Port Starbird (Storm Ketchum Adventures) (22 page)

He went to where his DVDs were stored, she went to the bedroom, and the dog settled in front of the wood stove for a nap. As he fanned through the cases and started making some selections, he heard an exclamation from the bedroom. "Yeah, that's some packin' job you did there," she laughed.

It didn't take her long to finish packing, and he had the DVDs he wanted. He added them to his backpack, then carried her
suitcase out from the bedroom. "I think we have everything now," he said, waving at the pile by the front door. "I'll load it all in my truck in the morning and we'll take off. Why don't we go out for an early dinner, and then make it an early night? I don't have much food left here. I needed to go shopping again to begin with, plus I threw out the perishables this morning."

"Okay,
and a shower and nap before? I could go for that."

They ended up in the pub at the Froggy Dog again. What the heck, Ketch had thought, it's her favorite place - and that's where they'd gone on their first official date as well, he remembered. It seemed like that was such a long time ago, but in reality it was just shy of a week. How could so much have happened in such a short time? He wouldn't have believed it was possible if it hadn't happened to him.
It was unnatural for things to happen to folks constantly, one right after another, in his opinion; there should always be at least some time between major events. Someone should speak to someone about that.

While they enjoyed another fine meal, along with another bottle of fine wine, Ketch decided to broach an idea that had occurred to him just this morning. Well, he guessed he'd daydreamed about it a few days ago as well, and dismissed it at that time; and then a couple of days ago he'd wondered if he'd ever be able to stand the sight of her again; and now he'd come full circle,
and this time he intended to stay there.

"I was thinking about something," he said.

"Should I alert the media?" she innocently asked.

"No, seriously
. I know you've had a hard time making a go of it with the shop, and I'd like to do more to help. I'd like to become your partner."

"Really? That's an interestin
' idea. How would that work?"

"Well, I'd buy into the business - I don't know how much money that would take, we'd work that out - and I'd get more involved in the daily operations, help more with the classes, help out in the shop, and so on. I'd take a cut of the profits - I don't know how much of a cut, it would depend on whether I was a full partner or something less, we'd work that out, too -
but you'd get a cash infusion to expand and advertise more, which would mean more revenue and more profit..."

"
I don't know about that, I'm not feelin' as confidant about that as you are," she started to interrupt.

"Now hang on, hear me out. You'd also have fewer expenses, because
you'd get to use my boat, and you'd get free web programming, not to mention no hoodlums extorting money from you..." He faltered for a second, then soldiered on. "And you wouldn't have to pay rent anymore, because I'm asking you to move in with me permanently." He went on before she could object. "You've been camping out with me already every day for the past week, and we're about to do it again in Raleigh. It's not like we wouldn't have any practice at it." She didn't respond immediately, so he tried to backtrack and save face with a little humor. "But I know, what we've been doing hasn't been quite the same as dealing with you throwing out all my stuff to make room for your shoe collection, your furniture, and so on. And we haven't been together that long, so maybe it's too soon to be thinking like that."

"Well, there's that," she finally said
, with a hint of a smile. "Though I feel like we've lived about a year in the last week or so. Really, it seems like we've been together forever already. But there's also the other thing, which we hadn't talked about all that much yet."

"I assume you mean what happened on Sunday," he said, "and the things
that happened before that, right? Well, that's a done deal as far as I'm concerned. There's no going back anyway, after what we did on Sunday, and I've obviously forgiven you or we wouldn't be here right now."

"I guess," she said. "But are you really sure? Are you sure you won't change your mind and think less of me and hold it against me
, down the road?"

"I won't hold it against you until we get home," he said, reprising one of her own jests. That got a
broader smile. "Look, I know what you mean, and we can talk about it all you like, whenever you like. I know you might need to from time to time, and who knows, I might, too. But I want you to be clear on this - I see you as nothing more than a victim of circumstances, plain and simple, and I don't see my mind ever changing on that."

"Huh. Well, thank you for that. Really, it does make me feel better." She finished off the wine and said, "Let's go home. We can think on it all some more this week while we're away. But I have to warn you, your idea's awful temptin'. You might be sorry you brought it up, you might never be able to get rid of me!"

When they got back to the house, they decided to take the dog for a walk
. They stopped by the boatyard, but the Captain was already gone for the day. When it was time to go to bed, Ketch went out to the living room to take one last look at the pile by the door. The dog's dishes were there now, and he'd add the dog bed in the morning. Had he forgotten anything important? He didn't think so, but there was something nagging at the back of his mind that held him there nonetheless.

Finally, he opened the door, went down the steps, and removed the life
preserver from the nail it had been hanging on since shortly after he'd moved into the house. He carried it inside, deposited it on the pile, and went to bed.

~  ~  ~

This was the first
Outer Banks hurricane Ketch had ever experienced in person, despite all the time he'd spent vacationing in Avon over the years, and despite having lived there full-time for the last three. More than forty hurricanes had assaulted this coast over the past hundred years, with on occasion more than one in a given year and several in one particular year, and they'd never gone without one for more than a few years in a row. So they'd been lucky so far during his tenure, but now he supposed they were probably due.

Hurricane Ernesto had made landfall at Cape Lookout, the southernmost extent of the Banks, on S
aturday night, the fourth of their stay in Raleigh, and the city of Beaufort had been severely pummeled by Ernesto's punishing winds and storm surge. Born of a tropical wave off the coast of Africa, Ernesto had skirted the eastern Caribbean as a category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale and then shifted northward, inflicting some damage most notably on Puerto Rico.

It
had grown in strength to a category 3 storm over the warm waters of the Bahamas, and had weakened to a category 2, but still with sustained winds of over a hundred miles per hour, by the time it slammed into the North Carolina coast. It quickly weakened further as it tracked north through eastern North Carolina and into Virginia before turning east into the Atlantic off the coast of Virginia, departing as a marginal category 1 storm.

Winds of tropical storm force had extended over a hundred miles out from the center of the storm, and
Ketch and Kari had weathered those winds in Raleigh, along with the occasional hurricane-force gust and copious rainfall. They and the dog hadn't been able to go outside very often since Saturday and Ketch thought the dog especially was developing a serious case of cabin fever, but they were pretty much okay otherwise.

The Residence Inn had lost some roof tiles and there were branches down, but they still had power
, and there'd been no flooding and no leaks in their suite. They'd done some shopping locally upon their arrival, and the staff had also made sure there was food and water available right at the Inn, so they hadn't had to venture out into the storm for staples.

It was
now Monday evening, and the weather here at least was finally starting to improve. They'd managed to watch a couple of movies early on, but since Friday night they'd kept their TV tuned to news and weather. A few small tornados had been reported across the state, but none where they were and none in Avon that they knew of.

The Banks
however had been hit with some hurricane-force winds, and there'd been isolated reports of power outages and structural damage in several locations. Most of the damage, though, appeared to have been done by rain and storm tides, especially in Pamlico Sound, where the winds had blown the sound water westward, causing creeks and rivers to flood; as the storm had passed, those waters had receded eastward and piled up against parts of the eastern shore of the sound, that is, the westward side of Hatteras Island. Eight-foot tides had been reported in some places, and some docks had been smashed, some boats sunk, and some homes flooded. The water had surged across the island at Rodanthe, as Ketch had feared, and Route 12 had been breached there.

They'd been in periodic contact with the Captain
throughout, and Kari had spoken with her family. Everyone seemed to be doing all right. The Captain, though, hadn't chosen the best refuge as it turned out, as there'd been similar though less damaging problems in Albemarle Sound; but though he and his family had had to contend with hurricane-force gusts of wind and some overfilling of the river, they'd come through it with only some minor damage. The Captain had said part of the dock had lifted and the
Minnow
had gotten slammed around some, but he thought she was still seaworthy. They were speaking with him now on Ketch's cell phone.

"
We're itchin' to get on down there and check things out," Kari was saying. "We know there was some damage, but we hadn't been able to get a lot of details."

"
Well, the road's washed out, you know, though I hear it ain't so bad they have to put up one a them temporary steel bridges again, like they did the last time. It might only take 'em a few days to make it passable this time."

"I wonder if the looters will wait that long," Ketch said.

"That's the spirit!" the Captain laughed. "That's the thing I like most about y'all, you're a positive thinker! First you worry 'bout gettin' mugged, and now looters. This ain't Jersey, folks around here help each other out."

"Yes, well, we still have people like Mario,
and I imagine we have vacationers from Jersey. Anyway, I'm thinking about seeing if I can find us somewhere to stay closer, and then taking my boat to the public launch at Pea Island. If I keep her speed down some, I know I could almost make it to Avon and back on one tank, but I'll bring a couple more gas cans with me. We could at least check on the house and the shop that way, though we won't be able to get to your place or Kari's."

"That's all right, I ain't real worried
, it is what it is. But you better keep your speed down, some a the shoals have probably shifted, though you should be okay with your draft. I'd offer to take you myself, but I got some repairs to do, and when I go down I'm gonna have to crawl all the way there."

"We could come to you and drop one of us off to sail with you when you're ready, so you don't have to do it all by yourself," Kari offered.

"Well that's right nice a y'all, darlin'. See what I mean, Ketch, you ole sad sack? Don't worry 'bout it right now, though, I ain't comin' back 'til they fix the road at least. Hey, if you can't find a place to stay, y'all could come here, we could put you up for a spell. We still got another guest bedroom here we ain't usin'."

"Thanks, Captain
, we'll keep that in mind," Ketch said. They hung up shortly, and Ketch fired up his laptop. There were no Residence Inns around Nags Head and not many other pet-friendly hotels to choose from, and the ones he found looked to be on the unsavory side and didn't have good reviews. They might have been damaged by the storm anyway, so he didn't bother to call any of them. There may have been some options around Elizabeth City, but if they went there then they might as well stay with the Captain. They decided to take him up on his offer and called him back.

They reloaded the car and the truck, checked out Tuesday morning, and arrived at the Captain's place in the afternoon.
The Captain's family went out of their way to make them feel welcome, which they were grateful for and Ketch was humbled by. Southern hospitality wasn't just a fable, at least not among the old guard. With very few exceptions, if any (he couldn't think of any at the moment), the ones he'd met on and around the Banks all seemed to be standup folks who'd have your back if you needed them to.

There was some property, which pleased the dog,  around the surprisingly spacious house
which sat on a knoll above the river, and the fact that it was riverfront pleased the dog even more. He was pretty adaptable for a dog, Ketch had to admiringly acknowledge, and he seemed comfortable here.

Which was good, since he'd decided against subjecting the dog to another long drive and p
robably equally long ride on a small boat. Counting the drive from here to Pea Island and back, and sailing the boat from Pea Island to Avon and back, it could be at least a ten-hour trip overall.

After getting settled into their room, they passed some time socializing with their generous hosts. When dinner was over,
Ketch and the Captain went to town to stock the cooler for the trip.

"
So, who-all's gonna be goin' on this little junket?" the Captain asked. "I need to know, so I can make sure we get the right kind a beer."

"Well, I thought me and Kari," Ketch said. "But then I wondered if leaving Jack here might be imposing too much."

"Nah, it'll be okay. You two are the ones that should go. I might could tag along, but I got work to do, and you'd burn more gas with the extra weight. Jack knows me. He can hang out with me, I'll keep a good eye on 'im."

After a comfortable (and respectfully quiet) night, Ketch and Kari met the Captain out on the back porch shortly after sunrise.
They shared a quick breakfast with him, then loaded their cooler onto the boat. Before he got in the truck, Ketch had a word with the dog, who was looking nervous and concerned. He explained the situation as best he could, using words he knew the dog would understand, and hugged the dog, though not excessively. You can't make too big a deal out of arrivals and departures if you don't want to have a neurotic pet. When he started the truck, he saw that the dog was calmer, if resigned, and sitting next to the Captain. He called to the dog, "Jack, be good, I'll see you later!"

"Bon voyage!" the Captain said. "If y'all come across any a them
dang looters, give 'em a kick in the pants for me!"

The drive to Pea Island was uneventful, though tedious, as they had to first
stop for ice and gas - for the truck, the boat, and the extra gas cans - and then skirt the perimeter of Albemarle Sound on a maddeningly tortuous route before finally making it onto the Banks via the bridge above Kitty Hawk. Of course, it didn't help that they were both anxious to get the boat in the water. But at least there were no breaches in the road and no significant delays, and once they got off 158 and onto 12 below Nags Head they felt like they were on the home stretch - which they were.

When they shortly crossed the Bonner Bridge over Oregon Inlet, still intact and passable,
under a finally blue sky, Ketch was again struck by the beauty of this confluence of the Atlantic Ocean and Pamlico Sound - the multifarious blue-green hues of the inlet, the sound, and the sea; and the waving cordgrass in the marshes... The postcard views from the elevated bridge made his breath catch in his throat every time he drove across this bridge, without fail. He had to slow down and force himself to pay attention to the road; it was a wonder he'd never accidentally driven right off it.

Once they crossed the bridge,
it wasn't much longer before they reached the Pea Island refuge. They found the public boat launch functional and open, but busy, and they had to wait their turn. When they finally had the boat in the water and were underway, they both felt a sense of great relief. Kari cracked open the cooler and extracted two pint bottles of beer from it, which she or the Captain must have stuck in there, as Ketch had not.

"I know you have to watch
out for the shoals," she said at a skeptical look from Ketch, "but one won't hurt."

He didn't argue, and in fact had to admit it w
as going down quite well. He wasn't sure why, but although he felt trepidatious about what they might find later, he also felt good, and happy. He was glad he'd remembered to pack his tarp hat and bring it along today; though he still had hair, it wasn't quite as thick as it used to be, and on this finally sunny day he could burn without it. Maybe it was just being out on the water again making him feel so good, or maybe it was who he was sailing with; maybe both. No longer having to worry about his house being seized might be another reason.

He
'd been gradually accelerating since they started and was now going faster than he ordinarily might have under these circumstances, but he didn't want to waste time; and though not strictly necessary, it would also be nice to make it back to the Captain's place tonight before full dark. He'd have to get very unlucky to have a problem with shoals with his nine-inch draft - but if he did, things wouldn't end well for the boat at this speed; and there might also be some storm debris here and there, so he'd still keep a careful eye out ahead. No more beer for him until maybe on the way back later.

"Hey, do you think we might have time to dock and go inside for a few minutes when we get there? You know, to check and see if the bedroom's still okay?" she called
over the engine with a mischievous look on her face.

"There might not be a dock anymore," he called back.

"Well, we could still pull the boat up onto the shore though, right?"

"I don't know." They were approaching the outskirts of Rodanthe now, and he could see there'd been some soundside flooding there. There was debris
considerably above the normal high tide line, and some of the elevated houses looked like they still had water under them. They both saw where the road had been breached at the same time.

"Wow, look at that," she said. "I
t's not as bad as it could be, though. If we only got it this bad, we'll be doin' okay." Ketch didn't reply, and just kept watching the water ahead with only an occasional glance to the side. Waves and Salvo looked about the same as what they'd seen in Rodanthe, minus the road breach.

"We'll find out soon," he finally said. Next stop Avon.
She was right, what they'd seen so far wasn't that bad, considering. And
Port Starbird
had enough freeboard to park a car under the deck, which was more than twice as much as was mandated for his area; so although his dock might have washed out and there might have been water under the house, at least there shouldn't be any inside it. He hoped. If all he had to do was get a new lawn mower and a new bike and rebuild his dock, that wouldn't be so bad. Though maybe there'd also be some roofing to be done, depending on how the winds had been. Well, he had flood insurance.