Chapter 9
C liff had planned on taking the first ferry out of town, but then he’d driven past Mrs. Henderson’s place and saw her still loading things into her car.
After he stopped to help her, she actually thanked him and gave him an approving look.
Probably the first time she’d ever approved of anything he’d ever done.
Then he decided to swing by his mother’s house, just to make sure she’d evacuated like she’d said she would.
Cliff pulled up to her house, surprised to see her car still in the driveway.
The wind was picking up some, and the palm fronds danced in the breeze.
A light rain splattered on his windshield.
His mother and Jonah stood on the front porch.
He grabbed his raincoat and hurried to the house.
As he approached, he heard her calling out Winston’s name.
“Mother, what are you still doing here? The last ferry leaves in forty-five minutes.”
“Winston got spooked by that branch falling.” She pointed to a large palm branch on the ground. “He was standing right beside me one minute, and the next, he bolted away from me. I’m not leaving without him.”
“You’ll miss the ferry. You need to get out of here.”
“I won’t leave Winston behind.” Her chin lifted in that stubborn way he remembered from his childhood. The way that said arguing would do no good. The same expression she’d worn when he tried to explain why he’d broken curfew or failed algebra.
He had to hand it to her. She was loyal to those she loved. Even if that loyalty was to an aging spaniel. Though he had to admit, he didn’t want to leave the old dog behind either. Winston was always happier to see him than his mother was.
“I’ll help find him.” The words tumbled out before he fully considered how soon the last ferry was leaving and the darkening clouds.
To his surprise, his mother nodded. “Thank you.” The appreciation in her eyes made him wonder when he’d last seen that look directed at him.
Jonah stepped forward. “Ellie and I will head up the street. You take the other direction.”
“Let me get you a leash.” She hurried inside and came back with another leash. “Here, take this.”
He took the leash. “Call if you find him. And Mother, we’ve got thirty minutes max before we need to head to the ferry.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn’t argue. She and Jonah headed up the street, calling Winston’s name.
He jogged in the opposite direction, scanning yards and porches for any sign of the dog. He should have thought to grab an umbrella. The rain came down in a steady pour now. The streets were eerily quiet with everyone evacuated. Well, everyone except his mother, Jonah, and him.
“Winston! Here, boy!” He called out as he hurried along the sidewalk. He glanced at his phone and frowned. No cell service. Just great. He finally turned around and headed back, hoping they’d found Winston. Jonah and his mother were just reaching the house but didn’t have Winston with them.
“Mother, we have to go right now, or we’ll miss the ferry. Winston’s a smart dog. He’ll find shelter.” Unless the storm surge came and Winston couldn’t find a safe, high spot, but he wasn’t going to say that to his mother.
“I’m not leaving Winston.”
“Well, I’m not leaving Ellie here alone.”
He looked at both of them and let out a long sigh. “Let’s keep looking. I’ll cut over to Bayview. You two try Main.” He glanced at his phone again. “Okay, it looks like I have cell service again.”
Jonah pulled out his phone. “So do I.”
“Service might come and go. Let’s meet back here in thirty minutes if the cell service goes out again.”
Jonah nodded. “Come on, Ellie.”
Her face was etched with worry. Probably not worrying about the approaching storm or the fact they’d missed the last ferry. Worried about Winston.
They headed off to Main Street, then Cliff took First Street over to Bayview. The wind whipped the tree branches, and a lone scrap of paper danced down the street, twisting in the wind.
He kept calling out for Winston but worried his voice was being carried away with the wind. They had to find the dog. He was sure his mother would still be out looking through the actual hurricane if they didn’t find Winston first.
He glanced at his watch and realized the last ferry was gone now. Fear crept through him. He hadn’t ever planned to sit out another hurricane on this island, but here he was.
He looked down the long street, wondering where to look next. The wind picked up, sending leaves skittering across the pavement. He was at a loss. How long could they wander around calling for Winston?
Suddenly, an idea came to him. His mother would often go over to Bayside B&B to visit with her friend, Darlene, and she often took Winston with her.
He turned and cut over to Darlene’s B&B and walked around the back to the porch, calling out Winston’s name.
His heart leapt when he climbed the stairs and spied the dog huddled in the far corner.
He approached slowly. “Hey, buddy. It’s okay. Shh… It’s okay.”
Winston’s tail was firmly tucked beneath him with no welcoming wag.
“Hey, Winston. Good to see you. Let’s head back home. How about that?” He kept his voice low and calm. When he reached the dog, he carefully hooked the leash on his collar. Relief swept through him.
He snagged his phone and sent out a text. Found him.
As he started to lead Winston off the porch, the dog sat down. The dog was having none of it. He reached down and scooped up the dog. “Okay, buddy. You win. I’ll carry you.”
The dog snuggled against him with a sigh.
He climbed down the stairs and hurried back to his mother’s house.
She was waiting for them as they arrived and rushed out to grab Winston from him.
She buried her face in Winston’s fur. For a long moment, she remained like that, then she lifted her head.
Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Thank you, Cliff. Thank you so much. I just… I can’t lose him. ”
He stared at her for a moment. He’d never seen her cry. Ever. Not when her father died. Not when her husband died. Tears were not something Eleanor Whitmore Griffin ever gave into.
Except now.
The sight of her vulnerability tugged at a place in him he didn’t know could still be touched. She had always been a fortress of composure, sure of herself, her emotions carefully guarded behind walls of propriety and pride.
Jonah stepped forward and took her arm, leading her back to the protection of the porch. “Okay, as I see it, we have two choices. We stay here and ride out the storm, or we take my boat and head to the mainland. We won’t have all the things you packed up in your car, Ellie.”
“I don’t care about my things. I have Winston.” Her voice cracked.
“I can get us to the mainland, and we’ll have to see if we can rent a car to go further inland to safety. It will be a rough ride, but I think that’s our best choice.”
“I vote taking your boat.” Cliff had no desire to stay on the island.
“We could just stay. I’m sure we’ll be fine.” His mother cuddled the dog closer to her.
“Ellie, we should leave. It’s safer.”
She finally nodded. “Okay. Let me just grab the bag of Winston’s food.”
“We’ll take my car, Mother. Yours is crammed full of your stuff.”
They piled into his car, and when they got to the marina, they followed Jonah to his boat. “Cliff, take Winston for a moment while I help your mother aboard.”
By now, he was soaked through and through but hardly cared. He was getting off the island. He wasn’t stuck there, sitting out another hurricane. That was all that mattered.
His mother got on board, then Jonah took the dog and climbed on. “Cliff, can you untie us, then climb aboard?”
He did as he was told, then jumped aboard. He joined them in the cabin as the boat sprang to life. Jonah maneuvered it out of the slip and into the bay. The wind had picked up, and the bay was filled with choppy, white-capped waves.
“Cliff, grab the life jackets in that cabinet. I think it wise we put them on.” Jonah looked over at his mother. “Ah, it’s going to be a rough ride.”
He found the life jackets, and they all slipped them on. Jonah’s face was etched with concern. “Ellie, why don’t you sit down with Winston?”
She settled on a bench with Winston in her arms. She murmured into the dog’s ears. “We’ll be fine, Winston. We’ll get you all safe, you’ll see.”
Cliff steadied himself by holding onto the polished teak board beneath the window and glanced back at the island as they got further into the bay.
The island grew smaller. The sky was the color of an ugly bruise.
Rain pounded down on them. And this was just one of the early bands of the storm.
The actual hurricane was still a good day and a half out.
He wondered what damage it would do. Would the town still be standing?
The boat dipped and plunged again and again, and he was beginning to doubt their choice of trying to get to the mainland.
Jonah’s face grew tense as they crossed the rough water.
He notified the harbor master on the mainland that they were approaching and needed a slip for the boat.
The best they could do was tie up at the end of the dock.
As they finally approached the marina, a man in a yellow slicker hurried to the end of the dock. Cliff went out and tossed him a rope, and the man secured the boat.
As they all disembarked, the rain let up, but the wind still whipped around them. Jonah reached for Winston. “I’ll carry him. Let’s see if we can find a way to get further inland.”
“I’m headed across to the other coast if y’all want a ride with me.” The man in the slicker held out his hand. “I’m Steve, by the way. Glad you made it safely across the bay. I was just finishing closing the marina when I got your call.”
“Thank you, Steve. We’d appreciate the ride out of harm’s way.” Jonah shook Steve’s hand.
Cliff took one last look out at the bay with the angry waves racing across the water. Relief that they’d gotten safely off the island flooded through him, but it didn’t stop the anxiety of wondering what they’d come home to.