“Hmm, oh well. No matter. One will do. See you soon.” And he ended the call.
Grace stared glumly at the phone in her hand. She hadn’t been inside the lighthouse in many years, avoiding it only for what it symbolized—the place where Brandon drowned. You can do this, Grace. Then she called Julie before she could change her mind.
“Sure, I can do that, Grace,” Julie said. “I’ll come by earlier so you can show me the ropes.”
“It won’t be too hard, Julie. The cash operation is basic and I’ll be a phone call away.”
“Does this emergency meeting have anything to do with your lighthouse project?”
“Kind of.” The front doorbell tinkled. “Oops, got to go, Julie. Customer. See you soon.” A classic case of being saved by the bell, Grace thought, as she smiled at the woman and child heading her way. Now wasn’t the time to tell her friend the whole sad story.
* * *
“Breakfast is on me, sir,” Drew said as Jim climbed into the passenger side of his car.
“Appreciated, Drew, considering I’m giving up my Saturday morning golf round.”
Drew flashed a smile. This trip was also going to be an opportunity to learn more about his boss. He just hoped what he already knew about the man—that he was flexible in his thinking and willing to take a chance on his personnel—was going to be enough for a successful outcome.
“I’ve never been to Lighthouse Cove,” Jim said as Drew pulled out of the office parking lot.
“Not even when you were doing lighthouse inspections yourself?”
“Nope. Back then I was stationed in Rockland and took charge of the sites up the coast. It was always a Portland officer doing this area.”
“Gary Hale?”
Jim sighed. “Most of the time. You took on a real challenge by stepping into his job. That hasn’t gone unnoticed, by the way.”
“Thank you, sir.” Drew’s nervousness about his plan to show Jim how important the tower was to the town eased slightly. But you’re not there yet, he warned himself.
They made small talk on the half-hour drive to the Cove. When Drew had transferred to Portland, he’d connected instantly with his new boss. Something in the man’s willingness to listen to another viewpoint appealed to Drew. He wasn’t slack as a commander, but he also wasn’t tied to any go-by-the-book rule.
Jim also knew about the disaster off Bar Harbor but had never pressed Drew for his own account. It was all in Drew’s personnel file anyway—his testimony at the inquiry as well as that of the witnesses. Everyone at the Portland station knew most of the story, too, but they followed Jim’s lead—acceptance without judgment. That had been the key to Drew’s healing.
Yet he still had flashes of that day. The boat cruise with Grace reminded him that there were some memories he’d carry to the grave. For some reason, he felt intuitively that Grace would understand that, which was why this mission was so important.
There was too much at stake. When Grace had cried, “You promised,” yesterday, Drew’s response wasn’t at all what he’d been feeling inside. He knew that he had made an implicit promise. He couldn’t understand his overreaction to her admission that she’d arranged an inspection. The flyers, too, were basically of little importance. She hadn’t even posted them! Had it been his wounded pride, that she’d gone ahead with something he hadn’t approved? If so, then what kind of man was he, that his ego could be so easily threatened? He didn’t want to be that man, whether he had Grace in his life ahead or not.
When they reached the road exiting the highway to the Cove, Drew said, “We’ll get breakfast first, sir, then maybe a quick tour of the town.”
“Sure, but I thought the point of this trip was to show me the lighthouse.”
Drew looked sharply at his boss. He ought to have known Jim would figure that out. “Yes, it is. But the town factors in, sir.”
“Uh-huh. As long as we get breakfast first. And don’t keep using ‘sir.’ It’s Saturday, your day off and mine, too.”
Drew smiled, giving a thumbs-up to Jim. As he drove down the hill leading onto Main Street, he pointed out the harbor, the marina and the hotel. But not the lighthouse. That could wait. Luckily, he found a parking space in front of Mabel’s Diner so he wouldn’t have to look for one on Porter, where the bookstore was located. He was hoping the morning’s expedition could be accomplished without encountering Grace. Then if he was successful, if Jim were to reconsider his decision, Drew planned to return to the Cove later today or tomorrow to tell Grace the good news. But it all hinged on that one word—if.
Fortunately, the café wasn’t full and they were able to get a table. Best of all, there was no one inside who would recognize Drew other than the waitress, who greeted him with a big smile. While they ordered, Drew nervously tapped his fingertips on the table.
“I’m getting the impression you’ve made more than one trip to this town,” Jim commented after the waitress brought them coffee.
Nothing was lost on Jim, Drew thought. That could be a good thing or not. Of course, he could take him to the lighthouse right after breakfast, but then Jim wouldn’t have a sense of the importance of history to its residents. And that history included what happened to Brandon.
“Yes, I have. Something about this town appealed to me. I grew up outside a small town a bit bigger than this one, so I understand what they’re all about. The closeness that can sometimes feel too constricting. The converse of that is also what makes small towns unique. People stand together when they most need to.”
Jim nodded. “I’ve heard that, though I grew up in a city too big to know more than a handful of neighbors on my street. That scenario had its benefits, too, especially for teenagers.” He grinned.
Their orders came and both men devoted their full attention to pancakes and sausages. Later, as Drew was paying, he noticed a small pile of copies of The Beacon on the cash counter and picked up one for Jim. It would give him another aspect of the town. They headed for the car and as Drew was getting behind the wheel, he noticed a familiar woman going inside Mabel’s front door. That friend of Grace’s. The one he’d met at the July Fourth rib-fest. He couldn’t recall her name. He hoped she hadn’t noticed him. The last thing he needed was for Grace to find out he was in town.
“Where to now?” Jim was asking.
“Thought we’d take a spin around Town Square, see some of history and then—”
“On to the lighthouse?”
Drew sighed. There was a tinge of impatience in that question. “Yes, then on to the lighthouse.”
The square was busy on a Saturday morning and the limited number of parking spots meant that Drew was only able to drive slowly around its perimeter, pointing out the imposing Town Hall and the statue of Hiram Winters in the center of the square.
“One of the founding fathers,” he remarked.
“Uh-huh. Winters. That name’s familiar.”
Drew couldn’t tell if Jim was teasing or not. “Over there,” he said, changing the subject, “is the new library, under construction as you can see. The town is in transition from a fishing community to a satellite of Portland. It’s growing. You saw the new housing development near the highway.”
“How does all this affect the lighthouse?”
Drew stifled a sigh. Saving the tower wasn’t going to be an easy sell, even to Jim Pitarokilis. “People here want to preserve as much of their history as possible. It’s a changing world and icons from the past like the tower are important.” He thought suddenly of Henry and his friends at the Historical Society. Too bad he hadn’t thought to introduce the older man to Jim. Perhaps there’d be an opportunity after they visited the lighthouse.
He decided to drive back down to Main Street and take the waterside road for a view of the harbor and marina, rather than return to the highway and access the lighthouse from the road up top. Jim was only fifteen y
ears or so older than he was and in good shape. Climbing up the dune to the lighthouse path wouldn’t be challenging.
“Nice harbor,” Jim said as they drove by it. “And I see the tower. Not very big, is it?”
“No. I included some of its history in my report. Started in 1917 and completed a year later.”
“War anxieties, you mentioned?”
“That’s what I heard. Not much has been written about it, but a man from the Historical Society said he’s writing a book.”
“There’s a historical society?”
“Yes.”
He found a parking space near the same ramshackle cottage he and Henry had sat by more than a week ago. More than a week ago! Drew marveled how so much can change in a person’s life in such a short time span.
“Think you can manage?” he asked Jim as they stood, staring up at the dune and the lighthouse at the very tip of the rocky peninsula.
“ʼCourse I can.”
Smiling at the indignation in Jim’s voice, Drew led the way. It wasn’t until they’d reached the top of the dune, pausing to catch a breath and enjoy the panorama of the town below, that Drew noticed they weren’t the only people up there. About a dozen or more men and women were clustered at the base of the lighthouse.
“Watch your step along the path, sir,” he cautioned as they walked toward the lighthouse.
“I’m fine, Drew, and...are we meeting people here?”
“I wasn’t expecting to,” Drew murmured, wondering if this was yet another of Grace’s ideas, and despite his resolve not to judge, felt a rise of irritation.
As they drew closer, one man headed toward them. Henry.
“Drew!” he exclaimed. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”
“Likewise, Henry.”
* * *
JULIE WAS RIGHT on time. As soon as she entered the store, Grace called out, “I’m just going to run upstairs and change. Have a seat.”
Grace thought Julie was about to say something, but she was in a hurry. She knew Henry could be impatient and she didn’t want to keep him waiting. She wondered if she ought to have told him about the possibility of a teardown but knew his response would probably be to cancel this meeting about a restoration that might not even happen. Thanks to Drew.
That’s not fair, Grace. He’d said the decision was out of his hands, which implied it had been made by someone higher up. Maybe his boss. There was no point ruminating over what happened yesterday. She finished dressing, picked up the lighthouse key from her kitchen table and went downstairs, where she found Julie skimming through a copy of The Beacon. The sight of it brought a twitch of anxiety, until Grace reminded herself that the paper, a free weekly, usually disappeared completely in a day.
“I like your ad for the lighthouse project,” Julie said, waving the paper. “I hope you get lots of positive feedback, as well as support. Put me down for whatever job you need.”
“Of course, thanks, Julie.”
Julie set the paper down and joined Grace at the counter. “I can’t be sure, but I thought I saw your friend this morning.”
“What friend?”
“The lighthouse guy.”
“You mean Drew?”
“I guess. Forgot his name. The one you were so cozy with at the rib-fest.”
Grace’s mouth went dry. Finally, she managed to say, “Where was this?”
“I popped into Mabel’s for some scones for my mother and caught a glimpse of two men in a car. One of them really looked like Drew.” She frowned. “What is it, Grace? You look upset.”
“I’m fine, Julie. But I don’t think it could have been him. He went back to Portland yesterday and I have no idea when he’ll be back.” Or if.
“Look, I should go. Call me if there’s a problem. If worse comes to worst, the store key is right there beside the computer. Feel free to just lock up if you have to.” In her rush to leave, she thought she heard Julie protesting behind her but didn’t stop.
Grace’s mind whizzed through countless explanations for Julie’s sighting. She must be mistaken. Even if the man was Drew, who could the other man possibly be? It didn’t make sense. Besides, surely he’d have phoned to let me know he was coming back, wouldn’t he?
Maybe not, she reasoned, because you made such a fuss yesterday. By the time Grace reached the end of the beach road, she was almost sick with worry. Then she saw Drew’s car parked in front of the old Fielding place. She stopped beside the car to calm herself before starting her climb.
When she reached the top of the dune, she had to pause again. She saw that the lighthouse door was open and, as she strode forward, heard the rumble of voices inside. She climbed up the two steps to the threshold and peered into the shadowy interior, waiting for her heart rate to slow down. A familiar face emerged from the group of people milling about inside.
Drew was walking toward her, his face tight and anxious with disbelief. “Grace? What are you doing here?”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
IN SPITE OF the urge to find out exactly what was going on and why, Drew was aware of someone exiting the lighthouse behind him and kept quiet. But his gut told him the woman standing before him, pale-faced and chin raised, was responsible.
Henry had been vague about why people from the Historical Society were at the lighthouse when he and Jim had arrived. “They’ve been meaning to come have a look around for ages,” he’d explained. “Today seemed like a good time.”
If Drew hadn’t felt such respect for the old man, he’d have snorted. When he’d seen Grace standing hesitantly in the open doorway, he began to put it all together.
“I think you should be answering that question, Drew,” Grace was saying in reply to his from a moment ago. “Why—” She stopped at the sudden appearance of the person on the lighthouse doorstep.
Drew turned and motioned to Jim. “Grace, this is my commander, Jim Pitarokilis. Jim, Grace Winters.”
Grace took the man’s hand, shooting Drew a look that might have made him cringe if she wasn’t the one at fault.
“Winters? Are you the person who sent me the email about restoring the lighthouse?” Jim asked.
Grace nodded.
“And I guess a descendant of the man whose statue I saw in town.”
“My great-grandfather.”
“He was the man who got this tower built.”
“That’s right.”
“I haven’t been up in the lantern room yet, but from what I’ve seen so far, the place is in pretty bad shape.”
Drew noticed that Grace was about to protest when he heard Henry’s voice.
“That would be my fault, I’m sorry to say.” The older man stepped forward to stand beside Drew. “As I was about to tell you a second ago, Jim, I had to abandon my duties as volunteer keeper because of hip problems the past couple of years. The keeper before my time—Leonard Maguire’s father—managed just fine but after he passed away, no one took on the job until I agreed to. That was about six years ago.”
“The tower has a history of some neglect then,” Jim said.
“ʼFraid so,” Henry admitted. “Why don’t you come back inside, meet some of my friends in the Society and have a look around?”
“I’d like that,” Jim said, allowing Henry to guide him toward the door.
Drew’s silent thank-you to Henry was interrupted as soon as the men went through the door.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back? Why is everything such a secret with you?”
Her flushed face and pitched voice might have spurred him to retort back but Drew clenched his jaw instead, knowing he did not want to have that argument then and there. He simply wanted an answer to one question.
“Did you organize this?” He gestured to the open door and the voices inside.
The flush deepened. She nodded, raising he
r chin higher.
“Why? What was the point after what I told you yesterday?”
“I won’t give up, Drew. I can’t.”
Drew knew they’d reached an impasse. He felt a shiver of regret at that. Compromise seemed out of the question as far as Grace Winters was concerned. She wasn’t going to settle for a mere plaque where the lighthouse once stood. And if his plan to persuade Jim to reconsider failed, there was nothing he could do. Defying his boss’s orders wasn’t going to happen. Not even for Grace.
“We might as well go inside, then, and join the group.” He heard the flatness in his own voice, the lack of both energy and emotion.
She did, too. Because she shifted her gaze from his face to the ground at his feet. “I should get back to the store,” she mumbled and walked away.
Drew would have gone after her but someone called his name and by the time he turned to signal Jim, standing in the doorway, Grace had disappeared.
* * *
“BACK SO SOON?” Julie called from the cash counter when Grace burst through the door. She met her partway. “What’s happened? Are you okay?”
Grace wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “No, not really.” She leaned against the door leading up to her apartment.
“Tell me.”
“Are we alone?” Grace asked.
“Yep. Last person left about ten minutes ago.”
“The whole thing is a disaster, Julie. I think I messed up.”
Julie clutched her arm. “Grace! Come and sit.”
“No. I have to change and then go see my parents.”
“Not without telling me something.”
“I arranged with Henry to have people from the Historical Society check out the lighthouse and I planned to meet them there, to go over some ideas about the restoration.”
“Okay.”
“But you were right, Drew is in town. He was there with his boss from Portland.”
“Okay, but so what?”
“Well, I didn’t tell Drew about the other thing—the historical group meeting.”
His Saving Grace Page 18