Parker's Island (26 page)

We drove in silence the rest of the way to the airport.  I had no intention of getting on a plane, but I couldn’t risk Molly telling anyone, especially Brian that she took me to the ferry.  She dropped me off at the front of the airport.  She got out and helped me with my bags.

“I love you
,
Molly.  You are my Best Budd
y Fore
ver and you always will be
,
” I cried, hugging her to me.

“Can’t you stay?  Why do you have to leave?”
s
he asked,
hugging me back
.

“I can’t
stay
.  I have to go.  Please understand.”

“Okay, I’ll walk you to your gate.”
             
“No.  Thank you for the ride, but you have to leave me now.  I can’t handle anymore goodbyes.”  I pulled away, grabbed my bags and walked through the airport doors.  I turned and waved
.  S
he was
staring at me like she knew she had lost her best friend
, and I thought I saw
a
tear in her eye
.
 
I
t
reminded me of the last time I saw Brian
.  H
e was crying
,
too.  I knew my mom would cry when she found the note.  I had let everyone down. 

I walked to the other end of the airport and asked one of the airline employees if there were any shuttles to the island ferries.  He directed me toward the shuttles and
before long
I was on my way.  I stared out the window at nothing and prayed that Brian was okay.  I couldn’t get him out of my mind
.  T
he misery and pain I’d caused him cut through me like a knife.

Before I realized it, I was at the dock and the driver had to yell at me to snap out of it.  “Young lady, this is your stop!”

“Oh, I’m sorry.  Thank you
,
” I said, quickly grabbing my stuff and heading out the door.

I walked up to the ticket booth to buy a ticket for
the
ferry, and was surprised to learn that
no ferries were running at that time due to a storm.  “Do you think they’ll be running soon?” I asked, unsure of what to do.

“I don’t know.  The water is pretty choppy right now.  If it settles down, we’ll start running again.  I’m sorry
,
”
h
e said.

“Um, it’s not yo
ur fault.  Can I wait inside?”
I asked.

“Sure!”
h
e said, looking me up and down.

“Um, maybe I’ll just wait over
t
here
,
” I said, pointing at the park benches, not wanting to be too near him and his leering eyes.

“Suit yourself
,
”
he shrugged.

I sat outside in the wind for hours.  I had nowhere to go or any way to get there
if I
had
.  By 3:00 I realized I hadn’t eaten anything and thought I should try to get something down.  I asked the guy at the counter if there was any news
yet
about the ferries.  He told me the weather report was looking better and he’d let me know as soon as he heard when the ferries would
start running again.

“Is there someplace around here that I can
get a sandwich or something?”
I asked.

“
N
ot
with
in walking distance
.
  I have a half a sandwich left if you want it.”

“Thank you
,
anyway
,
” I said
.  M
aybe he was a nice guy, but I wasn’t accepting anything from someone I didn’t know.
  The image of Chad handing me our drinks at the grad party would be a constant reminder
to not accept anything from someone I didn’t
know and
trust.
 

The last ferry of the evening was
1
0:00 pm, and it was nearing 8:30 pm now.  I was beginning to lose hope.  I had no idea where I would go if the
ferries
didn’t start running soon. 

At 9:40 a few people that lived on the island showed up at the dock.  I knew that they would probably all be very disappointed, but I was thrilled when they all start
ed
filing on.  “Oh
,
thank heavens
,”
I thought and headed to the ferry.

Just as I was about to board, the night attendant ran out to tell me that this would be my only shot for a while.  The skies were clear, but another storm was coming in.

“Thank you
,
” I said,
running ahead.

The skies may have been clear, but the water was still very choppy.  I found myself heaving over the side of the deck.

“Sea sickness?”
o
ne of the other passengers asked.

“Um, yes
,
” I said, knowing it was more likely morning sickness.  I wondered about that, why did they call it that?  I was sick all the time, not just in the morning.  No wonder Christine figured it out.  I’m surprised that my mom didn’t, or maybe she just
refused to see it, like I
had
.

Chapter
Seven:
Logan

I finally made it to the island.  I saw Parker’s Inn and I
trembled as I
remember
ed
the last time I was there.  I shook it off
as
I still had a long walk to Logan’s house.  I prayed that he would let me stay until I had another plan.
I knew I was taking a huge chance, but I also knew that he wouldn’t turn me away if I had nowhere
else
to go.

I lugged my bags up the hill and suddenly remembered I wasn’t exactly sure where he lived.
  It was dark now and I realized I wasn’t sure if I could find it in the daylight, far less in the dark.
  I wasn’t in a very good frame of mind when Logan drove me to the docks and my
current
frame of mind was no better.  I had had nothing to eat in over 24 hours and I hadn’t slept in two days.  I decided before I traipsed off searching for Logan’s house in vain, I would stop at the Inn and ask for directions.  Surely someone would know where
the Barnett home
was.

I walked back down the hill, still lugging my bags and made my way to the Inn, only to find it closed down for the season.
  It was almost midnight, and I was cold, hungry and exhausted.  I headed back up the hill, desperately trying to remember which direction to go.  I had been walking for over an hour and getting nowhere fast
,
when I saw a road that looked familiar.  I headed toward it and saw that the street sign said Parker Road.  “Oh
,
thank goodness
,
” I said out loud.  I started up the road, happy to finally be going in the right direction, but becoming more increasingly nervous with every step.  The
earlier promise of a
storm was coming in now
,
and in full force.  The winds picked up in an instant, the rain started and the cold air had me shivering. 

It took me another
2
0 minutes to make it to the top of his road.  I
couldn’t
ever remember being so cold.  I was frozen solid.  My face and hands burned
in the relentless w
ind.  Finally I was standing in front of his house.  I noticed that there was a light on
inside
and I made my way to the door.  I was under the cover of the front porch, grateful for the break in the wind and rain.  I was shivering uncontrollably and yet it took me a moment to find the courage to knock.  I knew it was now or never, so I reached out and lightly tapped on the door.

I heard a dog bark from inside and for an instan
t
I thought I must have had the wrong house.  Logan didn’t have a dog
, not
that I remembered
anyway
.  But, I was certain it was the right house.  I backed up to look around to the side of the house at the garage.  “Yeah, this is it
,
” I told myself.

I was about to knock again when the door opened, and there
he
stood
,
the man I wanted more than anything in the world.  The man I
had always
loved. 

“Delaney?  What are you…
?”
h
e started to ask and then realized I was dripping wet and freezing cold.  He pulled me into the house, walked me over to the couch and wrapped a blanket around me.  “Are you okay?”
h
e asked, worried.

“I’m f-f-ine, just really c
-c-c
old.” 

“Come with me
,
”
h
e said, leading me
upstairs,
through a bedroom and into a bathroom.  “Get your wet clothes off and get into the shower.  I’ll go grab your bags
,
”
h
e said.

I was way too frozen and tired to argue with him.  I did as he said
. 
I let warm water run over me until I was finally starting to thaw and then I turned
the faucet to
hot.  It felt so wonderful.  When all the hot water was gone, I stepped out of the shower and
wrapped myself in a towel.  I headed back into the bedroom and saw Logan trying to dry my soaking wet
luggage
.

He looked up at me then and took a deep breath.
 
He turned away from me and said, “I don’t think any of your clothes are wet.  I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

I rummaged through my bags, not even sure what I had brought.  I found a pair of sweat pants and a long sleeve shirt.  I threw them on and realized it was time to face the music.

I walked downstairs and was instantly greeted by a huge dog.  He wagged at me happily.  I thought he was the biggest dog I’d ever seen.  He looked like
that cartoon dog
Marmaduke, so I assumed he was a Great Dane.  I patted him on the head, realizing this huge dog didn’t scare me at
all.  “What’s your name boy?”
I asked aloud.

“
Her
name is
Duch
ess
,”
Logan said from the doorway.  He was standing there watching me with two cups in his hand.

“Hi
,
Duch
ess
.  You’re a very pretty dog.”

“Shh…she doesn’t know she’s a dog
,
”
h
e
grinn
ed.

He walked over to me and handed me a cup of hot chocolate.  I
realized I
was suddenly famished. 
“Thank you
,
” I said, and drank it down quickly. 

“Are you okay?”
h
e asked, handing me his hot chocolate as well, noticing I had
already
drained my cup.

“I’m okay.  I’m really sorry to barge in
on you like this
.”

“You look exhausted.  When was the last time you ate or slept?”

“I don’t know; yesterday
,
or the day before.  I’m not sure.”

“I’ll be right back.”

Duch
ess trotted over to me then and put her head in my lap.  I reached out to pet her.  She wagged at me happily.

“
She likes you.  She’s never quite taken to anyone like this before
,
”
h
e said, and handed me a plate with a sandwich and some fruit.

“Thank you
,
” I said
,
grateful for the sandwich.  “I always wanted a dog.  My parents would never let us have one.  ‘Too messy’ they sa
id.  She wasn’t here last time…”

“No.  She just showed up one day.  I tried to find her owners
.
I called the animal shelters and put up posters.  No one ever claimed her.  I figured they must not want her, so
I guess she’s mine now
.  She’s good company.”

I had finished the sandwich and fruit and was working on my third hot chocolate when Logan said, “I don’t know why you’re here, but I’m really glad that you are.”

“I know that I have a lot to explain…”