That Lucky Old Sun (The Bella Novella Collection Book 4) by Janice Thompson

crash of thunder sounded overhead, along with the rush of winds. We all stood at once and made our way to the window, where we had to face reality once and for all.
    “Doesn’t look like anyone’s going anywhere tonight,” Mrs. Pappas said, as she turned her attention back to her guests. “Hope you all brought your sleeping bags!”
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER EIGHT
    God only Knows
     
    We didn’t stand at the dining room window for long because a terrible racket at the back of the house drew our attention. I followed on D.J.’s heels into the living room and gasped as I looked out of the large floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out over the deck.
    “Oh, no!”
    The howling winds outside rose to a deafening level and the patio furniture began to scoot along toward the glass, as if being tugged by an invisible magnet. I could almost picture all of it coming straight through the glass.
    Obviously D.J. did, too. “We need to tie those down or put them in some place where they won’t become torpedoes.”
    D.J. flew into action, just as I knew he would. Within minutes, he, Darian, Mr. Pappas, Mr. Nguyen and Pastor Lindsey were all braving the storm to lug patio chairs to the garage. The Greek orthodox priest, with the help of the Vietnamese pastor, flipped the tables upside down and weighted them down with large potted plants.  Then all of the men rushed back inside, the wind pushing them through the back door as they called out instructions to the women.
    “Everyone to higher ground, folks,” Mr. Pappas hollered.
    “Not higher ground, Babbas,” Darian said. “We need an interior room. Downstairs. It’s too dangerous upstairs. The whole roof could peel off.”
    Well, that was comforting.
    “Someplace without windows,” Ling added. “You have a room like that? Large enough for all of us, I mean? A closet, maybe?”
    “We have closets in the interior of the house, yes.” Mrs. Pappas appeared to be thinking. “I also have a very spacious interior master bath. Designed it myself.”
    “Windows?” Mr. Nguyen asked.
    “Nope.” Mrs. Pappas shook her head. “Not a one. We did give thought to a skylight, but the idea of seagulls overhead during my bath time unnerved me.”
    “No windows,” Mr. Nguyen said with a nod. “The bathroom will have to do.”
    “Oh, goodie!” Mrs. Pappas smiled. “I really like the colors. I hope you all agree, since I think that’s the only place we’ll all fit.”
    “Mama, the colors aren’t going to matter, I can assure you.” Darian grabbed Ling’s hand and rushed her toward his parents’ master bedroom.
    “Everyone to the john!” Pastor Lindsey hollered. “Hunker down.”
    “All of us?” Mrs. Nguyen paled as she took hold of her husband’s hand. “How big is this bathroom you’re talking about, anyway?”
    She got her answer a couple of minutes later when we all jammed ourselves into one of the biggest bathrooms I’d ever seen. The menfolk pulled in a few chairs for the ladies and pastors—and Grandpa Nguyen, of course—but that left Mr. Pappas and Mr. Nguyen with no place to go. Not that I had time to fret over it. At the very moment Mrs. Pappas said, “Where will you sit, darling?” the lights went out.
    D.J. settled onto the floor next to my chair and took my hand.
    “You okay, Bella?” he whispered.
    “I. . .I think so.” I wanted to call Aunt Rosa again to check on the kids, but with Mrs. Pappas on her phone talking so loudly to Eva, I didn’t dare place the call. Yet.
    Our hostess eventually hung up and her voice sounded across the darkness. “Eva says they’re all holed up in the bathroom at the bowling alley. The kids are terrified but they’re safe. It’s a concrete building, so I’m praying it’ll hold.”
    I was a little terrified, myself. The winds overhead howled and the whole room seemed to shake. In that moment, weather alerts started going off on all of our phones simultaneously. Talk about unnerving. I glanced down and read the