Chapter 6
As Maddie hiked up the hill to the top of the driveway, she bypassed Lisa’s place and took the narrow dirt path up to the cottage. Because it was a weekday, she was happy to hear the sounds of hammering, buzzsawing, and voices coming from within.
“Kevin?” she called out as she carefully stepped into the living room and spotted him in the kitchen, hammering.
The hammering stopped, but the buzzsawing that seemed to be coming from one of the bedrooms continued.
Rex’s brother-in-law looked up from his work.
“Hey, Maddie. How’s it going?” He set down the hammer and walked over to her.
For an instant she wondered if Rex had told him about her, about them. She had no idea if mature adult males ever outgrew that teenage stage. Then she reminded herself she was paying Kevin’s invoices, so chances were, if he knew, he would not bring it up.
“Things are good,” she said, looking around. Two walls of Sheetrock now were in place. “How’s it going here?”
“Great. You want a tour?”
Since the work had begun, Maddie had only stopped by a few times; she didn’t want Kevin and his crew to think she was planning to hover, watching their every move, or worse, that she’d pressure them into rushing.
“No need for a tour, thanks. I brought my son over on Sunday. He’s impressed. So am I.”
Kevin pushed a handful of light brown hair off his forehead and nodded.
“I want to ask you about something else,” she said.
He glanced down the hall where the saws were buzzing. “Let’s go outside where we can hear.”
Once they were in the front yard, she gave him the rundown on what little she knew about the bait shop. “If it works out that I can get it, a good revamp will be important. Of course, I’d prefer to have you and your crew do the work if you’re not too busy.”
He smiled. “First of all, I’ll be glad to help however I can. We’re on schedule to finish here with your grandmother’s Christmas deadline, and I’d love to have a winter job lined up. Would that work for you?”
“Honestly, all I know is that Arnie is closing later this month. As for the rest, I have no idea where to start. But you’re in construction, so I thought you might be able to steer me in the right direction.”
He held up a finger. “Hold on a second.” He pulled his phone from his pocket, turned his back to Maddie, and moved several steps away. So she looked back at the cottage and waited.
The difference that the new front windows made was astonishing.
When the work was done, the house would be pleasantly welcoming, the way a Vineyard cottage should be.
It would be perfect for her grandmother and her.
And for Rafe, if he wanted to be with them.
And if Maddie had a bookshop right down the hill …
Wow, she thought, turning again, facing the harbor, I really will have a whole new life. It was surprising … and exhilarating.
After a couple of minutes, Kevin walked toward her again, tucking his phone back in his pocket.
“You’re in luck,” he said. “I’ve only been on the Vineyard a few years and don’t have many connections yet, but there’s one guy I know who knows pretty much everyone. Even better, he’s agreed to help.”
Maddie would have been elated if not for a small pang of intuition that twisted in her stomach.
“Give Rex a call,” he continued. “You have his number?”
Yes, she had his number.
Forcing a smile, she thanked Kevin and told him she’d keep him posted.
Then she headed toward the sandy path that led down past Lisa’s house and out to the road.
Once safely in her car, she rested her forehead against the steering wheel.
If she wanted to pursue the idea of a bookshop, she supposed there was no getting around it.
She had to call Rex. Or, later, try to explain why she had not.
The following morning, they met for a late breakfast at Waterside Restaurant in Vineyard Haven.
“You could have called me first,” Rex said, once a server delivered their order: a breakfast burrito for him, toast and jam for Maddie.
She was a foolish, nervous wreck. At least he was polite enough not to ask if this was why she’d showed up at his door two days ago.
She took a sip of Earl Grey.
“Ask anyone on the island,” he continued. “I don’t bite.” He cocked that enticing smile of his.
She took another sip.
Rex set down his fork. “Okay. I get it. But it’s okay for friends to help each other, Maddie.
Like it or not, I already have. I called one of the Chilmark Select Board members last night, only to flush out some facts.
The shops on the harbor are leased from the town, and Arnie is definitely leaving.
So, technically, the space will be available as of January first.”
She blinked, set down her mug, and looked at him. “Seriously?”
He held up a hand that stalled her enthusiasm.
“I used the word ‘technically,’ because I know these things don’t usually happen fast. The Select Board won’t—can’t—negotiate anything until they and members of the Planning Board have assessed the place.
The guy I spoke with said that can take a week or a month …
or a year. The timing depends on lots of things, including priorities on their calendar. ”
“Oh,” she said, “well, that’s understandable.” She didn’t know if it was true, but it seemed like the right thing to say.
“It also depends on how many interested parties there are. And they’ll need to see a plan from a potential lessee.”
“A plan? That sounds discouraging. I was hoping to rent the place, maybe for a year.” It was bad enough that her initial idea was probably far-flung and unrealistic, but now, what with possible red tape, competition, and no doubt other hoops she’d have to jump through, she’d most likely be biting off more than she possibly could chew.
Rex didn’t roll his eyes at her comment. He was, after all, a nice man.
“There is some good news, though,” he went on.
“No one else has come forward yet to say they’re interested in the space.
So if you’re the first to submit a letter of intent—tell them your background, your ties to the island, and what you intend to do with the shop—you might score a few extra points.
Oh, and in the letter you’ll need to say you’ll have a blueprint to them before Thanksgiving.
That’s pretty quick, but it’s officially off-season now, and Kevin has worked with an architect who might be able to make it happen.
And give you a deal in the process.” He paused.
“My two cents, however, is that the town’s property assessment will reveal some issues of structural deterioration and safety.
The building is old. Part of it was replaced after the coast guard fire in 2010, but that’s a long time ago now. ”
The phrase “far-flung and unrealistic” now felt like a certainty.
She sighed. “The truth is, Rex, it might not work no matter what. Let’s face it, I’m a college professor, not an entrepreneur.
I love reading books, but, honestly, I have no clue how to sell them.
” Then she remembered she hadn’t known if she was capable of earning a PhD, either, or that Owen (who wasn’t her ex at the time) had thought the idea was “cockamamie”—which he not-so-kindly shared with her after she’d enrolled in her first class.
“Not so fast, Maddie.” Rex reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “You’re smart and energetic. I, for one, think it’s worth pursuing. In case you were wondering.”
She forged a smile. “Okay. That’s good to know.” After a brief moment of more contemplation, she added, “So Kevin could contact the architect and set up an appointment for me?”
Rex grinned and slowly removed his hand from hers; she tried not to let on that she’d liked it there. “I could go with you, if you want,” he said, then glanced down at his untouched burrito. “With Kevin, too, of course.”
Of course, she thought. Safety in numbers.
They finished eating, then said their good-byes, and Maddie headed back to the cabin to get to work on a letter of intent. It might not get her the shop, but if Rex said it was worth pursuing, maybe it was. And maybe he was, too, sometime down the road.
Back to the cabin, Grandma was still out.
So Maddie sat cross-legged on the sofa, opened her computer, and drafted a letter for the Select Board, touting her background, education, and commitment to the island, not having a clue if the last item would prove correct.
But she could hardly say she might only live there until her grandmother died, after which her son might stick around for a while, not that he’d want to run a bookshop.
She did confirm that a formal blueprint would be ready before Thanksgiving, then drew a loose sketch of a floor plan based on what she remembered about the shop.
As she worked, she reminded herself that her world would not come crashing down if the bookshop didn’t materialize; it wasn’t as if owning one was her lifelong dream.
All she needed was the courage to go through with this first step. Despite that the rest was starting to feel overwhelming.
Closing her eyes, she tried to relax. Then her mind drifted to money.
Simply to get things up and running would be expensive.
The town might pay for necessary structural reinforcements, but Kevin and his crew would have to be paid, starting with the architect.
Then, with furnishings, fixtures, a computer system, and the upfront cost to stock an initial inventory, the dollars would cha-ching, cha-ching.
With luck, Rafe could build a website and a social media platform and maintain them. But would he want to spend his time on that? And how would she pay for everything else? Did she dare withdraw from her meager retirement fund?
Yes, it was overwhelming. Writing her dissertation had been easier.
Closing her laptop, she realized she should probably give up the idea before it dragged her—and the people she loved—underwater.
And then, her phone rang. She sighed.
It was Rex again.
“We can do it,” he said, as if he’d been reading her mind from Edgartown. “If you let me help you.”
He sounded so upbeat she did not have the courage to say, “Thanks, but never mind.”
“Best of all, I know an investor who loves to support small, up-island businesses … and who’s willing to kick in whatever you need for start-up costs.”
For a moment, she thought she must be asleep.
“Maddie? Did you hear me?”
She cleared her throat. “I’m listening.” She blinked. “But how indebted would I be to this investor? Like, how much interest will it cost me? And what if things don’t pan out?”
“Don’t worry about that now. An investor always knows there are risks.”
“Oh, Rex, I don’t know …”
“It’s aboveboard, Maddie. Will you trust me? As your friend?”
She hesitated, then said, “Of course I trust you.” She waited for her intuition to provide an answer. When it didn’t, she calmly said, “And thank you. But I’d rather try and do this on my own.”
He laughed. “Okay, but the offer’s there if you change your mind.
As for now, Kevin said the architect can meet you at the bait shop, ten o’clock Friday morning if that works for you.
Unfortunately, I’ll be prepping food at the restaurant, but Kevin can go with you.
Everything will fall into place, Maddie.
Let’s talk again tomorrow.” He rang off without saying good-bye, as if he was in a hurry to help put things in motion.
Cockamamie as this plan of hers might be.
Later that night, after Grandma Nancy had, once again, padded off to bed, Maddie stepped outside onto the front porch, smiled up at the stars, and let her enthusiasm bloom.
Yes, she thought, everything about the bookshop could fall into place.
To be safe, however, she would not tell Rafe or her father—and she wouldn’t tell Grandma that things were underway—until a deal was sealed.
Then, if it did not pan out, she wouldn’t let anyone down except Rex and Kevin. And herself.
With another breath of the cool, clear air, Maddie turned to go back inside.
Which was when she saw a white envelope sticking out from under a rock that someone must have left on the porch.
Reaching down, she moved the rock aside and picked up the envelope.
Bold, black letters on the front simply read: MADDIE.
Unsealing the flap, she took out a single sheet of paper.
Even in the dim light spilling out from the cabin, she could see the message:
GET OFF THE ISLAND. AND DON’T COME BACK.