Nora's Redemption

by Carol Henry

  Thoughts of Sebastian, the night they’d argued over the divorce, and the accident niggled her brain. She’d tried to visit him in the hospital, but the family had kept vigil, and she wasn’t allowed in to see him. Her heart ached at the thought of his death and the part she’d played. She’d felt she had been as much at fault for his death as his wife. But now she knew better. He’d been a lousy cheat. He’d never intended to get a divorce. It was after his funeral and the spectacle she’d made of herself that she’d discovered he had been seeing someone else, as well.

  She put the car in reverse and continued toward Thunder Hole. A touristy spot where the trapped air made a thundering noise when the waves crashed through the rock chamber and forced the air out on the other side. As usual it was packed with tourists enjoying the thunder and spray, while kids climbed down on the boulders to enable the spray to wash over them.

  She continued, slowing her vehicle as the road wound around the coast of Otter Point, Little Hunter’s Beach, and then wound back into the wooded trail. Birch, aspen, oak, and spruce grew tall and full around Jordan Pond. The traffic pattern changed to accommodate vehicles going in either direction. Taking calming breaths, she enjoyed the seclusion of the forested land before turning the car onto Cadillac Mountain Road. The passage wound upward for a spell before she arrived at the parking lot on the left. She pulled in, turned the ignition off, stepped out, and entered the gift shop where she bought a coffee. She found a spot on the bare rock face sprinkled with clusters of three-toothed cinquefoil flowers and sat.

  The bright sunshine sparkled off the ocean down below. Bar Harbor lay sprawled out along the coast. To the left, the small community of Lobster Cove hugged the bay. McClintock and McClintock Lobster Company’s building was visible. The large white structure stretched along Pier One. Their fishing trawlers were entering the inlet with their catch of the day. Juelle and her new husband, Hunter McClintock, had inherited the company. The old family business should have been Sebastian’s. Not that it made any difference at this point. Besides, Sebastian hadn’t cared much for managing operations, and instead, loved being out on the water.

  She crossed her ankles, reached for the newspaper, and opened it to the property listings. She needed to find an affordable apartment or cottage. But the Lobster Cove Anchor’s listings were minimal, and nothing appealed. She let out a deep sigh and decided she’d have to call Jessica Martin Real Estate Agency tomorrow and see if she had something available in her price range. Although, what that price range was depended on what job she was able to secure in the next few days.

  She took a few minutes to lean back and soak up the peace and tranquility enveloping her as other visitors to the mountain wandered the summit. Taking in one of Maine’s top scenic sites, she checked her watch. If she headed back down to Lobster Cove, she’d have plenty of time to make Jackie’s boys’ game and still have time to go over her résumé one last time before she shopped it around tomorrow. And hope she didn’t have any more car troubles.

  Or have Chuck waiting for her when she pulled in the driveway.

  Chapter Two

  Nora pulled into the elementary school parking lot and walked behind the building to the soccer court and the game already in progress. Jackie was easy to spot. Her voice rose above the crowd as she cheered Timmy and Cody on as they ran downfield toward their team’s goal. Not having brought her own camp chair, she settled on the ground next to her friend.

  “What’s the score?” she asked, scanning the field for Timmy and Cody’s jersey numbers.

  “Don’t ask. The other team is ahead by two points, and it’s already the second half.”

  “I thought they were the winning team?”

  “Hush. We all have our down time. They’ll catch up. We have a half hour left. And look,” Jackie said, pointing downfield, “our team has the ball under control.”

  Nora sat in silence, watching the players kick the ball back and forth, first one side of the field, then the other. The teams alternated controlling the ball. She felt as if she were at a tennis match as she swung her head from side to side. She spotted the players sitting on the bench on the opposite side of the field, and the coaches standing next to them. One in particular stood out. Tall, dark, and handsome. She’d seen him before but had no idea who he was or where she’d seen him. Still, his stature and concentration on the game was striking.

  A sudden bout of cheering ensued, bringing her back to focus on the game and Jackie shooting from her seat and screaming.

  “Did you see that? Timmy just got the first goal for the team. Yay, Timmy! You go, team!” Jackie sat back in her camp chair, her smile a mile wide. “Whew. We need a few more goals to nail this.”

  “Sorry, I missed it. I was trying to figure out who the guy is over there next to their coach. He sort of looks familiar.”

  “Their assistant coach. He looks familiar because you’ve probably seen him here when you’ve come to the games.” Jackie continued to keep her eye on the players as they kicked the ball downfield. “He isn’t here often, but when he is, he tends to stand in the background. Oh, look, Cody has the ball heading for the goal.”

  Nora turned back to the game and cheered along with Jackie as Cody kicked the ball into the goal, tying the game.

  ****

  Gavin Redmond wondered if he’d ever find a competent receptionist/accountant. Three tries in less than a year wasn’t a satisfying track record. And his recent hire was missing in action. Again. Maybe reopening the agency in Bar Harbor hadn’t been such a good idea after all.

  He slapped the latest round of applications on top of his desk and ran his fingers over his face and through his hair. Dammit! He didn’t have time to teach these youngsters how to answer an office phone professionally, add and subtract, or even how to use a spreadsheet. They were all adept at playing games on their electronic gadgets or texting when they should be working. Having to yell over whatever was blaring in their ear buds did nothing for a harmonious office environment. He needed someone who paid attention to detail, had good communication skills, and didn’t snap their gum to the latest rap music’s syncopated beat, or whatever they were listening to when they were on their phone. He needed someone who took their job seriously. He would be ever so much more ecstatic if that person, man or woman, not only knew something about dealing with people, but was knowledgeable about accounting and Maine’s coastal environment.

  Was he asking too much?

  His coffee had gone cold. He drained the dregs, pushed his black leather office chair away from his desk, and stood. What to do? Not one applicant warranted an interview. Still, he needed to call each one and set up appointments for interviews. Who knew what hidden talent wasn’t evident in a résumé? Their references were lukewarm at best, but he needed someone ASAP.

  The bell over the office door tingled. Damn, he didn’t have time for this. He had a meeting on the other side of the island in forty-five minutes, and he hadn’t gotten his act together yet. And thanks to his latest hire having overslept and not planning on coming in until eleven, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place as his grandfather always said. He was more than likely going to have to close shop for the day. He shook his head, rose, and took his time going to the front office to see who had arrived. Hopefully it wasn’t another applicant his sister, Bethany, had sent his way.

  When he entered the front office, he stopped in his tracks. Good Lord! A tall, willowy blonde who looked vaguely familiar, or maybe she simply resembled all the other applicants his sister had sent his way lately. The woman’s blue eyes, surrounded with black mascara, were so bold they were almost piercing. Her hair, swept up on top of her head, accentuated her blemish-free skin that glowed in the early morning light streaming through the large office windows. She was dressed in a casual-business, pastel-peach dress. It reminded him of a conch shell. The young woman wore a matching jacket trimmed in soft aqua. It had been an obvious attempt to hide her sexy body but instead highlighted it.

&nb
sp; He hoped she wasn’t here to apply for the job, especially if she was anything like the last three blondes who had walked in off the street yesterday. Once they got past his sister’s vetting and sat down for an interview with him, they’d become flirtatious as if that were enough to land them the job. According to his sister, their looks alone were enough to obtain the position. He knew what Bethany was up to. She was attempting to find him a replacement for his deceased wife. Had she sent yet another young blonde bombshell his way?

  “May I help you?” He stood in the doorway, hands in pockets, feet slightly apart, trying to place where he had seen her before. He jingled the keys in his pocket, waiting for her to get on with it so he could send her on her way and get back to work.

  “I hope so. I’m here to drop off my application for the job you advertised.”

  Just his luck. He checked his watch and sighed for the zillionth time in the last two hours. “Did Bethany send you?”

  “Bethany? I don’t know a Bethany. The employment agency assured me you haven’t hired for the position yet.”

  “Have you a working knowledge of Excel?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Excel. Microsoft application. Do you have any computer skills?”

  “Of course. Otherwise I wouldn’t be applying for the position.”

  “What other credentials do you have?”

  “A MS degree in Business Management, which includes accounting.”

  He raised an eyebrow. She already sounded more qualified than any of the applicants’ files he’d finished going through five minutes ago.

  “How well do you know the area? Bar Harbor? Lobster Cove? The island? The surrounding coast?”

  Where the hell had he met her? He was sure he knew her.

  “Depends on what you mean by ‘how well.’ I’ve worked temp for three smaller businesses in the area over the past three years. I’m looking for something permanent. My references are listed in my application. I’ve lived in the area for five years and have hiked the trails along the coast.” She retrieved a folder from her shoulder bag and offered it to him.

  “Do you know anything about Maine’s coastal marine life?” He accepted the folder and placed it on the desk in the small reception area where they stood facing each other. “How are you with social skills, communication? Can you answer a phone without snapping gum, take a message, and organize a meeting with five or more people at the same time?”

  “Excuse me? Is this an interview? I hadn’t expected to be interviewed on the spot. But just so you know, I don’t chew gum—bad for the teeth.”

  “I’m desperate. I have a meeting”—he looked at his watch again—“in fifteen minutes. What are your plans for the day?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Are you free this morning?”

  She hesitated, taking him in with a piercing, thoughtful stare before answering. “I can be, if necessary.”

  Her answer was tentative. Showed she wasn’t ready to do anything he asked in order to get the job. Although he’d hoped she would be agreeable to fill in until his temp arrived.

  She took a step back. “What do you have in mind?”

  At least she was confident enough, or brazen enough, to not turn and run out the door. Bravo for her to stay and face his off-the-wall questions. He wished he had more time. But damn, he was desperate. He had an important call coming in and needed phone coverage this morning.

  “Look, my current hire won’t be in until eleven, if then, and I’m expecting an important call from the Society of Marine Consultants. I need to meet a client and will be out on the ocean this morning.”

  “Wait a minute. Are you asking me to stay and babysit the phone for a few hours? Or are you offering me the job?”

  “How about you sit and mind the office, become familiar with your surroundings, and we’ll discuss a full-time position when I get back at noon? We’ll go to lunch and work out the details.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “What do you have to lose?”

  “Aren’t you worried I’ll walk off with everything, screw things up, or damage your reputation with a few phone calls?”

  “If I was worried, I would have shown you the door the minute you walked in. So are you game? I need to leave. I don’t want to, literally, miss the boat.”

  “Is there a coffee machine with cream and sugar available somewhere in the building?”

  “Yes. And fresh donuts from the bakery around the corner. Help yourself.”

  “Thanks. My name is Nora Spears, by the way. I’m assuming you are Gavin Redmond? The owner and my morning employer?”

  “So much for my own communication skills. Sorry, Ms. Spears. I do appreciate your help this morning. If you decide to bail on me, make sure you lock the door on the way out.”

  “Do you have a number I can call in case I have a question?”

  “It’s on my business card in the card holder on the corner of the desk. But use it only if it’s an emergency. I don’t like to answer the phone while I’m driving. I value my life too much. And I’m not always reachable when I’m out on the water.”

  Nora Spears walked past him, retrieved a card, studied it, and then flung her shoulder bag over the arm of the chair behind the white-top Steelcase desk.

  “Coffee?”

  “Through the alcove to the left. Enjoy.”

  And without another word, he pulled his car keys from his pocket and walked out of the office. He couldn’t lose contact with his newest client. Business had become steady, but his reputation for his timeliness and attention to detail was always on the line. He was in the process of rebuilding the company after his father’s death, and hopefully would leave it financially viable for his family. Although a family didn’t seem likely since Celina’s death. His appointment with the CEO of McClintock’s, the major fishery in Lobster Cove, was a make-or-break deal to his company. He didn’t want to start off being a no-show.

  ****

  Nora stood, mouth agape. What had she gotten herself into? Gavin Redmond. Who’d have thought? Sebastian had mentioned him a number of times, and she’d seen him from afar along the docks but never paid him any attention until last night at the soccer game. She’d admired his confident demeanor and his tall, fit stature. His military exploits had been rumored about town. Seeing the man up close—those piercing ocean-blue eyes, full lips, long nose, and a deep-brown, military-style hair cut that was growing out and hugged his ears—brought a smile to her insides that hadn’t been there in a long time.

  The man was all business. As interviews went, this was one for the record. Jackie was never going to believe that she was working for the Gavin Redmond, one of Bar Harbor’s local war heroes. She really needed the caffeine.

  The quietness in the snug but comfortable-looking room buzzed eerily in her ears. The noise from her heels as they clicked on the wide wooden floorboards was a shock to her already stunned nerves. She lifted her heels and continued across the floor on her tiptoes as she made her way toward the alcove.

  The niche had been converted into a modern compact kitchen complete with all the bells and whistles, including a minibar. The coffee maker’s light was on, and an assorted supply of flavored coffee pods were in a wicker basket next to it. And sitting next to it, as promised, was another basket lined with a red-lobster-designed tea towel filled with scrumptious-looking muffins. What a way to start the day.

  Choosing a hazelnut coffee pod, she inserted it in the machine, positioned the cup on the coffee platform, and hit the start button. The fresh coffee aroma mingled with a hint of hazelnut was calming. She smiled. Yes! Things were improving. She added two sugar packets, an unhealthy helping of half and half, snatched a coffeecake muffin, a paper plate and napkin, and headed to her new workspace in the front office.

  Actually, she needed the caffeine to help clear her mind and figure out what she was doing falling under Gavin Redmond’s spell so fast, otherwise why had she agreed to fill in for him this morning? She had
n’t thought twice before accepting his offer. Okay, so Jackie had told her, via the grapevine, that his wife had died of cancer, and he was widowed. But a man of his stature and sexy good looks? He wasn’t bound to be on the eligible bachelor market for long.

  She looked around the room as she devoured the muffin and practically inhaled the caffeine. Between the desk, the studio couch, and three easy chairs assembled around an oblong coffee table, it was an inviting, homey atmosphere. It was an older building, the pine wood wainscoting typical New England. The wallpaper, an old paisley-print pattern, on closer inspection, was of sea-nymphs frolicking in tiny spritzes of water. How appropriate for a marine biologist’s establishment. The man must have a sense of humor, or he was a romantic.

  The huge store-front window provided an awesome view of the street and the bay beyond. She took a moment to enjoy the breathtaking view while she enjoyed the coffee. Then she explored the desk, its contents, the computer, and files, playing snoops-the-lawyer. If Gavin Redmond was going to interview her when he returned, she wanted to know a bit more about the business and whether or not she wanted the job.

  The computer module was to the right, the screen facing away from the window and the sun. She scrolled over several files on the screen and was ready to open one when the bell over the front door rang. She jumped, then automatically went into professional mode and stood to address the young girl who entered.

  “May I help you?”

  “Yes, I’m here to drop off my application for the position Mr. Redmond posted. His sister told me to bring it directly to the office this morning.” The perky girl appeared eager and self-assured as if the job was a done deal.

  “I’m sorry, but Mr. Redmond isn’t in at the moment.” She smiled an apology. “You can leave your résumé with me, and I’ll see he gets it the moment he returns.”

  “I can wait.” The young girl walked over to the sofa, her application clutched in her right hand next to her body as if it were a top-secret document.