Chapter 19
Walker and Josie strolled along the Riverwalk just as the sun was setting. The beautiful pink and orange tones painted across the sky were breathtaking.
“Want to sit for a minute?” Walker asked, pointing to a bench. Josie nodded.
“Yes, please. My legs and feet are exhausted. When I get home, I’m taking a nice long bath.”
They sat there looking out over the water, the sound of the crowd dissipating behind them on the other side of the buildings. It had been a long, hard, exhausting day, but Josie had never been more thankful for the community than she was right now.
This simply wouldn’t have happened back in Atlanta. That wasn’t because the people in Atlanta were bad, but she wasn’t connected to her community. She didn’t have friends. She had rivals, enemies, and acquaintances.
Melody was the only genuine friend she had. In Happy Harbor, she was feeling things she had never felt before, even when she lived there as a kid. Kids don’t have an appreciation for the simplicity of their childhood until they are older.
She was so thankful for all the people who had come together to help her, even though she probably didn’t deserve it. Her grandmother certainly did. She was well aware that she would have to prove herself to these people over time, and she hoped to have a chance to do that. She hoped she could feel this way forever and not revert back to the bitter woman she had been when she arrived in Happy Harbor.
“I can’t believe we have to do it all again tomorrow, but I’ve got something huge in store that I hope will put us over the top, money-wise.”
“Are you going to tell me what it is?”
“I’m not sure. I kind of wanna see the look on your face.”
She laughed. “The look is going to be the same whether you tell me now or show me tomorrow. Plus, I hate surprises.”
He turned and looked at her. “Nobody hates surprises.”
“I do. Trust me, I had plenty of them as a kid. I like to know ahead of time what’s going to happen or else I might get knocked off my feet.”
“Surprises are the spice of life. They are what break up an otherwise monotonous existence.”
She furrowed her eyebrows. “Are you a philosopher now?”
“I have deep thoughts for a boat repair guy. Okay, so you don’t like surprises, then I guess I’ll tell you.”
“Spill the beans.”
“Are you familiar with the band Lowcountry Smoke?”
“Of course! They’re one of the most popular bands in the country right now. I heard their groupies are crazy and follow them everywhere.”
“Well, let’s just say I have a lot of friends, and one of them grew up with the guitarist in the band.”
“So, what are you saying? They’re going to make a donation?”
Walker chuckled. “Not exactly. I’ve arranged with the mayor to have free use of the concert hall. Lowcountry Smoke is doing a concert here tomorrow night. Totally a surprise. Nobody around here knows yet. We’re going to make the announcement tomorrow morning, and people can buy tickets. They’re going to donate all the ticket sales and twenty percent of the merchandise sales.”
Josie sat there with her mouth hanging open. She didn’t know what to say. Lowcountry Smoke had taken off over the last few years after winning a TV talent show. They were touring all over the country, and she couldn’t imagine meeting people that famous.
“Are you serious?”
“Totally serious.” Walker sat there with a satisfied smile on his face, knowing he had done something big.
“I don’t even know what to say anymore. The amount of gratitude I feel... I just can’t put words to it...” she stammered as she felt her face get hot and tears start stinging her eyes. Josie hated showing emotion in public.
“You deserve this, Josie. Your grandmother wanted nothing more than for you to have a fresh start. Even though she kind of mucked that up by taking out that loan and getting behind on the payments, she believed in you. We all believe in you.”
Without thinking, she reached over and hugged him tightly. She couldn’t remember a time that someone had said they believed in her, although she was sure her grandmother did. But coming from somebody who wasn’t related and was just on the outside looking in, it felt good to be acknowledged.
She quickly pulled back, almost embarrassed at what she had done. “Sorry.”
He smiled. “You can hug me anytime.”
Suddenly, she heard somebody clearing their throat nearby. They turned around and saw a man standing there.
“Sorry to interrupt.”
“Oh, hey, Leonard. What are you doing down here so late?” Walker said.
“I forgot my wallet on the boat. Took it out for a fishing trip this morning. But it’s gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean?” Walker craned his head and looked down at the very end of the Riverwalk.
“It’s gone. I called the sheriff, and he’s headed over here now.”
“Somebody stole your boat in Happy Harbor? I’ve never heard of such a thing happening around here,” Walker said, standing up. The three of them headed toward the boat slip where Leonard’s craft had been tied off.
“Totally newbie question, but is it possible it just floated away?” Josie asked, feeling like an idiot.
Leonard looked at her, a quirk of a smile on his face. “No, dear. That doesn’t happen.”
Normally, Josie would not take too kindly to some strange man calling her dear, but Leonard was an older gentleman, and he didn’t mean any harm by it. Back in the city, she would’ve set him straight really quick.
Walker scanned the water carefully. “Hey, what’s that?” he asked, pointing into the distance. Since the sun was going down, there was just the silhouette of a boat coming around the corner of the river, the marsh grasses partially obscuring their view.
“I believe that’s my boat!” Leonard said, putting his hands on his hips. He was one of those skinny old men whose pants were too big and sagging in the rear.
“So they’re bringing it back?” Josie asked, very confused by the whole situation. What kind of thief stole a boat and then brought it back?
As soon as they could see who was on the boat, it became very apparent to Josie that this was a group of partying teenagers. How in the world they had managed to get the keys to the boat she didn’t know.
They all waited there, quietly watching as the boat approached and then bounced against the dock. Walker ran up to it, pulled the rope, and tied it around the metal hook attached to the Riverwalk.
“Y’all stole my boat!” Leonard scowled at them.
“Sorry, dude,” a teenage boy said as he stepped off the boat. Three girls followed him, and then another boy.
“I think you owe us an explanation,” Walker said, crossing his arms. He was a large guy, so he could be imposing when he wanted to.
“We didn’t mean any harm. We just wanted to go fishing,” one girl said, shrugging her shoulders like it was no big deal. All of them were obviously tipsy, if not drunk. Josie would recognize the signs anywhere.
“You realize you just committed a crime, right?” Josie said, stepping out from behind Walker.
“We brought it back!” the girl said, trying to minimize the situation. “Besides, I’m pretty sure if you call the police, your daughter is going to jail,” she said, snickering.
“What are you talking about?”
As if on cue, Kendra and Scotty stepped out from the shadows. Kendra’s face was white as a ghost, and she wouldn’t make eye contact with her mother. Josie was seething with anger. Here she had thought her daughter was doing better, and she was committing crimes now?
“I can explain,” Kendra said, walking closer to her mother. Josie crossed her arms, trying to keep herself from strangling her only daughter.
“You can explain how you were just on a stolen boat with a bunch of other drunk teenagers? I’m dying to hear this.”
“We’re not drunk. Scotty and I didn’t drink a drop. These kids came up to us while we were sitting on that bench over there and said this was their cousin’s boat. They invited us to go out fishing, and we thought it would be a good way to meet new people. Once we got out there, we realized these were not the people we wanted to meet, but they wouldn’t bring us back until I threatened that one over there,” Kendra said, pointing to one of the girls.
The girl sneered. “I’m not scared of you!” she said, holding onto one of the boy’s arms.
“The sheriff is on his way over, and you kids are in big trouble!” Leonard said, before stepping onto the boat to retrieve his wallet. Thankfully, it was sitting where he’d left it, untouched.
“Leonard, can I have a word?” Walker asked.
Leonard followed him to the other side of the dock. A moment later, he came back.
“You kids get out of here, and don’t come back! You hear me?”
The kids scattered like roaches under a flashlight.
“Why did you let them go?” Josie asked, throwing her hands in the air.
“Do you really want your daughter caught up in this?” Walker asked.
“If she did it, she needs consequences.”
“Mom, I told you the truth!”
“I don’t mean to interrupt, but she’s telling you the truth,” Scotty said. “Those kids are bad news, but we didn’t know that. We’ll even take one of those breath tests to prove we didn’t drink. And a lie detector test. We were basically held hostage on that boat until Kendra got in that girl’s face. It was amazing,” he said, looking at Kendra with adoration.
Josie knew Scotty wasn’t likely to lie. Kendra had told her it was one of the traits she liked about him. He just didn’t know how to lie, and she liked being able to trust someone like that.
“I believe you,” Walker said. He looked at Josie. “I really do.”
Josie blew out a breath. “I do too, actually. Who were those kids?”
“They said they go to First Avenue High School,” Kendra said.
Walker chuckled. “Ah, good old First Avenue.”
Leonard laughed too. “No surprise there, right?”
“Wait, what’s First Avenue?” Josie asked.
“It’s a new alternative high school for the kids who get into trouble all the time. Kids from several counties go there.”
“Oh, well, that makes more sense,” Kendra said. “I’m so sorry, sir. We didn’t know, or we would’ve stopped them. I guess I don’t need to be so trusting, even in Happy Harbor.”
Leonard put his hand on her shoulder. “This wasn’t your fault or his. And you did the right thing, forcing them to come back. No telling what could’ve happened out there in the water with a bunch of drunk kids and a boat. Thank you for standing up to them.”
She smiled and nodded. “Glad it all worked out.”
“I think I’ll walk Kendra home, if that’s okay with you?” Scotty asked.
Josie nodded. “Of course. If you haven’t had dinner, there’s leftover lasagna in the fridge.”
Scotty smiled. “I love lasagna.”
As they walked away, Josie felt good about what her daughter had done. She felt good about the boy she was seeing. And she felt good to be standing there with Walker. Life was getting good.
* * *
Josie and Walker walked along the dark streets. The only sounds she could hear were crickets and their footsteps in perfect unison. It was like they were alone on the planet.
Happy Harbor wasn’t exactly bustling with nightlife. Once people got home from work, they stayed in for the most part. Businesses shut down at five or six. Even restaurants didn’t stay open late. Well, except hers now. There were no bars in Happy Harbor, so the town was perfectly quiet once the sun went down.
“Do you think you’ll stay in Happy Harbor?” Walker suddenly asked.
She chuckled. “I have no idea. Probably?”
“What would cause you to leave?”
She thought for a moment. “If my mother ever started drinking again, I would leave. I can’t handle going through that again.”
“So you’d leave immediately?”
“Yep. I won’t drag my daughter through watching her grandmother get drunk all the time. If my mother didn’t leave, I would.”
“I think Diane is in a good place.”
“I agree. And she’s never gone this long being sober, so I’m hopeful it lasts. But there were so many times when I was a kid that she made promises and didn’t keep them, you know? It’s hard to believe the nightmare of having an alcoholic parent is over.”
“I don’t want you to leave,” he said, softly.
Josie stifled a smile. It was nice to hear him say that. “Thanks.”
Walker stopped in the middle of the deserted street and turned to face her. The only lights around them were a lone streetlight and the moon above them. “Do you have feelings for me?”
“You’re very blunt, Walker Jackson,” she said, laughing.
“I believe in going after what I want.”
“And you want me?”
“I’ve said it several times, Josie.”
“I thought maybe you’d changed your mind.”
“I asked you a question.”
She paused, unsure of what to say. Of course, she liked him. Really, really liked him. Wanted-to-grab-his-face-and-kiss-him kind of liking him. But once she said yes, once she started down that road, her heart was vulnerable to getting smashed all over again. Was she brave enough to admit it?
“I do... have feelings for you.” Now she’d done it. She couldn’t suck the words back inside and swallow them. They were floating around out in the ether, out of her control now.
“You do?”
She looked up at him and threw her hands in the air. “Yes. Fine! I do. What do you want from me?”
“This,” he said, putting his hands around her waist and pulling her closer. He leaned his head forward and pressed his lips to hers, and suddenly she wasn’t in Happy Harbor anymore. She wasn’t standing on planet Earth. She was floating around in space, somewhere between Saturn and a sappy romantic comedy on TV. She didn’t know which end was up, nor did she care. When they finally broke for air, she stood there, staring up at him, her eyes wide. “Was that okay?”
Josie smiled. “I don’t know. Let’s try again and see if we can do better.”
* * *
The next morning, Josie was exhausted. She couldn’t stop thinking about her walk home with Walker the night before. In fact, it had kept her up most of the night. Trusting someone with her heart was the last thing she thought she would do in Happy Harbor.
And then there was that kiss. And the ones that followed. She’d kissed enough men in her life to know this one was special. Had he gone through special training to learn how to kiss like that? If so, bravo to his teacher.
Today was going to be much like yesterday, with all kinds of games and events throughout the day. Nobody knew about the special concert Walker had planned, and she prayed it would be enough of a draw to make up the rest of the money they needed. She wasn’t totally sure how much they had raised because they had an accountant handling everything, but she had heard they were getting close to what they needed.
As she put on her clothes, she thought about how thankful she was to share this with her daughter and her mother. Just a few short weeks ago, she would’ve never expected to be spending time with her mother, much less enjoying it.
“Are you about ready?” she heard Diane call through her door. Josie opened it.
“I’m ready. Should we eat some breakfast first?”
“Definitely. It’s going to be a long day. Hey, do you smell bacon?” Diane asked, lifting her nose into the air.
“I know it’s not my daughter. She can’t cook a thing.”
“Thanks a lot,” Kendra said, walking out of her bedroom and joining them in the hallway.
“Wait. If we are the only three that live here, why are we smelling bacon?” Josie asked. They all ran down the stairs as quickly as possible. When Josie turned the corner, she saw Walker standing there, a pan full of bacon in one hand and a plate in the other.
“Good morning, ladies.”
“So, are you just letting yourself into my house now?” Josie asked, putting her hands on her hips. She was very well aware that this was not a good acting job. After last night, she would’ve gladly left him a key under the mat.
“I didn’t think you’d mind as long as I fed you breakfast. Are y’all hungry?”
“Starving!” Kendra grabbed a piece of bacon straight out of the pan and walked over to the kitchen table, sitting down.
“Manners, Kendra!” Josie said, playfully chiding her.
“Eggs?” Walker asked, holding up another pan with scrambled eggs in it.
“How long have you been here?” Josie asked, laughing.
“Not too long. I figured we’d all be hungry and need our energy before this long day of panhandling.”
Diane laughed. “I think you call it fundraising, Walker.”
“Potayto, potahto.”
“We don’t have much time before the events start, so let’s get to it,” Josie said.
Everybody took a plate, filled it up, and sat at the table. Walker came over with a pot of coffee and a pitcher of orange juice. Josie felt like they were acting out a scene as a big happy family for some TV show. It felt nice. She and her ex had never done this kind of thing. It was either eat at a restaurant or grab some takeout, but never this.
She’d often daydreamed about having a real family, living in a nice home with a big kitchen table and a bunch of kids. There’d be a hard-working momma, an equally hard-working dad, adorable children, a big golden retriever, and family dinner together every night. Of course, in this scenario, no one ever got sick, the kids never cried, and there were absolutely no bills. Maybe it wasn’t the most realistic daydream, but it was hers.
“This is so good, Walker! Who taught you to cook like this?” Diane asked, taking another bite of eggs.
“My grandma was an excellent Southern cook. She made the best buttermilk biscuits, but I can never get those right. I can make a mean meatloaf, and my mashed potatoes are the creamiest you’ll ever have.”
Josie scoffed. “Creamy mashed potatoes? The lumps are what makes them delicious.”
He looked absolutely disgusted by her statement. “We’ll have to agree to disagree.”
“We’d better head that way,” Diane said, finishing up and rinsing her plate. Breakfast was quick, and Josie feared she’d have indigestion all day from eating so fast.
“I’ll walk with you, Grandma,” Kendra said, putting her plate in the sink.
“See y’all there,” Diane said as she and Kendra quickly left the house.
“Are they in a race?” Walker asked, laughing as he scraped his plate and put it in the sink.
“Apparently. I think they’re trying to push us together.” Josie ran water over the plates and wiped her hands on a dish towel. When she turned around, Walker was standing right in front of her.
“This was nice, having breakfast with you,” he said with a smile.
She looked up at him. “Yes, it was.”
He cradled her chin in his large hand and then leaned down, kissing her lightly on the forehead. “Ready to go?”
Josie’s brain felt like it was in a tornado.
How on earth was she supposed to concentrate when this sexy man kept doing things like that?
In all the time she had dated Craig, she had never had butterflies in her stomach. It had all felt so orchestrated and routine with Craig, but this was something on a whole different level.
“I’m ready,” she said, trying not to let him hear the vibration in her voice. He stepped back and waved his hand sideways.
“After you.”
The heat assaulted her the moment she stepped onto the front porch. There was something about the humidity in the Lowcountry that was comforting and draining at the same time.
“Are you going to announce the concert this morning?” Josie turned around to lock the door.
“Yes. We also have it set up to go out on social media, so anybody who’s not here in person will get the word. Small towns are good for that kind of thing. I’m hopeful we can get a lot of people there.”
“Good. For once, I’m finally feeling like something might work out.”
He looked over at her and smiled. “You mean the fundraiser or us?”
“Maybe a bit of both.”