Restless Storm

by Jamie Summer

  “Sure,” I replied. “Dustin mentioned you may need help, so he told us to make sure everything was as ready as it could be. Whatever you need us to do, we will.”

  George’s smile grew, and I felt a surge of pride in myself. I hadn’t been an outsider for a while, but seeing the appreciation on the mayor’s face at my words made me feel nice and cozy.

  As I watched George make his rounds among the people already in the shelter, I suddenly felt an elbow in my ribs.

  “What the heck was that for?” I asked when I saw Sully’s smug expression.

  “Since when do you go around looking for people’s approval?”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked, confusion spreading through me.

  “The look on your face when George told you how much he appreciates your work.”

  I sighed. “You have no idea what it’s like to be the outsider on an island full of people who have known each other all their lives. Being accepted is a huge deal for me, so sorry if that gets me feeling a little happy. Grinch.”

  Sully laughed. “It’s not Christmas yet,” he said, then walked toward the beds we needed to assemble. A smirk on my lips, I followed him, trying to keep any other comments I had to myself.

  We got to work, helping a few other men who were already putting up as many beds as possible. It was an exhausting task, only interrupted by Betty, who brought lunch.

  “Who’s manning the café?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “I closed it. People are at their houses, getting everything ready for the storm or packing things up to move here. Either way, there wasn’t any use. I figured my cooking would be better served here.”

  The smell of bacon hit my nose. I glanced into the bag Betty held out. “You brought us burgers?” I asked in disbelief.

  “Of course I did. I couldn’t let you eat just anything. You need the nourishment if you wanna make sure everything is ready by the time the storm hits. There are more tasks that need doing, as I’m sure George mentioned.”

  “He only talked about the beds and kitchen so far.”

  “Well, the bathrooms aren’t ready yet, either. They have a few provisional toilets we need to make sure are good to go. We’ve tried to get as much done as possible, but things keep piling up.” There was a slight edge in her voice. Fear maybe?

  “We’re here to help. We have today and tomorrow to prepare everything. Things will work out, okay?” I had no idea where I got the sudden optimism from, but seeing Betty out of sorts like this wasn’t something I was used to. I felt the urge to comfort her.

  “Thank you. That means a lot. I know George likes to take care of things himself, but he can only do so much.”

  “He shouldn’t have to. He’s the mayor. Isn’t it part of his job to boss people around?” My words were meant to make her smile, and they did the job.

  “You’re a good one, Jake. Never forget it.” She gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and handed me my lunch bag, then did the same to Sully and Scott before walking off to take care of the kitchen.

  “You have her wrapped around your little finger,” Sully commented.

  I smiled. “She’s an amazing cook. When Bridget couldn’t bring me my lunch, I’d spend it at the café. Can you blame me?”

  He held up his hands, shaking his head. “Nope, not at all. I first tasted her food when I was a kid, and I never looked back. So I completely get it. She’s an amazing person who has a heart as big as this island.”

  I nodded, agreeing with him completely. “Let’s eat, then continue working, shall we?” I asked.

  Sully put down the screwdriver he held as he sat, then opened his bag. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

  After lunch, we continued our work. Once the beds were done, the three of us searched for any other issues that needed to be taken care of. Betty asked us to put up some more shelves to store the food, while George mentioned the bathrooms again. We split up, Scott and myself helping in the kitchen while Sully took care of the bathrooms.

  “Miss me?” I smiled. The one Betty gave me in return made me think some of her fear from earlier had disappeared. Maybe she saw how hard we worked to get everything ready and knew we’d be prepared once the storm hit.

  We put up shelves, stacked the goods on them, and made sure the stove was usable in this environment. The kitchen was almost ready by the time Betty said she needed to get started on dinner for everyone. At this point, about fifty people were in the shelter, enough for her to want to make sure they all had something to eat. She left, promising to be back in an hour with more help and food.

  “Hey, Betty.”

  I heard the soft words behind me, my heart thumping at the tone of it. Scott’s head instantly popped up in front of me, clearly having noticed what I had.

  “Hey, Maddy. Good to see you here.” Betty’s voice was full of warmth and love.

  “Good to be here. Thank you.” There was hesitation in her voice, as if the words didn’t quite feel right on her tongue. I didn’t blame her, considering the disappointment she had to deal with earlier today.

  I heard shuffling behind me, so I figured Betty had left the shelter.

  “Hey, everyone.” Anna came up next to me, Maddy staying just out of my peripheral vision. Almost as if she were hesitant about approaching. Sully had joined us after fixing the bathrooms, Barry, another one of my coworkers, with him. I guess the four of us together were imposing statues to look at, but pretty harmless when you broke it down.

  “Hey, Anna,” Scott greeted her with a big smile, and I barely stopped my eye roll. Truth be told, I felt a stab of jealousy at the easy way with which those two were able to flirt with each other. The more I saw Maddy, the less I was able to forget about her, like I had planned, and the more I wanted to get to know her. Again.

  “I wanted to stop by and drop off the first of our things. George mentioned you guys knew who’s supposed to take which beds?”

  I furrowed my brows, unsure what she talked about.

  Barry stepped in. “Yes. George wanted to make sure everyone had their own space if they wanted. Basically, we want to start filling the beds in the back first, so any over there will do.” He pointed toward the back of the shelter where some people had already taken up residence.

  Anna nodded, holding the box in her hand even tighter. “Thank you.” She walked off with a small nod, Maddy following quietly. She had yet to say a word, but our eyes met when she passed. I saw a slight hiccup in her step I tried to ignore, telling myself it had nothing to do with me.

  She had searched my face. I wanted to ask her what she was looking for, but before I could, she turned her back to me, following her friend to the beds they would occupy during the storm.

  I busied myself with the task at hand, trying not to look over to where the two women were setting up camp. I caught Scott doing the same. When he saw me watching him, he quickly glanced toward the cupboard he worked on.

  A loud crash brought me to a halt. I turned to see Maddy on the ground, remnants of her bed all around her. I ran over without a second thought, kneeling next to her.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, and she stared at me wide-eyed.

  “I have no idea what happened. I wanted to lie down on it, but when I did, the whole thing just…flew apart.”

  I searched her face for any obvious signs of injury, but there was nothing I could see.

  “Does anything hurt?”

  Maddy shook her head and tried to get up. I grasped her arm and pulled, the movement bringing us closer together than I anticipated. Her body pressed into mine, her heart racing in her chest, much like my own.

  “I’m okay,” she breathed against me. I felt it wash over me like a warm summer breeze. “I’m okay,” she repeated, her voice even quieter.

  I studied her—the way her eyelashes almost touched her brows, the way her nose crinkled when she thought about something she didn’t like, the way her eyes focused on my chest, avoiding looking at me directly.

 
“I’ll fix this,” I croaked, the urge to reach out and touch her cheek threatening to overwhelm me. I needed to keep myself busy with something. She nodded and took a step back, hesitating a moment before doing so. Or maybe I imagined it.

  I turned toward the broken bed, having no idea what had made it splinter like that. I pointed to another one. “Just take this one for now. There are plenty of empty beds available,” I told her. “I’m gonna clean this up, then move the beds closer so there’s no gap in between.”

  “Okay. Thank you.” The gentleness in her voice made me face her, a soft smile playing on her lips. “I’m sorry for making this more work for you than necessary.”

  “It’s no problem at all,” I assured her, wanting to keep her talking. “These beds are old, some of them from someone’s basement, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a few end up breaking down.” She nodded, playing with her fingers. “Do you want to help?” I asked, unsure if it was for the best, but she seemed nervous, which was the last thing I wanted her to be.

  She glanced up at me, doubt and worry written all over her pretty features.

  “It’ll be quicker, then you can continue getting settled in.”

  She seemed convinced by my noncommittal explanation, and the two of us went to work. It was quiet and efficient, both of us collecting the splintered wood from the ground, piling it up so I could carry it outside later. Maddy offered to help with the carrying, but the pieces were sharp and I didn’t want her to get hurt. I tried to ignore the fact we were so close, not even five inches separating us.

  “I’m sorry you’re still stuck here.” I had no idea where the words came from, or why I even voiced them. I was sorry but had no obvious intention of telling her so.

  Her brows drew together slightly as her gaze pierced me. “You are?” Her lips formed a slight “o”, the same expression I had seen on her just a day before. And, by God, if that didn’t make me want to pull her close and kiss her.

  “I am, yes. Sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up,” I quickly added when I saw disappointment reflected in her green eyes.

  “No, it’s okay. I’m beginning to think it was meant to be.”

  I arched a brow at her remark, making her smile.

  “Not what you were expecting, I’m sure.”

  “Not really, no,” I admitted, feeling hope course through me at the way we seemed to be able to have a normal conversation.

  “I don’t blame you. I’m not even sure why I think that. I had everything done at my dad’s place and should be crushed I didn’t get on one of the boats, but…” She let the rest of the sentence hang in the air. As much as I wanted to fill in the rest with thoughts myself, I knew I no longer had any idea what went on in her head. “People here act as if I never left. It’s weird. Part of me expects them to be spitting mad, so I’m waiting for that to happen.”

  “People weren’t mad. They understood why you felt it was the only choice you had.”

  She regarded me carefully. “You really think so?”

  I nodded. “Have you encountered anyone who’s shown any hostility toward you?”

  After a slight hesitation, she shook her head.

  “Didn’t think so. People are happy you’re back. They missed you.”

  Maddy didn’t say anything for a moment before bending down to collect more wood. We were almost done, so I felt myself starting to slow down, dreading the end. I couldn’t remember the last time we had a conversation like this. Without expectations, without limits or ultimatums.

  “I’m glad people have been so kind to me since I’ve come back. I sure don’t deserve it.”

  I shook my head at her remark, a confidence within me I needed her to see. “You deserve nothing less. You deserve to be treated kindly and with respect. You deserve to have people see you were in so much pain, leaving truly was the only option.” My voice left no room for disagreement. I didn’t want her to think people thought her a coward. I talked to a lot of them after she left, and not one had questioned her decision.

  “How long has the shelter been open?” Maddy asked, completely changing the topic. I didn’t mind.

  “George opened this one shortly after you left. He realized while the storm back then never made landfall, it sure as hell could’ve, so he wanted to be prepared. A group of people from the mainland arrived about a month after you left and put this together. It took them a few weeks, but they had everything up and running before the first storm hit.”

  “There have been storms like this before?” Maddy asked, her eyes wide.

  “Not like this one, no. We had a few smaller ones come through. When the first hit, everybody went crazy. Most of them ended up in here. It worked. The damage wasn’t great, so a lot of people said it was a waste of resources to move into the shelter. During the next one, the majority of them stayed in their houses. This is the first time people actually realize the danger in this storm.”

  “Hence the mass at the docks.”

  I nodded, remembering the mob we had to fight earlier. “Yes. I think most didn’t want to believe it was gonna be as bad as the weather station said, which is why so many didn’t take any of the earlier ferries. They probably hoped it would lessen in strength rather than gain. I can’t say I blame them. Knowing you may leave the island and return to see your life in ruins isn’t exactly what I would want, either.” Maddy had stopped her work to listen.

  “Do you think it’s gonna be as bad as they predicted?”

  I nodded. “It’s going to be very bad, Maddy. I know the shelter is well built, but I have no idea if it’ll hold against the power the storm is gonna bring. Plus, it’s not just the mere passing of the storm that’s going to be bad. The aftermath may also be an issue.” I saw the way her brows furrowed, so I tried to explain. “Depending on how many people we have in here, we may need to ration food early on. The mainland sent everything they could, but people there have been buying the stores empty. We only got a small portion of what we asked for, so it’s only enough to last a week…max. After that, we hope a ship will have brought more.”

  “But they should be able to do it. After the storm is through, the ocean will be peaceful, easy for a boat to navigate.”

  I smiled. She talked about the ocean with no fear or hesitation. Maybe her love for the wide water was growing again.

  “It should be, yes. However, if the mainland isn’t getting new provisions, we aren’t, either.”

  Her confused expression had given way to a faraway look, as if she had a million other thoughts in her head. I bent down to pick up the last pieces of the splintered wood when Maddy spoke.

  “Why do you stay here, Jake? Why not leave? I know this island has been your home for the past few years, but I would think something like a storm would make you rethink that.”

  I stopped mid-movement, her questions throwing me off for a second. I stood straight and looked into her eyes.

  “This island has been so much more of a home to me than any other place I’ve ever lived. I won’t lie. It was hard in the beginning. People on a small island like this one tend to stick together. And I was prepared for that. In huge part thanks to your dad, I found acceptance. After he died and you left, Betty was one of the first to make sure I was okay. After a while, more and more people did. And suddenly, I was one of them. Not having a job for a little while, I helped where I could, fixing things here and there. People approached me with small issues they needed help with, and I was more than happy to provide them with it. When Dustin offered me a job, I took it, but made sure to let the residents know I was still willing to help wherever needed. It may take me longer, but I would always help out.

  “The people here are my family now. They’re all I have. The last thing I’m going to do is abandon them when they need me most. I love this island with all its greatness and faults. It’s the only home I can imagine myself in.”

  I took a deep breath. Maddy’s gaze was turned downward, so it was hard for me to gauge what she thought.

&
nbsp; “You know the love these people have for one another. I don’t want to lose that. Or their trust. I would lose both the moment I left.”

  I saw her slight nod, but her lips stayed sealed. My heart dropped, fear replacing the confusion I felt at the start of this conversation.

  She spoke so softly, I had to strain to hear it. “I used to feel that way, too. That endless amount of love and hope, the feeling of being at home wherever you went. Not even the fact we lived on an island a hundred miles from the coast could dim the happiness. The ocean surrounding it? I loved it. Every wave, every animal living within it.” Her voice caught on her last words, and I saw tears reflecting in her eyes. I knew what she didn’t say.

  The ocean had taken all that from her. It had destroyed any chance of happiness she ever had. Or so she thought.

  I wanted to argue, tell her while it was true she lost her father, she hadn’t lost any of the other people who loved her, but figured it wasn’t what she needed to hear. Instead, I moved closer and reached out, gently touching her arm. She watched my every move, and I felt anticipation tingle along my body. The heat came off her in waves. I reveled in the warmth it brought, at the same time scared of the change I felt happening. Something about the way she didn’t push me away gave me hope. And hope was dangerous when it came to Maddy. God, what did this woman do to me?

  “Thank you for helping me,” she whispered, stepping back, effectively putting distance between us. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, and she turned away from me before I could say more. “I’m gonna go see if Anna needs help setting up.” She turned toward me, a soft but strained smile on her lips.

  She was trying.

  I nodded. “I’ll get rid of these, then you guys can put the beds a little closer.”

  Someone called my name. I glanced up to see Scott wave me over to the bathroom where water sprayed out of a pipe, soaking the surrounding area. “I gotta go,” I apologized and jogged off, unable to get the look in Maddy’s eyes out of my head.