Chapter 14
Reaching the downtown post office, Harlow dropped the mail in the outgoing bin and made a beeline for the gift card rack.
She perused the array of cards, searching for the perfect thank you for Arlen.
He’d mentioned how he enjoyed hunting and fishing, so she grabbed a sporting goods gift card for a store in Mackinaw City and carried it to the counter.
Dawn, the postmaster and clerk, dropped the stack of mail she stood sorting. “Hey, Harlow,” she cheerfully greeted her. “You’re back.”
“For a few weeks, and then I’m off again.”
The woman leaned an elbow on the counter. “To somewhere exotic and exciting, I hope.”
“Oh, yes. It’s uber-exciting.”
“Hawaii? Europe? Iceland?”
“Pittsburgh.”
Dawn wrinkled her nose. “Pittsburgh doesn’t sound very exciting to me.”
Harlow grinned. “I was joking. It’s not, but it is close to home, which means I don’t have to fly halfway around the world to get there.”
“Good point.” She leaned in and whispered in a low voice. “What’s the name of the movie?”
“Steel City Wishes.” Harlow gave her a brief synopsis of the story.
“Sounds like a chick flick.”
“One hundred percent.”
“So, you have a hottie love interest, I’m guessing.”
“Derrick Flynn.”
Dawn’s expression grew dreamy. “You lucky duck. I’m in love with him.”
“You can have him.”
Her dreamy look vanished. “Please don’t burst my bubble and tell me he prefers men, not women.”
Harlow giggled. “No. He likes the ladies. He’s a nasty person and rude.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep. He can be difficult to work with.” Which was somewhat of an understatement.
The guy was a major jerk, yet his fans swooned over him.
Flynn, a good-looking smooth talker, knew how to turn on the charm, at least in public.
Behind the scenes, he was an unpleasant person.
The only reason the studios put up with him was that he attracted female moviegoers who showed up at theaters solely to watch him… in droves.
Despite his box office draw, those “in the biz,” other actors with clout, refused to work with Flynn.
“Bummer. I guess I’ll have to find a new hunk to become fixated on.”
The comment made Harlow smile even more. Dawn, a no-nonsense, straight shooter who didn’t sugarcoat anything, didn’t strike her as the type to fangirl over someone. “I’ll try to catch him in a more pleasant moment and get you an autograph.”
“Would you?” Dawn clasped her hands. “You made my day. Thank you.”
“I haven’t done anything yet. Like I said, Flynn can be moody and difficult, but I’ll do my best.” Harlow placed the gift card on the counter.
Dawn scanned it. “Do you need stamps?”
“I could probably use some, but it’s more fun to swing by and visit when I need to mail stuff.”
“This is a great sporting goods store.” Dawn handed her the card and receipt. “My son loves this place.”
“Hopefully Arlen at the bike shop will like it too.”
“Arlen?”
“He fixed my bike tire and refused to let me pay him. I figured he wouldn’t be able to refuse a gift card.”
“He’s a great kid who has had a tough go of it.”
Harlow slipped the card into her backpack. “What happened?”
“You haven’t heard?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Arlen lived on the mainland, in St. Ignace, with his parents until a few years ago.”
“What happened?”
“It’s a sad situation.”
“They died?”
“Almost as bad. They’re both drug addicts who abandoned him. His Uncle Joe…Joe London, took custody of Arlen.”
“How awful. Does he have any contact with them?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” Dawn said. “Joe’s a good guy and it’s worked out well. Arlen helps him at the bike shop, making a little extra money although I’m sure it’s tight at times. We don’t have much bike business here on the island during the winter months.”
Harlow stared at Dawn, the pieces falling into place. The teen hadn’t enrolled in college because he didn’t have the money. “Arlen mentioned wanting to go to trade school up at Northern Michigan University.”
“He’s a smart kid.” She tapped the side of her forehead. “He’ll probably have to get a student loan and end up in debt to his eyeballs. I’m not sure if you noticed, but Arlen has a slight learning impairment.”
“No, I hadn’t.”
“Dyslexia. According to Joe, it got worse after his parents abandoned him. He also developed a slight stutter.”
Harlow’s heart pinched at the thought of what poor Arlen had gone through, basically losing both parents. She had no doubt Dawn was right and money was tight, especially during the off-season.
A plan began to form in her mind. Her young friend would attend Northern Michigan University and follow his dream. She would make sure of it.
“You know what Dawn?” She glanced at her watch. “I’m glad you told me this because Arlen is going to go to college and he won’t have to pay a single penny. I’m funding his education.”
The woman blinked rapidly. “Bless your generous soul, Harlow.”
She held a finger to her lips. “Don’t tell anyone.”
“I won’t breathe a word. I don’t care what the fuddy-duddies around here say. Mackinac Island became an even better place the day you came back.”