They had no electricity, little water, and the storm was just getting underway. And his phone battery was already half gone. Of course, he could use his car charger, but it was parked outside. And as much as he liked a good adrenaline rush, running through a hurricane was definitely ill advised.

As if on cue a loud thwack sounded against the side of the house. He headed to the utility room, and while he rummaged through a drawer he heard Sophie on the phone with her brother. Her soothing tone indicated Seth was upset.

Back when he and Sophie had dated, her mother had become too ill to parent properly. Since her dad worked long hours, Sophie stepped up to the plate. She grew up fast, trying to keep her family together.

Aiden had admired her sacrificial spirit more than he could say. But her siblings took advantage of her selflessness and sense of duty. He hoped they’d grown out of that, but it looked like they hadn’t—at least not from where Aiden was sitting.

“I don’t know if that’s safe,” Sophie said on the phone. “Anyway, there’s nothing open. The document you sent really isn’t that rough. If you went through it one more time you’d probably be able to—”

Aiden opened an overhead cabinet. Ah, there they were. Three flashlights, a collection of candles, and a lighter. Perfect. He grabbed everything and carried it to the kitchen island.

“Maybe you could get an extension,” Sophie said. “I’m sure the electricity won’t be—I know you’re just starting your job but—”

Aiden checked the flashlights. Only one of them worked, but he knew where the extra batteries were. He located them and replaced the dead ones.

“I’m not going to start over. I’d have to make all those changes on my phone, and it would take all night.”

Aiden wanted to snatch the phone away and tell Seth to solve his own problems and let his sister move on with her life. Instead Aiden flipped the switch on a flashlight. Its beam flooded across the kitchen.

Sophie gave a hard sigh. “Okay, Seth. Fine. I’ll check around and see if I can figure something out.”

Aiden looked her way as she said a hasty good-bye and began tapping something into her phone. She wasn’t seriously considering going outside.

She must’ve sensed his appraisal because she looked up at him, her face aglow in the light of the screen. “What?”

He couldn’t miss the defensive tone in her voice. “You can’t go out there in this, Sophie.”

“I’m going to see if Alanda—the mayor—still has power. She doesn’t live far from here.”

He scowled at her. “In case you haven’t noticed a hurricane is on our doorstep.”

“You risk your life on a daily basis, and you’re worried about me going out in a storm?”