Page 4 of Still Afraid

Chloe gasped. “It’s ruined.”

“It’s rebuildable.”

“Not before our wedding in two weeks.”

Josh placed his free hand on her upper back. “God will provide.”

She nodded, but tears welled in her eyes.

Her grief wasn’t what hit him. He didn’t care as much where they got married. He only cared about what she wanted. But the nonrefundable money they’d put down for this place made him cringe. Somehow it would all work out. They’d get married one way or another.

Poirot whined to get down.

Chloe reached over and petted him. “There’s too much glass, boy.”

“Let’s get outside. Should be safer for him there.” Josh directed her toward the shattered doorway.

They climbed over limbs and a bent door frame. Once outside, Poirot leapt from Josh’s shoulder, and Josh stretched to unkink his back since he’d been hunched over awkwardly to give Poirot enough of a perch. Josh wasn’t as young and limber as he once was.

“Where’s Breana?” Chloe looked back into the building.

“She was right behind us. I’ll see if she needs help.”

Chloe nodded. “I’ll find the car.”

Josh shot his gaze toward the parking lot. Chloe’s SUV was nowhere to be seen.

He climbed back over the debris. “Breana? Where are you?”

Josh paused and listened. A slight whimpering came from across the room. He followed the sound. “Breana?”

She was crouched in the corner.

“Are you hurt?”

She shook her head. “My daddy put so much into this place. He’s going to be flaming mad.”

“These things happen. I’m sure he’ll just be happy you’re all right. But we need to get out of the building. We don’t know how sound the remaining structure is. We need to stay safe.” He extended his hand. “Let me help you out.”

She gripped it, and he tugged her up. He let go as they trudged across the room. Her heels, however, made it difficult to walk across a wet floor littered with broken glass, slick leaves, and pokey branches. He offered his arm, and she held on until they were outside.

“Where’s my car?” Breana’s voice broke.

Chloe popped up from behind a downed tree. “It’s over here.” The grimace on her face indicated it was less than ideal.

Josh had hoped one of their cars had survived. He jogged to Chloe’s location. She seemed to be holding it together better than he anticipated, but had it not hit yet?

He reached her. She wasn’t holding it together. Her makeup was streaked from the tears that had streamed down her face. He brushed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “Are you okay?”

“Enough. Breana’s going to lose it when she sees her Lexus.” Chloe pointed her thumb over her shoulder.

The silver Lexus wasn’t only upside down, but a huge tree branch lay across the center of it.

“Yikes. Yours?”

“Better off. I was waiting for you. It’s over there.” She pointed past him. It had gone in the opposite direction of Breana’s and appeared to still be upright, but they had a fair amount of debris to move.

The moment Breana caught a glimpse of her car was hard to miss.