Chapter 10
Blue watched the crew pull into the station parking lot from the break room where he was having coffee and filling out paperwork. Unfortunately, it was too late to call in sick.
“You’re up, Blumenthal.” Lieutenant Torres dropped a production schedule on the table beside his coffee. “Make the department look good.”
“I wasn’t the only one on that calendar. Isn’t there someone else who could do this?”
“So noted. They’re setting up in the lot, so go introduce yourself.”
He hadn’t finished his coffee, so Blue took his cup with him. It was a new one Jo had given him before their relationship blew up.
He walked outside to meet the team he would spend the day with. The producer was a fast-talking woman named Danice who shook Blue’s hand, looked him over, and said, “This will be great. You look even better in person, but you need some makeup.”
“No, I don’t.”
She sized him up from under the brim of her baseball cap. “But we brought a makeup artist for you.”
“I don’t wear makeup.”
“Powder would help.” When he didn’t reply, she shrugged. “We’ll try to work without it.”
Danice barked directions to her team. One assistant took photos of him while another crew member clipped a wireless microphone to his collar, making him feel as if he were being monitored.
A large cameraman named Luis would follow him.
A second camera operator would shoot what Danice called a B-roll of the island.
“All you have to do is pretend we’re not here,” she said as Luis began filming.
They started with his patrol route. Luis rode beside him, filming, while Blue drove down Orange Avenue, past the marina, and along the beachfront. He kept both hands on the wheel and his mouth shut.
“Can you tell us what you’re looking for?” Danice asked through a walkie-talkie in the van behind them. “Narrate a little. We need something other than visuals.”
“I’m watching for anything unusual.”
“Perfect. Can you say that line again in a more conversational tone?”
He did it, but he felt like an idiot.
“Now let’s get the flavor of the beach life,” Danice said.
Blue pulled over by the beach and refilled his coffee cup from his thermos for another jolt to get through this. He looked at the cup in his hand, thinking about Jo. He got out of the car, still holding the cup.
They filmed him leaning against the squad car, strolling along the boardwalk, and scanning the beach. A tourist recognized him from last year’s calendar and wanted a photo with him. Luis filmed while Blue stood there like a man in a lineup.
He simply had to endure it.
Next, Luis shot footage of him by a colorful food truck near the pier.
The server shouted to her coworker that the calendar cop was at her window. Luis adjusted his angle. Blue was so self-conscious, he knew his ears were turning red.
That would show up on TV. Maybe he should have had makeup.
“We need to film a traffic stop,” Danice said after that.
Blue was confused. “Like a set-up?”
“No, a real one,” Danice said. “Catch someone doing something illegal. Viewers will love that. Be sure to flash your lights.”
He hated this, but orders were orders, ridiculous as they were. Blue drove to a stop sign that people often rolled through for better visibility and parked on the cross street, partly camouflaged behind a shrub.
“How long will this take?” Danice asked.
“That depends on how eager people are to break the law today.” Blue twisted his mouth to one side, trying to stay patient. After a few minutes, a car slowed but didn’t come to a full stop.
“Here we go.” Blue turned on his flashing lights, and the driver pulled to one side. He stepped out and approached the rental car, going through the motions.
The couple that eased through the stop sign were visiting from Arizona.
“Welcome to Crown Island,” Blue said, writing a warning ticket. “We have many tourists like yourselves who aren’t familiar with the roads. You’ll see folks walking in the street and riding bikes, so keep your eyes on the road.”
The woman leaned across her husband. “Aren’t you that Crown Island calendar cop? I saw you on the town’s social media.”
Blue turned up a corner of his mouth. “Guilty as charged.”
“Are we being recorded?” the man asked, spying Luis.
“It’s for a news piece. The producer probably wants your consent,” he added, gesturing toward Danice. “This is just a warning ticket, by the way.”
“How exciting,” the woman said. “By the way, are you single? We have three daughters you might like.”
“I’m afraid that’s more than I can handle, ma’am.”
The woman persisted. “The oldest one is very pretty. I can show you a photo.”
“Sorry, I’m taken,” Blue said, wondering if that was still true.
By noon, Danice had what she wanted, and Blue had a headache. He returned to the station and handed over the microphone. He’d done his duty.
Now that his shift was over, he sat in his cruiser thinking about Jo.
She’d asked him straight out about their future. He’d choked on his words, not because he didn’t want to be together, but because he wanted their engagement to be special.
Romantic. An event to remember.
It sounded silly, even to him, but he wanted to do the asking, just as his father had proposed to his mother. Maybe that was old-fashioned, but that’s who he was. One day, he wanted to tell that story to his son—or his daughter—and have them be proud of him.
He couldn’t explain any of that without sounding like a caveman.
So he’d said the wrong thing, and Jo had walked out. And now, the woman he loved could barely tolerate him.
Worse, Rocky Bay was making his move.
Blue hit the steering wheel. How did he get himself into this mess?
More than a week had passed since the filming, and Blue still couldn’t get time with Jo unless he stopped by the diner. She was usually busy or called away by Candy. Blue figured Jo had set up a warning system for his arrival.
She was smart like that.
Today, Blue’s shift had just finished when his phone buzzed, and he glanced at it. An unknown Chicago area code appeared on the screen.
“Not now,” he muttered to himself, sending the call to voicemail.
He waited. When his phone dinged, he opened the message to play it.
It was Tyrone Jackson, his former lieutenant and now commander. Blue had once served under him. Ty had also been a childhood friend of his older brother Charles and had been one of his pallbearers.
His voice crackled to life on the recording.
“Blue, you old Hollywood sell-out. I saw a clip of you on a reality TV show ad. The island life looks good on you, but I could use you here in Chicago. I’ve got an opening for someone to work on high-profile cases, and I’m desperate to fill the spot.
I can’t hire you as a lateral transfer, but I can pull some strings to get you a sweet deal. Call me so we can talk.”
High-profile cases. That’s what Charles had done.
When Blue lived in Chicago, he never thought he’d leave.
He hadn’t planned to stay on Crown Island when he arrived.
He only needed to clear his head. A year, maybe two, he thought, so he took a civilian position in the police department at first. Soon, the island began to feel like home, especially when he met Jo.
He completed the entry requirement and started over as a rookie on the island police force.
He drove home to change for a run on the beach.
As he was about to walk out the door in his new running shoes, the phone rang again. This time, it was his mother. He picked up right away.
“Hi, Ma. Are you okay?”
She seemed bright and happy when she replied, but then she managed a small cough. “I’ll probably be okay, that is. This cough could be anything, you know.”
He wondered about that. “What’s up?”
“Tyrone’s wife told me about the television show, and she sent an ad for it to me. I couldn’t be prouder of you. My son, a TV star.”
“Chief’s orders. It’s one segment, and I’m not doing any more.”
“You look just like your father in that. And your brother, of course. So handsome.”
Blue placed his hands on the kitchen counter, stretching his calves. Through the window, he could see others jogging on the sand at the end of Summer Street.
“Have you heard anything from Ty lately?”
“Ma, what did you do?”
“Nothing. Ty called me to see if you might want to come home. He said there’s a position for you.”
“Ma,” he began, but she seemed determined to get her point across.
“There are people here who love you, Blue. Your sisters, their boys. They ask about their uncle constantly.”
“I have people here, too.” Though he wasn’t sure he deserved any of them.
“Not family. There’s nothing like family.” When he didn’t respond, her attitude shifted. “Will you at least think about it?”
He promised before he hung up. His mother wasn’t alone. Besides his sisters and their husbands and children, she had brothers and sisters and their children who lived there. Blue could hardly keep up with the proliferation of cousins.
Standing in the kitchen, he turned the choice over in his mind.
The anchor pillow still rested on his couch. He’d left the fairy lights that Jo liked on the patio. Maybe he should take them down. He couldn’t look at them without hearing her words ring in his ears.
Do you want to spend your future with me or not?
He flung open the door and took off at a fast pace.
With so much on his mind, he ran farther than he’d planned, his guilt and failures pushing him hard until his heart felt it might explode. He slowed only when he neared the Majestic to avoid the children scampering across the path.
“Why, Blue, you’re quite far from home.”
Ella sat on a bench at the edge of the path. She wore a linen outfit and looked like she was dressed for dinner.
He slowed to a stop and wiped sweat from his brow, feeling light-headed. “Guess I needed a long run.”
Ella furrowed her brow in alarm. “You look overheated. Come sit with me and rest. You should have water with you.”
Without waiting for a response, she signaled a pool attendant for water. Everyone knew Ella at the Majestic. She pressed her fingers to his wrist, taking his pulse. “Put your head between your legs if you feel dizzy.”
He didn’t object. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees and dropping his head.
Ella finished taking his pulse and seemed satisfied. “I’m waiting for Whitley, but he’s been detained. So I have a few minutes to sit with you.”
The attendant delivered two water bottles from the poolside chilly bin. She opened one and handed it to him. “Drink, but don’t guzzle.”
Blue followed her directions. When his heartbeat sufficiently returned to normal, he thanked her.
“Some people need looking after, and I don’t mind doing it,” she said. “Now, how are you and Jo?”
She was direct; he’d give her that. Blue pressed a hand to his neck, embarrassed. “Worse, I’m afraid. I’ve really messed up.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“How does everyone—”
She handed him the second bottle of water. “Small island, dear. What happened?”
He opened the water and sipped more slowly this time, realizing he might have passed out if she hadn’t been there. “Essentially, she beat me to the proposal. She asked me if I wanted a future with her, and I couldn’t answer.”
“Why do you think that was?”
“Because things are complicated.”
“That’s an overused word, dear. Life is complicated. You need to ask yourself why you’re uncomfortable making that decision. But don’t talk right now—keep hydrating.”
Feeling the heat behind her words, Blue took another swig. He was at her mercy.
Ella continued, “What I see is a woman who loves you enough to put her pride on the line and ask you one of the most difficult questions a woman can ask. We’re socialized to believe that’s a man’s position to ask, not that I’m saying it is.”
Realizing that, he nodded slowly.
“Maybe your family wants you to return?”
“You’ve read my mind.” Blue nodded, finding his voice again. “I’ve also been offered a good position in Chicago.”
“Then you’re at a crossroads. You’ll have to decide which life you want.”
“It’s not that easy.” He drew a hand across his face. “My mother lost a son, and I feel like it’s time for me to fill in for my brother.”
“But you will lose Jo if you don’t act soon. Which life do you want? I doubt you can have both.”
The question hit him hard, and he had no answer.
Whitley approached them on the path. He spotted Blue and raised an eyebrow at Ella.
“We’ve just had a good talk,” Ella said, rising. “Maybe we could drop Blue off at his house on our way to the dance.”
“Thanks, but I’m fine now,” Blue said. “I’ll take a shortcut and walk through town.”
“Take more water with you,” Ella said, motioning to the pool attendant again.
Blue thanked Ella and watched her and Whitley stroll toward the parking area.
They made it look so easy.
Blue made his way home. Once inside, he went to his dresser and opened the top drawer. The velvet box was where he’d left it, buried under his board shorts. He picked it up and held it.
He’d imagined giving it to her at Glacier Point, surrounded by mountains, waterfalls, and magnificent vistas. They’d feel like they were on top of the world, together.
He was probably too fixated on that. His phone buzzed. It was Jackson again.
Don’t leave me hanging, kid. I need an answer soon.
Blue tucked the velvet box back into the drawer.
He turned off the light and lay in the dark, listening to the waves through the open window and wishing he could preview each option.