Adrift

by Robin Wainwright

dangerous.”

  “I did, but I figured that Daniel wouldn’t be telling me to join him if it was dangerous. I made it most of the way around the gallery when I heard Michael calling my name.”

  Sarah smiled at Michael and handed him another cookie, Michael laughed and accepted it with a smile.

  Rolling her eyes at the byplay between Sarah and Michael, Maggie turned back to Heather. “So how did you fall?”

  “I heard Michael yelling for me to stand still so I stopped walking. That’s when the guy rushed me.”

  Sarah gasped in shock, “Oh my god Heather, did he push you?”

  “Well that’s what’s weird. It was like he was just a shadow and instead of hitting me his energy blew past me. But when he rushed me I jumped back, and when I did, the floor gave way.” Heather looked down at her coffee and stopped talking.

  Daniel picked up the tale, “I hit the lantern room just as Heather started falling; I tied one end of the rope to the railing around the lantern and the other around myself and went out to get her. I was able to tie the rope around her but when she shifted to untangle her legs from the baluster, the gallery gave way. Thank god Michael grabbed the other end of the rope; he stopped us from falling too far.

  Daniel gave Michael’s shoulder a squeeze, “Thank you for following me up into the lighthouse.”

  “Honestly I didn’t really have a choice. I was going to head back to the trailer and call for help but someone pushed me back toward the lighthouse.”

  “Should I ask who?” Sarah asked.

  “You can ask, but I don’t have an answer. There was no one there, Sarah. Maybe it was the same person who woke us up and got us to look at the lighthouse. But I’ve got to tell you, this person was really insistent that I go help Daniel.”

  “Well we’re lucky you did,” Daniel said with a smile. “In the future I won’t be teasing you about your appetite, because you’ve obviously been eating your Wheaties. I can’t believe that you pulled both Heather and I back up onto the gallery.”

  Michael shook his head and looked confused. “But I didn’t Daniel. I just caught the rope and stopped you from falling farther. I thought you were able to climb back up on your own.”

  “Michael, Heather and I were hanging in mid-air and she passed out. There was no way that I could have made my way back up that rope.”

  Everyone sat for a moment in stunned silence.

  Michael cleared his throat and said to Daniel, “I suppose you’re going to stay here tonight.”

  “Yes.”

  “Great, that means I have to go back to our haunted trailer all by myself.”

  Sarah smiled, “Michael there is room at the inn. Why don’t you come back with me to Gnome’s Rest? In the morning I’ll cook you a breakfast fit for a hero.”

  “Thank you Sarah. Let me help you clear the table and we’ll let Heather and Daniel get some sleep.” Michael gathered up empty coffee cups and followed Sarah into the kitchen, winking broadly at Daniel as he went.

  Heather opened her eyes to a sunny room and Daniel’s smiling face.

  “I love watching you sleep,” he said.

  “I love you waking me with kisses.”

  “I’ll have to remember that,” he said as he lowered his lips to hers.

  As they broke apart, Daniel gave a little wince and Heather asked, “How are you feeling?”

  “Just a little sore, but thankful.”

  Heather stretched, winced and nodded her head, “Me too. How about a hot shower?”

  Waggling his eyebrows Daniel said in a seductive voice, “A hot shower with you sounds exactly like what I need.” He winced when he tried rolling out of bed.

  “I tell you what; I’ll take a rain check on the shared shower until you’re feeling better. You go first and I’ll go start the coffee.”

  Nodding, Daniel made his way to the shower hunched over and imitating Igor. Heather laughed and clinched her ribs in pain.

  “Aspirin,” she said as she headed to the kitchen.

  Heather and Daniel were settled across the kitchen table from each other with steaming mugs of coffee in their hands.

  “So did you get the paperwork finished?” Daniel asked.

  Heather gaped at Daniel and realized that with all the craziness of the night before she had forgotten her good news.

  “Daniel I have a surprise for you.”

  “Okay. Do I have to wait until my muscles are healed?”

  “Stop it,” she laughed giving him a playful slap on his arm and Daniel grinned.

  “It’s about my meeting with the lawyer, it involved more than the house. Daniel, my Dad left me the house and named me the beneficiary on his life insurance policy. It’s enough money for me to buy Java Junction and still have some money for emergencies.”

  Grinning ear-to-ear, Daniel came around the table to gather Heather in his arms. “Honey, I’m so happy for you. I know you’ve been dreading leaving here in October.” He gave her a big kiss and went back to his seat.

  “Daniel about October, I know we’ve avoided talking about what was going to happen to our relationship once I moved back home…”

  “Heather,” Daniel tried to interrupt her but Heather refused to be stopped.

  “…but I have to tell you that you have become more than a summer fling…”

  Daniel tried again, “Heather…”

  “…and I’ve decided that I’ll do whatever it takes to make our long distance relationship work—”

  “Heather! I love you.” That stopped Heather cold.

  “What?”

  “I said I love you.”

  Heather sat in stunned silence and Daniel began to feel self-conscious, “Heather?”

  A slow grin moved over Heather’s face, “I love you too.”

  Daniel let out a relieved breath, “Phew, you scared me. Now, as far as having a long distance relationship goes, let me tell you about my trip home.”

  Daniel explained that he had made arrangements so that he could stay in Crescent Bay for the duration of the lighthouse renovation. He’d have to make a few trips to other renovation projects, and to the main office, but he could make Crescent Bay his home base.

  With joy in her heart, Heather rushed around the table to kiss Daniel.

  They soon understood how porcupines make love—very carefully.

  27

  A long while later Heather and Daniel sat across from one another at Heather’s favorite table in Java Junction. Heather watched the tourists enjoying the beautiful summer day and marveled at the fact that she was no longer one of them. She was now a legitimate villager. Crescent Bay was now her official home.

  Daniel reached across the table and grasped Heather’s hand. “You’re so far away, penny for your thoughts.”

  “I’m just amazed at how right this feels. I’m no longer an outsider, this is my home.”

  Daniel raised Heather’s hand to his lips and kissed it. He pressed a penny into her hand and released it.

  They were both smiling into each other’s eyes when Jennifer came over and placed a latte in front of Heather. The top of the foam was decorated with a perfectly formed heart.

  Jennifer smiled at Heather, “For my new boss.”

  Heather looked surprised and Daniel leaned forward and whispered, “Scuttlebutt darling.”