Heroes Are My Weakness: A Novel

For all Jaycie’s infatuation with Theo, she did nothing to catch his attention beyond bestowing occasional longing gazes. Eventually Theo turned to Annie. “You slipped in the turret while I was asleep and changed the clock battery. I should have figured that out a long time ago.”

“It’s not your fault that you’re slow. I’m sure it’s hard to recover from being hit on the head with a silver spoon.”

He raised an eyebrow.

Livia poked Annie, lifted her arm, and made a miniature hand puppet, awkwardly moving her small fingers to indicate she wanted another puppet show. “Later, sweetheart,” Annie said, depositing a kiss on her head just behind the cat ears.

“You seem to have a friend there,” Theo said.

“It’s more Scamp. She and Liv are best friends. Isn’t that right, bucko?”

Livia nodded and took a delicate sip of milk.

The islanders had begun lining up at the dessert table, and Jaycie rose. “I’ll get you some of my chocolate pecan cake, Theo.”

Theo was undoubtedly looking for an escape from Jaycie’s cooking, but he nodded.

“I’m surprised to see you here,” Annie said. “You’re not exactly Mr. Social.”

“Somebody has to keep an eye on you.”

“I was with Jaycie in the car, and I’m in the middle of a crowd here.”

“Still . . .”

A piercing whistle cut through the room, bringing the crowd to silence. A barrel-chested man in a parka stood by the front door, lowering his fingers from his mouth. “Listen up, everybody. The Coast Guard got a distress call about twenty minutes ago from a trawler a couple miles off Jackspar Point. They’re heading out, but we can get there faster.”

He nodded toward a burly, flannel-shirted lobsterman at the next table and to Lisa’s husband, Darren. Both men rose. To Annie’s surprise, Theo got up, too. He clasped the back of her chair and leaned down. “Don’t go back to the cottage tonight,” he said. “Spend the night at Harp House with Jaycie. Promise me.”

He didn’t wait for her answer but joined the three men at the door. He said something to them. One gave him a quick slap on the back, and all four headed outside.

Annie was startled. Jaycie looked like she wanted to cry. “I don’t understand. Why is Theo going with them?”

Annie didn’t understand either. Theo was a recreational sailor. Why would he be going out on a rescue mission?

Lisa bit her bottom lip. “I hate this,” she said. “It has to be gusting forty knots out there.”

Naomi overheard and sat next to her. “Darren’s going to be fine, Lisa. Ed’s one of the best seamen on the island, and his boat’s as sound as they come.”

“But what about Theo?” Jaycie said. “He’s not used to these conditions.”

“I’ll find out.” Naomi got back up.

Barbara came over to comfort her daughter. Lisa grabbed her hand. “Darren’s just getting over the stomach flu. It’s bad out there tonight. If the Val Jane ices up . . .”

“It’s a solid boat,” Barbara said, although she looked as worried as her daughter.

Naomi came back and addressed Jaycie. “Theo’s an EMT. That’s why he’s going with them.”

An EMT? Annie couldn’t believe it. Theo’s work involved the decapitation of bodies, not patching them together. “Did you know about this?” she asked Jaycie, who shook her head.

“We haven’t had anybody on the island trained in medical care for almost two years,” Naomi said. “Not since Jenny Schaeffer left with her kids. This is the best news we’ve had here all winter.”

Jaycie grew more agitated. “Theo doesn’t have any experience going out in this kind of weather. He should have stayed here.”

Annie couldn’t have agreed more.

The islanders’ concern for their first responders and the missing boat took the pleasure out of the gathering, and everyone began packing up. Annie helped the women collect trash while Jaycie sat with Livia and Lisa’s girls. Annie was just about to enter the kitchen with a load of dirty plates when she overheard a fragment of conversation that stopped her in her tracks.

“. . . shouldn’t be surprised that Livia still isn’t talking,” one of the women inside said. “Not after what she saw.”

“She might never talk,” another commented. “And it’ll break Jaycie’s heart.”

The first woman spoke up again. “Jaycie has to be prepared for that. It isn’t every day a little girl sees her mother murder her father.”

Water splashed in the kitchen sink, and Annie could hear no more.