The Hero (8 page)

When Devon found out Ray Anne was a real estate agent, she said, “I’ve been very happy staying with Rawley, but I’d really like to have my own place. And I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

“Yeah, I bet old Rawley is just hats and horns all the time,” Ray Anne said.

Devon laughed. “He’s actually a gem.”

“Talks your ear off, does he?”

“One-on-one, he has plenty to say,” Devon said. “And he promises we’re not in his way and that we can stay as long as we like, but I think Rawley would like having his house back. Even though we’re comfortable there, I’d like to be closer to Dr. Grant’s practice and Gabriella. In fact, just about every street in town is close enough to be able to walk to and from work—that would be so nice. I just don’t have much money. Do you ever come across a room for rent? Or a garage apartment? Maybe furnished? Or anything like that?”

“Not often. But I’ll put the word out. What can you afford?”

She shook her head. “So little,” she said. “A few hundred?”

Ray Anne said, “Whew. That’s going to limit the possibilities.”

“I have no furniture,” Devon said. And rather than explain how she’d been living, she simply said, “I left everything behind, just so I could get out.”

“Hmm, I did that once,” Ray Anne said. “My first husband. I was young, he was a real ass with a drinking problem and I needed to get that behind me. I asked for nothing—I just signed everything and ran for my life. I had to start over. It wasn’t easy but, once I was on my feet, everything was mine.”

Devon was quiet for a minute. Then she said, “First husband?”

“I had three of them. The first one was a drunk, the second was much older and more stable, and he was controlling to the point of being abusive, and the last? Twenty years older than I was and cheating with every young thing he could round up. He had a lot of money so all the girls in their twenties were lining up to give him a go. But, after the first marriage, I never left with nothing again. I figured out a few things. Now I at least have a nest egg.”

“Wow,” Devon said. “Just when you think you’re the only one in the world who had lousy luck with men...”

That made Ray Anne laugh. “Well, don’t believe everything you hear, but I’ve also had some good luck here and there. Maybe it didn’t pan out to be happily-ever-after in the white picket fence ideal, but I had good times with good fellas. So—how’d you get hooked up with Mr. Louse?”

“Oh, that,” she said. “I might as well have been wearing a sign that said, ‘Hi, my name is Devon and I have nothing, no family and my self-esteem is at its lowest ever.’”

“That’ll do it,” Ray Anne said.

Then, in the second week in July Ray Anne called Devon and said, “There’s a duplex at the end of Sarah’s street. It’s for rent. It’s small—only two bedrooms. And I’ll warn you right now—it needs a lot of love. But it’s only four-fifty a month. And everything in it works—appliances, wiring, plumbing. I might be able to talk the landlord into a few improvements, but he’s stubborn. He just wants to forget it’s there, which is why I handle the rental for him.”

“I want to see it,” Devon said instantly.

The duplex was located on one of the higher elevation streets in Thunder Point. The street itself was a bit of a mixed bag with a few large homes along with many that were small and old. Some of the properties were pristine and fussy while others had been left to ruin. The duplex, unfortunately, was one of the latter. There were weeds in the yard, cracked and broken sidewalks and the place had a neglected air about it. There was a broken-down overhang at the front of the house and the view from there was beautiful—Devon could see the entire bay and the mountains beyond. There was a speck off in the distance—that would be Cooper’s place.

“That’s a little scary,” Devon said, pointing to the overhang.

“One of the things I think I could get repaired, if only to avoid a lawsuit.”

If the outside looked bad, the inside was a disaster. Trash, peeling paint, holes in the walls—mostly from doorknobs that hit the walls when the doors had been swung wide. A few walls showed signs of suspicious holes—as if someone had thrown something or punched them. “Who lived here?” Devon asked.

“Four nineteen-year-old boys who had to be evicted. Mr. Dunwoody—and the neighbors—would like a quieter tenant next time around.”

“And who lives on the other side?”

“Mrs. Marissa Bledsoe, an elderly widow, a little on the weak and wobbly side. She can’t handle much in the way of upkeep, but she’s pleasant and good-natured.”

Devon looked at the filth, the scarred hardwood floors and the chipped and peeling paint. The place even had a bit of a smell to it, of what, she wasn’t sure. The bathroom was a horror—there was a shower curtain that was disgusting and the tub and tiles were filthy. The toilet was older than she was, and there was a large chip in the porcelain tub.

The kitchen was almost as bad. Fortunately the newest item was the refrigerator and since the electricity had been left on, it was only dirty. Nothing had been left to rot.

Behind her Ray Anne was saying, “I know you left your things behind but I can help you find inexpensive secondhand items. Once the floors are scrubbed clean, they’ll be safe, but you’ll need area rugs—this place gets pretty chilly in winter.”

“Will he paint and repair the walls?”

“He says if he has to put any work into it, he wants seven hundred.”

“What about the damaged overhang?” Devon asked.

“I think I can talk him into that—it looks dangerous. And the agreement reads that if anything doesn’t work or leaks, he has to replace or repair it. But it’s four-fifty, as is. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have wasted your time. It’s horrible.”

Devon had been thinking about the layout—a small but functional kitchen, a good-size living room with a pretty little fireplace, two nice-size bedrooms and a rather large, disgusting bathroom. And a view to die for.

“I think it’s beautiful. I’ll take it!”

Six

M
idafternoons on a weekday were a quiet time at Cooper’s. Perfect time to have a little sit-down, and Landon and Spencer were asked to join Cooper and Sarah for a talk. Rawley passed the four of them as they were seated around a table on the deck and he headed back to his kitchen.

“You’re welcome to join us if you want the latest news,” Cooper said to him. “We’re having a status update meeting.”

“I don’t do meetings. It ain’t in my contract. I’ll tend bar and serve. Anyone want anything?”

“I’m good,” Spencer said, wondering what this meeting was all about.

“I’ll have a Coke, Rawley,” Landon said.

“’S’at right?” he said, and went inside. But he didn’t come back.

“How’d that work out for you?” Cooper asked with a laugh.

“You need better help around here.” Landon leaned back in his chair lazily. “Just give us the update,” he said. “And be sure you clock my time.”

Cooper looked at Sarah. “Do we have to be married before I can cuff him?” he asked.

But Landon got a wop on the back of the head from Spencer. “I don’t have to marry anyone to do that. I’m his new coach. Now can we get to it? Please?”

“All right, we’re getting married,” Cooper said.

“We know this already, Cooper,” Spencer replied.

“Soon. Two weeks from Saturday. Carrie said she’d cater a party right here—could be very nice. We’ll have a quiet ceremony out on the beach,” he said, taking Sarah’s hand. “Then have a little sunset party on the deck, on the dock, on the beach.”

“How lovely,” Landon said, bored to tears.

“Landon, how would you like your own home?” Sarah asked him.

“So you’re moving out on me instead of moving Cooper in with us?” he asked.

“Something like that,” Cooper said. “We’ve been knocking around plans for the past couple of weeks. Sarah’s going to be flying the rest of the summer. At least that’s the way it looks right now. But she’s short—her schedule is already lightening up and they have a brand-spanking-new Lieutenant Commander on his way in to take over most of her duties. So we started talking to builders. And we’re going to build. Right there,” he said, pointing to the steep hill next door to the bar. “Nice big picture window, big deck, stairs to the beach, big kitchen. We’ll be excavating around the lot, making room.”

“You’re going to
disturb
the wildlife?” Landon asked. Cooper had been trying to respect the wishes of the departed friend who had left him the beachfront property; Ben had wanted the promontory on the other side of the bar left to the birds and flora—a natural preserve.

“The land between me and Thunder Point doesn’t have any wildlife except beetles on it,” Cooper said. “I’m going to develop it. At least some of it. I have to—I need a couple of decent roads. That’s the price of a house. And I want a house.” He reached for Sarah’s hand. “Sarah’s going along with me on this, at least until she figures out what she wants to do. While she’s having a little time off to think, she’s going to be a general contractor. She’s going to help me build us a house.”

There was quiet for a few moments and then it was Spencer who broke the silence. He cleared his throat. “I couldn’t be happier for you both, but what does this have to do with me?”

“You’ve been hunting for a house,” Cooper said. “You hoped to get into something with a bigger kitchen and bathroom before football practice started and you ran out of time to look. I think we can help with that. Consider it another temporary situation, but Sarah’s place won’t move in the wind, it’s in town, and it’s small but nice.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Wait a minute,” Landon said. “I might get enough of Spencer at practice, no offense.”

“No offense taken,” Spencer said. “You’re not my dream roommate, either.”

“Landon, let’s talk about you having your own place,” Sarah suggested.

Landon sat up straighter, but suspiciously. And hopefully. “Like an apartment?”

“Like the toy hauler, where Spencer and Austin have been staying.”

He glanced at it, thought for a moment. “Hot! Can I move it? Like somewhere
else?
”

“No,” they said in unison.

He slunk back down in his chair. “Well, it’s better than sleeping in the same place with you two, I guess.” He glanced at Spencer. “They’re embarrassing.”

“You poor abused thing,” Sarah said. “You have a terrible life. Your big sister is going to know how late you stay out and how many people you have in your ‘apartment’ until you move away. I don’t know how you will live.”

“Spence, why don’t you and Sarah run over to her house, take a look,” Cooper said. “It might not be what you want long-term, but while you’re still trying to figure out if this is the right town and school for you, it might just work. It’s close to everything. Drop-dead view of the bay.”

“I’ll take you over in the Razor,” Sarah said. “It’s on a month-to-month lease and it’s cheap. Three bedrooms, but the third is like a closet—only big enough for a small bed or a desk and a shelf. I’ve been using that room to store boxes of stuff I have no room for.”

“Now?” Spencer asked.

“Now,” she said.

“Come on, Landon,” Cooper said. “Let’s get to work.”

When everyone stood, Landon muttered, “I came this close to having a bachelor pad...”

Driving across the beach, Spencer found himself feeling guardedly optimistic about this opportunity. He’d been all over this little town. Some of the neighborhoods were quaint, some very nice, some pretty run-down and worn-out, but one thing was a constant—property didn’t become available very often. He’d looked at several rentals and even a few houses for sale, but nothing met his needs—they were either pathetic dumps or far too big and pricey for a high school football coach. And as a transplanted Texas boy, he was getting pretty well hooked on this Oregon beach and the lifestyle here.

As Sarah drove them up the hill to her house, he recognized the neighborhood. Yes, he’d driven up and down this street a few times; it was a pleasant, well-kept area—large pines behind and between the houses. Sarah’s place was one of the smallest on the block, but as they pulled up in front of it, what really caught his attention was the view from the front of the place. From right outside the front door he could see the entire bay, all the way to Cooper’s bar and beyond.

“If I were going to be here one more summer, I’d put a small patio right here,” Sarah said.

“One thing I’ve figured out about this town—it is all about the view and Cooper’s in the catbird seat. And to think he fell into it.”

“Well, want to just stand here or go inside...?” Sarah asked.

Right then Ray Anne’s car pulled up in front of the house. She rolled down the window to wave a greeting, and from the passenger side, Devon opened the door and stood in the street, waving over the top of the car. “Sarah! I found a house! Sort of! Right down the street!”

Sarah walked toward the car and Spencer found himself following. “What house?” Sarah asked.

“A duplex,” she said. “At the end of your street.”

“What duplex is that? I didn’t know anything was vacant in this neighborhood.”

“That old Dunwoody place,” Ray Anne said. “You know—it’s looking a bit...needy?”

But Devon’s face was absolutely shining. “It’s going to be beautiful!”

“There’s lots to do,” Ray Anne said. “It’s past its prime. But it’s a solid little place with a very nice neighbor.”

“There isn’t anything to do that I can’t handle,” Devon said, beaming. “I didn’t think I’d get this lucky! This fast! It’s going to be wonderful. We’re going to love it.”

Ray Anne just shook her head and laughed. “Oh, if only all my clients were this easy to please. Have a great day. We have to go find Devon a bed.”

Spencer watched as they drove away. The first time he saw Devon, he thought she was cute. As the days became weeks, she grew more beautiful to him. Striking, in fact. And that laugh—it cut right through him. He couldn’t seem to stay away from her and there was no logic to it.

He shook himself. “Let’s have a look inside, Sarah,” he said. “In case I haven’t said so, this is really nice of you.”

She unlocked the front door and entered, looking at him over her shoulder. “We have to look out for each other. We’re combining families here.”

“It’s all good,” he said. But it wasn’t all good. He had no regrets about coming to Thunder Point. It was a great move for a lot of reasons and he was more than a little anxious to meet and start working with his colleagues and the team. Everyone he knew was growing deeper connections—Austin had gained a second father and soon, a stepmom and stepbrother. Cooper had gained a son and would soon add a wife and brother to the mix. Sarah and Landon were expanding their intimate circle. But in the midst of all these people, Spencer was alone.

He missed his wife. The past few years she’d been so sick, but he often missed the girl he’d married. It had been so long since he’d seen or held that girl.

The house was unremarkable, but had so many of the things he wanted—a large kitchen, a comfortably big bathroom, a living room with a fireplace, a backyard, a view. It was a simple house. Nothing flashy. Not the kind of house one aspires to. Not what he’d build if he could. Certainly not what Cooper was going to build next to Ben & Cooper’s.

And yet it was perfect. Just what he and Austin needed.

“This is great, Sarah,” he said. “If you’re sure.”

She laughed and asked, “How many houses do I need?”

He grinned at her. “Two weeks, huh?”

“I was a hard sell,” she admitted. “But I’m ready.”

“Is Cooper trying to tie you up before you can change your mind?”

“Not exactly,” she said with a laugh. “He wants to get married on the beach before he brings heavy equipment in to excavate the hillside for building. He doesn’t really know how much of a mess that’s going to make. Getting him to wait two weeks was a challenge. Cooper’s been married in his head for a while now.”

“That’s...kinda sweet. Who would figure Cooper for sweet?” Spencer dropped a hand and gave a pat to the head of Ham, who had come to greet them. “I guess the dog won’t stay with the house?”

“Cooper would be devastated. He might be marrying me for the dog. But I assure you, some of the dog hair will probably stay with the house.”

“One phone call gets my household goods en route. You want to think about this?”

She shook her head. “I’m ready to move.”

“Where are you going to put all this stuff?” he asked.

“I’m going to store a few things, put a couple of things in the RV or Cooper’s loft apartment and then get rid of a lot. Cooper has me convinced my new house deserves some new furniture. Need anything?”

He shook his head. “I have more coming than I need as it is. Maybe we’ll have a big yard sale?”

“Maybe,” she said with a laugh.

When they were back in the Razor, he said, “Drive me past that place Devon just rented.”

“Sure. I’m curious, too. I’ve driven by it before, but never thinking it would have anything to do with me or a friend of mine.” And she whirled down the street, past a lot of perfectly lovely homes.

At the end of the street, Devon’s new place stood out like a wart on a nose. The grass was tall and mostly dead with a few green sprouts here and there. The driveway was covered in brown pine needles and the windows were streaked and filthy. The other half of the duplex was neat, except for the lawn, which was also a wreck. But the driveway on the other half was swept and the windows were clean. But that didn’t help the overall effect much. “What a dump,” he muttered.

“Holy crap,” Sarah said.

“Hold up a second,” he said.

Spencer got out and went up to the house. He cupped his hands around his face and peered inside. Then he turned back to Sarah. “Who the hell lived here? Hell’s Angels? It’s horrible,” he said. “Filthy. Holes in the walls. Stains everywhere. Cigarette butts ground into the floor. A lightbulb instead of a fixture. It looks like a crack house.”

Sarah came up beside him and pressed her face up against the front windowpane. “Ew,” she said. “She’s got her work cut out for her. It looks like a fixer-upper.”

“What the hell was she so happy about?” Spencer asked.

“Maybe this looks a lot better than what she had,” Sarah said with a shrug.

“But she’s staying with Rawley, right? And he’s a little different, but Cooper said he’s dependable and a good man even if he’s not the most talkative. And he has a good, clean, sturdy house with plenty of room for them....”

“It’s not always just about houses, Spencer. Maybe this represents more than that to her. You should ask her.”

He thought about that for a second. “Maybe,” he said. “If I run into her.”

* * *

Spencer didn’t run into her, at least not for a few days. He didn’t go by the doctor’s office or the diner. In fact, since seeing that god-awful duplex, he’d been trying not to think about her. For something like that to make her smile, to make her happy meant her previous circumstances must have been so much more pathetic than she let on. And that made him just plain
sad
. It was crazy that a beautiful young woman with an adorable little girl had escaped something bad only to land in that disgusting hovel. It amazed him to consider the idea that she might see this as breaking free.