Empty Chairs and Empty Promises

Chapter Eighteen

Griff glances around the room before walking into the kitchen and looking into my cabinets and refrigerator. Crossing my arms, I watch him as the heat of my emotions rises with each door he opens.

"Hungry?" I can't believe his nerve. Ignore me for weeks, break down my door and then waltz right in and scavenge through my kitchen.

"You can't stay here. I'm taking you and Mia to my place. You're not well enough prepared for what's coming." He began pulling bottles of water from the fridge and setting them on the counter. "You better go pack your bag of clothing and toiletries and anything valuable so we can take it with us. Where do you keep Mia's food?"

"It's only a tropical storm. A lot of people ride out worse storms than this!" With my hands on my hips, my temper flares at his intrusion.

"This is not a tropical storm anymore. Irma's been classified as a Category 5 hurricane and it will probably make landfall in the next twenty-four hours. You do not want to ride this out alone." His tone had an urgency to it that I knew I shouldn't ignore, no matter how pissed off I was with his cavalier attitude.

I point to the small pantry telling him Mia's food and bowls are inside before heading into my bedroom to pull together a bag. I grab my camera, a small photo album of the kids and a few items of jewelry that have special meaning. Throwing a basic wardrobe into the bag, I zip it up and survey the room to see if I've forgotten anything. When I step into the main room, I see Griff has a few bags and boxes packed with supplies.

"Are you ready? We need to go."

I nod as I snatch Mia's leash and hook it to her collar before picking up my bag. I follow Griff to his Jeep. I don't want to leave mine here in the parking lot.

"Griff! I want to take my Jeep, too."

He nods. "That's a good idea. Get in with Mia and I will bring the rest of the things down and load them." I climb in and get her settled into the back. Within a few minutes, Griff is back with the final items. I unzip the window gripping it as the battering gusts work against my efforts.

"Libby, I called someone to board up your doorway. It's the best I can do right now. We need to get to my place before this gets any worse. Follow me. If you have a problem flash your lights."
I nod and struggle with my window for a minute before getting it zipped back into place. Griff waits for my signal and I give him a thumbs up when I'm ready. Mia whimpers in the backseat as the wind shakes the Jeep. The palm trees bend and tremble with their force, and more than once a windblown frond slams against the front window, startling me.

My thoughts are in hyper-drive as we maneuver over downed branches and assorted debris on the road. Why come for me now? Was it guilt? Or just his nature to rescue people? Marisol's friends would say he planned to traffic me to the highest bidder. I couldn't believe that of him. It wasn't grounded in any reality I had observed.

Maybe the young woman I met at the airport had insisted that he rescue me. She seemed nice and that explanation is more plausible than anything I've thought of so far. The reason doesn't really matter because I'm so grateful he did come. What I see through my windshield scares the hell out of me, and this  storm is still hours away from making landfall.

I make the Sign of the Cross and whisper an Irish blessing my grandma always said when we would leave her house to travel to our home, "Go n-eiri an bothar leat... May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face. The rains fall softly upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand."

Her words always made me feel cradled and safe. Maybe Grandma asked the Lord to send Griff to get me. She's watching over me and knows I'm in over my head. The thought of my tiny grandmother's voice with its thick brogue asking God for a "wee moment of your time" makes me smile from ear to ear — at least until the jeep connects with a deep pot hole jolting me off of my seat. Thank goodness for seat belts!

His vehicle turns onto the narrow roadway leading to his home. The road is difficult to drive through in good weather with the thick vegetation and trees on both sides of the drive but the wind and rain make it next to impossible.

I wipe at the inside of the windshield with my hand as it steams up. All I see is green movement where Griff's Jeep had been seconds before. I can't tell if I'm still on the road or not. Mia begins to whine and pace in the back while I proceed slowly over the bumpy road way my hands slipping on the steering wheel as fear gnaws inside me.

The minutes stretch out endlessly as I move forward a few yards at a time. My left hand mops at the moisture on the window before brushing away the perspiration mingling with my tears. The weight of Mia's furry head on my shoulder comfort me and I scratch under her chin in return.

"We're almost there, girl." God, I hope we are almost there. The slapping of the branches, leaves and palm fronds against the Jeep and the roaring of the winds drown out the noise of the wiper blades racing back and forth over the rain-slicked window glass. My tee shirt is damp from the humidity and my sweat. The inside of the Jeep feels like a sauna but I dare not open a window. It wouldn't make any difference anyway.

Why haven't we gotten through the trees yet? Was there a fork in the road I missed? I didn't remember any from my trip out here with Griff, but I was starting to doubt myself. I hit the brake and rest my forehead on the steering wheel trying to calm myself. I scrub my hands against my clothes and  the fabric of the seat to dry them as I inhale and exhale in deep, measured breaths. With the blast of a horn, my head raises and I gaze out. Griff's Jeep emerges ahead of me with his reverse lights on. He'd backed up down the lane to find me.

A sigh escapes my lips and I honk back at him and give a thumbs up as we begin to move forward again. It isn't long and we emerge near his home. He raises his garage door and I pull in behind him. I'm in awe at the space around me — at least four or five vehicles would fit inside. As Griff lowers the garage door, the sounds of the wind and rain are lessened.

Mia howls and licks the side of my face. My body shakes with emotion. Griff opens my door and pulls me out of the Jeep and into his arms. I bury my face in his shoulder and sob as I tremble as the adrenaline subsides.

"You're okay, Libby. You'll be safe here. Don't worry, please babe, don't worry. I'm here...I'm here..." His whispered words reassure me, and I feel my legs weaken as my knees give out. Before I can fall to the floor, his arms lift me holding me firm against his chest. My conscious mind wavers and I fade away from exhaustion.