A Little Magic(32)

It was just that sort of statement, Allena thought the minute the words left her mouth, that would make Margaret cringe. But then bargaining wasn’t a priority at the moment. Survival was.

“I’ll take you where you need to be.” His eyes sparkled as he held out a hand. “For ten pounds.”

“Today everything’s ten pounds.” She reached for her purse, but he shook his head.

“It was your hand I was reaching for, lady, not payment. Payment comes when you get where you’re going.”

“Oh, thanks.” She put her hand in his and let him help her into the boat.

She sat starboard on a little bench while he cast off. Closing her eyes with relief, she listened to the boy whistle as he went about settling to stern and starting the motor. “I’m very grateful,” she began. “My sister’s going to be furious with me. I don’t know what I was thinking of.”

He turned the boat, a slow and smooth motion. “And couldn’t she have waited just a bit?”

“Margaret?” The thought made Allena smile. “It wouldn’t have occurred to her.”

The bow lifted, and the little boat picked up speed. “It would have occurred to you,” he said, and then they were skimming over the water.

Thrilled, she turned her face to the wind. Oh, this was better, much better, than any tame ferry ride, lecture included. It was almost worth the price she would pay at the end, and she didn’t mean the pounds.

“Do you fish?” she called out to him.

“When they’re biting.”

“It must be wonderful to do what you want, when you want. And to live so near the water. Do you love it?”

“I’ve a fondness for it, yes. Men put restrictions on men. That’s an odd thing to my way of thinking.”

“I have a terrible time with restrictions. I can never remember them.” The boat leaped, bounced hard and made her laugh. “At this rate, we’ll beat the ferry.”

The idea of that, the image of her standing on shore and giving Margaret a smug look when the ferry docked, entertained Allena so much she didn’t give a thought to the shiver of lightning overhead or the sudden, ominous roar of the sea.

When the rain began to pelt her, she looked around again, shocked that she could see nothing but water, the rise and fall of it, the curtain that closed off light.

“Oh, she won’t like this a bit. Are we nearly there?”

“Nearly, aye, nearly.” His voice was a kind of crooning that smoothed nerves before they could fray. “Do you see there, through the storm? There, just ahead, is where you need to be.”

She turned. Through the rain and wind, she saw the darker shadow of land, a rise of hills, the dip of valley in shapes only. But she knew, she already knew.

“It’s beautiful,” she murmured.

Like smoke, it drifted closer. She could see the crash of surf now and the cliffs that hulked high above. Then in the flash of lightning, she thought, just for an instant, she saw a man.

Before she could speak, the boat was rocking in the surf, and the boy leaping out into the thrashing water to pull them to shore.

“I can’t thank you enough, really.” Drenched, euphoric, she climbed out onto the wet sand. “You’ll wait for the storm to pass, won’t you?” she asked as she dug for her wallet.

“I’ll wait until it’s time to go. You’ll find your way, lady. Through the rain. The path’s there.”

“Thanks.” She passed the note into his hand. She’d go to the visitors’ center, take shelter, find Margaret and do penance. “If you come up with me, I’ll buy you some tea. You can dry off.”

“Oh, I’m used to the wet. Someone’s waiting for you,” he said, then climbed back into his boat.

“Yes, of course.” She started to run, then stopped. She hadn’t even asked his name. “I’m sorry, but—” When she rushed back, there was nothing there but the crash of water against the shore.

Alarmed that he’d sailed back into that rising storm, she called out, began to hurry along what she could see of the shore to try to find him. Lightning flashed overhead, more vicious than exciting now, and the wind slapped at her like a furious hand.

Hunching against it, she jogged up the rise, onto a path. She’d get to shelter, tell someone about the boy. What had she been thinking of, not insisting that he come with her and wait until the weather cleared?

She stumbled, fell, jarring her bones with the impact, panting to catch her breath as the world went suddenly mad around her. Everything was howling wind, blasting lights, booming thunder. She struggled to her feet and pushed on.