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“ L ooks like rain.” Fox squinted out the window, then wandered back to the counter as the coffee finished. “Maybe a stay-in-and-read day? Put on a fire, maybe a movie. Amelia might like that.” He leaned over and kissed Trent’s neck. “ After the rest of the chores, of course.”

“Mmhmm. My shoulder loves that idea, huh?” Trent smiled for him. “In fact, I’m going to get her out cleaning up the chicken pen a little like she promised.”

“Good idea.” He took Trent’s shoulder in both hands and massaged it. “Sore today?”

“Tender, yeah. Not awful, just tender.”

He kept working his fingers in, gently, but enough to loosen up the muscles there. “Maybe a soak later.”

“Oh, I can see that, yessir.” Trent’s eyelids went heavy.

“Mmm. It’s a plan.” He gave Trent another kiss on his neck and went to pour them coffee. “I should get Amelia moving. She’s reading, I’m sure. Did she come grab food already?”

“I didn’t see her yet this morning, no.”

He put a mug of coffee down in front of Trent. “Okay, I’ll go find her. Drink your coffee.” That shoulder was getting better and better, but it seemed like Trent had a weather ache today. He got that in his knee occasionally from an old college soccer injury.

He stopped outside Amelia’s door and knocked. “Hey, kiddo. Are you up?”

“Uh-huh. I was playing with the kitties. What’s for breakfast?” Amelia opened the door, her bright red nightie covered in cat hair.

He smiled at her. “I can make eggs, and I think there are a couple of leftover waffles I can heat up.”

“I like eggs. Can we have the biscuits from the freezer? Can I go outside and ride my bike?”

“Biscuits it is. If you want to ride, you better go quick, so you can get in a ride before the rain comes. Get dressed. I’ll start eggs.”

“Thanks, Daddy! Make sure you do Uncle Trent’s just right.” She ran back into her room to grab her jeans.

He snorted and wandered back to the kitchen, heading for the fridge. “I have been advised that I should make your eggs just right.”

“Should you, now?” Trent rolled his eyes and sighed.

“I should. And I shall.” He grabbed the eggs, milk, salt and pepper, and got to work. “Can you see if you can find those biscuits in the freezer? She asked.”

“Ah, she liked that a lot. I bought two bags last time.” Trent stood and headed for the freezer, stopping and staring at the window with a frown.

“Bummer about the rain. Amelia wants to ride her bike. I told her she better get moving if she wants to beat the weather.”

“No.”

The word was deadly serious.

“No? Is it raining already? It’s pretty dark to the north. Are we supposed to get thunder?” They had a little history with thunderstorms and the memory of their first crazy rainstorm together always made him smile.

“I want you to get Ames, take her and the kittens into the middle bathroom, grab some couch cushions, and get in the tub. Right now.” Trent pulled out his phone. “Go. Now.”

“Bath—oh. Shit.” He wasn’t an idiot; he could do the math. Weirdly green sky, bathtub—that had to mean tornado. He didn’t ask questions; it seemed wise to just do exactly as he was told. “Are you coming?”

“When I can. I got to whistle up the dogs and make sure no one’s in the barn.”

From the speaker, he heard Rope say, “Did you see?”

“Yeah. Going to the barns here. We’ll head over there as soon as it’s clear.”

“Be careful.” Fox grabbed Trent’s wrist. He wanted to offer to help, but he couldn’t leave Amelia, and he knew Trent understood that. “I love you.” He squeezed Trent’s wrist and hurried toward Amelia’s room.

“Hey, Daddy. I’m dressed so I can ride my bike!”

“We can’t ride right now, honey, there’s a storm coming. Take the kittens and go into the guest bathroom, and I’ll meet you there. Go now. Fast, honey, okay?” He needed to grab some couch cushions. “I’ll answer all your questions in a minute. I’ll be right there.”

“The kittens?”

“Yep.” He went for light and easy, but he was scared as hell. Trent’s face had been serious as a heart attack. He helped her get the kittens and steered her toward the bathroom. “Go on in and wait for me.”

He didn’t have time for fear; he had Amelia to look after. He ducked into the den and picked up as many cushions as he could carry, and when he got back to the bathroom, he moved Amelia into the tub.

“Sit, honey. Keep the kittens in your lap.” He sat with her, but he barely fit and his knees were folded up high. He thought he heard the wind then, but he couldn’t be sure what he was exactly. Rain, wind—he hated that he couldn’t just see it for himself.

And he hated that Trent was out in it.

That’s when the real worry set in, and his heart beat hard in his chest. He felt like he and Amelia were okay, but Trent was out there by himself.

“Daddy, where is Uncle Trent? What’s going on?”

Yes, where are you, Trent?

“Uncle Trent will be here soon.” He thought he sounded confident, but he couldn’t be sure. “It’s a bad storm, and it’s safest to be away from all the windows. You know how you have to look after your kittens? Well, he has to look after his animals too. And then he’ll come in and be safe with us.”

“You promise? You promise he’s not going to die?” The tears were about to start.

“I promise.” What else was he going to say? They absolutely could not lose Trent, so it just wasn’t going to happen. He put his arm around Amelia and hugged her closer. “He’s going to be here soon. Any minute.”

Come on, baby. Hurry it up. We need you.

A sound like a freight train began to wail, and his heart jumped into his throat. Fuck. Fuck, this was bad. This was fucking?—

“Opened the windows, brought some water and chocolate and the dogs!” Trent closed the bathroom door and crouched beside the tub, holding the dogs by their leashes. “It’ll be over soon, y’all. No stress.”

The house was shaking, the sound huge.

“Trent. Thank God.” No stress? He put a couch cushion over Amelia’s head. “I’ve got you, honey, and Uncle Trent is here now, see? We’re all okay.”

He didn’t feel okay. That sound was terrible and the way the house was vibrating felt dangerous. He reached out with his free hand and grabbed Trent’s arm, probably too hard, but he couldn’t help it.

Trent kissed his temple. “It’ll be over in a few seconds. Y’all just stay right here with me. Pet your kittens, Ames. And tell them to be easy, hrm?”

“Oh—okay.” Amelia had tears streaming down her face, but he wasn’t sure if they were more out of fear or relief that Trent was here. Fox understood, he didn’t feel as sick to his stomach with Trent in arm’s reach.

“You got this, little girl. We’re going to be okay. You hear that sound? It’s over. You’re going to stay in here, and I’m going to go check outside, okay?”

“Should I—” Fox started to ask, but stopped because no, as much as Trent was going to need help, Amelia needed him. “I’ll watch the dogs. Be careful.”

“I will just peek out and be back. That’s it. Fifteen seconds. Start counting, Ames.”

“One, one thousand.”

“Two, one thousand.” He nodded and counted along to distract himself as he unfolded and climbed out of the bathtub, groaning slightly at how stiff he’d been.

Amelia was snuggling her kittens, counting, her voice getting louder so Trent could hear.

He petted the dogs to soothe them a little, and they seemed to settle down some. Then he poked his head out of the bathroom just to see what he could see.

The house was all in one piece, thank goodness, even if the electricity was out.

Trent stood by the window. “Want to see? It’s heading off.”

“I don’t know, do I?” He moved in beside Trent and stood close, soaking up Trent’s calm.

There was a funnel cloud, moving away from them across the pastures.

“Ames? Wanna see? If you do, you’d best hurry. It’s fading.”

And the rain was starting, hard and heavy.

Amelia joined them and stared out the window. “A real tornado.” Her voice was awed, but when Fox looked at her, she was pale as a ghost.

“Hey, we’re all okay, see? Uncle Trent and me. Your kitties. Even the dogs.”

Amelia shook her head. “What about my ponies? Are they okay? Uncle Trent, are they okay?”

“I put them in the garage, baby girl. That’s what took me so long.” Trent winked at her. “You know I got your back.”

“Oh, thank you!” Amelia leaned hard against Trent, arms still full of kittens. “I was so worried about you. Daddy promised you weren’t going to die, but I was still worried.”

Fox wondered what Trent didn’t have time to do because he was busy with those ponies.

“I’m not going anywhere. Did you see how the sky was green, darlin’? That’s a sure sign of tornado, and if you ever hear that freight train sound, you get in the bathtub or lay flat in a ditch, if you’re outside. You want to be low.”

Amelia nodded seriously. “Low. Okay. I will.”

His head started to swim. The idea of Amelia being out on her own in something like this made him sick to his stomach. And the thought that Trent could have?—

“I—just going—” He broke out in a cold sweat and bolted for the back door, hands shaking, but the sight of the barn—or what was left of the barn—didn’t make anything better. He knew what was happening to him, he just couldn’t stop it this time. “Oh, fuck.” He managed to make it to the edge of the porch before he brought up his breakfast.

“Uncle Trent!”

“It’s okay, baby girl. Go grab a washrag and get it wet with cold water for me, all right?”

How was Trent so calm?

“S-sorry. I’m sorry.” He leaned on the porch railing and kind of slid to the floor, holding tight to a baluster with one hand.

“Shh… you’re okay. The first one’s always a little bit of a shock.” Trent’s hand was solid on his back, sure.

He just shook his head. He didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t the tornado as much as all the havoc it was causing in his mind, and how it was all so out of his control.

Just like Xan. Xan had been traveling when he died, and there was nothing he could do.

“I can’t—I can’t—” Fuck, he needed to not talk, he didn’t even know what he was trying to say.

“You don’t have to. Don’t scare the girl, now. Just breathe. I’m going to get you into the bedroom to rest, and I’ll take Ames to the garage to talk to her horses.”

“Right. Okay.” He took a deep breath and swallowed. “Help me up.”

“I got the rag, Uncle!”

A cold, wet cloth landed on the back of his neck, shocking the fuck out of him. His eyes flew open wide, and his heart felt like it stopped for a second. “Oh! Oh man. Oh wow.” His brain felt scrambled.

“Okay, your daddy needs a dark room and a lie-down. Let’s get him moving.”

“I’m hungry, Uncle Trent.”

“I’ll figure something out since the lights are out. You want a PB and J?”

“What if they don’t come back on?”

“We’ll wander over to Rope’s and have a candle party.”

“Candle party! Is Silas okay? Are his kittens okay too?”

He heard all the words, but he wasn’t processing them well. He wasn’t sure he was ready for a candle party, but maybe if he— “I just need a little time.”

He let Trent help him up, and somehow, they made it down the hall to the bedroom. “I’m sorry,” Fox said again, stupidly.

“I love you. You just breathe. You’re okay.” Trent eased him into the bathroom to rinse out his mouth. “Go grab him a bottle of water, girlfriend.”

“On it, Uncle!”

Once he was done, Trent sat him on the edge of the bed and took off his shoes.

“I can… you should go. Go ahead. I’m okay.” He was so far from okay, but he needed to clear his head and calm his nerves and pull himself together.

“I’m going to take Ames outside to the garage so she can see her babies are okay, then I’m going to take her to Jude to hang out. You rest.”

Rest. God, he felt like an idiot.

“Yeah. Okay. Tell Amelia I’m fine, and I love her. She was so worried about you.”

She was worried. He was panicked.

“Will do. You breathe, darlin’. I got you.” Trent kissed his forehead.

He gave Trent a quick nod and watched him go, then thought about the coping skills he’d been so good at before he’d left New York but hadn’t had to use one single time since.

Breathing. Grounding. Distraction.

He probably should call his former therapist, but he really didn’t want to. He’d wait. He wanted to work this through with Trent.

For now, he’d rest. He put the cloth Amelia had surprised him with in the bathroom sink and crawled into bed, letting his eyes close for a while.