Through the hurricane night, Katie and George Bailey were tossed in darkness on Hutch's powerless houseboat, seasick and soaked as waves slammed the hull and a broken window let in water. George Bailey cut his paw on a shattered lamp; Katie bandaged him with a pillowcase and padded Hutch's closet for the dog to shelter. Amid the chaos, she noticed her hibiscus hair clip was missing from Hutch's closet, sparking anxious thoughts. They endured hours of violent motion until the storm finally calmed near dawn, and they fell asleep on the floor.

At daylight, under a clear sky and surrounded by floating debris, Katie cleaned up, found Hutch's jar of his mother's pennies intact, and realized the boat was listing. On the back deck, she saw they were far offshore and one pontoon was gashed and taking on water. She contacted 911, reported their situation, and learned a search and rescue was being initiated. Katie and George Bailey moved to the roof with the flare gun, phone, and the penny jar to wait; a toad appeared and she dubbed it Lucky, but during a sudden tilt the phone slid overboard. She transferred the pennies into her pockets.

Alone, fearing death by drowning or sharks, Katie spiraled into despair and then shifted into a profound apology to her body for lifelong self-criticism, resolving she should have loved herself because her body was hers. The distant thump of rotors restored hope as a Coast Guard helicopter approached. Just then, the damaged pontoon failed and the Rue the Day capsized, throwing Katie and George Bailey into the water.

A rescue swimmer deployed; Katie and George Bailey both sensed it was Hutch. He confirmed it, moved decisively to stop the dog's tail from knocking the hull (to avoid attracting predators), and signaled for the basket. With fuel at bingo, Hutch hoisted George Bailey first while promising to try to return, instructing Katie to stay with the wreck and hum to keep calm. The houseboat fully sank; Lucky was lost, and the remaining pontoon burst free and drifted away, leaving Katie alone in open water.

The helicopter returned; Hutch dropped in again, opted for a faster sling instead of a basket, clipped Katie in chest-to-chest, and they were towed upward as the helo moved to RTB. Suspended in the air, Katie apologized for the lies around Cole’s scheme; Hutch said Cole and Rue had already called the air station to explain, and told her she hadn’t lied but had been caught in Cole’s lie while protecting Rue. He produced her missing hibiscus hair clip from his sleeve pocket, admitting he had stolen it the first day because he wanted it.

They bantered about being “love haters,” with Hutch explaining love had upended him, including making him burn fuel searching for a woman on a sinking boat. Katie revealed she had saved Hutch’s mother’s pennies in her pockets. Hutch acknowledged it, and then, mid-hoist before the watching crew, he kissed Katie, clarifying that their previous tarmac kiss had not been a hate kiss but a love kiss, and kissed her again.