Page 35 of Easton Island: Old-Fashioned Christmas
“Bite your tongue,” Captain Davey said. “I would like to say the island has cleared out, but believe it or not, I had two passengers, a man and boy, who arrived only hours ago.”
Her scalp tingled, almost certain he was talking about Tristan and Jeff Blakely. “They didn’t tell you why they were here?”Despite Captain Davey being an Easton, a member of their extended family, the last thing Brett needed was for the rumor mill to get cranked up. Although it was possible that it was already too late.
“No. They mentioned something about having booked a room here at the harbor.” Captain Davey told her he’d noticed power surges all morning and his office lights flickering. “I’m wondering if our power grid is as stable as we’ve come to believe.”
Morgan had noticed the same…the lights flickering at her cottage and at Locke Pointe. She hoped it wasn’t a sign of things to come. “I would invite you to Locke Pointe, but Greg said we won’t have enough juice to run the house if the power goes out.”
“I have a fireplace at home with plenty of firewood, but thank you for the offer,” Davey said. “I hope you’re not planning on riding this storm out by yourself.”
“Chester and I are heading over to Easton Estate.” Morgan told him that if his power went out, he was welcome to come stay.
“Elizabeth has already extended an invitation. I’ll be fine. Stay safe, Morgan.”
Whoo-ee.The harbor master whistled loudly, signaling they were ready to depart.
“Be careful.” Morgan said a small prayer for her friend, watching as he boarded the vessel. The deckhands tossed the ropes, and the ferry slipped out into open water.
An inkling of trepidation washed over Morgan. Within a few short hours, those left on the island would be stuck until the storm passed, a thought that struck her as terrifying yet oddly romantic. A snowy white Christmas spent with loved ones.
Back at Locke Pointe, Morgan found Tina packing up.
“Are you sure you’ll be all right?” she fretted. “When will you be locking up and leaving?”
“As soon as Ronni gets here. We have a few more hours before it gets too bad.” Morgan gave her a quick hug. “Enjoy your Christmas, and I’ll see you the day after.”
“Sounds good. Merry Christmas, Morgan.”
“Merry Christmas, Tina.” Morgan trailed after her and noticed Ronni’s car pulling in. “There’s Ronni now.”
She passed Tina on the sidewalk. After a brief word, she trekked up the steps to where Morgan stood waiting. “I can almost feel the storm coming.”
Morgan watched her remove her snow-covered boots. “What does it feel like?”
“Like a chill settling in your bones.”
“It sounds like the perfect weather for a cup of hot cocoa.” The women traipsed into the kitchen and fixed a cup before circling around to the dining room.
“What should we do with these crafts we bought for our guest’s Christmas party?”
“You could pack them up and save them for next year,” Ronni suggested.
“I suppose.” Morgan began gathering up the bottles of glitter and glue. “It’s such a shame.”
“Or you could take them to Easton Estate. We might want something to keep us busy while we ride out the storm.”
Morgan snapped her fingers. Ronni was right. The guests were gone, but her family was still here. “Quinn, you, me,Grandmother, Brett, Gerard. Shoot, I bet we can even convince Jax to channel his inner creativity.”
“Exactly.” As soon as they finished their hot chocolate, Ronni helped Morgan box up the supplies and carry them to her SUV.
“When are you heading to Easton Estate?”
“I need to grab a couple of things from home, pick up Chester and we’ll be on our way.”
“I’ll see you there. Be careful.”
“I will.” Morgan gave a quick wave and watched as Ronni drove off.
Slipping back inside, she lingered in the doorway, shivering involuntarily as the wind whistled through the windowpanes. She thought about Wyatt, who had taken a morning ferry to the mainland to spend Christmas with his parents.
