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He sagged and gave the slightest shake of his head. “I knew it would happen. It’s like a shadow I won’t ever be rid of.”
I put my hand to his face. “I’m so sorry. I came as soon as I saw.”
He closed his eyes. “Doreen went home, got a news flash on her phone, and came straight back,” he murmured. “She thought it was just going to be the interview, so she watched it. She knew... she didn’t think I should be here alone. She didn’t have to come back...”
I knew I liked her for a reason.
“Thank god she did.” With my hand at the back of his neck, I tugged him forward and all but lifted him to his feet so I could hug him properly. “I’m so fucking mad,” I hissed. “I can’t imagine how you feel.”
“Just... sad.”
I hugged him tighter and rubbed the back of his head. “I got you.”
He nodded against my throat but didn’t say anything for a few beats. “Thank you,” he said, so softly. So sad. “I’ve never had anyone care before.”
I pulled back and put my forehead to his. “I care. A whole fuckin’ lot.”
Doreen came through the door, stood the bat up in the small entryway, and Jeremiah immediately stepped away from me. I didn’t care what Doreen thought, and I knew for a fact she wouldn’t care. I kept my hand on his back so he’d know I wasn’t going anywhere.
“Well, me and Bruce’ll be off now,” she said.
I hadn’t even noticed the dog.
“Stay with him,” she said to me, nodding to Jeremiah.
“I plan to. Thank you for coming back.”
I also only just noticed that her fresh shirt hadread my lipswritten on it with a somewhat artistic image of a vulva on it. Yeah, there was no way they were showing any footage of that on the news. Not without a lot of pixelating.
“Gonna grab some shuteye. I’ll lock the gate on my way out, and I’ll be back at eight tonight.” She scooped up Bruce. “And Tully, I heard what you said to those leeches out the front. Good for you. If they come back, don’t be scared to swing that bat around.”
Oh. Yeah, I probably wouldn’t do that. But then I remembered how angry I’d been. Maybe I would...
Then, on her way out, she peered closer to the radar. “Yeah, he ain’t slowin’ down any. If you’re stickin’ around, how about boardin’ the place up a bit? There’s some pieces cut to size from last time.”
I nodded. “Sure. I’ll be here.”
“Good lad.”
And with that, she was gone.
Jeremiah all but fell into his chair. “You don’t have to stay,” he mumbled.
I lifted his chin and leaned down to peck his lips. “I’m not leaving.”
I pulled over Bruce’s chair and parked my arse in it, then studied the radar screen and in particular the very large, somewhat circular cloud band moving in our direction. “Sooo,” I said brightly. “This doesn’t look good.”
Jeremiah almost smiled. “Yeah. As Doreen said, it’s not slowing down any. In fact, it’s just gathering steam.”
“Still on track for here?”
He nodded. “Dead on.”
One of the other screens started to beep and he had to switch something over to something else and relay some data stream to another office, and for a guy who’d never seen a dash as old as this just a short while ago, he was all over it now.
“I should look and see what I can board your windows up with,” I said, gettin’ up. I went to move past him to the far end where all the ancient field equipment was—I was sure I’d seen planks of plyboard there at some point—and he grabbed my hand.
“Thank you,” he murmured. “I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful before.”
