by Leena Clover
Jenny was referring to the survivors of an old shipwreck. The summer of 1876 had brought tragedy to the island. A passing steamship, the Isabella, had sunk in the shoals. Plenty of people had gone down with her. There were only seventeen survivors who were rescued and brought to Morse Isle. They stayed on and never went back. Their families thrived on in Pelican Cove, still referred to as the Survivors. Star’s deceased husband had been one of them.
“He appeared out of nowhere one fine day,” Betty Sue told them. “Him and his wife and kid. Came around asking my Daddy for a job. I was knee-high to a grasshopper but I still remember.”
“Grandma’s right,” Heather told Jenny. “He built Cohen Construction up from nothing. Now they are the best custom builders on the Eastern Shore. You couldn’t have chosen a better company for your home.”
Jenny had recently hired Asher Cohen’s company to refurbish the ocean facing house she had bought with her divorce money.
“Mom!” a voice yelled from the deck out back.
“What is it, Nicky?” Jenny asked, peering out of the kitchen.
Her college going son Nick was spending the summer in Pelican Cove.
“How much watermelon do you think I can eat?”
“Plenty!” Jenny said, rolling her eyes.
Like most 19 year olds, her son had a voracious appetite.
“The twins say they can beat me at it.”
Two lanky girls with eyes as blue as the ocean chortled with laughter.
“I can eat more than a girl,” Nick grumbled.
He brightened as he spied a tall, muscular man walking up the steps from the boardwalk.
“What do you think, Adam?”
Jenny’s heart raced as she feasted her eyes over Adam Hopkins. He was the sheriff of Pelican Cove and he did full justice to his uniform. Jenny and Adam had some turbulent history but they had called a truce and recently gone out on their first date. It had gone well.
Adam placed his arms around the two girls, his twin daughters. His eyes crinkled and little crow’s feet appeared at the corners as he gave Jenny a mega watt smile.
“Why do you think I am so poor?” Adam asked Nick. “These two hellions have been eating me out of house and home all these years.”
“But watermelon?” Nick asked. “Seriously?”
“Loser buys dinner,” one of the twins said. “Deal?”
Adam and Jenny went inside, leaving the kids bickering about something else.
“How about a muffin?” Jenny asked. “They are fresh out of the oven.”
“Can’t say no to that,” Adam said with a smile. “Have you finished baking for tomorrow? The races start in an hour.”
“Why don’t you go home and change, Jenny?” Petunia suggested. “We’ll tidy up here and meet you on the beach.”
“Do we have enough?” Jenny asked worriedly.
The Boardwalk Café was providing muffins and coffee for the entire town the next day.
“We do,” Petunia assured her, dabbing the sweat on her brow with a handkerchief.
“Let the festivities begin,” Star cackled, clapping her hands. “I can’t wait.”
“Grandma’s flagging off the canoe race,” Heather said. “We need to get going too.”
“Tell me what the agenda is once again,” Jenny sighed. “I don’t know how you keep it straight, Heather.”
“It’s the same stuff year after year,” Heather sighed. “That’s why I’m excited about the centennial. It’s going to be something new.”
“Canoe races in the bay,” Star counted off her fingers. “Fish fry at Ethan’s after that. Bonfire on the beach. Breakfast at the Boardwalk Café tomorrow. Watermelon eating contest. Barbecue on the beach. Parade. Fireworks…”
“You missed the awards ceremony, Star,” Betty Sue pointed out. “That’s right after the parade.”
“What about the birthday party?” Heather reminded them. “That’s after the fireworks. We are all invited.”
“You mean the centennial party,” Jenny smiled. “Never thought I would be meeting a 100 year old man.”
“He doesn’t look that old,” Star said critically. “And he definitely doesn’t act that way.”
“Careful, Star!” Betty Sue warned. “Are you angling to be his third wife?”
“Don’t be silly, Betty Sue!” Star said, turning red.
They all shared a good laugh over that.
“I get off duty soon,” Adam whispered to Jenny. “Can I pick you up after that? We can go see the races together.”
“Jason’s driving me there,” Jenny said apologetically.
Adam’s eyes flickered.
“Of course he is.”
“It’s not a date,” Jenny said mildly. “He’s just giving us a ride. I will see you there.”
Jason Stone was a local lawyer, the only lawyer in Pelican Cove. He had gone out on a couple of dates with Jenny several years ago when she had visited the island as a teen. He still wanted to date Jenny King.
Light hearted and friendly, Jason had been a big help to Jenny when her aunt had been accused of a local murder. Jason was so easy going, Jenny loved spending time with him. He made her laugh, unlike the serious Adam Hopkins who made her blood pressure shoot up every time she exchanged a few words with him.
The whole town clapped and cheered the contestants of the canoe races. They gorged on all kinds of seafood at Ethan’s Crab Shack after that where a massive fish fry was in progress.
Jenny hopped about with a smile on her face the next morning. They started the coffee around 8 AM, much later than usual. The doors opened at 9 to welcome the whole town.
“How long have you done breakfast for the town, Petunia?” Jenny asked.
“Every July 4th for the last 25 years,” Petunia said proudly. “It’s my way of doing something for them.”
“People love the café, don’t they?” Jenny beamed happily.
“More so now,” Petunia nodded. “They can’t stop drooling over your food.”
Jenny tried to hide her blush as she flung their doors open.
Asher Cohen was the first person in line. He stood behind his wife, holding her wheelchair in his gnarled hands.
Jenny offered to wheel his wife in.
“Do I look senile?” he spat at her, then gave her a broad smile.
“Happy Birthday, Mr. Cohen,” Jenny laughed, offering to shake his hand.
He held her hand in a tight grip and shook it heartily.
“How about some breakfast?” he asked, sitting at a table close to the door.
His wife didn’t say much. Star had told her she avoided talking to strangers.
“Here you go, Mr. Cohen,” Jenny said, bringing over a tray with warm muffins, butter, and two steaming cups of coffee.
“How’s my birthday cake coming?” Asher Cohen asked. “Does it have the chocolate ganache like I told you?”
“Don’t worry,” Jenny assured him. “It’s made exactly according to your instructions.”
“I expect to see you at my party, young lady,” he thundered.
Jenny tried not to stare at the shock of blond hair that covered Asher Cohen’s head. His eyes were clear blue, only slightly clouded by age. He was pointing at her as he spoke, a habit he was well known for.
“Your party’s the talk of the town,” Jenny told him. “I’m not going to miss it.”
“And make sure you watch the parade,” he ordered. “I’m going to be riding in it.”
A short, chubby man entered the café and sat next to Asher Cohen. His brown hair looked like it hadn’t been combed that morning. His belly indicated how much he loved his beer. He scratched his head and tried to get the old man’s attention.
“What’s up, Gramps?” he grumbled. “I’m binge watching Game of Thrones. Why did you call me here?”
Asher Cohen grumbled something unintelligible.
“I need to talk to you, boy,” he growled. “It’s important.”
Jenny noticed the woman in
the wheelchair just by chance. Her fists were clenched so tightly they had turned red. The eyes staring at the chubby young man were full of an expression that could only be called hatred.
Chapter 2
The Main Street of Pelican Cove was decked out in red, white and blue. A recent beautification project had already made the town spiffy. Streamers and flags adorned storefronts, cars, trees, lamp posts, pillars and just about every available surface.
Jenny wore a flag tee with white Bermuda shorts and cheered wildly as the water melon eating contest started. Nick called it quits after his tenth slice of watermelon.
“What’s next?” she asked Adam who was cheering for the twins.
“Are you hungry yet?” he asked.
“I’m starving,” Jenny groaned. “I just had half a muffin this morning. We ran out! You won’t believe the number of tourists that came through the café this morning.”
“You can thank Instagram for that,” Adam grinned.
“Or Mandy,” Jenny said with a laugh.
The town of Pelican Cove had won the tag of Prettiest Town in America earlier that year, thanks to Mandy James, an enthusiastic consultant the town had hired. She had started social media accounts for the town and literally put Pelican Cove on the map.
“Jason and Captain Charlie are manning the grill,” Jenny said eagerly. “He’s promised me one of his specials.”
Adam Hopkins leaned on his cane and followed Jenny to a big tent that had been set up on the boardwalk. Jenny’s friends, or the Magnolias as they called themselves, were seated at a big table in the center of the tent.
“We saved you a seat,” her aunt called out. “You should try these hot dogs before they are gone, Jenny.”
A tall, skinny woman with thick Coke-bottle glasses patted Jenny on the back as she sat down.
“Is that a new dress, Molly?” Jenny asked her.
Molly Henderson worked at the local library. She was closer in age to Heather Morse, at least ten years younger than Jenny’s 44. But she had connected with Jenny instantly.
“I ordered it online,” she said shyly. “How does it look?”
“It’s perfect!” Jenny assured her.
“That’s what I told her,” a tall brown haired man seated next to her exclaimed, making her blush.
“Why aren’t you helping Jason at the grill?” Heather asked him.
Chris Williams stood up and stretched lazily. He ruffled Heather’s hair and looked at her lovingly.
“I’m going, okay?”
“You better watch out, Heather,” Jenny warned her. “Someone’s going to snatch him from under your nose. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Listen to her, girl,” Betty Sue sighed. “Unless you want to be single at my centennial.”
The women chattered on, jumping from one topic to another. Jenny tapped her foot impatiently, finding it hard to relax.
“Why don’t you settle down, dear?” Petunia asked. “We’ve done our bit for the day. Time to sit back and enjoy.”
“I’m going to get some food,” Jenny said, getting up. “Coming, Molly?”
Jenny, Heather and Molly walked over to the grills and stood in line. There was a big variety of food to choose from, ranging from hot dogs, burgers and fish to an assortment of side dishes people had brought in.
They loaded big platters with a little bit of everything and carried them back to their table.
Heather placed a stack of empty plates next to the food.
Nick and the twins came by, feasting on giant candy floss on sticks. They promised Jenny they would eat some real food later.
“What is the parade like?” Jenny asked as she bit into a hot dog.
As promised, Jason Stone had mixed a special type of mustard to go with it.
“See for yourself,” Star told her. “The big attraction this time is of course the Cohen Construction float. Asher Cohen is going to be on it.”
“He told me about it this morning,” Jenny nodded. “Say, who was the woman in the wheelchair?”
“That’s his wife,” Heather explained. “Linda Cohen.”
“She’s a Stone,” Betty Sue called out.
Jenny wondered if she was related to Jason. She gossiped with Heather and Molly about the chubby man who had come to meet Asher Cohen.
“He’s a ne'er-do-well,” Heather said, “but he’s the only Cohen kid who’s connected to the business.”
“How many kids are there?” Jenny asked.
“You’ll see some of them tonight,” Heather shrugged. “Seven or eight…”
The girls went back to the grill for a second helping of everything, eating until they were stuffed to the gills.
Chris, Adam and Jason finally came over with their own loaded trays.
“That mustard was yum,” Jenny told Jason. “You have to give me the recipe.”
“When are we taking a kayak out?” he teased. “I’ll swap the recipe for a date.”
Jenny was deathly afraid of the water. As summer progressed, almost everyone had urged her to go fishing or bird watching with them. The thought of being so close to the water in a tiny kayak or canoe scared the bejesus out of her. She had been trying to hide her phobia from her new friends.
“It’s peak tourist season,” Jenny told Jason. “You know I can’t get away from the café now.”
“I can survive without you for a few hours,” Petunia grunted.
“Maybe she just doesn’t want to go out with you,” Adam said seriously.
Jason knew about Jenny’s date with Adam. Rather than discourage him, it made him more competitive.
“Jenny can choose for herself,” he said curtly.
Adam struggled to his feet and excused himself.
“Look what you’ve done, Jason,” Jenny protested. “Did you have to needle him?”
“Adam just needs an excuse to sulk,” Jason shrugged.
“We need to go pick a good spot,” Star spoke up. “Or we’ll miss the parade.”
She looked lovingly at Jason. She secretly wished Jenny would choose him rather than Adam.
“Are you done, boys? Let’s go.”
The group collected all their trash and disposed of it properly. They headed to Main Street, looking for a spot big enough for their whole group. Chris set up camp chairs for the older ladies. The others huddled around them as a band began playing.
“That’s the high school band,” Heather told Jenny.
The parade started soon after with the youngest residents of Pelican Cove forming the vanguard. Kids in tricycles and bikes with training wheels pedaled onto Main Street. Red, white and blue streamers were tied to their wheels and handle bars. The crowd cheered wildly.
A contingent of senior citizens in motorized wheelchairs followed. The ponies were next.
“These are the famous Chincoteague ponies,” Heather told Jenny. “They run wild on Assateague Island up north but some ponies are auctioned each year. The town owns a few of these. They are brought out during special ceremonies.”
“I’ve heard about them,” Jenny said eagerly. “But this is the first time I am actually seeing one of these.”
“Haven’t you been to Chincoteague yet?” Molly asked. “We should make a day of it, take a picnic basket with us. Girls only.”
“Why girls only?” Chris teased. “What did we guys ever do to you?”
“Jenny and I went to Chincoteague for dinner a couple of times,” Jason told them. “But going to see the ponies is a great idea.”
“Pay attention, kids!” Betty Sue roared.
Fire trucks followed the ponies, festooned with colorful ribbons. The marching band was next. The floats followed after that. There was one float for the City of Pelican Cove. It was covered in banners of the local businesses. The Boardwalk Café had donated one such banner.
“Look,” Petunia pointed. “That’s us!”
“Where’s Asher Cohen?” Jenny asked. “Wasn’t he supposed to be in this parade?”
�
��He’s coming right up,” Star said.
A red pickup truck brought up the rear. Large banners printed with Cohen Construction were attached to its sides. Bunches of balloons were tied to the rails every few inches. Asher Cohen stood in the back, waving at the people. A bunch of children stood around him, throwing candy in the crowd. Asher wore a festive red cap with the words ‘Happy Birthday’ festooned on it. The balloons had the word ‘100’ written on them in glitter.
“They special ordered those balloons,” Heather whispered. “Not many people celebrate their 100th birthday.”
“You think?” Jenny asked sarcastically.
Asher Cohen blew a kiss to someone in the crowd. Jenny followed his gaze and saw the woman in the wheelchair smiling back at him. A young woman stood behind her, holding the chair.
Finally, the parade was over. Kids and grownups alike had scrambled to grab the candy. People stood around, chewing the sugary treats.
“I need to cool off,” Betty Sue complained. “I could use some sweet tea right now, or lemonade.”
“I made a pitcher of lemonade for us,” Petunia told them. “Why don’t we go into the café for a while.”
She fanned herself with a handkerchief, looking as red as a tomato.
“I think we can all use a break,” Jason agreed.
“I’m on duty for the next couple of hours,” Adam spoke, getting up to leave.
Jenny breathed a sigh of relief as she let the air conditioning in the café cool her down.
“Has anyone seen Nick?”
“He got into a hot dog eating contest with some kids,” Chris told them. “They were talking about taking some kayaks out after that.”
Jenny shrugged. She reminded herself her son was an adult now and she didn’t need to keep tabs on him.
“It’s time for the awards ceremony,” Betty Sue announced an hour later.
The older ladies had dozed off in their seats. Jenny and her friends had been indulging in some harmless gossip.
“Does everyone get an award?” Jenny asked, stifling a yawn.
“They try to cover most people,” Star told her. “All the younger kids get something.”
“Asher is bound to get Overall First Place today,” Heather said. “They did a really good job with their float. All the lights were beautiful.”