Page 37 of Dead Calm

Toward his family.

EPILOGUE

Ronan

Four days later…

The kitchen was lit with several battery-powered lanterns, giving it a warm glow. Ronan stood at the island making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for everyone. He cut Everly’s diagonally and Ezra’s into four triangles, after he’d removed the crusts. “Okay, kids!”

Everly and Ezra ran into the kitchen and sat at the table. “I’m starving,” Everly said.

“Me ‘oo,” Ezra agreed.

Ronan set the plates in front of the kids before returning to the counter for his and Ten’s lunches. “Ten? You coming?” He grabbed a new bag of chips and opened them, giving a handful to each of the kids.

“Here I am. I was just listening to the weather on the radio. The storm is starting to move off the coast. The worst is over. Without the internet, I can’t tell when the electric company estimates the lights will be back on.”

“We’ve got plenty of food and drinks to get by.” Ronan sighed and bit into his sandwich. Eating PB&J made him feel like a kid again. It didn’t matter that the lights were out or that he’d eaten sandwiches for his last couple meals. Everyone was safe.

“I was wrong, Dad,” Everly said with grape jelly smeared on her cheek. “Sophie wasn’t any fun at all.”

Ten snorted. “I just wish you’d knownbeforewe left on vacation that Sophie was a hurricane and not a little girl.”

“I’m gonna have to see if my gift can predict the weather. I designed some experiments to find out if I can do it.”

“I don’t doubt for one minute that you can do anything, little miss.” Ronan handed Everly a napkin and pointed to the jelly on her face.

Leaving Hurricane Pointe when they did had been the right decision. Sophie had started moving at a faster pace. Where originally the storm had been set to hit Rhode Island on Sunday, it hit, full-force, on Saturday evening.

When they’d gotten home late Friday afternoon, Ronan had run out to the grocery store to get storm provisions. The bread aisle was picked over and nearly empty. Thankfully, there were two loaves of the kind the kids loved. He’d also grabbed batteries, peanut butter, chips, fresh fruit, and two cases of water. Lastly came the treats. Ronan grabbed bags of Halloween candy; Snickers, Twix, and his favorite, peanut butter cups.

Fitz had called Friday night to let Ronan know he’d heard from one of the officers who’d arrested Kurt that morning. Lainie had gone to the police station after she was released from the emergency room, sporting two black eyes, and paid his bail. She also informed the police she wasn’t pressing charges. According to what the officer had overheard, they planned to go back to the hotel and pack their bags.

Ten and Ronan had a chance to finish reading Murder on the Orient Express on Saturday, while the kids watched movies. Jace was hosting a book club meeting next week to discuss what they’d read.

Hurricane Sophie hit Salem on Sunday morning with the power going out around noon. They’d been in the dark for twenty-four hours. Surprisingly, Ronan didn’t care. His family was safe,warm, and well fed. They’d colored pictures, played games, told funny stories, and looked at photo albums from when Ten and Ronan were kids and pics on Ronan’s phone from when Everly and Ezra were first born.

In all that time, Ronan hadn’t missed the internet or cable television. He’d loved every single second of spending time with his family. With his husband and kids by his side, Ronan knew they could weather any storm.

THE END