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“We have an excellent wheelman,” I shouted back.
We finally got close to the cargo ship, and the creaking of metal with the pounding of the water against the side of the ship made an eerie sound as it navigated the tumbling waves.
“Coming up, Gannon!” Chip said.
I’d already disembarked one vessel today, and for the first time in my career, I had to admit I’d been worried. Chip had done a great job of getting us alongside the bulk carrier, but I’d turned myself around on the rope ladder and literally had to jump onto the pilot boat. Josh had to grab ahold of me before I went over. I wasn’t looking forward to this next vessel.
“Fuck!” I yelled as a wave rocked the ship toward us. I looked over at Josh. He wasn’t tethered to the boat, which was part of his safety precautions when he assisted me as I boarded the ship.
Pointing to his harness, I shouted, “You’re not tethered!”
He looked down…and when he looked back up, I saw the fear on his face. I knew what was about to happen.
The cargo ship rolled toward the pilot boat, and before Chip could get us out of the way, it hit us. I reached for the bar, but it was too late. The ship tipped too far and a swell broke over the surface, slamming the vessel hard into the pilot boat—and the next thing I knew, I was in the water.
I heard shouting. It sounded like Mike, but the roar of the waves and creaking of the ship drowned everything out.
Get away from the boats. Get away from the boats.
I moved as fast as I could. I couldn’t take the risk of getting crushed between them.
Catching sight of Josh bobbing in the water, I swam like mad to get to him. It looked like he was holding onto a rope that was attached to the boat. He must have had a hold of it when we went in. I’d never swam so hard in my life as I fought with not only the current, but the wind and waves. It was difficult to get to him, but when I finally did, I grabbed onto the rope as well.
“Are you hurt?” I called out.
He shook his head. “You?”
“No. By some miracle we got tossed away from the boats.”
Josh nodded.
Sonofabitch. The first thing Chip would do was call it in. That meant they’d contact search and rescue. Someone would call Braxton since he was one of our search-and-rescue guys. The only thing I could hope was that he wouldn’t call Adelaide right away, or that Chip would alert them he had us in his sights. But I knew him better than that. He’d call and tell her so she wouldn’t hear it from anyone else.
Someone threw us a life preserver, and it landed right behind us. I called out, “Hang on to my jacket!”
Josh grabbed me as I wrapped the rope around my arm. Probably not the smartest thing to do, but the last thing I wanted was to be pulled away from the boat by the currents.
Once I grabbed the life preserver, I put it over Josh and then started to jerk on the rope in an attempt to let Mike or Chip know we were secured.
Everything that happened next was a blur. The waves kicked up around us, spraying salt and water into our faces. So much water was getting into my mouth, I felt like I was going to be sick. Josh was screaming for them to tow the rope, and when I finally felt it being pulled toward the boat, I sent up a prayer of thanks.
Next thing I knew, Mike was hauling us onto the boat, and Chip was making his way back to port.
“The ship,” I called out. “I need to board it.”
“Yeah, you’re not getting on that. They’ve already called Hank out to board,” Mike said. He lifted my chin and shook his head. “You’ve got a huge gash on your forehead.”
I was about to argue, but my vision began to blur, and Mike’s face was slowly replaced by nothing but black.
Adelaide’s voice. I could hear her voice. Was she on the boat?
“Looks like he’s waking up.”
Braxton?
I struggled to open my eyes, but the pain was something awful.
“Take your time, Gannon. Take your time.”
Those words came from the sweetest voice I’d ever heard. Adelaide. She was here with me.
The first thought in my head when I’d fallen into the water was, I needed to get my ass to the pilot boat. I needed to make it. Then I realized I should have asked Addie to marry me. What in the hell was I waiting for? I’d waited so many years to get her back, and now she was mine. She was here in Seaside, and I wasn’t about to waste another minute.
