She spotted Cliff on the other side of the ferry. He was staring at what was left of the bridge, probably wondering what that would do to his project.
With any luck, it would shut him down.
She pushed all thoughts of Cliff away as they got closer to the island. She let out a deep breath as the island came into view.
Maxine squeezed her hand. “There it is.”
She could make out some of the buildings as they got closer. From their view, it didn’t appear too bad. But she knew looks could be deceiving.
They got closer. Closer. It looked like some of the palm trees had been denuded of their fronds.
“Looks like Darlene’s B&B is still standing.” She pointed.
Maxine broke into a smile. “And not too much damage from what I can see, but you never know.”
“Hard to tell until we get over there.
The ferry slowed, getting ready to dock. The closer they got, the clearer it became that the island had sustained some major hits. Downed trees were scattered about. A few large boats were tilted onto the dock of the marina, half-submerged in the water.
They got closer still. People pointed. And whispered. And gasped. She held her breath.
The captain made an announcement. “We’re pulling into the dock now. Please return to your vehicles.”
Everyone started edging their way toward the stairs, antsy to get off now. A few more minutes. And then she’d know.
She and Maxine headed downstairs. They found Dale by his car. “I’m going to head straight to Second Finds and check out the damage.”
Maxine nodded. “I’m going with Beverly to check out Coastal Coffee.”
She looked at Maxine gratefully.
Dale gave Maxine a quick kiss. “I’ll come by and check on you two soon.”
They got into her car. One by one, the cars were directed off the ferry, which seemed like an agonizingly slow process today.
Just when she didn’t think she could wait a second longer, it was their turn, and she followed the car ahead of her down the ramp and onto the island.
She was home. On her beloved island. Now to see what damage had been done.
Chapter 12
Cliff guided his mother and Jonah toward his car in the ferry parking lot. A few cars had their windshields broken, but luckily his was intact. His mother’s sharp intake of breath at the sight of fallen trees, broken glass, and scattered debris across the area made him reach for her elbow.
“Mother, let me help you.”
She pulled away. “I can manage.” But she gripped Jonah’s arm instead.
He opened the passenger door for her, but she slid into the back seat with Jonah.
“The wind damage looks extensive,” Jonah said as they drove past broken shop windows—the unlucky ones whose hurricane shutters or boards hadn’t stayed in place. A random table rested on its side on the sidewalk. Shop owners were busy taking down shutters to assess the damage.
“We might have some trouble getting through.” He slowly inched the car along, dodging items in the street. “We’ll have to go the long way around.” He pointed to a large tree that blocked their path. “This road is impassable.”
They circled around several other streets, each one exhibiting some degree of destruction. It was like entering a maze. Right, left, right, then a dead end. Backtrack, then left, right, and circle back to the left. They ended up on Jonah’s street.
“Want to stop and check your house?”
“Ellie, is that okay? I know you’re anxious to check yours.”
