storm surge
height on the island was ten feet. If this plantation weren't so high
above the high-tide line, it would have been wiped out decades ago."
"Ah." That made more
sense. He took a deep breath and nodded his head toward the small
marina. "We can check over here first. If we have to try the
park, then we're probably out of luck."
He waved Addie down the steps in
front of him, being careful to watch her steps, ready to catch her if
she lost her footing on the glass-strewn path. Part of him still
wanted to be alone with her, but he knew they needed to get back to
the mainland. They both had work to do.
Chapter Five
They found a boat that had probably
started out a good half mile from where they ran across it. Wes
seemed confident it would get them across the bay.
And the fact that I'm ready to
start bailing doesn't mean I don't trust you, Wes. She watched as he maneuvered the boat toward the mainland with
practiced ease, using the sight of him struggling with the barely
sputtering motor to distract her from the fact that her beloved Jeep
was still behind them, possibly wrapped around a tree. If
it's lucky.
The storm surge hadn't been nearly
as bad as she'd feared, which made her think the hurricane had
decreased in intensity instead of simply veering off course. Wes was
even able to find a place to steer and land the boat, though the
usual docks were, for the most part, completely submerged under the
water.
He climbed out with enviable grace,
taking a moment to tie off to a small tree before reaching out a hand
to her. "Up you go."
She handed him the heavy bag at her
feet instead and scrambled out of the boat by herself. "I'm
going to need to find someone to give me a ride out to my house to
check on things."
Wes peered the stand of trees in
front of them. "It's not that far to the station. I could pick
up another car and drive you home. Or get Howie or somebody to do
it."
It was tempting to agree, but she
wasn't sure she'd be willing to let him leave again. Nothing short of
her house being leveled was going to distract her from the temptation
to strip him naked again and try to recreate her vision, this time in
her bed.
Picking up her bag, she shot Wes a
smile. "I'll find a ride. You've got things to do, and I want
you to get right on about doing them. You can come over to my place
tonight. There probably won't be electricity, but you requested
candles anyway, didn't you?"
"Mmm, and sexy music." His
answering smile was sinful. "I'll handle the flowers and wine."
"Skip the flowers," she
advised with a laugh. "Chocolate is better."
"Done."
Wes led her through the trees,
though she knew the way herself, and gave her one last, lingering
kiss when they reached the east end of Birch Street. "Be
careful."
"I will."
"Call me if you need me."
"I will."
Wes headed off toward the police
station while Addie continued down the street, passing by Mr.
O'Malley's drugstore. The evening janitor from the local high school
stood outside, smoking a cigarette. "'Mornin', Miss Gardner."
"Hey, Stu." Addie smiled
at him. "Don't suppose you've got your truck around here,
somewhere? Officer Saxon saved me from the island, but we left my
Jeep to die a horrible death somewhere in the state park."
He nodded and dropped his cigarette,
crushing it under his heel. Then, with a quick glance at her, he
knelt and picked up the extinguished butt. "Yes, ma'am." He
brushed his lank brown hair out of his eyes. "I'd be happy to."
"Thanks." She followed him
past the drug store to the little parking lot behind the hardware
store. Most of the windows were still boarded up, and debris littered
the street and sidewalk, but on the whole it wasn't nearly as bad as
she'd feared.
She waved to one of her students as
she turned the corner, smiling at the half-hearted wave he threw her
in reply before returning to his task of gathering up branches from
the sidewalk in front of his mother's hair salon. Stu's beat up old
blue truck was parked in the
height on the island was ten feet. If this plantation weren't so high
above the high-tide line, it would have been wiped out decades ago."
"Ah." That made more
sense. He took a deep breath and nodded his head toward the small
marina. "We can check over here first. If we have to try the
park, then we're probably out of luck."
He waved Addie down the steps in
front of him, being careful to watch her steps, ready to catch her if
she lost her footing on the glass-strewn path. Part of him still
wanted to be alone with her, but he knew they needed to get back to
the mainland. They both had work to do.
Chapter Five
They found a boat that had probably
started out a good half mile from where they ran across it. Wes
seemed confident it would get them across the bay.
And the fact that I'm ready to
start bailing doesn't mean I don't trust you, Wes. She watched as he maneuvered the boat toward the mainland with
practiced ease, using the sight of him struggling with the barely
sputtering motor to distract her from the fact that her beloved Jeep
was still behind them, possibly wrapped around a tree. If
it's lucky.
The storm surge hadn't been nearly
as bad as she'd feared, which made her think the hurricane had
decreased in intensity instead of simply veering off course. Wes was
even able to find a place to steer and land the boat, though the
usual docks were, for the most part, completely submerged under the
water.
He climbed out with enviable grace,
taking a moment to tie off to a small tree before reaching out a hand
to her. "Up you go."
She handed him the heavy bag at her
feet instead and scrambled out of the boat by herself. "I'm
going to need to find someone to give me a ride out to my house to
check on things."
Wes peered the stand of trees in
front of them. "It's not that far to the station. I could pick
up another car and drive you home. Or get Howie or somebody to do
it."
It was tempting to agree, but she
wasn't sure she'd be willing to let him leave again. Nothing short of
her house being leveled was going to distract her from the temptation
to strip him naked again and try to recreate her vision, this time in
her bed.
Picking up her bag, she shot Wes a
smile. "I'll find a ride. You've got things to do, and I want
you to get right on about doing them. You can come over to my place
tonight. There probably won't be electricity, but you requested
candles anyway, didn't you?"
"Mmm, and sexy music." His
answering smile was sinful. "I'll handle the flowers and wine."
"Skip the flowers," she
advised with a laugh. "Chocolate is better."
"Done."
Wes led her through the trees,
though she knew the way herself, and gave her one last, lingering
kiss when they reached the east end of Birch Street. "Be
careful."
"I will."
"Call me if you need me."
"I will."
Wes headed off toward the police
station while Addie continued down the street, passing by Mr.
O'Malley's drugstore. The evening janitor from the local high school
stood outside, smoking a cigarette. "'Mornin', Miss Gardner."
"Hey, Stu." Addie smiled
at him. "Don't suppose you've got your truck around here,
somewhere? Officer Saxon saved me from the island, but we left my
Jeep to die a horrible death somewhere in the state park."
He nodded and dropped his cigarette,
crushing it under his heel. Then, with a quick glance at her, he
knelt and picked up the extinguished butt. "Yes, ma'am." He
brushed his lank brown hair out of his eyes. "I'd be happy to."
"Thanks." She followed him
past the drug store to the little parking lot behind the hardware
store. Most of the windows were still boarded up, and debris littered
the street and sidewalk, but on the whole it wasn't nearly as bad as
she'd feared.
She waved to one of her students as
she turned the corner, smiling at the half-hearted wave he threw her
in reply before returning to his task of gathering up branches from
the sidewalk in front of his mother's hair salon. Stu's beat up old
blue truck was parked in the
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