Blazing Love: A Hot, Romantic Suspense Series, Book 2 (The Carlisle Sisters) by Kay Brody Page A

top of her head and slept as well.
     
    *****
     
    The next morning dawned gloomy and overcast.  When they entered the dining room for breakfast the server commented that they were in for a downpour.  No one was thrilled by the news.
    “Great!  More delays,” Beth grumbled.  “I’m beginning to wonder if we’re ever going to get to Victory’s End.”
    “Well, hopefully it won’t last too long,” Grey said.
    “When is the storm supposed to hit?” Blaze asked the server.
    The small man frowned slightly in thought.
    “It is supposed to arrive in two, maybe three, hours,” he said.  “And when it does, it will rain very hard.  Trust me.  It always does in these parts.”
    “Should we wait it out?” Tracy asked the group.
    “No, we shouldn’t wait.  I suggest we take our breakfast to go and get on the road,” Blaze suggested.
    “I agree,” Grey said.  “Let’s get a head-start.  Why don’t you ladies order breakfast while I track down Davet and let him in on the plan.”
    “Sure,” Tracy said.
    “And I’ll go check us out and finalize the bill,” Blaze said as he stood.
    While the men handled their tasks, Tracy and Beth ordered breakfast for everyone and within fifteen minutes they were all boarding the mini bus.  Davet had already been behind the wheel waiting for the four of them to arrive by the time Grey went looking for him.  He was unalarmed by the weather forecast.
    “You’re in the hands of a professional,” was all the driver had to say when Grey expressed concern over the potentially hazardous driving conditions.
    They all settled in on the bus and began eating the delicious breakfast that the motel restaurant was kind enough to pack up for them.  And despite optimistic conversation along the way regarding the possibility of having escaped the bad weather, the server’s estimation of when the storm would arrive was accurate.  They had only been traveling for two hours when the rain arrived.
    It began as a light shower but quickly increased in intensity.  After a short time, heavy rain could be heard relentlessly pelting the roof of the bus as massive waves of liquid rushed down the windshield, straining the overworked wipers.  Within minutes of the onslaught the narrow, winding roads were already slick and treacherous.
    While typically fond of rainstorms, Tracy was terrified.  With a mountain on one side of the road and a steep ravine on the other, she watched in horror as the driver slid back and forth in the mud.  The strong winds and fog heightened her unease as they made it even more difficult for Davet to keep the bus on track.  But, as scared as she was, she dared not say anything to the driver for fear of distracting him.
    Blaze was well aware of Tracy’s unease.  He wasn’t surprised; everyone was edgy, even him.  He pulled her close to his side and squeezed her shoulders comfortingly.
    They had slowed to almost a crawl as the punishing rain was hammering their vehicle.  Grey moved to the front of the bus and looked through the rain sloshed windshield.  He peered through the slashing rain, trying to see what lay ahead.  Blaze joined him.
    “Not much in the way of visibility” Blaze said quietly.
    “That’s an understatement,” Grey tried to joke.
    The bus jerked and rattled.  Grey and Blaze grabbed the seats on either side of them to steady themselves while Davet kept his focus on the road, avoiding any unnecessary conversation.
    “I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Blaze said.
    “Yeah, if there was a place to turn around or to even pull over I’d vote for waiting it out,” Grey said in a low tone. “But until we find a turnoff or something we can’t take the chance of stopping in case someone just as crazy as us is heading our way.”
    “The rain is bad enough but that’s not what I meant.  I’m referring to the jerking and jolting of this bus.  It’s been rattling and shaking for a while,” Blaze said.  “It wasn’t doing