Gatlinburg, Tennessee – October, 1991

Easing along a winding highway, Beth Thames does her best to see through the heavy sheet of rain beating down on her car. The road has become a thin river flowing under four tires. Beth’s wipers seem to be of little use.  She pumps the brakes upon seeing a pair of tail lights up ahead. “Wow,” she whispers, coming to a stop and trying to get a better look.

Though the rain has let up a little, it’s impossible to miss seeing the massive slice of earth that has slid down from the steep hill and across the mountainside road. The car in front of her has stopped, its occupant likely just as awe-struck.

After a few moments, a man hops out of the stopped car, he and Beth being the only ones on this stretch of road. Beth cracks her window as the man approaches. His coat is pulled up as he’s slightly hunched over and making a quick trot Beth’s way.

“Did you see it?” Beth asks through her cracked window.

“No. I nearly hit it myself. I didn’t expect to see these things on the road, I suppose.” His tone is relatively calm, all things considered, a handsome man with a definitive tone. The dark skies and thin rain make his eyes seem a darker shade of brown than they actually are, a bang of dark hair peeking out from under his makeshift umbrella of a coat.

Beth flips her head around before looking back to Mr. Coat Umbrella, the rain and dark clouds persisting. “If we turn around then we can still find the highway, but it’s the long way around. You can follow me if you want.”

He looks in the direction she intends, a scrunched expression showing. “I just came from that way. I had to cross a low dip in the road that was filling up with water.”

“How much water?”

“Mmm,” he groans, a quick look at Beth. “We can try, but we better go now.”

Driving slow with the man’s headlights behind her, Beth leads their cars along the road. She knows exactly which little dip in the road he refers to, but even Beth is surprised when she eases her foot all the way down on the brakes.

There in front of her is a broad stream of water, better classified as a river, flowing over the road. On the opposite side of the river are other cars that have stopped, one of them backing up as slowly as they can.

“Holy hell,” Beth mutters. Foliage flows through the water, the hint of an uprooted tree trunk slowly dragging through the brown mess. Beth flips her car around, pulling up alongside Mr. Coat.

“What will you do?” he asks Beth from beside rolled-down windows.

Beth looks up ahead. “I have a cabin just up the road. I’ll go back, I guess.”

He scratches his chin, looking toward the brown mess flowing before him. “Right. Good.”

Beth waits a moment, trying to keep from getting too wet. “And you?”

He shrugs, the flash of a white smile coming when he chuckles at his situation. “Wait!” he sort-of-laughs, hands landing hard on the wheel. “It has to let up sometime.”

Beth assures him that it will, how he’ll be out of here soon. She pulls away from the scene, taking her time driving up the one-lane road to her cabin up the hill before parking in the only parking spot. Beth finds refuge from the storm when she hops inside the little cabin atop the Smoky Mountains, everything remaining just the way she left it an hour ago. “Well,” she exhales with a forced breath. “I guess that’s not happening today.”

---

The rain isn’t nearly as fierce as when Beth was on the road, but the wet sheet continues its calming trance, landing on the cabin roof and flowing over the porch awning.

Night approaches as Beth stands in dry clothes with folded arms as she watches the distant skies darken. Silk hair flows past pretty eyes and over slender shoulders, an unnatural shade of auburn and blonde covering dark roots. Not really blue but not really green, her gray eyes watch the distance, doing her best to find the smoky mountaintops slowly disappearing over the horizon. Her voice is silent though her mouth seems to insinuate a word here or there, her thoughts finally beginning to find calm with help from the soothing sounds of rain. This is why she’s here. This is why she came. No – the rain isn’t ideal, but for all it’s worth, it’s quiet.

A rumble of thunder breaks her thoughts. Beth pushes away from the open doorframe, noting the time. She thinks of the man she left by the stream of water surging across the road. She gives it another second, but curiosity is what eventually gets the best of her.

---

Prepared for the elements, Beth brings her car to a stop behind Mr. Coat’s as he has turned his off in front of the road river. There isn’t quite as much water, but there’s an obvious hunk of bush and earth that’s been trapped in the lingering, dangerous flow. Beth hops out, flipping the rain jacket hood over her head. She and Coats are the only ones under these dark clouds.

His window is down before she arrives. “Hey,” she says over the rain, her brow pressed with genuine concern. “So now what? Nothing?”

He shrugs, seeming beyond frustration and hope. He gestures to the mess. “I dunno,” he gets out. “I really thought it would have eased up somewhat by now. Don’t worry about me.”

Beth shakes her head. “You can’t just stay out here. There’s no telling when this will end. We’re the last ones to get any help way out here, especially if the highway is just as bad.” She stands, hands on curvy hips under a long coat. She looks back from where she came. “C’mon,” she tells him. “You should at least park and wait by the cabin. Follow me.” Beth’s tone is serious and concerned, but she’s doing the right thing for humanity and her conscience.

He agrees with Beth, following her up the narrow and winding road to a cozy little cabin under wet, swaying trees. She parks just off the road, letting him slip into the only parking spot.

This is best, they agreed, hoping the storm would pass.

Beth hops inside. He waits in the car. The sky turns black.

Two hours have passed and, honestly, even Beth is surprised by how bad the weather has turned. She emerges on the front porch, arms crossed as she looks to his lonely little car. The porch light illuminates his face, a laughing expression seen on him while shaking his head.

It’s pouring. Pouring. The storm has gone from bad to terrible, the rain coming down so hard that it’s hard for Beth to hear herself think.

Beth chuckles at this poor man’s expense, shaking her head before a deep chuckle sounds. She flips her auburn hair aside, nearly snorting when she laughs.

He’s making gestures all around him in the car, mouthing something ridiculous, doing a great job of keeping her laughing. His charade ends with disbelief, his head on the wheel.

Beth gestures for him, finally waving an arm and mouthing, ‘Come on.’

He hops out and makes it to the porch alive. “Wow,” he lets out, shaking off the drops. “I can’t believe the terrible luck.”

“I know.” Beth steps back from the overhang, thick drops creeping in. “Let’s just get out of it for now.”

He follows Beth inside her little cabin. It’s a cozy space, well-kept and clean, somewhere he suddenly wishes he could have for himself. “This place yours?”

Beth removes her shoes beside his at the door. “No. It’s just a rental, but I love it.”

“I can see why.” He takes a seat, noting the small kitchen and living room, a single bedroom and what must be the only bathroom. Rain falls off of the back porch, and dark mountaintops line the distance under rolling lightning. “I’ll need to make a call,” he comments. “If you don’t mind.”

“Umm,” Beth hums from behind pressed lips, her eyes aware as they flick side to side. “Yeah…there isn’t one.”
“No phone?”

Beth’s pretty lips remain pressed, a shake of her head. She tries not to chuckle. “Sorry. None of these cabins out here have phones. It’s as primitive as can be. I make my calls when I go into town…but…” Beth gestures to somewhere out and away.

“Right.” He leans back in the chair, a frustrated breath seeping out. “I won’t be any trouble.”

“I wouldn’t have let you in if I thought you would be trouble.” Beth goes about her business to find food and dishware.

“Don’t worry. I’m not trouble, either.”

“Fair enough.”

Beth is simple in her movements. She’s smooth while deliberate, with a sense of being sure of herself without seeming to have a definitive plan. Brad is positive that she’s no more than thirty-five, thirty-seven tops. Her cheek is a soft curve, her jaw slim, pretty lips that conceal a soothing, feminine voice. Beth is elegant. Beautiful, for sure, but gracefully elegant.

If Beth is being made to stay in her annual getaway cabin during a rainy night – fine. If she has to be forced to stay in it with a handsome man named Bradley who does this really great thing when he pushes dark hair up and out of the way from brown eyes – then by God she’ll just have to manage.

White isn’t his preference, so red will have to do for now. It loosens him up a bit, turning his words from cordial to friendly, his laugh shifting from a passive chuckle to an honest expression. Though they remain separated by the coffee table, Beth can’t deny the thought of how well she might fit in that space Brad creates while he casually lays back on the couch while he talks.

Stop doing that, Beth. Stop it.

Two glasses are enough for the night, both of them more than tired by eleven o’clock.

“The couch is fine,” Brad comments as he helps stack extra sheets for the night. “I’m just appreciative that you would let a stranger stay here.”

Beth assures him that it’s fine. She wants Brad to make himself at home.

“Ok,” she says, turning in the bedroom doorframe. “The light switch is by the sink. I’ll see you in the morning, then?”

“In the morning.” Brad watches Beth for a passing moment, loving the way her kind-of-blue eyes move while looking him over. “Good night.” He’s not surprised when he hears her bedroom door lock, a quick shake of the handle sounding from the other side. Brad kills the light, both of them falling asleep to the sound of rain on this isolated part of the world.

---

The sun should be shining across the mountains right now, but the ceiling of dark clouds ensures that it doesn’t happen this morning.

Beth’s eyes slowly open to the sound of rain landing hard on the roof. She swears the rain is making the exact same sound as when she fell asleep last night. It’s soothing and comforting, a sense of silence while heavy drops flow onto black rocks from outside the cabin.

Her eyes close, the warmth of the blankets inviting some room to stretch, giving her hands space to roam. She knows that she shouldn’t, but the door is locked and the sheets are so comfortable. A slender hand slides down her body, long legs spreading to her own touch.

Beth slips a hand in her panties, gently rubbing in small circles to relieve the slow ache of a new morning. Her eyes remain closed, a thin breath escaping before inhaling deep. Beth rubs faster with a little more pressure, an unconscious exhale slipping out while her mind reveals the deepest secrets she would only reveal to strangers in the dark.

She thinks about her soft hand wrapped around a thick cock. She imagines being stripped naked, bent over, and slowly taken right here in the sheets. She thinks of last night, about the empty space Brad created on the couch. Beth has found her rhythm as a leg stretches out and her toes curl, fantasizing about Brad slipping a hand up her shirt. Beth seems unsurprised when Brad’s stiff cock slips out, easing herself down as she pushes every inch of Brad into her mouth before her lips touch the base.

Beth tenses up, thighs trapping her hand. There’s an involuntary and sudden shutter as she cums. Her hips burn, eyes pressed shut, a gentle roll of her body to the side as every inch of stress slips away. Beth relaxes and catches her breath.

Stop it, Beth.

The cabin is empty. For some reason, Beth isn’t surprised at Brad’s disappearance, but she questions herself as to why she’s a little disappointed.

Nothing is out of place or missing. The sheet that Brad used last night is folded neatly on an arm of the couch. Save for the rain, it’s quiet in this cabin on the hill.

A single page of notebook paper sits alone on the table with handwriting that Beth doesn’t recognize. She picks it up, reading over the brief words as a manicured nail flicks at her teeth as a form of habit.

Beth – I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. If it weren’t for you, I would never have known that such angels walked this earth. No one has ever done so much for me in such a short span of time. I hate to up and leave like this, but it’s a long drive to Tucson and, regardless, I’m sure you want the cabin and your life back. I will always remember you. I will never forget what you’ve done for me. ~Bradley

With Bradley’s note in hand, Beth starts the coffee and strolls barefoot to the door. Overcome with a subconscious urge, Beth cracks the front door open and immediately looks to an empty parking spot.

A sinking feeling comes to Beth, a memory of events that never happened with a handsome stranger seeming lost. It was just one night. A lot could happen in one night. A lot could have happened last night and, to be honest, if she was able to go back in time, then she may have let things play things out a little differently.

Beth is about to close the door when she hears the sounds of an engine and wet tires on asphalt.

Brad’s headlights appear in the rain before returning to the parking spot beside Beth’s cabin. Now, inexplicable to even herself, Beth is relieved and confused all the same. Brad has done a number on her emotions for a man she’s never touched in real life. Beth folds the note and tucks it into her pajama pants.

Brad hops out of his car, cursing the rain and bad luck. There’s nothing he can do about it. “The road is just the same on both sides as it was yesterday,” he comments, shaking water out of his hair next to Beth. He looks out and away. “Damn.” Brad knocks his teeth together behind closed lips. “You were right. They’ll get to us mountain folk at some point in the future, I guess.”

Beth looks him over, catching those brown eyes as she smirks. “Ya’ll mountain folk, huh?” Her smile is contagious as she rolls herself back inside.

Brad smiles. “Hey, now,” he jests, following her in. “I didn’t mean it like that. Not you, necessarily, I…”

“Uh, huh.” Beth grabs coffee cups and creamer. “Black?”

“Little cream and sugar, if you have it.”

“Sure, shug. Just a little sugar is nice.” Beth pours and mixes, listening to Brad fuss about the unceasing rain.

They drink together in this early part of morning, one cup followed by the next, Brad doing most of the talking just to keep the moment from turning awkward. Beth doesn’t know what all of the fuss is about. According to her, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this moment. She stands in this cabin that she looks forward to visiting every year, drinking coffee during her favorite time of day, watching the kissable lips of a handsome man whose voice is sure to haunt her loneliest nights for years to come as a steady rain risks putting her back to sleep. Beth isn’t exactly sure where they are going with the conversation, but they’ve made it as far as the living room.

The day continues with Brad and Beth spending most of it on the back porch just watching the rain. Their Adirondacks start out some distance apart, but the steady noise from a sheet of rain gives Brad a perfect excuse to scooch closer to Beth as coffee turns to water, water to wine, the dark clouds ensuring that the afternoon quickly rolls over distant mountains and into the evening and night.

“I’m beginning to become a fan,” Brad notes after another drink of chilled red wine.

“Right?” she replies, the wine warming both of them from the cool night’s breeze. “I said the same thing years ago, so now it’s my go-to.”

“I can see why.” Brad takes another drink. He’s closer to the bottom than Beth, but he’s grateful for the fact that there are more bottles in the fridge. Brad watches Beth’s eyes for a moment. Beth watches right back. ‘Say something,’ her expression reads. There’s some hint of a laugh in Beth that will reveal itself if Brad asks something embarrassing, but Beth tells herself that she’s ready. Shoot.

Brad has fiddled with the wine glass for long enough. His eyes trail over Beth’s long, smooth hair. He finds her eyes. “You’re so beautiful, Beth.”

A brief tingle races through Beth. He said it so perfectly and so on cue with a warm, deep voice that every handsome man in any woman’s early morning imagination should possess. Beth doesn’t do anything except hold Brad’s gaze. Her smirk remains.

“How is it that there’s not another man out there, here, next to you right now? I can’t see how anyone would let you get very far away from him.”

That’s it. Beth is convinced. Setting her wine on the deck, she rises to her feet and walks to Brad. His questions don’t require any answers, but actions. It’s a very natural and simple thing when Beth slides onto Brad’s lap in the wooden chair.

Brad’s hands are perfect on her hips and lower back. He makes as much room for her as he can, the smooth and slow movement of her body consuming every inch of his attention.

Beth savors the feel of her fingers in his long, black hair. She’s wanted to do that since the moment she met Brad. She holds her fingers in his hair for a moment longer, humming a tiny expression of her own satisfaction. She doesn’t wait any longer, settling herself lower to kiss Brad. His lips are determined where hers are soft, his hands possessive while hers are tender. Brad compliments Beth so well and, to be honest, Beth welcomes his manly touch against her admittedly feminine frame. She holds Brad hostage in the chair, her lips toying and kissing, letting the sound of rain drown out the shaming echoes in her head.

Brad’s hand graces Beth’s soft cheek. He’s happy to let her take the lead. There’s never been such a beautiful woman within his reach before, so there’s no sense in going about guessing what she might want.

Beth may have slowed her pace a bit, but her body presses tighter against Brad’s. “It’s ok,” she hardly says, nodding with closed eyes. The feel of Brad’s hands rubbing and massaging up Beth’s back almost sends her over the edge. “It’s ok. We can do this if I want.”

Brad watches Beth’s closed eyes, feeling her anxiety wane as her face softens. Her brow is no longer pressed together in concern. He feels her exhale, a nervous shake passing over Beth. His voice is reassuring and positive: “I know.” He wants to say the words he really thinks, but instead, he whispers what Beth needs to hear. “I want to be here with you, Beth.”

Beth smiles behind closed eyes. A shudder slips over her skin. She convinces herself that it’s just the chill from an early night, but she knows better than to tell herself such lies.

Beth takes Brad’s hand and leads him into the cabin. She turns into his arms. There’s no hiding what’s about to happen between them now. The door is open, but only the rain will lay witness to what happens between these two strangers.

Her arms lock around Brad’s neck for a hot, convinced kiss. Size seven shoes go flying and roll across the floor before Beth nearly leaps into Brad’s arms. He doesn’t miss a beat. Brad is stronger than he looks, easily holding onto Beth before giving her a little lift and shift. Beth’s feet lock around his waist.

How long has Beth needed this? A long time, it seems, way before she came out to the cabin this year, for sure. How long has she needed a strong man to pull her in, to be possessive of her body and become captivated by the body spray she applied shortly before serving red wine and her hair looking as good as it does tonight? A long, long time before she ever turned out from the garage at her house in Chattanooga, for certain.

Beth moans against Brad’s kiss, feeling his strong hands pull her hips into his body. She instinctively rolls her hips forward as the burn grows. The feel of his hand on her ass isn’t enough. Her pants should be off when he does it. Her panties should be tossed somewhere across the room as Beth spreads her legs for him.

“Come here, baby,” he whispers, walking them to the couch. Beth’s shirt makes a hot exit, revealing what’s more bra than breast, but it’s just perfect for her stature. She should smile or say something smart in this moment, but all she can think about is how upset she is that they both remain dressed.

Beth was right about him. Brad loses his shirt, confirming her theory about his strength. She can’t keep her hands away from the curved chest of this man who works out, is a laborer, or works as any sort of hardworking man who must have more pent-up testosterone at the end of the day than he knows what to do with. Beth hopes that she’s the answer to his little problem.

Beth’s eyes are on his when she begins unbuttoning her own pants. “Off,” she tells him, slender fingers reaching for his belt. They do each other the honors, unbuttoning and tugging in a hurried hesitation. “Oh, shit,” she lets out when Brad’s stiff cock slips out. Without Brad wearing underwear, it makes it easy for Beth to grab hold of his solid cock, giving it a stroke before digging into his pants to feel more of him. “Oh,” she hardly says. “I want it.”

“No more than I want you.” Brad gives Beth’s pants a toss. He doesn’t hesitate to grip onto her soft panties and haul them down. Damnit she’s beautiful. How is he here with her right now? Why him?

Beth’s face is flush as the blood boils in her body. She reaches out for Brad, pulling him close in a possessive kiss.

His hands are on her small chest, sliding down along her side and hips to find an incredibly soft ass.

Beth holds her lips against Brad's, more than happy to spread her legs a little at the teasing trail of his fingers. “Down,” she finally lets out. “Touch me.”

Brad does more than touch Beth, trailing kisses along her neck and shoulder, the top of her breast, and down her stomach before kneeling. By the way Beth is breathing right now, Brad knows that he is doing it right.

Beth gasps, thighs shaking from anticipation as Brad slides a flat tongue over an aching pussy. He flicks at her tiny clit. Side to side, up and down, he loves the taste of Beth. Brad gives her pussy a sweet and tender kiss. “That’s perfect, baby,” he mutters with his mouth against her lips. Beth breathes deep, her fingers in his beautiful hair. Brad doesn’t hold back in this worship of her burning pussy, an eager tongue lapping and flicking, perfect lips of a man whose been deprived of sex taking his precious time worshiping a tender pussy like Beth’s.

Beth nearly melts into the sofa, wishing this moment would last forever. “Lick it. Don’t stop licking, baby. Right there.”

Brad is happy to oblige. He’s not going anywhere. Beth is warm and smooth, wet and sensitive to every playful move he makes.

Against Beth’s selfish nature, she allows him to stop what he’s doing to kiss her thighs, trailing his mouth and body up along hers until they do an awkward slide together on what Brad knows will not serve as his bed tonight. His accommodations are sure to be much warmer.

With Beth against the cushions, Brad takes over. He grabs Beth by the thighs and hauls her closer. Long, beautiful hair slides along the cushions above her naked body. With stiff cock in hand, Brad toys with the spot he just finished licking. She’s so wet that it’s easy to slip himself in. He’s not in any overwhelming rush, taking his time to firmly push himself a little deeper into Beth with each firm push.

Beth opens her eyes, loving what she sees. A strong man kneels between her legs, her soft thighs in his strong arms as he works a rigid cock into her. Brad is longer than what she’s used to, a smile coming to her face when imagining how deep it will feel later when she sits all of her weight down onto him in the bed. Maybe he’ll even have to give a gentle press on her shoulders to ensure she’s all the way down. She wouldn’t mind a bit of his help at all.

The only thing she’s sure of right now is that Brad is working back and forth in Beth, fucking her to the point of causing the couch to creak from his movements.

Beth’s face goes from private fantasies to an obvious realization that she’s finally being fucked deep by the very cock she fantasized about swallowing just hours before. “Ohh…” she gets out, encouraging Brad to fuck harder. His arms wrap tighter around her thighs, strong hands squeezing her legs. Beth’s feet are in the air. “Oh, holy fuck!”

Brad fucks harder, the couch squeaking louder. Beth mutters intermittent curse words, the sounds of sex and rain echoing in the cabin. She’s able to hold herself sturdy, gray eyes locked on Brad’s when she shouts, “Fuck me harder!”

And that’s it. Brad loses it. Beth’s ass is lifted from the cushions as Brad holds on tight and fucks Beth harder than he thought possible. She would scream something for him, beg him not to stop, but her open mouth and closed eyes tell him enough.

A yelp leaps from Beth, her legs squeezing against Brad’s strong grip. Beth moans and pulses, her body shaking at the feeling of Brad’s stiff cock cumming deep inside of her. They fill the cabin with hot expressions of built-up release. Her mouth is open, gasping for the air she forgot to breathe from the excitement. She lays back and exhales, doing her best to figure out how they’ll get out of this awkward position without falling off of the couch.

---

A thin sheet of rain accompanies their morning. Beth shifts in the warm sheets after having slept better than she has in years. She can’t feel a single ounce of tension or anxiety. There’s no shame or guilt. There’s no worry or hesitation about what might come next.

In this moment, Beth has achieved awareness of being the woman she always wanted to be. She’s sleeping naked on the sheets, something she always told herself that she would do but isn’t the thing she committed to. She’s sleeping in without feeling guilty for not being awake first.

The deep sleep finds Beth fully rested and calm. Without worrying about how it may be received, Beth rolls over in the sheets and pushes herself lower. Next to her is a naked, sleeping Brad. For the second night, Brad has kept Beth more company than she thought any man ever could. The time that he has spent with her has been wonderful, erotic, and incredible. Right now, though, Beth’s selfish nature of the usual morning ache has taken over. She finds Brad’s soft cock, gently playing with it before taking him in her mouth.

It only takes a second for a man to know that a woman is sucking him in the morning. Brad adjusts in the sheets, spreading his legs as he grows in her mouth. Beth is expertly massaging his balls, sliding his cock out of her mouth to feel it grow before taking it back in. She likes the way he strokes her hair. His length begins touching the back of her throat, but she doesn’t mind. She challenges herself to take him in, gagging at first, but eventually achieving success when the tip teases her throat. Brad feels wonderful in her mouth. She loves the way she lets him have exactly what she wants.

Moments later, Brad is giving Beth the usual morning treatment. Her slim, naked body mounts a sitting Brad, easing herself down onto his cock. Brad helps her sit, giving her hips a little thrust while pulling down on her shoulders to watch her expression shift from Beth to someone else.  

The rain has continued for three days now, flooding the valleys and roads, trapping Beth in a cabin with a man who will not keep his hands out of her hair or off of her ass. The man simply won’t leave her alone for a moment’s peace. She pretends to protest, blaming him for all of the testosterone in the cabin, but she always willingly gives Brad the means to express his desire for her.

Beth bounces on Brad’s cock, loving the playful smacks he gives her soft ass. “Come on, baby,” she encourages in a tense voice. “Make me cum.”

The rain ensures that they’ll be trapped in here together for at least one more day. One more day of spread legs and spanked cheeks. One more day of furious jerking to feel warm cum on her pretty face. One more day of her hot pussy in his mouth.

---

Another morning arrives in silence. It’s true that Beth wakes up with the same unsatisfied ache between her legs, but there’s a sense of awareness that comes over her – it stopped raining.

It’s quiet. Deafly quiet.

Beth sits up in the bed and moves long hair from her face. Looking over, she finds empty sheets.

A sudden panic sets in. Beth leaps naked from the sheets and hops into the living room to look for Brad.

“Hey,” he says with a smirk. “What’s wrong?”

Beth is suddenly aware of the chill against her naked body, crossing her arms and trying to remember that she’s awake. “I didn’t know,” she says, returning to the bedroom for some resemblance of clothes for warmth as opposed to shame. “I thought you left.”

“No,” she hears from the kitchen. “Of course not.” Brad goes about making coffee the way she likes it. “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Come in here, would you? I need you for a moment.”

Brad does as ordered. He knows it’s not a request.

Beth holds onto Brad when he enters the bedroom, collapsing herself into his strong arms. She breathes deep and holds on tight. Her hug turns into a squeeze. Beth is holding on for as long as she can, knowing full well that his touch will soon be a memory.

It’s true – the rain has stopped and the roads have been cleared. The lonely cabin on top of the Smoky Mountains now only has one car in front of it, a pretty woman leaving the key in the lock before loading her final bag in the car.

It may only be a short drive into town, but Beth does a good job of fighting every thought of hitting the interstate, speeding west to find a blue beamer with a handsome man inside, shouting his name in the hopes that he’ll stop. Thoughts suppressed, she continues into town.

Parking in front of a busy restaurant, Beth steps out with quarters in hand to make a long overdue phone call.

“Beth!” a familiar voice shouts. “Bethany!”

Her heart nearly leaps at the sound, a jolt of anxiety coming when she turns to see her husband running up, his car haphazardly parked a short distance away.

He runs to Beth, quickly grabbing onto her in a tight hug. “I heard about the floods. I’ve been here since yesterday looking for you. I went to every cabin I could find. Mom has the kids…”

Beth does her best to empathize. She knew this moment would come, but she didn’t think he would drive all the way out here and actually look for her. He didn’t know which cabin she stayed in, so what good would it have done?

Beth does her best to not break down. She holds firm, letting him rock her back and forth in a tight hug to make it seem like she’s genuinely happy to see him.

It’s not raining in Tennessee, but she desperately wishes it were.

---

With black umbrella in hand, Beth returns to her daily routine in Chattanooga. She’s off to the legal grind of nine to five. Back to the real world.

It rained in Chattanooga last night, putting Beth in a ‘leave-me-alone,’ wine-drinking kind of mood by seven o’clock. The red wine tasted sweet. It tasted like Brad.

Before stepping into the firm’s building wearing one of her signature dresses, Beth stops for a moment and takes in the dawn. It’s still October, so this rain will continue. If it turns to snow, then Beth won’t know what to do with herself.

Beth holds onto Brad’s memory, knowing full well what they would be doing at this hour if they were back in the cabin. The rain brings her happiness. Beth possesses the best of memories that can only be brought on by a calm sheet of rain that she hopes does the same for Brad. She prays this is true, but it never rains in Tucson. Without its sound, how will Brad ever know to stop and remember her? If it rains in Gatlinburg, will that tiny cabin remember who they were?

Pulling a folded piece of paper from her leather bag, she commits his voice to the words:

Beth – I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me. If it weren’t for you, I would never have known that such angels walked this earth. No one has ever done so much for me in such a short span of time. I hate to up and leave like this, but it’s a long drive to Tucson and, regardless, I’m sure you want the cabin and your life back. I will always remember you. I will never forget what you’ve done for me. ~Bradley