Shoppers coming out of the Crown saw the sky and began to push their carts faster toward their cars, anxious to get home and unload their purchases before they got wet.

Granny’s had a quick influx of customers who wanted a place to hang out until the storm passed, and the shop owners who had displays out in front of their stores began pulling them inside. School had just been dismissed, and teachers were trying to get the bus riders loaded and on their way. Bike riders were leaving school in all directions, while others who normally walked home were being picked up by parents or catching a ride with friends.

And Cathy Terry was suddenly grateful for the roof over her head.

Sully and Melissa had been working outside, cleaning up flower beds at the back of the house, when Sully felt the wind change. He looked up at the dark clouds boiling overhead and frowned.

“We need to get inside,” he said.

Melissa looked up. “Oh wow.”

She began grabbing the gardening tools as Sully gathered up the garbage bags of leaves and debris. The wind was whipping the limbs on the trees as they dumped everything inside the garden shed and ran for the house.

The first raindrops fell just as they made it to the back porch. They went into the utility room to kick off their shoes and then upstairs to clean up and change.

The wind that came with the deluge was blasting rain against the windows. Melissa shivered as she dug through a shelf in the walk-in closet for some sweats.

“Are you cold, baby?” Sully said, as he pulled a clean T-shirt over his head.

“More unnerved than anything,” Melissa said. “This sounds too reminiscent of the hurricane. I may never be over the memories of those days or the weeks that ensued. It crippled Blessings.”

“You just need a good cuddle,” he said, and wrapped his arms around her.

Melissa could hear the steady thump of his heartbeat against her ear as she snuggled into his embrace. In this short time, Sully had completely ruined her for ever living alone again. She loved the sound of his laugh, hearing his footsteps in the house, and making love with him.

She loved him. So much.

* * *

Night came early because of the storm. Streetlights were already burning, and Melissa wasn’t the only resident of Blessings who was remembering the onslaught of Hurricane Fanny.

Even though the central heat was on, the night called for comfort food—something of sustenance, something satisfying and warm.

So Melissa made potato soup and corn bread for their supper and introduced Sully to the Southern treat of pouring sorghum molasses onto a second piece of hot buttered corn bread for dessert.

“How do you like it?” she asked as the first bite went in his mouth.

His eyes widened. He nodded his head and gave her a thumbs-up as he chewed.

Pleased that he liked it, she buttered her own piece of corn bread, doused it in sorghum, too, and savored every sticky-sweet bite that she took. After they finished, Melissa was gathering up the dishes to carry them to the sink when Sully turned around and took them out of her hands.