Chapter 12
Diane sat on the terrace of her apartment over the restaurant. One of her favorite activities was watching storms come in over the ocean and then across the river. Tonight she could feel it in the air, like a warm blanket hanging over the area. This was a bad one coming in. She knew it in her bones.
The sun had long since gone down, and she could see the sky light up in the distance as lightning pierced the dark clouds over the ocean. Although she couldn’t see the beach from where she lived, she could see the clouds hanging over it and knew that was coming her way soon.
She took the last sip of her coffee and sighed. What was she going to do about her daughter? Josie had always been pigheaded and stubborn. It ran in the female DNA of their family, after all. But now, working with her at the restaurant, Diane could see so much more in her daughter.
Years of therapy and AA meetings had taught her to look past the surface emotions. Anger was almost always caused by deep-seated fear or frustration. She knew a lot of that was her fault. Josie had been so angry as a child and then as a teenager because her mother had let her down over and over. Diane had beaten herself up over it for many years until her sponsor encouraged her to forgive herself. Not forgiving herself put her sobriety in danger, and she had to give herself some grace.
Forgiving herself had taken a long time, and some days she reverted back to beating herself up, especially lately. Seeing how much her relationship with Josie as a kid had harmed her as an adult triggered a lot of feelings. Regret. Sadness. Shame. Sometimes the emotions washed over her and felt suffocating, much like the thick, warm air the impending storm was bringing.
Still, she had good memories with her daughter. Her brain hadn’t been the best given the amount of alcohol that soaked into it over the years, but she had memories nonetheless. She wondered if Josie had good memories as well, buried under all the bad ones.
She hoped to share some of those memories and reminisce with Josie one day, but she was far too afraid to try it right now. Every moment felt like walking on eggshells, and as much as she was happy to have her daughter near her again, she was exhausted from tiptoeing around.
Then there was her granddaughter, Kendra. What a beauty she was. Diane longed to get to know her better, but she had to be mindful of how Josie felt about it. She was walking a high wire each and every day, but maybe that was her penance.
Being a mother had been her dream, even as a little girl. It haunted Diane to know how badly she’d screwed it up. There was no going back and retrieving those precious moments, but maybe she could make new memories. That was her hope and prayer every single night as she knelt by her bed.
She leaned back in her chair and stared up at the stars. She missed her mom. Always her lighthouse in a storm, Adeline Campbell would’ve known what to say or do in this situation. Instead, it had taken her death just to get Josie back in Diane’s life for a measly six months.
As the storm came closer, Diane went to bed. There was no sound more soothing than thunder outside the window and rain hitting the roof. Maybe tomorrow would bring new possibilities and blessings. Wasn’t that all anyone could hope for, anyway?
* * *
Josie was exhausted as her eyes flitted open. The sun hadn’t quite risen yet, but she could see the beginnings of it between the slats of her plantation shutters. She stretched her arms above her head until they touched the headboard behind her as she stared at the ceiling fan whipping around in a circle.
Last night had been awful. Storms were the worst, as far as she was concerned. Her grandmother and her mother had always loved the sounds of thunder shaking the sky and rain falling against the roof. She, on the other hand, could do without it. She would much rather have all sunny days for the rest of her life.
She could hear Kendra getting ready for school, so that was one less thing she’d have to do. Surprisingly, her daughter was waking up on time and getting herself to school before the bell rang. Josie had a sneaking suspicion there was a boy involved, but if he was a good influence on her daughter, she was keeping her mouth firmly shut.
Before she could even sit up, her door swung open, and she was shocked to see her mother standing there. She shouldn’t have been shocked because her mother had always done crazy things. Immediately, Josie thought maybe she had been drinking again.
“What on earth are you doing in my bedroom? Talk about crossing a line!” Josie said, pulling the covers up around her neck even though she was wearing a T-shirt and pajama shorts.
“It’s an emergency!” Diane said. Josie had to admit that she looked a little frazzled. Her face was red, her hair was a mess, and she was still wearing her own pajamas. Still, many drinking binges had looked this way in the past.
“What’s going on?” Josie asked, as she slipped out from under the covers and stood up, grabbing her robe from the end of the bed and pulling it around her.
“The restaurant— The storm last night?—”
“I need you to speak in full sentences,” Josie said, getting concerned.
“The winds were a lot higher than they expected. I don’t know if it was a tree limb or what, but it hit the top of the building. There’s a big hole in the roof, and it rained in the apartment all night. I had to take shelter in the restaurant.”
“Are you telling me you slept in the restaurant all night? Why didn’t you call me?”
Diane stared at her for a moment. “I don’t have your phone number, Josie.”
“Did you call emergency services?”
“Once I could get my phone to work, I did. I hadn’t plugged it in for the night when the storm hit, and then the electricity went out. My phone was dead by the time I tried.”
“How did you get over here?”
“I walked. I’m not a spring chicken, so it took me a bit.”
“So, there’s a big hole in the roof, a bunch of water in the apartment, and probably damage to the restaurant?”
“I honestly saw nothing wrong with the restaurant, but if we don’t get that hole fixed soon, you’re probably going to have some seagulls in there, at least. Plus, I think more rain is coming this afternoon.”
Josie looked at her mother for a moment. “Are you okay?” She never thought she would hear herself ask that question of her mother, but she honestly cared. Diane looked scared and exhausted.
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice shaking. “But I no longer have a home.”
“We’ll figure that out later. I need to go talk to Walker. I think he does some contracting work, so maybe he can help us or at least recommend somebody.”
“Grandma? What are you doing here in your pajamas?” Kendra stood in the doorway of Josie’s room, her makeup half done and her hair still wet from her shower.
“The storm hit the restaurant,” Josie said. “There’s a hole in the roof.”
“Oh no. Do you want me to stay home and help?”
“No. You go on to school. We’ll handle it.”
Kendra nodded. “Okay. Sorry about your apartment, Grandma.” As she turned and walked back to her room, Josie wasn’t sure how she felt about the word Grandma. Was it okay for Kendra to trust Diane? For now, she couldn’t think about that. Her focus had to be on getting the restaurant repaired.
“Is Walker already down at the dock?” Diane asked.
Josie shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Let me throw on some clothes and walk over to the guest house.” She walked across the room and opened her closet door. “Here, you can borrow something from me if you want.”
Diane laughed. “I think I have to. This outfit isn’t exactly appropriate.”
Josie went into the bathroom and threw on the outfit she’d laid out for the day. She quickly texted Bear and told him to make a sign for the front door of the restaurant, letting people know what had happened and that they would be closed for breakfast, at least.
When she reemerged from the bathroom, her mother was standing in her room wearing one of her T-shirts and a pair of shorts.
“Is this okay?” Diane asked.
“Sure. I mean, you can’t wear it to work...”
Diane laughed. “I know, honey. I’ll grab some of my clothes when I can get back into my apartment.”
Honey? Did her mother just call her honey? It’d been many years since she’d heard her say that. “Okay. Well, I’d better go find Walker. Help yourself to some muffins in the kitchen. I bought some last night at the grocery store.”
Her mother chuckled.
“What?”
“Momma would have a fit if she knew you got store-bought muffins and put them in this house. You know how she felt about baked goods.”
The memory brought a smile to Josie’s face. “Yeah, she always said that people who didn’t bake their own cakes were probably serial killers.”
They both laughed together for a minute, and it felt kind of nice not to be at odds with her mother for a fleeting moment.
“I sure do miss her.”
Josie nodded. “I do too. There’s nobody else like her.”
As she left the room and walked downstairs, toward the back door, she heard a noise in the kitchen. To her surprise, it was Walker. He was standing there eating a muffin.
She couldn’t help but smile at how comfortable he was in her nana’s home. They had obviously been close, and she was surprised Nana never mentioned him. Her attraction to him was growing, but it was something she was having a hard time even admitting to herself. It felt like she’d known him for a long time, like he was familiar to her. But she couldn’t get that started because she was leaving in a few months.
“Excuse me, but what are you doing in my kitchen?”
“Eating a muffin,” he said with a slight smile. “I need my energy.”
“For what?”
“Fixing your restaurant?”
“How did you know?”
He popped the last bite into his mouth. “I ran into Kendra when she was leaving.” In all the hurriedness of the morning, Josie hadn’t even realized her daughter had left.
“Do you think you can help?”
“Probably. I’ve done a lot of contracting work. But I do have some boat repairs to do this week, so I’ll have to juggle a few things.”
“Why don’t we head over and survey the damage?”
“Sure. I’ll drive.”
“I can drive myself.”
“Seriously, Josie, you can’t even bring yourself to ride a few blocks with me? What do you think I’m going to do? Maul you?”
“I’m not scared of you, Walker. I just like to be...”
“In control of everything?”
She smiled. “What’s so wrong with that?”
“You don’t let people help you. You try to do it all alone. You stress yourself out when you don’t need to.”
“There you go again, thinking you know so much about me.”
He laughed as he poured himself a cup of coffee. If there was ever a magnificent invention, it was the ability to program a coffee pot to come on by itself and make morning coffee. Genius idea.
“It’s because I used to be just like you.”
“I doubt that.”
“My ex-wife cheated on me after we’d only been married a year. We were still in the honeymoon phase. I’d known her since middle school. After that, I wouldn’t trust anyone. I figured if I couldn’t trust her, who could I trust?”
“So, what happened?”
“I moved to Happy Harbor.”
“And it healed you?” she asked, rolling her eyes.
“I guess you could say that. I’d never lived in a place where people reached out and offered help. Where they smile and wave when I drive down the road. I spent years being a negative person until I moved here.”
“Eh, I guess it’s okay here,” she said, one side of her mouth raising.
“Come on, let’s go see the damage,” Walker said, shaking his head.
“I’ll see you there. I’m going to walk,” Josie said, heading toward the front door.
“You’re impossible, Josie Campbell!” he called behind her. She couldn’t help but giggle.
* * *
“So, how bad is the damage?” Scotty asked as he walked Kendra to her first class.
“I have no idea. They were leaving to check on it when I was getting ready.”
“Hope it’s not too bad.”
“Me too.”
“I have a question for you,” Scotty said, stopping in front of her locker. Kendra opened it and put her extra books inside, taking only her history book since it was her first period. When she turned around, he was holding a small teddy bear with a note card attached to it.
“What is this?”
“Here. Read the card.”
Students were bustling past them, the sound like white noise in the background. She took the small brown bear and opened the card. It simply said “Will You Go To Prom With Me?”
“Scotty...”
“I know you don’t want to date me or anything like that. I get it. I’m a weirdo. But I’d really like to have a date for my last prom. I just want the memory of it and some pictures to show my kids one day.”
She laughed. “You think way too far ahead. And why will this be your last prom? You’re only a junior.”
He looked down at his feet. “I’m graduating a year early.”
“What? Why have you never told me that?”
“People already think I’m a nerd because I make good grades.”
Kendra giggled. “People think you’re a nerd because you’re captain of the debate team and you keep announcing how many spelling bees you’ve won in your lifetime. Seriously, stop doing that.”
“You’re my best friend here. I think we’d have a good time. And remember, I’m a pretty good dancer,” he said, spinning around in Michael Jackson fashion. A group of cheerleaders laughed loudly as they passed, and Kendra felt herself wanting to chase after them.
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“I will go with you.”
He beamed. “Thank you, Kendra.”
“You don’t have to thank me, Scotty. I’d be honored to go with you,” she said, louder than she needed to. For the first time in her life, somebody needed her. She wasn’t the outcast like at her old schools. Scotty was, and she was going to protect him from feeling like she had. He was a good guy, handsome and smart. She just needed to help him see that too.
* * *
“Dear Lord. This is a lot worse than I thought,” Diane said, staring up at the ceiling. The wind had somehow blown a large tree limb straight through the room, leaving a gaping hole and bringing with it a flood of water. The carpeted floors were soaked through to the subfloor, causing a hazard above the restaurant. It looked to Josie like the ceiling could cave in at any moment.
“The furniture is ruined,” Josie said, putting her hand on the back of the sofa. It was still sopping wet, and more rain was coming. They had to get a tarp over the roof, at the very least.
“This is going to be a big job,” Walker said. “I’ll need to hire some help. If I don’t, it’ll take me weeks to get this back to normal.”
“I’ll go call the insurance company,” Josie said, starting to walk away.
“I don’t think that’s going to help.” Her mother looked nervous.
“Why?”
“Momma didn’t tell her insurance company that she made this into an apartment. She was worried her rates would go up. I don’t think they’ll cover much except maybe the hole itself.”
“Do you have renter’s insurance to cover your stuff?”
“No,” she said, softly. “I didn’t think I needed it.”
Josie ran her hand across her face, trying not to say anything ugly. This was typical of her mother. She hadn’t prepared, and now she was in a mess.
“Maybe your mother could stay at the house for a while?” Walker suddenly interjected.
Josie looked at him with anger in her eyes. “What?”
“She needs a place to stay, Josie. Happy Harbor doesn’t have a lot of rentals, and she can’t live here while I’m working on the damage.”
Diane remained noticeably quiet.
“Fine. You can stay in one of the spare rooms until this gets fixed.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
“I guess I’ll put your rent toward repairs,” Josie muttered before walking downstairs to the restaurant. Walker caught up with her while Diane trailed behind. “Take it easy on your mother,” he whispered.
“Excuse me?”
“She didn’t cause the storm, Josie.”
She continued walking. “Get me an estimate as soon as you can, okay?”
* * *
Josie stood on the Riverwalk, staring out over the water. She was restless at home and had decided to take a walk after dinner just to clear her mind.
There was so much about Happy Harbor that was the same as it had always been. Same businesses. Same sounds. Same people. Then there were differences she couldn’t put her finger on, but she felt them.
“Come back here, Finn! You come back here!” She could hear a little girl yelling long before she saw her. She came flying around the corner, her long blond hair blowing in the breeze. She must’ve been about ten years old, and she was very distraught.
“What’s going on?” Josie asked as the girl made her way to the Riverwalk. She was turning her head and looking around.
“I lost my new puppy. I was playing with him in the yard, and then he took off after something. I can’t find him anywhere!” Tears were streaming down her face.
“Take a deep breath, okay? Now, where’s your mom or dad?”
“Mom’s cooking dinner. Dad’s at work.”
“Does your mom know you’re here?”
“No. She’d be so mad if she knew Finn got away from me. I was supposed to have him on a leash, but I wanted him to have freedom to run around.”
Josie smiled. “Sometimes puppies need to learn the rules before they get freedom. The freedom is their reward. Now, where do you live?”
“I can’t go home until I find him! What if he gets hit by a car?”
“Honey, there are very few cars on the street at this hour. I’m sure he’ll turn up.”
“Can you help me find him?”
Josie wanted to go home soon. She was going to eat ice cream and watch ridiculous TV. But she couldn’t leave this little girl standing on the Riverwalk crying.
“Sure. What does he look like?”
“He’s white with brown spots, and he has a red collar.”
“Okay, let’s walk down this way,” Josie said. The little girl reached over and took her hand. It reminded her of Kendra when she was little, and emotion swept over her. She’d want someone to help her daughter in this situation.
They walked up and down the Riverwalk for a few minutes before stopping at one of the benches and sitting down.
“What if I never find Finn?” the little girl asked, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Then he’ll find you.”
She looked up at Josie. “What do you mean?”
“Finn loves you. You’re his very best friend. He will find you no matter what.”
“He will?”
“Of course! You just have to close your eyes, take a deep breath, and have faith. Can you do that?”
“I think so.” The little girl closed her eyes and sucked in a sharp breath before blowing it out. She sat there quietly for a moment and then opened her eyes, looking around. “I still don’t see him.”
“Rebecca? Where are you? Are you down here? Rebecca!” A woman came out from between the buildings, her face red. She ran toward them. “Oh my gosh! There you are!”
The little girl burst into tears and ran to her mother, hugging her tightly around the waist. “I lost Finn! He’s gone.”
“No, honey, he’s not gone. He’s at home with your brother. He came right back, but then we couldn’t find you.”
“He’s home?” She turned to Josie and grinned. “You were right!”
Josie knew she wasn’t right. The dog likely went around the block and was home before Rebecca even made it to the Riverwalk, but she wasn’t saying a word. Letting kids believe in magic as long as they could was a good thing, she figured. One day they would learn about the cruel world.
“Thank you so much for taking care of her. I was horrified when I looked outside and she was gone,” the woman said, tear tracks staining her cheeks. Josie understood the terror. Once, when Kendra was about three, she got away from her in a grocery store. Those few minutes seemed like hours, and Josie was desperate to find her. Eventually, she found her sitting underneath a display of strawberries.
“Oh, I didn’t do much. Glad you got your dog back,” she said to Rebecca, patting the top of her head before she trotted off with her mother.
“You did a lot.”
She turned to see Walker standing on a nearby boat. “Good Lord! You scared me to death! How long have you been standing there?”
“The whole time.” He stepped off the boat and walked closer. “I work here, remember?”
“You mean you let me walk back and forth looking for the dog and said nothing?”
He smiled. “I was busy. And you seemed to have it handled. I’ve never seen you so...”
“Caring?” she said, chuckling.
“You said it, not me.” He leaned against the railing across from her.
“I care about people. Certain people. And I love animals. Well, certain animals.”
“What animals do you dislike?”
“Do spiders count?”
“No.”
“I suppose I’d dislike a wild boar if I ran across one.”
“That makes sense.”
“I’d better get home,” she said, standing and turning toward the street.
“Hey, Josie?”
“Yeah?”
“I know you don’t care, but I liked seeing that side of you, and I bet a lot of other people would like it too.”
“Don’t get used to it,” she said, laughing as she walked away.