Chapter Fifty
Later that afternoon, Iris stood at the kitchen sink watching the sky darken by the minute. The clouds were thick and low and the heat felt stifling.
‘It’s so close out there.’ Iris gestured at the sky as Flora walked into the kitchen.
‘I know. Like it needs to rain to clear the air.’
Iris frowned. It’s as though something is about to happen, she thought with a shudder.
Flora walked over and stood next to her. ‘It does look like it’s about to start chucking it down. Look at that sky. To think how bright and sunny it was earlier. I don’t envy the guys being outside.’ She stared at Brodie and Ross.
Sure enough, a moment later the heavens opened and the water started pouring down like a monsoon.
It hammered against the windows and soaked the grass.
Iris knocked on the window and gestured to Brodie and Ross to come inside the house.
They made a dash for it up the lawn just as Flora opened the back door to let them in.
Iris went to the utility room and grabbed a pile of towels. ‘Come on through, boys, and dry off. It’s torrential out there.’
‘Och, Iris, we were almost finished.’ Brodie raked his hand through his hair. ‘I can’t believe it’s waited for weeks to rain and does it now just at the crucial last minute.’
Flora handed him a towel then jumped at the sharp crack of thunder. She placed a hand on her chest. ‘Gosh, that gave me a fright.’
Even the parrots were scared and they flew into their house to cosy up together.
They didn’t say a word either, a sign they were out of sorts.
Iris heard a drip then groaned as she realised it was the leak in the conservatory.
She ran to get a bucket, taking it through and putting it on the floor to catch the drips.
‘I don’t believe it,’ sighed Brodie, following her through. ‘That was on my list to do. I’m so sorry. I should have just done it when you asked me to.’
‘Och, don’t be daft. You weren’t to know that a monsoon was going to start.
This is what I’ve been doing for months anyway.
The bucket will do for now.’ She followed him back into the kitchen where Flora had just placed four mugs of tea at the table.
Brodie sat down next to Ross and Iris watched as Brodie tenderly touched Flora’s hand and smiled at her.
Iris knew something was between them, not least because Flora had been at Brodie’s for dinner the previous night and hadn’t arrived home until this morning.
She was glad that they’d finally woken up and seen what Iris had noticed weeks ago.
Young ones these days could be quite oblivious.
A buzzing started and she saw Brodie’s face tightening. Surely not. It was wild out there.
He pulled his pager from his pocket just as Ross did the same thing. ‘We need to go.’ They jumped up and Brodie looked over at Flora apologetically. Before anyone could say anything, Brodie and Ross were at the back door pulling on their boots and jackets.
‘Take care!’ called Flora as they disappeared out the door. Her face had turned white as the thunder banged overheard again.
Iris watched Flora who was now chewing her bottom lip anxiously.
Neither of them had any idea what the emergency was.
Iris hated to think of Brodie and the rest of the rescue boat crew out in such conditions.
But even though her mind raced, she had to stay calm for Flora.
‘Try not to worry, love. He’ll be back before you know it. And he knows what he’s doing.’
Flora gave Iris a shaky smile. ‘I hope so.’