Page 52 of Acadia Falls

“I didn’t swim.” He chuckled. “But it’s not like my boat will do us any good. We can’t go back in this.”

Panic rose in my chest. “What do you mean—we have to wait the storm out?”

“Yes, but it’s just getting started.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, we’ll have to spend the night.” Now Jack sounded as smug as he looked.

“Is there any chance we can make it back to the island?” My voice came out tiny.

“No. It’s going to start thundering⁠—”

Just then, a bolt of lightning lit the sky. Thunder cracked five seconds later, shaking the truck.

“That’s pretty close,” Jack said. “We better get back to Northeast.”

“Where are we going to go?”

He shrugged. “I know a place we can stay the night.”

“We have to stay over?”

“You don’t go out on a boat in a thunder and lightning storm. You just don’t. Sorry if that’s an inconvenience for you.” For a moment, the easy bravado was gone. Jack sounded a little… insecure? Was that even possible?

I glanced at him. We’d been so comfortable around each other just a few days ago. Laughing, cooking, drinking Alex’s lovely wine, and listening to music. But things immediately cooled off at the first sign of him ghosting me. In fact, even though it had only been one full day of silence, I’d frozen inside. I wasn’t sure what I had been expecting, but our budding relationship seemed to have some momentum.

And then, all of a sudden, it screeched to a stop.

The easy banter, the butterflies, the feel of his big arms wrapped around me… I’d wondered if I’d imagined it all. Worse, I’d wondered if I would ever feel any of it again or if Jack would become just another guy to me, someone I used to know. A story I’d tell over drinks at some trendy bar in Manhattan about the summer I dated a lobsterman.

“Wrap that towel around you,” Jack ordered. “You don’t want to be catching pneumonia.”

I couldn’t tell what was going on with him. One moment, he’d been in my bed, warm and cozy. The next, he wasn’t calling. The moment after that, he punched poor Charlie in the face just for talking to me. Now he’d come to the park to bail me out, giving me a warm, dry towel so I wouldn’t get sick.

So, which one was it? What did Jack Brennan want from me, if anything?

Another jagged bolt of lightning lit up the sky, followed by a boom of thunder. “Woah!” I looked nervously out the window. “That’s really close.”

Jack stepped on the gas and turned the windshield wipers to full speed. I wrapped myself up tightly as he maneuvered the truck down the mountain and back to the main road. Even the visitor check-in was closed. Jack was right. I was basically the only idiot left in the park.

We were quiet on the drive back to Northeast. Both of us were paying attention to the road. The rain and gusts of wind pounded the truck. “I guess I need a new weather app, huh?” I peered out at the driving rain, which the wind was blowing sideways.

In response, Jack snorted. “Didn’t my brother try to stop you?”

“Yeah,” I admitted.

“A local fisherman’s better than any weather app. The next time Tommy tells you a storm’s coming, do me a favor and listen.”

Feeling chastised, I went back to watching the sideways rain.

It took longer than usual to get back to Northeast. The tumultuous harbor stretched out below, the ships rocking as the wind and large swells undulated around them. Before we reached Main Street, Jack took a hard left into a driveway surrounded on each side by tall pine trees. I let out a low whistle once we pulled down a little further. “This is some house.”

A grand Victorian, clearly updated with new windows, siding, and paint, awaited us. It was tall and pristine, commanding an unobstructed view of the stormy harbor below.

“This is my aunt and uncle’s house. They’re away.” Jack motioned for me to grab my things. “Let’s get you inside before you turn any more blue.”

“I’m blue?” Barefoot, I followed him into the driving rain. I groaned when my feet touched the ground, and my clothes got even more soaked. Jack lifted a potted plant next to the entryway, grabbed a key from beneath it, and opened the door. We spilled inside, rain splashing in the entry, the immaculate white tiles immediately becoming slick.