“I heard the forecast. You think it’s going to be bad?”

“It’s going to be wet.”

She laughed. “I parked my car on the other side of the wash just in case we can’t drive over it tomorrow.”

“Miss Practical. I like that about you.”

She giggled. “Practical Parker stepping up.”

Yeah, she’d poured the brandy a little heavy.

He wished he was there to see her smile. He heard Mallory laughing.

“I will leave you alone. I just wanted to let you know we’ll be around.”

“You mean Glynn.”

“Yup. I’ll be there sometime in the morning unless I get a call earlier.”

“Okay.” He heard her muffle the phone. “Just a little more for me . . . Sorry, Mallory is pouring us another drink.” More scraping sounds over the phone. “Next time I drink this, you need to be here.” She did a hoarse whisper thing with her voice.

“Why is that?”

She giggled. “It’s making me horny.”

It was as if his dick heard her. “I can come over,” he teased.

“That would be way too obvious.”

“I’m sure your brother and sister figured out the nature of our relationship.”

Her voice was attempting a whisper . . . she failed. “Have you made love to a woman with your brother and sister in the next room?”

Now that she put it that way. “No.”

“Okay, then!”

Parker was funny when she was drunk.

“Is that Kissy Face?” he heard Mallory ask.

Kissy Face?

“Look who’s talking. ‘Jase is so cute. Jase gave me a rose for our one-month anniversary. Jase is the best kisser.’”

Colin heard Parker and her sister teasing and wished he was there to witness it in person.

“He is the best kisser.” Mallory sounded just as drunk as her sister.

“Colin probably gave him pointers.” Parker’s voice increased. “You gave him pointers, didn’t you?”

“I can’t take credit for my cousin.”

“You’re older. I’m giving you credit.”

The level of ridiculous the conversation was going was right up there with reruns of I Love Lucy.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come over?” Testing the best kissing skills sounded good to him. He pressed the heel of his hand between his legs.

“My sister is right here!” She was back to whispering for the deaf.

He looked down at his lap, knowing he wasn’t going anywhere. “You’re right. Besides, I make it a rule to never sleep with drunk women.”

“I’m not drunk.” She laughed. “Maybe a little.”

Colin really wished he was there.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Have fun.”

“We are. Good night, Colin.”

She hung up before he could reply.

Colin’s phone rang at four thirty in the morning.

Startled from a deep sleep, he heard the rain pounding before he answered the call. “Yeah.”

“It’s Glynn.”

“How bad is it?”

Glynn blew out a breath. “Fill the big thermos and wear boots.”

Colin sat up, the blanket settled in his lap.

“I’ll be there as quickly as I can.”

Glynn hung up and Colin walked on autopilot to the shower.

Forty-five minutes later Colin stopped his truck at the intersection of Parker’s street and the main road traversing the canyon. Under the bridge, water and mud flowed, but hadn’t clogged up to the point where it was overflowing. He turned up the street, made it three-quarters of the way before he saw the problem.

Mud and rock were spread out on the street in all directions. This did not come from their project. He had a deep suspicion where it had before he pulled his truck to the side of the street and walked the rest of the way to Parker’s gate.

When Colin started to climb, he spotted Glynn.

“Sutter Canyon broke free.”

Colin flashed his light in the area between the De Lucas’ and Sutters’ homes. They knew the canyon they’d named Sutter Canyon because of its location would be a problem, but he hadn’t predicted this. Four feet of mud and rock had careened down the canyon and flattened the chain-link fence where all the driveways intersected. Once the mud and rock hit the surviving manzanita on the side of Parker’s driveway, some of the mud kept flowing toward the wash, but much of it detoured down the entrance to Parker’s home and front gate. From there, it careened down the street, blocking everyone’s ability to get in and out.

“Are the homeowners up?”

“Yeah, they heard it break loose.”

Colin could imagine.

“How is our project?” Colin kept walking, Glynn beside him.

“Full, but working.”

“Overflowing?”

“Yeah. Pretty sure we have repairs to make.”

The rain had eased and the sun was starting to rise. He heard the water flow before he saw it.

Parker’s bridge crossing had clogged up, and water ran over the top as it was designed to do. He glanced at her car parked on that side of the wash. Not that it would do her any good until they could clear the driveway.

He and Glynn walked to each of the choke points and watched the flow of water. The sound of rocks rushing together, and water crashing against debris was hard to talk over. “How bad was it at its peak?”

“I got here after Sutter Canyon opened up. I couldn’t tell you what this looked like.”

Colin pulled out his phone and started making calls. “I really hope everyone didn’t run off for Christmas.”

“I hear ya.”

By six in the morning, Keith had arrived with his skip loader and was clearing the path through Parker’s driveway. Colin had managed to get ahold of two of his subcontracted men who would bring their equipment back the next day. But most of the crew was gone until the twenty-sixth or later.

Mr. Sutter caught his attention and waved him over. “Our precautions weren’t enough.”

He could see that. What was four feet of mud on Parker’s land was twice as much on her neighbor’s. They walked together on top of the mud and debris to the Sutters’ backyard.

Boulders sat in what was once a pristine swimming pool. Mud had taken over and pushed up to the backside of the man’s home.

“Did it get inside?”

“Not a lot.”

“I have another guy coming. This is our priority before the next swell comes through.” He patted Sutter’s back. “I’ll do what I can.”

“Parker. Parker!”

She rolled over, dragged a hand over her eyes. “What?”

“You need to come see this.” Mallory’s voice woke her.

“What? Did Santa come a day early?” She was half-asleep.

“No, the rain gods did.”

Her eyes sprang open. “Oh, no.”

Mallory was already in jeans and a jacket, her hair wet from the rain.

She shoved the blankets back and climbed out of bed and to her bedroom window.

“You can’t see it from here.”

Yeah, she saw water flowing where the driveway should be and mud on the far end of the driveway. But how much, she couldn’t tell. “Give me five minutes.” She glanced at the alarm clock, saw that it wasn’t working. “We don’t have power.”