11. Caleb
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Caleb
The lunch rush at Nancy’s is in full swing.
The outdoor patio area has a few dozen picnic-style tables, each with an attached umbrella for shade.
The tables are positioned along the water, and to the right of the outdoor bar is a take-out window and stage.
Music fills the air from the live band performing right now, entertaining both patrons and pedestrians.
A fishing charter loads up on the boat next to mine while I prep for today’s excursion. We exchange a few friendly greetings before they set out for open waters.
I give the bay boat deck one last spray of the hose and peek over at Berry resting on the bow, fur still damp from a quick dip in the harbor.
I admire the way her black coat shines beneath the afternoon sun.
She catches me looking at her and greets me with her signature sideways tongue smile, but it disappears when she notices the hose still in my hand.
I raise my arm slowly to aim the hose at her, stare her down, and fire.
Berry immediately jumps up, chomping at the water, shooting stray droplets everywhere. I let out a laugh, my nerves settling some.
I had no intention of taking the boat out today, but I couldn’t resist. Marnie gave me a laundry list of things to do that would take me weeks, and until those were done, I’d have no excuse to see her.
I figured if I could make it relate to the exhibit, she’d say yes. Thankfully, I’d been right. Plus, Berry’s been itching to get out of the house for a while. Even going a few days without a big adventure like this makes her a little stir crazy.
She flips onto her back and starts rolling in the water now coating the deck, and I take a giant step over her to avoid slipping on her sloppy snow angels. The goofball is acting like she’s never seen water before, but she’s a Lab through and through.
I turn back and laugh at the sight before heading up the stairs and onto the dock to disconnect my hose from the supply station, looping the end of the hose around my arm afterwards to start coiling it up.
As I wind up the hose, I take a moment to admire my boat from this vantage point.
A 2006 Boston Whaler bay boat. Purchased second-hand from a neighbor, this boat was a belated seventeenth birthday present to myself.
I worked three jobs all over the island to pay for it.
I had no desire to be at home during the second half of that summer, so all the extra shifts were just an added bonus.
When I wasn’t fulfilling obligations to my father, I was scooping ice cream at Mad Martha’s or picking up shifts at The Wharf waiting tables.
Summertime usually meant staying out until all hours of the night running around the island, going to bonfires, and surfing waves at South Beach. But that summer, everything changed.
It was my first summer alone. My father was constantly working, Linny was off on a research expedition on the Cape, and Parker was away at a summer camp to learn coding and computer stuff. That had been a battle all by itself with his family, but they were eventually persuaded.
No such escape for me.
Deciding to work three jobs to save up money was just a cover for my need to escape the loneliness. I couldn’t just sit alone in the house by myself until school started back up, and there was no way in hell I could stomach spending any more time with my father.
That summer had been tiresome for an entirely different reason, both physically and emotionally, and no one even knew just how much it was taking a toll on me, because no one was around.
No siblings, no pets, no responsibilities outside of work, so I bought a boat.
Every spare hour outside of school went into restoring it so it would be functional by spring.
I named her Tough Ship because I was young and stupid and thought it was funny, but as I got older, it gained another meaning—that I could survive anything.
This boat was my pride and joy. Until Berry came along.
I glance down at my watch to see how much more prep time I have. It’s nearly twelve o’clock. She will be here any minute.
My mental checklist is complete.
Deck washed and hose stored? Check.
Seats wiped down? Check.
Full tank? Check.
Berry? Check.
Stubborn yet alluring redhead?
As if my thoughts willed her into existence, a familiar silhouette comes into view, drawing my eyes up.
She’s looking down at me from the dock, sporting a pair of strappy sandals, jean shorts, and a peach tank top that makes her red hair glow.
Her arms are crossed, pushing the swell of her breasts just over the neckline of her tank top.
If she’s going for the imposing, intimidating persona, it’s working.
“Hi,” I say, cautiously extending my hand towards her, maintaining eye contact. “Right on time. Ready to go?”
She walks to the edge of the dock and stares at my outstretched hand for a beat, then she begrudgingly accepts my help and allows me to guide her down from the dock onto the stern platform to the deck.
“Thank you,” she says, looking around. “This is a really nice boat.”
The compliment makes my chest soar. “Thanks. It’s just about ready to go out. But first, there’s someone I want you to meet.”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, Berry comes barreling across the deck from the stern side, almost crashing into Marnie’s legs. If I hadn’t splurged for the nicer exterior when restoring it, she would’ve left scratch marks all over it.
Marnie is completely unfazed by her antics and bends to greet her.
Just as she crouches down, Berry chooses that moment to shake off all the water accumulated from playing in the hose, flinging it directly onto Marnie.
Instead of becoming angry or annoyed or disgusted, she just laughs.
Throws her head back and lets out a bright, genuine laugh.
It’s the best sound I’ve ever heard.
“Is this the famous dog I’ve heard so much about?” she asks, wiping the water droplets from her cheeks as Berry starts to lick her face.
“Yep, this is Berry,” I chuckle, watching their interaction. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this excited to meet someone. Getting Berry’s stamp of approval is no easy feat, and I feel a smug satisfaction that my plan is working.
“Berry, hmm? What was it you called her the other day? Diva?”
Berry’s tail immediately stops wagging and she whips her head up to gawk at me, as if to say seriously? It’s the most human reaction I’ve ever seen out of her, and it’s honestly hilarious how expressive her face is right now.
I bend down to meet her eye level. “I did say that, but I didn’t mean it. You’re my wingwoman, and Marnie needed some convincing to come out with us today. It was silly, I know, but I had to pull out the big guns.”
I can’t believe I’m trying to reason with a dog. She doesn’t look entirely convinced, but she turns back around to let Marnie continue petting her.
“If you hadn’t already told me her name, the collar would be a dead giveaway.” Marnie’s fingers trace over the collar, circling each individual blueberry printed across the light blue fabric.
“Creative, I know.”
“What made you choose that name?”
I chuckle at the memory. Feels like only yesterday.
“A few years ago, I was working a job at a house up-island. A family bought a new lot to build a summer home, and I spent a few weeks on-site. Near the end of the job, I was moving supplies onto the lot next door, and I heard whimpers from underneath the patch of blueberry bushes out back. I followed the sounds, knelt down to investigate, and this little bundle of fur ran out and jumped straight into my arms. It was obvious she had been living under the bush, but I had no idea for how long. The dirt was all dug up from her trying to keep cool, and the surrounding blueberries were picked clean,” I finish with a shrug. “Seemed fitting.”
At the mention of blueberries, Berry jumps off the bench next to Marnie and puts her front feet on my lap, licking my face and wagging her tail while I scratch her ears.
“She had no collar, no tags, nothing. I took her to the vet hoping she had a microchip, but no such luck. She was dehydrated and underweight, so I took her home to nurse her back to health while I searched for her owner, but the flyers and newspaper ads never panned out. Fall came around with no leads, and the rest is history.”
I still couldn’t believe that a black Lab puppy was never claimed, but I am forever grateful that I found her that day.
Or rather, she found me. I never would’ve noticed her if she hadn’t called out for help.
She found me at the perfect time in my life where I was in desperate need of some companionship.
Berry certainly acts like a diva. It doesn’t help that I spoil her beyond belief, but it’s exactly what she deserves.
Marnie makes herself comfortable across several of the seats at the bow, leaning back against one of the cushions to prop her legs up, leaving room for Berry as she jumps up beside her and curls up to rest her head in Marnie’s lap.
From this angle, she’s directly in my line of sight.
Not that I mind, but it will be very difficult to pay attention if I’m staring at her—too focused on admiring the way the sun radiates off her smooth skin or how the waves reflect the light and illuminate her rich hazel eyes. Talk about distracted driving.
I shake the thought from my head and start up the engine, slowly beginning to drift away from the dock and carefully maneuvering around the other boats to head out of the harbor.
We fall into companionable silence, nothing but the humming of the boat’s motor and the crisp slicing of the blades cutting through the water.
“Alright, so where are we going?” she asks once we are in open waters.
“Down the north coast of the island towards Chappaquiddick.”
“You say that like that’s supposed to mean something to me. I’m still getting the lay of the land. I need landmarks.”
“It’s a surprise.”