That didn’t mean the twenty minutes or so didn’t drag. They did. Like a sad squirrel’s tail. Right along the floor getting all dusty and stuff.

When my phone pinged, Miles paused, looking up from his book. I pretended not to notice his intense gaze on me as I reached for my phone and unlocked it so I could read the text from Adelaide.

ADDY: Stopped by. He’s ok but no power or hot water, we’ve bundled him and his demon cat into Dad’s Land Rover and brought him to the hotel. We have the generator, so he’ll be fine here until the storm passes.

Of course. I’d forgotten about their generator. It was a petrol one and lived in one of the old stables in case of an emergency—I guess tonight counted as an emergency. I was seconds away from enquiring about the flooding when Eva’s text came through to the chat.

EVA: No flooding to the houses, either. Roads are a little dicey but it’s mostly downed trees and branches. We’ll come out when Mother Nature is over her bitch fit to clear it.

ME: Thank you. Do you have signal at the hotel?

EVA: Not a lot, why?

ME: Can you call me so Miles can speak to his grandpa?

ADDY: We can try, but he’s fine. We’ll make sure he’s ok. Also took Bertha Hawthorne and Clive Chambers just in case.

ADDY: Tell miles were good, losing signal, ttyl

Her quick switch from perfect grammar to some kind of internet talk threw me for a second before I understood what she was trying to tell me.

Right.

“The flooding hasn’t reached Bramble Lane so he and your house are fine, but there’s no power or hot water,” I said, setting down my phone. “They’ve taken him, the cat, and a couple of neighbours to the hotel. They have a generator there for emergencies, so he’ll be able to keep warm at the very least.”

Miles’ shoulders dropped, and I almost saw the stress leave his body as my words sank in.

His grandfather was safe. He was okay. He was dry.

The demon cat could eat.

“Thank you.” Miles cleared his throat. “I appreciate you doing that. Your friends, too. They didn’t have to.”

“No, they didn’t, but they did anyway. Because that’s what we do out here in the country.” I pushed the blanket from my legs and scooted to the edge of the sofa. “I’m not sure how you did things where you used to live, or if you had a community like we do, but we don’t leave anyone out in the cold. If someone needs help, they get help, whether it’s a cup of sugar or evacuation from a storm.” I stood, tentatively putting weight on my sore ankle. “We look after our own out here, Miles. No matter who they are, and whether the people we’re helping like us or not.”

I held his gaze for a moment longer before I broke the contact and limped out of the library to head to the nearest room with a toilet.