‘What are you doing here? What if somebody sees you?’ ‘I don’t care, honey-bunch!’ the girl said, her big blue eyes misty, her slightly bleached blonde hair falling over her shoulders to touch Ronnie’s hand. ‘I heard you was hurt and I got here just as soon as I could slip away!’ ‘I love you!’ Ronnie said. ‘I love you more!’ Lucinda said, and brushed his lips with her own. ‘Ain’t nobody gonna stop us – never!’ Ronnie said. ‘I’m so proud of you, baby. You’re my hero, Ronnie Jacobs!’ Lucinda said, her eyes about to spill tears. Carolyn McIntosh, Cody’s mother, thought about leaving a note for her husband but couldn’t figure out where to stick it since there was nothing standing upright and she doubted he’d notice if she just left the note in the middle of the debris. ‘Anybody got a cell phone that works?’ she asked. ‘Mine went out before the storm hit,’ Bobby said. Harmon said, ‘I tried calling Jewel Anne from the car but mine was out of service, too.’ ‘Well,’ Carolyn said, crawling into the back seat of the Suburban, ‘I guess Terry will find us somehow.’ Carolyn shook her head.
