Finding Haven (19 page)

His lungs surged with the salt air, and his muscles ached with exhaustion. It was
a damn near perfect day.

Haven listened to the old timers in the corner. “Sure is. Sometime next week’s when
I expect her to make landfall. Write it down.”

“Last summer we didn’t have much in the way of storms. Bound to catch up with us.
You’re probably right.”

The men went back and forth talking about one of the tropical storms that had been
named on the news. Haven hadn’t bothered to turn on the television; she knew she would
hear everything she needed to right here at the store.

It was Sunday and her favorite day to be at work. It was hard to explain, but there
was a certain serenity that descended on the island on Sunday, and it even found its
way into the general store. The fishing boats still went out and tourists still flocked
to the beaches, but the flow of the island slowed to an easy pace.

Haven knew the men would rock in the chairs and sip at least two cups of coffee before
leaving the store. They spent their Sunday mornings in the same corner while their
wives were at church. She pulled a scrap of paper from her apron and flattened it.

She had started the song in the shower, and slowly, the body of it was unraveling
on the paper. These were the days she wished she had her guitar with her. If she had
the chance, Sunday mornings would be the perfect time to write.

She looked around for Jay. It was fun writing with him on her porch, though he mainly
tossed out ideas she had to squash. However, that was part of the fun. She had never
laughed so much with her guitar in her lap. He reminded her that it was supposed to
be fun. Not everything could be emotional and reflective all the time. It starts to
take a toll if the lyrics deplete you. With Jay around, it felt like the lyrics were
breathing new life into her soul. It energized her like it never had before.

When he arrived this morning, he smiled, said hello, and immediately started sweeping
from the corner of the store. It was the first time she had seen him since the dinner
at her parents’ house. Since
the
hug. Since she melted in his arms in front of the kitchen sink.

She worked six days a week to make up for the money she had to repay her father. Everyone
else put in five. That meant Jay was gone for two days. Two long days.

Was it normal to miss someone you didn’t know well? She sighed, knowing the answer
was no. Nevertheless, there was something about him that she was drawn to, and when
he wasn’t around, it was noticeable that the air wasn’t as calm, that she wasn’t as
steady.

“Hey.” He strolled to the register. How did he appear like that? It reminded her of
a vampire in one of the books she was reading; he showed up when the girl least expected
it.

“How was your weekend? Do anything fun?” she asked, looking at his new sunburn. The
bridge of his nose was red. Secretly, she had wanted to hear from him over the weekend.
Ben had another bonfire, and the thought crossed her mind to invite him. For once,
she was trying to take things slowly, because apparently, when they were alone, the
brakes were unlocked and things spiraled before either of them could catch their breath.

“Good. Spent some time on the water. How about yours? Write anything new?” He smiled
as if he was sharing a secret with her.

“Actually, I’m working on something now. Want to take a look at it?” She twirled the
paper around so he could read it. She had never so readily handed over her lyrics
before.

He scanned the paper. “This is good. I like it. Maybe even better than the one from
the other night.”

“Really?” She blushed. How could anything be better than the other night? Her back
on the kitchen table, buttons flying everywhere—yeah, that was amazing.

“It sounds a little darker, like you’re coming from a deeper place. Finish it.” He
handed her the paper.

He said it like she could do it in five minutes. She intended to finish all of the
songs, but it didn’t work that way.

“I will. Hey, I was thinking about sending in the one you helped me with.”

“What do you mean?” He pulled a stick of gum from his pocket.

“I’ve been trying to get a contract with one of the labels in Nashville or Austin
since I graduated. Every week I send in at least one—sometimes more than that.” She
didn’t know whether to be proud or embarrassed by how high the number was. It grew
each week.

He leaned on the counter. “And do you know anyone at the labels? How do you know someone
gets them?”

Haven scrunched her face. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t thought of that before. “No,
I don’t know anyone. I
wish
I knew someone. But eventually, they’ll land in someone’s hands who loves them. I
just have to keep sending them.” She was new to the game, but she had researched all
of the right contacts at the labels. Every week she switched up her pitch letter before
sending another email. It was tedious and sometimes felt like a useless exercise,
but it was the only avenue she had.

“But, that’s a crap shoot.”

The words stung a bit. She thought he understood the publishing and discory process.
Wasn’t it the same routine he had to go through with agents and publishers?

Haven shrugged her shoulders. “What other options do I have if I don’t know anyone
in the business? I believe in my songs.” She was annoyed. “Do you have some advice
that will land me a big record contract? Do you know a huge star who wants to sing
my music?”

He placed one foot behind the other and backed away from the counter. She instantly
regretted being such a big mouth. He was always so good at helping her brainstorm.
She wanted him to stay longer, but he had a way of ducking out before she got all
that she needed.

“Good luck with your music. It’s great stuff.” He winked before ducking into the hallway.
He was probably headed to the rental booth. People loved to paddle on Sunday mornings.

Haven looked at the words and where Jay had stood seconds before. Well, that was a
disaster.

E
VAN KICKED
a log over with his foot as the flames rushed toward the stars. The work at the store
was easy, but at the end of the day, all he wanted to do was sit outside with a cold
beer, listen to his favorite music, and see how big a fire he could build. Somewhere
on that list, he wanted to add spending time with the girl who had pretty blue eyes,
but it seemed best to keep things light with Haven. He wasn’t here for all the strings
that came with getting attached to a girl like her.

He tipped his bottle back. He knew she was waiting for him to ask her out. The hints
were there. He also knew spending time with her could only lead to one thing, and
if they both were willing… He shook his head, imagining a night alone with her. It
would complicate things. Light was best. No drama.

He smiled thinking about how her nose crinkled when he threw out suggestions for her
songs. She was damn cute, and every time he saw the spitfire in her emerge, he had
to fight the urge to pull her close and kiss him. That wasn’t good.

Today was her day off from the store. It didn’t feel the same when she wasn’t there.
Whenever he had a break, he found himself wandering to the register to see what words
had popped in her head, but instead, Nell was waiting with a to-do list. He imagined
she spent the entire time cocooned in her hammock, hatching song ideas. There was
no doubt she was talented. He couldn’t write a song, much less a greeting card, but
he knew she had that special something. When she sang her words, he knew it was like
witnessing someone who had figured out how to trap lightning shards in a bottle. The
words never left him—they stuck in his head—and he was afraid they weren’t going anywhere.

He tossed another piece of driftwood on the flames. If he helped her, it would mean
calling in a few favors. They would be small favors, but it involved reaching into
the pit. Why did she have to have dreams that took her in that world?

The bottle was empty. Evan walked into Silver Belle to grab another. He had the next
two days off in a row, and he planned to finish the case he brought home with him.
He wished it didn’t bother him so much that he was going to go three days without
seeing Haven. Three days was way too long. He considered stopping by the store tomorrow
to say hey. He could pick up some more beer and steal a smile.

The wind had picked up and every once in a while, instead of reaching high, the flames
from the fire whipped sideways. One of the customers at the store had mentioned a
storm was off the coast, but everyone had their fingers crossed it would blow on by
and miss the island.

He made a mental note to check the radar in the morning. Maybe it meant bigger waves.
He might be hitting the surf again tomorrow.

W
HEN
E
VAN
awoke, Silver Belle rocked every few minutes from a big gust of wind. It howled at
the corners. He rubbed his eyes and strolled to the bay window.

He had never seen anything like it. The white caps were wide and high. He wasn’t the
only one who had considered surfing today. The ocean was dotted with the daredevils.

He scratched his head, considering the options.

The camper door sounded with heavy pounding. “Jay! You in there?”

Evan pulled on the lever. “Good morning, Harry. How are you?”

The older man steadied himself on the door and climbed up the stairs. “Not too good.
Look’s like we’re going to have to evacuate the campground.” Harry’s pale eyes filled
with concern.

“What?” The skies were gray, but it didn’t look that bad.

“Yep, weatherman’s calling for her to hit tomorrow night. I can’t take a chance with
people getting blown away out here. You’ll have to leave the island and come back
when she’s all gone.” He pulled a pack of cigarettes from his front pocket and offered
one to Evan.

“No, no thanks. I don’t smoke.” Evan hoped to God he didn’t light up inside the camper.
“Does that mean everyone on the island is leaving? How did it get so bad so fast?”
He overheard one of the clerks at the store yesterday making jokes about the bread
and milk rations, but he didn’t think much of it until now.

“She must have hit some warm water. Changed over from a tropical storm to a hurricane
overnight, and she’s headed this way. It’s best if you pack up and head inland. As
long as the bridge doesn’t get wiped out on the other side, you can come back over
when the ferry service is up and running again.” Harry patted Evan on the back.

Evan tried to think through his options. He didn’t want to leave Perry Island, but
he had never been in a hurricane and realized Silver Belle wouldn’t be a safe place
to stay.

“When do I have to leave?” Evan had no interest in packing his things in the duffle
bag and driving west.

“Mandatory evacuation for nonresidents through tomorrow morning. My guess is they’ll
run the ferry all night to get people off the island.” Harry had a hand on the door.
“I’ve got to get the word out to everyone else, and then start securing the place.”

“Do you need some help?” Evan offered.

“I don’t want to keep you. You need to get moving.” Harry wasn’t convincing.

“I can leave later. Let me help you, Harry.” Evan didn’t know what storm prep entailed,
but he figured the older man and Shug couldn’t do everything alone.