Chapter 2
Madison
It smelled like rain was coming.
I stood at the kitchen sink, Olive perched on the counter beside me, her little legs swinging as she licked the last of her popsicle. Outside, the sky had turned an unnatural shade of greenish gray, clouds churning in restless waves. The trees in the yard swayed harder than they should have.
“Mommy,” Olive whispered, her sticky hand clutching my arm. “The trees look scary.”
I forced a smile for her sake. “It’s just wind, baby. Nothing to worry about.” But my chest was tight, and my pulse quickened. I’d lived in Wisteria Creek long enough to know when a storm was just a storm, and when it was the kind that made your stomach drop.
The first crack of thunder rattled the windows. Olive jumped and I scooped her into my arms.
“Let’s make a game of it,” I told her, carrying her into the hallway where there were no windows. “We’re going to camp right here. Just like a fort.”
She giggled, trying to be brave, her little fingers tangling in my hair. I grabbed a couple of pillows and a blanket, tucking her against me as the storm broke open.
Rain pounded the roof like stones. The wind howled and the house shuddered. I whispered stories and hummed lullabies, trying to distract Olive while the storm raged on.
The sky lit up white, followed by a sharp crack of thunder that froze me in place, and a crash so loud the floor seemed to shake beneath us.
Olive screamed. I turned my head just in time to see it; part of the old oak in our yard had split, crashing through the corner of the roof. Water poured in, splattering down the kitchen wall.
“Oh God,” I breathed, clutching Olive closer.
The storm lasted another thirty minutes, but it felt like hours.
By the time it finally moved on, the silence seemed almost cruel.
My little house, the one I had poured so much love into, was broken.
Water dripped steadily from the hole in the ceiling, and the corner of the kitchen was already soaked through.
I stood there as Olive trembled against me, and I knew one thing for certain, we couldn’t stay here. Not tonight. Not until someone came to fix our home.
Before I could second-guess myself, I grabbed my bag, stuffed a few things into it, and buckled Olive into the car seat.
My hands shook as I turned the key, but I kept my eyes steady on the road, driving through puddles and around debris until the warm glow of Blair and Greyson’s porch light finally came into view.
Blair opened the door before I could even knock. Her face fell when she saw me, Olive on my hip, my clothes damp, and hair wild from the storm.
“Oh, Maddie…” she whispered, pulling us both inside without hesitation.
The moment I felt the warmth of her arms around me, I let out a shaky breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Olive clung to her aunt, calmer now that we were safe.
“It’s bad,” I admitted, my throat tight. “The roof’s caved in. We can’t go back tonight.”
“You’re not,” Blair said firmly, exchanging a quick look with Greyson, who was already pulling out extra blankets from the hall closet. “You’re staying here.”
For the first time all night, I felt like I could breathe.
I didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, or how I’d put the pieces of my house back together. But for tonight, we were safe. That was enough.