Lucas was right behind her. He slammed the door against the ever-building wind.
‘I’ve sent Tommy to check on Janice,’ he said. ‘They live in a cabin like yours. I’ve told them to come here.’
Willow thought of Jenn’s little home and shivered. Would it survive? Before she could worry anymore, Lucas wrapped a huge towel around her.
‘Let’s get you up in the warmth,’ he said. ‘We can go in the apartment. I have a dry shirt you can change into. I’m sure Mia has some pants.’
Willow was still trembling under the towel. ‘Thank you,’ she breathed. ‘I can’t believe how quickly it’s come on.’
Lucas was staring out the window. ‘I think I might have been wrong before. This looks fast and brutal.’
‘Will Honey Springs be OK?’ Willow asked, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. The wind was already beginning to batter the side of The Diner as if it was demanding to be let in. It was scary how quickly it had developed pace.
‘I hope so,’ he replied. Then he turned back towards her and suddenly she saw the seven-year-old boy again. The one who had taken her hand and led her out of the darkness before. He was gesturing for her to take his hand again.
‘I’ll look after you,’ he said.
And she believed him again.
Chapter 28
Lucas
Lucas couldn’t help but notice how nervous Willow was, not that it surprised him. He remembered how she used to be when they were kids – how even the simple threat of bad weather would make her start to shake. He knew his main job today was to try and keep her calm.
He finds a clean dress of Mia’s. Mia was a bit more petite than Willow but this dress hung long on her anyway.
Lucas made them both coffee and then attempted to draw the curtains against the declining weather. His stomach fell as he looked outside. It was getting so much worse. The wind was pretty much relentless now and howling in fury, trees whipped back and forth as if they were about to be torn from their roots and the rain was building up on the dry ground – already creating murky rivers that picked up mud and debris.
Willow came behind him. He heard her breath catch.
‘It looks so bad,’ she whispered. ‘This is worse than they predicted.’
‘Much worse,’ Lucas growled. His head was swimming with thoughts. ‘A lot of the houses will be at risk of flooding.’
The Diner was set on slightly higher ground since it wason the way up to the mountains. Lucas knew that they would be safe here and he also knew that Willow would probably want to curl up on the chair and not leave. He really wanted nothing more than to curl up beside her.
But that wasn’t the point. Others would be at risk.
‘Mia is out there, and Greg and Rachel …’ he muttered. ‘I have to go and get them before it gets worse.’
‘What do you mean?’ Willow blinked at him.
Lucas was already moving, looking for his boots and best raincoat – even though he knew not much would hold up under these conditions.
‘I’m going to find as many people as I can. I’m going to tell them to come and shelter here. It makes the most sense. We’re on higher ground. We have food and candles. And we have enough coffee to get people through the night.’
Willow looked at him wide eyed. ‘Lucas, you can’t leave me.’
He rushed over to her, stroked the hair out of her eyes. He could see the little girl again. The scared girl who needed reassurance. It was all he could do not to pull her into a hug and tell her it was going to be alright.
But they weren’t children anymore. And he didn’t have much time to waste.
‘Willow, I need to go. I can’t leave people out there struggling. It’s not fair. I’ll be quick. I’ll—’
‘No,’ she said, standing up. Her eyes were wide with determination. ‘You’re not leaving me because I’m coming with you.’
Lucas wasn’t sure that this was a good idea, but he could hardly tell her to go back now. Willow had managed to find one of his mom’s old coats and a pair of her rain boots andwas now clumping beside him in the worsening weather. They couldn’t speak, as with each attempt the wind would take their words away. The dark clouds had created an eerie gloom as they walked, and rain lashed so hard on their faces, it stung. Walking was a struggle as they were fighting with the storm’s winds; every step they took they were pushed back a little more.
