She’d heard a few crashes downstairs, and after getting Lucy settled with a snack, she walked down the stairs to peer into her shop kitchen with her flashlight, only to find at least a foot of muddy standing water. She’d doubled over on the stairs, drawing in her breath, attempting to control her rising emotions as her brain tallied the damage.
Would insurance even cover something like this? A flood in the middle of the mountains? She lowered her head into her hands. She didn’t have flood insurance, and most likely eighty percent of the town didn’t either.
She stilled her emotions and swallowed hard. There was nothing she could do about it now. She needed to get her and Lucy to safety, and that meant trying to make it to the top of the hill.
And she’d probably have to carry Lucy.
But they desperately needed to get where other people were. This was not a time to be alone. It was going to take an entire community to get through this.
Daphne flicked off the flashlight and stuffed it into her back pocket, her fingers trembling. The apartment had grown colder in the last hour, the damp creeping into her bones. Every creak in the walls made her skin stand on edge as if... How sturdy was this building?
She entered the living room, and saw Lucy sitting by the window where Daphne had placed her with a little plate of cheddar scones, apple slices, and ham rosettes, lantern light pooling over her.
Even though the rain had started to slow, darkness was creeping into what little light the cloudy sky provided. That meant getting to safety would only prove more difficult.
Daphne stepped toward the little girl. “Lucy, finish up that snack, and we’re going to try and walk up to the town hall, okay?”
Her big eyes rounded even more. “But... Daddy’s not back yet.”
“I know.” Daphne sat next to her in the window seat. “But he wanted us to be safe first of all, and I’m not sure how safe we are here right now. There’s a lot of water in the tea shop.” Which meant even more was in Finn’s pub since it was slightly downhill from her. Daphne tucked a curl behind Lucy’s ear. “He’ll know where to find us. I’ll leave him a note.”
Lucy’s lip wobbled. “Will he be okay?”
“He’s very smart and strong.” Daphne swallowed, tugging the little girl into a hug. “I’m sure he’ll find us really soon.”
Lucy nuzzled in close, and Daphne held her for a few beats longer and then pulled back. “You ready, sugarplum?”
Lucy nodded.
“All right, then get your boots and raincoat on, and make sure you’ve packed all the things you want into your backpack, okay?”
In about ten minutes, after a mad search for Lucy’s stuffed dragon,Daphne tugged on her jacket and grabbed the duffel she’d packed, then scrawled a note on a piece of printer paper.
Finn—Water is rising. We’re headed to the town hall or the inn. Stay safe.
Love, D.
Taping it up with about a dozen pieces of tape to her apartment door, she turned and grabbed Lucy’s hand and Winston’s leash, then began the slow descent down the stairs into the shop kitchen. It was slow work with a duffel, a little girl, and an anxious dog, especially when they reached the last few steps and the water-covered floor came into Lucy’s view.
“Dere’s water in your kitchen, Miss Daphne,” Lucy said, peering down at it like it was exactly the anomaly it was.
“I know, sugarplum.” Daphne stepped down into the water, knee-deep now.
Don’t think about what’s in this water, Daphne. Or what’s been destroyed. Just do the next thing.
“And you’re going to ride on my back so I can keep you as dry as possible.” Daphne turned around and edged back to the stairs.
After a slight hesitation, Lucy’s arms came up around Daphne’s neck, and the little girl crawled into place. Then Daphne nudged Winston to follow.
The dog stared down into the water, unmoving, and then looked back up at her as if she were crazy. Poor guy. He’d been taught to stay nice and clean for so long; this broke all the rules.
“It’s okay, buddy.” She tugged on the leash. “Splash to your heart’s content.”
With a lift of his ears and a double check to Daphne, Winston almost seemed jubilant as he jumped into the water. Lucy gave a little giggle as the waves he made brushed up against her boots.
“Winston likes de water.”
Daphne held the sounds of Lucy’s little giggle and Winston’s happy swimming close. Because everything else was topsy-turvy terrifying.
