Restless Storm Read online

  Restless Storm

  Jamie Summer

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Jamie Summer

  Restless Storm

  First published in 2018

  Copyright © 2017 by Jamie Summer

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.

  Facebook: Jamie Summer

  Cover: AM Creations

  Editing: Kim’s Fiction Proofreading and Editing Services

  Formatting: The Graphic Shed

  “Hope is being able to see there is light despite all the darkness.”

  Desmond Tutu

  Prologue

  The waves washed across the shoreline, their echo loud against Maddy’s ears. While she usually found peace in the sound, it did nothing but rile her up today. The ocean had once been her safe haven, her refuge when times got too tough. It all meant nothing now. The one place she could always count on to bring her peace had taken the one person she loved most in this world.

  Early yesterday morning, her father had left for one of his fishing trips and hadn't returned. The small Coast Guard boat looking for him had come back half an hour ago. They found remnants of the boat about fifty miles off the coast. It had been smashed, as if a storm had caught her father unaware.

  Maddy’s father wasn't one to venture out when a storm threatened, yet here she was, Madeleine Core—daughter of the local fisherman—sitting by the sea, the truth of it staring her right in the face. She had been here for hours, hoping the water would reveal its secrets.

  Unfortunately, it stayed quiet.

  The rock Maddy sat on was wet and dirty, but she barely felt the cold seeping through her body. All she felt was numb.

  After her mother died when she was little, her father raised her by himself. When she had turned eighteen, he encouraged her to leave the island and go to college on the mainland, but she decided to stay and help out with his small fishing company. He never said anything, but she knew he appreciated it more than he was ever able to put into words.

  Now he was gone. Just like that. Maddy tried to make sense of it, but how did you make sense of death? Her dad had always said when he died, it would be at sea. She was sure he hadn't been talking about dying this soon. From a storm no one had seen on radar, no less. If her father would have known about an impending storm, there was no way he would have gone out. He knew better than that. Others had died, so sailing into the danger zone would be the last thing he would do.

  The moment she had learned about the probable reason for his death, she'd stormed into their local weather station, demanding answers no one was able to give her. All she got were excuses. These people, ones she had known her whole life, were unable to tell her why her father was gone. And part of her hated them for it.

  Then again, she hated everyone at the moment. No one was able to fight against the darkness raging within her. Or the loneliness that soaked into her every pore, weaseling its way into her body like only an old friend could.

  It was the same when her mom died. It had taken her a long time to accept it, even longer to acknowledge her dad was all she had left.

  Waves continued to pound the sandy beach, and Maddy let the steady sound of it dig its way into her heart. She wanted to be mad at someone, wanted to cast blame for what happened to her father.

  Someone should've realized a storm was coming. Especially one strong enough to sink her father's boat.

  Her rational mind told her no one could have foreseen it. She learned you couldn't predict the weather. They had the newest technology, but the ocean made the weather more unpredictable than anything else. With all his experience as a fisherman, her father knew that better than anyone.

  “Do you mind if I sit down?” a voice behind her asked.

  She didn't need to turn. There were few people she could bear to be around these days, but Jake was one of them. Jake Barron, an outsider who had migrated to the island after his grandparents died and left him a small house, was a fisherman in her father’s company. She never understood why he chose to live here—moving from Boston—but she never once heard him complain. He seemed to love it on the island. They had grown close over the last two years, and while she knew he wanted to be more than friends, something had always held her back. She liked him, even going on a few dates with him, but it had never gone further. He seemed perfectly content to wait.

  Jake took her silence as permission and sat on the stone closest to her. Maddy had sought out her favorite spot, a small collection of rocks on the east side of the beach. They were a remnant of the cliff that used to decorate the coastline but had since been destroyed by Mother Nature.

  “I remember the first time David spoke to me after I arrived here,” Jake started, his eyes focused on the dark ocean in front of them.

  Hearing her dad’s name was another stab to her heart. She wanted to yell at him, managing to tamp the feeling down. She knew he hadn’t come here to fight. And right now, he was the only person who kept her sane.

  “I had only been on the island half an hour and was already lost. I had an address for my grandparents’ house but no idea about the layout of the island, let alone how to get around. My preparation for this move was practically nonexistent. At that point, all I wanted was to escape my former life.”

  Despite the pain in her heart, Maddy found herself listening attentively to his words.

  “Your father saw me and asked how he could help. You know how he was. How everyone on this island treats their fellow islanders. No one ever shies away from helping one another. He not only told me where I had to go, he walked me there. I’m sure he had other things to do, yet there he was, taking the time to lead the way.”

  Maddy found herself laughing at the memory. It sounded just like her father. She wondered why this story had never come up before, deciding it didn't matter. What mattered was Jake knew the person her father had been. The amazing guy ready to help people in need. One who always put others first.

  The incredible guy who fell victim to nature’s wrath.

  “I can't say I know how you feel, Maddy, because I don’t. I may not see my folks much, but they're still there. I do know one thing, though. This island—the place you’ve called home all your life—is there for you.”

  Maddy nodded. She couldn't bring herself to care enough to form a verbal response. The turmoil within her didn't dissipate. Instead, the more she stared at the ocean, the angrier she got.

  It had taken the only family she had when all she'd ever done was cherish it, love it. Hurt and betrayal cut deep, but it was the helplessness she felt at being unab
le to punish someone that made her feel the worst.

  Maddy should have known it wasn’t the end. Should have known everything she still held dear would come crashing down around her.

  The ocean wasn't done with her.

  It was just getting started.

  Chapter One

  Maddy

  I closed up shop at exactly eight p.m., an hour after the usual closing time. I liked to stay late because it gave me something to do. I still didn’t feel like I was meant to be working at the small flower shop. It was enough to pay the bills and occupy my brain, though. Rose, the owner, tried to make me feel welcome and included me in pretty much everything. She wasn't the problem. I was.

  It had been two years since my dad died. Two years since the one place I treasured most killed the last part of me.

  I tried. I really did. But the carefree person I used to be, the one everyone wanted me to be again, was lost the moment he was gone.

  I wanted her back as much as everyone else did, but being surrounded by the very reason for my loss didn't help. I’d thought about moving across country more often than I cared to admit, but I was never able to. I only got a few hundred miles inland.

  I walked along the small side street and turned onto the one main road that reminded me of Crystal Cove, the very place I left behind.

  An island only slightly larger than ten miles in every direction, Crystal Cove housed around five hundred people. A little more during tourist season, but fall always saw a decline in numbers. I loved growing up there. My passion for the ocean helped.

  From an early age, my dad took me out on his boat and showed me the ins and outs of fishing. I loved it. All I ever wanted to do was work with him in his company.

  I shook off the memory, the pain too great for me to dwell on any longer than necessary.

  I had started a new chapter of my life. Had left the past in the past. Or tried to.

  The small town I moved to wasn't much different than Crystal Cove. The biggest change was not being surrounded by water.

  There were a few lights on when I passed the houses on Main, and I waved to the few people still out at this hour. Most were either at home or at O’Reilly’s, one of the only places that stayed open later than 7 p.m. I used to be a frequent visitor. Now I was happy if I made it there once a month.

  Everyone had been most welcoming when I came here, but I didn’t give the sentiment back. The pain I dealt with on a daily basis made me lash out unnecessarily. It took me months to get involved and not have people look at me sideways anymore.

  Within five minutes, I reached the small apartment I called my own. Its three bedrooms, a huge kitchen with granite countertops and an island in the middle, and the large bathroom were more than I would ever need for myself. Besides Jay, my stubborn cat, there wasn't anyone I shared this place with.

  I entered, took my coat off, and went straight for the living room. I turned on the stereo and low music began playing, the soothing voice of my favorite Finnish band starting to calm me down. I walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner, which consisted of one of the many frozen meals I bought. I wasn't a cook, and the inside of my freezer proved exactly that.

  I had just gotten comfortable on my couch, the heated food in front of me, when my phone rang. There were only three people who had my phone number, none of whom I felt compelled to talk to at this hour. After a few moments, the ringing stopped.

  While I started munching on the lasagna, the ringing started again. I ignored it. By the third time, I was so frustrated, I thought about pulling the plug.

  Something held me back. If the person on the other end was so persistent, maybe something urgent was going on.

  The knife and fork clattered loudly on the plate as I got up and walked over to where the phone lay on the counter.

  “Hello?”

  The sound of crashing waves greeted me, a noise I was very familiar with. I was instantly transported back to that horrendous day. Through the onslaught of memories that accompanied the sound, my ears picked up something different.

  “Maddy?”

  His voice made my heart stop beating for a second. It had been almost two years since I had talked to him. Two years since I successfully ignored all his attempts to keep in touch and help me get on my feet.

  “Maddy, are you there?”

  “Yes,” I said, noticing the breathlessness in my voice. And if I had, so had Jake. “Why are you calling?” I tried not to sound accusing, but knew I failed miserably. A call from the life I had left behind didn't help me in letting go.

  “It’s important,” he explained, his voice full of worry and something I hadn’t heard from him before—fear.

  “What’s going on?”

  “There is an islandwide alarm. They say a storm’s coming that could possibly destroy everything on Crystal Cove.”

  I gasped, images of the storms we had when I was younger assaulting my mind. They usually weren't life threatening, but Crystal Cove had always been prone to storms. My dad was a prime example of it.

  “Maddy, are you still there?”

  “Why are you telling me this? I don't live there anymore.”

  I knew they were words meant to hurt him when Jake hadn’t done anything wrong. I couldn't keep them from escaping my mouth, though.

  Jake laughed, the kind where you instantly feel as if you’d been chastised just by the sound of it.

  “Right. I forgot. You left everyone here to deal with things on their own. You successfully started a new life. Am I right?” The sarcasm in his velvet voice made it clear he knew I had been anything but.

  “Jake—”

  “Spare me the platitudes. The only reason I called was because I thought maybe you cared about some of the stuff in your house. No one has been in it since you left, and with the storm, maybe there are things you wanted to save. They say it will hit in less than a week.”

  With that, he hung up. He didn't wait for an answer, and I wasn’t sure I would've had one for him. Did he think I would come back because of this? Because of a storm?

  My chest felt tight, as if someone stood on it, making it hard for me to catch my breath. And why did my vision go blurry?

  I put the phone down. It suddenly felt incredibly heavy in my hand.

  What happened? Why did I feel as if the rug I had successfully gotten on after my dad’s death had been pulled out from under me once more?

  Confusion and worry warred within me. When I tried to focus on one, the other pushed back stronger.

  Why did Jake have to call? Why bother me in my somewhat content existence?

  Because you’re anything but happy in your existence. Because the island, no matter how much you want to deny it, is still home to you.

  I cursed my subconscious, yet it was the utter truth. A small part of me had always desired to go home. I just wanted to wait until the pain had dulled.

  I had planned to live in the house, which my dad had left me, and stay there until I died. Or so I tried to tell myself.

  This impending storm had a different idea. Suddenly, my plan came crashing down around me. The prospect of losing what my dad built made tears roll down my cheeks, silently decorating the table in front of me.

  With a glance around my place, I stared reality in the eye. I had never planned on making this my home. Everything I owned was generic, easy to leave behind. I had never put any effort toward decorating. For what? For the little time I’d be here?

  Before I knew what I was doing, I had gotten my bag out of my closet and started to throw clothes into it. They didn’t even fill it halfway. Sad. Even after adding the few personal items I had brought, the bag still wasn’t close to being filled.

  I texted Rose to let her know I had a family emergency to deal with and didn’t know when I’d be back. I also asked her to take care of my stubborn cat. After I left two months’ rent in the mailbox for my landlord, I went online and bought a ticket for the ferry.

  It was time to return home.
/>   Chapter Two

  Jake

  I put the phone down, wondering if I had done the right thing.

  Maybe I shouldn't have told her. Maybe I should've left her without any knowledge of what was going on. Yet I couldn't help but feel what I did was right.

  When Maddy left two years ago, nobody knew. She hadn't told anyone. She boarded the ferry and that was it. Unbeknownst to her, I watched her that day.

  I watched her leave everything she cared about behind. Two days later, she’d called and told me she settled down somewhere on the mainland. I still had no idea why she bothered. Every attempt I made at staying in touch was only met with silence. Eventually, I gave up.

  I hadn't lied when I said I believed she still cared about the house. The very one her father had built for their family. Her reaction wasn't surprising, but I had no idea if I had gotten through to her. Maybe she’d completely closed this chapter of her life.

  “Honey, are you coming?” Bridget called from the dining room. Reluctantly, I stood.

  The desire to be with Bridget, my girlfriend of five months, was strong at first, but the flame had long since simmered out.

  She tried. She really did. And while part of me possibly loved her once, the camaraderie we now shared had little to do with love.

  I walked over to where she’d set the table. There was meatloaf, beans, and mashed potatoes.