“But, that’s a crap shoot.”
The words stung a bit. She thought he understood the publishing and discory process. Wasn’t it the same routine he had to go through with agents and publishers?
Haven shrugged her shoulders. “What other options do I have if I don’t know anyone in the business? I believe in my songs.” She was annoyed. “Do you have some advice that will land me a big record contract? Do you know a huge star who wants to sing my music?”
He placed one foot behind the other and backed away from the counter. She instantly regretted being such a big mouth. He was always so good at helping her brainstorm. She wanted him to stay longer, but he had a way of ducking out before she got all that she needed.
“Good luck with your music. It’s great stuff.” He winked before ducking into the hallway. He was probably headed to the rental booth. People loved to paddle on Sunday mornings.
Haven looked at the words and where Jay had stood seconds before. Well, that was a disaster.
EVAN KICKED a log over with his foot as the flames rushed toward the stars. The work at the store was easy, but at the end of the day, all he wanted to do was sit outside with a cold beer, listen to his favorite music, and see how big a fire he could build. Somewhere on that list, he wanted to add spending time with the girl who had pretty blue eyes, but it seemed best to keep things light with Haven. He wasn’t here for all the strings that came with getting attached to a girl like her.
He tipped his bottle back. He knew she was waiting for him to ask her out. The hints were there. He also knew spending time with her could only lead to one thing, and if they both were willing… He shook his head, imagining a night alone with her. It would complicate things. Light was best. No drama.
He smiled thinking about how her nose crinkled when he threw out suggestions for her songs. She was damn cute, and every time he saw the spitfire in her emerge, he had to fight the urge to pull her close and kiss him. That wasn’t good.
Today was her day off from the store. It didn’t feel the same when she wasn’t there. Whenever he had a break, he found himself wandering to the register to see what words had popped in her head, but instead, Nell was waiting with a to-do list. He imagined she spent the entire time cocooned in her hammock, hatching song ideas. There was no doubt she was talented. He couldn’t write a song, much less a greeting card, but he knew she had that special something. When she sang her words, he knew it was like witnessing someone who had figured out how to trap lightning shards in a bottle. The words never left him—they stuck in his head—and he was afraid they weren’t going anywhere.
He tossed another piece of driftwood on the flames. If he helped her, it would mean calling in a few favors. They would be small favors, but it involved reaching into the pit. Why did she have to have dreams that took her in that world?
The bottle was empty. Evan walked into Silver Belle to grab another. He had the next two days off in a row, and he planned to finish the case he brought home with him. He wished it didn’t bother him so much that he was going to go three days without seeing Haven. Three days was way too long. He considered stopping by the store tomorrow to say hey. He could pick up some more beer and steal a smile.
The wind had picked up and every once in a while, instead of reaching high, the flames from the fire whipped sideways. One of the customers at the store had mentioned a storm was off the coast, but everyone had their fingers crossed it would blow on by and miss the island.
He made a mental note to check the radar in the morning. Maybe it meant bigger waves. He might be hitting the surf again tomorrow.
WHEN EVAN awoke, Silver Belle rocked every few minutes from a big gust of wind. It howled at the corners. He rubbed his eyes and strolled to the bay window.
He had never seen anything like it. The white caps were wide and high. He wasn’t the only one who had considered surfing today. The ocean was dotted with the daredevils.
He scratched his head, considering the options.
The camper door sounded with heavy pounding. “Jay! You in there?”
Evan pulled on the lever. “Good morning, Harry. How are you?”
The older man steadied himself on the door and climbed up the stairs. “Not too good. Look’s like we’re going to have to evacuate the campground.” Harry’s pale eyes filled with concern.
“What?” The skies were gray, but it didn’t look that bad.
“Yep, weatherman’s calling for her to hit tomorrow night. I can’t take a chance with people getting blown away out here. You’ll have to leave the island and come back when she’s all gone.” He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his front pocket and offered one to Evan.
“No, no thanks. I don’t smoke.” Evan hoped to God he didn’t light up inside the camper. “Does that mean everyone on the island is leaving? How did it get so bad so fast?” He overheard one of the clerks at the store yesterday making jokes about the bread and milk rations, but he didn’t think much of it until now.
“She must have hit some warm water. Changed over from a tropical storm to a hurricane overnight, and she’s headed this way. It’s best if you pack up and head inland. As long as the bridge doesn’t get wiped out on the other side, you can come back over when the ferry service is up and running again.” Harry patted Evan on the back.
Evan tried to think through his options. He didn’t want to leave Perry Island, but he had never been in a hurricane and realized Silver Belle wouldn’t be a safe place to stay.
“When do I have to leave?” Evan had no interest in packing his things in the duffle bag and driving west.
“Mandatory evacuation for nonresidents through tomorrow morning. My guess is they’ll run the ferry all night to get people off the island.” Harry had a hand on the door. “I’ve got to get the word out to everyone else, and then start securing the place.”
“Do you need some help?” Evan offered.
“I don’t want to keep you. You need to get moving.” Harry wasn’t convincing.
“I can leave later. Let me help you, Harry.” Evan didn’t know what storm prep entailed, but he figured the older man and Shug couldn’t do everything alone.
The campground owner paused in the doorway for a minute. “All right, but I want you to make the ferry tonight.”
“No problem. I can do that.” Evan hoped that sometime in the next twelve hours the storm would change course and he could stay. He would help as long as he could, and buy some time in the process.
Harry smiled. “Get some clothes on and meet me at the office. Shug will have plenty for you to do.” He turned. “Thank you.”
Evan looked down and realized he had opened the door half-dressed. He laughed. “Will do. Tell Shug I’ll be down soon.”
Harry hobbled out of Silver Belle.
Evan turned on the television overhead, and his eyes widened as he saw the circular shape of the storm hovering in the Atlantic Ocean. What in the hell? Across the screen in big letters was the name of the storm: Hurricane Harper. Evan shook his head and turned for the shower.
SHUG HAD given him specific instructions for tying the campers down. It was a useless effort if the winds were going to be as strong as predicted, but Harry wasn’t going down without a fight. There were a few scrubby oaks along the backside of the campers, and Evan looped the heavy rope through the branches before hooking it to the carriage of each camper. If the wind was that strong, he had a feeling it would rip these poor trees right out of the sand, but there weren’t a lot of options out on the beach like this.
He looked down the beach and watched the surfers congregate. This was paradise to them. Waves higher than they would be all year and surf they could ride for what seemed like miles.
“Baby, you’re not staying are you?” Charlotte had a suitcase in her hand.
“No, I’m helping Harry and Shug out before I hit the road.” He walked over and reached for her suitcase. “Let me get that for you.” She looked panic-stricken.
“Oh, thank you. I’m
a bundle of nerves with the storm on the way. I hate to leave Pirate’s Booty like this.” She fiddled with her keys until she finally popped the trunk for Evan.
“I think you’ll be ok, Charlotte. You’ll make the ferry and you’ll be on your way to clear skies.” He smiled at her and shoved the bag into the car.
“These storms make me so nervous. What if Pirate’s Booty doesn’t make it? This entire beach could be wiped out.” A gust of wind blew her bleach blond hair across her face. “It’s time for me to go.” She threw her arms around his neck. “Don’t stay too much longer. Get on the ferry before tomorrow, ok?” She slid into the driver’s side and rolled down the window.
He didn’t want to give her false hope. There was no way to predict Harper’s severity. This could be a devastating storm for such a small piece of land.
“I’ll be fine. You be safe.”
“If I don’t see you again, it was nice having you as a neighbor, Jay.”
Evan smiled. He had waited all summer for Charlotte to move on, but he had to admit he felt bad parting like this. She was clearly a nervous wreck. He tapped the top of her car and watched as his wacky summer neighbor rolled along the campground drive.
He had one last camper to secure, and then he would shower before packing his bag. The sky was dark, but the rain held off. He still held hope that the storm would turn.
He grabbed the rope and attacked another tree.
HIS SHOULDERS ached and his neck throbbed; he had pulled something. The football injuries had a way of resurfacing when his body needed him. Harry needed help getting the plywood on the office windows; it wasn’t something Shug could handle. Evan wondered if he would be pushing his luck by spending another night in Silver Belle. According to the latest projections, there was still another twenty-four hours before Hurricane Harper was supposed to make landfall.
The campground was empty. Every one of his neighbors had made it onto one of the ferries. The vessels were all running in one direction, trying to deliver tourists to safer territory as quickly as possible.
Evan wondered if there was mass chaos at the store. Would Haven be there all night selling bottled water and batteries to the locals who stayed behind to face the storm? She was still stuck in his head, and he knew that part of his reluctance to leave the island was tied to her. But she had her parents, her family—she would be fine.
However, technically he was supposed to be at work on Sunday, and he hadn’t called the store yet to tell him he was being evacuated. He owed her a phone call before he left.
He pulled up the number to the store on his phone and hit send.
“Owen’s,” Nell answered on the other end.
“Hey, Nell, it’s, uh, it’s Jay. Is Haven around?” He kicked himself for forgetting who he was supposed to be.
“Jay! We have been worried about you, honey. No one has your number—” Nell was cut off.
“Jay?” Haven must have grabbed the phone from the nosey clerk.
“Yeah. Thought I would check in. How are things going down there?” He leaned against the counter.
“We’re getting ready to close. What about you? I don’t have your number and I feel like an idiot for not having you fill out any paperwork.”
“Close?” He figured they would stay open until the power went out.
“Yeah, we’re cleaned out. The shelves are empty except for some gum and a few rafts.”
“Wow. I guess people take these storms seriously.” He tried to get a visual on an empty store.
“Yeah, it’s crazy. Now we just have to sit and wait for her to hit.” She lowered her voice. “Do you have somewhere to go?”
The question hit him in the center of his chest. It was the tone in her voice. “Uh, no, not really. I packed my bag. I was going to hop the next ferry, but—”
“No, don’t!” She paused. “I meant, don’t leave if you want to stay and feel like trying a hurricane.” She exhaled and her voice was even softer. He knew there had to be a ton of people near the register. It sounded noisy. “You can stay with me. I have room.”
Evan looked at the bag sitting on the checkered quilt, and then out to the sea that had turned a dark, murky shade.
She sounded remorseful. “Sorry, I thought you might want to stay. Just forget it. Be careful, and will you call when you get back?” She backtracked quickly, and Evan couldn’t handle disappointing her or the pang her words shot through his chest.
“I’ll meet you at your place.” He closed his eyes, knowing he had just lost it. But he couldn’t stand making a pretty girl sad, not this one.
He grabbed his bag, closed the door, and threw his belongings in the back of the Jeep. He threw it in reverse before heading straight to Haven, and before he had a chance to talk himself out of evacuating from this place.
HAVEN GRIPPED the steering wheel tightly. She would be home in thirty seconds. As soon as she heard his voice on the other end of the phone, she felt relief followed by instant panic. All day she had been trying to figure out when she could sneak out and drive by the campground. He didn’t know about storms, and she couldn’t remember if there was a TV in Silver Belle. The need to warn him and help him distracted her from the minute she knew the storm was going to hit Perry Island. How could she not have his phone number?
And now he was headed to her place to ride out the storm. She was going to have to call her mother and come up with some kind of excuse for not driving there tonight. However, she would figure out an excuse. This wasn’t something she was willing to undo.
She pulled the car in all the way under the house. There wasn’t much else she could do to protect it. Taking the steps as quickly as she could, she sprinted into her apartment and surveyed her room. Total disaster. Her bed was unmade, half her week’s clothes were on the floor, and there was music everywhere.
The music added charm, she thought. The clothes, however, were a mess. She raced around her room, picking up armfuls of T-shirts and sundresses. She shoved everything into the hamper and returned to make the bed. Had she really thought this through? She pulled the comforter tightly under the pillows. They had been working together for a couple of weeks, and they had these moments that made her breathless, but should she harbor him during the storm?
She sat on the edge of the bed while her mind sorted through her reasons for inviting him to stay. There was the obvious; he was hot and she wanted to spend the night with him. Did she need to analyze it anymore? Deep down she knew there was a lot more to Jay than what everyone else could see on the outside. He was smart and creative. He might be the first guy who understood music the way she did. It didn’t seem to matter what was going on, he would stop and listen, like every word she said was as important as the sun in the sky. It was almost too good to be true that someone like him had washed up on the island this summer.
She headed into the kitchen. It was certainly neater than the rest of the apartment, but there was an unwashed wine glass and last night’s pasta bowl.
She jumped when she heard the knock at the sliding door. She walked around the kitchen island to the door and slid back the glass.
“Hey.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and wondered if he could read her thoughts. She was ready to jump him on the porch. Jay stood, holding a duffle bag, filling the entire frame of the door with his broad shoulders.
“Hey.” He smiled and hesitantly stepped in the kitchen. “Thanks for letting me stay. I didn’t really want to evacuate, but the campground is closed. Harry and Shug kicked me out.”
“Oh yeah, absolutely. You shouldn’t have to leave.” Suddenly, the idea of Jay leaving the island or this kitchen seemed like the worst possible idea.
Haven jumped as something loud clanged against the side of the house.
Jay reached for her shoulder. “You ok? I think that was your hammock.”
“Yes.” She laughed. “I think I’ve been around too many anxious people all day. The hammock—I guess I need to take that down.”
�
��Let me help.” Jay placed his bag on the floor and walked onto the porch. The wind had kicked up another notch.
Haven followed him. It was nice he was here. He helped her store the loveseat, rocking chairs, and hammock in the storage shed under the house. Once the deck was cleared, he worked on the shutters that folded across the windows. She knew this was an advantage to having an old beach house—the shutters were built in rather than using plywood and a hammer to cover the windows.
“What about your neighbors? Are they going to secure their part of the house?” He eyed the apartment next to hers.
Haven hadn’t seen any of her neighbors. Most of them were temporary summer residents, and they rotated weekly.
“I don’t know. I’ll try them.”
She knocked on their doors, but it was possible they had evacuated for the mainland. Jay decided it was best to help everyone out and started hauling deck furniture down below too.
By the time they finished securing the house, it was dark and the rain had started. Big heavy sheets fell on the roof and the beach.
Haven’s eyes widened when the lights flickered. “I guess I should get some candles ready.” Most of them were in her room. She walked past Jay and collected a couple to space out around the apartment.
“I didn’t think the storm was going to hit until tomorrow.” He watched her light the candles on the kitchen table.
“I think it’s still on course, but if the wind is bad enough, it knocks the power lines down. We lose power all the time. It doesn’t have to be a hurricane.”
“Ok. So now what?” He arched his eyebrows.
Finding Haven Page 13
