Page 48 of When Summer Returns

“Everything okay?” she asked.

“Fine. Just confirming emergency protocols.” But the slight tension in his jaw suggested otherwise. “We should get back inside. There’s still plenty to do before it gets bad.”

The hours passed in a blur of activity—final checks, supply inventories, coordinating with island residents as they arrived seeking shelter. Jessie found herself naturally falling into the role of logistics coordinator, freeing Luke to handle technical issues and Tasha to manage the food preparation. By late afternoon, the predicted deterioration in weather had arrived with a vengeance. Wind howled around the building’s corners, seeking entry through every crack and seam. Rain no longer fell but flew sideways, pelting the hurricane shutters with machine-gun intensity.

“Last weather update before we potentially lose signal,” Miguel announced, returning from checking the radio. “Benedict’s still a category two, sustained winds of 105 miles per hour. The eye’s expected to pass just east of us around midnight.”

“Well, that’s just perfect dinner theater timing,” Tasha remarked dryly, ladling soup into insulated containers for easy serving. “Nothing like a hurricane eye at midnight to add drama.”

“At least the surge predictions haven’t increased,” Jessie noted, double-checking the backup batteries for the emergency lighting.

Luke entered from outside, rain streaming from his waterproof jacket despite the brief dash from the storage shed. “Last of the water barrels are secured. If we lose plumbing, we’ve got enough for three days minimum.”

By seven o’clock, Seeker’s Paradise housed thirty-two people, ranging from infants to octogenarians. The air vibrated with a peculiar energy—part tension, part community spirit, thoroughly island. Despite the increasingly violent weather outside, inside remained organized, even comfortable. Tasha’s team had prepared large batches of hearty soup and fresh bread, served in shifts to maintain order. Board games and playing cards emerged from emergency kits, and a strange kind of hurricane party atmosphere developed, a whistling-in-the-dark camaraderie.

Jessie was distributing extra blankets when Reece burst through the door, half carrying Maggie whose medical bag swung wildly against her hip. Both were soaked despite rain gear, their expressions grim.

“Road’s gone at the north bend,” Reece announced, his voice pitched to carry to the staff but not alarm the sheltering crowd. “Water’s already coming over the seawall. We need to move vehicles to higher ground now or they’ll be underwater within the hour.”

Luke immediately began organizing a team of volunteers, selecting those without children to watch or elderly to care for. “Miguel, Jessie, Tasha—you’re with me. Anyone with four-wheel drive, we need your keys. The rest of you, stay put.”

Maggie shook her head, water spraying from her blond hair. “We need to get back to the clinic. I forgot the emergency insulin for Mr. Danvers.”

“No way,” Reece countered. “The road’s impassable now. We barely made it here.”

“He needs that insulin,” she insisted, already turning back toward the door. “I’m not watching a man go into diabetic shock because I forgot his medication.”

“I’ll go,” Luke said. “Just tell me where to find it.”

Maggie’s expression hardened into professional determination. “It’s in the refrigerated case, but you won’t know which one. I’m coming with you.”

The look that passed between Reece and Luke contained volumes of masculine communication. Finally, Reece nodded once. “Take my truck. It’s got the highest clearance. But be back in thirty minutes or I’m coming after you both.”

“We need to move the vehicles first,” Luke pointed out. “If we don’t get them to high ground now, we’ll lose half the island’s transportation.”

“I’ll handle the cars,” Jessie said, surprising herself with the immediate certainty. “You and Maggie get to the clinic. Miguel and I can coordinate moving vehicles to the ridge.”

Luke studied her for a long moment, something complicated happening behind his eyes. “You sure?”

“I’m sure.” She met his gaze steadily. “Go. We’ve got this.”

What followed was the most chaotic hour Jessie had experienced since her return to the island. She and Miguel led a small team through wind-driven rain and rising water, racing to relocate vehicles before the storm surge claimed them. Twice she nearly lost her footing as unexpected currents swirled around her calves. The wind tore words from their mouths, forcing them to communicate through gestures and shouts. But one by one, they moved the vulnerable vehicles to the ridge behind Seeker’s Paradise, a natural elevation that had served as the island’s informal high-water mark for generations.

By the time they returned to the bar, they resembled drowned rats more than the efficient crisis team they’d been hours earlier. Jessie’s hair was plastered to her skull, her clothes soaked through despite the rain gear. Every muscle ached from fighting both wind and water, and her hands burned from gripping steering wheels with white-knuckle intensity.

Her first thought upon entering wasn’t for herself, but for Luke. Her eyes scanned the room, looking for his familiar form among the gathered islanders. When she didn’t immediately spot him, a flutter of panic rose in her chest.

“They’re not back yet,” Reece confirmed, materializing beside her with a stack of towels. His expression remained professionally neutral, but the tightness around his eyes betrayed his concern. “Power’s out at the clinic. Landline’s down too.”

Jessie’s heart stuttered. “How long have they been gone?”

“Forty-three minutes.” Reece handed her a towel, his gaze shifting to the door as if he could manifest their return through sheer will. “I’m giving them five more, then I’m going after them.”

“I’ll go with you.”

He shook his head. “No. We need someone in charge here who knows the emergency protocols.”

The fact that he considered her capable of handling the shelter in a crisis should have been flattering. Instead, it only intensified her worry for Luke. The past two days had shown her a man of remarkable capability and quiet strength, leading without fanfare, ensuring others’ safety without thought to his own comfort. The idea of him trapped by rising waters or structural collapse twisted something painful inside her chest.

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