Working in a lighthouse had its perks, even if Sophie didn't want to admit it at times. The hours were long, the wind made it impossible to keep her hair looking tamed, and cleaning those tall glass windows was no easy task.
Still, every time she looked out onto the open sea and let the salty wind blow past her face she knew she could never work anywhere else. Mornings started by waking up before the sun and waiting for the perfect moment of sunlight to bring the end of the nightly spotlight. After that, Sophie usually found herself running errands, doing repairs, and keeping herself occupied with the many hobbies she had taken up over the years.
Most of the time, life was pretty simple for her. It was only the stormy nights that kept her mind sharp and ready with the memories of what could go wrong on this side of the job. The sea tended to be empty, warnings of the harsh weather keeping the sea goers from taking their daily fishing trips. Sometimes she watched out for the more experienced sailors that fought the storm head-on like an old friend, embracing the rough waters and harsh wind like a challenger they remembered defeating. It was those nights she stayed up with her cup of coffee, hoping she would never find herself witness to the sea's victories.
It was years before she noticed the little blue boat. She remembered most of the locals' boats, having seen them going in town every day, but she could never figure out who owned the boat that came out to her part of the ocean every Tuesday. When she did look out to the boat on those calm afternoons she would often question why the boat was there. Fishing boats often came daily, those who didn't were not locals and almost never came back. Sure there were day-trippers and vacationers but the little blue boat never seemed to have a purpose or direction. The owner never spent time on deck and she could never get a clear enough view through their windshield to figure anything out. After a while, she stopped looking and accepted defeat as she went on with her life and her mind let go of the little boat's curiosities.
It wasn't until a particularly windy February morning that she remembered that sky blue boat. She had been excited to wake up to the chill of the morning. With the cold weather, she got to bring out her favorite article of clothing: a proper heavy-duty wool peacoat. The kind you'd see detectives wearing in the movies. Sophie had gotten ready early enough that she decided to head into town for a nice cup of coffee before she needed to be at the lighthouse to prepare for the upcoming storm. The streets were small and made from weathered brick. The kind of place where people roamed the streets freely instead of cars since most lived nearby. Tourists always made a point to complain about the parking but the locals never budged. The shops were well kept aside from the paint the salty wind wore away at and the smell of fresh baked goods always filled the morning air from the local bakery. It really was a beautiful sort of place.
As she made her rounds she decided to stop by the flower shop to say hello.
"Sophie! Why do I never see you anymore? You never visit me," her friend sighed as she walked up to her counter. Living near an ocean always gave the flower shop the advantage of having some of the most unique flowers to offer their customers. Everywhere from floor to ceiling there were pinks and yellows and vivid whites that tourists couldn't get enough of.
"Biana, I come in at least three times a week if not more," Sophie giggled. Biana made some gestures that equated to sure you do and moved on to perfecting yet another bouquet.
"I get so lonely without you here, nothing ever happens in this town." She was arranging flowers for the town festival that was set for the upcoming weekend. Every year the locals celebrated Valentine's day in the town square and Biana's flowers were always the main attraction.
Sophie gave her an exasperated look, "What do you mean your lonely? You literally work with Lihn and Dex every day".
"Is Biana complaining about being lonely again?" Dex teased as he brought a big crate of vases into the room. Biana stuck her tongue out at him.
Sophie gave him a smile, "Yes! Will you please give her some attention so I can run my errands?"
Dex gave Sophie an exaggerated sigh and a sarcastic I'll do what I can look before waving goodbye.
The rest of the day ran rather smoothly. Sophie went grocery shopping and picked up some extra food in case the storm ran long and she couldn't leave the lighthouse for a while. After that, she walked up the path to her beloved home and got to work on her storm itinerary.
She had just gotten a kettle going for some tea when the storm began to rage hard, a little earlier than she had predicted. The clouds had enough cover for the lighthouse to be in full service long before dinner. She looked at the small painting she kept above her fireplace. The peaceful garden looking back at her gave her pause as she allowed herself to take a deep breath before going to watch for sailors.
She grabbed her tea and headed towards the big window at the edge of her bedroom on the third floor. While most lighthouses had living quarters only on the top of the tower with a spiral staircase leading up, Sophie's home was set up in three sections within the tower itself. The first floor was her living area, the second floor provided her kitchen and dining, and the third was her bedroom, each floor connected to the other with a ladder system. While getting the furniture inside had been a pain she was grateful for the extra space, even if it meant having round walls.
She glanced at the sky and saw the storm had progressed into a heavy onslaught of violent rain. Shifting nervously from foot to foot she decided that it was time to go into full keeper mode. She grabbed her handbook and changed into her uniform to get into her usual storm station. Lighthouse keepers were required to keep watch and be on standby not only to signal ships but to be an emergency response to any shipwrecks or strandings that may occur.
She sat in her chair and watched, hoping her services would be limited to keeping an eye out and nothing more. While most lighthouses of this size had more than one Keeper, this lighthouse was built when the town had been the main port for delivering goods to the area. When a town down the way became a city filled with innovation and schools, the traders all moved down to the city ports leaving Sophie and her town with no need for such a large lighthouse. Nevertheless, she knew her job was important. While there might not be a bustling city beneath her she loved her town and the little boats that still sailed through. She made sure that she kept them safe when the sea couldn't and knew that they counted on her for light in the darkness.
Hours passed and she started her third cup of tea to keep herself awake. She hadn't expected the storm to block out the light so early in the day so she was unprepared to stay on duty for so long. A yawn escaped her as she watched the black waves swell. A while ago she bought a book about constellations to keep her mind sharp while she was up late on nights like this, of course, she hadn't thought this plan through as the stars were only visible when the sky was clear but she read the book anyways without the stars.
Suddenly the storm-ravaged against her window and caught her undivided attention as she watched the water pound down. She stood up but even with the light emitting from her home she couldn't see very far. This concerned her as she lost visibility. When the rain started to die down she took out her binoculars and searched the beach. Winds like this often brought debris onto the beach and Sophie made sure to clean it up so none of the locals got hurt when going to the beach in the morning, though most of them had enough sense not to go to the beach after days like this.
Something blue caught her sight as she tried to adjust her binoculars for a clearer view. The light blue was startling against the dark stormy background. It took a moment for her eyes to realize what they were seeing.
The little blue boat!
She rushed down her stairs and grabbed her coat as she headed for her phone. Quickly dialing the number she put her rain boots on while she listened to the ring. She informed the coast guard of the situation but knew they were busy with a cargo ship that had crashed into a city dock. She made sure it was safe to go into the storm, it had died down a little, and she raced towards the beach.
Though she knew the stone steps by memory, she had to walk slower so she wouldn't slip. Sophie cursed, not wanting to waste time but making sure she didn't become a casualty herself. This wasn't her first time responding to a stranded ship, but she was concerned about the size of the boat.
Most people had the common sense to stay inside in bad weather, but this little blue boat had surprised her once again. As she reached the wreck she tried to find the safest way into the boat so she could check on its occupant, if they were even on the boat.
Finding a good foothold, she climbed her way inside and looked around. The inside consisted of a small galley along one of the walls and a hammock that had since been torn off the other. There were clothes strewn everywhere and paint bottles that had broken open, covering everything in a watery rainbow.
But no people.
Sophie's heart clenched and she took her binoculars to start searching the waves until the coast guard could get to her, praying that the occupants had thought to wear life jackets.
Between the wind and the rain, it was almost a miracle she heard the small moan of the injured man beneath the boat. She raced off the deck and looked for the source of the sound. She could see a tuft of blond hair neat where the boat met the sand and raced to find the owner connected to it.
Finally, she saw the man, who looked to have his leg caught under the ship. She noticed with relief that his chest was still moving.
"Hello, sir?" she tried to shout over the wind. "Sir are you okay? Can you hear me?"
His eyes blinked open and he tried to focus on her.
"I'm going to try to see if there is anything I can do," she yelled but couldn't tell if he understood anything she said.
Looking closer she was relieved to see the boat hadn't punctured the skin. His leg had sunk into the sand beneath the boat where it got stuck, protecting it from the sharp wood. He look good otherwise but it was hard to tell in the dark.
"Sir?" she prompted, "I'm going to dig the sand around your leg to try and get it out okay?"
He finally looked at her, seeming to have gained some consciousness, and gave her a pained nod.
She dug at the sand and slowly maneuvered his leg from under the boat.
He grunted in relief at the loss of pressure, took a deep breath, and passed out once more.
This is when Sophie really started to panic, if he had been concussed in the accident she needed to keep him awake.
"Sir!" she yelled as she tapped on his shoulders trying to wake him up.
His eyes remained closed.
What to do? She could bring him back to the lighthouse, it was the closest building to them. But how would she carry him up there? Sophie prided herself on keeping fit and healthy but there was no way she was going to be able to carry this man all the way across the beach up to her home.
She could call someone to help, but who would be willing to help at this hour?
Suddenly she knew.
The fire station would be on call for the storm.
She shook her head. Even if she wasn't thrilled about having to call her ex-boyfriend, she wasn't going to let this man suffer because she was embarrassed.
As the phone rang she looked back at the injured man. Aside from some cuts and bruises, he seemed to be okay if you ignored the whole being unconscious part of it.
"Hello, you have called Wallcona City Fire Department how can I help you?" a voice answered.
"Hey Fitz, It's Sophie, I found a wreck on Cannon Beach while light keeping and need some assistance bringing the occupant inside." She kept her eye on the man as rain pelted her rain jacket.
"Sophie?" the surprise was obvious in his voice, "Why didn't you call 911? Are you out there alone? Sophie if this is an emergency you need to call 911!" Fitz responded panicked, and a little bit angry.
"Fitz," she sighed, "it's not that kind of emergency, plus you know all the ambulances won't be able to drive the old roads until the bring of the storm's over. I just need to get him out of the rain. Can you help me?"
The line was quiet for a moment and for a second she thought he was going to say no. She hoped it wasn't because of her, their relationship hadn't ended well and she had been doing her best to give him the space he asked for.
"Fine, I'll be there in ten minutes. Hold tight and try to keep him alive would you." The line dropped and she stood there processing his answer. He wasn't happy but at least he was coming, she could live with that.
Sophie climbed inside the boat and looked for some kind of raincoat to cover the man while they waited. Finally finding a tarp, she wrapped him in a sort of burrito and held his head in her lap as she used leaned her upper body over him to keep his face dry.
She studied his face. He looked about her age, maybe a little older. His blond hair was soaked and sticking to the side of his face. She was surprised to see that he didn't have much of a tan, most of the fishermen she knew were somewhat weathered by the sea.
It wasn't much later when she heard the familiar sound of Fitz's pickup truck winding towards them. She looked over to see him park as close as he could and hop out of the car.
He rushed towards her and leaned down to study the man's injuries.
"His leg was stuck under the boat but there doesn't seem to be any deep cuts," Sophie yelled over the wind. "He was awake when I got him out but then he passed out."
Fitz eyed how she was protecting the man's head. "He doesn't seem to be in bad shape, let's get him into the truck."
Together they lifted the man into the back seat of the truck and laid him down. Sophie climbed into the passenger seat and watched as Fitz prepared to pull out.
"He really should go to a hospital you know," Fitz sighed as he turned towards her home.
"I know," Sophie replied. "I'll bring him as soon as the roads out of town clear."
After pulling into the driveway of the lighthouse, Fitz helped her carry him inside and laid him down on the couch. Sophie hurried upstairs to grab her first aid kit and warmed up some tea.
When she came back down she noticed Fitz standing uncomfortably in the middle of the room.
"It's okay Fitz, you don't have to stay."
She could tell he was thinking back to the memories they created here, the good and the bad. He eyed the man once again.
"Are you sure? What if he wakes up and he's a murderer or crazy or something?"
"Then I guess you'll have to find a new lighthouse keeper." She shrugged.
He rolled his eyes.
She sighed, "I'll be okay Fitz. The station needs you."
He looked at her and, while he looked unhappy about the situation, she could tell he was glad to leave. He nodded.
"Call me if anything happens."
She gave him an encouraging smile, "I will."
Once the door closed behind Fitz, she turned back to the man currently soaking her couch. She wiped off some of the dirt and cleaned the few cuts and scrapes he did have. She felt his forehead and realized he was freezing in his wet clothes. Running upstairs she rummaged through the closet and found an old pair of sweats and a t-shirt she had stolen from Fitz. She grabbed her comforter and brought them back down to the living room.
Now for the awkward part, how was she going to change him? She didn't want to invade his privacy but this was sort of an emergency situation. She peeled off his shirt and jeans, leaving the underwear, and threw on the new clothes. After wrapping him up in the comforter, she set his clothes to dry next to the fireplace. She grabbed a towel and tried to dry his hair so it wasn't soaking his face.
She looked at her watch, one in the morning. She suddenly realized how tired her body was after running to the beach and helping the man. She must have been running on adrenaline this whole time and now it was starting to catch up to her. She sat in a chair across from him and decided to rest her eyes for a while.
"Hello?"
Sophie's eyes fluttered open, trying to take in her surroundings. Her neck was stiff and she sat up uncomfortably as she stretched in the chair.
"Um, excuse me? Miss?"
Her eyes darted to the couch where the man, the awake man, was sitting across from her. She rushed up and stared at him.
"You're awake!" she exclaimed, memories flooding back of the night before.
He looked at her confused, "Yeah"
"Oh thank god, how do you feel?" she asked, looking him over for any sign of worsening injuries.
"Um," he looked down at himself, "Good I guess. Where am I exactly?"
"Oh! How rude of me, of course. I'm Sophie, you're in my home. I'm a lighthouse keeper and I saw you're boat crash. I pulled you out and brought you here." She stood up and walked over to her bookcase where she put her medical supplies after patching him up last night.
He surveyed her small frame, likely wondering how she was able to pull his much taller body all the way from the beach, but must have decided against wondering aloud as he shook his head in confusion.
"I need to look over some of your cuts to see how they scabbed, if that's okay with you?" She brought the bag back to the coffee table.
He nodded at her warely and pulled up his pant leg to give her access to his main wounds, wincing as he noticed the bruising.
"What time is it?" he asked weakly.
She looked at her watch, "around 4 am."
She made sure to be gentle as she cleaned and patched the small cuts and scraps the shattered wood had left behind.
"Is there anyone you need to call or check in on to make sure you're okay?"
He shifted uncomfortably, keeping his eyes on the floor.
"No, there's no one to call."
Her mind raced at the words. Didn't he have a family? Anyone who would care that he was caught in a massive storm?
Which led her to her next question.
"If you don't mind me asking, what were you doing out there?"
He couldn't have been much older than her, now that she really looked at him. She saw a lot of young people making stupid decisions on boats before, but that was usually the newbies on the water. This guy had definitely been boating for years, he would have known not to be on the water.
He sighed, "I guess that's the main question, isn't it? I didn't mean to get caught in it, I was just blowing off some steam after getting into an argument with someone and I wasn't paying attention. It was dumb, I know."
She could hear from his tone that he felt ashamed for getting caught in the storm so she didn't pry.
"Well," she said, pulling away from his leg. "You're all patched up. You'll need to go to the hospital in the morning, granted the roads are open. I can drive you since the taxi services won't work after storm days, too much debris in the roads."
He smiled at her gratefully, "Thanks...um"
"Sophie," she filled in. "Sophie Foster. And you are?"
"Keefe," he replied with a goofy grin, "Keefe Sencen."
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To be continued...
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A/N: Alright everyone, this is the last fic before Stellarlune comes out! I want to give a quick shoutout to everyone who got this fic up to 100k views, this fandom is so loving and so kind and I am so thankful to each and every one of you.
I have been reading these books for almost ten years now (wow do I feel old saying that) and I love seeing how big this community has grown, especially over the past couple of years and I can't wait to keep writing in the amazing space you all have made.
As always, if you have an idea you would like to see, leave a comment below and I will do my best to do right by it.