I laugh, squeezing her back. “You, my Queen, are a hero.”
She pulls back, beaming. “And Daddy made stew! And we have blankets! And you can stay forever!”
I glance over at Theo, who shakes his head fondly as he reaches for the ignition button.
I smile, settling into the seat. “Tell you what—I’ll take it one night at a time.”
As the car hums to life and the heater starts to kick in, I lean back, already planning to ask Theo for a lift to a B&B in the morning.
But for now? With warmth seeping into my fingers, Lucy practically bouncing in excitement, and the storm safely shut outside?
For now, this is exactly where I want to be.
28
Great Survival Adventure
Theo
The rain still poursrelentlessly as I pull into the garage beside the cottage, the steady drumming against the roof a reminder that the storm isn’t letting up anytime soon. At least we don’t have to make a mad dash through it this time.
I switch off the engine and glance back at Lucy, who’s already kicking her feet excitedly against the seat. “Alright, my queen,” I say, reaching back to unbuckle her. “Let’s get you inside.”
She grins as I lift her out, her little arms winding around my neck for a second before she wiggles free, landing lightly on the ground. The second her feet touch the concrete, she’s off towards the door, coat flapping, ready to be the first inside.
“You’re taking my room tonight,” I say before Ivy can get a word out.
She frowns immediately. “What? No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.” I pop the boot open and start pulling out her stuff. “It’s got an ensuite. The guest room doesn’t.”
“I can use the other bathroom, Theo,” she says, exasperated.
I sling her backpack over my shoulder. “Yeah, but then you’d have to share with Lucy. And I love her dearly, but she treats the sink like a potions lab and the bathmat as a permanent puddle storage system.”
Ivy presses her lips together. “I can handle that.”
“But why would you, when you could have a perfectly good ensuite, instead of stepping on a mystery wet patch in the morning?”
She exhales sharply, giving me a flat look. “You’re very annoying.”
I smirk. “Go on, admit it. You want the ensuite.”
She sighs, defeated. “Fine. But only because I’m too tired to fight you on this.”
“Smart choice.” I nod towards the door. “Ladybug, why don’t you show Ivy my room?”
Lucy gasps as if I’ve just given her the most sacred of duties. “Yes! Come on, Ivy, it’s this way!”
Ivy throws me a look that says “I see what you did there,” but she lets herself be dragged inside.
I watch them disappear before turning back to the boot. Her tent is still damp, and the last thing she needs is for it to turn into a mouldy disaster. I grab it and carry it to the small utility room by the side of the cottage. It’s nothing fancy—just a washer, dryer, and some space to hang damp clothes—but it’ll do the job.
Unrolling the tent, I drape it over the drying rack and step back, hands on my hips. “You better dry out properly,” I mutter at it, before heading back into the warmth of the cottage.
In the kitchen, I ladle some stew into a bowl and set it on the table. Ivy’s definitely not eaten a proper meal today, and I have a strong suspicion she was planning to survive on rainwater and stubbornness. Not on my watch.
Lucy appears in the doorway, her pink bunny pyjamas peeking out from under her jacket I put on her when we went on our mission to rescue Ivy. She is still way too awake for this time of night.
