Arthur sat up, swept a hand through his damp hair, and then his eyes widened with fear. “I didn’t hurt you?”
She shook her head.
Jordan crawled onto Arthur’s lap and hugged him. “It’s OK, Sherlock. You’re safe here. It was just a dream.”
Gretchen smiled at the words she’d said so many times coming out of her son’s mouth. Arthur hugged Jordan, closing his eyes. “Thank you. What were you singing?”
Jordan sang the chorus, and Arthur’s eyes widened. “My mum used to sing that all the time.”
“Lara taught it to me. She said Amy sings it.”
“It’s a good song. It always used to make me feel better.” Arthur reached out and clutched Gretchen’s hand. “You’re really all right?”
“Yes. We were just worried about you.” She moved closer and joined the hug.
Arthur squeezed them, his voice rough. “I love you.”
Gretchen stiffened and glanced at him.
His expression was earnest. “So much, Gretchen. Both of you.”
“We love you too, don’t we, Mum?”
Her heart thumped at a million miles an hour. This wonderful, damaged man loved them. Was it too soon for emotions as intense and heady as this?
She gazed into his eyes and saw her answer. “Yeah, we do.”
His mouth met hers and they kissed, but Jordan moved away with a disgusted, “Ew.”
They both laughed.
“Is it morning yet?” Jordan asked.
Some light peeked in from underneath the bedroom door and Gretchen checked her watch. Six-twenty-five. “Yeah. Shall we go out and assess things?”
Arthur helped her to her feet, kissing her again, and then moved forward, stopping Jordan from ripping open the door. “Let me go first, mate.”
Jordan hung back and Arthur exited, scanning the room with the torch before motioning them out. Gretchen didn’t want him taking all the risks. She joined him, and together they walked through the house, checking windows and the roof for leaks. The sun was only just rising, and Gretchen pulled open curtains and blinds to survey the damage outside. Slowly the sun lit the world and revealed the mess. Tree branches were strewn over the road, rubbish and assorted things that people hadn’t tied down littered the area.
Arthur came back into the kitchen carrying the gas cooker and the radio. He switched the radio on. –and now it’s time for the news. The town of Retribution Bay is without power today after a fierce storm hit their shores. Authorities are not sure how long it will take to restore infrastructure, but the premier has already called a state of emergency and is arranging supplies to be flown in. Residents are cautioned to take care around fallen power lines.
Gretchen checked her phone. A couple of bars.
“Can I call Cody?” Jordan asked.
“It’s a bit early,” Gretchen said. “We can stop by later.” She sent a message to Amy, Penelope and Holly to see how they had all fared. They might be too busy dealing with damage to talk.
She moved to the back door and opened it. The wind still blew, but the rain had stopped. A few plants had been ripped out and her shrubs were almost leafless, but aside from that, there was little damage. She moved further into the garden and glanced back at the roof. No loose panels that she could see. She went out the front to check from that side, but she was lucky. Everything was in place.
One less thing to worry about.
Arthur handed her a mug of tea and Jordan a warm Milo. “Let’s have breakfast and then go for a drive. I’d like to see how Sam and Penelope are, and maybe head out to the Ridge.”
“What about school?” Jordan asked.
“There won’t be school today,” Gretchen told him. How had the Ridge fared? All the buildings were so much older, and they had animals and fencing to deal with, too.
“Yes!” Jordan exclaimed. “Do you think the school was damaged? What about the shops?”
