Starlight Dunes

by Vickie McKeehan

  Luke clapped his hands. “Race cars go fast!”

  It had taken several days for Luke to warm up to Brent. But this morning it seemed as though the little boy knew he was in for a day of excitement and fun.

  Once they reached the kiddie rides, Luke wasn’t sure about all the other kids around. No doubt the idea of auto racing though sucked him in, as did the frog hopper and helicopter. Too much of a lure for the wide-eyed tot, Luke put aside the noise and the music and wanted to get out of the confinement of the stroller.

  Brent recognized that Luke couldn’t wait to climb aboard—anything—he just had to make a decision which one he wanted to ride first.

  River unbuckled Luke, swung him up to her hip. She did her best to convince him that crawling into the red race car was a good idea. But then Brent put his big booted foot on the metal rim of the ride and stepped up. He held out his hands to Luke.

  Hesitant for a good twenty seconds or so, Luke finally decided Brent was worth a chance if it got him into the ride.

  But there was only room for two so when the merry-go-round started up River realized she’d have to watch from the ground. While her boy experienced his first lap around a track, River took out her cell phone to capture the moment.

  She did the same thing at the carousel where they stood on either side of a huge brown palomino horse while Luke enjoyed his first “pony” ride.

  Before noon, Luke had thrilled to riding frogs, dinosaurs, a ladybug, inside an airplane, a chopper, and a pirate ship.

  “I’m starving,” River admitted. “We need to get some food into Luke before he drops off for his nap.”

  “How about a waffle sandwich?”

  “I wanna hotdog!” Luke said, making his choice clear.

  “He really has this thing for hotdogs,” River explained. “I’m not crazy about his food choice but…he does know what he wants.”

  “Nick told me Scott’s stuck in a rut where he’ll only eat macaroni and cheese.”

  “They get like that I suppose. This morning for breakfast all Luke wanted was peanut butter and jelly on his toast. I looked it up. He’s a little young to be eating foods with peanuts in them but at least I know he isn’t allergic. He seemed to have eaten it plenty of times before now.”

  “There’s a lot to keep up with when kids are involved.”

  River smiled. “It’s okay to run the other way, Brent. I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I’m well aware adding a child into the mix is a lot to digest. We haven’t known each other that long. We were dating and enjoying each other. That’s all. We weren’t picking out place settings. It’s a lot to take on.”

  “I didn’t mean that at all. I just meant this is very new to me.”

  River laughed. “This part of it is definitely new to me, too.”

  After Luke got his ’dog, they settled in at one of the tables to try the waffle sandwiches. “Who’d’ve thought to take waffles and slap ham and cheese in the middle.”

  “It actually tastes pretty good,” Brent said, turning to Luke. “Wanna try a bite of waffle?” No one was more surprised when Luke reached out and took a bite.

  “Well, look at that. Maybe we’ll break through the hotdog barrier. I really hope we have time to browse through the booths.”

  “Absolutely. What else is on the agenda?”

  “First, I thought I’d stop in and say hi to my crew, show off Luke.” She glanced over as the boy’s eyelids began to droop and his head dropped to his chin. “Even if it looks like he’ll sleep through the visit.”

  “Has he mentioned you-know-who?”

  “It’s weird, Brent. He hasn’t said a thing about his d-a-d, not since that first night when he asked and I told him his d-a-d-d-y got into trouble. That’s the last time. I didn’t know what else to say to him or how to handle it exactly.”

  “I may not know anything about kids but at his young age it’s best to keep it simple. You did the right thing. Luke’s way too young to understand any of this.”

  “On top of that, I’m trying to get him to settle in, to feel completely comfortable with me.”

  “From what I’ve seen, that’s not a problem. Luke looks happy.” When he noticed she was tapping the table with her fingers as if she wanted to add something, he prodded, “What else?”

  “He has nightmares, wakes up frightened. When I asked him about it, he begged me not to leave him alone. It broke my heart. Why would Wes want to steal a baby he had no intentions of ever truly caring for?”

  At that same moment, River noticed Brent’s eyes look away at the question. “You know something, don’t you?”

  “Let’s say I followed up on a few things with Swain.”

  “And?”

  “In the two years he’d been on the run Wes had taken on a few personality traits that were beginning to set off alarms. The FBI found some interesting stuff in his gear.”

  “Like what?”

  “For one, detailed papers written on conspiracy theories that would make the Unabomber proud.”

  “You’re kidding? Wes? Are you sure we’re talking about Professor Wes Patton? I thought you were going to say they found porn.”

  “They found plenty of that, too. But it seems among all the nude photos there was one underlying theme. The once revered teacher thought a shadow arm of the CIA was out to get him.”

  “What? Why on earth would the CIA be interested in Wes Patton?”

  “It seems Wes started an online journal a month before he kidnapped Luke about the agency’s spying on its private citizens. That’s why he had to stay alert and keep on the move so often that they couldn’t find him. Swain says that night at the motel Patton probably thought they’d finally caught up with him. The mother now claims she did her best to get him to settle down in one spot to no avail. Because of his belief that this branch of the CIA wanted him dead, Wes decided they would eventually come after his son. Instead of letting that happen, he went on the run with him. According to his mother she says that’s why he abducted Luke in the first place. Hilda Patton believes her son exhibited signs of paranoid schizophrenia, which apparently runs in the family.”

  “So she helped him maintain his life on the run with her grandson and admitted it? Uh uh. That makes no sense to me. Still not buying it. First and foremost, I never saw Wes show any type of behavior that even resembled mental illness. Narcissistic? Absolutely, but not schizophrenic. And I’m having a hard time believing it as fact. Luke was never that high on Wes’s list of priorities. And now she wants me to believe Wes snatched him out of daycare that day because he was mentally ill and concerned about his son? No way. Something else is at play. Did you check the porn angle?”

  “River, the FBI found essays about shadow governments, listening devices, orbiting satellites spying on private citizens and the like in the trunk of his car. It seems Wes covered it all.”

  “Well, I have my own crazy theory. I think all that was just a cover so Wes could be the asshole I know him to be. By the way, I’d like to meet the police officer who got curious enough about Wes to follow him around and break this case wide open. You and that man are responsible for me getting Luke back. You, I can find ways to thank,” she said with a wink. “The cop needs to know that what he did is highly appreciated. I’d like to thank him personally if that’s possible.”

  Brent nodded. “I’ll set it up where you can meet him.”

  “Thanks,” she said as they both began to clean off their table so a family of four could have their spot. “Come on let’s drop all this talk about Wes. As far as I’m concerned, the man is history. While Luke’s still napping, what do you say we cruise through the tents? I heard from Hayden and Jordan there’s a wealth of cool homemade stuff to be found.”

  “Just about everyone in town has a booth, from grandmas to teenagers, everyone wants a shot at participating.”

  “I love that about Pelican Pointe. Seems like your town is taking this whole school project very seriously.”

  Was it his
town? Brent wondered as they started down the first aisle. But they didn’t get very far before River stopped to admire what she saw in the first booth.

  “Oh look at all these!” She reached out to run her hand along the bubble ridges of a handmade quilt done in squares of pale blue and yellow. “This would look great on Luke’s bed.”

  “That’s from the Crawford sisters. Marabelle from the looks of that one,” Brent went on, earning a smile from Cora Webb, the fifty-something daughter of Ina, Marabelle’s sister.

  Standing across the display in charge of the booth, Cora said, “You’ve got a good eye there, Sheriff. Anyone who knows Aunt Marabelle knows she does her creations in different shades of blues and yellows while Mom’s fond of using purple or red with white.” Cora turned her attention to Luke. “Look at that sleeping baby. What a pretty child he is.”

  “Thank you,” River said, beaming at her son. Instinctively she reached down to touch the soft down of his hair.

  “Looks like his mama,” Cora continued. When she saw River admiring the one in a soft lilac color, trimmed in creamy white, Cora added, “Uh oh,” Cora said smiling at Brent. “This one has that look in her eye. That quilt is my mom’s favorite because of the color. But she figures parting with it is for a good cause. We love the idea of bringing the school back to its glory days. You know, I went to school there. We were called the Warriors back then.” Cora shook her head at the memory. “The Pelican Pointe Warriors.”

  Brent wasn’t sure Pelican Pointe Elementary had ever had its own “glory days” but to bump River toward buying the quilt, which she obviously wanted, he threw out an enticement. “Remember, it is for a good cause.”

  “But where on earth would I put it?” River pointed out. “I don’t even have my own place yet.” Even as she tried to talk herself out of it, she reached for her bag and wallet. “I do love the color though. Will you hold it for me? I’ll have to circle back because it won’t fit in the stroller.”

  “No problem. You take your time.”

  They continued to the next vendor, this one belonging to Emma Colter, the dressmaker. River feasted her eyes on a collection of elegant beaded dresses, ones that were suitable to wear for special occasions or for a night out on the town.

  There were booths filled with paintings on canvas done by Lilly Pierce, tablecloths crocheted by Myrtle Pettibone, and jewelry designed by Abby Bonner.

  Fresh arrangements from Drea’s Flowers shared a space with her family’s landscaping nursery, the Plant Habitat. Tempted to load up on easy-to-grow cuttings of rosemary and basil in little starter containers, River had to remind herself she lived in a B & B. Now was not the time to start buying up nonessential items she had no room for.

  She came to one stall manned by the guy she recognized, the one she’d pulled outside at his own birthday party. Even Troy Dayton had thrown together a display for his line of carved wooden jewelry boxes and the furniture he’d made out of old wooden pallets and crates.

  “How’s that new truck?” she asked the carpenter with a grin.

  The lanky man smiled back. “It’s awesome. You really had me going there that night.”

  “That was the idea,” River said. “Did you make all this stuff?” she asked, scanning the bookcases and coffee tables. “You’re a talented carpenter, Mr. Dayton.”

  “Call me Troy. Thanks. Just some things I used to tinker with when I didn’t have all that much money for materials. I used what I found at the Dumpsters. Had all this stuff just sitting around the storage shed at my old place south of town. I figured the street fair would be a good way to try and get rid of it and put what I earned toward the school.”

  “I’ll take one of your jewelry boxes,” Brent said from beside her.

  River bumped his shoulder. “Aw, thank you.”

  “Oh, did you want one, too?” Brent said with a twinkle in his eyes. He looked over at the now wide-awake Luke. “Looks like nap time is over.”

  “Well hello, sweetie. Want to get out of that thing and stretch your legs.”

  When Luke nodded, she unsnapped the buckle, set him down on the concrete and handed him a bottle of water. “You look thirsty. Why don’t we check out the rest of the vendors and you hold my hand.” The trio strolled along the row of booths, all the while Luke walked between them gripping their hands in both of his.

  “I can’t believe these vendors put their wares together in such a short amount of time,” River stated. “Oh look, the Fanning Marine Rescue Center has a petting zoo.”

  Walking through the open gate, they were greeted by the sounds of noisy seals, a couple of sea lions and several playful otters. In the middle of the common area, Cord and Keegan had set up a fenced off area that held lambs, goats, cottontail bunnies, an assortment of ducks, and a honey-colored Shetland pony.

  River and Brent grinned when they both noticed Luke couldn’t take his eyes off the little horse.

  They finally were able to persuade Luke to inch his way over a little at a time until Brent sat the boy astride the animal. Again, to capture the moment, River took out her cell phone making sure she got plenty of pictures from every angle—all the while realizing she’d never been happier than at that very moment.

  On a rare day off, Cord took in the crowd streaming through the gates with his former California Guard buddy, Ryder McLachlan, at his side.

  He slapped Ryder on the back and said, “It’s good to see you again. I might not be able to spend the majority of time with you because I’ve started the core of my classes, but you’re welcome to crash in the guest house at the farm for as long as you need it.”

  “I’m happy to work for my keep,” Ryder offered. “I appreciate all you’ve done for me, Cord.”

  “Good to know. And hey, I had plenty of help getting back on my feet. I know what it’s like to struggle with a variety of issues. I wouldn’t be standing here if it weren’t for Nick and Jordan and Keegan. And I believe in paying it forward.”

  “You know I’ll do any kind of work to help out, anything at all.”

  “Since there’s always something to do on a farm, there’s a lot of ways you can help us out. You should know my offer isn’t entirely altruistic. Taggert Organic is a busy place and getting busier every year, especially the October and November months. Harvesting the seasonal crops is part of it. But this is California where the growing season is year-round. As I told you in my email, I’m well into my fall semester with my classes. Because of that I just don’t have the time to devote to the farm and keep up my grades. I don’t want to let Nick down but at the same time, I can’t afford to risk failing any of my courses. I’m committed to becoming a veterinarian before I’m an old man.”

  “You aren’t that old.”

  “Don’t kid yourself, I am for a student, oldest one in all of my classes. Anyway, there’s enough to keep you busy there, you’ll get a paycheck and a place to stay. Remember though, farm work might not be your cup of tea, so to speak. And if it isn’t, don’t hesitate to say something. It isn’t for everyone. That’s why you should tell me if it doesn’t work for you. Jobs are starting to open up around town. There’s a renovation in the works to bring the elementary school back. With your construction experience, you’d have no trouble hiring on. The only thing is I’m not exactly sure when it will start. But as soon as it does, Nick and Logan could use dependable men like you. Those two are heading up the project. And they are good guys. Make sure you go see Nick or Logan first thing tomorrow morning. And if you do get on, we’ll manage just fine out at the farm. We always do, somehow, some way it always gets done.”

  “I’m not opposed to working both jobs, Cord. Seriously. I could use the dough.”

  In the way of buddies, Cord slapped Ryder on the back. “Believe me, that’s music to my ears. And it’s appreciated.”

  “Hey, what else have I got to do? You know though you’ll have to show me the ropes around the farm. I’m a city boy but a quick learner.”

  “You like animals, rig
ht?”

  “Love them but I’ve mostly been around the domestics, dogs, cats, that sort of thing. Never milked cows before.”

  “It’s all state-of-the art stuff, no trick to it at all. I’ll show you everything you need to know. And if I happen to miss a step, there’s always Silas or Sammy or half a dozen others around to ask. Don’t be shy either. Taggert Organic is a great place to work. There’s a benefits package. Plus, you get the cottage thrown in as a place to crash. It isn’t much—”

  “Are you kidding? It’s better than what I had back in Philadelphia.”

  “Sorry about your girlfriend, Ryder. Some women can really do a number on us with all the drama and head games they like to play.”

  “Looks like you put that behind you for good. It doesn’t seem like you have to worry about that with Keegan.”

  “Keegan and I definitely had our challenges, but she’s nothing like Cassie. Keegan’s the other half of my heart.”

  “You’re a lucky man.”

  “I am indeed.”

  “You really gonna be a vet?”

  Cord sighed. “If I ever get through the med science and physics courses I will.”

  “Knowing you, I thought interning would be your problem.”

  “Nope. Turns out, that part’s a piece of cake. Between the farm, Bran’s vet practice here in town and the Rescue Center, I’m getting all the hands-on experience I can handle. Plus I get credit for all of it.”

  “I hope you realize how much you’re helping me out.”

  “Same goes. Right now, you’re a lifesaver. Oh look, here comes Keegan with Brent and River. Come on, Ryder, I’ll introduce you to some more great folks.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  There was something to be said for small towns, especially when you experienced what seemed like every square inch of it on foot.

  Luke exhausted himself chasing around every animal inside the petting zoo. If it hopped, grunted, barked or mewed, Luke had been all over it. River had taken no less than four dozen photos for her newly created digital folder to prove it.