The Coast Road Home

by Vickie McKeehan

  “It’s not that simple,” Gideon insisted, passing a short stack of pancakes off to Bodie. “Damon now has his cousin to help him out. And even though Brent made sure he’s plastered their faces all over town and social media, those two are out there somewhere within striking distance.”

  Marley wasn’t going to cower in her own house. “It’s been my experience that it isn’t any safer in here than it is out there.”

  “That’s a disturbing thought,” Lorelei muttered.

  Sharp dissent broke out with everyone weighing in with an opinion.

  “Pettigrew can’t take us all on,” Keva boasted. “I’m for going down to the beach and staying in a group.”

  “That’s easy for you to say,” Lorelei pointed out. “He’s not after you. He’s after Ellie or Marley.”

  “That’s true,” Bodie admitted. “But by staying here, we could become targets. I just think there’s safety in numbers. We could do yoga on the patio to take our minds off this guy.”

  Marley already knew yoga was a passion of Bodie’s. She just wasn’t sure it would do the trick for anyone but Bodie.

  Keva braced a hand on Marley’s shoulder in support. “We’re all worried about you and Ellie.”

  “I’m just glad you’re here.”

  “I thought we might be in the way. But back home when a friend was in trouble, we came together for them. With this guy out there, it shouldn’t be any different now.”

  Maybe that explained how small towns reacted in times of crisis. They brought covered dishes. Hannah showed up with a batch of fried chicken. Bette brought a bucket of potato salad. Jordan dropped off an entire brisket with all the trimmings.

  “No need for anyone to leave the house to eat,” Gideon surmised. “Very clever.”

  Marley touched her hand to his cheek. “Yeah, but I suspect by the end of the day you’ll be going stir crazy. Go take a run on the beach. It’ll make you feel better.”

  “I’m not leaving you by yourself.”

  “Gideon, there are people in every room of this house. And folks are dropping by every fifteen minutes with food. I’ll be fine.”

  But he didn’t budge. A very good reason he felt like climbing the walls by midday. They listened to music, played old board games Marley plucked out of the Goodwill donation pile, baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies from scratch, anything to keep busy and their minds off Pettigrew and Riley.

  That ran its course by afternoon. Which was why Marley suggested to Gideon that they sneak out of the house like a couple of teenagers to spend some alone time at his house. He jumped at the idea.

  “But don’t you think they’ll miss us?”

  “Not if we do it right. You go out the front like you’re getting something out of your car, then I’ll slip out the back and meet you in the library parking lot.”

  It worked.

  They sat for a time in his garden, now de-paved and fenced in for privacy, and an oasis of green-studded leafy foliage set among a ribbon of winding pathways.

  “There’s something about nature that soothes away the blisters of life,” Marley noted. “How much input did you have here?”

  “Not much. I left Caleb alone to create. And this is the result. Come on, we didn’t come here to admire the flora.”

  She choked out a laugh. “No, we needed to be by ourselves.”

  For almost two hours they were content to curl up in the big king-sized bed in Gideon’s bedroom and let the world slip away until their phones started dinging with a string of text messages.

  Marley rolled over and picked up her phone from the nightstand. “People are looking for us.”

  Gideon lifted his head. “Yeah. Lolly wants to know where we got off to.”

  Reluctantly they got dressed, then had to figure out a way to sneak back into the house. It wasn’t that difficult. Keva and Bodie were in the sunroom on their yoga mats while Lolly sat in the corner with Marley’s knitting needles and some blue yarn weaving a winter scarf. Angus had retreated to the sofa in the family room to take an afternoon nap.

  Ellie and Hollis were the only ones they didn’t fool. Caught entering through the front door, they pretended they’d been sitting on the porch the entire time. But Hollis, who’d been playing gin rummy with Ellie at the dining room table, shook his head. “That’s sneaky, Doc. And brilliant. If my leg worked right, I’d have gotten out of here, too.”

  “Sorry, but we were both about to climb the walls.”

  Ellie shuffled the deck of cards and calmly began to deal. “It’s okay, we won’t tell the others your secret. Under one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I pick up two new houses to clean.”

  “It’s blackmail,” Marley said with a hint of laughter behind her eyes. “Now who’s brilliant?”

  “That’s my girl,” Hollis bragged. “She’s always figuring the best odds.”

  “Is it a deal?” Ellie went on.

  “What choice do we have?” Gideon muttered as he took a seat at the table. “Unless we want to change the game to poker and up the odds.”

  Hollis rubbed his hands together, eager to take on Doc. “Come on, Ms. Lennox, you might as well get into the act. Everybody ante up.”

  As the hours slowly ticked by Gideon was somewhat relieved when he got called to the hospital around six to treat what Gilly deemed was a tourist suffering from chest pains.

  “We won’t let anything happen to her while you’re gone,” Keva assured him as she waved him off. “We’re like a wall around her. Pettigrew wouldn’t dare show his face with so many people around.”

  Marley walked him to his car. “It’s nice to have someone worry about me, but don’t overdo it. The cousins are probably long gone from here.”

  “Then while I’m out, I’ll talk to Brent and see what he thinks.”

  That hit her the wrong way. “What he thinks? Does it not matter what I think?”

  “You know what I mean. See if Brent has an update for us. Jeez, for someone who’s trying to appear outwardly calm, you’re as worked up as I am.”

  “What am I supposed to do? I have to keep it together for everyone else who showed up here. They took refuge here. It’s my house. I’m responsible if anyone gets hurt.”

  Tilting her chin up, he nibbled a corner of her mouth. “Hold it together while I’m gone. I’ll be back shortly.”

  “At least you have somewhere to go and something to do,” she murmured aloud as he backed out of the driveway. Frustrated, she went back to the card game bolstered by a winning streak. She was up three bucks.

  At the hospital, the waiting room was jammed with people suffering from non-life-threatening complaints. Quentin and Sydney had been dealing with them all day.

  “Why didn’t you call me in sooner?” Gideon wanted to know.

  “Because we figured you needed to be with Marley. And these are all minor issues,” Sydney added. “A sprained ankle, stomach aches from kids eating too much junk, and a couple of cases where people suffered from too much sun.”

  “This is nothing unusual during the tourist season, but when the backlog doubled, and the guy came in suffering from chest pains, I had Gilly call you,” Quentin admitted. “The way I figure, the three of us should be able to clear out the lobby in about an hour.”

  Gideon went to work on the fifty-something man with chest pains. Already hooked to an electrocardiogram with oxygen tubes in his nose, Gideon stared at the monitor for any signs of concern.

  “Mr. Holloway, what’s your pain level right now?”

  “About a five, it’s finally easing off some.”

  “Had problems with your heart before?”

  “No, never.”

  “No history of heart disease?”

  “My grandmother.”

  “Do you smoke?”

  “No.”

  “What medications are you on right now?”

  “I take Cleviprex for high blood pressure.”

  When Gilly entered the
room, Gideon turned to the nurse. “I need a CBC. Mr. Holloway, we’re gonna ask you to give us some blood. But you just relax. We’re gonna make you a lot more comfortable. Is your family here with you, sir?”

  “My wife, Sarah, brought me in. We stopped here after spending the week camping at Redwood State Park.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “Portland. Oregon.”

  Gideon put a hand on the man’s shoulder. “You’re gonna be just fine. I’ll go find Sarah for you and bring her in, then we’ll all sit down and go over what’s happened. You’re in Gilly’s capable hands for now. She’ll give you something for the pain.”

  Out in the lobby, he found the man’s wife and had to break the news to her. “Your husband had a mile cardiac event. I didn’t detect any significant damage to the heart muscle, but you’ll need to get him in to see his own primary care physician when you get back to Portland. I’m admitting him for observation to make sure he can travel back home without having another incident.”

  “Will he be okay?”

  “He’ll need to make some changes to his diet and start an exercise routine. But yeah, he should be fine with a little adjustment to his way of life and a couple of tweaks to his medication.”

  Trying to salvage what was left of their Memorial weekend, that night, Marley and Gideon sat outside in the backyard around a fire pit listening to the sound of the surf. A full moon had risen in the night sky, the moonlight turning the beach into a silvery glow.

  In the salty air that smelled of woodsmoke, the group toasted marshmallows over the open flame and made S’mores.

  While the fire crackled and popped, Lorelei leaned over to whisper in Marley’s ear. “I want you to know. I think you’re good for him. He’s a much happier man living here than he was in Chicago. I think you have something to do with that. How long have you been in love with him?”

  “Does it show?”

  “Only because I see how you look at him.”

  “It’s been a few weeks since I realized it. But I haven’t said anything to Gideon.”

  “How long can you keep that up?”

  “Until I’m sure he feels the same way.”

  “Oh, honey, that man is head over heels for you.”

  “You think?”

  “I absolutely know. It’s wonderful that I can leave on Tuesday knowing he’s found love.”

  “What are you two whispering about?” Gideon asked.

  Marley picked up his hand and placed a kiss on the palm. “We’re making plans for Monday.”

  Angus piped up. “Don’t you believe a word of it. They’re either talking about us or planning to take over the world.”

  Gideon decided it was probably a little of both.

  Twenty-Six

  Tourists might have been flocking to the beach in preparation for the Memorial Day weekend. But now that the three-day holiday had come and gone, the beach was practically deserted.

  Marley wasn’t going to let Damon Pettigrew make her postpone her first surfing lesson. Decked out in her shorty Roxy wetsuit, gray in color with yellow inserts, she’d snuck out after breakfast avoiding a discussion about dangerous criminals lying in wait, to meet up with Wally on the dunes.

  The two assessed the waves through a band of pink haze.

  “Listen to that surf breaking,” Wally said in awe of what nature could do.

  Not intimidated by water, Marley tucked her brand-new surfboard close to her but began to have a few second thoughts creep in. “This is different than being in a kayak. Any recent shark sightings I should know about in the general vicinity of where we’re standing?”

  “Not unless you count the one that happened two weeks ago,” Wally divulged with a twinkle in his eyes. “Big sucker with giant teeth.”

  “That’s not funny. A student asks a perfectly legitimate question about sharks before getting in the water, and the teacher blows it off as a joke.” She stared out at the opening to the bay and spotted a pod of dolphins cavorting in the water like children. “Are they always out there this time of day?”

  “Sometimes. Dolphins love the mornings. How’s the Scout running?”

  “Like I just drove it off the showroom six months ago. You must’ve tinkered with the carburetor. It runs better now than it did in Wisconsin.”

  Wally was glad she’d noticed. “Did your company leave?”

  “Yep. Gideon’s driving them to the airport. Their flight to Seattle leaves around noon. Let me tell you, it’s been an interesting few days. Maybe that’s why I didn’t want to cancel on you. I’m ready to do this. I need this.”

  Wally took her through the basics. He made her practice how to paddle using smooth arm strokes, how to lay flat on the board, how to stand up when the time was right. “Learning to stand up is half the battle.”

  Finally, Wally went through the steps needed to wax the board and maintain it for future use. “It needs to feel tacky so that your feet stick to the board but not too much so that you can easily maneuver.”

  He showed her how to loosen her back, going through a series of stretching exercises before they headed to the edge of the water.

  Letting the surf lick their feet, they waded out until the water was waist-high deep.

  “Get used to sitting on your board first, feel comfortable with the chop. Remember, you’re gonna wipe out a lot so be prepared to roll off your board, so you don’t get thrown by the current. You’re waiting for the right wave, the one that suits you. Everybody’s different. You’re gonna start with the smaller breaks and work your way to the bigger stuff. It’s a lot to remember. The main thing is, make sure you have fun.”

  She wiped out at least fifteen times before finally riding a wave to the shoreline without falling off or losing her board.

  “I did it! Did you see that?”

  Wally doubled over with laughter. “On that successful note, I think we’ll stop for the day.” Serious now, he added, “Your arms will be sore tomorrow. Ice down your muscles and if necessary, resort to a couple of ibuprofens.”

  “You should do this for a living. You’re good.”

  “Nah, I let the younger guys compete. I’m a mechanic. I know my strengths.”

  “Same time tomorrow?”

  “I’ll see if I can get away from the shop. I’m not much of a planner. Lilly will tell you that. But most mornings I’m usually out here at dawn. I would’ve gotten an earlier start today except the holiday threw me behind. The kids ate way too much sugar. They were wired. And the customers kept me hopping this weekend.”

  “I’m grateful you texted. I know it’s a pain to teach a newbie something this intricate. I appreciate it.”

  “No worries. I love surfing, glad to help anyone who wants to take a crack at it. The party Saturday night turned out great. I’m sorry Brent sort of ruined the evening with the news about Damon.”

  At the mention of the name, her euphoric mood went south. “I better get back. Thanks again, Wally. Tell Lilly I said hi.”

  As she made her way up the trail back to the house, Marley heard police sirens barreling up Ocean Street toward the lighthouse. She asked the first person she met, a woman pushing a baby stroller, what was going on.

  “Someone spotted Floyd Riley hanging around the grounds at the lighthouse. I’m taking the baby and heading home in case there’s trouble.”

  “Good idea.”

  Making her way around to the open-air shower, she leaned the board up against the side of the house before turning on the spray to get rid of the saltwater on her skin. After toweling off, she headed to the back door.

  The first thing Marley saw when she rounded into the kitchen was the look on Bodie’s face. Sheer panic. Utter terror.

  Bodie was hugging Keva as the two women crouched next to each other behind the counter.

  Marley tracked their eyes to the problem. Glancing to her left, she spotted Damon Pettigrew holding Ellie in a chokehold in front of his chest in a tight death grip. “Stay out of this, bi
tch. This is none of your business. I’m taking her out of here, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  Marley sized up the enemy.

  Pettigrew towered over Ellie. At six feet, the man stood several inches taller than what she remembered Phillip Dealey had stood the day he’d taken out her family. Another bully. There always seemed to be another tough guy pushing his weight around, trying to get his way.

  Using Ellie as a shield, Marley couldn’t see a weapon. Score one for her side. But this jerk had a stocky build with hammy fists clenched tight and ready to knock her or any one of the other women in the house into the next county. She could see the violence in his eyes and recognized that mean, crazy look she’d seen before.

  She decided she wasn’t going down without a goddamn fight, not this time.

  “You like hurting women, huh, Damon? Is that it?”

  “Shut up. You don’t know anything about me.”

  “I think I do. You’re a mean son of a bitch with women. Ellie, move out of the way. Now!”

  Barkley bounded from behind the counter as if he’d been waiting for the right moment to attack. The dog surprised Damon, allowing Ellie to slip out of his grasp.

  Barkley latched his teeth into an ankle, tugging on the man’s filthy jeans, heaving him an inch at a time off balance.

  While Barkley had him distracted, Marley reached for the nightstick on the counter, put her head down, and used it as a battering ram, charging with the baton. She barreled into Pettigrew’s midsection, sending him falling back onto the floor.

  Lying on top of him, she used her fists to punch his face. She brought her knee up and landed a kick into his crotch, dead center, and then did it again for good measure.

  It was then she spotted the handgun tucked into his waistband. Before he could get a firm grip on the gun, Marley whacked him over the head with the nightstick.

  Hands over his head, Damon rolled on the floor trying to get away and protect himself, to defend against any more blows.

  But Marley moved over him for a better angle, whacking Pettigrew in the back. Thud. Thud. Thud. She heard the air whoosh out of his lungs with each hit as he remained on the floor, unable to get up, gasping for his next breath.