Vaughn shadowed Kali over the next few weeks. He did everything from cutting a payroll to working in the fields, to sowing sugar. Kali didn't know whether she should be pleased or upset that he caught on so quickly. His mind was like a steel trap. Everything that went in stayed in verbatim.

The locals were still unsure until he handed over their pay. He had it specially delivered from Exuma along with some extra supplies and treats for the children. One thing she had learned watching him was that when he wanted something, he could turn on the charm and have it almost immediately.

Everything was rolling along fine. She should receive her copy of the will on the next boat in a week. There were few options for contacting the outside world, and her father liked it that way. The only real way was a satellite phone that her father, and now Fredrick, kept with him at all times, and an old ham radio that didn't work half of the time. They had radios that let them hear the local news and listen to the odd station here and there, but much of the range depended on the weather.

Kali guessed he had worked with Fredrick to get access to the phone, or maybe he had brought one of his own. If he had worked with Fredrick, she would have loved to hear the conversation that transpired about why he needed access to the phone.

As far as she knew, Vaughn hadn't talked with Fredrick about his choice to stop paying everyone, and she was very curious to learn the reason why, but she couldn't bring herself to ask Vaughn.

Kali was relaxing in the evening light as she listened to the radio and made a quick dinner of beans and eggs. It wasn't an ideal dinner, but it was filling, and she wouldn't go to bed hungry.

She had just taken her first bite when the weather report came on, and what she heard stopped her.

A major storm was headed for the Bahamas. The news only stated that it was massive, slow-moving, and headed for a direct hit to the Bahamas, but it didn't say where. Kali took a deep breath, then finished her meal quickly. She knew better than to waste her food.

There was a weather radio in the kitchen of the cottage, so she would have to go and interrupt Vaughn's dinner.

It only took her a few minutes to reach the cottage, where she urgently knocked on the door.

Vaughn had a concerned look on his face as he opened the door.

"I need to listen to the weather. May I use the radio in the kitchen?"

"Sure," he said, opening the door and standing aside so that she could enter.

Thankfully, he didn't ask a lot of questions as he followed her to the kitchen and watched her take the radio off the shelf, then sit at the kitchen table with it.

"We'll have to dig the ham radio out of storage, if Fredrick will let us." Kali played with the radio tuner until she found what she wanted.

"Currently a category three storm, Ellen is expected to strengthen in the next few days as the pressure drops. It is headed directly for the Bahamas, with little chance of changing direction in the coming days. Ellen's current track will take it over the westernmost portions of the Bahamas, including the islands of Andros and the heavily populated New Providence. The storm is expected to strengthen to a category four, with a chance of reaching category five, before making landfall on Friday. Everyone in the area should begin preparing and carrying out necessary evacuations.

"That gives us three days," Vaughn said as he sat in the chair next to her. "I'm guessing we don't evacuate?"

"No, we generally don't, but no one will hold it against you if you decide to. Living through a storm can be traumatizing for everyone." Kali started drumming her fingers on the table as her mind raced. "Do you have a pen and paper?"

"If I'm going to own this island, then I should be here for the worst it has to offer before I sign on the dotted line." Vaughn stood, moved into the guest room, and came out with a pad of paper and a very nice fountain pen.

Maybe this storm was a blessing in disguise; perhaps he would decide not to buy the island, giving her more time to raise the funds. Kali studied him for a minute, wondering if he would back out if it got rough. She wasn't kidding when she said it was traumatizing.

"Not likely." Vaughn shook his head.

"What?" Kali asked innocently.

"I'm not likely to change my mind."

Kali was embarrassed that she had been so easy to read and turned her attention back to the matter at hand.

"In an ideal situation, we would move everyone into the main house, but I don't think Alma and Fredrick will stand for it." Kali took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She needed to calm herself and slow her thoughts down; otherwise, she would forget something.

"You'll have to come and stay here." Vaughn insisted.

"Yes, I will." Kali agreed as she tapped the pen on the pad of paper. Her heart jumped at the thought of spending a storm with him. No lights, the windows boarded up, the unbearable heat, and tensions high. It would be impressive if they weren't at each other's throats when it was all over.

"There's a recreation building in the settlement, and we can stage everyone there. If we focus on making that one building safe, it will save time."

"We can have others stay here, if it helps," Vaughn offered, and it made Kali like him all the more for it.

Kali shook her head. "No, they will want to stay together."

Kali started to write a to-do list. There was a lot, and it grew quickly. "I'll talk with Lester and Taj in the morning; they can help organize everyone."

Vaughn had grown quiet, and Kali looked over at him. "It will be alright," she assured him.

"I'm sure it will be with you in charge." He nodded.

"At least someone has confidence in me. It makes a nice change," she snorted.

"Who doesn't have confidence in you?" Vaughan questioned with a frown.

"Fredrick, Alma, the islanders, my father. Why else would he leave Fredrick the island?" Kali stopped talking, biting her cheek. She shouldn't have said so much. She shouldn't have shown her weakness. 

"Fredrick and Alma are two of the most selfish people I've ever met; they don't think well of anyone but themselves. The islanders love and respect you and most definitely have confidence in you."

"How can you say that? They didn't even come to tell me that they weren't getting paid!" Kali denied hotly.

"Probably because they care for you and knew you were fighting your own battles and didn't want you to fight theirs as well." Vaughn watched her as the words took hold.

"And my father?" she asked, her sad eyes meeting his.

"Did you ever think that maybe he didn't want you to get stuck here for the rest of your life? Or maybe he knew what was about to come would be a nightmare, and he didn't want you to have to deal with it."

Vaughn's words were comforting but overwhelming, and she would be sure to think on them when the current crisis was over, but for now, she had to stay focused. "Thank you for sharing those thoughts with me. When I get a moment, I will consider them seriously." 

"But now we need to get back to planning?" Vaughn took the change in conversation in stride

They spent most of the night hatching a plan, and it was late, so Kali stayed in her old room, but not before she took a nice, long, hot shower.

When her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep instantly, glad to be home.