An Island Christmas (8 page)

Felicia nodded calmly, thinking fast. “Okay, Mom, let’s not panic. Let’s think this through. I’m going to run upstairs to see if Archie left his cell phone here. He hates carrying it. You look for Dad’s cell.”

Felicia found Archie’s phone just as she thought she would, lying on the dresser. She hurried back downstairs to the kitchen.

“I found George’s phone on his desk in his study.” Jilly tossed the device onto the kitchen table. “What did he think he was doing, going out on the water without his cell phone?”

At that moment, Rex strolled into the kitchen, obviously awakening from his nap in the laundry basket. He rubbed around Jilly’s ankles, purring.

Jilly picked him up and held him against her for comfort. “Oh, Rex, if only you could talk and tell us what you overheard. Where did they think they were going?” Helplessly, Jilly looked at her daughter. “What should we do?”

The landline phone rang. Jilly set the cat on the floor and snatched up the receiver. “No, Sebastian, we haven’t heard from them. They left a note saying they were going out on Ed Ramos’s boat but they haven’t returned it. How
long do you think we should wait before contacting the Coast Guard?”

Felicia sat very still as her mother hung up the phone.

Jilly was trembling. She clutched her hands together, in an attempt to calm down. “Sebastian thinks that, given the dark and the cold, we should contact the Coast Guard now and not wait. Also, he suggested calling the police and the hospital.”

“You call the Coast Guard, Mom. I’ll use my cell to call the hospital.”

The hospital had no record of any men brought in that day. As Felicia hung up, there was a knock at the door. She ran to answer it.

Nicole and Sebastian stood there. “We came to see if there is anything we can do to help.”

The three hurried to the kitchen. Jilly was leaning against the refrigerator wringing her hands. When she saw them, she gasped, “I spoke with John West, the commanding officer of the Coast Guard. They said a small motorboat has been anchored at Great Point for about four hours. No sign of”—Jilly couldn’t bring herself to say the word
life
—“people.”

Everyone was silent, riveted by their own thoughts to various possibilities, most of them frightening. It was one thing to be out on the water in an open boat in this cold weather if you wore warm clothing. And if it was daytime. If it was night, when the temperature plummeted, it was dangerous to be out in an open boat. Ice floes were already
forming on the harbor water. Hypothermia was always a danger.

Felicia’s thoughts swirled through her mind: her father. Her darling Archie. Her poor mother. Her sister. Christmas. The wedding. The cold night. Memories of people who had fallen overboard and drowned near the island. Stories of people who had jumped overboard to rescue someone else and both had sunk deep into the unforgiving water. Her legs felt like jelly under her.

“Sit down,” said Sebastian. “You, too, Jilly. Let’s not go to the worst-case scenario. Let’s take a moment to think.”

“I’ll make tea,” Nicole said.

Jilly sat down. Immediately Rex jumped up into her lap, pressed himself against her, and began to lick her chin. Automatically her hands went to his soft thick fur. She stroked him absentmindedly. “John West said they haven’t been able to make contact with the boat anchored at Great Point. They’re sending one of their own boats over to check it out. It’s possible it’s not Ed’s boat. It’s possible George and Archie are on their way back to the Madaket Harbor now—although nothing shows up on the Coast Guard radar.”

“Is Archie a good sailor?” Sebastian asked.

“He’s not very familiar with boats,” answered Felicia. “But he’s a good strong swimmer,” she added, trying to reassure herself.

Nicole set steaming mugs of tea in front of Jilly and Felicia. “Should we call the police?”

Jilly’s laugh was more of a shriek. “Yes, because George and Archie probably got drunk in a local bar, got into fights, and got tossed into jail.”

The front door opened and male voices boomed into the house. For a moment, everyone froze. Then, all at once, they crowded into the hall and raced down to see who was there.

“Hello, everyone! Is that coffee you’re drinking? I could use a hot drink.”

George and Archie stood there, warm, happy, and rosy-cheeked in their parkas and gloves, nothing wet, nothing dripping, nothing torn, nothing bleeding.

With a sob, Jilly cried, “Where the hell have you been?”

Behind George, Archie winked at Felicia.

“Having an adventure, my dear, having an adventure!” George roared heartily. He strode into the house with the air of a conquering hero.

Archie followed more quietly, a smile twitching at the corners of his mouth.

“Really, George, we’ve been worried sick. We’ve called the Coast Guard and the hospital and Ed Ramos doesn’t know where his boat is—”

“It’s safe and sound over on Great Point.” George peeled off his waterproof jacket and wool cap. The dryness of the air made his gray hair stand up as if electrified.

“But what happened?” Jilly demanded.

George shook his head. “Believe it or not, we ran out of
gas.” He glanced at his future son-in-law. “It’s not Archie’s fault. I should have known to check the fuel gauge. Fortunately, we were close to the beach, so we paddled in, anchored the boat, and walked home.” He practically crowed the last words.

Jilly’s hand flew to her chest. “
Walked
home? In this weather? That’s over fifteen miles!”

“And much of it was a trudge through heavy sand,” George said proudly. Less boastfully, he added, “We did catch a ride with a guy coming into town from Wauwinet Road.”

“But, Dad,” Felicia spoke up, “why didn’t you call to tell us you’d be late, or to ask for a ride?”

George looked sheepish. “We left our cells here. Didn’t think we’d need them, and you two were over on the Cape. Once we hit paved road and were off the damned sand, we hit our strides, and frankly, I didn’t want to stop walking.”

Felicia glanced at her mother, who managed to express anger, relief, and affection at the same time.

“Did you ladies have a good time shopping?” George asked.

“Don’t you ever, ever go off like that again without taking your cell phone!” Jilly said, her voice shaking. She shot an accusatory glance at Archie. “I would have thought you, a seasoned hiker, would have more sense!”

Before Archie could respond, George put his arms around Jilly and pulled her to him in a tight embrace. He
kissed the top of her head. “It’s totally my fault, Jilly. I’m so sorry if I worried you. I promise I’ll never go off without my cell phone again.”

Sebastian suggested, “Let’s have a drink to celebrate the safe return of the explorers.”

They gathered in the living room. Jilly phoned the Coast Guard to report the safe return of the two men. Felicia hurried into the kitchen to prepare a board of cheese, crackers, sausages, and chips for the hungry hikers. As she worked at the counter, she felt two arms circle her waist.

Leaning her head back, she purred, “I’m awfully glad you’re back.”

Archie said, “Your dad was great. He’s a real trouper.”

“Oh, dear,” Felicia moaned. “You’re turning my father into a manly man.”

“I don’t think your mother will mind,” Archie said.

When they returned to the living room, Felicia saw that Archie was right. Her mother was sitting as close to George as she could without sitting on top of him. And she was holding his hand, something Felicia hadn’t seen for years.

“Here’s a little snack for you.” Felicia set the board on the table.

Her father hardly noticed the food, he was so revved up. “Archie got to see a part of the island few people see!”

“Archie, how’s your head wound?” Felicia asked, although she knew from experience how hard-headed he was.

“No problem,” Archie told her. “Feels fine.”

“But weren’t you cold?” Jilly asked.

“Not at all!” thundered George. “The walk warmed us up.”

Felicia curled up next to Archie, watching her parents fondly. She hadn’t seen her father so animated in years. Archie and George both now practically inhaled the food. George talked as he chewed, and Jilly didn’t even seem to mind.

At Jilly’s feet, Rex sat with watchful eyes, waiting for bits of cheese and sausage to fall to the floor. Felicia saw Rex pounce on a morsel of cheese and eat it. She saw her mother watch and held her breath. Food on the carpet?

Jilly simply smiled beatifically. Looking at her daughter, she murmured, “Isn’t it helpful, having a cat? I won’t have to vacuum.”

9
 

Lying next to her happily exhausted husband who was snoring like a hippo, Jilly tossed and turned all night long. She was pleased and slightly amused that George had returned from his watery outing not only alive but convinced of his superman status, but in truth, she was also alarmed. That escapade could have ended so very differently! Truly, they were lucky to be alive, or at least not in the hospital with hypothermia. Or was it hyperthermia? Around Archie, everything was hyper.

Archie seemed like what George would call a perfectly decent fellow, and heaven knew he was handsome, but he was so energetic! So young, fit, muscular, and healthy. He wouldn’t understand how George, at fifty-eight, had slightly elevated blood pressure and a troublesome hip. Tomorrow he would ache all over, but because company was in the house, he would try to hide it and would appear merely ill at ease. George wouldn’t want to expose his age-caused weakness to his future son-in-law.

Jilly had to admit Archie was awfully attractive in a Liam Neeson way. (But wasn’t Liam Neeson Irish, not Scottish? It was questions like this in the middle of the night that made Jilly afraid she was becoming senile.) But what kind of husband would he be—and would he ever want to be a father? First, he breaks an antique chair, then he lures an old man into dangerous waters in December—Archie was reckless, and that did not bode well.

It had been marvelous watching Felicia and Steven reunite—how happy they had been to see each other. Felicia had hugged him, she’d been all over him. So maybe something else could take place to throw the two together …

Jilly fell asleep, plotting.

The next morning after breakfast, Felicia told her parents she was taking Archie out to walk around the island for the day. And yes, for sure, they were going to join the Gordons for tonight’s cocktail party at the Somersets’.

The moment her daughter and Archie were out the door, Jilly called Nicole. “Did you invite Steven to your party tonight?”

“Good morning to you, too,” Nicole responded.

“Sorry, Nicole, good morning. It’s just that—”

“Jilly. Deep breath. Take one,” Nicole ordered affectionately. “Yes, I did invite Steven. Yesterday on the boat, and
again this morning I phoned and left a message on his machine.”

Jilly sighed with relief. “You’re the best friend in the world. Isn’t Steven handsome?”

“Yes, but Archie is, too. And, Jilly—”

“I’ve got to go. See you tonight.”

That night the Somersets’ house was crowded from wall to wall with guests. Jilly chatted with friends, but always kept a careful eye on Felicia and Archie. At last her surveillance paid off: she saw Steven approach the couple. Felicia spoke and the two men shook hands.