Summer Beach: Coral Cottage

by Jan Moran

  Shifting in his chair, Jack said, “Ginger is a remarkable woman, isn’t she?”

  Marina was so angry she didn’t trust herself to answer that. Instead, she explained the menu as calmly as she could, and then returned to look for Kai, who was in the kitchen nearly hyperventilating with Ginger.

  Now wasn’t the time to tell Ginger about Jack’s intention to write a book. Marina was sure that Ginger would have been the first to mention it. Trying not to let her anger overwhelm her, Marina took a deep breath. Besides, Kai was in extreme distress.

  “Why didn’t you tell me Axe was going to be here?” Kai wailed, covering her face with her hands. “And me, looking like this. I’m so horribly plain.”

  “Shh,” Marina said, admonishing her. “What are you, Fancy Nancy or something? You’re fine, and Axe is glad to see you. Now pull yourself together and get back out there. We’re professionals.”

  Kai rolled her eyes. “I’m so dead.” She slid off the stool and opened the door.

  “Don’t forget the pear and crispy prosciutto appetizer,” Marina called out, motioning to a platter. Kai picked it up, forced a smile, and carried on. She was, after all, a very good actress.

  Ginger shrugged. “Kai is beautiful. What’s the problem?”

  “I think she’s been wearing stage makeup so long that she forgot how to see herself without it.” Marina threw up a hand. “I think this reaction should also give her a fresh perspective on Dmitri. If she’s still swooning over Axe, how committed can she be to Dmitri?”

  “A woman’s heart is a miracle of complexity,” Ginger said. “What’s next on the menu?”

  “Luau spareribs.” Her grandmother had a point. Marina thought of her mixed feelings over Jack. He’d shown his true colors tonight, and that was something she could hardly ignore. Red flags waving in the breeze out there. She took an extra sip of wine and turned her attention to the next appetizer.

  The night progressed with no further incidents until the limoncello langostinos.

  Marina rested her hands on the counter. “We’re short a langoustine due to the extra guest. But I have an idea. I was going to serve these butterflied, but let’s cut them in half. Instead of plating these, Kai can serve them and offer guests a choice of one or two. I’ll bet that a couple of the women—probably Vanessa—will only take one. And I think another one of those women from L.A. is on a diet. She hasn’t eaten much either.”

  “Brilliant solution,” Ginger said, hefting a large chef’s knife. She sliced through the langoustines, and soon, the dish was complete.

  Marina explained the change to Kai and sent her out. Watching the guests, Marina breathed a sigh of relief. “Exactly what I thought,” she said.

  After that, it was time for dessert. Ginger helped put it together by scooping ice cream while Marina plated, added berries, and drizzled a sauce.

  While Kai was serving dessert, Marina turned to Ginger. “Jack just announced that he’s writing a book about you. Are you aware of this?”

  Ginger shook her head. “That’s not correct at all.”

  “No, it’s not,” Marina said. “Jack has behaved most incorrectly, and I’m going to have a word with him.”

  Just then, Kai burst through the door. “Final round, cognac by the firepit. Do we have the right glasses?”

  “I’ll help you.” Marina gathered the glasses while guests moved to the firepit. As she and Kai passed glasses around, everyone was deep in conversation. Marina returned to the kitchen while Kai lingered, chatting with Axe and Denise.

  Marina was relieved. So far, the dinner had been a success. When Kai returned to the kitchen, Marina gave Kai and Ginger high-fives, and they bumped hips. “We did it.”

  “You did it,” Kai said. “That was so professional. Our guests have also asked that the chef join them by the firepit for cognac. But first, how about that wine I was promised?”

  As Ginger was pouring wine for Kai, a gust of wind whipped up, knocking over the new palm trees on the terrace.

  “Wow, that was sudden,” Kai said, racing outside. “I’ll get them.”

  Staring out the kitchen window, Marina sucked in her breath. Just off the coast, barely visible in the clouded moonlight, a dark funnel spiraled from the sea to a leaden sky. Dread coiled within her as she tried to assess the threat. Hadn’t it been a calm evening? Rain hadn’t even been in the forecast, and yet, there was no mistaking what lurked offshore.

  “Ginger, there’s something you should see.”

  Her grandmother peered out beside her. “It’s moving toward us.” She grabbed a yellow rain slicker from a hook by the door.

  Another gust ripped across the patio, dislodging the lights they’d carefully hung. One of the women from Los Angeles, her hair swirling around her face, whooped with laughter at the sudden wind.

  “We have to get those guests in the house right now.” Ginger jerked open the door.

  Marina watched in terror as the funnel neared and shifted, hurling its growing intensity directly toward the guest cottage where the children were.

  Racing outside into the eerie wind, Marina pounded toward the cottage with a prayer on her lips.

  Chapter 24

  The wind from the ocean raged across the yard. However, engrossed in conversation, the dinner guests didn’t notice the rogue waterspout, now churning toward the guest cottage with increasing ferocity.

  Her heart pounding, Marina tore across the yard, ignoring the rain stinging her face and palm fronds hurtling past. Scout’s desperate yelps of warning erupted from the cottage. Glancing back, she was stunned to see the funnel’s leading edge ripping across the beach, lifting sand into its whirling vortex.

  Marina tripped over a branch blown in her path. She tumbled and struggled to her feet again, her shins bruised, but she kept running. Closer, closer.

  The twister lurched forward again. Instantly, she knew it was too late to get the children out of harm’s way. The edges of her vision blurred as she focused on reaching the small cottage.

  Suddenly, the door burst open, and Scout frantically plunged into the night with Leo and Samantha grasping after him.

  “Get back in, stay in,” Marina screamed as the wind whipped her words into the void. Reaching out, she tried to snag Scout, but the dog was too fast, too powerful for her.

  The children.

  Her words seemed to echo behind her. “Get inside,” roared a deep voice.

  Jack. She gasped for breath, but she couldn’t look back.

  Swirling leaves slapped her face, and a spiky palm frond sliced her forearm. “Inside,” she screamed, gesturing at the children. As Marina reached the patio, Samantha tumbled backward into Leo in fright.

  “Shelter in the tub,” she yelled, hoisting them by the arms to their feet and half-dragging them to the bathroom between the two bedrooms.

  A deafening noise roared around the cottage as Marina pushed the children into the tub and threw herself on top of them. Sobbing with fright, Leo and Samantha huddled together.

  “Hang on to the spigot and knobs,” she cried, panting. With prayers on her lips, she wrapped their trembling hands in place.

  As the cottage shook from the fury, the bathroom door banged open. Jack dove inside, dragging John behind him by his shirt collar. Sprawling protectively over all of them, Jack yelled, “Hold on!”

  A moment later, the ceiling peeled back, and rain pelted down on them.

  “Daddy!” Samantha cried while Leo clutched Jack with all his might. In a thunderous roar, roof tiles clattered into the wind like deadly dominoes.

  “Cover your heads,” Jack yelled.

  Clinging together, they rode out the chaotic twister, which blew through as quickly as it had come upon them, leaving them soaked and exhausted. After a few minutes, they eased up. Glass from a broken window littered the bathroom and crunched underfoot.

  Marina’s heart pounded, and she fought to catch her breath. “We made it. Oh, thank goodness.”

  “Careful not to cu
t yourself,” Jack said, picking shards from the children’s hair and backs.

  Samantha sobbed against her father’s shoulder, and John cradled his daughter in his arms, rocking her on the floor. Tears squeezed from his eyes as he clutched Marina’s hand in gratitude. Blood dripped from a cut on his head.

  “You’re hurt,” Marina said.

  John grimaced. “Almost got knocked out, but nothing keeps me from my baby girl.” He kissed his daughter’s cheek.

  “Where’s Mom?” Leo asked, shivering in shock.

  “She’s in the big house,” Jack said, wrapping his arms around Leo and smoothing his son’s hair back. “They’re all okay; the funnel missed them.”

  Trying to catch her breath, Marina peeked out the doorway. Shards of broken pottery littered the room like confetti exactly where the children had been. The heavy iron chandelier Ginger had brought back from Mexico lay on the couch in front of the television, where the children had probably been sitting when Scout scrambled to escape.

  The magnitude of what the children had narrowly escaped hit Marina, and she drew back, her teeth chattering, horrified at the thought of what they might have found had she arrived a few seconds later.

  Poor Scout. Marina pressed a hand to Jack’s shoulder, wondering if Scout had made it. She wished she could have saved Scout, too, but she had only a split second to choose between grabbing the dog or getting the children to safety.

  Seeing the destruction in the cottage, Jack put his arm around Marina and hugged her tightly. “You made it just in time, thank you. John and I weren’t far behind, but I don’t think we could have…” Jack choked up, unable to finish.

  Marina buried her face against Jack’s shoulder. His shirt was soaked and torn, and beneath it, his skin was scratched and bleeding.

  As they pulled themselves up, desperate calls erupted from outside. Denise and Kai picked their way through the rubble of the cottage to reach them.

  Sobbing with relief, Denise fell to her knees to hug Samantha.

  “They’re okay,” Kai called out. She held out her hands, steadying Marina. “Thank heavens you reached them.”

  Marina felt limp in Kai’s arms. “We’re going to need some first aid here. John’s got a bad gash on his head.”

  “That iron chandelier took me out,” John said, gingerly touching a growing welt on his head.

  “Did you see Scout?” Marina asked.

  “He’s not here?” Kai asked. Looking between Marina and Jack, she added, “Poor little fellow. Maybe he’s hiding somewhere.”

  Their small party emerged from the shelter of the bathroom, picking their way through the littered rooms. Ginger had brought Vanessa, who sank into a chair and held out her arms for her son. Leo stumbled into her embrace, and she closed her thin arms around him, enveloping him with her love. Jack touched her shoulder, and she looked up at him with gratitude.

  “Jack kept me safe,” Leo said to Vanessa. “I mean, my dad did.” He hesitated, twisting the edge of his T-shirt. “Can I call him Dad?” A mixture of happiness and pride filled the young boy’s face.

  “If you would like,” Vanessa said.

  A wave of gratitude overtook Jack as he knelt and embraced his son. “That would mean a lot to me, son,” he said, his voice catching on the last word.

  Leo flung his arms around Jack, and Marina watched them through misted eyes. Although they had their disagreements, watching Jack filled her with a new respect for him. She met Vanessa’s gaze and smiled. Marina knew how challenging it was to raise a child alone. Even though Heather and Ethan hadn’t known their father, they still missed his presence in their lives. Jack and Leo were so fortunate to have found each other.

  In the distance, sirens wailed through the night, and the flashing light of emergency vehicles split the darkness. Somewhere, others might not have been as fortunate as they were, Marina thought, biting her lip. They needed to check on their neighbors, too.

  Ginger handed Marina and Kai flashlights and beach towels she’d brought. “Let’s get these folks back to the house where they can get checked out. The power is off, so be careful. There’s a lot of debris in the yard.”

  The parents bundled their children in beach towels, and Marina draped one over Vanessa’s thin shoulders. Vanessa raised her head and clutched Marina’s hand. “Jack said you saved Leo. How can I ever thank you?”

  “I’m just glad I got here in time,” Marina said, smoothing her hand over Vanessa’s parchment skin. “I have children, too.” She thought about Ethan, praying that he wasn’t in harm’s way. She patted her pocket but realized she’d left her phone in the kitchen.

  Spotting Kai outside, Marina carefully stepped onto what remained of the tiled porch. The awning was gone, and the bistro set lay across the yard.

  Staring at the damage, Marina felt weak. They had made it, but only barely.

  “Kai, do you have your phone?” Marina asked. “I have to check on Ethan.” A sickening feeling gathered within her. What if he and his friend hadn’t seen the waterspout coming?

  “I’m sorry, I don’t.” Kai’s eyes grew wide. “I hope he wasn’t in the path of that.”

  “What’s his number?” Jack asked, stepping outside.

  Marina told him, and he dialed the number for her. Her hands were trembling so, she could hardly hold the phone still. The phone rang several times, and Marina closed her eyes, willing him to answer.

  Finally, Ethan picked up. “Who’s this?”

  When she heard his voice, relief flooded her. “It’s Mom. I’m calling from Jack’s phone. Did you see that waterspout? Did it come anywhere near you guys?”

  “We’re okay, but it hit pretty close to us. Are you okay?”

  Marina heard shakiness in his voice. This was the first time he’d seen nature’s wrath up close. “It hit the guest cottage, but we all survived.”

  “Oh, wow,” he said, sounding stunned. “We’re helping some people dig out of their house. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Stay and help. We’re a little banged up, but nothing too serious.” However, she was concerned that John be examined. Nearly knocked out, his head wound was still bleeding.

  Ginger set off for the house, leading the way with a lantern. The wind had died down though it was still raining. After the waterspout had roared through with such force, the area seemed eerily quiet.

  Marina stepped over wet kelp, splintered driftwood, and cracked roof tiles that had been strewn across the chopped up yard. As she neared the main cottage, a howl went up, which set off other frightened dogs in the neighborhood.

  Marina’s heart leapt with hope. “Scout?” She called for him, and Jack joined in. After a few moments, Scout slunk toward them, visibly shaken. When he saw Jack, he whimpered and flipped his tail back and forth. “He made it,” Marina cried gleefully.

  Kneeling, Jack took Scout into his arms and hugged him. “Outran that nasty storm, did you? That’s one way to do it.”

  “I think he was trying to warn us,” Marina said, kneeling to scratch Scout’s neck. This time, she welcomed the scent of Eau de Wet Dog. Scout leaned against her, wagging his head as if in agreement with her assessment. “He was barking and charging toward the big cottage.”

  “Good boy, Scout.” Jack clasped Marina’s hand and looked down at her bruised legs. “You’re hurt. Can you still walk okay?”

  Numbly, she nodded. “Maybe the wine I had is taking the edge of pain off.” Or perhaps it was the adrenaline rushing through her system.

  The dinner she’d been so worried about now seemed trivial compared to how the evening had turned out. While she was still irritated over Jack’s determination to write about Ginger, rendering aid to neighbors was critical.

  “Ethan is helping some people nearby, and we need to check on our neighbors. I know some of the older ones who’ve lived here for a long time. Will you come with me?”

  “You didn’t have to ask,” Jack replied.

  “Ginger and Kai can take care of ev
eryone here.” Marina could just imagine the clean-up they’d have tomorrow. “I imagine our dinner guests will be on their way soon. But can you make sure John gets his wound examined?”

  “I’m sure Denise will see to that,” Jack said with a reassuring nod.

  Once everyone was safely ensconced in the large cottage, Ginger lit candles and brewed tea and coffee on Myrtle, the dependable old gas stove. Kai cleaned and applied bandages to cuts and scrapes while Marina quickly changed into dry clothes and rain boots. Bits of glass tinkled the floor when she took off her jeans. Again, she thought of how lucky they’d been.

  Marina brought out one of Ethan’s T-shirts and a pair of sweatpants for Jack. “He won’t mind,” she said. After Jack changed, Marina met him in the kitchen.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  “You bet.” Jack snapped his fingers for Scout. “This pup has a good nose. Might be helpful.”

  Outside, Marina and Jack picked their way through scattered debris. They went from one house to another, knocking doors to make sure everyone was okay. A few other homes had also lost roofs. Marina was shocked at the clearly delineated path the funnel had taken and the damage inflicted.

  Marina saw Bennett and Chief Clarkson standing in front of one home that had collapsed. They were both wearing gloves and boots and looked like they’d been assisting in the clean-up. Firefighters on the scene were calling out and removing debris as quickly as they could. Marina recalled that Ivy had told her that Bennett was a volunteer firefighter. She and Jack hurried in their direction, with Scout staying close to Jack.

  Bennett waved them down. “Marina, your son and his friend have been a big help to folks tonight.”

  “Ethan is a good kid.” She glanced at Jack. “Once you get to know him.”

  Jack nodded. “And he’s very protective of his mother, as he should be.”

  The police chief gestured toward the house. “Ethan is around back. He heard someone in there and called for help. We’ve been digging for a while now, but this house was the hardest hit.”

  “Maybe we can help,” Marina said.