"I'm no doctor, but I think this is the best you're gonna get for a while."
Reese extended his hand. "Thank you. I’m Reese—this is my friend Ben, and this is Aiden.”
“Also known as the guy who hit me with his car," grumbled Ben.
"Dude, I am so sorry,” Aiden said, his face turning red once more.
The park ranger nodded, putting her hands on her hips again. "I'm Jo. Not Joanna, not Josephine, just Jo. Nice to meet all of you. Though I wish it would've been because y'all wanted to come up here and take a tour." She shook her head. “Nobody much wants a tour anymore. They stop by for the bumper sticker, snap a few pictures and take a lookie-loo over the side, then it’s off we go, down the hill to get some lobster salad sandwiches.” She shook her head, again. “Never seen anything like this before, that's for sure."
Reese stared at Jo for a long moment. “I’m pretty sure no one's ever seen anything like this," he replied slowly.
Ben cleared his throat. ”You have any news about the rest of the coast?"
Jo pointed a thumb over her shoulder. "Got a radio in the office, but it's pretty short range.”
“Hey, it’s better than what we have,” Reese said.
“Which is nothing,” Ben added.
“Well,” Jo said, picking up her wide brimmed hat off the cot, “Right now it's only picking up emergency broadcast beacons and distress calls from ships. It's a jumbled mess out there, I tell you what.”
Reese wiped the sweat off his forehead and stepped out of the room, as Aiden peppered her with questions. He walked back into the lobby, looking through the windows at the families huddled together out in the parking lot. Most cried or comforted children, while some stood there like tourists, pointing down the mountain at the tsunami.
If he’d listened to Cami…
“I said I’m sorry!” Aiden cried from the back room.
Reese blinked and cleared his thoughts. He had to get back to his girls, but he couldn’t do that without knowing what had happened between Maine and South Carolina. He had an unobscured view down the east slope of Cadillac Mountain toward the biggest town on the island, Bar Harbor. Smoke rose into the sky from two competing plumes, one black, one white, at opposite ends of the inundated town. Once the idyllic playground of the rich and famous, even from the summit, Reese could tell there would be little left of the historic coastal town when the waters receeded.
"That's an all-fired mess down there," Jo said quietly, appearing at Reese's side. "I think your friend’ll be okay, given time. But that?" She shook her head again. "Ain’t no coming back from that. Bar Harbor’s gone.“ The words squeaked off at the end, as her voice suddenly grew tight. She handed Reese a water bottle and cleared her throat.
He nodded his thanks, twisted the cap off and took a long pull of the cool, clean water. "Thanks,” he said, exhaling. “Yeah, it looks bad." He stared out the window with her for a moment. “Did you…did you have anyone down there?”
Jo sighed. “Only memories. I got no one east of the Mississippi. I only came out here for the solitude. Alaska was my first choice but there’s a waiting list. And bears. You?”
“No. My family’s in South Carolina.”
“Really?” She snapped her fingers. “Shoot. I had you pegged as a Georgia boy.”
Reese shook his head, refusing to rise to the bait. “I have to go,” he muttered. “I have to get home."
Jo sighed. "Judging by your accent, I knew home wasn’t down there. And that's probably a good thing. But mister, wherever home is, I don't think you're getting there anytime soon."
"No, you don’t understand,” Reese said. “I got a wife and daughter waiting on me."
"What's a South Carolina boy doing all the way up in Maine?" Jo asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Reese felt the corner of his mouth twitch. "I was going to ask why a cowgirl from Texas was up here…”
She let out a throaty, hoarse, smoker’s laugh. "It's been a long time since someone's called me ‘girl.’ Thanks for that," she said, snorting. “As for why I'm up here, well…that's a long story about a horse and a dog. No offense, but we just met."
Reese grunted. “Ahyup.”
She laughed again. "You sure you're not from around here? Sound like a Downeaster to me.“
“Um…Mrs. Ranger?” asked Aiden behind them.
Jo turned to face the teenager. "The name's Jo, Aiden. Not Mrs. Ranger, not anything but Jo, remember?
Aiden's red face turned three shades darker. “What are we gonna do?” He blinked. “Sorry—Jo.”
Jo stared at him. “Boy, you see that water out there? No one’s gettin’ off this rock till that goes away. Not unless you got a boat. And I wouldn’t risk it for a while, anyway—we gotta let the water recede a little, see?” She put both hands on her hips and faced Aiden square. “What are we gonna do?” she asked. “We’re gonna make sure everyone that made it to the summit here is safe and well cared for. We’re gonna make sure everyone stays hydrated, and we’re gonna make the best of it. Sound like a plan?” she asked.
Aiden opened his mouth to reply, then closed it.
“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are,” Reese murmured.
“Teddy Roosevelt,” Jo quipped, not missing a beat. “Great man, good hunter, so-so president, lousy father.” She turned back to
