utter.
“Baby, it’s okay,” James said, stroking her back. “I’m okay. Jake got tossed around a little bit … and the horses took off … but I’m okay. I … baby, don’t cry. I can’t take it when you cry.”
“Don’t ever leave me.” Mandy couldn’t stop. Her body was shaking and James didn’t know what else to do but hold her. “I can’t … don’t do that again!”
James chuckled hoarsely as he rocked her. “I didn’t plan on doing it to you this time. I’m sorry. I … I know you love me. I love you. I won’t leave you. I promise. It’s okay. Shh.” He whispered as he rocked her, hoping her sobs would soon abate.
Ally was a ball of energy as she launched herself at Jake. “I’m really mad at you,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks as he hugged her. “I thought you blew up.”
“I would never blow up and leave you alone, Angel,” Jake said, rubbing the back of Ally’s head. “I’m sorry you were scared. I was a little scared myself. I thought you guys might have been hurt by the blast.”
“Why did it blow up?”
Jake and James exchanged a look.
“We’re going to figure that out,” Jake said. “I … we don’t know right now. We think we smelled gasoline inside of the barn before we got out. That’s why we headed toward the other door. It was closer.”
“It’s a good thing, too,” Ben said, accepting Mary’s hug. She wasn’t quite the emotional mess the other two women were. “If we’d gone the longer route, we might not have made it out.”
Ben’s words did nothing but make Mandy cry harder.
“Oh, baby, you’re killing me here,” James said, reaching under Mandy’s butt so he could hoist her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her face in his neck as the lightning and thunder ramped up and James balanced her weight.
“Let’s go inside and get some food,” Ben suggested, trying to ignore the theatrics as James carried his wife and Ally clung to Jake as if the world was about to end. “The storm will put the bulk of the fire out. We’re going to need a fire inspector out here first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ve lost my appetite and I don’t think this one wants to do anything but go to bed,” James said, inclining his head toward a miserable Mandy. “I … we’re going to go back to the cabin. She needs time to decompress.”
“The generator doesn’t fuel the cabins,” Ben said. “The power will probably be out until tomorrow morning.”
“That’s fine,” James said. “I … she can’t be around people right now. She needs to finish falling apart in private.”
Ben shook his head sympathetically. “I get it. There are candles under the kitchen counter by the sink. The hot water tank is separate, so if you want to take a shower or a bath, both of those should be fine.”
“Thank you.”
“And if Floyd somehow found his way back, just open the door and shoo him out,” Ben called to James’ back. “He’ll be fine.”
“Well, great,” James muttered. “That’s one thing I’m not sure I’m ready to deal with.”
Twelve
“Do you think they’ll be okay out there?” Mary stood next to the bedroom window, the sky sparking as if it was the Fourth of July, and watched the rain fall in a torrent on the other side of the glass. “None of them ate a thing.”
“They’ll be fine,” Ben said, watching his wife pace in front of the window. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine,” Mary said, straightening. “I wasn’t worried for a second. I knew you would come back to me.”
“And how did you know that?”
“Because you always do,” Mary said, offering her husband a warm smile. They’d never been blessed with children – even though both of them desperately wanted a bushel of them – but they had enough love between the two of them to fill their house for another fifty years.
“It was nice to see you hold firm for those girls,” Ben said, a smile
“Baby, it’s okay,” James said, stroking her back. “I’m okay. Jake got tossed around a little bit … and the horses took off … but I’m okay. I … baby, don’t cry. I can’t take it when you cry.”
“Don’t ever leave me.” Mandy couldn’t stop. Her body was shaking and James didn’t know what else to do but hold her. “I can’t … don’t do that again!”
James chuckled hoarsely as he rocked her. “I didn’t plan on doing it to you this time. I’m sorry. I … I know you love me. I love you. I won’t leave you. I promise. It’s okay. Shh.” He whispered as he rocked her, hoping her sobs would soon abate.
Ally was a ball of energy as she launched herself at Jake. “I’m really mad at you,” she said, tears streaming down her cheeks as he hugged her. “I thought you blew up.”
“I would never blow up and leave you alone, Angel,” Jake said, rubbing the back of Ally’s head. “I’m sorry you were scared. I was a little scared myself. I thought you guys might have been hurt by the blast.”
“Why did it blow up?”
Jake and James exchanged a look.
“We’re going to figure that out,” Jake said. “I … we don’t know right now. We think we smelled gasoline inside of the barn before we got out. That’s why we headed toward the other door. It was closer.”
“It’s a good thing, too,” Ben said, accepting Mary’s hug. She wasn’t quite the emotional mess the other two women were. “If we’d gone the longer route, we might not have made it out.”
Ben’s words did nothing but make Mandy cry harder.
“Oh, baby, you’re killing me here,” James said, reaching under Mandy’s butt so he could hoist her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and buried her face in his neck as the lightning and thunder ramped up and James balanced her weight.
“Let’s go inside and get some food,” Ben suggested, trying to ignore the theatrics as James carried his wife and Ally clung to Jake as if the world was about to end. “The storm will put the bulk of the fire out. We’re going to need a fire inspector out here first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ve lost my appetite and I don’t think this one wants to do anything but go to bed,” James said, inclining his head toward a miserable Mandy. “I … we’re going to go back to the cabin. She needs time to decompress.”
“The generator doesn’t fuel the cabins,” Ben said. “The power will probably be out until tomorrow morning.”
“That’s fine,” James said. “I … she can’t be around people right now. She needs to finish falling apart in private.”
Ben shook his head sympathetically. “I get it. There are candles under the kitchen counter by the sink. The hot water tank is separate, so if you want to take a shower or a bath, both of those should be fine.”
“Thank you.”
“And if Floyd somehow found his way back, just open the door and shoo him out,” Ben called to James’ back. “He’ll be fine.”
“Well, great,” James muttered. “That’s one thing I’m not sure I’m ready to deal with.”
Twelve
“Do you think they’ll be okay out there?” Mary stood next to the bedroom window, the sky sparking as if it was the Fourth of July, and watched the rain fall in a torrent on the other side of the glass. “None of them ate a thing.”
“They’ll be fine,” Ben said, watching his wife pace in front of the window. “How are you doing?”
“I’m fine,” Mary said, straightening. “I wasn’t worried for a second. I knew you would come back to me.”
“And how did you know that?”
“Because you always do,” Mary said, offering her husband a warm smile. They’d never been blessed with children – even though both of them desperately wanted a bushel of them – but they had enough love between the two of them to fill their house for another fifty years.
“It was nice to see you hold firm for those girls,” Ben said, a smile
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