There was no time to mince words. “We’re going to flood. No one knows, and I have to get Jonah away from that table without alarming people.”
“What?” But then Kate transformed in front of her. Her buzzed/probably drunk friend suddenly became a police officer. The glaze was gone from her eyes, and she nodded, alert. “What do you need from me?”
“Aiden’s getting blankets and flashlights for everyone. I sent Bubba to the neighbor’s for a boat. It’s going to be too late for people to drive their cars home.”
“Okay.” Kate pulled her phone out. “I’ll call our location in. You go and get Jonah.” She eyed the water that was leaking in under the door. “People will have to start going upstairs soon.”
“I know, but only a few at a time. We don’t want a stampede.” A round of clapping broke out from the basement. They were wasting time. She had to tell him. “I’m going to get Jonah.”
Kate was already talking on the phone, heading to the garage.
They broke for another pot when the third guy left the table. Jonah stood up, and a group of people swarmed him, but Dani slipped through. She caught his hand, and tugged him with her. Once upstairs, Jonah’s hands found her waist. “What’s going on?”
She pulled him into the first private corner they came across. “There’s flash floods, and the water is already coming into this house. I’ve sent Bubba to get boats and headlights from his neighbor. Aiden is getting blankets and regular flashlights, and Kate went to call the station.” She paused, sucking some air into her lungs. “We can’t stay in this house. We can start moving people upstairs, but not everyone will fit. What do we do?”
Jonah didn’t say anything. He only stared at her.
She took a breath.
And waited.
Then she opened her mouth, but his mouth was on top of hers. His hands cupped both sides of her face, and he half pulled her to him as she stretched to meet him. One moment. That was all they needed. She felt him, reminding herself that he was there. He was solid, and the water coming for them couldn’t take him away.
Then he pulled away, rested his forehead to hers, and gazed down into her eyes. “I think I fucking love you.”
“I—”
But he stood back, and just like that, the transformation happened right in front of her. He wasn’t her Jonah. An authoritative air came over him, and he was now a professional. “Aiden’s got a few canoes. We could use them. They’ll rock over with the first blast of wind that comes flying, but we’re in the middle of summer. The water won’t be hypothermia cold, not at first. It will be safe for them in case a canoe tips. They can hold on to it. It’ll keep them adrift, if it gets bad.” He took her hand and led her through the crowd, heading to the garage. “They built in the worst possible spot. All the water’s going to slide down and pool by this house. We’re right in the middle of any current that picks up.”
Kate was at the edge of the garage, watching the water. Her phone was still in her hand. Jonah ignored her, grabbing a ladder and leaning it close to the canoes.
“Jake’s coming out, too.”
Jonah nodded to Kate, climbing up the ladder. He began to pull a canoe down from the rafters. “Dani. Kate. Can you grab this?”
Dani deftly caught the nose end of the canoe, and Kate helped her lower it to the ground. They did this with the remaining three canoes. Jonah grinned after the last was pulled down. “Thank God Bubba used to want to be a canoer, huh?”
Kate grunted at the same time Jake joined them. Kate filled him in, and Dani was watching Jonah. He was enjoying this. She caught a small thrill in his eye. He was searching for life jackets. Jake and Kate both joined, looking for anything that could be used as a flotation device, but Dani was rooted in place.
Jonah came over to her, lowering his voice. “What?”
“You’re enjoying yourself.”
Some of the excitement left him. His grin slipped a tiny bit as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “Everything will be fine, Dani.”
He didn’t know. He couldn’t say that. “People got stranded last time. They died.” It could happen again. He had no idea. “They panicked and stampeded other people. Some of them weren’t even given the chance to drown.”
The entire grin vanished. He bent closer to her. “That’s not going to happen here. We’re already way ahead of schedule with security provisions. Part of that is because of you.” Then his phone rang, and he answered it, “Trenton!”
Dani heard him talking about shallow boat runners, but the conversation turned technical, so she looked around for what else they’d need. “Bags,” Dani stated. “Lots and lots of bags.”
Jonah hung up. “What?”
“There’s not enough life jackets, but we can triple-bag them—you know—the grocery bags that everyone keeps, but never throws out. We can blow air in them and just put three over each other so they won’t break that easily. People can put them inside their clothes. It’ll be sort of a life jacket.” She spotted a pile of bungee cords. “People can hook these into their clothes and wrap the other end across the canoe to someone else. They’ll hold each other up on the canoe if they get too fatigued.”
Jonah didn’t say anything for a moment. He caught her hand. “Dani—no one’s going to die here.”
“Not this storm.” Her stomach felt like ice had lined the bottom. “Everyone’s going to have to be told what to do if their clothes weigh them down—”
“Okay, before you turn into Indiana Jones, Trent’s on his way with a flat runner. He and Hawk have a bunch that they’re pulling over here. We’ll be fine.”
“What if they don’t get here in time? What if they see other people they need to save and they don’t get here? What then? We have to plan. We have to—”
Jonah caught her shoulders. He put his forehead to hers. “You’re not going to die.”
Dani stopped and took a breath. She whispered, “That’s not what I’m scared of.” She could see the children. They were standing in that garage, watching her, and it was happening all over again. They were depending on her. She was going to fail them.
“What are you scared of?” Jonah kissed her forehead, wrapping his arms tight around her. “Tell me what you’re scared about.”
Dani’s arms hung limp at her side. “People die around me.” The ice was spreading from her stomach. It was invading the rest of her, numbing her. “I didn’t do anything last time.” She gulped for air. She was drowning. “I didn’t do anything last time, and they died. This time—”
“—you’re doing something.”
Dani took her last breath and let loose her demons. “I’m suffocating.”
He pulled back and searched her face. His eyes raked her features. “I know.”
She couldn’t say it. She couldn’t explain it.
“I know,” Jonah said again. He wrapped his arms around her and said again, “I already know.”
Dani’s arms slowly reached up and wrapped around him. She held onto him, as tight as she could.
“And you stayed,” Jonah added. “With those kids—you stayed with them and you did something. You held onto them. Death is sometimes inevitable. Even if it’s for someone who shouldn’t die. I know this river and I know that. And I know you. You stayed.”
Dani never thought the vision of Hawk, driving a flat runner with three more chained behind him, would bring tears of relief to her eyes.
They did.
He winked at her as he climbed off the flat runner. He anchored the first flat runner inside as Jonah darted across all of them to confer with Trent, who drove the other pair.
“How’s it going, Hawk?”
“It’s wet.” Hawk grunted and turned to grab the pile of blankets that Aiden gathered inside the house’s door.
He handed them to Dani, who handed them to Jonah when he returned to the first boat.
“We can hand them out when everyone comes out.”
“That’s a good idea.” But Jonah to
ok one and said, “Before we bring everyone out, we’re going to find Bubba.” He took one blanket, then disappeared again as Dani heard one of the back flat runners zoom off.
Kate and Jake came over.
“Do you have all the flashlights handy?” Dani asked.
Kate nodded.
Hawk said, “We’re going to need five more drivers. Two drivers per boat, one for backup. Just in case. You know anyone who’s driven these things before?”
“We can’t keep them all together?” Kate asked.
“They’ll tip with all that weight. It’s just safer if they separate.”
Dani offered, “Boone. He knows how to drive a jet ski, and I think he told me once his father owns a place down south, by a swamp.”
“That’d work. Who else?”
“I can drive one,” Dani said. “I’ve got experience with this stuff.” She flattened her hand to her side, to stop the shaking.
“Huh?” Kate asked, dumbfounded.
“She does,” Boone spoke from behind her. He gazed outside. “So this is what’s going on.”
Kate held up a hand. “Getting back to Dani knowing how to drive one of these things. What’d you mean by that?”
Boone gestured to Dani. “She’s had to before, and if anyone knows water, it’s—”
Dani cut in, “Jonah, because he’s the Water Whisperer.”
“Great.” Hawk nodded. “Back-ups?”
“Jake can do it.” Dani looked to him. “He’s driven these things since we were little.”
He nodded, stepping forward. “I can do it.”
The sound of an engine was coming back, getting closer and closer. Not far from them, the engine was cut, and a moment later, Jonah darted back over to the other three boats.
“Okay.” He quickly skimmed over the group. “We’re good to go. Flashlights, blankets?”
“Check and check.” Jake nodded, slapping a hand to the pile. “We’ll hand them out. We don’t have enough blankets and flashlights for everyone, but we’re hoping that people can sit together and share. Every third person will get a blanket.”
“Thank God my sister’s a slight pack rat.” Jonah grinned and stood beside Dani. He turned to Hawk. “Drivers?”
Dani answered, “Me. Jake. And Boone. We all have experience.”
Jonah studied her and briefly studied Boone, but he didn’t comment.
Hawk said, “We need two more.”
Jonah jerked his head toward the last boat. “Bubba and Eddie. We just picked ’em both up, but both have used these boats before.”
“We’re good then. We can go.”
Jake held up a hand. “Someone needs to tell everyone inside what’s going on.”
Everyone looked at Jonah. Kate said to him, “You go. They’ll listen to you.”
“Okay.” Jonah nodded to Hawk, and three sets of keys were dished out.
Kate took a blanket and climbed to one of the back boats. Jake disappeared inside, as well as Boone. Dani thought Jonah would follow behind, but he stepped close to her first. “You okay with this?”
She nodded. “I’ll be fine. Sure, I was freaking out a few minutes ago, but I’ve got this. I feel safer with an engine.”
He was weighing her words. “You sure?”
“I am.”
“Okay.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. His hand touched hers. “Don’t get on the boat yet. Wait till I come back out.”
“Okay.”
He headed inside, and Jake and Boone came out a beat later. Jenny and Julia were in tow, both looking like they were crying.
All the boats were unhooked from each other, and the ones who had drivers pulled out. They waited as one boat was filled, then they would switch places. People began to come out, and though they looked fearful, some were crying. For the most part, everyone wasn’t downright panicking like she had. They were able to grab a blanket and climb onto their boats, but not a life jacket.
Bubba’s boat came to the side, and he jumped out. Aiden gasped, but caught Dani’s eyes. Dani tried to nod at her, letting her know everything would be fine. Aiden swallowed and returned the nod. She pulled her blanket closer around her, and Bubba began to hand out the remaining life jackets. The boats came in close enough so he could wade over to them.
And then they were down to two boats.
Jonah came to stand next to her. “You ready?” His hand touched her hip.
She nodded. “I am.”
“Okay.” He pressed another kiss to her forehead. “I want you with me. You’ll be my backup driver.”
The one boat filled up, and Hawk pushed off with Jake as his back-up driver. Then it was only their boat. Dani took a breath, a blanket, and stepped onto the wobbly flat runner.
Trenton sidled up next to them, helping to hold their boat steady. “Hi, Dani!” He was too damned cheerful. “I’d offer a hand, but I’m a little busy.”
“Thanks,” she said dryly.
“So, how does it feel, Dani?”
“Rather be in bed right now.”
Trenton laughed and commented, “Yeah. I’m sure Jonah’d like that, too. I don’t think the Quandrys are going to want to still build here anymore. Not when they need to get flood insurance.”
This was close to his usual day at the job. She got that, but she asked, “Trent?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you shut up?”
“Sure.” He laughed anyway. “Don’t take too much to natural disasters?”
“You’d be surprised.”
Once they were full, with Jonah in the driver’s seat, Trenton turned around to the next boat. He waved, calling out, “Alright. Here we go. Mr. Guy Back There—you’re in charge of the back of the boat. Watch the engine for me. Let me know if anything’s wrong. Make sure no one falls out, too. Jonah’ll take the lead, then Hawk. We’ve got the rear.”
Dani called out, “His name is Boone.”
“What?” Boone looked over.
Dani ignored and said to Trent, “You can call him Boone, Trent.”
“Will do. And everyone here, I’ll let you know the plan how we’re going to get you to dry land. We’ll be driving at a comfortable speed. We’re in no rush. Safety is the only concern here. We’ll move at a nice and steady pace. We’ll keep each other in our headlights, so there shouldn’t be any surprises along the way.”
Dani took a moment to gaze around. She hadn’t paid attention to when people were getting into the boats, but it was surreal now seeing everyone around them. Boone was closest. Jenny was huddled next to him. Jake and Julia were in Hawk’s boat. Aiden and Kate were in Bubba’s.
Jonah hopped into the boat now. He took his seat and nodded to Trent. “We’re good.” He had to shout over the engine’s light purr. “House is closed up, and I didn’t see anyone left inside.”
“Just a day in the office, right, boss?”
Jonah grinned. “A day in the office.” His eyes met Dani’s, and he added, “For some of us.”
Aiden and Bubba were too far out, but Aiden waved. “Love you, brother.”
“Love you, too, sis. Everyone will be fine.” He stood, his hand on the wheel, and did another quick surveillance of the boats. A moment later, he nodded in approval and waved. “Alright, let’s head out.”
Then he took the lead. The rest fell in line. The ride to higher ground was slow, but surprisingly uneventful. Jonah veered where he was supposed to veer and everyone fell in line. Each boat followed with six feet behind the other. It was easier to do since the engines were just underneath the surface. There was no wake of waves to follow.
Dani wasn’t surprised when they managed to join up with the