He lifted his shoulders and shook his head.

She could be driving straight into the water.

“The waves. I can see the waves and— Shit!” Skidding tires. “Okay, well, the water’s coming up over the road here with every wave.”

I jolted. “Turn around.”

“No.”

“Morgan! I love you. Please, turn around! Go back to Avon!”

“What did you say to me that night? People will die if I don’t leave right now?”

Every muscle in my body locked. Don’t do it. Don’t do it.

“I’m okay, Jackson. It doesn’t look that deep. I’m going to get your little girl.”

The rain cut out.

The sound stopped.

“Morgan? Kitty, are you there? MORGAN!”

Morgan was gone.

The call had ended. I grabbed the phone and dialed her number.

Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring.

“All circuits are busy—”

“Fuck!” I screamed and slammed my phone on the bed. She’s okay. It’s the cell tower. Not her. She’s okay.

“What can I do?” Sawyer asked quietly.

“Put me on a fucking plane!”

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-One

Morgan

Morgan, when it’s time to let go, you have to let go. Fall in love. Get married. Have all those babies you want. Just be happy. I hope the guy knows just how lucky he is, because I took way too long to recognize it. Go. Love. Live. I’ll be watching, cheering you on.

My hands cramped around the steering wheel. I wasn’t holding on so much as I was clutching the damned thing.

NC 12 was washed over but not washed out. Not yet. I made it through and onto Hatteras Island. Visibility was shit, and I’d skirted two pontoon boats before curving with the road into Buxton.

The roads were under water. How much? It couldn’t be that much, right? I kept an eye on anything that could clue me in to the depth and made my way slowly through the streets.

Go away, Ingrid!

You’re not welcome, Ingrid!

There were countless variations painted on the boards of houses I passed. Some had previous hurricane names lined through and Ingrid painted over. Rain pelted the back window now that I’d turned, increasing the visibility slightly, but I knew it would only be twice as bad once we were headed back.

There it was. Vivian’s house.

I pulled into the driveway, then said a prayer that she’d forgive me for assaulting her grass and pulled up so the doors opened right in front of the staircase. I put the truck in park but left it running. I still had a half tank, and I wasn’t taking any chances that something would happen and it wouldn’t start again.