until now.
The bus driver had collected more men who were preparing to go back for Bill and to help with the bus. The entire village had snapped to life, people shoved water bottles at them. A woman leaned over Savannah's leg.
Alyssa walked slowly on the slippery boards of the dock on the way to the dock.
Great, another boat. He winced and forced himself in her direction. Lighting shot across the sky. Thunder rolled.
"Nice axe. Are you keeping it as a souvenir?" he asked when he caught up to her.
"Yeah, I have such fond memories of it." She grinned and looked up at him. "Reggie has rum on the boat."
"No wonder he's suddenly your best friend." He held her steady when she slid on the dock whose boards were as slick as ice in the rain. "It's not going to be—"
"Do. Not. Say. It." She pointed a finger in his face. "Whatever you were about to warn me about, don't you dare say it."
"Yes, ma'am." He bit back a smile. "So where is the rum?"
"Reggie has it and, as soon as I sit down on the boat, you're going to get me some."
"Am I?"
"Yep, that's part of our deal, too. You must wait on me."
"I don't remember agreeing to that at any time during our negotiations." He helped her onto the boat before turning his attention to where Savannah's friends now carried her toward them. "A group of men from the village are headed back for Bill and to help find the others."
She watched, too, her face somber.
Strange how strangers could bond so easily in a crisis. When they'd all boarded the boat in the morning, being polite and having fun had been the only thing on the agenda. Now they all felt like an integral part of his life and he cared deeply about their welfare. He looked down at the top of Alyssa's head and sighed.
For someone who'd wanted simple, he suddenly felt like everything had become very complicated.
"Rum, please." She glanced up from beneath her yellow hood, face streaked with mud and green muck, leaned on the hatchet, and winked.
"You can't take that thing with you." He reached for the hatchet intending to set it on the dock. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that could be if—"
"Don't say it." She grabbed a fistful of his poncho, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him into silence. Smiling against his lips, she said, "Rum. Please. Now."
Yep. Complicated.
* * *
Chapter Eight
"No one can touch the metal railings when we hit the sea," Reggie advised as the boat slowly moved along the river toward the ocean. "When we hit the mouth of the river, the sea will be angry and rolling. Link your arms. Away from the trees, the lighting will be attracted to us. Link together and help each other stay on the bench. We can't have anyone going overboard."
"What's with men stating the obvious?" she muttered to herself as she fought back panic.
"I have no business being here," one of the women from Kansas said from across from her. "We have little kids at home. This was all my idea. We have no business being here."
She tore her gaze from the crying woman and focused the front of the powerful speedboat and hoped it was fierce enough to conquer rough seas.
"So what are some of your resolutions for the new year?" Luke asked out of the blue.
"Surviving tops the list." She smiled at his attempt at distraction. "You?"
"Same." He looked ahead at the approaching sea.
"When we get back to the island, I think I'm going to sleep for the next two days." She spit the hard-hitting rain from her mouth and leaned against his side. "Your place or mine? Or are you sick of me now?"
He ripped his gaze from the water and looked her in the eye. "Your place . It's closest to the dock."
" Practical." She yelled above the roar of the ocean that could now be seen clearly beneath a steady show of lightning.
Everyone linked their arms together per Reggie's instructions and scooted as close together as they could. Bobby strapped himself into the captain's chair while Reggie stood firm at the helm. The ocean pitched and rolled, making
The bus driver had collected more men who were preparing to go back for Bill and to help with the bus. The entire village had snapped to life, people shoved water bottles at them. A woman leaned over Savannah's leg.
Alyssa walked slowly on the slippery boards of the dock on the way to the dock.
Great, another boat. He winced and forced himself in her direction. Lighting shot across the sky. Thunder rolled.
"Nice axe. Are you keeping it as a souvenir?" he asked when he caught up to her.
"Yeah, I have such fond memories of it." She grinned and looked up at him. "Reggie has rum on the boat."
"No wonder he's suddenly your best friend." He held her steady when she slid on the dock whose boards were as slick as ice in the rain. "It's not going to be—"
"Do. Not. Say. It." She pointed a finger in his face. "Whatever you were about to warn me about, don't you dare say it."
"Yes, ma'am." He bit back a smile. "So where is the rum?"
"Reggie has it and, as soon as I sit down on the boat, you're going to get me some."
"Am I?"
"Yep, that's part of our deal, too. You must wait on me."
"I don't remember agreeing to that at any time during our negotiations." He helped her onto the boat before turning his attention to where Savannah's friends now carried her toward them. "A group of men from the village are headed back for Bill and to help find the others."
She watched, too, her face somber.
Strange how strangers could bond so easily in a crisis. When they'd all boarded the boat in the morning, being polite and having fun had been the only thing on the agenda. Now they all felt like an integral part of his life and he cared deeply about their welfare. He looked down at the top of Alyssa's head and sighed.
For someone who'd wanted simple, he suddenly felt like everything had become very complicated.
"Rum, please." She glanced up from beneath her yellow hood, face streaked with mud and green muck, leaned on the hatchet, and winked.
"You can't take that thing with you." He reached for the hatchet intending to set it on the dock. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that could be if—"
"Don't say it." She grabbed a fistful of his poncho, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him into silence. Smiling against his lips, she said, "Rum. Please. Now."
Yep. Complicated.
* * *
Chapter Eight
"No one can touch the metal railings when we hit the sea," Reggie advised as the boat slowly moved along the river toward the ocean. "When we hit the mouth of the river, the sea will be angry and rolling. Link your arms. Away from the trees, the lighting will be attracted to us. Link together and help each other stay on the bench. We can't have anyone going overboard."
"What's with men stating the obvious?" she muttered to herself as she fought back panic.
"I have no business being here," one of the women from Kansas said from across from her. "We have little kids at home. This was all my idea. We have no business being here."
She tore her gaze from the crying woman and focused the front of the powerful speedboat and hoped it was fierce enough to conquer rough seas.
"So what are some of your resolutions for the new year?" Luke asked out of the blue.
"Surviving tops the list." She smiled at his attempt at distraction. "You?"
"Same." He looked ahead at the approaching sea.
"When we get back to the island, I think I'm going to sleep for the next two days." She spit the hard-hitting rain from her mouth and leaned against his side. "Your place or mine? Or are you sick of me now?"
He ripped his gaze from the water and looked her in the eye. "Your place . It's closest to the dock."
" Practical." She yelled above the roar of the ocean that could now be seen clearly beneath a steady show of lightning.
Everyone linked their arms together per Reggie's instructions and scooted as close together as they could. Bobby strapped himself into the captain's chair while Reggie stood firm at the helm. The ocean pitched and rolled, making
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