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Another clap of thunder had her whimpering. Ford lifted her into his arms and walked down her hallway. He found the living room and a large chair that she’d had in the reclining position. He straddled it and fell into the seat with her.
She curled into him, and he grabbed the blanket off the back, then threw it over them. Looking over the end, he watched his dog circle twice, t hen flop onto the rug.
“Is Ritchie all good?”
“I just checked on him. He has white noise from my phone.”
And that would be why she didn’t have it plugged into her ears. He’d seen that with parents. Their kids always came first in most things if not all.
“No other electronics devices like iPads in the house?”
She shook her head. “I’m going to get one soon.”
“I have an old one you can have. It’s just sitting around in a drawer.”
“I can’t let you do that.” Her words were muffled in his shirt.
“You don’t have to. I’m just doing it. When did this start?”
“My grandmother hated thunder. She used to grab the nearest person when it started, so I was always scared of it too. No logical reason, she just passed her fear on to me.”
Ford ran his hands down her back, enjoying the feeling of her body pressed to his.
“Do you know why thunder is so loud?”
She didn’t speak since a loud boom was rolling over the top of them. He pulled her closer, cupping the back of her head.
“The amount of electrical energy that flows from the cloud to the ground is enormous. Like a huge waterfall of electricity. The louder the sound you hear means the closer to the lightning you are. Light travels through air much faster than sound.”
“How come you know this stuff?”
“I read a lot. You?”
“Do you read when you don’t sleep?”
He was silent for a while, stroking her back. His fingers began to sift through her hair.
“When I don’t sleep,” he conceded.
“Why don’t you sleep?”
“It’s a long story and not something I talk about.”
“One question?” She was talking to his neck, her face buried there, hands gripping his shirt and her legs curled up in a defensive position.
“Okay.”
“How long have you not slept for?”
“Years. Since college.”
“Can I ask you another question?”
“As long as you won’t be offended if I don’t answer it.”
“Why did your day get worse today?”
He was silent for a while.
