Page 35 of Forgiving Her First Love

“Man overboard, starboard,” he called down, cutting their engine.

Logan spotted the man clumsily trying to swim in his life preserver. He threw a ring for him and Reid joined him at the rail, helping him pull the rope to haul the man closer.

Alarms and a bullhorn were sounding all around them. The fire boat was pouring water on the MissionaryII while smaller boats buzzed closer, trying to help without running over those who were in kayaks or in the water.

Sophie came up on Logan’s right, starting to hook up the recovery harness and ladder. She wore her own life preserver and hurried to secure each side before she removed a section of rail.

“Do you need help?” she called down to the man.

He shook his head, but he was clearly struggling against shock, needing two tries to grasp at the rubber rungs of the ladder before he very shakily climbed up.

“We’ve got you,” Logan assured him, going onto his belly so he could reach down and grab hold of the man’s life preserver. Reid did the same and they dragged the man up, landing him like a two-hundred-pound tarpon onto the deck where he lay shaking and gasping.

Sophie was over on the port side calling, “Come around to the ladder.”

Two pairs of double kayaks paddled around the bow. An older woman in the front position of the first one was crying. She held a paddle, but didn’t seem capable of using it, or even knowing what to do beyond making a panicked grab for a rung on the ladder.

“I’ll come down and stabilize it for you,” Sophie said, starting to swing her leg down to the ladder.

“You will not.” Logan caught the waistband of her shorts in a fist.

“You guys are stronger,” she pointed out impatiently and brushed his hand away. “You need to pull her up. I’m wearing a life jacket.”

She lowered herself down the ladder and, with one hand and foot on the flexible rungs, stepped her other foot onto the kayak, keeping it close. The second woman in the kayak took the paddle and Sophie guided the first woman onto the ladder.

“There you go. That’s it. You’re doing it. Keep going.”

The ladder quivered under the wobbling scramble of the terrified woman. Sophie swung precariously outward as the kayak shifted beneath her foot. The second woman in the kayak was anxiously pushing forward so she could also climb the ladder.

Logan swore, heart swerving as Sophie grasped on with two hands and worked to secure her footing.

They got the two women aboard, both shaking with reaction.

Trystan guided each out of the way, wrapping them in blankets before he came to help with the second couple.

Once they were aboard, Trystan went down the ladder to help Sophie recover the kayaks and paddles. They guided them up and Logan stowed them out of the way while Sophie and Trystan came back on deck.

Reid closed the rail while they all scanned for anyone else still in the water.

Sophie was safe, Logan told himself, waiting for his heart rate to settle. He didn’t have to worry she was in the water, floating out of reach, but damn her for almost letting it happen.

*

Sophie collected the names of their passengers and radioed that they were aboard the Storm Ridge.

A few minutes later, the captain of the MissionaryII announced everyone was accounted for. While the fire brigade continued to put out the fire, Trystan steered the Storm Ridge back to shore.

They all breathed a huge sigh of relief. That could have been so much worse!

“You’ll help with salvage,” Reid instructed Logan who nodded curtly. “I’ll open a tab at the pub to feed everyone.”

“People are going to need beds,” Sophie said. According to the information she’d just received, “There are twenty passengers, plus crew.”

“We can sleep twelve here. Fourteen if we drop the settee,” Reid said.

They continued making logistical decisions as they came ashore. Locals were already gathered at the top of the wharf, ready to offer blankets, beds, and meals.

Reid took charge, herding everyone to the pub for food and drink, bed assignments, and medical assessment by the resort’s first aid attendants.

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