Islands.
Her plan was to drop him off in Chinook Harbor, spend the night on the boat, then, as soon as the storm passed, sail around the tip of the island to Deception Lodge, an antiquated resort her father wanted to restore. Making camp in a potential Montgomery Inn bothered her a little; the lodge still belonged to her father and as long as she was seeking shelter on Montgomery soil, she wasnât truly free.
âBut soon,â she muttered as she spied a few lights winking in the distance, lights that had to be on Orcas Island.
âBut soonâwhat?â
She shot him a look that told him it was none of his business, and was about to turn inland when she spotted the buoy bobbing crazily ahead.
âWatch out,â Adam commanded, but the sea swelledunder the boat like a creature climbing from the depths. âMarnie, youâre too close!â
Panicked, she checked the gauges. âToo close to what!â
CRACK! The Marnie Lee trembled violently, and for a second Marnie thought the boat was about to split apart.
âDamn it, woman, get out of the way.â Adam shoved her aside and threw open the door.
âYou canât go outâ¦â Her voice was carried away by the cry of the wind.
âJust steer the boat, for Godâs sake!â
Horrified, still trying to set the Marnie Lee back on course, she watched as Adam tied a rope around his waist, then worked his way around the bow, rain beating on his head, his hands moving one over the other on the rail. He paused at the starboard side, leaned over, then braced himself as another swell rolled over the deck, engulfing him. Marnieâs heart leaped to her throat. She saw the lifeline stretch taut. Her stomach lurched as the wave retreated and Adam, drenched, still braced against the force of the wave, appeared again.
âThank God,â she whispered, her throat raw, âNow, Drake, damn your stubborn hide, get below deck and dry out.â
Another torrent of water washed over the deck and once again Adam vanished for a few terror-filled seconds. This time, when the water receded, he moved along the rail again before disappearing on the stairs.
She guided the ship by instinct; sheâd learned sailing from her father years before. But all the while her nerves were strung tight, her ears cocked to the door.
Nearly ten minutes later, Adam returned to the bridge, dripping and coughing saltwater and glaring at her as if she were responsible for the storm. âThereâs a crack in the hullâa small one on the starboard side, on line with the galley,â he said. âNot a big gash, but itâs not goingaway. Youâre taking on waterâslowly. I used some sealer I found downstairs, but it wonât hold, at least not forever.â His eyes were dark and serious. âYouâve got to turn inland.â
âBut thereâs no port for miles.â
âYou donât have a choice. The islandâs close enough. Just head for land. Weâll worry about a harbor when we get closer.â He picked up the microphone for the radio and started to call the Coast Guard, but Marnie flipped the switch, turning off his cry for help.
âWeâll make it ourselves,â she said, refusing, in her first few hours of freedom, to give up any small bit of her independence. âBesides, I think the stormâs about over, the rainâs stopping.â
âDid you hear me, Marnie?â he demanded, ignoring her assessment of the situation. âRain or no rain, sooner or later, this boat is going to sink like a stone. And weâre going to sink with her.â
âBut not for a while. Right?â
âUnless we hit something else.â
âHow long do we have?â
âHow the hell should I know?â
âTen minutes? Twenty? Two hours?â
âHell, I donât know, but you canât take a chance like this!â
âWhy not?â she demanded, cranking hard on
Frankie Blue
john thompson
Alaina Stanford
Alexandra Ivy, Laura Wright
C.W. Gortner
Helena Newbury
Jessica Jarman
Shanna Clayton
Barbara Elsborg
James Howard Kunstler