Contents ( 66)
- Cover
- Books by Valerie Fraser Luesse
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Map of Florida
- one
- two
- three
- four
- five
- six
- seven
- eight
- nine
- ten
- eleven
- twelve
- thirteen
- fourteen
- fifteen
- sixteen
- seventeen
- eighteen
- nineteen
- twenty
- twenty-one
- twenty-two
- twenty-three
- twenty-four
- twenty-five
- twenty-six
- twenty-seven
- twenty-eight
- twenty-nine
- thirty
- thirty-one
- thirty-two
- thirty-three
- thirty-four
- thirty-five
- thirty-six
- thirty-seven
- thirty-eight
- thirty-nine
- forty
- forty-one
- forty-two
- forty-three
- forty-four
- forty-five
- forty-six
- forty-seven
- forty-eight
- forty-nine
- fifty
- fifty-one
- Epilogue
- Keep Reading for a Preview of Valerie Luesse’s Next Book!
- Prologue
- one
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- Back Ads
- Back Cover
More would be coming, but nothing like that one. Peyton could finally turn his attention away from the water long enough to see how Lisa was doing.
She looked stunned. Her eyes were wide, her face slightly pale, and she was gripping anything she could get her hands on to steady herself. “Did we just do that?”
“I think we did. You okay?”
“I’m not sure.” She shook her head and her wet auburn hair as if to shake off the danger they had just come through. “I’m still thinking about all that water over our heads and what might’ve happened if—”
“C’mere.” Peyton kept one hand on the steering wheel, reaching for Lisa with the other. She came to him, putting her arms around him and resting her face against his shoulder as he held her with his free arm.
“I think the worst is over,” he said, pressing his cheek against hers.
She tightened her arms around him. “Even if it’s not, we’ll be okay. You’ll make sure of it.”
Peyton steered them through a series of smaller waves until finally the wind died down and they had nothing but pouring rain to contend with. He and Lisa were both soaked.
“Why don’t you go below and check on Bonnie and Jasper—get some dry clothes on so you don’t catch cold?” he said as he felt her shiver against him.
“What about you?”
“Oh, I’m an old salt,” he said with a grin. “Throw anything at me—mosquitoes, crazy artists, crazy aunts—I can take it. I’m covered.” He tapped the St. Christopher medal hanging around his neck.
Lisa kissed his cheek. “I’ll be back.”
Below deck, Lisa found the children on a cot together, with Bonnie’s arms around her little brother. Jasper had fallen asleep, but she was wide awake.
Lisa sat down beside them and ran her hand across Bonnie’s forehead. “It’s alright, sweetheart,” she said. “The storm’s over.”
“You’re all wet,” Bonnie said.
“I know, honey. There’s an awful lot o’ water out there.”
“Is Peyton okay?”
“He’s fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. I’m going to carry a blanket up to keep some of the rain off of him. Will you and Jasper be alright till we can dock somewhere?”
“We’ll be alright. But are you sure Peyton’s okay? Are you really, really sure about him?”
Lisa kissed Bonnie’s forehead. “Yes, sweetie. I am really, really sure about him.”
forty-eight
It was five o’clock in the afternoon when Peyton backed the Skidaddle into a slip at Cubano’s. The dock manager inspected the boat and handed Peyton his pay. He and Lisa took turns drying off in the cabin before gathering their belongings and taking the kids to the fish camp café.
Once inside, Peyton immediately began looking for Gina. He saw her coming out of the kitchen with a tray of beer glasses for the bartender. She emptied the tray and was about to head back to the kitchen when she spotted him and stopped in her tracks.