by Carol Henry
“Wow, Nora. Plenty of room to snuggle up next to the fire,” Jackie said behind her. “How many bedrooms did you say there are?”
Leave it to Jackie to focus in on the bedrooms. Her friend’s broad smile and sparkling eyes said it all and left her heart racing. She knew what Jackie was thinking, but there was no way she was considering entertaining men in her new home anytime soon. She needed to get her life in order. And hopefully set up her own home-based accounting business.
“Surprisingly, there are three, although one is rather small. I’m told it was used as a nursery at one time.”
“Sounds as if it would make a perfect office,” Nora said, giving Jackie a knowing look.
Jessica smiled and then led them down a narrow hallway toward the other bedrooms. The realtor was right. The smaller of the two rooms was perfect for a nursery, but it wasn’t big enough for a desk and computer equipment, let alone a filing cabinet. The second room Jessica showed them, however, was ideal.
“The master room is down at this end.” Jessica pointed farther down the hall. “I think you’ll like it. It’s big enough for a king-size bed, double dresser, and has a walk-in closet.”
She thought it overindulgent for her needs. She wasn’t into entertaining men. However, the minute she entered the room, thoughts of Gavin Redmond popped in her head. Decorated in warm shades of mauve, ceiling bordered with a rose-pattern trim, it was romantic.
“Wow, look at that,” Jackie said, her tone suggestive, her smile wide. “How romantic.”
Had Jackie read her mind? She ignored her friend. Jackie was a romantic at heart. Her own fairytale happily-ever-afters were fractured, thanks to Sebastian.
“Is there a basement? Is it dry?” She changed the subject before Jackie could embarrass her further. If Jackie knew her mind had wandered in the same direction as hers, there’d be no end to the teasing. She didn’t need her friend harassing her in front of the realtor.
“There is a small basement,” Jessica said, friendly yet businesslike, leaving the bedroom area behind. “Follow me. The previous owner had a concrete floor put in and installed a washer and dryer. Other than the hot water heater and furnace, there isn’t much room for more. Very compact.”
After a thorough inspection of the “compact” basement, the trio returned to the sitting room.
“It’s perfect,” Nora assured Jessica. Her insides hummed at the thought of having a place of her own. A home she purchased with her own money, and not a house someone else owned, where they called the shots. But could she afford a home vs renting an apartment?
“Do you have other homes we can look at?” Jackie asked as if she were the one in the market for a new home. “It would be nice to have something to compare with this house, don’t you agree, Jessica?”
“I do have something closer to Bar Harbor. It’s small but a bit more upscale if that’s what you’re looking for. We haven’t talked finances.” She turned to Nora. “However, the owner of this house is willing to do a land contract/rent to own. It simply requires an extra month’s down payment in advance.”
She couldn’t believe her luck. Could owning her own home be that easy? She didn’t have much saved since having to pay rent on Sebastian’s cottage, but with her current salary from Redmond’s, she might be able to swing it by the end of the month. Now that she had a full-time job. If she were frugal.
“It might be doable. I’d like to take a couple of days to consider my finances and get back to you, if that’s okay?”
“Yes. Of course. Here’s my card.” Jessica pulled a business card from her pocket and handed it to her. “Give me a call, and we can discuss the contract stipulations.”
After saying their goodbyes, Nora drove Jackie home and then drove up to Grant’s Lake. It was a seasonably warm day. A perfect day to walk around the man-made lake, clear her mind, and contemplate her next move. She hadn’t been there since Sebastian’s death, not wanting to have people look at her as if she were the scum of the earth. But this was part of letting go and moving on, as Jackie would say. It was time to start getting out, free her inner inhibitions, and start to enjoy life again.
Twenty minutes later, she parked the car and headed toward the sidewalk that meandered through a tree-lined walkway toward a sandy shoreline. From there she veered left and followed a trail into a nature-type area that led to a meadow, then back out next to the lake and a small dock jutting out into the water. Benches were strategically placed where one could sit and observe any wildlife, birds, and an occasional fisherman. She found an empty bench and settled in. Although the air was still a bit cool this time of year, it was invigorating. She tucked her hands in her jacket pocket, leaned back, and contemplated her next move.
Could she afford to buy a house on her present salary? Would she be able to pursue her dream of owning her own CPA business? She needed the job at Redmond’s, and although she hadn’t been there long, she knew it was a good fit and the money was more than adequate. If she pinched a few pennies, she could swing it. Getting out from under the burden of living in Sebastian’s home was a necessity. Chuck’s advances were getting more and more aggressive. If she had to wait a bit longer to set up her own business, she could handle it, financially. And the house she and Jackie had just looked at was perfect. She’d go home, take another look at her finances, check with the bank tomorrow, and hope things fell into place.
****
Two days later, she got a call from the realtor. The house was hers if she wanted to come in and sign the papers.
“You’ll have to wait until the end of the month before you can move in,” Jessica said. “I hope that works for you.”
“Perfect. I’m double-checking with the bank Thursday morning to make sure I’m all set for a loan for the down payment. I’ll stop by afterward.”
“I’ll see you then.”
She stared out the office window, a broad smile on her face. It was really happening. She had to call Jackie. Tell her the fantastic news. But first she had to contact the bank and hope like hell she was going to be able to work something out in order to pull off obtaining the down payment.
She needed to ask Gavin for time off so she could go to the bank.
He was in his office when she returned from lunch, leaning over his desk. She tapped on his open door. He looked up, a frown on his face. He obviously wasn’t happy about something. Perhaps it wasn’t the time to ask.
“Is there a problem?” he asked as he closed the file he’d been studying.
“Not really. I’m in the process of buying a home and need to meet with the bank and my realtor on Thursday at ten thirty, and I need some time off. I’ll be gone for a couple of hours. I wasn’t sure if you wanted someone to cover the office while I was away from my desk or close until I return.”
“I didn’t realize you were looking for a house. Is everything okay? Do you need help with anything?”
“No. I’m fine, thanks. I’ve been wanting to find another place to live for some time. The opportunity finally presented itself.”
“Are you sure this is the right move? Do you want me to help with any of the arrangements? Make sure everything is in order?”
It was exactly what she didn’t want. She was going to do this on her own. She needed to do this on her own. It was a major part of her moving on, becoming her own woman.
“I have it under control. But thanks for the offer. It shouldn’t take long.”
“Of course you can have time off. Take whatever time you need. I’ll be in the office all day Thursday. If I need help, I’ll ring Bethany to sit the front office.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank you. You’ve been a real asset to the company. I appreciate all you’ve done for me. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”
“I appreciate the opportunity to work for you. You’ve already been more than generous.” She felt as if they were running a mutual admiration society, and almost smiled.
“Good luck.”
“Is there anything I can do for you this afternoon? You were looking a bit tense when I knocked.”
“I was puzzling over the McClintock situation. If Coleman Baker calls, send it through to the lab. I’ll be in there the rest of the day.”
On her way back to her office, she stopped in the make-shift kitchen and prepared a steaming cup of coffee, the aroma of hazelnut trailing behind her as she returned to her desk. Things were looking up. She had a meeting with the bank at ten thirty on Thursday, and then was scheduled to meet with the realtor at eleven thirty. If everything worked out, she’d be back in the office by one o’clock, a new home owner.
Her insides warmed at the thought.
****
With Gavin out of the office the following two days, she established an office routine. She answered phone calls from several applicants wanting to apply for her position. There were several calls from a handful of Gavin’s clients who either left messages or had his cell number and would call him directly. Emails from clients requesting appointments or canceling them due to conflicts were few, but she responded, arranged new appointments, and checked all the accounts.
Tuesday afternoon without warning, Gavin informed her she was to accompany him on board his boat while they conducted business out on Frenchman Bay the following morning. It was time she got a sense of what he did while he was away from the office and out on his boat. Hopefully, it would give her a chance to become more in tune with his business and thus able to relate to his clients’ needs.
“We’ll leave first thing in the morning. Eric will have the boat waiting for us alongside the main dock. Bethany will cover the office while we’re gone.”
Wow. He had her organizational skills beat!
“And she’s okay filling in at a moment’s notice?”
“Of course. Like I said, it was a family business long before I took over. She knows enough about the business to handle whatever comes up. She’s filled in before, so it won’t be a problem.”
Why wasn’t she surprised? Beth’s proprietorial actions while she’d visited the other day suddenly made sense. His sister’s confidence was well earned.
“Is there anything in particular I need to know before we depart?”
“We’ll be gone all morning, so wear something appropriate—and warm. You might want to bring sunscreen. Even this time of year, the sun out on the water can cause a burn. From the looks of your skin, I suspect you’d burn easily.”
That wasn’t the information she wanted, but for him to even consider her skin type and worry about it burning made her insides squirm. Was he this considerate of everyone? The look on his face and those devilishly sexy eyes gave nothing away. She steeled herself against the emotions bubbling inside. Being on a boat, in close proximity with Gavin Redmond, wasn’t a good idea. But did she have a choice? She needed this job now, more than ever.
Although she knew who his clients were, their accounts, and his daily routine, she hadn’t had time to become familiar with the major details of his clients’ projects, or what he was involved in when he was sequestered in his lab or out on his boat. Including the McClintock case. He’d been rather discreet in that regard. Perhaps tomorrow’s day at sea would be more enlightening as far as those accounts were concerned.
“Am I to assume you will be working on one of your projects while we’re in Frenchman Bay?” she couldn’t help asking. “Is it for the McClintock account?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, it is. As you are aware, they are one of our main accounts. I assume that won’t be a problem?”
“Of course not. Unless you’ve changed your mind and it is for you?”
“Never. I’ll see you tomorrow morning at six a.m. on the docks.”
****
Wednesday’s unusually heavy early morning mist surrounded Nora as she walked past the closed storefronts toward the Bar Harbor pier. Coffee shops were open, however, and the nutty aroma mingled with the misty sea scents of seaweed and fish. Activity along the docks thrived as crews prepared their trawlers for a day of fishing on the Bay and farther out into the Atlantic. She couldn’t resist the urge to purchase a large latte to go and sipped it as she searched for Gavin’s boat. The hot, sweet liquid slid down her throat, soothing the anxiety and anticipation of spending a day out on the water with Gavin.
Business! Only business. Nothing personal about the outing.
Sebastian had never taken her out on his boat. Or any boat, for that matter. Yet he had lived to be out on the water and had known what dangers could befall an errant seaman, which added to the mystery of why he had taken his boat out during a storm. He should have known better. Had he been that upset with her after their spat? Had she driven him to his death? Those thoughts had run through her mind a million times, nearly driving her crazy. But she knew better now. It hadn’t been her fault. The guilt had lifted from her shoulders—finally.
Gavin was already on board when she approached the vessel, a no-frills, mid-sized fishing trawler. He met her on the dock and helped her aboard. “Right on time. We’re about to set sail. Eric is waiting for us at the bow.”
She clasped his outstretched hand and followed him toward the front of the ship. A man was bent over a large cooler. He resembled a pirate, with his muscular form and long, dark, curly hair tucked around ears and hidden underneath a sailor’s cap. He straightened and smiled. His teeth winked out from under a full mustache.
“Nora, this is Eric, my assistant. You’ve talked to him on the phone.”
“Hi, Eric. Good to finally meet you face to face.”
“Well, I have to agree. Putting that pretty face to the lovely voice I hear on the phone has made my day. Where have you been hiding her, Gavin?”
Nora smiled, aware the young man was flirting with her, and was surprised at Gavin’s quick reprimand.
“You know better, Eric. Are we all set to get this crate underway?”
“I am, but you’ll have to check with the skipper,” Eric said. “Al’s at the helm ready to get underway whenever you are.”
“Behave yourself while I have a word with him.” Gavin raised his eyebrows at his assistant, nodded, and then went to find the skipper, leaving her to fend for herself with Eric.
She spotted a wooden bench along the side railing and took advantage of it, putting space between her and Eric.
“So. You’re Gavin’s new hire? How much do you know about our operations so far?” Eric’s playful demeanor turned serious.
She was relieved to not have the man come on to her for real. She didn’t want to have to be rude and put him in his place if he made a pass toward her. “Not as much as I’d like,” she said. “I hope to remedy that today.”
“We’ve been monitoring the pollution in the area from a variety of land and marine uses,” Eric explained. “We store the samples at ocean temperature in the coolers until Gavin gets them back to the lab.”
“What form of pollution?”
“Good question. Substandard ships and poor shipping practices can cause considerable pollution. Which, as you can imagine, is not good for marine life and thus for the fishing industry. Gavin goes below and gathers water samples, as well as the sediment from the ocean floor, and then takes them back to his lab for evaluation.”
Eric’s nautical good looks as he made his way to untie the cords attached to the dock made her grin. A sexy pirate for sure with the confident sway of his hips and lopsided grin as he walked past her.
Five minutes later, the boat was under motion, and Gavin was by her side dressed in a wet suit. Lost for words, she couldn’t help but stare at the virile man standing before her, his every muscle delineated in the tight, slick suit.
“Where are we headed?” she asked when she found her tongue.
“Toward Lobster Cove,” Gavin said, pointing to the narrow bay to their right. “Coleman Baker thinks something or someone is tampering with his traps and fishing nets. Their nets are empty when they pull them in. We need to check the area
. See if we can find anything that might help us figure out what’s going on.”
“We’ve been monitoring the waters,” Eric added, joining them, arms crossed over his chest as he gazed out over the water. “A month ago, the harbormaster reported an incident of wastewater discharge by a small passenger vessel next to the town pier. We’ve been monitoring the waters. The Coast Guard is keeping an eye out for other occurrences, as well.”
“How often does this happen?” she asked, the morning breeze blowing through her hair as the boat treaded water. “What about the bigger cruise ships? Do they pose a threat as well?”
She had seen the mid-size cruise ships in the harbor and often dreamed of sailing away to tropical locations on one of them. She hadn’t considered they could be detrimental to fishermen and marine life, not only in Frenchman Bay, but around the world.
“Of course,” Eric answered. “There have been incidences. But even with stricter laws over the past few years, it continues to happen.”
“Doesn’t the pollution affect other marine life close by? Or are the McClintock traps the only ones affected?”
“Although others have had lower catches, the McClintock’s traps seem to be a major target in this area,” Gavin said. “Others up along the Canadian coast have been having problems, too. I’m going to take samples of the ocean floor, as well as pull a few traps to take back to the lab and test. Do you scuba dive?”
“No. I didn’t know it was a requirement for the job.”
“It’s not, but we’ll have to remedy that,” Gavin stated as he checked his gear.
“Not in this lifetime.” She shook her head and stepped back as if he’d expected her to suit up right then and there. “Breathing underwater is not my strong point.”
“We’ll see.” He dismissed her rejection of his suggestion. “In the meantime, make yourself comfortable and enjoy the ride. Help yourself to coffee below.” Gavin pointed to the galley entrance. “And an extra blanket if you get cold. It can be a bit brisk out on the water this early in the morning. But when the clouds dissipate and the sun is overhead, it’ll be hot. Hope you remembered your sunscreen.”
