A New Arrival in Port Berry (Port Berry #4)

Chapter 1

Spencer

‘Lobster? You’re allergic to lobster?’ Spencer Jordan frowned at the boy gazing up at him.

‘I had it on a cruise ship last year, and Mum said my cheeks turned pink.’

Spencer scribbled in his notebook. ‘I’ll make a note. Anything else, Leo?’

Leo pushed the dangling cord of his red cape into the corner of his mouth as he shook his head.

That was a relief. Being placed in charge of three ten-year-old boys with anxiety was going to be tough enough, without adding allergic reactions into the mix. Spencer was pretty sure Leo wouldn’t come across any lobsters while out and about earning Sunshine badges.

Spencer’s new setup at the Sunshine Centre to help build confidence was off to a good start, and he was so pleased some of the kids there had agreed to his idea, thinking it fun.

The woman in charge of the centre, Debra, smiled warmly as Spencer glanced her way. He hadn’t long joined as a health care worker, helping to mentor children, and couldn’t help out full-time due to his work commitments at his flower shop. He sighed inwardly, wishing he could help the children lose their anxieties straight away, but he knew it would be a process. Even though he was soon to turn thirty-six, he could still remember the fears he had as a child, especially when he was placed into the care system.

Spencer had yet to learn everything about the kids under his watch, knowing only some parts of their backstories and concerns. One thing he did know for certain was, children needed support, and that was something he could offer buckets of. They had joined the respite centre to help bring them peace, and Spencer was keen to be part of their healing.

‘I’ll leave you to it,’ said Debra quietly, her bright eyes offering reassurance.

‘What colour are the badges?’ asked Leo, still chewing on his cape.

Spencer’s plan was to get his friend Luna to rustle up some on her sewing machine. He glanced around at the array of colours in the arts and crafts room where they sat. ‘All different.’

Leo looked over at the accordion doors that led to a large patio in the back garden, where a small nature reserve resided along with an allotment. ‘Will any involve nature?’

‘I like nature,’ said Jax, his dark eyes only focused on Leo.

Spencer nodded at the boy while putting his notebook away in his brown satchel his sister had bought for him for his new job. Lottie was extremely proud of him the day he came clean about his secret studies in mental health care for children. He’d kept his evening course to himself, letting people think he was doing what he used to do with his life: hitting the town most nights just to have one-night stands. He just wasn’t comfortable letting anyone know his plans until he had them set in stone. It was a new chapter in his life, and he wanted to enter it gently, without fuss.

He turned to the third boy in his care. ‘What about you, Ryan? Any badges you’re looking forward to receiving?’

Ryan shrugged. ‘As long as it’s not swimming,’ he mumbled.

Leo flapped a corner of his cape so it covered part of Ryan’s knee. ‘Wish I could swim.’

Jax wrinkled his nose. ‘You go on cruises with your mum every year.’

‘I’m not in the sea. I’m on the ship.’

That didn’t seem to help Jax. ‘What if you fall in?’

Leo’s grey-blue eyes held the softest of smiles. ‘A mermaid would save me.’

Jax scoffed as Ryan frowned. ‘You don’t actually believe they exist, do you?’

‘Have you ever seen one?’

‘No, but—’

Leo interrupted his friend. ‘Then how would you know?’

Ryan grinned.

‘We can start earning badges today if you like,’ said Spencer, interrupting the conversation he knew was about to go off in all directions.

‘I don’t mind.’ Leo shrugged at Jax. ‘If it’s easy.’

Spencer glanced around the room, thinking it best to start where they were. ‘Arts and crafts badge.’

The boys visibly relaxed, making Spencer realize he had his work cut out for him when it came to taking them outside their comfort zones.

Ryan pointed at the easels. ‘Can we paint? I love painting.’

It was a good start, so Spencer agreed and watched as the boys went about their business quietly. It was nice seeing them at peace, even more so feeling his own serenity. He was pleased he had made the decision to finally do something else with his life. It took his sister getting knocked off her bicycle a couple of years back and ending up in a wheelchair to change his mindset. His poor excuse for a life couldn’t continue down mundane roads. He couldn’t keep blaming his childhood for his misery.

‘I’m going to draw a picture for my aunt,’ said Leo. ‘She’s always at our house. Mum says she needs cheering up.’

‘Why is she sad?’ asked Jax.

Leo raised a pencil to his sheet of plain white paper. ‘I don’t know. I heard them say something about her husband, a secretary, and a cliché, but I don’t know what that means.’ He glanced up at Spencer. ‘Mum said you lived with your aunt.’

Just the thought of Rebecca made Spencer smile. What a godsend she had been in his life. ‘That’s right. When I was your age.’

Ryan frowned. ‘Why did you live with your aunt?’

‘His parents were sent to prison,’ said Jax, shading in the tail of an aeroplane.

Spencer wasn’t that surprised. Most knew his backstory, as it was big news at the time. Still, he didn’t think it appropriate for grown-ups to fill the lads with such old stories or any part of his story.

‘What’s it like in prison?’ asked Leo.

‘Don’t know. I’ve never been,’ replied Spencer, pondering over how to change the subject. It was obvious the boys would be curious about him, but some things weren’t meant for small ears. ‘So, how are we all getting on?’ he asked joyfully, raising his tone a notch too high.

Ryan gestured at his outline of a nearby flower arrangement. ‘Mine’s okay.’

It was more than okay. Impressive to say the least. Spencer encouraged him to continue, then sent a quick text to his friend Alice to ask her to remind her grandmother to make a start on those Sunshine badges, seeing how Luna rarely used a phone, let alone read text messages.

It was February, and Spencer and the boys had a busy year ahead. After being bullied at school, Leo needed to be able to trust more kids than just Jax and Ryan, Jax had to start talking to people outside his circle, and Ryan had dropped out of swimming competitions because he had started to freeze with nerves at the start of each race, so he wanted a break from the pool.

‘When do we get our badge, Captain Spencer?’ asked Leo.

‘End of the week.’ He was sure Luna would get her friends on the case if she couldn’t manage a whole heap of badges in a short time. ‘And just call me Spencer.’

‘I think we could have a mermaid one,’ said Leo, pushing his silver round glasses up his button nose. ‘You said we could help choose badge ideas.’

Spencer nodded. ‘Yep.’

Jax didn’t look best pleased. ‘You want us to go looking for mermaids?’

Leo shook his head. ‘No. It can be our magical badge.’

Jax still looked confused. ‘What are we going to do that’s magical?’

‘My mum said it would be magical if I went back to school.’

‘So what does that mean for me?’ asked Jax.

Leo offered a warm smile. ‘You can get yours when you buy some sweets.’

Jax broke the tip of his pencil on the easel, he’d pressed it that hard. ‘You want me to shop?’

Leo turned to Spencer. ‘That’s why we’re here, isn’t it? My mum said Jax has to talk to people.’ He looked back at his friend. ‘It’s easy, Jax. You just go to the counter and speak.’

‘It’s easy to go to school, Leo, but you’re home-schooled, so why don’t you just walk through the school gates like the rest of us have to?’ Jax huffed, flopping back into his chair.

‘It’s all right, Jax,’ said Ryan softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. ‘My coach says it’s mind over matter.’

Jax frowned. ‘Then how come you don’t race anymore?’

Ryan sighed. ‘I’m not sure I want to swim, but my mum wants me to. It’s my talent, and she says I shouldn’t waste it.’

That was a lot of insight for Spencer. He stepped closer to Jax. ‘We won’t be rushing into anything here. In fact, we’re not even going to think about swimming or schools or speaking to people we don’t know. All we’re going to do is learn some new skills, have a bit of fun, and take each badge as it comes. Like right now. Let’s get these pictures ready to take home later.’

Jax went back to his easel, but the atmosphere had changed in the room, and Spencer knew the boys were nervous again.

‘We’ll even go camping one day,’ he added, hoping it might light a spark.

Leo was the first to smile. ‘Like proper Scouts?’

Spencer nodded. ‘Of course. We’re the Sunshine Centre. We even offer rock climbing.’

That perked Jax up. ‘I want to go rock climbing. Will it be as high as a mountain?’

‘Probably not,’ replied Spencer, pleased to see the mood lift.

‘Can we do photography?’ asked Ryan, hazel eyes fixed on his picture.

‘Don’t see why not.’ Spencer already knew that Ryan’s dad worked away a lot as a wildlife photographer, so he could see why the boy would be interested in such an activity.

‘And dig for fossils,’ said Leo, flapping his cape over one shoulder.

‘We can do that over the road from my shop in Port Berry.’ Spencer mentally searched the harbour, figuring out the best section for the task.

‘Or here in Penzance,’ said Jax, pushing his dark hair out of his smiling eyes.

‘We can explore both places.’ Spencer beamed on the inside at their enthusiasm. ‘And while we’re near my shop, you can earn a badge for flower arranging.’

It didn’t hold quite the same level of excitement as the fossils, but still, it was something Spencer always found calmed him, so it was something to add to the growing list.

Debra appeared, waving him over. ‘How’s it going?’

Now the boys were talking activities, rather than about prison or anxieties, he felt it was going quite well. Raking a hand through his copper locks, he smiled. ‘Good.’

They both knew it wouldn’t always be that way, as life at the large building designed especially for people with disabilities, those in need of emotional support, and anyone wanting respite often had its hiccups along the way. Both Spencer and Debra knew the lads weren’t entering some sort of get-well-quick scheme. The whole centre was created to help and calm, not pile on pressure. There was even a sensory room and soft play area.

Leo, Jax, and Ryan had willingly joined Spencer’s badge scheme, and he was on a mission to help keep them grounded at all times while reducing their anxiety levels as best he could through the art of fun. There wasn’t an endgame as such. Just time with someone understanding and compassionate, like his aunt had been. He’d made a plan, hit the ground running, and was already off to a great start. Yep, this year was going to be all about peace, balance, and harmony.