Summer on Lovers' Island (Jewell Cove 3)

The storm had been named Nancy and by Friday afternoon Florida and the Carolinas were starting to feel the effects.

In Jewell Cove, the day was sunny and warm, slightly muggier than usual thanks to the tropical air pushing north. At first glance it seemed ridiculous that a huge weather event was on its way. But the sea was already sending a warning, rougher than normal, and boats were being either taken out of the water or secured as much as possible. The public beach was closed and hurricane warning flags whipped in the breeze. Not a sharp, stormy wind, but an ominous hush of chaos to come.

Lizzie had experienced big storms before, but never right on the coast. Even with the wind and waves, she stood on her back deck on Friday afternoon and got the strange sensation that the atmosphere was holding its breath. Nancy was a Category 2 storm but expected to be downgraded to a Cat 1 by the time it reached landfall in Maine, then onward to a direct hit on the Fundy coast in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Everyone said it was going to get wild.

They’d closed the clinic to walk-in hours for the afternoon, and Lizzie had gone home to look after storm prep. The deck looked bare with the two small planters she’d bought and the small table and chairs set sitting in the living room. The barbecue she’d moved to a sheltered corner and secured to the deck railing with bungee cords pulled tight.

She didn’t have a generator, though Tom had offered to bring a small one by so she could run lights and water. She’d told him to keep it in case someone needed it in an emergency. Instead she checked the batteries in her flashlights, charged her phone, had a bath, and then filled the tub again with water.

At eleven thirty she closed her book and gave the forecast one last check and unease settled in her stomach. She’d thought she’d be okay, but now the idea of waiting out the storm all by herself made her nervous. She thought about calling Charlie and seeing if she could stay there, but it was so late she was sure Charlie and Dave were asleep. She’d just wait to see what morning held. If it wasn’t too bad, maybe she’d lock up the cottage and head over.

Light rain started around four. Lizzie heard it and tried to go back to sleep, but it was no use. By six the wind picked up and Lizzie got out of bed and stood at the patio doors, watching the water. It was gray and harsh with angry whitecaps. The leaves on the trees tossed and snapped, but Lizzie knew that this was only the beginning. It would get much worse before it finally pushed through.

She made a cup of coffee and cooked eggs and toast while she still had power. And it was a good thing, because she’d just run the water in the sink to clean up her mess when there was a flicker, then a second flicker, and then nothing.

She sighed, washed her plate and pan, and went to the bedroom to get dressed.

She was just coming out when there was a pounding on the front door. It took her all of five seconds to get there and open it, but in that short amount of time Josh was soaked. He wore a slicker and boots and she stepped aside, letting him in out of the weather. “It’s seven o’clock, you lunatic!”

It was a silly thing to say, but the truth was she was so glad to see him it was ridiculous. They’d barely spoken since that night in his driveway.

“Hello to you, too. Your power out?”

She nodded. “Yeah, about fifteen minutes ago. What are you doing out here?”

His gaze locked with hers. “I suppose I’m an idiot. But I was worried about you out here alone. Wanted to make sure you’d battened down the hatches and had everything you need. Wasn’t sure you’d been through one of these before.”

She was touched. She didn’t want to be, but she was, particularly after the way they’d left things. “I’m fine, Josh, but I appreciate you coming by. I even had coffee before the power went out.” She smiled at him. Despite all the hard feelings and yes, even the heartache, she didn’t want things to be nasty between them. She cared about him, probably too much. Enough that it made her heart hurt to see him. Lizzie, who always kept perspective when it came to relationships and matters of the heart, had broken the number-one rule: the opt-out. She couldn’t opt out now. It wasn’t a matter of being together or not. He’d found a place in her heart and he was there to stay.

Damn.

“Did Tom bring by a generator?”

“Hmmm? Oh no. I told him to save it. If the storm is as bad as they say, there could be others who need it a lot worse than me, you know?”

“That’s good of you.”

“I’ve occasionally rethought that position. Particularly when the wind started to come up.”

As if to answer her comment, a gust rattled the house, making her jump.

His jacket dripped onto the floor. “You want to come in for a bit?” she asked. “Not like there’s anything to do, but I can offer you some still-warm coffee. The pot’s probably still hot.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Hang your jacket up to dry, then.”

She poured them each a cup as he took off his jacket, and they went into the cramped living room. The storm raged outside the windows as they each sat on an end of the sofa and sipped. “You did some prep. Good thing. Your patio stuff would have been in the bay later today if you hadn’t.”

“The barbecue’s lashed to the railings and the tub’s full of water. I figure I can live on protein bars for a while if I have to.”

“It seems kind of isolated out here, though, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. I didn’t count on that.” She took another drink; the coffee was cooling rapidly.

“Did you really come out here to check up on me?”

He nodded. “I’ve got a couple of jugs of water and some oil lamps out in the truck. If the power stays off a long time, it’s good to have some light.” He shrugged. “At least it’s not a winter nor’easter, where you have to worry about heat and pipes freezing and getting snowed in.”