Fishing boats were anchored out, some closer to shore, most on the other side of Bonnet Island. All the docks looked the same from the water, so her grandfather had painted a large evil eye on a huge sheet of plywood, and its successor was now nailed to the end of the dock while the original hung over her fireplace.
“Here we are,” she told Brulee, pulling alongside the dock.
She helped Brulee out and then unloaded all the groceries. Tearing the bags of ice open, she dumped them into the bay. They’d gotten wise and kept a wagon on the dock to haul purchases up to the cottage instead of making trips.
With Brulee secure on a leash, she pulled the wagon behind her. The cottage coming up still brought so much joy to her heart. It was painted sky blue (she’d painted it by herself) and had a beautiful new screened-in porch across the front. The cottage was raised on concrete blocks so it would be safe during flooding season.
After she put all the food away, she went up to the guest room to make sure it was ready for Katrina. Pleased with the renovations she’d made, even the bathroom was modern.
Back down in the kitchen, she fixed herself a cup of coffee and called Justin.
“Got your power back?”
“Yep, got all the patients back, too. It’s crazy. Dad came out to help. Where y’at?”
“At the cottage. I took the skiff into the village for groceries, but I’m back. I’m sorry it’s so crazy, but can you spend the night?”
“For one last rendezvous with my lover, yes. I’ll see you tonight.”
After they said goodbye, she hung up, closed her eyes for just a second, and murmured to the universe…
“Thank you.”
***
On Saturday, Justin left for the clinic at the same time Maggie headed to town in the skiff. She’d pick Katrina up at Val Amotte’s house.
“You can leave your car in town at my aunt’s house,” Maggie said. “It’s too hard to get to my house by car right now. The road is under a foot of water.”
“How’s everyone coming to the party?”
“Unless they have a four wheel drive monster truck, they boat in,” she replied. “You’ll see.”
They hugged and cried a little when they saw each other. “I can’t believe this is really happening,” Katrina admitted as they walked to the dock, pulling her suitcases behind them. “I needed to get away.”
“Did something happen?” Maggie asked. Her personal motivation to run to Cypress Cove had been a broken heart.
“No. Nothing. That’s the problem. I’m going to be thirty in a few years, and I’m floundering. Even my job, I’m at the top of my game, and for what? I want to have a family someday, or what is the point of all this?”
“You can relax for a couple of days, okay? And then when you’re ready, you can do that deep mental work that we hate. Who knows what you’ll discover?”
“Is that what you did?” Katrina asked.
“It’s what I’m doing. Trust me, Kat, I’m far from over what happened to me. I have trust issues, and I want to be alone, and I can’t stand anyone controlling me. Oh, I’m a catch all right.”
“You’re fine,” she said, hugging her with a free arm. “At least I think you are. Plus, you have a patient guy.”
“I hope so. He has his moments, trust me. I want to make him happy, but I want to be my own person, too.”
“Me too. How far is this damn dock? My feet!”
“Right up ahead. What possessed you to wear heels?”
“Reruns of Sex in the City.”
“Oh god, no way,” Maggie said, laughing.
As they approached the dock, something made Katrina look up into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen, apparent clear across the canal. He was standing at the boat wheel, and while he stared at Katrina, his deckhand screamed, “Alphé, for cryin’ out loud, watch where the hell you goin’!”
He quickly steered the wheel, and disaster was narrowly averted.
“Who in the heck is that?” she asked, frozen in place. He was so handsome, handsome didn’t even cover it. He was beautiful.
“That’s Alphé Beaumont,” Gus said. “He sure has eyes for you.”
While the fishing vessel chugged out to open water, Maggie introduced Gus and Katrina. Katrina couldn’t keep her eyes off the fishing boat. Gus helped get her luggage in the skiff, and when they climbed down the ladder, he threw Maggie her rope.
“How far is your place?” Katrina asked, distracted, searching the horizon for that boat.
“Just a few