Free Mark My Words by Addison Kline Page A

daughter.”
    “Thank you, Arthur. That means a lot. You should know that I was going to become your son-in-law whether you approved or not. This will mean the world to Sloane, though.”
    “I also know that the wedding has been moved up.”
    Luke looked shocked.
    “How did you find out?”
    “I know how my wife and daughter operate. But here’s the deal… They can’t know that I know… It’ll ruin the surprise.”
    Luke looked at his future father-in-law with a smile on his face. Arthur wasn’t such a bad guy after all. Just really, really grouchy.
    “Deal?”
    “You got it,” said Luke as he shook Arthur’s hand.

Chapter Eleven
    An Eye on the Weather
     
    “Thanks for watching the kids, Aunt Doris. It really means a lot,” said Holly as she picked up Belle into her arms.
    “No problem at all, honey! Mema loves them!”
    Holly collected the kids and took them back home. Brant was not home from the mountains yet, so she popped a pizza in the oven for dinner and helped the kids unpack. No sooner was the pizza out of the oven that she heard her front door slam open. Expecting to see Brant in her living room she was surprised when she saw Sloane standing there looking disheveled and upset.
    “Sloane… What’s wrong?” asked Holly as she ran into the living room.
    Sloane had mascara running down her face. She looked like she had been crying… Ugly crying.
    “It’s just a freaking mess!”
    “What? What happened?!”
    “Amanda! It’s all Amanda’s fault!”
    “Amanda?”
    “The bloody hurricane!”
    “Oh, right… Okay, let’s turn on the Weather Channel.”
    “She’s staying strong at a CAT-3…”
    “That’s not that strong for a hurricane.”
    “But St. Thomas is not that big. There might not be an island left!”
    “Calm down. Sit on the couch with Chloe and Jake while I grab this pizza out of the oven.”
    “Aunt Sloane… What’s the matter?” asked Belle as she toddled to her mother’s best-friend with a concerned look on her petite face.
    “The weather has me sad.”
    “You don’t like snow?”
    “I don’t like hurricanes.”
    “What’s a hurry-cane?”
    “Belle! Jake! Chloe! Dinner!”
    Suddenly forgetting all about Sloane’s worries, Belle ran into the kitchen with her brother and sister¸ ready to scarf down some pepperoni pizza. Holly was hoping that Brant and Luke would be back soon so that she would have someone to take Sloane’s mind off of the weather.
    ***
    While Luke and Arthur were inside talking, Brant and Marv began to dig out Luke’s truck. While Brant dug out the snow under Luke’s truck and scraped away the layer of ice that lay underfoot, Marv heated up the vehicle. Brant had made certain that the emergency break was securely in place so that there would be no mishaps. His biggest mistake was letting “happy-go-lucky” Marv alone in a huge SUV by himself. While Marv heated up the car, he got the windshield wipers going, turned on the seat warmers and as he reached to turn on the radio, he accidentally released the emergency break. It all happened so fast. Brant got out of the way just in time as Luke’s SUV skidded backwards down the hill with Marv in the driver’s seat. Marv desperately tried to get the truck to stop, but the tires were sliding on the ice down the steep road. Brant ran after the truck with his heart in his throat. Flying down the icy road at break neck speed, Luke’s SUV veered right into the path of the frozen lake.
    “Holy crap! Marv!” Brant screamed in a panic.
    He continued to chase after the truck, but he stopped dead in his tracks when the truck swerved over the fragile ice covering the lake. Sitting in the middle of the frozen lake, the SUV finally came to a stop and Marv looked absolutely petrified. He was shell shocked and couldn’t move. Brant knew he had to do something. 
    “Hold on, I’m coming!”
    Brant ran as fast as he could until he reached the bank of the lake. He tread carefully over the ice, moving