28. Margot
The next morning, I moved Caleb’s heavy arm off my chest. His legs had stretched into the hallway. I giggled at the sight of his huge body cramped into this small space.
I sat forward, listening for sounds of wind or rain. It was quiet. Still. I crept out of the closet and took a peek out of the upstairs bathroom window. I had filled the tub with water as Nan had instructed. I couldn’t believe it. It was sunny. Not just sunny. It was beautiful outside. The sky was blue, and it was clear all the way to Pointe Harbor.
“Hey, you’re up?” Caleb stood behind me.
“Yeah. The hurricane is gone.” My eyes moved from the clear horizon to the amount of wood damage left in the yard and in the parking lot. “But it sure made a mess.”
He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my shoulder. “We can clean it up. Don’t worry. And I’ll help you put the piers back together, all of it.”
“Oh my God! The vending machine! The ice!” I ran out of his arms, grabbing a blanket on the way. I almost tripped over the overturned furniture on the porch. I sprinted to the pier where the machines had been secured by Jacob.
I smiled. They were still there.
I walked back inside the house. We didn’t have power. We didn’t have running water.
The entrance to the parking lot was flooded.
I looked at Caleb. “What are we going to do now?”
He grinned wickedly. “Since I’m recently unemployed…” He waggled his eyebrows.
“You haven’t talked to Guthrie. You don’t know that for sure yet.”
“Okay, true. But I think we should assume he’s going to accept my resignation.”
I shook my head. “I wouldn’t accept it if I were him. I have a feeling Gabe and all the other guys would go to bat for you if you give them a chance.”
“You wouldn’t rather have me here working on the Blue Heron?”
“I didn’t say that. I just want you to be happy. The Coast Guard makes you happy. Being on the water. Helping people. That’s who you are.”
“I’ll think about it. I have some time to run through the scenarios, I think, after the storm. The island is pretty much shut down for a while.” He bit his lip, and I thought I was going to melt.
I laughed as he scooped me into his arms. “The roads are closed so no one can interrupt us today, can they?”
“No. It’s you and me. All alone.”
I gazed into his eyes. “Last night was intense. There was a lot happening. I thought I was going to lose everything here.” I traced the back of his neck. His muscles were taut and toned on every part of his body. It was hard to keep my hands from moving along his shoulders and arms next.
“But you didn’t. The Blue Heron survived.”
“It did. I didn’t lose anything, after all. And as soon as we get power back, I can get to work on rescheduling Movies on the Marina.”
“It’s going to work out. I have a feeling.”
I nodded. I’d never felt so much relief, joy, and passion all rolled into one moment.
“What do you want to get started on first?” he asked, surveying the debris outside the window.
I grimaced. “Do we have to start on cleanup?”
He laughed. “I think that was one of my bad ideas. You have something else in mind?”
I nodded. “I do.”
He carried me upstairs, and we didn’t leave the cottage for two entire days.
* * *
D o you love small town romance that takes place at the beach? Read The Dirtiest Deal while you are waiting for the next book in the Island Shores Series.
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