Starlight Dunes

by Vickie McKeehan

  “There’s enough energy in this room, we’ll locate him,” Lindeen assured River as she patted the woman’s hand. “You just wait and see.” She sent her sons a stern look. “I expect a degree of respect where your father is concerned. But you might as well tell them Marcus.”

  “None of this doubt or drama is helping River locate her son’s whereabouts,” Marcus pointed out.

  Chastised to a point, Brent stared at his father, but persisted. “If this is a test, I’ll play along. I know you’ve always let us walk our own path, hoping we’d eventually arrive at that place in life to appreciate our roots as much as you do. While you were busy guiding others up to that point, you stepped back and let your own sons find their footing. Tough to do for a father.”

  Brent saw the respect shine in Marcus’s eyes so he went on. “Despite zeroing in on the negative you saw in the people we chose to have around us, you let us make our mistakes, to learn, to hopefully grow. You didn’t warn me off Cindy when you could have.”

  “At the time Cindy was a painful, sometimes destructive path you needed to take. In spite of wanting to keep our children from hurting, from suffering, it’s oft times clear we cannot.”

  “So we needed to experience our own growth, find our own metaphysical well-being, is that it?” Ethan asked. He could see it now and all the blunders he’d made to get to this one happy point in his life. He met his father’s eyes. “That time I spent bumming around in a band and tending bar, the aimless feeling I had about life, you never said a word to discourage me. You knew I’d eventually get it out of my system.”

  “I hoped.”

  River and Hayden exchanged glances. But it was Hayden who’d been privy to the Cody dynamics for much longer than River, who said, “I’d say that’s a family breakthrough that doesn’t come along too often. But that still doesn’t help River find her son,” Hayden added in frustration. She sent Ethan a pleading gaze. “You’ve assisted other people, surely now you can do something for a mother to find her baby.”

  Ethan glanced at Brent, who in turn, looked at Marcus. It was, as if father and sons were united, determined to get the job done tonight.

  “I just don’t want to give you false hope,” Marcus cautioned River. “I want to make sure you understand that.”

  It was Brent who replied, “Appreciated, but at this point false hope might be a step up.”

  “All right.” Marcus linked his right hand with his wife’s left. “Form a circle. The power of us all together will conquer Patton’s—eventually. Just don’t expect miracles.”

  The group clasped hands. At the touch to Brent’s and Ethan’s, River felt the energy intensify. Even if it didn’t get her anywhere near Luke, there was strength with this family, a support she hadn’t had.

  “Mother Earth, Father Sky, hear us. We know the relationship of mother to her children is special, a bond that must not be broken. But tonight, River’s heart breaks at not being able to see her child for such a long time. She longs to hold him again, to get a chance to form that strong connection. Oh Mother Earth and Father Sky, we ask that you give us the vision that will guide us to young Luke Patton, to help us to help his mother reunite with her son. Once that bond is strong again, we ask you to help River secure her future as a mother and teacher to the one so young. What do you see, Ethan?”

  “Cold weather. Snow. Mountains. The color red, a lot of red. Blood maybe.”

  “Brent?”

  Brent squeezed River’s hand. “A confrontation. Chaos. A man with a beard.”

  “Good. Good. Now I’ll try.” Marcus closed his eyes and went through the images his sons had described in more detail with one additional feature. “The child is safe, River. In the end, the child will be okay.”

  She wanted to believe. She wanted it all to somehow lead to where they might find Luke.

  After the ceremony was done, River followed Marcus into the kitchen. “Thanks for that in there. I know you thought I was holding back, keeping secrets but surely—”

  Marcus held up a hand. “Not to worry. We’re starting again today. Fresh. New. Let me know if we hit a home run in there.”

  “I will. One thing though. Is there any way you could tell me who’s trying to hurt Brent?”

  Ethan appeared in the doorway about that time to overhear River’s question. His brow wrinkled. “You care about him.”

  “Of course, I do.”

  “No, I mean you’re in love with him.”

  River sucked in a breath, let it out. “I guess I am.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  By the end of the week, the group of parents headed by Nick Harris and Logan Donnelly had called a meeting to address the school issue. The turnout was so good that an overflowing crowd showed up to wedge inside the small community church auditorium. It seemed the entire town had a vested interest in the outcome.

  Nick stood at the podium looking out across the room at the gathering. There were more young parents than he realized. Abby and Paul Bonner, Donna and Ricky Oden, newcomers Jill and Ross Campbell, joined Ethan and Hayden, Wally and Lilly Pierce, Kinsey and Logan, in the audience and a slew of others. Even residents with no children on the horizon had decided to make an appearance. Keegan and Cord Bennett sat alongside Murphy and Carla Vargas, Flynn McCready and Janie Pointer.

  For the first time Nick realized the future of Pelican Pointe rested in the hands of its parents, those who wanted to contribute to its legacy down the road.

  That way of thinking had him kicking off the discussion. And he didn’t need a microphone for his voice to carry. “All right, everyone settle down. After years of neglect, this town is beginning to make its way back from an economic depression. Business owners are starting to see a definite upturn. There’s no doubt our little town is growing. But those of us who have small children, like Jordan and I do, are here tonight to address a growing concern, a problem if you will that’s old to some of you and new to people like us. If you’ve been packing your kids off on the school bus for the elementary school over in San Sebastian every day, then this meeting concerns you, too.

  “There’s no school right now in Pelican Pointe. Unlike some small towns, we don’t have one. We’re dependent on sending our kids off to another town. Our daughter Hutton starts kindergarten next fall. So does Kyra Pierce, Colleen Bonner and a dozen other children within our city limits. It got us to thinking. If you no longer want to settle for your kids boarding a bus every morning and afternoon heading for the long trip to San Sebastian because it just isn’t practical, then hear me out.

  “A group of us think we’ve found a solution. We have a perfectly good former elementary school sitting empty at the corner of Landings Bay and Cape May. With hard work, plenty of volunteers, several fundraisers, we believe we can fund the project. At least, we’ll give it our best shot.

  “As I look around here tonight, some of you like the Fergusons, the Sullivans, the Boedeckers, the Stovalls, sent your kids there. Even Drea Jennings sitting in the front row attended that elementary before they closed it down. Everyone here either sent their kids there at one time or another or knows someone who did. Now, we need your help to bring the school back for future generations. I shouldn’t have to list how every merchant here benefits if the project succeeds. If the town grows, all the local businesses grow with it. In the long run, it’s a win-win.”

  Nick decided to put the hardware store owner, Joe Ferguson, widely known as a notorious tightwad, on the hot seat first in front of everyone. “What about you, Ferguson? Your kids went to Pelican Pointe Elementary years ago before the state closed it down. Starting this project will be huge. If you’ll agree to donate a portion of the materials, not all of course, but enough to bring the cost down, Logan Donnelly and I will personally match it. We’ll hire a crew to do the work.”

  “What do you say, Ferguson,” Logan said, standing up beside Nick. “Both Nick and I have made it a point to order our materials strictly local and that means from you. We’ve spent a gre
at deal of money inside your store. Now we’re asking for you to step up and return that goodwill, that karma.”

  Ferguson, a balding, overweight man who had turned fifty last August, shrugged, crossed his arms over his chest. “But I don’t have small kids. My kids are grown. In fact, I plan to have my oldest, Tucker, take over the family business next year so I can retire. Donations have their place but a business can’t survive for long like that.”

  Nick had expected that kind of answer and glared at the guy. “Really? Then how would you like it if the majority of the town started going over to San Sebastian for all their hardware and lumber needs? Houses around here need sprucing up. You’d be on the losing end of that, Ferguson, and feel the pinch almost immediately.”

  Considering that, Ferguson paled. “Okay. Okay. I’ll donate materials like sheetrock and hardware. But lumber is another matter. I’ll expect you to pay five percent above cost, plus any shipping and handling involved.”

  Nick and Logan exchanged glances. It was Nick who replied, “If that’s the best you can do, then we’ll take it.”

  “How in the hell do you intend to raise money for what has to be a multi-million dollar project?” Ferguson wanted to know. “We’re not all rolling in dough, you know.”

  Logan took over for Nick at the lectern. He stared directly at Ferguson. “Several of our local business owners, like Nick, Murphy and Perry Altman, have agreed to obtain donations and grants from private sources. If you ask me, it’s a very generous gesture. We’d be silly to turn down any offers.”

  Nick spoke up, “As soon as Logan gets the permits in place, renovations will begin immediately. The plan is to open by next fall. The town council voted unanimously to kick off a fundraiser in the next few weeks. We just have to figure out what it will be. Something big that will bring in dollars.”

  Wally’s wife, Lilly, stood up. “The spring street fair has always been a huge moneymaker for the town. How about we put together an additional one before Thanksgiving? We might be able to get the carnival people to set up during that time because folks don’t usually think of celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas by offering carnivals. They’ve become widely popular around the area.”

  “Now see, that’s the kind of involvement we’re talking about. Lilly, will you take care of checking into the carnival vendors for us?” Logan asked. “Anyone else have any fundraising ideas to put forth after the holidays, make sure to see Lilly. Because before this is done, we’ll need to meet and finalize several in order for this to work.”

  “Which brings up a major point,” Nick said. “Having been a part of the street fair now for several years, it takes an incredible amount of work. What we’ll need from everyone here is participation, commitment. If you’ve ever wanted to sell your wares, now is the perfect time to do it. We’ll also take donations for services and possibly we’ll need volunteers to man the booths. No volunteer will be turned away. We’ll put everyone to work. This is the time to dig deep, people, to set aside your time and effort, to come up with some creative ways to help Pelican Pointe’s kids in the most direct way possible. Contribute anyway you can. Bake cookies, cupcakes, whatever it takes. And remember, we’re all in this together.”

  When half the room enthusiastically held up their hands, Nick smiled over at his wife.

  Jordan grinned back and said, “Just think, we might just pull this thing off after all.”

  Two days later Promise Cove became the gathering place for the meeting where they could further organize the street fair. Since they were getting a late start, they needed everyone to pitch in and hit the ground running.

  Crammed into the living room they were elbow to elbow. River felt a little out of place. After all, she wasn’t a local, didn’t even have a stake in the project. But somehow she and her crew had gotten caught up in the excitement along with the residents as they went about the plan to bring life back to a relic of a school.

  She’d taken a run by there already, seen for herself the amount of work it needed. Because her heart went out to the parents, she along with Laura and Julian had chipped in all the extra dollars they could afford. They’d even showed early to help Jordan prepare the snacks tonight.

  River looked around at the sea of faces she’d come to know over the past several weeks. Tonight though, she was looking for one in particular.

  According to Brent, the only lawyer in town was Kinsey Wyatt, now Kinsey Donnelly. Brent had described the attorney but wasn’t here to point her out because he’d gotten tied up with tribal business. Of those River recognized, she zeroed in on Hayden. She asked the bookstore owner for help.

  Hayden spotted the pregnant woman standing next to Jordan at the buffet table. “There she is. Go on over and say hi. She’s as nice as can be and a first-rate lawyer. The town’s lucky to have her.”

  River crossed the room, extended her hand to Kinsey and introduced herself. “Hi, I’m River Amandez.”

  “The archaeologist,” Kinsey added between mouthfuls of hummus and chips. “So nice to finally meet you. Kinsey Donnelly.”

  “I know. You come highly recommended.”

  Kinsey got a kick out of that. “No kidding? When you’re the only game in town, I guess people tend to endorse with great fanfare. But look at you. Such a fascinating life you’ve lived. The places all around the world you’ve seen. It’s hard to imagine that with all the globe-trotting you’ve done—it’s a simple mudslide that reveals an ancient canoe in the ground—to bring you all the way to Pelican Pointe. Life is full of surprises, isn’t it?”

  She thought of Luke and wondered where he was at that moment. But this wasn’t the time or the place to go into her problems. Instead, River agreed, “It definitely is. And that canoe is the one thing we’re having trouble getting out of the ground.”

  “I’d imagine so. You’d want it intact if possible. Listen to me going on. You must have a legal problem, don’t you? I can help. Hmm, maybe I’ll turn that into my slogan. Every good lawyer has one. Just kidding.”

  Jordan piped up, “If you want to sue someone Kinsey’s the one to do it. She’s our resident legal eagle.”

  “See. Fanfare.” Kinsey smiled, rubbed a hand over her slightly protruding stomach. “I try to be. You want to sue someone? I can take care of that. I’m not really a trial lawyer though. So I’ll admit that upfront. What I try to do is ‘negotiate’ things before it gets to that. But I do like to think I’ll go to the mat for my clients when necessary, figuratively, of course. As long as I don’t have to get down on the floor on a routine basis before the babies get here.”

  “Babies?” River asked, gaping.

  “Twins. We found out yesterday. That’s why I look farther along than four months. I’m gonna get huge by the time March gets here.”

  “Congratulations.”

  Kinsey laughed. “Thanks. We’re both still freaking out a little. Come to think of it, we’ve both been doing our share of freaking out since July.” She tilted her head, studied River. “Enough about me, you do have a legal problem? It’s weighing on you, I can tell.”

  “I do. But I realize I should stop by your office tomorrow. I just wanted to get to know you a little tonight first.”

  “Absolutely. Stop by anytime. I have a clear docket most of the day. I’ll be looking for you.”

  About that time Logan walked up, planted a kiss on his wife’s lips even as his hand covered hers, lingering on her belly. “This woman is the reason I get up in the morning.”

  “Aw, I love you, too,” Kinsey said, touching her lips to his. Turning into her husband’s arms she said, “When do you plan to announce the good news?”

  “I thought I might wait. Shouldn’t you be sitting down, getting off your feet?”

  “Sweetie, I’ve been sitting all day. I need to move around while I’m not the size of a beached whale, which is in the immediate future for me,” Kinsey answered. “I don’t think you should wait to tell them the news though. Look around at this crowd. You can feel t
heir enthusiasm, the upbeat energy in the room. Everyone’s pumped about this school project. I think you should go with it. Come on, River, let’s find a seat, the meeting’s about to start and I want to get my two cents in about encouraging everyone to participate in some way no matter how much money they have or don’t have.”

  With that, Nick got things rolling. “Logan is chomping at the bit to share some news with us so why not get us started, Logan.”

  The sculptor walked over to where Nick stood in front of the fireplace. “As most of you know, I’ve been on a sabbatical ever since coming here as far as starting any of my own projects. But I have a client in New York, a very wealthy heiress who comes from old money. Phyllis Milburn is a patron of the arts. She’s been pestering me for years now to do a sculpture, a specific subject. I’ve managed to dodge her requests up to this point because I don’t exactly like others suggesting a particular focus. But in this case, I’m making an exception because Phyllis has agreed to purchase it and donate the art to the school once it opens. All we have to do when it’s finished is erect it out front with a plaque that says this work was donated by Phyllis Milburn.”

  “But your sculptures go for millions?” Lilly pointed out. “They’re in front of zoos and symphony halls.”

  Logan smiled at the cute brunette. “They are. But this one will be special because creating it for Phyllis means it will go a long way in paying the bills for the renovation.”

  “What exactly does she want you to create?” Jordan wanted to know.

  “A dolphin of all things,” Logan answered. “And yeah, I once thought that was beneath me. But I’m planning to make it my own creation using a pod with mother and babies.” He glanced over at his wife, his lips curved up again. “It seems appropriate since we’re doing this project for the children and all the future kids of Pelican Pointe.”