The air was thick, hot, unsettled. Clouds were gathering above Mulligan’s Mill, pressing down from the sky, adding to the weight of my anxiety.
I quickened my pace toward the BnB. My fingers twitched at my bow tie—tightened it, straightened it, smoothed it out—then fluttered uselessly at my cuffs. Apologizing was not my strong suit. I needed a script.
“Good afternoon, Cody. I need to inform you that I regret my hasty departure last—”
No, too formal.
“Hi there. Sorry about running off last night. I think the cocktail of vodka and you went to my head.”
No! Way too honest.
“Would you care for a complimentary bookmark as compensation for my poor behavior?”
That’s just ridiculous.
I groaned aloud, earning a curious glance from Mrs. Cloverfield as she tottered past with her shopping.
“Lovely weather,” she remarked.
“There’s a storm coming,” I snapped. Then, catching myself—“At least… that’s what I’ve been told.”
The clouds grumbled overhead, proving Bea’s inner thigh to be a more accurate meteorologist than the National Weather Service.
I lengthened my stride. The sooner I reached the BnB, the better.
By the time I reached the BnB, the first drops of rain had begun to fall, splatting against my shoulders and collar. There weren’t many, just a few random fat drops; a warning from a darkening sky about to open.
Somewhere out beyond the trees, thunder rolled.
I hurried up the steps of the BnB.
Inside, the front room was alive with activity. Benji was tugging hard at a stained glass window, trying to hook the latch, while Bastian balanced on a chair to pull across a curtain that had snagged on the railing. They moved around each other with practiced ease, their voices overlapping as they worked to prep the BnB for the unexpected summer storm.
Bastian wobbled slightly on the chair when he saw me. “Brooks, hi. Everything okay? Do you need help locking down for the storm?”
“No, the Nook will be fine.” Even as the words left my lips, I wondered whether or not I’d closed the upstairs windows. For a few tense moments I fought the urge to race back and check before hurriedly saying, “Is Cody here? I need to speak with him.”
Benji turned from his window, cheeks flushed from the effort. “He’s not. I’m afraid he went for a hike this morning. He wanted to see the old mill and the falls. We had no idea there was a storm coming, otherwise we never would have suggested it. We just hope he’s okay.”
“Babe, he’ll be fine,” Bastian said, jumping down from the chair. “He’s from Australia. I think he can handle a storm.”
“You’re right,” Benji nodded, before turning to me with a look of horror on his face. “Did you know they have killer jellyfish?”
I didn’t answer. I didn’t have time to think about anything but Cody. My breath was already tight in my chest, my bow tie suddenly strangling me. The rain was spitting harder against the glass, thunder closer now, and all I could see in my mind was Cody alone in the woods, compass in hand, the sky splitting open above him.
“I’m going after him,” I said.
They both stared at me uncertainly.
“You?” Bastian asked.
“In the rain?” Benji added.
“Yes me… in the rain,” I asserted as courageously as I could.
“But what about the lightning?” Bastian asked now. “A tree could get struck and fall on you. Or there could be a flash flood and you’ll get swept down the river. What if there’s a rockslide or a mudslide? Not to mention the fact that your clothes will get absolutely soaked!”
“Which is why I’m going. Any of those things could happen to Cody.”
