Fish Perfume (Cozy Harbor Marina Series)

by Sammie Grace

  He spotted me and gave me a big smile. “Hey, Meggie. I saw your picture on the piling. Very photogenic, Red Hot.”

  “Yeah, Tony, I’m a real cover girl. You’re down here late.”

  “I just stopped by to pick up my wallet. I left it on the boat. I’m just going to give my sister a ride home.”

  “Gee, that’s funny. Mo told me you were an only child.”

  He laughed and said, “See you later, Red Hot. I’m still having those visions.”

  I proceeded on my mission. Nothing on B or C docks. I had just started down D dock when a beautiful black dog came running up the dock to say hello. I could tell from the way he was wagging his tail that he had Lab written all over him. Being a dog person, I got down on my knees to greet him. He licked my face, sat, and gave me a paw. We politely shook hands. He was a sweetheart.

  I glanced up the dock and saw Ian walking toward me. My heart almost stopped. Tony was nice to look at but Ian has the power to turn me into a complete idiot. I can’t believe the effect he’s had on me. Why does he make me so nervous?

  “I see you’ve met my best friend,” he said.

  I stood up and said, “So you’re the lucky owner of this beautiful beast.”

  Ian nodded. “His name’s Sam.”

  I petted the gorgeous creature a few more times and said, “He’s beautiful. We had a black Lab female named Cassie when I was growing up. She was great at tricks. I would put a cookie on her nose and tell her to stay. She’d hold that cookie for five minutes if I wanted her to and then when I snapped my fingers, her nose would jerk up, the cookie would fly up in the air, and she’d snatch it every time. I loved that.”

  “Well, Sam knows some tricks, too. He shakes hands, does hi-fives, and gets the newspaper for me, but he doesn’t know the cookie trick. Right now we’re working on a trick where he opens the refrigerator door with a strap and brings me a beer.”

  I petted Sam and said, “I’m sure he’ll master it in no time.” I gave Sam a scratch on his ear and said to him, “Won’t you, good boy?” Then I looked up at Ian and asked, “How old is he?”

  “He just turned four. I got him when I came down here to take over the business.”

  I sighed. “I would love to get another dog, but I’ve been waiting until I get my own house. What are you doing down here so late?”

  “I needed to drop some notes off to the other guys for tomorrow. How about you?”

  “I was just looking around making sure everything was okay,” I lied.

  “I think maybe you were looking for these.”

  He gave me the papers in his hand. I took a quick look and saw they were the glamour shots of me.

  Surprised, I said, “You took them down? I’ve been going up and down the docks looking for them. That was really nice of you.” I thought, how sweet of him, and started to melt again.

  He shrugged his shoulders and said, “I figured it was the least I could do since it was my bait barrel you fell into.”

  “Thanks Ian, I was really mortified. Not a good first impression to make with the customers. Now they all know how uncoordinated I am.”

  “It probably endeared you to them, Meggie.”

  I hoped it worked a little on him, too.

  Ian cleared his throat and said, “I know it isn’t any of my business, but I saw you with Tony. I just wanted to warn you; he really isn’t the kind of guy you should be getting involved with. He has a bit of a reputation.”

  Who was he to tell me who not to get involved with? What a nerve. He sounded like one of my brothers. I hope he doesn’t think of me in a sisterly fashion. Or maybe he’s jealous. Wouldn’t that be too good to be true?

  I shot back, “You’re one to talk, Ian. I’ve heard you have a bit of a reputation yourself.”

  He raised his eyebrows in surprise, laughed, and said, “I’m not in his league, honey. Tony will break your heart for sure.”

  “Well, maybe I’ll just have to see.”

  He warned me, “Be careful, Meggie. I really care for your grandmother, so I felt I should say something. I would hate to see you get into any trouble this summer or have your heart broken.”

  Now I was really pissed. I said, “I’m a Quinn, tough as nails. No need to worry.”

  He gave me a smirk and said, “I hope so. Well, I’d better get going. Goodnight.”

  When I first started talking to him I wanted to say, “Please take me home with you and have your way with me.” After the little lecture, I just said, “Goodnight Ian. Goodnight Sam.” Those romance novels were getting to me.

  I watched them stride off into the parking lot, and then I walked home to the cottage, mortifying pictures in hand. I was looking at a long night ahead of me. I knew I’d replay that little scene with Ian twenty times in my head. I’d be lucky if I got a wink of sleep. When I got into the cottage, my first priority was to rip up the pictures and destroy all the evidence. After that I decided to check my e-mail. Finally, I received one from Helen.

  Subject: I need a VACATION!!!

  Hey, Girl:

  Sorry I haven’t gotten back to you. I’ve been so busy at work. I’m having total job burnout. This project is killing me, and the assholes who work for me have to be babysat 24/7. I was supposed to go out to The Bulls Eye and have a few beers Friday night with some of the girls but didn’t get home from work until 11:00 and I was beat. All work and no play makes Helen a pissed-off girl. Anyway, this project is finishing up and I put in for a week off. I was thinking of coming up and visiting. You up for company? Let me know. By the way, Laura took the boys down the shore to her mother-in-law’s, so that’s why you haven’t heard from her. Danny’s been going down on weekends.

  Oh, and don’t give up the ship. We’re still young and have plenty of time to find a Prince Charming. Have you seen the hunk again? If he’s a real man, he’ll get past the fish guts. Any real men up there for me?

  Love, Hel

  I replied:

  Subject: Love to see you

  Hey, Hel:

  Let me know when you’re coming. I’m so excited. Yes, I did see the hunk again and I got the impression he isn’t interested. I thought he was going to pat me on the head and tell me to run along and play with my dolls. So, needless to say, I’m bummed and back to my “no men for the summer plan.” I do like running the marina and so far things have been going good on that score. I’ll keep my eye out for someone for you to play with while you’re up here.

  Love, Meggie

  Now, if I would just hear from my grandmother, my world would be a lot better. I’m starting to get really worried. I can’t believe she hasn’t called to see how things are going with the marina. I’m expecting another call from my mom soon. If I don’t have any info for her, she’s going to blow.

  I thought to myself, it’s funny how life works. You can plug along for years and nothing changes. All of a sudden your world turns upside down. I guess you have to be prepared for anything. I wish I were.

  * * * * *

  Tuesday morning the alarm went off at 4:00 and I jumped right in the shower. I’m still trying to get the fish stench off me. It’s probably all gone by now, but being the paranoid person I am, I feel like I still reek.

  Since it was going to be a hot one today and I was going clamming with Mac later, I put on a pink tank top and my gray swim shorts. I put my hair up in a clip, pulled on my only pair of sneakers left, and headed to the office. The morning was a little busy, but not too bad. I decided to sneak over to the Snack Shack for an early lunch.

  I was glad no one was in the Shack when I got there because I wanted to ask Mo how her date went on Sunday night.

  Mo turned and saw me when I walked in. She said, “Hey, girl. What can I getcha?”

  “Any lunch specials today?”

/>   “Yep. I have a roast beef wrap with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and horseradish sauce.”

  “You’re making my stomach growl. I’ll have that and an iced tea.”

  “Comin’ right up.”

  “Hey, Mo, how was your date Sunday night?”

  She leaned on the counter and said, “Between you and me, it was a disaster. The only thing good about it was the food. That steakhouse at Foxwoods was great, one of the best meals I’ve ever had.”

  “What happened?”

  “Well, I knew right away when I saw that car salesman, he wasn’t goin’ to start my motor runnin’ anytime soon. First of all, he was really short. I coulda’ put my cocktail on his head. But I thought, don’t judge a book by the cover, so I decided to stick out the dinner. We chatted okay durin’ the meal, but I could tell he was a big bullshitter. One lie after another. You know how I could tell he was lyin’? His mouth was movin’. He must have thought I fell off a turnip truck or somethin’. I didn’t try to argue with him because I knew I was never gonna see him again, so why put forth the energy. The worst part of the night, though, was when we finished eatin’. He slid right next to me in the booth and turned into an octopus. Then he suggested we get a room. The clincher was when he started talkin’ about how he wanted to give me all his man juice.”

  “Oh my God. That’s disgusting.”

  She nodded her head. “You’re tellin’ me. I was off like a dirty shirt. I was bookin’ through the casino to the valet parkin’ area so fast that my high-heel mules were shootin’ off sparks. I didn’t even say goodnight.”

  Mo shook her head in wonder. “My perv radar must be malfunctionin’. I’ve been chattin’ with him for about a month on the ’Net. I guess you never know.”

  I sympathized, “That’s too bad. Are you going to keep dating online?”

  “I’m not givin’ up yet. I know a few gals who have met really nice people online. Besides, it’s entertainin’.”

  “You’re a brave woman, Mo.”

  By the time she served me my wrap, the Shack was starting to fill up with the lunchtime crowd.

  After I finished every bite, I returned to the office. I wanted to finish up a little paperwork before I went clamming with Mac. Afternoons always seem a little calmer at the marina. I felt comfortable leaving Journey by herself since she was quite capable of handling things. I went to tell her I was leaving.

  Journey was in another original outfit. Today she had on a tight black T-shirt and a green-and-blue plaid, short, kilt-type mini-skirt. She had pink knee socks on with black high-top sneakers.

  “Hey, Journey, I’m taking a few hours off to go clamming with Mac.”

  “No problem, Meggie. I’ve got things covered here.”

  “I’ll be back before you leave,” I said, and walked out the back door toward C dock.

  Mac was already sitting in his boat waiting for me, and I climbed aboard the My Marie. It was a beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in the sky. The water was flat calm. We headed out of the marina and crossed the deepwater channel to the tidal flat. Beyond the tidal flat sat a salt marsh, then a barrier beach, and then the Atlantic Ocean. Lucky for us, we hit the tide just right. During low tide on the flat, you can get out of the boat, and the water will only be up to your knees, perfect for clamming.

  “Well, young lady, would you like a rake or are you going to do it the old-fashioned way?”

  Excited, I said, “The old-fashioned way.

  The old-fashioned way was when you use your feet to dig down in the sand and feel for the clams with your toes.

  Mac picked up one of the rakes. “I can’t do it with my feet anymore; it’s too hard on my arthritis,” he said.

  We worked in harmony for about an hour. Between the two of us, we filled up a bucket. Since the tide was coming in, we decided to get in the boat and go for a little ride up Point Judith Pond, a large salt pond with South Kingstown on the west side and Narragansett on the east. It starts up in Wakefield and goes all the way down to Galilee Harbor, which opens up to the Atlantic Ocean. There are several small islands in the middle of the pond, and two larger islands, Harbor Island and Great Island, on the east side of the pond.

  We headed up the pond, passing several boats and some enormous, beautiful homes on the shoreline. I was glad to see, though, that some of the small original beach cottages still remained.

  Mac shook his head in dismay, “I can’t believe some of these homes. It used to be all small summer cottages along here. In the last twenty years, people have snatched them up, torn them down, and built these large year-round monstrosities.”

  “I noticed that, too, Mac. It’s more built-up since I was last here.”

  He said, “Well, I guess some people would call it progress, but I liked it the way it used to be.”

  “It’s still beautiful, Mac. I see there are a lot of osprey nests on the poles.”

  “Oh yes, in fact, some people deliberately put poles up in their yards hoping that osprey will build nests in them.”

  As we continued up the pond, we saw a lot of other beautiful birds including egrets, cormorants, mallard ducks, mute swans, and, of course, sea gulls. We passed by a few of the summer camps for kids located on the pond. We went around six small sailboats and watched instructors teaching campers how to sail.

  “Meggie, did you know that ospreys mate for life?”

  “No. That’s romantic,” I said. I thought to myself, I’m such a loser. I’m twenty-eight with no boyfriend. Now I find out even all the birds have mates.

  As if reading my mind, Mac asked, “Did you leave a boyfriend at home?”

  “No. I had a boyfriend, but he broke up with me and is dating someone else.”

  “Well, honey, his loss is some lucky guy’s gain. You’re a beautiful, sweet girl, Meggie; I’m sure there is a great fella out there for you.”

  “I hope so. How did you meet Marie?”

  He looked at me with a twinkle in his eye and said, “Well, the day I met Marie was the luckiest day of my life. It was just after I got home at the end of the war. I was a Seabee in the Navy during World War II.”

  “What’s a Seabee?”

  “Well, the Seabees was a nickname given to our battalion of construction engineers. We built airfields on islands all over the Pacific, among other things. Anyway, a buddy of mine’s sister worked at the Veterans Hospital, and she wanted him to come to a benefit they were having for the disabled vets. He bought a couple of tickets, and I went along with him. It was a dance. They had a big band and a buffet, with every kind of food you can imagine. I was still trying to gain back the weight that I had lost overseas, so I headed right for the buffet. All the people working the benefit were volunteers.”

  “As I approached the table, I saw this beautiful girl serving food. She stopped me in my tracks. I just had to look at her for a while and appreciate her beauty. She had shoulder-length, shiny dark hair, and lovely, big blue eyes. I always told her she had blueberry eyes. She was a petite little thing with a big warm smile. I had dated different girls before the war, and a few since I got back, but I never had the kind of reaction I had when I saw Marie. A feeling of warmth and happiness came over me. I had been home from the war a few months, but when I looked at Marie, I finally felt that I was really home. I knew instantly that she would be my anchor. I let her fill my plate up with food, and then I asked her out for a date. We were happily married forty-eight years when she died. Oh, we had some tough times after our Billy was killed in Vietnam, but we always had each other to hang on to.”

  Sadly I said, “That must have been so hard for you both.”

  “It broke our hearts. We both loved that boy so much. We wanted to have lots of children, but God only blessed us with one. He was such a good boy. Marie loved children.”

  “I rememb
er her well. She was so nice to us when we came up here to visit. She would come down to the marina with a tin of cookies and hand them out to all the kids. She made the best chocolate chip cookies. My brothers used to rave about them.”

  “How did you feel about your old boyfriend? Did you love him?”

  “I thought I did at the time. After we broke up, I realized I cared about him, but I probably didn’t love him. I think if I really loved him, I would miss him, and I don’t. I never felt the way you did about Marie. I was comfortable with him, but I never got butterflies in my stomach when I saw him. When he would walk in my house, my only thought was would he want to watch hockey or basketball. He did me a favor breaking up with me. You were lucky. You had the real deal, Mac. My parents have the real deal. I won’t settle for anything but that.”

  “Good girl. Maybe you’ll meet someone up here. You should find yourself a nice Rhode Island boy.”

  I gave him a wink and said, “I’m with the best guy in Rhode Island right now.”

  He laughed and said, “You sure know how to make an old man feel young again. There are a few nice boys at the marina. Have you met any of them?”

  “I’ve met Tony Maroni and I ran into Ian Brady. I remembered Ian from when I was a kid.”

  “Tony’s a nice guy. Ian I’ve known since the day he was born. Now there is a boy worthy of you, Meggie. He comes from a good family, and he’s a stand-up guy. He’s very well thought of around here. You two would be great with each other. You’re both good people with big hearts.”

  “Well, don’t get your hopes up. He probably isn’t interested. He probably still thinks of me as twelve years old and klutzy. I bet he thinks of me as a sister.”

  “I’m an old man, Meggie, but not a blind man. I can guarantee you that Ian Brady doesn’t see you as a twelve-year-old. Ian’s not stupid. He’s probably just biding his time and waiting for the right moment to ask you out.”