Page 54 of Here and Now
I dig in my purse and grab my car keys. “Here.”
“I want you to get the boys in my truck, and I’m going to move yours.”
A part of me wants to argue with him, but by the look in his eyes,I can see that’s a losing battle.
I pull the two boys in front of me, and we follow Miles out. He leads us to the left and has to yell over the wind. “Run to the truck!”
The three of us do just that, the wind whipping my hair in my face and the rain soaking through my shirt. This is like hurricane-force gusts. We get to the door and I pull it open, holding it so the boys can climb in the back.
As I’m getting around to the passenger side, my car backs up quickly, and just as he gets close, the sound is unlike anything I’ve heard—loud cracking as the tree branch gives and crashes right where my car was parked.
Miles keeps coming to where I am, the window down, and he yells, “Drive my truck, and follow me!”
Giving me no room to argue, he keeps moving so he’s now positioned in front of me in my very old, very not cute, but very paid off, car.
I hop in his incredibly luxurious pickup truck and have to move the seat forward so I can touch the pedals.
The lightning dances across the sky again, illuminating just how much debris has fallen.
I follow him down the road, moving around the fallen branches and leaves painting the dangerously slick street.
We pull up to his house and I park behind him. Immediately he’s out of my car and walking to my door.
“All you guys get inside. I’ll grab the bags,” Miles informs us.
I want to argue, but my nerves are shot. He helps me out and I grab both boys’ hands. When we get inside, Ethan flips the light on.
How the hell does he have power?
A few seconds later, a dripping-wet Miles comes through the door, putting our bags down.
“You have a generator?” I ask.
“I have a whole-home one that keeps the house as though we have normal power.”
That’s pretty nice. “Thank you for coming to get us. I was worried, especially because I have Ethan too.”
He smiles warmly. “Of course, I would’ve come regardless if you had him or not. I would never let you both stay like that.”
My gaze drops to my feet, and I fight back the warmth flooding my cheeks. “Well, that’s incredibly sweet.”
“I told you, I’m a great catch.”
I laugh and meet his eyes. “You did tell me that.”
“Uncle Miles, can we go in the big guest room?”
“No. You and Kai can take the room next to mine, and Miss Penelope can have the big one.”
“It’s okay,” I say quickly.
“No, that room is much more comfortable. The boys are able to rough it for a night, right? I bet they can build a fort in there.”
Kai nods quickly. “Sure thing! Come on, Ethan, let’s go build one!”
The two of them rush off. “Here, I’ll show you to the room so you can change.”
Miles grabs my bag and I follow behind him, my clothes making a swooshing noise from being soaked through.
