Hometown Harbor (Melbourne Beach #1)
Chapter 1
1
D rinks at The Crater were a tradition for Tabitha Dixon. She and a group of about twenty blew off steam at the pub every Tuesday. Usually, about ten people showed up, sometimes more and sometimes less. Tabitha and her best friend Melanie (Mel) Cosgrove were the last to leave, which happened a lot.
Mel was actually Dr. Cosgrove, having earned her PhD in applied aeronautical engineering. Tabitha never reached that wrung of the educational ladder, so she was one of a dozen engineers in her department. Mel and Tabitha went to the same high school when their fathers were based in Pensacola. They lost touch until they both ended up at Cape Canaveral.
“I’m jealous of your summer plans. Seriously, though, you earned three months to do nothing and enjoy the Maine Coast. Is there a beach?” Mel asked. “I picture it rocky and windswept but definitely beautiful. It has a feeling of remoteness, but of course, I've never been.
There is a small sandy beach in the town of Hadley, but there’s a rocky drop-off that makes it impossible to swim. It’s a harbor town with great shopping and a charm factor of ten. I wish there were a white sandy beach, but it's free, and Val’s family is like my own, so it’s all good. I can always go to Melbourne Beach if I crave a beach getaway.”
Tabitha continued, "Forty-nine is a good age to think about my next act. I’ve been divorced for over a year, and I’m overthinking Greg in any way except as Deenie’s Dad. I have a pro tip for those going through a painful divorce with kids involved: change the name of your ex-spouse on your speed dial,” Tabitha said.
"I'm afraid of what horrible name you recommend choosing.”
“It’s not what you’d think. It worked for me to call him Deenie’s Dad, so that’s what I call him, and I have a picture of them together for the profile pic. That way, I’m not tempted to let it go to voicemail purgatory. I know that the call involves my daughter, so I’ll answer. That’s all he calls about these days anyway.”
“I love that. I knew the finances would work out. Neither of you is money-grubbing or vindictive,” Mel said. “Karma tends to take care of most things.”
“I’m vested at work, and my 401k is where I need it to be,” Tabitha said. “So, I won’t spend three months fretting about finances.”
“Isn’t it a little early to start thinking of your final act?” Mel asked.
“Who said final act?” Tabitha asked with a smile. “I might be living a ten-act play. I do think that sometime in the next ten years, I’ll leave NASA. Maybe I’ll explore my creative side, or perhaps I'll spend my days on a beach sipping daiquiris.”
“I like that concept. I’ll propose to Dale that we think about our next act, although I think when the kids went to college, we were thrust into our next act. What did you think about tonight?”
“Same as you, I’m sure. I thought Virginia was happily married. She just got back from maternity leave and gushed about her husband. Were we not supposed to notice the hand-holding and whispering with Robbie?” Tabitha asked.
“Maybe she has an open marriage,” Mel guessed.
“To each his own, but the idea makes my skin crawl. I’m not one to judge because my husband cheated, and I was the last one to find out. I hope everyone is happy and no one gets hurt,” Tabitha said.
“You’re a true veteran of therapy. We’re best if we consider it none of our business. How’s Maxim?” Mel asked. “Have you dropped the curtain on that romance?”
“Maxim is aware of my summer plans, and I’m pretty sure he knows that our time together has run its course. Better said, he knows I think that way. He’s definitely someone I can continue to be friends with, and when he gets married, I intend to be invited. I’ve heard age is just a number. When people find out I’m dating a younger man, they respond with Way to go or Good for you . I never did it to prove a point that older women are strong, and in my case, the age difference wasn’t a benefit.”
“It’s tough when your younger partner will never be able to have children with you. I mean, you could adopt or jack yourself up on hormones. Suzie from accounting used a surrogate at your age, so anything is possible,” Mel said.
“Not for me. My next act doesn’t include any of those things. Maxim says it doesn’t matter, but I predict it will later. The other thing is a lack of the same cultural touchstones. I love some classic Britney Spears when I’m turning back the clock. He only knows her as a mentally unstable diva. I’m all about Seinfeld references, and he has never seen it. Those are the obvious things and matters get more nuanced from there.” Tabitha looked up, and at the door was Maxim and a few of his buddies. “Speak of the devil.”
“Doesn’t he know that this is only for people in our department?” Mel asked.
“He asked what time I’d be heading home. His friends were coming here, and he didn’t want to step on my toes,” Tabitha said as she waved.
“Of course, he did. Maxim doesn’t have a lot of flaws. It won’t be easy saying goodbye,” Mel remarked.
“No. He was my first real relationship after my divorce, and he was patient, kind, and just the person I needed. It was never meant to be anything but casual. You’ll have to let me know if he finds an age-appropriate scientist while I’m gone.”
“He was as good of a starter man as you could have hoped for. I know you don’t like that term, but it’s better than transitional or bridge man. He was what you needed after Greg. Maxim treats you like a Ming vase, and you deserve that after the divorce. I’ll definitely keep you posted, and if I meet someone good enough for Maxim, I’ll send her his way.”
“Thanks, Mel.”
“I expect to be invited to Maine for a week. I plan on coming whether or not I’m invited, and I’ll stalk you if I have to,” Mel said jokingly.
“You can come whenever you want. I have the guesthouse, and the couch pulls out. Deenie is coming for a week, even though Greg has her in Houston for the summer,” Tabitha said. “She doesn’t want to go, and I have to think there’s a young man involved.”
“I don’t blame a sixteen-year-old for not wanting to leave for the summer. All her friends are here and this is an informative summer for kiddos her age. It’s inevitable now that she’s going to Houston. Has she eased up on you?”
“Of course not. That girl is not giving up until she crosses the Texas line, and even then, Deenie will call me and ask to come home. The problem is, I won't even be home, and she knows that. I’m surprised she hasn’t asked to stay with you,” Tabitha said as she threw her head back and had the last sip of beer.
“Not to worry. Dale and I are still trying to figure out having an empty nest. So far, we like it, not that Shannon was home much. She had school, work, and, as she said, her social life was fire. Note, I didn’t say on fire. I would hate to be a high school English teacher these days. I’m not even that old, and I’m on my second teenager. I got into my share of trouble back in the day, so surprising me is tough, but the abuse of the English language is devastating to me.”
“I can see that. Improper English is your Achilles heel, which I never knew about you. It’s time to get a car home because tomorrow is only Wednesday, and my team has a report due Friday. I have yet to turn in my data,” Tabitha said.
“Hey, no slacking. You have four more weeks,” Mel reminded her. “I hope you plan to say goodbye to Maxim.”
“It’s three and a half weeks, and of course, I’ll say goodbye. He’s trying hard to let me have space, but we don’t have to be rude to each other.” Tabitha pulled up her app and ordered a car that would arrive in eight minutes. “I’m going over now because my car is on the way. Don’t you dare reach for your keys. You aren't drunk, but you've had a couple of glasses of wine.”
“I called my ride, too. Dale is on his way.” Mel winked. She and her husband had the kind of marriage other couples wanted to emulate. They argued rarely, and when they did, that was even done admirably.
Tabitha hugged Mel and said a quick hello to Maxim. They would grab lunch the following day as they usually did because they worked in the same building. She told him to have fun on his guy's night out and turned him down gently when he asked her to stay. Maxim didn’t spend enough time with his friends, in Tabitha’s opinion. She didn’t want to tell him what to do but didn’t want him to be lost when she left in three and a half weeks.