Can true love shine through the darkest storm? The storm of the century raged through the northeast, causing destruction and despair, millions were left without power and hope. Weeks later, countless people were still devastated by the destruction of Hurricane Sandy, Emma Riley among them. Determined she didn’t need the help of a man, Emma was convinced that she could brave the aftermath of the storm on her own. That is, until Jake came into her life. After having suffered heartbreak and embarrassment, Jake Mack, a utility foreman, volunteered to travel north from small town, Georgia to assist with the aftermath of the storm. Jake was decidedly done with women. But he didn’t count on meeting Emma or falling in love so quickly. Can he trust this woman or will his past get in the way and ruin the relationship with the one woman he truly loves?
Excerpt from The Calm After the Storm:
Jake and his crew had now been in the suburbs of New York for a few
days. His first thought upon entering this area was his surprise at the
devastation. Sure, he had heard about the destruction on the news and
had seen footage of the aftermath of Sandy, but it still hadn’t prepared
him for the actual sight of Sandy’s rage. Telephone poles were down,
trees were snapped in two, and houses were completed destroyed by the
storm. Seeing all the destruction only strengthened Jake’s resolve that
it had been the right thing to come. He felt proud to be able to help
out and be a part of the solution to the horrible aftermath of this
disaster.
As the day was wrapping up. Jake and
Chris met up with some of their crew in the next town to finish one more
area before calling it quits. The chill in the air was something that
Jake had prepared for, but was not accustomed to. Clutching the new
flannel he had purchased right before his trip, he put it on over his
thermal shirt. Thankful for his thermos filled with hot coffee, Jake
grabbed it but quickly tossed it aside.
“Come
on, Chris! I asked you to stop drinking my coffee. Now there’s none
left,” he said as he shook his head, irritated at his friend.
Chris looked up at his boss sheepishly. “Sorry, man. I didn’t sleep well last night. I needed some caffeine.”
“Well, that makes two of us.”
They
rode until they approached the utility pole that needed attention. Jake
and Chris were among the first to arrive and got busy setting up for
the job. Within minutes, the rest of the assigned crew trickled in. The
workers were now familiar with the details and routine of this job, so
for the most part they worked in silence, focused on getting this last
job done so that they could grab some dinner and hit the sheets. It was
cold and dark, the night chill settling in upon them. Jake supervised
and helped his crew perform their individual duties as quickly as
possible. As they were just about wrapping things up, Jake headed over
to Steve, one of the older guys directing traffic. He looked frail and
tired.
“Hey, Steve. I got this. Why don’t you call it a night, huh? We’ll meet you at the hotel for some dinner.”
“Nah, Jake, we’re almost done here. I’m good,” Steve said as he looked up at Jake with glaring dark circles under his eyes.
“Steve,
go. I’m serious. Get in a hot shower and we’ll meet up for dinner.
Boss’ orders. Now go and take Andy with you,” Jake gestured toward
another man on the crew who looked like he was ready for bed.
Shrugging
his shoulders, Steve made his way to one of the smaller utility trucks,
calling for his co-worker to join him. Jake took over the
responsibility of directing traffic, slowing people down and stopping
cars when necessary. Yawning, he waved a small SUV along, noticing that
the approaching driver was slowing down, much more than necessary. Jake
squinted his eyes to get a better look. The car came to a stop when Jake
stepped up to it and its window rolled down. Looking back at Jake was a
woman who appeared pretty, even in the diminished light. Wait, scratch
that—she was stunning, with long, wavy hair and piercing eyes. His heart
faltered just a bit.
“Hi. I wanted to thank
you guys for all of the hard work that you’ve been doing. We really
appreciate you guys coming up here. I think I speak for everyone,” she
said as she smiled widely. Her smile hitched his breath ever so
slightly. Jake smiled back. This was certainly a change. Since he had
been in this area, some people waved, some people smiled, others
remained with their eyes straight ahead, but nobody had yet offered any
thanks verbally. So different from the Southern hospitality way of life
where he grew up, Jake mused.
Here it was
different, the pace of life was much faster. People always seemed to be
in a rush, and they minded their own business for the most part. Sure,
being so close to the big city must be nice and the landscape was quite
beautiful at times, but he didn’t think this lifestyle was something he
could ever get used to. It seemed too stressful, too impersonal. He
would be glad to be back home when his job was finished.
The woman leaned over and offered Jake a box of donuts, disposable coffee cups, and a box of hot coffee. Jake was impressed.
“Thank
you, that was very thoughtful!” Jake gushed, thrilled at the idea of
hot coffee. He thought he felt warmth spread across his cheeks despite
the chill in the air.
The woman stared back and smiled at Jake for a minute and then set her eyes on the road ahead. She waved as she pulled away.
“Wait!”
Jake called out. “Wait, what was your name?” But the words were lost.
The mysterious woman with the coffee and donuts was long gone.
“Guys!”
he called out as his crew worked on cleaning up for the night. “Guys!
Our guardian angel just appeared, and she brought coffee!”
The
coffee and donuts were gladly received, but the idea that someone would
go out of their way to show a random act of kindness truly touched
Jake. He felt the warm liquid slide down his throat and knew that he
would always remember the woman’s thoughtfulness. Who was he kidding?
That woman’s beautiful face was what he would most remember. He just
wished that he had gotten her name.
Author Mya O'Malley
Mya O’Malley was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, where she currently lives with her husband, daughter and three step-daughters. The family also consists of two boxers, named Destiny and Dolce, and a ragdoll cat named Colby. Mya earned an undergraduate degree in special education and a graduate degree in reading and literacy. She works as a special education teacher and enjoys making a difference in the lives of her students.
Mya’s passion is writing; she has been creating stories and poetry since she was a child. She spends her free time reading just about anything she can get her hands on. She is a romantic at heart and loves to create stories with unforgettable characters. Mya likes to travel and has visited several Caribbean Islands, Mexico, and Costa Rica. She is currently working on her sixth novel.
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