The Coast Road Home

by Vickie McKeehan

  She spotted a downhearted Beckham sitting alone under the massive oak tree. “You don’t look like a happy guest. As your hostess I’m taking that personally.”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “Did you eat?”

  “Yeah. I had two burgers. I hope that’s okay.”

  Marley chuckled. “We didn’t put in a limit. I had a talk with Faye last week. She knows she hurt your feelings.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t want to be with anyone who doesn’t want to be with me.”

  “Exactly. You deserve better.”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “Any prospects?”

  “There is this one girl I like. Her name is Trina.”

  “Is she here today?’

  “Yeah, she’s over there with her little brothers. Babysitting.”

  “Then what are doing sitting under this tree, sulking? Go over there and talk to her.”

  “You think?”

  “I know. Now go. Take Trina some pop. Tell her she looked thirsty. Bring enough for the brothers.”

  “Okay.” Beckham stood up, working up his courage. “I’ll do it.”

  Marley grinned at the kid’s back. “Good luck.”

  A few minutes later she spotted Malachi grabbing a burger before his set at the bar, she set out to find Keva, bent on introducing the two.

  It took her ten minutes to locate Keva, but by the time she brought her back to where Malachi had been standing, the man had disappeared into the crowd.

  “In a town this size it shouldn’t be this difficult to get two people to meet each other,” Marley grumbled.

  “It’s no big deal,” Keva said. “Bodie and I are heading to The Shipwreck after the fireworks. Maybe I’ll hang out at the back door and wait for him like a groupie.”

  Marley sighed. “I haven’t done that since I was fifteen and snuck off to a U2 concert in Chicago trying to meet Bono.”

  Keva hooted with laughter. “There you go. If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen.”

  “I’ve gotta go,” Marley said, catching sight of Ethan Cody, the writer, perusing the table with all the side dishes on it. She headed that way. “I can’t believe my favorite writer showed up at my party. I’m so glad to finally meet you in person. I’ve read all your books. Your stories got me through some bleak times right after I got here.”

  “No doubt because my lovely wife pawned them off on you at the hospital, I’d imagine.”

  “Not at all. I love your mysteries. I can’t wait to see this shipwreck you wrote about. Is it really that close to shore?”

  “It is. If you’re looking at how best to get there, I’d suggest contacting Simon Bremmer. He makes regular trips out there for tourists in the Sea Dragon.”

  “I’m still sort of a tourist. I’ll call and book a trip. But would you mind autographing at least one of your books for me while you’re here?”

  Ethan grinned. “Absolutely. If you want, I’ll sign all of them.”

  “Great. When? How about now?” Seizing him by the arm, she led him toward the house. Inside the kitchen, she went over to a counter and dug out five books all authored by Ethan. She snatched up a pen and handed it off. “There you go. Wait until I tell my friends back in Wisconsin that I got Ethan Cody’s autograph. They’ll probably want me to get them a signed book, too.” She leaned in and whispered, “I’m not sure I’ll do that. Then mine wouldn’t be so special.”

  Ethan laughed and happily signed all five books.

  “What are you working on now? Am I allowed to ask that?”

  “I’m actually writing a book with a character that’s based on my brother.”

  “Brent, the police chief? How interesting. That must mean it’s a mystery. Cop and murder. Oh, yeah. I can see that. How’d you come up with that plotline?”

  “Brent inspires me, always has. I used to be a deputy for the county. And for a time, Brent was sheriff of Santa Cruz County. But my heart wasn’t in law enforcement. Brent’s heart is all in.”

  “Of course not, your heart belongs to writing. It shows in your work.”

  “That’s a nice thing to say. Thank you for that.”

  “I tell it like it is.” Marley thought she saw Andy drifting toward the driveway. “Excuse me a minute, Ethan, but I have to sidetrack Andy because he looks like he’s decided to leave early. And he hasn’t met Shiloh yet. If you don’t mind, I’ll catch up with you later.”

  Marley didn’t wait for the writer to answer. Instead, she dashed out the back in time to catch Andy just as he was getting into his truck. “Are you leaving already?”

  “Yeah. Thanks for the grub. It was good.”

  Marley neatly looped her arm through his. “Is there somewhere you have to be? It is Saturday night. I guess you have a girlfriend.”

  Andy shook his head. “No, ma’am. They get a load of Faye and hightail it in the other direction.”

  Marley had deftly led him in a circle and into the backyard. “Oh, come on, Faye’s not that scary. You need to meet someone with a little backbone.” She waved to Shiloh Jones who’d been hanging around the grill where Gideon had spent most of the evening. “Shiloh, how’s that burger?”

  “It’s good. I was just conveying that to the cook. Thanks for inviting me.”

  Marley knew the minute Shiloh’s eyes drifted away from Gideon onto Andy. She nudged Andy closer to the dark-haired beauty. “This is Andy DeMarco.”

  Shiloh’s eyes tracked to the younger man’s body, his physique. “You must work out.”

  Andy was just as fascinated with Shiloh as she was him. “I work construction.”

  “Really?” Shiloh put down her paper plate and ambled closer. “I’ve been looking after my granddad for almost a month now, so I’ve been sticking pretty close to home. We could go to the movies if you want. They’re playing Say Anything at The Driftwood. Have you seen it?”

  Andy lied. He’d seen it with a girl who’d broken up with him, but Shiloh didn’t need to know that. “No, no, I haven’t. That’d be great. What time should I pick you up?”

  “How about in an hour? We can do the late show. Let me just get Granddad settled, and I’ll text you.”

  The two exchanged phone numbers and walked off together to cement their plans for the evening.

  “You look so proud of yourself,” Gideon noted. “That setup was so obvious it was almost embarrassing. What if neither one of them had liked the other?”

  “But they seem to connect, right? It wasn’t just me, was it?”

  “No, they connected all right.”

  “You’re not jealous, are you?” Marley joked.

  “Please.” He rolled his eyes. “Andy’s gonna have his hands full with that one. She’s a pistol.”

  “Yeah, but maybe that’s what he and Faye need right now. Andy certainly needs a social life, a distraction from the weight he’s been carrying.”

  Gideon nuzzled the back of her neck. “You’re something, you know that? Did you see Andy’s face when he got a load of Shiloh?”

  “I did. I had to practically pluck him out of his truck to get him to the backyard again, but hey, seeing as how they’ve already made plans, I’d say I nailed it.”

  “I’d say I want all these people out of here so we can be alone.”

  “And what about Lolly? Do you plan to sneak out after you get her to bed?” Marley whispered.

  “I’m pretty sure Lolly knows I have a sex life. And now I know she has one. She and Angus are welcome to shaking loose the rafters as long as I’m not there to listen to it.”

  “Okay. Then sneak out after they go to sleep.” She ran a nail down his T-shirt. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while. But right now, just smile and slap another burger on that bun. I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast, and I’m starving.”

  After being locked up for almost a week sitting in the Pelican Pointe jail, Damon Pettigrew had spent his time plotting his revenge.

  He’d had help from his second cousin, Floyd, who
had raced over to the police station after watching the cops go over Damon’s Chevy parked at the beach, go over it with a fine-tooth comb before towing it away to the county impound lot. It had been Floyd who had first told Damon about some woman sticking her nose where it hadn’t belonged, some bitch by the name of Marley Lennox who’d talked little Ellie into calling the cops on him.

  Floyd had figured out a way to help his younger cousin. He just had to figure out how best to pull it off. He’d been sitting in this pickup truck parked across the street from the police station every day since Damon’s arrest, watching, waiting, keeping an eye out for the county van that would take his cousin to the county jail in Santa Cruz, he just wasn’t sure the exact time of day the trip would take place.

  But Saturday night he got lucky when he noticed a white van with county insignias on both doors, pull around to the back of the station and park in the alleyway. He knew this was it. The plan clicked into place in all its glory, and he knew just the perfect spot to pull it off.

  No choirboy himself, Floyd had made this trip several times before from Pelican Pointe to county lockup, probably in the same damn van. He knew the guards always stopped at the Quick Mart out on the 101 halfway between here and Santa Cruz.

  He hopped back into his truck and made a beeline to the gas station to get there first so he would be waiting for the van to make its fuel stop that usually included getting coffee.

  Reaching under the seat, he made sure he had the .357 Magnum and the ski mask. Old Damon was gonna be mighty proud of him for this.

  At the Quick Mart, he found the parking lot deserted and only one clerk on duty. Floyd parked his pickup on the side of the building next to the restrooms. He waited until the clerk came out to check the pumps, and then yanked his mask over his head, approaching the young male cashier from the back.

  Taking him hostage, Floyd hauled the young man back inside the store. Now, all he had to do was wait for the van to show up.

  It wasn’t long before it pulled into the station and just like clockwork one guard got out to pump gas while the other guard headed into the station to buy coffee and pay for the gas.

  As the guard entered the store, Floyd was waiting behind the counter. With one swift move, he jumped up to coldcock the guard right in the face with the barrel of the gun. He punched him a few more times for good measure. A few strides out the door and he had the barrel of the gun stuck into the other guard’s back.

  Floyd barked out orders. “Unlock the back door. Now.”

  The guard fumbled with his keys as Floyd pressed the gun harder into his spine. “You mess with me, and I’ll blow you into the next county.”

  A minute later, Damon was free. Together, the cousins forced all three men into the back of the van and locked it.

  Damon let out a loud yell and tossed the keys into the bushes. “Hot damn! I’m sure glad to see you, cousin. That woman of mine tried to railroad me for sure.”

  “Yeah, well, Ellie never would’ve had the gumption if that lady hadn’t stuck her nose into it. She’s the one you oughta make pay, not Ellie. Ellie would’ve never done this on her own.”

  “You got that right. I think I’ll pay a little visit to this Marley Lennox, teach that bitch a lesson she won’t soon forget.”

  “Damon, you got to pick the right time else you’ll get caught again for sure. Bide your time, man. Don’t go off half-cocked this time. Tonight, the beach is full of tourists waiting to see the fireworks. Lay low until it’s time to strike.”

  “The heat will be on, for sure. Okay. I’ll wait until the time is right. But we need to find a place to hide out until then.”

  “I know just the place. They’ll never look on old man Cranston’s boat.”

  Lorelei and Angus dragged lawn chairs over to where Marley and Gideon had plopped down on a blanket to watch the fireworks.

  Marley had sandwiched Barkley in between them to ward off the dog bolting at the first sound of the rocket booms. Gideon kept one hand on the dog’s head as the pooch burrowed into Marley’s lap.

  “This has been one Memorial celebration I won’t forget,” Lorelei commented, fanning her face. “This is an extraordinary little community you two have found.”

  Marley felt it, too. “It was a good day. I think the party was a big hit. Thanks for everything you did to help.”

  “I enjoyed it,” Angus said. “Been a while since I lugged around that many coolers and kept them filled with ice. This fella I talked to earlier said the fishing is great here.”

  Marley and Gideon exchanged looks. “Simon Bremmer,” they said together.

  Angus nodded. “That’s his name. Simon runs a tour boat. I wish we’d known that. We would’ve taken the opportunity to check out the coastline.”

  Marley cut her eyes to Gideon, who still harbored a certain degree of hurt feelings about Lolly’s abbreviated visit.

  But now, he shrugged it off. “Maybe next time you come you’ll stay long enough to enjoy some of the sights locally.”

  “We’d love to show you around,” Marley eased out, convinced this could get dicey in a hurry.

  The first pop of fireworks interrupted what could have been a contentious discussion.

  With Gideon’s help, Marley held onto Barkley as streaks of color filled the night sky—white and gold, red and green, blue and silver. Multi-ribbons of fire danced in the air, sparkling like glitter floating down over the water.

  “It’s okay,” Marley whispered to the dog as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re okay.” Stroking his fur, she continued to talk to him in a soothing voice. “It won’t hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  When the fireworks ended and they were gathering up their blankets and chairs, Gideon looked up to see Brent, thumbs hooked in his belt loops, standing a few feet away. Eastlyn and Colt were there, too. “I’ve got bad news about Pettigrew. Is Ellie around here somewhere?”

  Marley pointed to the end of the yard. “Yeah, she’s over there with Hollis. Why?”

  “Get her, and I’ll meet you up at the house. I only want to have to say this once.”

  A dozen or more people entered Marley’s house to hear what Brent had to say.

  “About forty minutes ago, Pettigrew escaped custody. We’re sure that his cousin, Floyd Riley, helped him out. Floyd’s the only visitor Damon had during his time in jail here. So, it figures that Floyd came up with this scheme to jump the guards out on the 101. I’ve asked the sheriff’s department for more men to patrol the area which they’ve agreed to do. Our goal is to get these two into custody as soon as possible.”

  “I knew this would happen,” Ellie shrieked. “I knew it. You can’t keep Damon locked up. And now, there are two of them. Floyd is almost as violent as Damon. Luck is always on Damon’s side.”

  “Not this time,” Marley countered. “Look around you at all the people willing to keep you safe.”

  Eastlyn took out her nightstick and stepped toward Ellie. The uniformed officer with a cap of short blonde hair handed off her baton. “Here you go. Don’t hesitate to use this on him if he gets past us.”

  Ellie looked panic-stricken and shook her head, backing away. “I couldn’t.”

  “I’ll take it,” Marley offered. “But what about you?”

  Eastlyn sent her a wide smile. “Don’t worry about me. I keep a spare underneath the seat of my car. Girl’s gotta have a backup. Right?”

  Colt Del Rio grinned at his cohort. “Don’t worry about Officer Parker. I’ve seen her take down a two-hundred and fifty-pound drunk.”

  Marley grinned. “My kind of girl.”

  “You call us if you see or hear anything out of the ordinary,” Eastlyn cautioned. “We’re working double shifts until we catch this guy.”

  After they’d gone, Gideon began to pace the room.

  “I don’t understand what all the fuss is about,” Lorelei told Gideon. “Why is everyone so jumpy?”

  “You don’t get it, Lolly,” Gideon snapped. “Th
e guy who escaped might come after Marley.”

  Marley shook her head. “If Pettigrew goes after anyone, it’s more likely to be Ellie.”

  Gideon ran a hand through his hair. “That’s not what Brent said, and you know it. Brent’s concerned that he doesn’t have enough manpower to keep an eye on both of you. And he’s right. That’s why I suggest we admit Ellie’s dad into the hospital for a few days and bring Ellie to stay here until this is all over.”

  “That makes sense,” Ellie said. “But I don’t want to be any trouble.”

  Hollis scrubbed a hand down his face. “Listen to Dr. Nighthawk, Ellie. If it’s the only way to keep the two of you safe, then I vote yes.”

  “Sure, if you have a bed to spare at the hospital, it might work,” Marley said.

  “I’ll make it work,” Gideon stated, angling toward Ellie. “Let’s get your things and pack up your dad. If we hustle, we can have the arrangements all done by midnight.”

  Twenty-Five

  The house was crowded, every bedroom filled. Ellie hadn’t been the only one to spend the night. Hollis had wanted to stick around and look out for his girl, even though he was in no shape to defend anybody. But Marley didn’t have the heart to send him home to sit around and worry.

  What surprised her the most was that once Keva and Bodie had heard about the situation, both women had left the bar and showed up, volunteering to stay overnight, just in case Gideon got called out to an emergency.

  “We don’t want you alone here,” Keva explained.

  “I’m not sure what we could do if Pettigrew does show up, but at least we’ll be together,” Bodie stated.

  Lolly and Angus had moved on to Gideon’s place down the street but had shown up for Sunday breakfast.

  People had to eat no matter the situation and talk things out over a good meal.

  As she stood at the stove pouring pancakes onto a griddle, Marley made a point to tell everyone, “Look, I’m not letting Damon Pettigrew ruin our weekend. We should go back out to the beach and do whatever we’d planned on doing.”