Summertime Manny

Chapter 1

The last time Bailey visited Laurel Beach he was in college and he came down for spring break. Laurel Beach was never a spring break kind of place so it was perfect for Bailey who was never a spring break kind of guy. Now he was here with his five-year-old son, Joey.

The reason for their visit wasn't a happy one.

Bailey's grandfather had died almost two years ago, and he had left him his beach shack, as he called it.

It was actually a pretty nice beach house.

Bailey had stayed with him every year while he was in college, and he had fond memories of the place.

But since his grandfather's passing, Bailey didn't have the heart to come back to Laurel Beach. Plus he was busy adopting Joey.

After putting off dealing with the place, Bailey was finally ready to bring Joey for a visit and to say goodbye to the beach house and to Grandpa Joe. It was past time to clean up all the old junk his grandfather had piled up in the house and then put it up for sale.

Grandpa Joe was a bit of a packrat so there was quite a lot of stuff.

Bailey also wasn't sure the beach house was in a fit state for him and Joey to stay there.

If he was by himself, Bailey would have risked it.

He was a dad though and had his little boy to think of.

Though there was a good chance that Joey would have thought of staying in a house full of old junk as an adventure.

They arrived in Laurel Beach at mid morning, and since staying at the beach house was out of the question, Bailey had picked the Blue Pearl Hotel for him and Joey to stay in.

Blue Pearl Hotel was very retro, and that wasn't just its style. It was an old hotel with a 70's look but updated and very well maintained. What mattered to Joey was that it had a pool. Bailey liked that it had a view of the beach, the best of both worlds. Joey was really into the pool.

"I can see the pool!" he said excitedly as they parked.

"There is also the whole ocean," Bailey pointed out.

"The ocean is too big for a kid like me," Joey claimed. But once he got out, the ocean became irresistible to him. Joey ran to the edge of the water and splashed his feet in the waves.

"It looks like you might be making friends with the ocean," Bailey told him. "But no pressure."

Joey didn't know how to swim, but they were going to take care of that by the end of their visit here. While they were there, Bailey was going to be working and dealing with the beach house plus his grief, but he was going to make sure Joey had fun.

After they took a detour to get acquainted with the ocean, Bailey held Joey's hand and they made their way to The Blue Pearl Hotel. Joey squinted up at it in the bright sunlight and asked, "Which one is our room?"

"I don't know from out here. Let's go in and see," Bailey told him.

The Blue Pearl Hotel was a five-story building with balconies facing the ocean. The exterior was light blue with touches of pink. The front looked exactly like it did the last time Bailey was there for spring break a few years ago, but he had never gone inside.

He was getting his first look at the lobby. It was cheerful with a large aquarium as the main feature and Joey went right over ready to press his nose to the glass.

Bailey pulled him back a little. "Look, don't touch. We don't want to scare the fish or smudge the glass."

With Joey peering at the fish, they checked in and got their key card.

Now Joey was poking around their room. He then went out on the balcony.

As he looked at the view through the bars of the railing, Joey confirmed that the ocean was way to big for a little kid like him.

He did like seeing some boats in the distance, pointing at them excitedly.

It wasn't easy to get him to help unpack, but they got most of it done then headed downstairs to meet Gwen. Bailey had been friends with her since they met on spring break. She was a local and she was now working in the hotel bar. That was another reason Bailey wanted to stay there.

Today she was meeting them on the hotel veranda. It was really the outdoor part of the hotel bar, and people were out there at tables and on lounge chairs sipping drinks and relaxing.

"There's Gwen." Bailey pointed her out sitting at a table. Joey had met her by video call, but he now looked unsure and shy.

"Look at you guys in the flesh," Gwen said as she got up from the table and hugged them.

"You're looking great," Bailey told her. She was in her bartending uniform with her blond hair swept up.

They ordered drinks and she talked about what she had been up to. Then Bailey told her that he hadn't been to his grandfather's beach house yet.

"That will be a big job and you have your actual job to do," Gwen said. "I was thinking Matt might be able to give you a hand."

"Your little brother?" Bailey said and Gwen laughed.

"Not so little. He's a big, strong man now. Just what you need," she claimed. Bailey raised an eyebrow at that. "I mean you need someone who can carry and haul stuff for you. Geez. He's my little bro. Come on."

"I can use a hand," Bailey admitted.

"Matt jumps at every chance to earn money. It's for his next year of college so he can finally finish. He'll definitely want the work. It's just a question of if he'll have time," Gwen said and started texting. "Let's see when he's free."

Now Joey leaned over to ask, "A little brother?"

"Apparently not. He's all grown up. Matt is going to help us at the beach house if he has time," Bailey told him.

He was barely done saying that when Gwen announced, "It's done. Matt is meeting you at the beach house."

"You work fast," Bailey told her and he got Matt's number from her so he could confirm things with him. He only vaguely remembered Gwen's brother. It was going to be interesting to have his help.

"Matt is helping out with a furniture delivery so he might be late. Don't hold it against him," Gwen was saying.

Bailey texted Matt to see if he needed to change the time they were meeting him. He got a quick reply. "Matt says he'll be on time."

"Typical Matt. That boy is overconfident." Gwen said with a shake of her head. "He takes on too much. He's such a hard worker. I don't know where he gets it. Our whole family is deadbeats."

Joey was frowning at her though he probably didn't understand what that meant. Gwen reached over and ruffled his light brown hair a little and now Joey smiled.

Bailey knew Gwen's home situation wasn't great. Gwen had started working seriously in high school so she could save up to move out and get her own place. And she talked about wanting her brother to live with her too. "Maybe you've been a positive influence," he said. "You're a good big sister."

"This is why I stayed in touch with you," she said. "Always saying nice things to me. Now I better get back to work."

Once she left, Joey looked at him questioningly. "You don't have to go to work, do you, Daddy?"

"Not today. But we are going to the beach house and we might do a few things there," Bailey told him. "You want to walk or drive?"

"I want to drive," Joey said then he giggled.

"You want to drive? Yeah, we'll walk," Bailey decided.