âIâm impressed by how you handled that teenager.â
âWow, can I get a junior FBI badge or something?â
âDonât push it.â
Garrett looked surprised, as if he hadnât meant to utter the playful retort. Lana thought he might have even cracked a smile but couldnât be sure. It would be a vast improvement on his permanent frown, his lips stretched into a thin straight line.
âIâd like to ask a favor of you,â he said.
âSure.â
âPromise me youâll never do that again?â
âYou meanâ¦â
âInsinuate yourself into a dangerous situation like that.â
Lana dunked her tea bag in the hot water and sighed. He was asking the impossible. She couldnât turn her back on someone who was in so much pain they were blinded to the beauty of life and the grace of God. She knew how precious life was, and how short it could be.
âIâm sorry, I canât make that promise,â she said.
HOPE WHITE
An eternal optimist, Hope was born and raised in the Midwest. She began spinning tales of intrigue and adventure when she was in grade school, and wrote her first book when she was elevenâa thriller that ended with a mysterious phone call the reader never heard!
She and her college sweetheart have been married for thirty years and are blessed with two wonderful sons, two feisty cats and a bossy border collie.
When not dreaming up inspirational tales, Hope enjoys hiking, sipping tea with friends and going to the movies. She loves to hear from readers, who can contact her at [email protected].
One
The night cruises Lana offered to Salish Island were usually her favorite. But something felt off tonight.
Maybe it was the confrontation with a tourist who tried to bribe his way onto her boat, even after sheâd explained theyâd reached their capacity. Or maybe it was the sudden breeze that sent goose bumps down her arms. A sign of an unexpected storm and they should head back?
Yet right now it was so peaceful out here. She and her teenage staff had set up the tiki lights, food and hot beverages. Her guests were having a great time toasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the crackling campfire. A little girl climbed onto her daddyâs lap and he handed her a stick to wave over the fire.
Lana hated to cut the visit short, but safety was her number one priority. Sheâd call Anderson Greene for an update. The sailing fanatic was obsessed with the weather.
âHello,â he answered, a bit out of breath.
âHey, Anderson, itâs Lana. You okay?â
âYep, just harder to get around with the sciatica acting up.â
âIâm sorry.â
âWhat can I do for you?â
âWhatâs the scoop on the weather tonight?â
âYouâre not scheduling a trip to Salish, are you?â
âWeâre already on island, why?â
âThereâs a front coming in from the north. Last I heardâ¦fifty-mile-an-hourââ
The line went dead.
âAnderson?â
Loss of communication, not a good sign. She decided to play it safe and head back. Sheâd give her customers coupons for her snack shop, Stone Soup, to make up for having to leave the island early.
Glancing across the group, she caught sight of her teenage helpers, Ashley and Sketch. They held hands as Sketch dangled a marshmallow over the flame.
Melancholy washed over Lana, but only for a second. Sheâd made herself a promise not to let the darkness consume her like it had years ago after Dad died.
Taking a deep breath, she forced a smile and wandered to the group of tourists.
âHey, guys. This will have to be your last marshmallow. The weatherâs a little quirky so weâre going to head back.â
A middle-aged couple stood, ready to go; a mom and dad with three kids encouraged them to finish their toasting; Ashley and Sketch shared a quick kiss and then started packing up supplies.
Lana did a quick head count. Odd. They were two short. She counted again. Sixteen, including herself. The boatâs capacity was seventeen plus Lana, which meant two people had wandered off. She checked her list of tourists on her smartphone. Yep, just as she thought: the teenage couple must have wandered off. Although sheâd asked the guests to stay within sight of the campfire, she knew that some teens suffered from selective hearing.