To Honor

by Laura Scott

  Since he was planning to move to McNally Bay at the end of the summer, there was no reason to wait. The house he’d hoped to rent wouldn’t be available until September, but in the meantime, he could still travel in and out of McNally Bay while living in the B&B. He could store his stuff in a corner of the massive four-car garage. The place was roomy enough, Jazz kept her truck parked at the Stevenson house, so Jemma’s van was the only vehicle currently using the space.

  He’d have to sell his condo, but that shouldn’t be too difficult. He didn’t care if he made a huge profit, he had plenty of equity in the place.

  As he enjoyed Jemma’s full Irish breakfast, he began to make arrangements. First, he contacted Brian, letting his partner know Jesse wasn’t returning to Chicago on Sunday as previously planned. Brian didn’t answer his phone, so he ended up leaving a message, assuring Brian that he’d still work hard to make their business successful but that he needed to do this. Once that task was done, he decided to make a list of things he’d need shipped to McNally Bay.

  Mostly clothes and personal items, but there was also the issue of his two vehicles. The owner of the garage that had taken care of his damaged Corvette called to let him know his car was ready to be picked up. Jesse thanked him, then hung up. As much as he loved driving the Corvette, he knew how impractical it was.

  It was a two-seater, which meant he wouldn’t be able to drive both Carla and Cassie around at the same time. And really, what was the point? It was fun to drive, but a better option would be to trade the Vette in for a sedan. Something Carla could also drive, since he already had an SUV that he drove primarily over the winter months. Her car looked as if it was on its last spark plug. He wasn’t sure it would last the upcoming winter.

  Maybe he should fly back to Chicago, just to pick up the SUV and to put the Vette up for sale. He could turn right around and drive the SUV back to McNally Bay.

  Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t hear Jazz come up beside him. “Don’t tell me you’re working again.”

  “What? Oh, no.” He waited until she’d finished filling his coffee mug. “Actually, I’m trying to figure out a plan to move my stuff here, sooner than later.”

  “Really? Oh, Jesse, that’s wonderful news!” Jazz set down her coffee pot to give him an enthusiastic hug, her green eyes shimmering with tears. “Jemma will be thrilled.”

  “Yeah, well, I haven’t worked out all the kinks yet.” He gestured to his computer. “I’m making a list. I’ll need a ride to the airport to fly home and pick up my car.”

  “The Corvette has been fixed? That’s great news.”

  “Not that car, my SUV. I’m selling the Vette since it’s not a family car.”

  “Wow, that’s good news, too. Cassie seems like a great kid,” Jazz said with a smile. “Although, I wish we would have known about her sooner. Carla and I were close that summer. It hurts that she hadn’t confided in me.”

  “Don’t blame her too much. She didn’t know about the pregnancy until she was halfway through her first semester of college. And I casually mentioned her coming up for homecoming weekend but never actually formalized any plans with her.” Ironic how he was defending what Carla had done. “In the end, she came up to find me that homecoming weekend in time to see me kissing some blonde that I don’t remember.”

  “Ouch.” Jazz winced. “I’m sure that was rough.”

  “Yeah. And it’s obvious she’d been keeping Cassie’s parentage a secret because of the animosity her mother has against us.” He waved a hand impatiently. “None of that matters anymore. I intend to move forward from here, being a part of Cassie’s life. Her mother will just have to get over it.”

  “And Carla?” Jazz grinned. “I can tell you still care about her.”

  “I do. Very much.” He frowned. “Unfortunately, I don’t think she feels the same way.”

  “She does. I witnessed your kiss on the beach; the passion was enough to spark a wildfire. I’m sure she’s just being cautious.”

  Since Carla had said exactly that, he nodded. “Maybe. I need to convince her that I’m not the same guy who’d gone a little crazy during my first semester of college. I’ve changed, hopefully for the better.”

  “Well, moving to McNally Bay is the best way to prove you’re serious,” Jazz said. “That’s a huge first step.”

  Before he could say anything more, additional guests came into the dining area. Jazz immediately went over to greet them, chatting about breakfast options while filling coffee cups.

  He turned his attention back to his checklist. After checking available flights out of Kalamazoo, he paid to change his ticket to an earlier flight. It would mean getting up at four in the morning, but it was worth it. If he moved quickly, he could drive the SUV the just under two hundred miles back to McNally Bay in time for dinner. The traffic going through Chicago and Gary, Indiana, would slow him down some, but he thought it was still doable.

  Satisfied, he finished his breakfast. He caught a glimpse of a scathing review left by Avery and Arch related to the work he’d done for them. He wished he could delete it, but obviously he couldn’t. Ignoring the awful review, he quickly shut down his computer. It didn’t matter, they had other clients who’d appreciated their help.

  He wanted to finalize the details of the picnic outing for that afternoon. He planned on asking Daisy to make the food again, knowing Jemma would be busy with her guests. There was a rehearsal tonight for the gazebo wedding scheduled for late afternoon on Saturday. All the rooms in the B&B were taken by the wedding party, most of which had come in Thursday afternoon to stay the entire three nights of the holiday weekend.

  He headed to Daisy’s Diner to make arrangements with Daisy, who was happy to help him out. It was nice to see how the locals supported each other.

  As he was about to leave, he saw Cassie walking toward him with Bucky on his leash. “Hi, Dad.” She greeted him with a wide grin, and he knew he’d never tire of hearing her call him Dad. “What time should I tell Alecia to be ready?”

  “Eleven thirty. Can you and Alecia meet us at your mom’s grocery store? She probably can’t get off until noon, but as soon as she’s finished, we’ll head out.”

  Cassie nodded. “We’re bringing our swimming suits and towels.”

  “Good plan.” He’d rented the boat with the idea of allowing the girls plenty of time to swim in the bay. He made a mental note to buy some flotation devices and tried to think of a way to convince Carla to let her guard down enough to enjoy the water. “See you in a couple of hours, okay?”

  “Okay.” Cassie took Bucky back inside up to the second story apartment over the diner where Daisy lived.

  Of all the places he looked for flotation devices, he hadn’t expected to find them in the novelty section of Carla’s grocery store. There was no sign of her when he went in to pick up what he needed.

  “Did you hear about Dean Thomas getting arrested?”

  Instantly on alert, Jesse tucked the inflatable rafts under his arm and turned toward the sound of Betty Cromwell’s voice. “No, why? What happened?”

  Mrs. Cromwell’s eyes gleamed. There was nothing she liked better than spreading news. “Drunk as a skunk, he grabbed Carla right there on Main Street in front of several witnesses and wouldn’t let go.”

  A red haze of anger veiled his vision as he imagined what Carla must have suffered. “When?” His voice was thick with emotion.

  “Last night, but don’t worry, Carla kneed him in the groin and shoved him down to the ground, just like Wonder Woman,” Mrs. Cromwell continued. “Then Deputy Waldorf hauled him to jail. Heard by the time he sobered up he was real sorry about causing a scene. You know, him being the elementary school principal and all.”

  Jesse was still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that this had all transpired just last night, after he’d dropped Carla and Cassie off at her mother’s house. What was Carla doing on Main Street anyway? Had she purposefully gone out to meet with Thomas? Or with someone else?
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  And more importantly, why hadn’t she called him?

  Carla finished her work in record time, partially because she’d delegated some of the inventory responsibilities to her senior cashier, Sheryl Watts. The single mother of two teenage children didn’t seem to mind the additional responsibilities. In fact, she offered to take on any other tasks Carla needed her to.

  It occurred to her that Sheryl may be the perfect candidate to be an assistant manager. Sheryl had roots here in McNally Bay and was doing her best to support her family. Carla actually felt guilty for not thinking of her before now.

  Before she could talk herself out of it, she asked Sheryl to meet with her in the office for a few minutes. Her senior cashier looked wary at first, nervously twisting her hands together.

  “Sheryl, how would you like a raise and a promotion to Assistant Manager?”

  The older woman’s jaw dropped. “Me? Are you sure? I don’t have a fancy business degree or anything like Richard did.”

  “That business degree didn’t help me much since he didn’t stay,” Carla pointed out. And the man had been far too arrogant anyway. “Listen, I can’t do all of this alone anymore, and you’ve proven to be a great help. If you’re interested, I’ll give you a ten percent raise starting Monday.”

  “Oh, yes! I’m very interested.” Sheryl impulsively gave Carla a quick hug. “Thank you so much. I won’t let you down.”

  “I have faith in you, don’t worry.” Carla glanced at her watch, knowing she needed to meet Jesse and the girls within the next thirty minutes. “We’ll work out a schedule later, okay? I think we can break up the hours so that we work alternate late shifts and weekends.”

  “That sounds good.” Sheryl clasped her hands together. “A ten percent raise! I can’t wait to tell the boys.”

  “You’ve earned it,” Carla assured her. “Now go on, get back to work. I’ll be off-site for a few hours again this afternoon, but you know you can reach me on my cell phone.”

  “I won’t bother you unless it’s a crisis,” Sheryl promised. “Thanks again.”

  As Sheryl hurried off, Carla felt as if a giant weight had lifted off her shoulders. Granted, the raise and shared responsibilities would put a dent in their profit margin, but at the moment it seemed a small price to pay in order to have more time with Cassie.

  And with Jesse. She’d be lying if she didn’t admit that she was looking forward to spending the afternoon with him. It wasn’t smart, she was growing far too attached to the guy who’d once stolen her heart and then blasted it into tiny pieces.

  But since when were feelings logical? Since never.

  She pushed the unwelcome thoughts aside and focused on finishing the last bit of work before heading out for an afternoon of relaxing in the sun.

  True to his word, Jesse was waiting outside by Jemma’s old van with both Cassie and Alecia dressed in their swimsuits and cover-ups.

  “Guess the girls are swimming.”

  “Mom, I brought your swimming suit too, in case you want to cool off in the lake.” Cassie beamed with excitement. “And Dad bought air mattresses for us.”

  “Really?” She wondered where he’d gotten them but decided not to ask. “Well okay, then, let’s go.”

  “Would you like to stop at your place to change?” Jesse opened the van door so the girls could climb in the back. “I don’t mind. The temperature is supposed to get up to ninety-six degrees.”

  She almost refused, but then glanced down at her usual work clothes. Shorts and a T-shirt would be so much more comfortable. Not that she intended to do any swimming. She was too self-conscious about the five pounds of baby weight she’d never shed after Cassie was born. “That would be great.”

  Jesse nodded, then glanced down at her right wrist. He caught her hand in his, examining the bruises that Dean had left there. “I want to punch him in the face for this.” Jesse’s voice was low. “I wish you would have called me.”

  “For you to come punch him? Deputy Waldorf would have had to arrest you, too.” She shouldn’t have been surprised he’d heard the news. “It’s fine, and I didn’t call you because there was nothing you could do about it. Deputy Waldorf arrested Dean, and that was enough for me. Let’s go, okay? I want to enjoy the sunshine.”

  He gently squeezed her hand, then released it. He opened her car door, then jogged around to get in behind the wheel.

  Thankfully, her mother wasn’t home when she ran inside to change. Probably spending time with Leon Tate, telling him about the note Jemma had found in the McNally attic. She’d really hoped her mother would let go of her old anger, but so far, that hadn’t happened.

  Whatever. Carla refused to let her mother’s grudge ruin her day. She felt carefree and lighthearted, knowing the store was in good hands with Sheryl.

  Jesse hauled the large cooler to the boat, leaving the girls and Carla to bring their floaties and bags of clothing and towels.

  Carla unhooked the rope holding the boat to the pier and pushed off. Jesse pulled away from shore, keeping an eye on the dozens of boaters out on the lake.

  It was far more crowded than it had been the last time they’d come out, and Carla knew that meant the holiday weekend was in full swing. Jesse took them for a fast ride, making the girls screech with joy and fear, before turning around and heading back to a secluded area of the bay.

  “Okay, I think this is a perfect place for you girls to swim,” he announced, throwing a large anchor overboard. “The water is about ten feet deep here, so you need to be careful.”

  “I know how to swim,” Cassie protested. “I don’t want to wear my life jacket.”

  “Me either,” Alecia added. “I’m a good swimmer.”

  “I know, but the water is much cooler than you’re used to.” He pinned them with a stern look. “Okay, you can take off your life jackets to use the floaties, but I don’t want either of you to stay in for too long. When I say it’s time to get out, you both get out. Understand?”

  Carla hid a smile as the girls pouted for a moment, then agreed to follow the rules.

  Jesse tossed the two air mattresses off first, then gestured for the girls to follow. The cold water caused a surprised squeal from both of them, but they quickly climbed onto an air mattress and stretched out.

  “This is fun,” Alecia declared. “Thanks for inviting me.”

  Carla stretched out on the boat with a sigh, thinking the same thing.

  “Hey, I have some news,” Jesse said.

  She turned toward him. “Is it something I’ll eventually hear from Betty Cromwell?”

  He laughed, and the sound made her smile. “Yeah, probably, but I thought you should hear it first.”

  Her pulse spiked, although she did her best not to let it show on her face. “Okay, spill.”

  “I’m moving to McNally Bay on Sunday.” He grinned and waited expectantly.

  The statement took her by surprise. “I thought the Kaplan place wasn’t available until September?”

  “My sisters invited me to stay at the B&B until I can officially take over the house. And I might keep looking for someplace else anyway.” His gaze seemed to bore into hers. “Somehow, I expected you to be happy about this.”

  “I am,” she hastened to reassure him. “Truly. But Jesse, we haven’t really discussed this. Or anything related to how we’ll work things out between us with Cass. My mother still doesn’t like you, and I’m not sure how or when that will change. I don’t know, it feels a little like you’re jumping the gun.”

  He frowned, and she knew this wasn’t going the way he’d planned. “How is it jumping the gun? I told you I wanted to be a part of Cassie’s life. That I wanted to live here in the area. Just because I’m moving sooner than September doesn’t mean anything has to dramatically change right this instant. We can keep taking things a step at a time.”

  She smiled, feeling relieved that he wasn’t trying to rush things. “You’re right, Cassie’s well-being is far more important than anything els
e. Okay, I’m happy to know you’re moving this weekend. What does your business partner have to say about it?”

  “I left him a message, and he returned my call an hour or so later. Brian is fine, gave me his blessing, and promised we’d work things out. He even suggested we could use Skype to do our operational meetings.”

  “That’s good to hear.” She could tell Jesse was relieved his partner was being supportive. She glanced over to where the girls were swimming in the lake, both stretched out on their air mattresses, gazing up at the cloudless sky. “We should probably bring them in to eat.”

  “Girls,” Jesse called. “Ten minutes till lunch.”

  “Aw, we’re not cold at all,” Cass protested.

  “Ten minutes,” Jesse repeated.

  Carla turned her attention to the cooler. This time it looked as if Daisy had packed cold cuts, breads, and cheese along with fresh fruit and fat brownies for dessert. There were soft drinks and water inside, and she helped herself to a water. The sun was hot, and she found herself considering a brief swim.

  “Cassie!” Alecia’s scream ripped through the air. She glanced over to the girls and saw an empty air mattress a split second before she noticed Cassie floating bonelessly facedown in the water.

  “Cassie!” Without thinking, she ran to the edge of the boat and levered herself up and over into the water.

  Shockingly cold water stole her breath, but she swiped the water from her face and forced herself to swim toward her daughter, hoping and praying she wouldn’t be too late.

  13

  Jesse heard Carla’s shout at the same time he noticed Cassie floating limply in the water, her slender body rising and falling with each wave. His heart lodged in his throat. Carla was several strokes ahead of him, but he quickly followed. He was strong, but Carla still managed to beat him to their daughter.

  When she reached Cassie, the girl abruptly popped upright with a saucy grin, wiping the water from her face with her hand. “Ha! Fooled you!”