‘We’re going to the Watering Hole after,’ Mia said, smiling. ‘What better excuse, hey? Anyway, I want to celebrate my first day.’
‘Do you think it might be bad?’ Willow asked, her hackles rising again. She gazed over at The Diner and wondered how Lucas was. Was he still unbothered by the threat, or was he taking things a little more seriously now?
She kind of wished he was here right now.
‘I know to be on guard,’ Adam said seriously. ‘I lived in Florida for a time. I experienced the hurricane season and it’s no fun. If I see a storm warning, I take it seriously. If I were you, I would close early too.’
Willow nodded. ‘Yeah, I think I might.’ But she couldn’t help feeling under prepared. She lived in a tiny, exposed cabin. This wagon wasn’t particularly sturdy. The last thing she needed was for a storm to tear away everything she had begun to build up.
‘I’m sure Adam is just thinking the worst,’ Mia saidquietly. Adam had gone over to one of the tables, but she lingered behind. ‘He’s a bit of a serious type.’
‘He’s probably right though,’ Willow said. The sky seemed to be changing by the minute and already had a more threatening look to it.
‘Just close early and enjoy some hours to yourself,’ Mia said casually. ‘It’ll probably be a bit blowy and nothing else.’
‘Well, at least it sounds like you’ve had a good morning,’ Willow replied, wanting to change the subject.
Mia grinned. ‘I really enjoyed it. I just hope Ernie doesn’t put too much faith in me. I have a habit of screwing things up. He seems to think I can turn the bookstore’s fortunes around.’
‘You won’t screw this up,’ Willow assured her. ‘Also, I think Adam really likes you.’
Mia cast her gaze towards him. He waved back nervously in their direction. ‘Do you think? He’s just a nice guy. He’s very shy. I think he likes everyone.’
‘Sure.’ Willow kept her tone light. ‘But he doesn’t look at everyone the way he looks at you.’
Mia flapped her hand in Willow’s direction. ‘Don’t be silly. Adam is friendly, that’s all. Besides, he’s not my type.’
‘And what is your type?’
Mia leaned forward and hissed the words, ‘bad boys’ before flouncing back to Adam’s table, leaving Willow giggling to herself.
Mia might normally go for bad boys, but Willow noticed how close she sat to Adam and how she laughed at every joke he made.
For a nice guy, Adam certainly seemed to be making her happy.
The afternoon grew cooler and restless; there was a heaviness in the air that Willow was struggling to ignore. It made her headache throb a little and nausea swam in her throat. Customers ebbed away, probably due to the heavy dark clouds that drifted over the mountains like a cloak. Willow could sense the rain. It was coming. And coming soon.
And she could sense something else too. A hint of danger. It clung to her bones like a limpet. She couldn’t shake it off.
She checked the news apps on her phone. There were more weather warnings posted now. Jake had sent a message telling her he was covering extra shifts and that she needed to be prepared.
At the same time, a sudden gust of wind rocked the van, almost as if it was taunting her.
She shouldn’t be here.
‘Willow.’
She looked up. Lucas was there with Tommy beside him. Lucas was already wearing a dark raincoat. His expression was grim. He looked up at the sky and his eyes narrowed.
‘Let’s move your wagon behind The Diner,’ he said softly. ‘I don’t like the look of those clouds and the wind is picking up. We need to protect it.’
Willow didn’t protest. She had already packed up her tables and chairs, and she let the boys maneuver the van back into the shadow of The Diner. As she waited, the first drops of rain began to fall, initially light and cool against her thin clothes, but then more relentless.
Lucas jumped out of the van. ‘Go into The Diner,’ he told her. ‘Get some shelter.’
She ran to the door. The wind was already picking up strength and whipping around her in angry bursts. How had it gotten so dark so quickly?
By the time she reached The Diner, Willow was already soaked through.
