Stepping Up To Love (Lakeside Porches 1) by Katie O'Boyle

tried covering her eyes and ears at the same time. Finally she fell apart in panic. She didn’t remember wrapping herself in the futon cover like a cocoon.
    Joel knocked at her door, called her name, and pounded the door before using his master key. He flipped the light switch, but by then the power was gone. He stood his flashlight on the table by the futon and followed her sobs to find her buried in the futon cover.
    “It’s okay, Manda,” he told her, pulling the covers away from her head. He wedged himself onto the futon beside her and pulled her against his chest.
    Manda clutched at his bare shoulder and buried her face in his neck.
    “It’s okay. It’s just a bad storm. We’re going to be just fine.”
    Her trembling brought him close to panic, too.
    “Talk to me, Manda,” he said sternly, but he could not seem to reach her.
    He let out a steadying breath and remembered that was her way of calming herself when she was under pressure. “Manda, take a big, deep breath with me.”
    Joel heard her pull in a breath and let it out in a shaky sob.
    “That a girl,” he encouraged. “Five more just like that. You can do it. Breath with me.”
    With each breath, Manda became calmer and more present. Joel said a silent prayer of thanks and stretched out more comfortably beside her. “You’re doing great,” he cheered.
    “I feel like a two-year-old.”
    Joel ran his hands down her back. “Trust me, you do not feel like a two-year-old.”
    She laughed. “Thank you.” She propped herself up a little and brushed at his shoulder. “I have soaked your neck.”
    “It’s not fatal.” He smoothed the hair off her forehead. “I am sorry for not getting to those windows before this happened.”
    “I totally forgot. Or maybe I thought I was going to grow up before it stormed.”
    Joel shifted his weight and arranged her body more comfortably against his. “Tomorrow we’ll check the attic and see what’s there that might work. Or I’ll make an emergency call to my decorator.”
    “You have an attic?”
    “A very cool space. My grandmother’s things completely fill it. The decorator raids it whenever she needs anything for one of the units. I’m pretty sure there are curtains or whatever you call that stuff that people put on windows.” He was being silly, and it was exactly what she needed.
    “You don’t believe in window treatments?” she teased.
    “Only my decorator knows the answer. I may have vetoed something you call window treatments, but I don’t pretend to know.”
    “What have you ever vetoed?”
    “Let’s see, a chartreuse ottoman comes to mind. Made me want to throw up.” He twisted his head to look at her. “You’re not—?”
    “Going to throw up? No.” Manda ran her hand over his chest and did a little swirl with his chest hair. “I wouldn’t ruin a perfectly good cuddle.”
    Joel chuckled. “It is that,” he agreed. It was also way too tempting. “However, there is another round of lightning not far off.”
    Manda tensed.
    “I have a very comfortable sofa in a very dark living room that is yours for the rest of the night. And if you’d prefer, we can trade, and I’ll sleep down here.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll take your sofa. If you’re worried about me jumping your bones, it’s frowned upon in early sobriety,” she said solemnly.
    He grinned. Maybe the “frowned upon” was only a suggestion, but AA his sponsor Phil treated it like a rule, and Joel had, too, until right now. Damn . “Then I won’t feel insulted. Anyway, I’ll be on the phone and out checking on the properties. I’ll try not to disturb your sleep.”
    “Don’t worry about it.” She yawned dramatically.
    “Grab some clothes for morning and your toothbrush.”
    “Good idea.”
    “Self-preservation,” he corrected. “It will not look good for you to sneak down the stairs in your pajamas tomorrow morning.”
    Manda gathered her things. She smiled saucily and told him, “Lead me to