“Just for a minute. To stretch.”
“And get soaked in the process. Then when you crawl back in, you’ll be even more uncomfortable. No, Kerry.”
“We could sneak back into the house,” she said in a hopeful rush.
“Uh-huh.”
“No one will be watching. We could go through the kitchen and join the children in the basement. They must be terrified.”
“They’re probably asleep. Besides, they have Joe.”
“No one would see us.”
“It’s too risky. The soldiers are bound to have posted a watch.”
“I don’t want to stay here any longer!”
“And I don’t want to be shot! I don’t think you want to be gang raped either.” She sucked in her breath quickly. “Now hush about it. We’re not leaving until I say so.”
The racket around them was deafening. It was raining buckets. Kerry felt the jaws of claustrophobia closing around her.
“How much longer?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
“Dawn?”
“I hope.”
“What time is it?”
“Around four I think.”
“I can’t stand it any longer, Linc.” She hated the tremor in her voice, but she couldn’t control it. “Truly, I can’t.”
“You’ve got to.”
“I can’t. Please let me stand up.”
“No.”
“Please.”
“I said no, Kerry.”
“Just for a minute. I’ve got—”
“Turn around.”
“What?”
“Turn around. Face me. Switching positions will help.”
Her muscles were screaming for her to move. She turned onto her back, then did another quarter turn to bring herself face-to-face with Linc.
He laid his arm across her waist and sandwiched her thighs between his. She placed her hands on his chest and buried her face in the hollow of his shoulder. Tucking her head beneath his chin, he held her close. She basked in the warm security he provided until the noisily splattering rain abated.
Kerry never knew how long they stayed like that. It might have been hours or merely minutes before she gradually became aware that the rainfall had ceased and that the silence was as loud as the downpour had been. She stirred and would have put space between Linc and her, had there been any space available.