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Maybe he needed to be part of a team. Alex smiled at the irony of it, then envisioned a team of two. He checked his watch again and sighed, his body swaying automatically to the motion of the ship with effortless movement that came with long experience.
CHAPTER 32
Hope closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath, getting herself back together again. Finally she straightened, facing the ladies room mirror again. “Alex will come back to you. This isn’t the end. Believe, Hope. You wanted a sign, didn’t you?”
She turned and marched back to the restaurant.
Word had gotten around, and the restaurant was filling with people. The guests who had been out earlier were now back, and all were in attendance, anxiously waiting. Tommy’s wife Priscilla and their two children were at a table. They had an eight-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy. Both sat quietly at the table, looking around with wide eyes. Priscilla flipped her long black braids over her shoulder as she placed two plates down in front of the kids.
Daphne and Sue were still in the same chairs, wrecked and not speaking. Everyone looked at Hope expectantly when she entered. She quickly shook her head and reported no news.
At 4 p.m., she once again relieved Patti. Both of them were openly crying now, though Patti was doing a better job of holding it together at the moment than Hope was, or at least pretending to. After Patti left the office, Hope resumed pacing back and forth, a hand on either cheek as she tried to physically hold herself together, breathing in gasps.
Why have I kept away from him? How has this served me? I can’t believe I’ve been so blind!
At 4:30, the phone rang. Hope stared at it, her pulse pounding.
I can’t. I just can’t answer this. What if it’s bad news? What if they’re all gone?
She picked up the phone. It was the Coast Guard.
“May I speak to the person in charge please, ma’am?”
“That would be me, Hope Collins. I’m the owner. What is going on?”
“Ma’am, we picked up the survivors at approximately 4 p.m. local time. We confirm ten survivors. How does that tally with your records?”
Hope collapsed into the chair. “We sent ten out this morning. That means all are accounted for. Thank you.” She shook all over.
“You’re welcome, ma’am. Our final head count is a group of eight guest divers, plus one boat captain and one dive leader. Sounds like your dive leader kept the group together, which definitely helped.”
“Are they all safe? Is anyone injured?”
“Negative, ma’am. All have been checked out by medical and appeared to be healthy—only some sunburns, and they were pretty thirsty. The vessel is headed your way now. ETA is approximately . . . 7 p.m.”
Hope hung up the phone and sat back in her chair, covering her face with her hands as relief coursed through her and tears slid down her cheeks. But she still had work to do, so she pulled herself together. She automatically turned her eyes to Alex’s in his wall picture, and new strength filled her.
She rose, marching out of the office.
Hope ran to the restaurant to give everyone the good news, taking a big breath before entering. As soon as they saw her, conversation halted. She was shocked at how full the restaurant was. It seemed every employee of the resort, plus many family members, were there. No one had left. She recognized staff from other nearby resorts as well. Patti stood up as soon as she entered, her face slack with fear.
Hope’s face split into an enormous, relieved smile as she kneeled in front of Daphne and Sue and grasped a hand. Radiant hope lit up their faces.
“The Coast Guard picked them up. The entire group. Everyone is safe and they’re all on their way back here.”
Everyone jumped up and cheered at this news. When the cacophony died down somewhat, she said, “They should be here by 7 p.m. They’re all on the Coast Guard vessel now.” Hope stood straight, filled with light and shining like a searchlight. Patti came up to her and they embraced. Hope stroked her head as she cried.
* * *
After Hope’s announcement, the crowd dispersed from the restaurant to regroup, but they were back in force at the end of the pier by 6:30. Hope pulled Patti aside, and they agreed if the reporter called back to give him a full update.
“We’ve got enough to deal with, though. Hopefully he’ll get the info off the scanner,” Hope said.
She smiled as Alex’s friend Robert approached, a divemaster who filled in for him when needed. “Thanks for coming. Your support means a lot.”
He was a local thirtysomething, thin with a shaved head and a killer smile, not that it was in evidence tonight. “Hey, do you have another dive boat lined up?”
Hope gave a shaky laugh. “No. I’ll find one tomorrow.”
