush to pull it out of my pocket, but when I see Piper’s name on the screen, instead of Dani’s, I’m not really sure how to feel.
“Piper?” I answer. “What’s up?”
Although she’s my girlfriend’s best friend, Piper and I don’t talk on the phone a lot. I try not to think of all the bad reasons she’d have to call me and remain calm. She may just be calling for Dani.
“Hey, Micah, I’m sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you’d heard from Dani lately?”
Shit.
“No, actually. We only texted this morning and she said she’d call me after she was finished with work, but she hasn’t yet. I called her a little while ago, but all I got was her voicemail.” I pause for a second, taking a breath. “Is something wrong?”
I’m really trying not to overreact, but I don’t have a good feeling about this. If Dani is in any kind of danger, I need to know. I can’t help her if I don’t know.
Piper doesn’t answer quickly enough and I’m seriously about to lose my mind. “Piper, what’s going on?”
“Okay, so, Dani is planning on surprising you today,” she says with a huff, like she’s frustrated, but worried. “She finished her work last night and is on her way to New Orleans right now to see you. I called her a couple of hours ago to warn her about a storm that’s supposed to hit right where she’s driving and she was fine. But, I just saw on the news that a tornado has touched down outside of Laurel, Mississippi, which is exactly where she should be about now. I just tried to call her again but she didn’t answer. And the call didn’t go to voicemail, it said the call couldn’t be connected. I’m so sorry to ruin her surprise but I’m worried, Micah.”
As Piper talks, her tone rises and I can hear the same panic I feel in my chest in her voice.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
I put Piper on speakerphone so I can get my laptop back out and pull up the weather. Running my hands up and down my face, I pace while it pulls up. I need to think about how to handle this situation.
“You’re sure the tornado hit?” I ask, finally getting to a weather page and seeing that massive storm that’s covering the lower half of Mississippi . . . and my heart sinks. A nasty red swath of color is painted over Laurel, Dani’s hometown. Red is never good. It only means lots of rain or lots of wind.
“That’s what the news said. Do you think she got caught in the storm? I know cell service is sketchy at best in that area, but it bothers me that I couldn’t get ahold of her.” Piper’s last few words come out shaky and it’s not like her. She’s the most in-charge, composed person I know. Except when she’s fighting with my best friend.
“Ok, listen, Piper, you did the right thing by calling me, but I can’t sit around waitin’ for her to call, so I’m gonna drive to Laurel. I was about to leave the restaurant anyway. You keep tryin’ to call Dani and let me know if you reach her.”
“I will, I promise. You be careful, too, Micah.”
I hang up with Piper and immediately call Tucker.
“Yo, what’s up?” he answers on the first ring.
“Dani was on her way to New Orleans and Piper just called to tell me she thinks a tornado touched down around Laurel, just about the time Dani was drivin’ through,” I tell him. “We can’t get ahold of her. So, I’m heading out to find her. You in?”
“Hell, yeah. Hang tight, I’ll be there in thirty.”
I don’t even bother reminding him to be careful. He and I both know it technically takes longer than thirty minutes to get from The Settlement to New Orleans, but I need him here right the fuck now, so I let him do whatever he needs to do to make that happen.
I think about calling Deacon, but I don’t know what’s gonna happen when we get to Mississippi. I’m not about to put Cami’s husband and the father of my nephew in harm’s way.
While I wait for Tucker to show up, I contemplate doing a shot of whisky to ease my nerves but refrain, because I need to be firing on all cylinders for this drive. Instead, I try Dani’s phone again, and continue to try it off and on for a good ten minutes.
After getting the same message over and over, about the call not being able to connect, I growl out my frustration, slamming my phone down on the counter. The sound is guttural and loud and it echoes throughout the restaurant. If I didn’t love this place so much, I might flip over some tables or throw some chairs. I hate this—the unknowing, feeling helpless.
“Please, Lord, let her be okay,” I pray, hanging my head as I brace myself against the bar. “Please keep her safe and help me find her.” I finish with the sign of the cross on my chest. Although I’m worried sick about my girl, I’m trying to keep a clear head, because there’s only one good solution to this and it’s finding Dani and bringing her home.
I still have another ten minutes at least before Tucker shows up, barring he doesn’t get pulled over for driving 90-to-nothing. Swiping my thumb across the screen on my phone, I make sure it’s still working properly. Thankfully, it is, so I dial my mama.
“Hey, baby,” my mama says, picking up on the first ring. “I was just thinkin’ about you. Everything alright?”
There goes that crazy sixth sense.
“Uh, I don’t know,” I tell her, feeling like my heart is out of my chest, because it is. It’s wherever Dani is and I need them back. “Dani was drivin’ home today to surprise me and I think she might’ve got stuck in some bad weather in Mississippi.”
“She was drivin’ in Mississippi today?” she asks, her tone going serious. She’s in disaster mode and it freaks me the hell out. My mama only sounds like this when something bad happens. It’s her protect and defend persona, reserved for the most serious situations, like when Deacon was in the fire.
“Yeah, she was. Piper called and said she talked to her a few hours ago, but hasn’t been able to reach her since,” I inform her. “I’m waitin’ on Tucker. We’re gonna drive that way. I can’t sit here and wait. I’ll go crazy.”
“Go,” she tells me. “Go and I’ll stay here, just in case she shows up. Cami and I will keep trying her phone. If you need your father, he’s in Baton Rouge today.”
“Okay,” I tell her. “Thank you.”
“Nothing to thank me for. She’s gonna be fine,” she assures me in a way only she can.
We say our goodbyes and I hang up, turning off the lights and locking up the building. I decide to sit in my truck and wait on Tucker.
I’m not surprised when I hear the familiar sound of Tucker’s truck tires squealing as he rounds the corner and pulls into the parking lot beside me.
But I am surprised when I see my brother sitting in the passenger seat . . . and relieved.
Once they’re both buckled in my truck, I look over at Deacon. “You sure you wanna do this?”
“I can’t believe you’d even ask me that. I love Dani and one of these days she’s gonna be my sister, so get this fucking truck on the road and let’s get ‘er.”
My chest expands at his words and I pull out of the parking lot, my own tires squealing this time.
Although it caused some strife between me and Dani a few months ago, when I felt like she was taking his side over mine, I really do love how close Deacon and Dani have become. I remember the first time I met Dani, when she and Deacon were eating at Pockets, and they had an instant connection. Not in a romantic way but in a brother-sister kind of way. They were harping on each other just like siblings would and they’d only known each other a couple of hours at that point. I’m not surprised, though. They’re both outgoing and easy to get along with . . . when I’m not doing something stupid to piss them off, that is.
Throughout the drive, I notice Tucker on his phone a lot. He’s not really what I’d call a technical kind of guy, so this makes me curious.
“What the hell are you doin’ back there?” I ask, watching him through the rearview mirror.
“What? Nothin’, man, just playin’ some games.”
“Games? You? Since when do you play games on your phone?”
“Yeah,” Deacon chimes in, “what do you play? Send me an invite, fucker, so we can play against each other.”
“Of course, I play games. These things ain’t just for communicatin’, you know. And I play all kinds of games, but you don’t want to play against me, Deke. I’ll just kick your ass and then you’ll get all pissy, makin’ my sister fuss at me.”
“Dude, what do you play?” I don’t believe for a second that he’s telling us the truth, so I’m determined to get a straight answer from him.
“You know . . . uh, Ugly Birds . . . and I play Words with Friends a lot. I’m really good at the one with bubbles, too.”
Deacon and I look at each other and burst out laughing. “You’re so full of shit,” Deacon crows.
“Fuck you both,” Tucker says with a pout. Before he can say more, his phone starts playing “Rump Shaker” and he quickly silences it.
“You gettin’ a booty call already?” I ask.
“Very funny, asshole.”
“Don’t think I don’t realize you’re not answerin’ my question. Now, spill it.”
I also notice that Deacon is suddenly quiet, but he’s paying very close attention to our conversation.
“There’s nothing to tell. Can we change the subject now?”
“Fine, keep your secrets. I really don’t care who you’re feedin’ your sausage to; I’ve just never seen you so jumpy or touchy. Is Aunt Flo visitin’ this week?” I joke.
Tucker flips me off then continues messing around on his phone. I go back to watching the road and looking at every car that passes us, wondering if I can do more than ten miles over without getting pulled over. Deciding I really don’t care, I increase my speed.
“Everything set for your opening?” Deacon asks after we’ve been quiet for a while.
“Yep, we’re as ready as we’re ever gonna be,” I reply. I don’t even try to hold back the pride I hear in my own voice. I am proud, not just of my accomplishment but of the team I’m working with and all they’ve done for me.
“Good. I’m lookin’ forward to tryin’ it out in a few days. Is Alex gonna be there?”
A look of disgust crosses my face before I can stop it. “Probably. Well, maybe. It depends,” I hedge.
I look at Deacon and he moves his hand in a way that tells me to continue my story.
“I happened upon some information that told me Alex is in some trouble with the IRS. I’m thinkin’ she’s gonna need some cash pretty quick-like, so our other investor, Mr. Wells, and I are preparing to offer her a deal and buy her out.”
Glancing Deacon’s way, I can tell his wheels are turning and I admit I’m curious about what he thinks.
“This information you happened upon . . . was it obtained legally?”
“A guy from the IRS came to the restaurant lookin’ for her.”
“Good, good.” Deacon isn’t looking at me but he’s rubbing his chin like he’s some evil villain or godfather. “Do you need another investor?”
His question makes me pause. A few months ago, I would’ve loved for Deacon to be an investor in Lagniappe but, now, I’m not so sure. I miss working with my brother something terrible, but I’ve come so far on my own. I want to see just how far I can go.
Confidently, I say, “No.” When he quirks an eyebrow at me, I continue. “I appreciate your offer very much, I really do. But this is my dream and I want to see how far I can go with it. Eventually, I want to buy out Mr. Wells too, and when that time comes, I may need some help but for now I’m good.”
“Okay, cool.” His smile is genuine and I know he knows exactly how I feel. “I’m proud of you, Micah. I know these last few months have been really shitty but you and I have both learned a lot—about ourselves and each other. Now that we have our heads out of our asses, I hope we can put all the shit behind us.”
The smirk on his face lets me know he’s been getting his ass chewed just like I have. I think we’re both equally happy to have this behind us.
“Absolutely,” I agree before bumping his offered fist with my own.
A few more miles down the road and the sky darkens dramatically.
“Shit, we’re about to hit some major rain.” Tucker has a knack for stating the obvious.
“Deacon, can you try Dani’s cell again?”
He does what I ask but quickly puts his phone down and shakes his head. “Same message.”
Once we drive into the rain, I slow the speed of my truck and start looking at our surrounding areas. “Dani’s in a red Mustang rental car. Deke you’ve seen it, so be lookin’ for it.”
The closer we get to Laurel, the more devastation we see. Trees are down, some stripped bare—a clear sign that a tornado definitely touched down. There are also power lines hanging low, some snapped in half. The lack of electricity making it even darker outside. Thankfully, we seem to be the only people on the road so no one will mind I’m now going about thirty-five miles per hour instead of the posted sixty-five limit.
“I think I see it, Micah! Across the highway!” Deacon exclaims, pointing to a gas station. I can’t turn at this particular spot on the road, so I drive until I find a break in the median, allowing me to make a U-turn.
Blood rushes through my body so fast that it makes me light-headed.
Maybe it’s not her car.
But if it’s not, where do I go from here?
God, please let her be okay.
The fear and uncertainty is practically paralyzing, but I have to know. So, as soon as my tires crunch on the gravel drive, I throw it into park and jump out.
The bright red Mustang parked close to the building looks exactly like the one Dani was driving the day she left the apartment.
“That’s it,” Deacon confirms. He’d know. He took her to pick up the car.
“Let me see if she’s in her car,” I say, barely able to breathe, let alone speak.
I jog to the driver’s side and press my face against the window.
Pitch black.
Nothing.
Using the flashlight app on my phone, I shine it in the window.
The car is empty.
Except for a water bottle that’s always practically glued to Dani’s hand. And her bag is in the backseat. The one that’s usually hanging on the hook by our front door.
I turn to Deacon and Tucker who look like I feel—panicked, scared, but determined.
“This is definitely Dani’s car. I’m goin’ inside.”
“Well, you’re not goin’ in alone, so just hold your horses,” my brother commands.
Deacon grabs a flashlight out of the truck and the three of us walk to the front of the store, staring blankly at the shattered window and hanging awning. There’s no electricity, but there are a few emergency lights flickering. When we manage to open the door, we’re met with a mess—shelves knocked over, shattered glass, food and supplies all over the ground. I do a quick look around the place and don’t see anyone, so I start calling out, “Dani! Dani, are you in here?!”
The place seems completely deserted, not a sound except for the metal that’s hanging off the outside of the building scraping against the siding. But then I hear it, voices coming from a small hallway. Stepping over a few cans and bags of chips, I get close enough to see a door with another shelf leaning against it, keeping it shut.
“Dani!”
“Micah!” The bathroom door opens an inch and Dani begins yelling my name.
Deacon grabs one side the shelf and I grab the other, while Tucker kicks a bunch of shit out of the way, and we finally manage to pull it far enough away to get the door open.
“Micah?” Dani cries, confusion and relief warring with her beautiful features.
In an instant, I’m in front of her, crushing her to me, “Are you hurt? Are you okay?” I ask, pulling her back by the shoulders to check her over for injuries.
She shakes her head no as tears fall down her cheeks. I pull her back into my chest and finally feel like I can breathe again. Dani is full-on sobbing now, so I continue to hold her while an old man holding a cat walks out and starts talking to Deacon and Tucker, explaining everything that happened.
“I can’t believe you’re here. How on earth did you find me?” she finally manages to say. Her voice is full of raw emotion and it breaks my heart to see her so upset. Before I answer, I place gentle kisses all over her face, doing my best to soothe her.
“I was already worried about you since you hadn’t called, but then Piper called me because she was worried. She told me about the storm and that she couldn’t reach you. I called the boys and we drove until we saw your car outside.”
“I didn’t call when I left Birmingham because I was afraid I’d ruin the surprise of me coming home early,” she says, her voice still thick with emotion. “I’m sorry you were so worried.”
“Well, technically, this could still count as a surprise. It definitely isn’t somethin’ either one of us planned,” I joke, trying to lighten the mood.
Dani gives me a small smile, but turns serious again. “I love you so much, Micah Landry. Take me home.”