Chapter 17

Ophelia had decided to forgo the New Year's party because she was not in the mood to watch everyone get drunk. Reyna had told her that she would call her around ten o'clock, and now it was well past eleven o'clock, and she still hadn't heard anything. It was starting to worry her as she flipped between the weather and New Year's Eve special on television.

Reyna called her every night like clockwork, and she had told Ophelia the night before that she and Pops had been invited to a party on a yacht in Key West. It sounded like just the place Reyna would want to be to welcome in the new year.

Granted, if she was offshore, it could be that she didn't have cell service.

Polly was curled up on her bed, snoring, and her presence gave Ophelia comfort.

Ophelia had changed into her loose-fitting flannel pajamas, washed her face, and brushed her hair until it gleamed, all in an attempt to make the time go by without too much worry. Ophelia flipped back the weather station and noted that storms moved from the gulf and into southern Florida and the Keys.

When a knock sounded on her door, she frowned and moved to open it. On the other side, she found Sawyer, Sullivan, and Paloma. Paloma was carrying glasses, and Sawyer had a couple of bottles of champagne. Sullivan looked like his usual stick up his bum self.

"What are you all doing here?" Ophelia frowned.

"Wow!" Paloma said, reaching out and touching Ophelia's hair. "Stunning!"

"We couldn't let you spend New Year's Eve alone!" Sawyer said, pushing past Ophelia and into her room. It was warm and cozy with the soft murmur of the television and the crackling of the fire.

"I'm not alone. I have Polly," Ophelia insisted, and Polly raised her head at the sound of her name, sniffing the air to see who had arrived. When she caught sight of Sullivan, she stood, stretched, then jumped off Ophelia's bed and walked to her master with a wagging tail.

"Oh, come on, don't be a party pooper!" Sawyer said as he started to unwind the wrapper around the cork on the bottle of champagne. Then he expertly popped the cork and motioned to Paloma for the glasses.

Ophelia turned the television back to the New Year's Eve special and accepted a glass of the bubbly golden liquid. She would play along because it would get rid of them faster. She looked at the clock and noticed that it was ten minutes until the hour.

"I get to kiss Ophelia!" Paloma called as she sipped the overflowing champagne.

"No, you don't!" Sawyer denied with a shake of his head.

"I called it!" Paloma said, shooting a mischievous smile at Ophelia.

"You can't call it as you would shotgun!" Sawyer insisted. The more he talked, the more Ophelia got the feeling that he was a bit tipsy.

"Well, I just did!" Paloma grinned as she fell into a chair in front of the television.

It was the one that Reyna like to sit in when she visited.

"Well, un-call it! I don't want to kiss my brother!" Sawyer shuddered at the thought, taking a sip of his drink.

"Fine, then I'll kiss you! Happy now!" Paloma said to Sawyer as he fell into the chair next to her.

Ophelia thought it was all very well planned by two expert actors as she wandered over to her nightstand and checked her phone. There were still no texts or phone calls.

Paloma and Sawyer started arguing over something they saw on the television, but Ophelia barely heard it as she moved to the window to look out over the water.

She had a horrible feeling, and it was growing by the minute.

"Is everything alright?" Sullivan asked, joining her at the window.

Ophelia frowned, she had to tell someone, and maybe Sullivan had talked to his mother.

"I'm worried about your parents," she said, looking up at him. He seemed to tower over her.

"Why?" He frowned at her concern, and Ophelia was just glad he was taking her seriously.

"Have you talked to Reyna today?" she asked with her fingers crossed.

'No, not since the day before yesterday. Is something wrong?" he asked with concern.

"She calls me every night like clockwork, between nine and ten o'clock, and she hasn't called me tonight." Ophelia looked at her silent phone.

"She calls you every night?" Sullivan sounded impressed.

"Yes, she wants to know about you and Sawyer, or if I have heard from Shay. There are little things she wants me to take care of for her or your father. When I spoke to her last night, she said that they were going on someone's yacht today to celebrate the new year in style. It sounded fun, but she said she would still call me and wish me a happy new year."

"Maybe she didn't realize that she would be without service when she made the promise," Sullivan reasoned.

Ophelia nodded. "I have had that same thought as well, and it's probably the case, but the weather today was bad. I don't know, Sullivan. I have an awful feeling, and I don't know how to check on her."

Their eyes locked, and his eyes mirrored her concern.

"Come on, love birds!" Paloma called. "It's time."

Sullivan walked with Ophelia to join Sawyer and Paloma, who were waiting and watching. The countdown started, but Ophelia couldn't join in, and neither could Sullivan. When the hour struck and the music Auld Lang Syne started to play, Sullivan leaned down and kissed Ophelia on the cheek.

"I'll see what I can find out," he reassured her.

With a nod, Ophelia was handed off to Sawyer, who placed a big sloppy kiss on her lips, and then Paloma, who also kissed her cheek.

They toasted and drunk their champagne, and fireworks could be heard in the distance as a new year was begun.

Ophelia didn't have faith that it was going to be a good new year.

After another twenty minutes, Sullivan left quietly. Sawyer and Paloma hung around for a little longer, but then they decided to call it a night as well. Ophelia forced herself to turn off the television and climb into bed.

Sullivan said he would take care of it, and she trusted that he would.

It was almost two in the morning when there was a knock at her door. Ophelia had been unable to sleep, so it only took her a few seconds to respond. When she opened the door, she saw a very rough-looking Sullivan on the other side.

"You were right. The boat lost radio contact about nine o'clock last night after an S.O.S. call went out. The weather is still too bad for the local Coast Guard to search the area where they went missing, so they are waiting for it to clear. I have chartered a private plane to get us as close as possible. Can you be ready to go in fifteen minutes?"

Ophelia nodded as her face had drained of all color.

"Have you told Sawyer yet?" she asked.

"Yes, he is getting dressed now. Fifteen minutes, Ophelia," he reminded her, and then was gone.

Ophelia rushed around, getting dressed, throwing a few things in a bag, she knew she forgot things, but it didn't matter.

When she reached the kitchen, Sawyer and Sullivan were waiting for her.

"How fast can we be there?" Ophelia asked with a wobbly voice.

"From door to door, a little over two hours. Are you ready?" Sullivan asked.

Ophelia nodded. "What about Polly?" she remembered at the last minute.

"I explained to Paloma, and she'll keep an eye on her," Sullivan informed her as she followed him and a very quiet Sawyer out of the house.

"How did you know?" Sawyer asked when they were in the car and on their way to the local airport.

"It was a gut feeling," Ophelia shrugged.

"What's your gut telling you now?" he asked. She had never seen Sawyer look cold before. It reminded her of Sullivan.

"That she's alive but in danger," Ophelia whispered.

It was enough to make Sullivan increase his speed as he drove as fast as possible to the airport.

Not another word was spoken for the duration of the trip.

When they arrived at the Coast Guard Rescue Station in Florida, they were met by a Coast Guard officer who escorted them to a waiting area. It was a small room with plastic chairs and glass windows overlooking the hanger.

Ophelia sat perched on the edge of a chair listening to the conversation that the men were having. She wasn't family, so there was nothing she could do, and she felt so hopeless. Sawyer sat next to her and took one of her hands in his as they waited.

"There are not many pilots that would be willing to fly in the current weather conditions, but luckily we have one of the best stationed here," the man said as he turned to make room for a lovely young woman as she entered the room. It was clear that she was a pilot because she was wearing a flight suit, and her strawberry blond hair fell in a long braid down her back. It was hard to believe that Reyna's life could be dependent on the woman in front of them.

Sawyer must have felt the same because he tensed beside her, and his hand squeezed hers to the point of hurting.

"Lieutenant Elyse Moore, this is the Richards family. Their parents are on the missing yacht. I was informing them that we would do all that we can to get them back safely.

The young woman glanced briefly from Sullivan to Sawyer before she looked at Ophelia.

"I'll do everything I can," she reassured them and then, with a nod, left.

As soon as the door closed, Sawyer walked to the glass windows that looked out over the hanger and watched the woman walk away.

"I assure you she's one of the best. I'll let you know as soon as we know anything. There are bathrooms and vending machines just out the door and on the left. If you need anything, you have my number." Then he nodded just as Lieutenant Moore had before he left them.

"Would you excuse me for a minute?" Sawyer said as he left Ophelia and Sullivan alone in the suddenly quiet room.

Sullivan moved to sit next to Ophelia and took the hand that Sawyer had dropped.

The action comforted Ophelia more than words could.

It was not a good start to the new year.