by Jill Sanders
“Good.” She sighed and finally relaxed.
He brushed a kiss over her hair. “Go to sleep.”
“Already there.” She grunted when Toby jumped up and tried to wedge his body between them.
“Down—” he started to say.
“No, I like the extra warmth. But he has to lay near my feet. They’re still frozen.”
He pushed the dog’s lax body until he lay over Sara’s feet.
“Better?”
“Yes.” She sighed, and he could tell she was fast asleep.
He woke to his alarm, which happened to be Toby demanding to be let out. Rolling away from Sara’s warmth, he blindly walked to the door and opened it. The dog raced out. It didn’t immediately dawn on Parker what he was seeing, since his eyes were half closed. But he quickly realized that someone had painted words all over his porch. Toby had ignored the fresh paint on the deck, desperate to empty his bladder.
Flipping on the flood light, he cursed under his breath and tried to stop the dog from running through the red paint again.
“What is it?” Sara asked, sitting up when he returned to the bedroom to get his cell phone.
“Nothing,” he replied quickly, but he saw she wasn’t going to take being blown off. “I guess we should have bought a camera for my front porch as well.”
“What?” Her eyes flew open.
“I got tagged last night. Sucks, because I just got the porch painted the way I liked it. I’m calling Robert.”
She reached over and grabbed her phone. “I’m checking the cameras at the Oar.”
He nodded and stepped outside to have a better look around. The sun wasn’t up yet, so he used a flashlight to shine around and check for more damage.
The messages painted on the wood were more personal and precise, and he immediately guessed who had done them.
After getting off the phone with the station, he met Sara at the door. “It’s a mess out here. Why don’t you go get dressed. Robert will be here shortly.”
“What does it say?” She tried to turn her neck to read the letters.
“Your whore won’t touch a dime of my money,” he read. “I think my mother is in town.”
“Your mother?” Sara frowned.
“Later,” he promised. “I’ll tell you everything. For now, I don’t want you dressed like that when Robert and a deputy show up.”
She glanced down to see that she was only wrapped in a sheet.
“Okay, but we’re heading to Sara’s Nook for donuts and hot coffee, and you’re going to spill it all.”
“I promise.” He walked over and kissed her. “I’m sorry.”
“For?”
“It looks like those messages weren’t for you, but me.”
She touched his face. “We’ll talk.” She glanced behind him as a car’s lights hit the house.
“Go.” He nudged her inside and shut the door, hoping to keep her and Toby in the house while he ran through why his mother was doing the things she was.
An hour later, after spraying down the somewhat dry paint from his porch, he changed and drove Sara into town. Parking across the street from the bakery, he stopped her from jumping out of the truck.
“My mom is sick,” he said.
“Sick as in…”
“Mentally, physically, you name it. She’s bipolar and has struggled with drugs since long before I was born. When I was five, she left me on my grandmother’s doorstep and I’ve only seen her a handful of times since. Each time she came around, she demanded money from my grandmother. She would deny that I was hers and claim that my grandmother was spending all her money on someone else’s brat.” He closed his eyes and rested his head against the headrest. “The last time she saw my grandmother, she trashed the house and by the time I got there, Gran had had a stroke.”
Her hand took his. “I’m sorry,” she said softly.
“I had Gran moved to a facility just outside of Pride. I’ve gone by and visited her a few times, but she doesn’t recognize me anymore and they say it’s only a matter of time.”
“I’m sorry,” she said again.
“My mother thinks she’s dead.”
“Why would she?”
“Because I allowed fake news to spread in the small town she lived in so she wouldn’t hunt us down and do it all over again. My grandmother can’t defend herself anymore. I won’t let anyone harm her.”
“Of course not.”
He realized his eyes were burning, so he quickly jumped out of the truck and helped her out.
They ate breakfast in silence. He tried to enjoy the sticky bun and coffee, but everything tasted sour to him since his mind was tainted once again with thoughts of his mother.
“Eat,” Sara urged him. “We have a long day ahead of us.”
He nodded and finished the roll. Just then, Riley walked in, a large smile on her face as she pushed a sleeping toddler in a stroller. He almost choked on his drink.
“Jesus, tell me she doesn’t have a kid.” He nodded towards Sara’s cousin.
Sara laughed. “No, she’s babysitting for Abby and Lane Austin. Lane is the fire chef in town.” She smiled and waved her cousin over to the table.
“Morning.” Riley sat down next to Sara. “I heard about the mess yesterday. I hope Connie is okay.”
“She’s fine,” Sara said.
“If you need me to fill in—”
“No,” both he and Sara said at the same time, causing Riley to sigh loudly and rest her chin on her fist.
“I can’t wait until I’m twenty-one.” She rocked the stroller slowly.
“Don’t grow up too fast,” Parker added, thinking back to his own youth. Because of his mother, he never really got to be a kid.
“Well, since you’re off the market”—Riley’s eyes moved between them—“marrying young is out of the picture. All I have going for me is mixing drinks now.”
Sara reached over and patted Riley’s hand. “You’ll find your man sooner or later. Probably when you least expect it, but…” She paused. “When you’re older.”
Riley rolled her eyes. “I’d better go. We’re expected at the library with donuts soon. It’s playdate day.” She rolled her eyes once again. “Bye.”
Parker stood up and followed her to the counter. “Riley, have you seen that woman again?”
She leaned closer and whispered, “The one who came in and told me that you had killed your grandmother?”
“Yes.”
“No, but I did see a strange woman bothering Patty the other day. The woman wanted to buy booze, but Patty doesn’t sell liquor anymore, not since Cash’s opened up last year.”
The sinking feeling was back as he asked. “What did she look like?”
“Older, a real mess. The woman was drunk or high.” She shrugged. “Frizzy hair.”
He nodded. “Thanks. If you see her again around town, call me. Better yet, call Robert.”
Riley’s eyebrows rose. “Is she dangerous?”
“Just call, okay.”
“Sure thing.” She turned to place her order and he walked back towards Sara, who was clearing their mess from the booth.
“What was that about?” she asked as they walked out.
“Riley saw my mother at Patty’s. Do you mind if we head over there before going to the restaurant?”
“Sure, I needed a few things anyway.”
Parker liked Patty O’Neil. The woman was more of a character than any woman he’d ever known. She was animated somehow. He could tell by just looking at her that she loved the town and everyone in it.
“Hey,” she called to them. “What brings you two in this early?”
“Parker wanted to talk with you for a minute,” Sara said. “Maybe we can go back into your office?”
“Sure thing. Gosh, I hope it’s not something wrong?”
“No,” Parker assured her.
After she shut the office door, he turned to her. “The other day an older woman was in here wanting to buy alcohol. You turned
her away.”
“Yes.” Patty nodded, frowning at him.
“I’d like to keep it between us, but that was my mother. She’s mentally unstable. If she comes in again, call Robert.”
Patty was quiet for a while. “Most people in town don’t know this, but my father was diagnosed with clinical depression. My mother found out right after I was born. He started having episodes where he would hurt himself or hurt her. She spent the rest of her life fearing for his and our safety until he died in a mental hospital in Washington State.”
“Oh, Patty.” Sara walked over and gave the woman a hug.
“Oh, well, I’m okay,” She smiled. “Don’t you worry about your mother, Parker. We take care of our own around here.” Patty walked over and gave him a hug. “And you’re one of ours now.”
14
On Sara’s first full day off of work, she found herself rolling up her sleeves and getting dirty, helping Parker install a new water heater. She wanted to spend more time at his place for Toby’s sake, and taking another frozen shower wasn’t an option.
The install of the new heater was mostly just handing Parker tools while she watched him work. It was a huge turn on, though, since he had to remove his shirt and wedge himself in the small closet space to tug out the old heater. Once it was removed, she cleaned out the dusty closet area. She was expecting another large tank to go back in, but he pulled out a smaller box.
“What’s that?” She frowned down at the thing.
“Tankless water heater.” He pulled the device out of the box.
“We have those at the cabins. I didn’t know what they were for.”
Parker chuckled. “They are the reason you have unlimited hot water when you want it. I noticed it at your place and decided I wanted one for my own place. This one is bigger than yours, since I have two bathrooms and a full kitchen.”
Once the water heater was installed and tested, he handed her a pair of gloves and a mask.
“Now to conquer the porch.” He groaned.
“It won’t be so bad,” she said, pulling on the mask as she stepped outside.
The red paint was everywhere. Not only could the lettering still be seen, but there were bright red drops all over as well, as if his mother had sprinkled it everywhere on purpose.
“How do we do this?” She looked around at the mess.
“First, we powerwash this all off.” He nodded to a machine. “It’s messy. Be prepared to get wet.” He chuckled. “Stand back, I’ll start out.”
She stepped off the porch while he started the loud machine. It sounded like a lawn mower at first, then as he began to spray, it sounded more like a car wash. She was pretty sure she could handle the job, and when he waved her over, she took the wand from him and repeated what he’d been doing to each board.
Two hours later, they had stripped his entire decking of every inch of paint, including the layer he had done himself less than a week ago.
“We’ll have to let this dry before painting it again. How about we pack a lunch and take Toby to the beach?”
“Sounds wonderful.” She smiled. “I’ll change.” She looked down at her soaking jeans and T-shirt.
After a quick hot shower, she pulled on clean jeans and a clean top. She slid on her shoes and walked out to the kitchen where Parker had lunch already packed. Toby was dancing at the door with his leash hanging from his mouth.
“He started that a few days ago.” Parker laughed. Parker had changed into shorts and a gray shirt. “Ready?” He bent and strapped Toby to the leash.
“I’ll carry the food. You’ll have your hands full with him.” She laughed when the dog bolted as he opened the front door.
She carried the basket until they reached the pathway, where he let Toby loose. He took the basket from her and took her other hand in his free one.
“It’s a perfect day.” She rested her head against his shoulder.
“Too bad we can’t do this every day,” he said as they walked. “We can set up lunch down by the water.” He nodded to a spot.
“Perfect.” She laughed at Toby as he hit the surf and jumped in the water.
“I know someone who’ll be staying outside until he dries off,” Parker said. “I’m thinking of installing an outdoor shower to hose him off.”
“That’s a great idea. We have them at some of the cabins. It helps keep the sand outside.”
“I have big plans for the place. I just need a little more cash flow before I start on the bigger items.”
“Like?” she asked when he dropped her hand and started setting out their lunch. She sat down on the soft sand.
“Like,” he said pulling out containers, “I want to put a metal roof on the place and remove the shingled exterior walls and put up something more up-to-date. And that’s just the outside.” He handed her a container and a fork. She had been expecting sandwiches but there was a fresh caprese salad inside it. “Inside, the master bathroom and bedroom will get a complete overhaul. I plan on turning the back workroom into an office space with sliding doors to the backyard.” He took a bite of his own salad. “The kitchen also needs a serious update.”
She smiled. “So, how long do you expect all this to take?”
He shrugged. “I’ve got time. I’m in no hurry. I want to make sure I know what I want. I’ve already changed my mind a few times on things.”
“Oh?” she asked finishing her salad.
“Sure, like the workroom. I was originally thinking fourth bedroom, but then I realized I needed space for paperwork.” He shrugged, then pulled out another container.
She opened it and looked inside.
“It’s Italian chicken pasta,” he said.
“I can see that. You had time to make this while I got ready?” she asked.
“No.” He smiled. “I made most of it yesterday and threw it together while you showered.”
“Okay,” she said after her first bite. “Serious skills in the bedroom and the kitchen. Why hasn’t someone tied you down yet?”
He chuckled and started on his own food. Toby had found a large piece of driftwood and decided this was a good time to lay it across Parker’s lap.
Parker jumped up, almost spilling his food. The driftwood was soaking wet and had dumped sand and dirt on his lap.
She waited to see how he would respond to the dog and was happily surprised when instead of yelling, he brushed his shorts off and spent a few minutes playing tug of war with the dog.
When the dog had tired of the game and decided he’d chase some seagulls instead, Parker sat back down next to her, a large smile on his face.
“You know, none of my previous boyfriends would have acted like that.”
He frowned. “Like what?”
She shook her head, feeling foolish all of a sudden, but he waited patiently until she finally told him.
“They were all very low on patience when it came to animal behavior. Joe came over for dinner once, and Raco jumped on him when I opened the door. The dog didn’t have dirty paws and didn’t leave a mark on his slacks, but Joe yelled at him and acted like he had been soiled. A day later, I broke up with him.”
“I broke up with my girlfriend in high school because she was allergic to my grandmother’s cat.”
She smiled and held up her bottled water. “To animal lovers.”
“Animal lovers.” He tapped his water bottle to hers, then added, “They make the best lovers.”
Parker had never spent a more fulfilling day in his life. He was tired and sore by the time they climbed into bed, but he had to admit, it felt wonderful to hold Sara in his arms as he drifted off to sleep. Toby was curled in a tight ball at their feet, nice and clean from the bath Sara had given him.
He was jolted awake in the middle of the night when her cell phone started buzzing loudly.
She sat straight up and fumbled for it.
“What? What time is it?” He sat next to her, trying to see her screen.
“It’s 2:30. The motion camer
a just went on in front of the restaurant.” She showed him the screen. He couldn’t make out anything on the night vision camera. They sat and watched the screen for a few minutes then got dressed and headed down there to check things out for themselves.
“It could be that a bat flew in front of the camera and set it off,” he assured her as he drove.
“I’d rather check, just in case,” she said, biting her lip and looking down at her phone screen nervously.
As he pulled into the parking lot, Sara’s eyes were still glued to the picture on her phone. She kept flipping between the front door and back, then would check the ones inside.
“Anything?” he asked, already feeling more relaxed.
“No, nothing.” She sighed. “Maybe it was a bat.”
“Just the same, I’m here. I’ll go check the storage unit and make sure no one has messed with it.” He jumped out. “Lock the door behind me. I’ll be just a minute.” He took the flashlight from the door and made his way across the parking lot. He heard Sara lock the door behind him and smiled.
The lock on the heavy metal doors to the storage container was still in place. He tested it to make sure it was locked, then turned back towards the truck. He was just about to step out between the two large containers when he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t have any time to respond before something hard and metallic hit him in the side of his jaw, sending him falling forward to the ground. He had only a moment to respond and he rolled, expecting another blow. Instead, there was only silence.
His flashlight had landed on the pathway and in its beam of light lay a large cylinder-shaped buoy the size of his fist. He figured that was what had just hit him. He listened for any sounds and when he guessed it was clear, he reached for the light.
He felt his jaw and wiggled it a few times before slowly standing up. Flashing the light in the direction the buoy had come from, he held his breath and listened. When no sounds or movement came from any direction, he moved over to the spot and could see footprints in the dirt that led towards the grassy area.
Shining his light down the street, he listened for any sounds of a vehicle. He didn’t hear anything and made his way back to the truck.