Tucker didn’t see the big deal. “I’ll take your word for it. Why does she need cheering up? I thought she’d moved past that whole thing with her ex?”
“She probably has. But every woman should get something special on her birthday. Come on. I still have to leave a note for Shelby and Caleb so they’ll take the money out of my check. Let’s get this plant back to the pub and surprise Ellie.”
“Now that I’m looking at it, I wouldn’t mind having one of these myself,” Tucker admitted. “Those are nice.”
“Nice and trendy right now, hence the price,” Bodie stated as she grabbed a piece of paper off Caleb’s desk to scrawl the IOU.
In short order, they made it back to the pub where they were bumping elbows with the rest of the group. Gathered around the table where Ellie and her birthday party sat, Bodie slid the plant into view right in front of Ellie. Just as she knew it would, the Rhaphidophora tetrasperma took center stage.
“This is for me? For real?” Ellie said as her hands flew to her face. “I don’t believe it. You remembered how much I wanted this.”
Bodie beamed. “I did. See? I do listen.” She leaned over to Tucker. “Ellie thinks I ignore her instructions about the right mix of vinegar and water to clean the windows.”
Ellie laughed. “As I recall, you did roll your eyes during my lecture.”
“A lecture about how the wrong amount of each ingredient would leave vinegar stinking up the client’s windows,” Bodie pointed out.
While the plant was a huge hit with Ellie and almost every other woman who got a look at it, Tucker had to fight off the flirtatious advances of Shiloh Jones, who seemed less interested in the plant and more interested in him. The girl with the long black hair and purple highlights tried to inch her way closer and wanted to bump and grind even before the band took the stage. While the other women oohed and ahhed over the shape of the leaves and vowed to storm the nursery first thing Sunday morning to get their hands on one, Shiloh seemed enamored with him.
Flattered, Tucker was no fool. He had no intention of encouraging someone so young. He did what he could to keep her at arm’s length and was relieved when the crowd began jamming to Malachi’s band. Like most of the other patrons, Shiloh responded to the music, swaying and gyrating her way closer to the stage.
At the first opportunity, Bodie grabbed Tucker’s hand and led him away from the crowd, sneaking past the kitchen, and slipping out the back door.
They stepped out into the soft night air. The quiet gathered around them like a glove.
“Thanks for getting us out of there,” Tucker murmured.
“No problem. I saw the panic look in your eye when Shiloh tried to become part of your skin.”
“Why does she do that?”
Bodie laughed. “She’s only eighteen or maybe nineteen, I forget. Right now, Shiloh’s goal is to be the center of attention.”
“Ah. Women understand women.”
“Not really. But I was once that age myself.”
“Do you think they’ll miss us?” Tucker asked as he clasped hands with her and headed around the bend to the beach.
“Are you kidding? Keva’s totally into Malachi. I doubt she paid much attention to anyone else. And the others are focused on the music, including Ellie and Hollis and Ophelia and Seth. Shiloh and Geniece are young. All they care about is having a good time. I think we’ll manage to slip under anyone’s radar without them sending out a search party for us.”
“Does Malachi know how Keva feels?”
“He’d have to be blind not to know. It kinda makes me mad. Keva’s there every Saturday night listening to the band, sometimes Fridays. The man never seems to pay her any mind. You’d think he would appreciate her loyalty at the very least or approach her at some point and say…I don’t know…something.”
“This is where I feel like I should take up for my gender. But I sort of agree with what you said. I was in there one night when Keva tried to talk to him during a break. He seemed to blow her off. No idea why.”
“I don’t understand it. Keva’s smart, attractive, easy to get to know. Everybody likes her. Everybody except Malachi. Why wouldn’t he want to be with someone like her?”
“Maybe someone said something.”
Bodie jumped on that. “Like what? What have you heard?”
“Nothing. I was just…trying to…you know…come up with a reason.”
“Oh.”
“Small towns are notorious rumor mills.”
“Uh-huh. What did you hear about me?”
Minefield alert, Tucker decided. He looked down at her and, for the first time, realized she looked wiped out. “How about we forego the walk and head back to your house? You look like you could use a good night’s sleep.”
“Maybe we should. I do have to be at work in less than eight hours. But we could still pop in a movie.”
He veered her back toward the pier. “No way. You should crawl into bed.”
“I look that bad, huh?”
“You look beautiful.” To express what he felt, he swung her into his arms and drew her close, better access to her mouth.
The touch of lips sent her heart skittering. It seemed Tucker had some unique moves in that area. The kiss locked on like a laser and held while her heart began to pound in her chest.
Reeling from the impact, Tucker released her. “We need to get you home.”
Words spun in her head, but she couldn’t seem to make her mouth work. She let him tug her along the pathway back to the house.
The only sound on the footpath was the crickets chirping a chorus to June.
When they reached the front door, he held out his hand for the keyring, slipped the metal into the lock and opened the door.
“Why don’t you come in?” she found herself whispering.
His lips curved in a confident gesture right before his cell phone dinged with a text message. He took his phone out and studied the screen. “What the hell? Brent Cody says someone tried to break into the store.”
Bodie smiled, relief welling up over what she’d just offered. “Saved by the bell. When the police chief texts, you better get going.”
“I wanted to come in.”
“I know. But it’s better this way. Go check on the store. I’m headed to bed, remember?”
“Alone.”
“Yeah. Not for the first time this year.”
He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Nothing would’ve made my night like coming in and staying. You know that, right?”
Before she could answer, he took her chin. “Get some rest, Bodie. We’d both have been up all night anyway.”
“Up all night? Aren’t you the optimist?” she muttered right before he took her mouth again. The buzzing in her head had replaced the uptick in her heartbeat. When he let her go and took a step back, she stared into his hazel-colored eyes. “You’re certainly sure of yourself.”
“I guess I am. This feels different somehow.”
“Maybe.”
Another text message broke the moment, which had him shifting his feet to read it. “I gotta go.”
“I know. Thanks for the pizza.”
He started walking backward to get to his truck. “No problem. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She sent him a wave and shut the door. Slumping against the wood, she leaned her head on the door panel. This did feel different. And it scared her to death.
Ferguson’s Hardware had occupied the end storefront at the corner of Main and Crescent Streets for six decades. The lumberyard was in the back of the building across the alleyway.
In the days before online shopping, when his grandfather ran the place, Joe Sr. insisted on keeping his stock on hand. It took up two storefronts. Using an adjoining facility next door that acted as the warehouse, the old man always had a ready supply of appliances, paint, plumbing supplies, and a host of tools. He considered himself the local Sears store and carried a variety of household goods.
Tucker pulled hi
s pickup to the curb just as Brent Cody was getting back into his police cruiser.
“What the hell took you so long? I’ve been standing out here for ten minutes,” Brent grumbled.
“Sorry,” Tucker stated as soon as his feet hit the pavement. “I was…” Locking lips with Bodie Jardine, he could’ve blurted out. Walking up to the SUV, he tried to think of a reasonable explanation for his delayed response. “I was…I couldn’t drop what I was doing right away. Okay?”
“Hot date? I get it. Saturday night. Sure, that explains it. Someone tried to jimmy the lock on the back door from the alley. When that didn’t work, they used their feet to try and bust it in. The alarm scared them off. You might want to upgrade your system, though, put in a camera. This is the twenty-first century. CCTV is everywhere these days. Please tell me the security alarm alerts to your house. It not, that’s a problem.”
“It is, but I wasn’t at home.”
“Yeah? Well, you can’t let your business interfere with your love life,” Brent cracked. “I can’t help wondering what on earth your dad would say about that.”
“Not sure I care at this point.”
“Don’t blame you there. Well, whoever tried to break-in didn’t make it inside. That’s the important thing. But I’d call the alarm company on Monday and make sure to upgrade the system anyway. The thing is probably…what…maybe thirty years old? That’s my recommendation. Take it or leave it.”
Tucker wasn’t sure he could afford the upgrade. But he forced a smile and slapped Brent on the back. “Thanks for the prompt response. When the Chief of Police shows up himself for a burglar alarm, I must be getting special treatment. I appreciate it.”
“Not so special. I was tucked in bed fast asleep when I got a text message from Abby Bonner at the Snip N Curl. Seems she was inside cleaning up when she heard the alarm go off and called it in. It’s my reward for giving Eastlyn and Colt the same night off. My bad, my doing, my fault. You can bet I’ll work on better scheduling in the future.”
“Sorry about dragging you out like this.”
“That’s the job. But I’m gonna go crash and hope there’s no more mischief tonight. See you later, Tucker.”
“See you. Thanks again.” Obliged to check out the store for himself, Tucker unlocked the front door. He walked down each aisle, making sure everything looked right. He checked the bins even though he knew Brent had said no one got inside. After assuring himself that all was well, he finally made his way to the back. As soon as he reached the storage area, he spotted the damage to the rear exit door where they’d tried to kick it in. Unlocking, then opening the door, he stepped out into the alley. The overturned trash bins caught his eye first. Debris flutter along the ground and littered the pavement.
He bent down to begin the task of gathering up the garbage, mostly waste paper and cardboard, then dumping it back into the recycle bin. When he looked up, he saw a familiar face, the familiar gait and walk that belonged to the man who always seemed to wear the same outfit he’d been wearing since Tucker had arrived back in town—khaki shorts, a button-down shirt layered over a tee. He’d heard the stories of a ghostly figure named Scott Phillips who just refused to go away, even in death.
Even though Scott lost his life in Iraq back during the war, Tucker knew for a fact the man had a headstone in the town cemetery, north of town. He’d seen the gravesite himself. But it always gave him more than a few raised hairs on the back of his neck whenever the night gave way to a vision of the lonely Scott out wandering the streets. Tonight was no exception.
“Nice night for a stroll,” Tucker uttered, his words stringing out in a clumsy sign of shock and awe. After all, what was the perfect conversation starter with a ghost?
“You want to know who did this?” Scott asked.
No time for chitchat, Tucker reasoned. “Sure.”
“It was that Tremaine boy. Oliver. That kid’s headed for trouble if someone doesn’t step in.”
“Doesn’t he belong to Keith and Darla over on Dune Point?”
Scott frowned. “You’re really out of touch. Keith and Darla died when Oliver was eight. Car accident, north of here on a rain-slick highway. The kid does live in the same house, though with his uncle now. Kris Mallick, Darla’s brother. After Keith and Darla died, Kris moved in to take care of Oliver.”
If you ever needed catching up on the latest gossip, Scott was your go-to guy, Tucker decided. He scratched the back of his neck. “Hmm, they must’ve died back when I was in college. I didn’t know. The kid’s what? Thirteen?”
“Fourteen going on forty. Ask anybody around town, and they’ll tell you the kid has problems, often picks on the smaller, younger kids after school. Julianne McLachlan recommended him for counseling.”
“Hasn’t done much good then if he’s out on a Saturday night trying to bust into stores along Main Street. Who’s the uncle again? Do I know him?”
“He moved here from Scotts Valley. But as Darla’s only brother and her next of kin, Kris inherited the kid. Not a bad guy, does his best. Kris just works a lot and is hardly ever home.”
“Which leaves Oliver with no supervision. I should go talk to this Mallick guy.”
“Lots of luck with that. Brent’s tried probably a dozen times. Kris goes with grounding Oliver, takes away his privileges only to have the kid wait it out and go back to his old ways.”
“Then why suggest I step in, or do anything at all?”
“Because I hate to see a kid end up dead or in jail. And that’s where he’s likely headed if he doesn’t change his ways.”
“But if Julianne’s tried to steer him into getting help and Brent’s warned the uncle…and the uncle’s tried…”
Scott’s tone changed from wisdom to worry. “I think Kris has given up trying to get Oliver to turn around.”
“What do you want from me? This kid just caused about fifty bucks worth of damage to the back door.”
“Either make Oliver fix it or make him work off the repair job.”
Tucker cut his eyes from the broken pieces of bashed wood back to Scott. “I don’t know. I’m not sure I want a kid like that hanging around the store. It’s bad enough that people are slow to come back after the way my dad treated them. I don’t want some kid hanging around with an attitude and driving away what customers I have left. I’ve dealt with my share of bullies. I’m not eager to try to be around one. Not my problem,” Tucker stated, thinking of his dad. But then he realized how bitter he sounded.
Scott stared at the cracked door. “But it is your problem. Oliver just made it your problem.”
Tucker raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m not equipped to take on a troubled kid.”
Scott huffed out a sigh. “Okay. I hear ya. But he’s just gonna keep getting away with it until he gets caught and sent to juvie.”
“Maybe that’s where he needs to be.”
“Did you ever know juvie to straighten out any kid?”
“No.” In frustration, Tucker scrubbed a hand down his jaw. “Let me think about it. I’ll go see Kris on Monday and talk to him about getting Oliver to pay for the door. But I’m not convinced this kid will turn around by making him fix anything.”
“Make it Sunday morning before you open up. That way, you’ll be sure to catch Kris at home before his night shift starts over in San Sebastian.”
“What does he do?”
“He works at a distribution warehouse unloading semis for one of the big box stores.”
Tucker put his hands on his hips. “You have this all figured out, don’t you? Why get me involved?”
“You of all people know what living with a bully is like. Oliver could grow up to be a Joe Ferguson if someone doesn’t intervene. I’m just trying to keep this kid from…”
“Taking a wrong turn,” Tucker finished. “No, I get it. But it sounds like this kid is already on the wrong path. You’re a good man to”
As if embarrassed by the sentiment that was coming, Scott faded away before
Tucker had time to blink.
“Stop doing that,” Tucker shouted, But Scott had already dissolved into thin air. “I’ll never get used to that. Not ever,” he lamented as he trudged across the pavement to the lumberyard. He had to hunt down a piece of plywood from the scrap pile to shore up the door until he could figure out something more permanent.
It took him almost an hour to find the thickest wood to fix the panel and then fit it into place. Using the same kind of drill he’d sold to Bodie, he bolted the wood into position. Maybe it was time to replace the entire door. When he’d finished the job, he locked up and went out to his truck.
But the troubled kid was the last thing on his mind as he cranked up the engine. Instead, an image of Bodie flashed into his head. There were certain things worth dwelling on. Right now, tonight, she was at the top of the list. She was a bright spot in his life at a time when he needed to get a life away from the store.
He was no fool. He’d stopped looking for love a long time ago. He’d accepted that. Bodie seemed just as determined to stay away from a serious relationship after what she’d been through. That suited him just fine. They both believed it was okay to have a little fun without getting serious—a goal he could work with. After all, what was the harm in getting to know a neighbor, especially one as beautiful as Bodie?
Three
The next morning a few minutes after eight o’clock, Bodie wasn’t surprised to look up from her rounds, refilling coffee mugs to see Tucker come into the Diner.
She grabbed a clean cup off the tray and waited for him to pick a table. Dressed in what Margie considered a hot pink throwback uniform, she made her way over to where he sat, placed the cup in front of him. “Coffee?”
He scrubbed his hands over his face. Unshaven and barely awake, he could only get out a few words. “You read my mind.”
“Breakfast?”
Without looking at the menu, he reached for the cream and sugar already on the table. “One of Max’s Denver omelets would be great.”
The Boathouse (A Pelican Pointe Novel Book 14) Page 5