Clallam Bay (A Fresh Start #2) (5 page)

“And …”

Smiling at her, I shrugged. “And he asked me out.”

“Oh, he did, did he?”

“I did. But sadly, the lady said no. Both times I asked, I’m embarrassed to say.”

“Both times, huh?”

I sat in silence while they talked about me like I wasn’t there. I was so wrapped up in what was being said, I didn’t notice the band had stopped and the jukebox had kicked on. I strained my neck when Russell stood and held out his hand.

“Collin.”

The men shook.

“Russ.”

“Long time, no see. How you been?”

“Fine. You?”

“Good. I’m good. Dad’s surgery went fine. He had to stay in the hospital a couple days. But he’s home now. You should try to swing by.”

The exchange between the two was far beyond awkward. I wondered why Russell would go all the way to invite Coll over to see his dad. Were they old friends or something? Old friends who maybe had grown apart?

Coll shoved his hands in his pockets and nodded at the ground. “I’ll think about it.” Bending down, he spoke into my ear. “Hey, you wanna get out of here? Go for a walk?”

I nodded and stood, letting Amber know I’d be just outside. I waved to Russell before letting Coll lead me out, his hand at the small of my back.

The late fall wind bit but I didn’t mind. It helped me clear my head once Coll’s hands found their way back into his pockets.

“I’d offer you my coat but I didn’t wear one.”

I smiled up at him.

“You too cold? You wanna go back inside?”

I shook my head. “No. I’m good.” I clenched my teeth to keep them from chattering.

We walked the length of the pier in silence. Music escaped into the night, echoing across the bay when people came and went, opening and closing the door to the bar. I felt his hand at my back again and turned where he led me. By the time we reached the docks I was numb to the cold and my inhibitions.

“So how was the burger? Frozen?”

“Nearly. But I still ate it. Woke up starving.” He lightly tugged the back of my sweater, and I stopped. “I guess nearly twenty-four hours of straight sleep will do that to you.” He rested his elbows on the railing and I leaned back against it. “I didn’t even hear you knock.” Rubbing his hands together, he looked over at me. “I’m assuming you knocked.”

“I knocked.” Numerous times, actually. I thanked God he didn’t know for sure if I’d made more than one trip to his house or not.

Nodding, he looked back out over the bay, and I took the opportunity to really look at him. While he wasn’t necessarily weathered by the sun, I could tell he worked in it. His hands were darker than his forearms. His forearms darker than his upper arms, I assumed from how he sometimes pushed up the sleeves of his sweatshirts. The crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes accelerated his age, only giving him some very admirable distinction. There was a scar I hadn’t noticed along his left cheek. It was so light and so small it could have been a deep nick from a shaving mishap. But for some reason I doubted it.

“How did you get that scar?” Reaching out, I thumbed the raised skin.

“Ah. You noticed that, huh?” He straightened with my touch and turned to lean back against the railing as well. “It’s a painful story. Probably as painful as the experience.”

My brows rose in interest and I turned to face him. “Tell me.”

“You sure you want to know?”

“Uh huh. Yeah. Tell me.” I had always had a somewhat worrisome interest in morbidity. The gorier, the better. The way he talked about the day and the events leading up to the injury was vividly descriptive, which only excited me more. He talked a lot with his hands, trying to explain things I maybe hadn’t seen and definitely had never heard of. When he got really animated, I knew the good stuff was coming.

“So, Sal goes to cast the line, and the hook catches me right there in the cheek.” Smiling, he rubbed the spot with his shoulder. “Went straight through. I could taste the metal.” I cringed at that. “I can still feel it sometimes when I think about it.”

“So, wait. Is that how you actually catch the fish? I thought you used the net thingy.”

He smiled at my description. “The trawl. Yeah, that’s how we catch the fish. But you can bring your own equipment and fish on your break if you want to.”

“I would think you’d want to take a break on your break. But maybe that’s just me.”

He shrugged. “Most probably would, but they also have families to feed. What you catch you can keep. It puts free food on the table.”

I hadn’t thought of it that way.

“Do you fish on your break?”

“Used to.”

“Why’d you quit?”

“There was really no point. All my brothers fish for a living. The youngest is still at home. I’m sure as hell not gonna eat fish every day. There’s nobody else to fish for.”

“So what is it you do on your breaks? Sketch seagulls and sunsets?”

“Sometimes.”

“Really?”

“No. Not really.”

I hit him with the back of my hand.

“So how many brothers do you have exactly?”

“Four.”

“Four?” I asked, surprised.

He nodded.

“Jeez. All my parents could handle was me. Are they older than you? All but the one?”

“All older. All but the one.”

“Well, how old are you?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“How old are they?”

He thought for a minute. “Thirty-six, thirty-four, thirty-one, and eighteen.”

“Eighteen? Wow, that’s a big jump.”

“Yeah well, he’s actually my half-brother. Mom remarried and had him kinda late.”

Sighing, I turned to look out over the bay. “Four brothers. Wow.”

“Well, technically five.”

I turned to face him again. “What do you mean technically?” I asked.

He jerked his head toward the bar. “Me and Russ are stepbrothers.”

My mouth dropped open. I wanted to say something. Anything. Like, thank God I’d turned him down then, for example. But we were interrupted.

“Hailey! Where you been?” Alyssa walked up with her arm hooked around Sonia’s neck. “Get in here. We missed you terribly.” They embraced me with a three-way hug. Sonia’s face got shoved into my armpit. I gave Coll a look and he just smiled, making no attempt to save me.

“Sorry, Hailey. I tried to stop them. But those two bitches are fast.” Lifting each leg, Amber pulled off her heels. “And sneaky.”

Alyssa and Sonia giggled as they swayed on their feet. “Are we moving? Feels like we’re moving,” Sonia mumbled into my sweater, and Alyssa leaned over my shoulder to retch onto the railing.

When Amber attempted to pull Alyssa off of me, she got puke on her sleeve. “Okay, that’s it. I’m done, Hailey. We’re all going home right now.”

“No! You can’t make me!” Alyssa pushed Amber out of the way and ran, and Amber took off after her.

“Bitch, get back here! I mean it!”

By the time we got the girls settled and back to the pier, Jason was waiting for Sonia and Timmy’s dad had already pulled up. I felt like I had been blindsided then slapped in the face. I didn’t know what to do or say.

“Well.” I shrugged. “You need a ride? It’s no trouble. Your place is on the way.”

Rubbing his chin, Coll smiled at the ground. “Nah, I drove.” I gave him a questioning look when he looked up at me. “I haven’t been drinkin’. Promise. Just stickin’ around in case the guys want me to play another set.” Glancing back toward the bar, he shoved his hands in his pockets. “You could stay too if you want. I could give you a ride later. It’d be no trouble, ya know. Since it’s on the way.”

More than anything, I wanted to stay and watch him play. I really did. I wanted to abandon my girls for a boy. But what I wanted had nothing to do with how I acted or who I wanted to be. Which was, first and foremost, a good friend.

“I don’t know. I should really get these two home and put to bed.” Before they killed themselves, or better yet, one another. “Alyssa’s going to wake up feeling terrible later, and I really don’t want to miss that.”

As I started walking backward toward Timmy’s dad’s van, Jason stuck his head out of the bar and yelled for Coll to hurry the hell up.

“So, I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Yeah. Tomorrow. And you’ll have more of those cookies.”

“Yeah. Tomorrow. Cookies. Sure.”

“Okay then. Tomorrow it is.”

I returned his open-hand wave then climbed in the van between crazies one and two. I mediated and kept the peace the whole drive with a smile. By the time we got home, they were each snoring in my lap and I ended up profusely apologizing to Timmy’s dad for having to lug both into the house, one after the other over his shoulder.

Perfect symmetry.

Funny how things worked themselves out that way.

It was well past midnight when Coll’s truck chugged down the drive. I lay lazily on the couch and watched the headlights splash across the ceiling then trickle down the opposite wall to ripple across me.

My heart jumped when a second door slammed. But I didn’t get up to look and see who was with him like I wanted to. Turning on my side, I closed my eyes instead.

It was the slamming of his truck door that woke me the next morning. While I had the restraint to resist the night before, my curiosity got the best of me this time and I got up to look out the window. By the time I made it off the couch, he was already pulling out of the driveway and all I got was a side-shot of his tailgate.

“Oh my God. Close the blinds. The sun is the devil.”

Alyssa emerged from the bedroom and Amber followed closely behind her.

“Where are my glasses? I need my glasses.”

While Amber frantically searched the living room for her sunglasses, Alyssa followed me into the kitchen. She sat at the table while I prepared us some very strong coffee.

“I feel like maybe I should apologize for last night. I never drink that much. But the good news is, I learned my lesson and never will again.”

“Is this puke?” Amber appeared in the doorway, her bug-eyed sunglasses pointed down at her sleeve as she walked into the kitchen. “Whose puke is this? Why do I have puke on me?” She sat down, stretching her arm across the table.

Alyssa reached out and picked at the dried substance before sniffing it. “Yep.” She straightened and crinkled her nose. “That’s definitely puke.”

“Yeah, your puke,” I said to Alyssa then turned to fill the coffee pot with water. I talked over my shoulder at them. “Don’t you guys remember anything?”

They looked at each other and I sniffed a laugh, turning back to pour half the amount of usual water into the pot. Strong. It needed to be strong.

It took a couple minutes to brew, then I passed them each a mug and we sat in silence as we sipped, listening to the wind blow against the house. I wasn’t mad at them like they probably thought. I felt strangely serene even though I had a lot on my mind. Firstly, I needed to finish up my conference notes.

“I do recall Sonia talking about some farmer’s market going on today down by the docks. Once the room stops spinning and Amber changes her shirt, we should go. My insides could use some fresh fruit.”

Perhaps I could put the note-writing off for just a little while longer.

“What do you say? Is it a date?”

I nodded, somewhat happy Alyssa suggested something other than shopping. Though it was still technically shopping. At least it was outside in the sun. I needed some sun.

Setting down her mug, Alyssa straightened in her seat as if she’d just remembered something. “Did I make out with Sonia last night or was that a dream?”

“A dream,” Amber mumbled into her coffee cup.

Alyssa sighed. “Oh thank God.”

Alyssa finished her coffee then went home to shower and change, leaving Amber and me to do the same. Amber touched up her nails as I dried and curled my hair. When Alyssa returned, we piled into her car and took off for the docks.

It was a beautiful day to spend by the bay. Not a cloud in the sky. While the breeze was cool, the sun was warm and I was glad I’d dressed fairly light.

Once we parked and reached the stands, all three of us took off in different directions. Amber for the vegetables. Alyssa for the fruit. And I for the pies they had piled by the checkout. I was craving apple with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side something fierce.

“Apple. Great choice. That’s my favorite too.”

I looked up to find Harbor Master Russ standing beside me. All I could think was, he was my neighbor’s stepbrother. He was Coll’s stepbrother. Him and he were stepbrothers. They were stepbrothers. Stepbrothers! My mind screamed at me so loud I didn’t hear the next thing he said.

“I’m sorry?”

“My grandma, she made them. They’re the best. Not too sweet. A little salty.” Handing me a sample cup, he motioned with his hand. “Go on. Try for yourself.”

Using the little wooden dipper, I spooned a biteful into my mouth. “Mmm.”

“Yeah?”

I nodded, covering my mouth self-consciously when he didn’t look away.

“Mmhm … Yeah. Not too sweet. A little salty.” I returned his smile from behind my hand. “I’d say you’re right. Grandma’s is the best.”

“I’ll be sure and tell her you said so.”

Russell offered to peruse the market with me. I agreed on the one condition that he held open and lugged all the bags I filled. He surprisingly knew a lot about fresh produce and was an immense help. Turned out he cooked in his spare time, trying out new recipes. A commendable hobby.

“I’d invite you over sometime to try one, but you’ve already turned me down twice, so …” He shrugged. “Believe it or not, I do know how to take a hint.”

I wasn’t sure he did because either he was trying to guilt me into agreeing for once or he was actually asking me out again. For the third time.

“And I’ve never been one to step on my brother’s toes.”

“What do you mean?” Bagging a few carrots, I moved farther down the stand. Russell followed.

“You and Collin. It’s kind of an unspoken rule that we all don’t date the same women.” He shrugged.

“Oh, we’re not dating,” I said somewhat defensively, giving him a look before turning back to handle a couple tomatoes.

“Coulda fooled me, the way he was actin’ last night.” He sniffed a laugh. “Thought he was gon’ hand me my ass right then and there in the bar. ‘Course that could have had something to do with me mentioning Dad. Those two never did get along. But that’s neither here nor there.”

Instead of digging in deeper as to why Collin and his stepdad didn’t get along, I let Russell go on about the apples his grandma used to make the pies sitting up front. There was a secret ingredient no one knew as she refused to share it with anyone.

“Not even Rachel.”

“Rachel?” I asked, and he nodded, tossing a couple apples in my bag.

“My ex-wife.”

“You were married?”

“Sure was. For about a month.”

“Just a month? What on earth happened? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“No, it’s all right. It’s really no different from every other stupid sailor’s story. We were young and dumb. I got her pregnant. Only difference was she miscarried and we divorced a month later.”

“Oh, that’s awful. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was awful but it’s been, what, ten years now? Yeah. I was around Coll’s age. So yeah, ten years. You kinda become numb to it.”

I could see that. After all, Amber still talked about the night it had happened to her back in high school. Relieved and forever guilty about it, that was how she explained it. Sometimes she still sat and wondered who he or she would have become. “You never forget, you just get used to it,” she said.

“He’s not as stupid as I was back then.”

“Who’s not stupid?”

“Collin. He’s stupid, but not as stupid.”

“Oh, right. Okay.”

“I think he’s mainly learned from our mistakes. He told you we have four other brothers between us, eh?”

I nodded.

“Two are married and tied down to women they don’t particularly care for, let alone love.”

I crinkled my brow. “How do you know they don’t?” I asked, a little uncomfortable with discussing his brothers’ relationships.

Picking up a cherry tomato off the ground, he popped it in the pocket of his cheek to talk out of the side of his mouth. “They were stupid like me.”

As we rounded our way back to the checkout, Alyssa and Amber showed up to take advantage of Russell’s bag-carrying services. I thanked him for offering up all my produce and a pie for free, but insisted on paying.

“What would my grandma say if she found out I had my friends paying for their food?”

“I don’t know. That you’re a pretty savvy businessman for not giving all her goods away and actually making her a little bit of money today?”

Russell smiled but still refused to let me pay, promising to foot the bill himself.

“You’ve got my word. Grandma won’t miss a penny of it. Scout’s honor.” He did a two finger salute, winking as I waved and turned away.

Amber threw her arm around my neck as we walked to the car. “That was pretty nice of him, carrying our bags and offering to pay for everything. He may be a little on the older side with that salt-n-pepper hair, but I’m thinking maybe you picked the wrong brother.”

“How did you know they’re brothers? I didn’t tell you.”

“Ah, how quickly you forget that I have my ways.” She checked me with her hip. “Plus, you talk in your sleep.”

It was going on dinner time when we got back to my place. Still not feeling well, Alyssa dropped Amber and me off then headed home herself, which was probably a good thing. I needed to work on my notes as soon as I was finished with dinner.

Following me into the kitchen, Amber sat down her bag and pulled out a tomato. “I’m thinking nothing fancy. Maybe I’ll just have this tomato and turn in early. Sound like a plan, Jan?”

“Sure does, Cuz. Why don’t you take the bed again tonight. I’ll either sleep on the couch or crawl in with you later.” I shrugged. “Whichever.”

Biting into her juicy tomato, Amber nodded. I waited until she finished and went to bed before pulling out the Doritos and a can of Diet Coke and settling in to work on my notecards for the conferences the following day. These notes weren’t going to write themselves, and I didn’t trust myself enough to remember every important detail about every last kid in my class off the top of my head. While they were generally well-behaved, there were a few … quirks some had that needed attention brought to them. The sooner the better.

For example, Jada’s temper. She was an angel when she got her way, but quickly stripped her disguise when she didn’t. She’d gotten into more than one fight since the beginning of the school year. I’d sent letters home. In fact, I’d sent multiple letters home for multiple students, but never heard anything in return, so I definitely needed to bring that up.

Grabbing another notecard I quickly jotted it down.

“What else? What else?” I tapped my chin with my pen before pressing it back down onto the notecard.

What I once considered a generally well-behaved first grade class no longer seemed it the more notes I made.

Bobby lied about everything and rarely ever listened.

Max doodled on the desks and defaced others’ property.

Molly continuously lifted her skirt. And her twin brother Marty dropped his pants on a regular basis.

“I work with nightmares.” Sticking a Dorito in my mouth, I chewed slowly. “They are absolute little terrors.”

My revelation came with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had based my decision to become a teacher solely on the fact that that was what my mother always wanted to be. Instead she married rich and lived vicariously through me. I thought being a teacher was what I wanted until I realized what a responsibility it all was. That the kids weren’t as malleable as I thought they would be. And more often than not their parents just didn’t seem to care. What was I supposed to do with that?

Setting my notes aside, I closed my eyes and massaged the bridge of my nose. All this thinking was giving me a headache and making it a little hard to breathe. Grabbing my sweater off the back of the couch, I made my way outside to get some fresh air. The plan was to sit on my front porch swing and try not to think, but I took the stairs instead, heading over to my neighbor’s when I found his truck sitting in the driveway and him rocking in his chair.