Barefoot Bay: Just the Two of Us (Kindle Worlds) Page 13

  “I can’t seem to make any headway,” Lisa claimed.

  “Keep trying. That’s all we can do.”

  He was cold, but kept paddling. Lisa must feel just as miserable as he did.

  Rain slashed down, unrelenting. Had Luke been wrong about Florida showers being brief? Where was the sunshine he’d promised?

  After half an hour fighting the waves, his arm ached, and the hard floor pushed against his knees. His wet pants legs clung to his skin.

  “Are we getting any closer?” Lisa shouted over the wind.

  He stared toward Mimosa Key. “Can’t tell. Keep paddling.”

  “My arms are tired.”

  “Mine too. We have to get near land to get reception.” His arms really ached. He must be stressing muscles he didn’t ordinarily use. He probably should have used a more extensive exercise program. He’d look into it after he got back to his cottage—if he got back that was. He couldn’t think like that. They would make it. They had to. He owed it to Lisa to keep her safe. Hell, he didn’t just owe it, he wanted her safe. Even if he didn’t make it, she must survive.

  And he wanted to survive with her. He paddled harder, but they didn’t seem to get any closer to land. “Try your cell again, Lisa.”

  “I dialed 9-1-1, but I’m getting static.”

  “Keep talking. Maybe someone will hear.”

  She held the phone to her ear. “We’re out in the Gulf, our boat motor won’t start, and we’re trapped in a storm.”

  She listened for a moment. “We’re near Mimosa Key. I don’t want the Naples Police Department. We need the Coast Guard.”

  She listened. “Yes, I’ll hold while you transfer. Just don’t lose me.”

  Justin put his ear near hers to listen. Nothing but static came through. This was terrible. His stomach roiled. He held his breath and listened. The line went dead. “Hang up and try again.

  She dialed again. “Yes. We need the Coast Guard to come rescue us.”

  Justin heard a man say, “Where are you?”

  Justin grabbed the phone. “Hell, I don’t know. We’re west of Mimosa Key.” He couldn’t see the island. “Probably opposite Barefoot Bay. That’s where we left before the storm blew in.”

  “I’m sorry for your predicament. How was the weather when you set out?”

  “The weather looked fine then, but now the motor won’t work, and we’ve drifted farther out. How long before you can send a boat or a helicopter?”

  “Thirty minutes max. Hold tight. As soon as I get an updated weather report, we’ll decide what to send. Do you want me to call you back?”

  “Sure.” He rattled off her number. Justin listened, barely able to pick up background conversation over the static. Someone commented about “damn fools don’t check weather reports.” Another man said, “That’s what we’re here for, to rescue folks in trouble.” Then the line went dead. Justin dialed 9-1-1 again, and got nothing but static. “Now we don’t know whether to look for a boat or a helicopter.”

  Lisa laid her paddle on the floor. “I suppose there’s no point in trying to get closer to shore.”

  “We’ll just have to wait.” He pulled her under the roof. “You must be chilled to the bone. I know I am. Come closer, and let me warm you up.”

  She scooted over and knelt beside him. He wrapped his arms around her. He held her tight and tried not to think what would happen if the Coast Guard didn’t find them. But he needed to keep her spirits up. He cradled her cheeks in his hands. “Let me warm your face.”

  She inched closer, but kept shivering.

  He studied her eyes, watching to be sure they didn’t become glassy. “I don’t want you to get hypothermia. Stay alert. Talk to me.”

  “What about?”

  “You joined the book club group for the summer. Have you seen anything suspicious, like jewelry in an unusual place?”

  She shook her head. “I’ve looked. Once Chenille caught me in her bedroom. She was hosting the group that day.”

  “What did you say to her?”

  Lisa rubbed her hands together. “I told her I was hunting a nail file or an emery board.” Lisa remembered how nervous she’d been. She’d frantically rummaged through Chenille’s bureau drawers, hoping she’d replaced everything where it was. Lisa had looked through all of the dresser drawers on one side when she heard footsteps. Must be Chenille’s.

  Lisa froze. How could she explain why she was here? She didn’t want to tell her the real reason. That would ruin everything for Justin.

  She took a deep breath. Tried to think. She stared at her nails. She held out one hand. “Do you have an emery board or a nail file somewhere? One of my nails is rough. Rough.nails drive me crazy.”

  Now, she looked up at Justin. “I told her I needed a nail file or an emery board and that I hated having rough nails. That’s true. Luckily, she believed me. She pulled open the top drawer on the other side and pulled out a nail file. I worked on my fingernail until it was almost too short, but she didn’t leave the room, so I gave up.”

  “Does Chenille work part time for anyone?” Justin asked. “Luke said she has a trust fund her great aunt left her that’s enough for her regular needs.”

  Charity at the Super Min said Chenille gets extra money by writing about society news for the local paper. She also has a regular column on beauty tips. Her clothing taste is eclectic, but she seems to have enough to wear different outfits for every book club meeting I’ve attended.”

  Justin squeezed her hands. “You don’t feel as cold as you did.”

  “I do feel a little warmer now. What about Ashley? You took her to South of the Border. Did you take a look at her apartment?”

  “She lives with her mother and her stepfather. She asked how I could tell diamonds from cubic zirconia, and I showed her the difference between her mother’s diamond and her cubic zirconia. She said she prefers casual jewelry. From the looks of her jewelry box, she had plenty. I don’t think she wants more expensive jewels.”

  “What about the new maid and the temporary employee?”

  “I have yet to check their apartments. Someone else has been tempting me to spend all my time with her.” He grinned.

  She shivered. “I love being with you, but I don’t want to stand in the way of your business here.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll catch whoever’s doing this and bring her to justice. If she’s one of the year-round residents, she’ll probably be banned from living here.”

  A gust of wind rocked the boat, shoving Lisa against Justin. He held her tighter and kissed her. Thank goodness, her lips seemed warm. If only they were in a nice warm bed—he couldn’t stop thinking about squeezing her soft breasts and making love to her. He’d try to make that happen before his two weeks were up. And damn. He needed to figure out what to do about working for Father as an assistant in Stevie’s old store. Father hadn’t come right out and said Stevie would get the new store, but Justin was sure he would.

  The roar of a motor sounded off to their right, between their boat and the island. A helicopter, barely visi1ble through the rain, was chugging toward them.

  As it hovered above them, a basket lowered, bearing a man holding a harness.

  Lisa drew in a quick breath. “He’s wearing flippers. Are we going to have to jump in the water and swim?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s wait and see.”

  Their rescuer kept trying to swing the basket toward their boat, but the wind hampered him. Finally, he grabbed two life-preserver rings and jumped in the water. He swam to their boat, which now rocked alarmingly. The rain still poured.

  When he got close, he hollered, “Can you swim?”

  Both Lisa and Justin nodded.

  He held onto the life preserver ring. “I want the woman to jump in and swim toward me.”

  Justin hurried to the front of the boat. “I’ll drop the anchor.”

  * * * *

  Lisa took a deep breath and jumped. The cold water filled her nose. She couldn’t
hear anything under the water. Her eyes stung, and she couldn’t see. She grabbed at the water. Hoped she hadn’t gone very deep. The waves swayed her from side to side. With her arms, she pulled as hard as she could. She kicked. She had to reach the top.

  Finally, she surfaced. Water ran down her face. She rubbed her nose. The helicopter rotors almost drowned out the sound of the wind.

  Her rescuer swam closer and held out the life preserver. Feeling drained, she kicked and swam toward him. Reaching the ring at last, she clung to it.

  “I’m Mark,” her rescuer said. “I’ll help you into the basket.”

  She looked back at the boat. Justin was about to jump.

  “No! Wait,” Mark yelled. “I need to secure her first.” He drew the net basket close. After helping her inside, he attached a thick fabric band around her and hooked her to the net. “This is called a rescue strop. It will keep you from falling out as you are hoisted up.”

  He signaled the pilot and the basket rose. Sure enough, she felt the pull of the rescue strop as the wind shook the basket, shoving her legs across the floor. She twined her fingers in the net, hanging on for dear life. The cold breeze chilled her wet skin and the rain pelted her.

  Finally, the basket reached the helicopter. She grabbed a support rope, ready to get on the aircraft.

  “Stay put,” a man in the doorway yelled over the noise of the rotors. “Hi, I’m Don. I’m an aviation survival technician. Wait until the basket’s inside.”

  She looked for Justin, but all she could see was a shadowed form on the rocking boat.

  As soon as the basket was pulled inside the helicopter and Don unhooked her, she tried to climb out. The rotor noise was even louder inside the craft. Her legs shook so badly, she could hardly keep upright. Her teeth were chattering. She felt cold and weak. Half walking and half crawling, she made it out and collapsed on the floor. The next thing she knew Don had rolled her over and was rubbing her breastbone. “What – what are you doing?”

  He pulled a blanket over her bottom half. “It’s called ‘noodling.’ I don’t want you to suffer from hypothermia. I need to keep you alert and warm. Will you be okay for a moment while I lower the basket?”

  “Yes,” she managed to get out.

  He used a winch to lower the basket again. The rain let up a bit. Mark yelled, “Jump.”

  Watching, she held her breath. “I can’t see him. Did he come up?”

  “Yes, he’s swimming toward Mark now.”

  She sighed in relief. She tried to sit up, but felt too weak. “Tell me what’s happening.”

  “He’s climbing inside the basket. Now Mark’s inside the basket hooking him up with the rescue strop. He’s signaling me to pull them up.”

  Lisa held her breath, hoping nothing would go wrong. A lump grew in her throat. She couldn’t lose him now, not when they seemed to be getting closer together. She’d never felt this close with Bill.

  Don worked the winch. “The wind’s making the basket sway back and forth. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

  Finally, the basket reached the floor of the helicopter. Don unfastened Justin and helped him climb out.

  Mark collapsed the net basket. “Sorry, we don’t have any seats. There just isn’t room with all the equipment we need to carry.” Over to one side a stretcher was fastened to the wall. An oxygen tank was held in position with metal half-rings.

  Lisa finally managed to sit up and lean her back against a bare space on the wall. “Are you trained in first aid too?”

  Don nodded. “We have to be.” He checked Justin over and handed him a blanket. “I think you’ll be okay.”

  Justin sat next to Lisa and took her hand. “Thank goodness you’re all right. I was so worried.”

  “I’m fine,” she said, though she still felt a bit shaky. At least she was a little warmer now. She could see herself seeing more of Justin and enjoying his company.

  Except, he didn’t seem to know where he was going with his life.

  Chapter Ten

  On the helicopter ride to Mimosa Key, Justin wrapped a blanket around them both, and Lisa snuggled in his arms.

  He smiled. “It’s good to feel you getting warm again. I want you to take a hot bath or shower when you get home.”

  She whispered in his ear. “I’ll be sure to do that.”

  He grinned. “Maybe you might like to share a hot shower.”

  Should she go along with that? Was she letting the emotion of living through this ordeal cloud her judgment? Could she really trust her feeling they were close enough to be a couple? What would happen when she left Barefoot Bay and returned to Hurst? Would he return to work in his stepfather’s jewelry chain or look for something else? Would he contact her after returning to Dallas? She felt close to him now, but what if he left the jewelry chain and looked for other opportunities, like opening a store here?

  He looked at her with a question in his eyes. She needed to answer his question about the shower. She wasn’t ready to go that far. “I’ll be fine if I can just go home, take that hot shower and go to bed…by myself.”

  “You be sure to do that,” Don said. “You need a good rest after this.”

  Justin looked disappointed, but at least he wasn’t mad. She appreciated how caring he was being.

  As they landed at the helipad, the sun came out. The blue waters looked calm, but they couldn’t see the boat. Jason said, “After I take you home, I need to go to the rental place and explain about the boat. Maybe now that it’s calm, they can tow it in.”

  “The store’s not far from here. The rain’s stopped, and the sun has come out. We could walk.”

  “You sure you’re up to it?”

  “It’s only a couple blocks. I’m warmer now. I can manage.”

  They thanked Mark, the rescue swimmer, Don, the technician, and the pilot for rescuing them and left the blankets on the floor.

  Justin helped Lisa stand. Mark looked her over. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  She was feeling better now. “I can handle it, thank you.”

  Mark climbed down. “Stick one leg out and face the helicopter.”

  Lisa reached down as Mark guided her foot to the strut. When she had both feet on the metal bar, he took her hand and helped her down. He did the same for Justin and climbed back into the aircraft. “Either sit down or walk away from the helicopter so you won’t be caught in the draft as the rotors rev up.”

  Justin and Lisa backed farther away and waved as the aircraft took off.

  “We can’t call without our phones, Lisa said. “We’ll have to walk to the boat rental place. Maybe we can get Stevie to pick us up.”

  “I’ll call him after I explain about the boat being missing.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “You sure you’re okay to walk that far?”

  “My cottage is closer. I can’t wait to take a hot shower.”

  He put an arm around her waist. “Let’s go.”

  They had to pass the Super Min on the way. Justin paused. “I really should call the boat place now.”

  Lisa shivered, in spite of the bright sunshine flooding down now.

  After they walked into the store, Justin grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her. “This should help.” He picked up a chocolate bar. “Eat this. It will give you energy.” He walked to the counter, and laid down a bill. “That’s for the blanket and her candy. Charity, may I use your phone? Mine got all wet, and I need to call someone.”

  Lisa was still chilly, but the blanket helped.

  Charity brushed back her frizzy caramel-colored hair. “Looks like you both got wet. Did someone push you into a pool?”

  Justin shook his head. “No. We were marooned on a boat, and the Coast Guard had to send a rescue helicopter.”

  “I’ve always wanted to ride one. Was it exciting?”

  “I was too busy worrying about being drowned in the Gulf,” Justin said.

  “Oh, wow. You must have really had an adventure.” Her dark brown eyes focused on Lisa
’s face. “You’re wet too. I’ve seen you two together a lot.” She smiled. “Is there going to be another wedding soon?”

  “I don’t think so,” Justin said. “I really need to use your phone.”

  Lisa felt a lump grow in her throat. Maybe he didn’t think being together would last.

  Charity held out a phone. “Who are you going to call? I can punch in the number for you.”

  “The boat rental place.”

  “You wrecked the boat, didn’t you?”

  “No. The motor stopped working, and it’s still out in the Gulf.”

  “I see.” She punched in some numbers.

  Lisa nibbled on the chocolate bar while Justin explained about the boat.

  Charity beckoned Lisa close. “I can’t believe he was careless enough to run out of gas. You need to watch that fellow.”

  Justin covered the mouthpiece. “I heard that. It wasn’t my fault. Something’s wrong with the motor.”

  Charity shook her head. “Jacob’s an honest man. He wouldn’t rent out a boat that didn’t work properly, nor fill a gas tank only halfway. Are you sure you didn’t fill it up?”

  “My brother swore Jacob filled it up before we left.” Justin went on the explain to the boat dealer what happened and where he figured the boat was now, then hung up.

  Charity took back her phone. “So his brother went with you. Where is he now? I always like to know who’s seeing Casa Blanca’s women. Did he bring a date?”

  “No.” Lisa said. “The three of us went fishing, but after we’d been out an hour, he said he wasn’t feeling well and asked us to drop him off. The weather was nice then.”

  Charity leaned back against the wall behind the counter. “Maybe he sensed there was going to be a storm. Some folks know that ahead of time, just by the way they feel. Looks like he left you two to face the worst of it. Some brother you’ve got, Justin.”

  “Actually, he’s my stepbrother.”

  Charity nodded. “I see. Is there bad blood between you?”

  “No. not really.”

  “Or maybe he’s jealous and wants this pretty woman of yours,” Charity said.