On that note, Maggie walked back into the living room and heard the rumble of a Harley. Peeking out the window, she watched him adjust his helmet and get comfortable in the seat with the ease of a man who’d made the moves five thousand times.
Leaning her head against the glass, she took a slow breath.
Friends.
He made it seem easy.
Just as he revved up the bike to leave, he turned, looked up at the window, and blew a kiss.
Kate had been awake since six-thirty and had read the entire Gospel of Mark for the second time, taking notes and checking some commentary online. She was trying to follow Eli’s advice to focus on the resurrection, but there were so many miracles—each one wildly difficult to believe.
She’d been so involved, she’d barely noticed that her teenaged roommate had gotten up, brushed her teeth, and disappeared just before eight.
Lifting her head from the page, Kate stretched her neck and back, moving the chair where she’d set up a small desk in the corner of their room. Some things, she realized, never changed. Kate Wylie stuck her head in a project—be it chemistry or religion—and the rest of the world disappeared.
She closed the Bible she’d been working in and caught the sound of some laughter floating up from downstairs, then baby Atlas gave a squeal. Life was happening at the Summer House.
Pushing up, she quickly changed, brushed her hair, grabbed her glasses, and followed the chatter of conversation.
In the kitchen, Eli was leaning against the counter in khaki shorts and a faded Atlanta Braves T-shirt—no architect workclothes today. He was on his phone, taking notes on the back of an envelope.
Jonah stood at the island bouncing Atlas in his seat with one hand and holding a cup with the other. Meredith was at the table with a laptop open and her hair piled up in a clip, looking intently at the screen.
“Morning,” Kate said to everyone. “Is Emma down here?”
“She went on the deck for a private moment with her Pop-Tart,” Jonah said. “I think she’s mad because I pointed out that they are not actually food.”
Kate cringed. “She’s addicted.”
“Am not!” Emma called from outside. “Just a human teenager who likes sugar. Which of youdidn’teat Pop-Tarts?”
They all shared a guilty look, and Kate walked over to the counter, drawn by the sheer presence of Eli—and caffeine.
“Morning.” Eli pulled the phone from his ear, kissed Kate’s temple as she reached for the pot, and went back to the call. “Right. Three sheets of three-quarter, six of half-inch, and however many sandbags they’ll let me have. I’ll pay cash and can be there in under an hour.”
“Aggressive Dad is my favorite,” Meredith said without looking up from her laptop. Then she smiled at Kate. “We have Hurricane Norman news.”
“It’s a three?” she asked.
“Not yet, but the cone of uncertainty has inched east and now includes part of the Panhandle.”
Kate bit her lip. “Yikes.”
“But Peter’s pulling strings to find us a huge Airbnb where we can all stay, far enough inland to be safe.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Kate said, pulling a stool to the island.
“The master plan is in Dad’s hands.” Meredith took a sip of coffee and eased the laptop away. “He’s also really worriedabout this deck. The Summer House only has hurricane shutters downstairs on Jonah’s level. He says we’ll have to board this floor and upstairs, at least the water-facing glass.”
“He can’t board the whole house alone,” Kate said.
“I can’t,” Eli said, ending his call and setting the phone on the counter. “Peter is up to his eyeballs at the sheriff’s office, at full deployment. My guys at Lakeside are buried. Everybody in the trade who owns a hammer in the northern half of Florida is booked through Saturday.”
Jonah looked up from Atlas. “You know you have me, except for tonight. Classes are canceled. Driftwood is open but I’m sure it’ll be closed Thursday through the weekend. Maybe forever if this storm wipes us out.”
“It’s not going to wipe us out,” Eli said. “It’s unlikely to reach cat four, but still strong. Any minute you’re not working, Jonah, I need you.”
Jonah threw a side-eye at Atlas. “I’ll ask Pepper to help, too. She’ll be here this afternoon.”
