“Griff, get back here,” he yelled.
Griffin was at his elbow in an instant. “I didn’t think we were in much danger of flooding from the side. Come on, let’s go back outside and see what we can do to divert the water from the building.”
“Maybe we can use another tarp and some plants to block the door.”
Griffin yanked on his coat and hat. “Let’s hope so, or we’ll just have to lie down in front of the door and block it ourselves.”
Jeremy’s shout pierced Darcy’s restless dreams, and she rolled off the couch, tripped and bumped her knee hard on the floor. By the time she recovered from the sharp burst of pain and hobbled down the stairs, the men were already outside. Even in the dying candle’s faint glow, she saw the water pooling near the counter and understood where they’d gone.
They’d all been so concerned about the front of the shop flooding, clearly they hadn’t given enough attention to the nursery side. “Oh damn!” she cried, for if water was backing up into the nursery, then her office was sure to flood. Terrified she might already have lost all her work, she tore out the door without bothering with a coat.
Chapter Thirteen
When Christy Joy had first approached her about going into business together, Darcy had begun keeping a journal to record their hopes and dreams as well as their practical concerns. Those initial discussions had led to the creation of a well-defined business plan. There had been no question of trust between them, but they’d still taken the precaution of hiring an attorney to draw up their partnership agreement.
Darcy’s copy was in the file cabinet in her office, but before she could reach it, Griffin grabbed her and lifted her clear off her feet.
“You’re likely to drown out here. Go back inside.”
“But my office—”
“I’ll see it doesn’t flood. There’s a dip by the door into the shop, that’s why the water’s leaking under it, but there’s a step up into your office so it’s in no immediate danger.”
“Well, maybe not immediate, but—”
Griffin put her down at th
e side door. “As soon as you’re inside, we’ll block off this door and come back inside from the back stairs. Just leave everything to me, Darcy. I won’t let you down.”
She nodded numbly, went back inside and got the mop to clean up the water that had seeped inside. Once she’d finished, she kept a close watch, but whatever Griffin and Jeremy had devised was working, and there was no more evidence of the torrent outside.
The front was also still dry, but with constant checking the next hour passed in a watery blur. When Griffin and Jeremy finally came back inside, she was seated at the children’s table with her head resting on crossed arms. She sat up at the sound of their voices, but couldn’t bring herself to rise.
Griffin sat on the stairs. “There were firemen at the corner laying out sandbags, and we talked them out of a few. The water’s still rushing right through the nursery, but we’ve banked the flow toward the center and away from the building. The pottery shed is definitely leaning, but with any luck it won’t collapse and we can shore it up once the rain stops.”
Darcy eased back slowly in the small chair. “If we had any luck at all, the rain wouldn’t have lasted more than an hour or two.”
“Don’t get all excited, but the sky appears to be clearing.”
“I’m too tired to get excited about anything,” she murmured and put her head back down on her arms.
“Why don’t you go on home and sleep for a couple of hours?”
It was a very tempting suggestion, but she couldn’t leave. “No, I’ll stay here.”
Christy Joy had been coming down the stairs every few minutes to check on things and had offered her one of the sandwiches, but her stomach was tied up in knots. She doubted she was being of much use to anyone, but at least she was there. When Griffin bent to kiss her cheek, she sat up in surprise.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you. You just looked so sweet, I didn’t think you’d mind.”
His lips had been cool against her cheek, and now she was positive he was going to be sick. “Take off your coat and hat, and I’ll give you another sweatshirt if that one’s wet.”
“No, thanks, it’s still dry. What about yours, Captain?”
Jeremy was seated on the top step. He just shook his head. “I’m fine.”
“Neither of you is fine, and you know it,” Darcy insisted. “Maybe we can heat some water over scented candles and make you some tea. How did people keep warm before they had electricity?”
“They lit fires, but that’s not a good idea in here,” Griffin responded with a deep chuckle.