Sunday's Child (29 page)

Aunt Laurie answered on the second ring. “Hello?”

“It's Hattie, I found him.”

“Thank the Lord. Let me give you to Tom.”

There was a brief pause as he came to the line. “Hattie, its Tom. Where are you?”

“A beach somewhere, back's against the cliff. Cal's hurt badly, he's bleeding, not making much sense. The tide's coming in fast. Not sure how long we can stay above water. There's nowhere to go.”

“Which direction did you go?”

“East. Not sure how far. Walked about an hour I think, hard to tell. There's a new rock fall. It's just past that. We're on a ledge, but the water's reached us—”

A huge wave crashed over them, snatching the phone from her hand and tossing it far out to sea. She wrapped both arms around Cal, holding him tightly. The pain in her ribs returned with a vengeance. She'd have her fair share of bruises after this. “Cal, talk to me.”

He stirred. “Hattie?”

“Yeah. Still not an angel.”

“Thought you were.”

“Nope. Just a woman looking for a bloke she won in a raffle.” His eyes glazed for a moment and she shook him. “No you don't. You stay awake, you hear me?”

“You…won…me?”

She pulled the cap off the bottle of water and offered him some. “Sure did. You and me and a night of dancing. Although some people go to great lengths to avoid it.”

He took a small sip then turned away. “Makes us even…”

“What does?”

“You…rescuing…me…”

“Not quite. You still owe me that date.”

“More than one…” His eyes slid shut.

“Remember the sermon on Sunday? What Pastor Kenny preached on from Zephaniah? It's one of my favorite verses.
The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing
.”

“Sang it afterwards,” he whispered. “My God is mighty to save…”

The water lapped higher now. She pulled him as high as she could, holding him tightly. She didn't want to drown, but there was no sign of the promised rescue. “Least I'm with you,” she whispered.

There was nowhere left to go. The water reached his chin. She held him tightly, unable to pull him up any higher. “I love you.”

He looked at her, his eyes focused for a moment. “It's OK… I love you.” The water rose, covering his mouth.

“I'm sorry…” she sobbed.

A voice called her name. She glanced up to see the lifeboat appearing on her left. “Hurry…”

A splash and two swimmers appeared by her side. Strong arms took Cal from her, lifting his head back above the water.

Then someone took hold of her, taking her to the safety of the lifeboat.

 

 

 

 

30

 

Three months later

 

Hattie stood, surrounded by more than two hundred and fifty people on the shore by Penry Island Lifeboat Station. The brisk February wind blew her neatly done hair, here, there and everywhere. Cal appeared next to her in his uniform. He'd spent the Sunday morning training as usual, taking the new boat through her paces before her official launch that afternoon. His hand took hers, his thumb running over the wedding band she wore under her engagement ring.

She smiled at him. “I've never been to a boat launch before, never mind done one. Except for the excerpts on the television when the Queen does a new cruise ship or something, I have no idea what to do.”

“It's a cinch. It'll be exactly like the launches you see on the TV. You say ‘I name this lifeboat' and so on and then hit her with the champagne. And it had better break or else its bad luck.”

She grinned. “But we don't do luck.”

“Try telling that to this lot. Sailors are an inherently superstitious lot.”

“These are all volunteers. Hardly any of them come from diehard sea going families anymore.”

“Doesn't matter.” He hugged her. “I love you.”

Hattie hugged him back. “I love you, too.”

“Are you sure you want to name it after Steve? He doesn't want to see you, and he won't accept your letters. It's as if he hasn't forgiven you for testifying against him.”

“He hasn't. But, despite everything that's happened, he's still my brother. And I forgive him. I love him, Cal, and that won't ever change. Maybe one day things will be different.” She sucked in a deep breath. “I'm still going to the prison on Wednesday. He'll probably refuse to see me again, but I have to go.”

He nodded, hugging her tightly. “We'll both go. Put up a united front and show him that he's still part of our family, no matter how hard he tries to run. God hasn't given up on him and nor have we.”

“Thank you.” She hugged him back. “All we need now is Tom and we can start here. Maybe he got lost.”

Cal laughed. “More likely he's stealing one of your apple cakes.”

Tom came running out. “OK, Red Watch, get in the boat. You're on a shout. Speedboat in difficulties, four miles to the north-east.”

“You're kidding,” Cal said.

“Nope. Go, now.”

The driver jumped into the tractor and started it up, while Cal and the rest of red watch scrambled up the ladder, starting the engines of the lifeboat.

Pastor Kenny stepped up to the microphone. “I know we still need to name her officially, and I'm not going to do that. But I want to pray and ask God to bless the lifeboat on her maiden rescue voyage.”

Hattie kept her eyes on the boat as the tractor drove down the shingle and into the sea. She'd seen this done countless times now, but it still enthralled her. She raised a hand in farewell, as Cal headed from the DODO and out into open water. Less than a minute later the second boat followed them.

Tom looked at everyone. “Let's start the party without them,” he said. “Tea and coffee will be served now, and we'll name the boat when they come back.”

“Won't have enough cakes for that,” Hattie commented to Laurie. “Actually, I'm not sure I made enough anyway. I didn't realize so many people would turn up.”

Laurie smiled. “It's because it's
our
boat. We all helped raise the money for it. OK, the name is yours because it was your idea, but the boat belongs to the whole island.”

Hattie's gaze shifted from the empty DODO, to the bridge. New columns would soon start to rise from the shadow of the old ones, and the familiar high girders would be rebuilt. This time next year was the plan, but whether that would happen was anyone's guess.

Choosing to forgo the tea, and making sure there were enough people to serve without her, Hattie sat on the sea wall, gazing out at the water.

Carter sat next to her. “He'll be back.”

She looked up. “I know. Just part of me will always worry a little. Even on a calm day like this.” She smiled. “How's the training going?”

“It's good to be back on the bike. Doc says I should be ready to start competing again in a week or so.”

“That's great.”

“Not as great as seeing the change in Cal. He's really settled down since you came on the scene.”

She tilted her head. “You're one of the few people who said we didn't rush into marriage.”

Carter shrugged. “Sometimes you just know when Mr. or Miss Right comes along and then there is no point in waiting, especially when God's nudging you that way as well.”

Tom came over. “They got there.”

“Already?” she asked glancing at her watch. A mere six minutes had elapsed since the boats launched.

Tom nodded. “Cal is taking the couple to Yarbrough ED in the lifeboat, so they can be checked over. The RHIB is bringing their speedboat back to the harbor. They should all be back within the hour.”

“So allowing time to clean up and refuel, about two hours or so before we can restart?”

“Something like that.” He grinned at her. “So, are you working permanently in the shop now?”

“Alongside the catering, yeah.” She grinned. “Course the café might not take off and…”

Carter elbowed her. “It's a brilliant idea. A beachside café, right next to the lifeboat station. What's not going to work about it?”

“It's seasonal. Might not get many visitors in the winter.”

“Trust me. Advertise your cakes and they will come.”

 

****

 

Once the boats were cleaned and refueled, the crew resumed their places on the beach. Hattie swallowed hard, now the moment had come she was terrified.

Cal took her hand. “You'll be fine. Short speech, break the bottle and there you go.”

Tom finished his speech and invited Hattie up to the mic. Trying to stop her knees from buckling under her, she stood in front of everyone. “I name this lifeboat the
Steve and Penny Steele.
May God bless and protect those who crew her and the lives of those she saves.”

Taking the champagne bottle in her hand, she swung it hard. It hit the side of the boat and shattered. She grinned at Cal.

The phone in the main building rang. Tom ran inside and was gone about a minute before coming back out. “Red Watch…” he began.

Cal grinned. “No rest for the wicked, or those in peril on the sea.” He hugged Hattie as the shore crew swung into action once more. “Save me a cake. Love you, see you later.”

Hattie kissed him. “I'll be waiting right here. Same as always. Go do what you do best. Save lives.”

Cal looked at Tom. “Where to?”

“Fishing trawler in difficulties. Ten miles northwest.”

Hattie watched as the lifeboat launched and cut through the waters, heading off across the brightly lit waves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hattie's Apple Cakes

 

2oz margarine

3oz sugar

4oz SR flour

1 egg

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

1 tablespoon milk

3oz chopped apples

 

Beat margarine and sugar together.

Add egg and beat again.

Mix in flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking powder.

Add milk and mix all together.

Add chopped apple.

Stir well.

Divide into 12 cake cases.

Mix a little cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar and sprinkle over each cake.

Bake 15 minutes gas mark 7 / 220C / 435F

 

 

Hot Trifle

 

Fill the bottom of an oven proof dish with stale sponge or broken pieces of sponge fingers.

Top with a tin of fruit and the juice.

Make half a pint of custard and pour over the fruit.

Make a meringue with 2oz sugar and 1 egg white

Spoon the meringue over the custard and fluff into small peaks with the back of a teaspoon.

Bake on a very low heat ¼ gas/ 110C / 225F for 1½ hours

 

 

 

 

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White Rose Publishing

Where Faith is the Cornerstone of Love™

an imprint of Pelican Ventures Book Group

www.PelicanBookGroup.com

 

May God's glory shine through

this inspirational work of fiction.

 

AMDG