Touching the Clouds by Bonnie Leon

Author:Bonnie Leon
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: FIC014000, FIC027050, FIC026000
ISBN: 9781441212214
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2010-06-30T16:00:00+00:00

16

Huddled beneath a blanket, Kate sat with her knees bent and pulled close to her chest. She stared at a fire made from driftwood and frozen grass. Cold air sucked the heat from the flames and carried it into the darkness.

She and Doris had cleared a small area at the edge of the beach out of reach of the inlet’s extreme tide changes. She looked at Doris. “I’m sorry. This is my fault.”

“It’s your fault that we’re alive.” Hands trembling, Doris pulled her hood closer around her face.

Kate added more wood to the fire. It flared, sending a spray of burning embers into the air. “I shouldn’t have taken the run.”

“I chose to go with you. We were both thinking about that poor man.” Doris’s tone was persuasive. “And you couldn’t control the compass.”

Kate wanted to accept the heartening words, but the armor she’d worn for so long deflected them. “You want anything more to eat or drink?”

“I’m fine. And we better save some for tomorrow. If the weather doesn’t change, we could be here awhile.”

Kate gazed into the blackness, feeling dismal at the thought of spending days trapped on this frigid beach. There were enough provisions for a few days, but beyond that . . . she’d have to get creative. She rested her chin on her knees and closed her eyes. Lord, please get us out of here soon.

Kate envisioned what was happening at the airfield. Sidney and the pilots were there, ready to search the first moment weather allowed. Albert and Helen would probably be there too. Someone would have notified her parents. She felt a pang of sadness at what they were going through—wondering what had become of her. If only she could tell them she was all right.

Doris bunched up a travel bag, then lay down and rested her head on it. She bundled deeper into her coat and burrowed beneath two wool blankets. She gazed at the fire for a long while, then in a small and timorous voice, she said, “I thought we were done for. It was a miracle you spotted this beach. And then your ability to get us down—well, I’m thankful for my life.”

“God was looking out for us.” Kate lay as close to the fire as she dared and pulled blankets over her. “If it’s clear in the morning, we’ll head on up to the mine and see if we can help that miner. We can call Sidney from there and let him know we’re all right.” She studied the flicker of blue, yellow, and orange flames. “Do you think he’s still alive?”

“It’s hard to know. But it sounded like he was seriously injured.”

“Yeah,” said Kate, her heart heavy. “Well, we better get some sleep.”

Paul lay on his back and stared at the ceiling and thought about Kate. She reminded him of a spring day. Her smile was warm and genuine, and her hazel eyes flashed with spirit. He imagined trailing a finger down her cheek, smoothing the smattering of freckles.

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