The Whirlwind Rescue

by Ginny Sterling

  “Like you?” Jacob asked quietly, yawning again.

  “I’m not a superhero, buddy. I’m just a guy that was in the right place at the right time, and trying do to the best I can,” Gavin said quietly, looking away.

  Natalie couldn’t help herself. She reached out across the table and silently squeezed Gavin’s hand. He looked up at her, his dark brown eyes wary.

  She understood that inner worry and silent fear. She was worried, too. It would crush her to fall for him again and then have him disappear, but deep down inside hope was blooming that maybe this was a second chance for them to make amends.

  “Let’s eat and get some rest,” she offered, releasing his hand, pushing a slice of bread towards him.

  The trio scarfed down the food in an almost shameless manner. Jacob began licking the butter off his fingers and laughing as Natalie did the same thing. Gavin rolled his eyes and handed them each a napkin, as they giggled conspiratorially.

  Sliding out of the booth, Jacob laid down on the bench as Gavin pulled the table back, giving the boy a little more room. Natalie covered him up with a few tablecloths as a makeshift coverlet.

  “Get some rest and when the weather clears up, we’ll go find your parents,” she whispered, leaning down as she pushed his hair out of his face. “Sweet dreams, Jacob, and we’ll be in the next booth if you need anything.”

  “Goodnight, Mercy. Goodnight, Captain FEMA,” he breathed, shutting his eyes and sighing. Natalie didn’t have the heart to correct him and grinned at the new nicknames she and Gavin had. Straightening up, she looked over her shoulder.

  “So, which do you prefer?” she said playfully.

  “Which, what?”

  “Which nickname? Captain FEMA or Poprocks?”

  “I prefer you call me Gavin,” he admitted, extending his hand towards her. Natalie took it, only to get tugged into his arms. The squish of their wet clothing against each other made her laugh softly as he smiled tenderly.

  “You can call me Captain Squishy, Captain FEMA, Poprocks, or…” he whispered, caressing her cheek with his thumb, “…you could just call me yours?”

  Natalie didn’t argue in the slightest.

  Instead, she let herself be wrapped up in the web he was spinning around her heart. It was so easy to fall for him. Maybe things would be okay if she took what was growing between them at face value, instead of overanalyzing or looking for the negative all the time. If she focused on the negative, she would find something to nitpick about. It was time to shift her focus on the positive… and she was positive that this felt right between them.

  The kiss they shared was so tender, so full of hope. His lips coaxed hers, silently showing her how he felt when words just didn’t seem to be enough. He’d always been loving towards her and she felt like such a fool for walking away. She’d expected him to fight for their relationship, for her…but maybe she was just as guilty of being complacent. She didn’t fight for what they had, either. Both of them had been wrong and had a chance to make it right. Gavin broke the kiss and laid his forehead against hers, his eyes shut, as he took several deep breaths.

  “I’ve missed you so much,” he admitted in a painfully raw voice.

  “I’ve missed you, too,” she confessed. It was time for open, truthful honesty between them. Her hands reached up to cup his where they lay on either side of her face. “I feel like such a fool wishing you to act like someone else. I just needed you. I know and understand that you have to distance yourself – and I’m so sorry I ever hurt you.”

  “Natalie, I never felt I was good enough for you and hearing you say it just made me realize that this was all a wonderful dream that I couldn’t have.”

  “You had me, we had this,” she said painfully, feeling hot tears burn at her eyes, “but when you didn’t say anything, you didn’t fight for it – that hurt. I felt like you didn’t want me.”

  “I’ve always loved you,” he breathed painfully, his own eyes shimmering with emotion. “I knew I loved you the first time I saw you. That endearing way you held up your hand asking me to call you as we drove off in the ambulance… My heart was yours in that moment back then.”

  “Then why did we ever let this disappear between us?” she asked, feeling a tear slip past her eyelashes, running down her cheek.

  “Maybe so we valued what we once had when we got this chance again,” he whispered, kissing the tip of her nose and wiping away the tears. “I love you and I am never leaving you, no matter how many times you push me away. I can’t say goodbye again.”

  “I love you, too,” she admitted. “I always have. From the first moment you made me laugh, to each time we sang in that beat-up truck you drove, to the way you treat me like I’m something precious to you…”

  “You are precious,” he interrupted quickly.

  “And you are too,” she breathed, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him again, breathing against his lips. “You are my superhero,” she whispered in the silence of the room.

  “I’m serious,” he confessed, “I can’t do this again if you leave me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I don’t mean now… I mean in the future.”

  “Gavin, I can’t say goodbye again.”

  “I want us to be in a relationship, a serious one,” Gavin said reverently, his eyes bright with tears as he looked at her, pouring out his heart. “I want us to be a couple, not just talking or dating. I want us to work out whatever we need to work out together.”

  “Like where I’m going to work now that my bed and breakfast is gone?” she teased painfully, a reminder of just how destroyed everything was right now, but instead of feeling bereft-she felt reborn. She was on the precipice of a new beginning and instead of being scared like last time, she felt hopeful.

  “We’ll do everything together. I’ll help with the insurance papers and we’ll have a good cry over how bad things really were a few months from now. I feel like I can do anything as long as I have you by my side.”

  “I want this, too,” she said, smiling as she cried unabashedly. This was the emotional man she wanted, the man that could love like no other. He was still hidden deep down inside the protective shell around his heart.

  The beloved heart that beat for her.

  Chapter 8

  Natalie listened to the sounds of Jacob’s soft snores coming from the next booth over. Things seemed to be settling down and even with the storm outside, they felt a modicum of safety in this moment. Gavin urged her to lay down in the booth and get some rest, something that she didn’t think she would be able to do.

  Her mind was spinning, her world reeling, that they were going to step forward and try it all again between them. There were so many unanswered questions, so many things she wanted to analyze and scrutinize, but it would have to wait. She needed to focus on her feelings, the ‘now’ of what they were.

  Something so fragile as their emotions could be so easily hurt and both were vulnerable. Her scrutiny was what sent them careening into an emotional ditch. It was time to take things slowly and one step at a time. They’d simply go slow since they’d crossed the biggest hurdle already… giving their love a second chance.

  She wadded up a tablecloth and stuffed it under her head as a makeshift pillow as Gavin draped another one over her for a blanket. Glancing up at him, she yawned.

  “Aren’t you going to lay down too?”

  “Get some rest,” he said evasively, “I’ll watch out for you both and we can take turns in a little bit.”

  “Are you regretting this already?” she asked nervously, feeling her confidence slipping away as she studied him. He’d grown quiet and had this shell-shocked or bland look to his expression. All the smiles and soft gazes were gone, leaving a moment’s fear.

  “Natalie,” he breathed, kneeling down on the floor beside where her head lay on the makeshift pillow. His hand caressed her forehead, pushing her wet hair that was drying in big clumps off of her face. She was positive that she
was atrocious looking.

  “Please don’t worry.”

  “I can’t help it. I don’t want to get hurt again.”

  “Neither do I,” he admitted. “But I want to do things differently this time and talk about it if something is bothering you. I don’t want things bottled up inside until it explodes. Tell me, so I can relieve any doubts.”

  “Your expression is different. You don’t look as happy as you did five minutes ago and I can’t help the doubts running through my mind.”

  “And that’s why I want us to talk. Five minutes ago, I felt like I’d won the lottery because you told me you loved me. Now, I feel like I’ve been sideswiped. I’m wondering if I am dreaming or if this is a reaction to trauma,” he stated painfully. His hand tenderly caressed her cheek.

  “What if you told me you loved me because you are scared and grasping at straws? I’m scared, more scared than I’ve ever been. I don’t want to mess things up again,” he admitted painfully.

  “You sound like me-overthinking things,” she teased painfully, grabbing his hand from where it had been pushing her hair from her face. She held it up to her lips and kissed his palm.

  “How about we both stop thinking right now and just take time to absorb what this is. Yes, right now we’ve both just gone through an event and it might color how we see things but I’ve missed you for such a long time. I plan on holding on to what that loss felt like and being grateful for a chance to be part of your world again.”

  “This is why I always thought you were out of my league,” he teased gruffly, leaning forward to kiss her on the forehead. “Incredibly smart and beautiful.”

  “You aren’t getting out of that sundae, either, mister,” she reminded him playfully of their negotiations.

  “Sounds like we have plans for a first date.”

  “I’m not sure if this qualifies as a first date if we’ve already told each other the ‘I love you’s’. I think it’s more of a great start to the second quarter of the game.”

  “First down and you’ve got the ball?”

  “I’m just glad the game isn’t over and we are both playing to win,” he chuckled with a shy smile.

  “I feel like I’ve won already.”

  “Me, too.”

  Awakening several hours later, Natalie realized that it was dark outside and the pounding of rain had lessened significantly. Leaning up on the vinyl padded restaurant bench, she was a little alarmed by how dark it was inside. Patting down the jacket, she reached inside and grabbed the precious iPhone, pushing the button on the side to illuminate it, anything to offer some light.

  Gavin was sitting up on the opposite bench with his back against the wall. He had his head tilted back and the poor dear was obviously fighting sleep.

  “You could have asked for the flashlight,” he whispered, his voice full of exhaustion. She wasn’t sure how long he’d been awake since before the storm but deep down inside she also somehow realized that he’d kept himself up to watch over them.

  “I didn’t want to bother you.”

  “You are never a bother,” he countered softly. “Jacob is still asleep and I think the storm is dying down.”

  “Thank goodness.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Much better. I needed a nap truthfully.”

  “I bet. Any change of heart while you slept?”

  “Do you want there to be?”

  “Nope.”

  “Nope,” she reiterated with a shy smile, “still in love with my guy.”

  “Good. ‘Cause your guy is crazy about you,” he whispered tenderly, closing his eyes again and smiling happily.

  “Let’s trade off,” Natalie said gently, sitting up. “Come lay down and take a nap. I will keep an eye out for a while.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “Maybe I want to help you as much as you helped me?”

  “I was thinking that we might head for the shelter so I can take a look at your cheek and maybe search for Jacob’s parents.”

  “Is everybody awake now?”

  Natalie and Gavin looked at each other in the dim light from the cell phone. She saw his eyebrow arch wryly as the dark head popped up over the seat bench inquisitively.

  “We thought we’d let you get some rest, but if you are up? How about we find the shelter so we can get Mercy a fresh Band-Aid?”

  “Maybe a Pokémon Band-Aid this time?” Jacob chimed in excitedly.

  “Or, we can let Gavin sleep and wait for the rain to stop,” Natalie countered pointedly.

  “What’s the battery showing on my cell phone?”

  “Twenty-two percent,” she admitted, grimacing.

  “That’s not going to last another day,” he said gently. “If we are in dire need, we need to have it available. Besides, we need to try to find Jacob’s parents.”

  “I know, but you are tired.”

  “I can sleep later,” he reassured her. “I promise.”

  36 hours later…

  It was pitch dark outside and occasionally the moon would slip out from behind the clouds for a brief moment before disappearing again. The rain had let up significantly. It wasn’t coming down in torrential sheets or painful pellets against the skin; instead, it was more like a heavy summer rain.

  Natalie would be glad when she could finally get dried off. Everything on her was stiff from sand, salt, and water, chafing against her skin. She was positive that the skin on her feet were positively prune-y and would never unwrinkle. Her shoes made squishy-sloshy sounds as she walked. But the most surprising thing about the last twenty-four hours was that she was happier than she’d ever been at this moment. She’d gone from terrified to overjoyed.

  Gavin was holding one of her hands while they walked in the rain and Jacob held the other. Jacob was just chatting along merrily about his dog, Wrinkles, and talking about his parents. If it wasn’t such an odd, wretched situation to be in the middle of, it would have felt like a family out for a walk.

  Except Jacob wasn’t related.

  They weren’t a family.

  This was the trailing edge of a horrible hurricane.

  And she was still sopping wet.

  “I think I’m going to grow mold at some point,” she said wryly.

  “Me, too,” Gavin said easily, leaning over to kiss her, “I do love blue cheese.”

  “You’re a…”

  “A dork? Silly? Happily in love?”

  “All of the above,” she said with a wide smile as he pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Crossing another street, they could hear the sounds of commotion up ahead. Emergency flood lights broke up the night sky as a beacon for others looking for shelter. As they got closer, she saw people wearing the bright red FEMA jackets matching the one she still had on. They were walking around with clipboards, taking names, and using cell phones to make contact with the outside world. Cases of fresh drinking water were stacked neatly in the rain as they were opened and bottles were carried inside.

  “I don’t want to lose you in the chaos,” Gavin said tightly. She knew he was about to get pulled back into the throng. His job was to help others and it was selfish of her to want to keep him all to herself. Tugging the trio to a stop, she smiled proudly at him, removing the FEMA jacket.

  “Put this back on and don’t worry about me. If we get separated, I’ll stay nearby until you come find me. Do what you need to do and I’ll be waiting for you. Jacob and I will try to find his parents. I’m not leaving without you.”

  “I love you so much,” he breathed, kissing her until she was breathless.

  “Ewww! That’s gross,” Jacob said from nearby, tugging at Natalie’s hand as if to try to get away from the kissing couple.

  “I am so proud of you, Gav,” she whispered proudly as she looked at the man before her, “Go get ‘em, my love. I’ll be waiting for you-always.”

  “You’re amazing.”

  “I’m not the superhero here today. You and your tea
m are. Go do your thing and help people.”

  “Magic shell and extra cherries,” he said tenderly, caressing her cheek. Tears sprang to her eyes as she remembered the fierce negotiations with him not so long ago.

  “Go,” she urged, laughing thickly before she started crying at how wonderful he was. Gavin nodded tightly and pulled back before leaning forward to give her another peck on the lips. He walked off and rejoined the team, immediately setting to work. Natalie raised her hand in a silent wave that went unseen.

  “Jacob, let’s go find your parents,” she vowed.

  They dissolved into the miasma of people flooding into the building. While the streets had been emptied of people, obviously a good majority had found the shelter or they were making their way there now that help had arrived. Generators hummed nearby, providing power to the building and facilities.

  Natalie was shuffled into a large crowd of people, answering a flurry of questions to people with clipboards. Jacob was also answering questions and when the emergency workers found out they weren’t related, they tried to take him to another part of the building to see about reuniting him with his parents.

  “Wait! I’ll come with him!” she protested, seeing Jacob crying and reaching for her. “We’ve become friends and he’s scared.”

  “Come on, then,” they offered, allowing her to go with Jacob onto the other floor. There were cages with animals waiting to be reunited, as well as people crying from the trauma of the hurricane’s swift blow to the island. Stepping into the open conference room of the building where a flurry of cots was set up for people to sit on and rest upon, she saw head after head, row after row. It was terrifying to see the massive amount of people that had been separated from family members. It took no time to hear a piercing scream from nearby.

  “JACOB!”

  A dark-haired woman wrapped in a blanket was racing frantically down the aisle of cots towards them. She immediately collapsed at Jacob’s feet, crying and hugging him haphazardly. Natalie felt her own tears boil to the forefront as she began crying in reaction to the flurry of emotions flowing through her. She’d wondered what kind of devastation that losing a child would cause and now she saw such unbridled gratitude and relief that it was humbling.