Brave the Storm, Season 2, Episode 3 (Rising Storm) by Lisa Mondello

that?”
    “Exactly what I said.”
    “Chase Johnson, are you telling me you’re back in Storm to stay? I want to know the truth.”
    A smile tugged at his lips. “Is that important to you?”
    “Yes, it is. You can’t just come back into my life after forty years and sweep me off my feet and then leave again. I won’t have it.”
    “I’m not leaving, Annie. I’m looking forward to more days of dancing with you. And if you’ll have me, I’m really looking forward to loving you.”
    Her eyes widened with hope and it nearly broke his heart. He didn’t know if it was fair to put her through what was surely to come if they gave their love another go of it. But he did know it wasn’t his call to make. He’d come home and in coming home, he’d opened his heart to everything he’d shut out of it years ago.
    “Dammit, Chase, don’t play with me.”
    He held the kitten in one hand and scooped Anna Mae up against his body with his other. “Are you sure you don’t want to play?”
    She giggled and wrapped her arms around him. Her moist kisses on his cheek and mouth felt cold against the night breeze but made him feel alive. He’d once thought that being on stage, playing his music for people was the only way he could feel alive. But here in Anna Mae’s arms, he felt like a young man again and had never felt more alive in his life.
    “I love you, Anna Mae Prager.”
    “I’ve never stopped loving you, Chase Johnson. We have a lot of time to make up for.”
    He wagged his eyebrows. “I’ve got a perfectly good truck sitting right there. We could make up for lost time right now.”
    She giggled and kissed his mouth and the years melted away. Whatever the future held, he could handle it. He was home.
     
    * * * *
     
    Anticipation flowed through Hector Alvarez as he drove into the parking lot of Henry’s convenience store. The owner of the store was the brother of a man Hector had worked with briefly who ended up doing time for aggravated assault on a coworker. The man had a temper that fired with the slightest spark. He was an asshole. But he knew how to get the goods and there was no way that Hector was going back into Storm without reinforcement.
    He walked into the convenience store and looked around. A young girl stood behind the counter ringing up someone else’s purchases. She wore a low-cut white shirt that showed off her dark-colored bra and all the assets God had given her. If one of his daughters ever dared to show herself in public like that, Hector would have chained her in her room. Men were pigs when it came to slutty women. There was no need to show off your goods unless you wanted to get fucked.
    “Is Buddy here?” Hector asked the girl.
    She didn’t look up at Hector, which annoyed the shit out of him. She continued to ring up the customer’s purchases.
    Hector took a step toward the counter and pushed his way in front of the customer, who glared up at him with anger.
    “Is he here?” Hector said louder.
    The girl snapped her gum and sighed. “In the back of the store by the shed. He’s staying out there.”
    “Thanks,” he said.
    The bitch rang up the last item and then looked at him with disinterest. “He hates to be bothered.”
    “I’ll keep that in mind.”
    Hector walked out of the convenience store, went around the building until he saw an old shed with a dusty sedan parked next to it. There was a small window high on the door of the shed, enough for him to peek inside and see that someone was there.
    Instead of opening the door, Hector fisted his hand and knocked two times hard, then took a wide step back.
    The door opened quickly. If he’d been standing closer, it would have knocked him over with the force of the man behind it.
    The scowl on the man’s face quickly turned to a smile. “Hector. Long time.”
    “Buddy. Have you got what I asked for?”
    “Do you have the money?”
    Hector pulled a stash out of his shirt pocket and showed the man.
    “Come inside and