Christmas In the Cove

by Carol Ross

  “It’s sure looking that way. We’re going to need some hard evidence before we take this to Yeats, though. Getting a lead on those crates would be helpful.”

  They continued to discuss the strength of the circumstantial evidence until they came upon the sign pointing toward Coastal Wood Sources. They had decided to check out the sawmill again and take a look at that scrap pile. They’d opted not to call first, and Eli was glad to see a few cars in the lot, suggesting that the mill was running today.

  After parking, they got out and strolled around, admiring the neatly stacked piles of lumber ready to be shipped. They were heading toward the building, which housed the mill, when Sam Turner emerged and gave them a friendly wave.

  “He sure seems like a nice guy,” Gale commented. “I hope he’s not involved.”

  “Me, too,” Eli replied under his breath.

  They walked toward the stocky-built, engagingly jovial sawmill owner. Today he was wearing double-panel jeans that were ripped through both layers on one knee, revealing a pair of gray long underwear beneath. His red-and-black flannel shirt was faded to a dusty pink and gray. The silver hard hat on his head sported a serious dent on one side.

  “Hey, Sam, how you doing?” Eli reached his hand out to shake. Gale did the same.

  They made small talk for a few minutes before curiosity got the better of Sam. Eli couldn’t really blame him.

  “What brings you boys back here to my little neck of the woods?”

  The first time they’d visited, they’d done so under the auspices of wanting to buy some lumber. They’d discovered that Sam didn’t have a retail shop. He cut wood on demand, often breaking down larger dimensions into lumber for special projects.

  “We were wondering what you do with your scrap wood. We were thinking maybe we could work out something where we could haul if off for you, sort out what we might need, then sell the rest for firewood, or give it to the school for their wood shop program.”

  Sam scratched his whiskered cheek with the back of one thumb. “Sorry, boys. I’ve already got something like that set up with a local guy.”

  “That’s too bad for us,” Gale said. “Good deal for you both, though, I bet.”

  “Yep, works out great for me. He hauls it all off, although I sure wouldn’t mind seeing some of this wood used for furniture. It’s so pretty.”

  “Me, too,” Gale said. “It is gorgeous. I especially like curly maple and yew wood. I’d like to make my own kitchen cabinets out of some of that.”

  Sam flashed a satisfied grin and pointed toward the log house set back in the trees. “I just made my new cabinets from curly maple I cut right here.”

  “I’d love to see them.”

  “I’ll show you if you have a few minutes.”

  They headed toward the house as Sam talked about the experience of building his home from the ground up. The house wasn’t overly large but it was spectacular. He’d used an attractive mix of various types of wood for the floors, cabinets, trim and other creative accents. In the living room, Eli looked up and felt a course of excitement.

  “This ceiling is sure pretty. What kind of wood is this?”

  Sam followed his gaze. “Isn’t that something? Turned out even better than I expected. That’s larch. I cut some with my mill last year.”

  “You don’t happen to have any more of that lying around, do you?”

  “Nope. Same guy hauled it off.”

  “Maybe we could buy some off of him? Any chance we could get his name?”

  “Hey, yeah, that’s a good thought. He’s a great guy. He’d probably give it to you. He’s a real big philanthropist around here. I know he’s given wood to the schools in the past, probably still does.”

  “Sounds promising. We’ll give him a call.”

  Gale had his phone out, poised and ready to enter a name.

  “You might have even heard of him. His family has been around here forever. His dad owns a bunch of different businesses. He has his own business himself now, too. An engineering firm and a construction company. Name’s St. John—Alex St. John.”

  It took every ounce of Eli’s resolve not to react to this news. His brain raced, grappling for explanations, even as he somehow managed to finish the tour and make parting small talk with Sam.

  A few minutes later they were in the pickup and headed back toward Pacific Cove.

  They drove in silence for several miles before Gale spoke. “This doesn’t mean he’s involved. It could be, it probably is, someone from inside his business using the wood to construct the crates. From what I understand he has a lot of employees and subcontractors working for him. It could be any one of them.”

  “I know,” Eli said, still trying to explain the coincidence away. Because it had to be a coincidence. It was not possible that Alex, his best friend since childhood, could be involved—not knowingly. “There are a lot of possibilities.”

  “Yes, and we’ll look into this very carefully before we do anything,” Gale said.

  * * *

  AUBREY’S CONTINUED DEDICATION to the Christmas competition in light of the disqualification was a huge source of pride for Eli. He could tell a lot of other community members felt the same. Sure, there had been some grumblings about the oversight concerning the street closure, but with Aubrey’s reputation and standing in the town, grumblings seemed to be promptly and properly quashed before they amounted to much.

  Eli felt an extra dose of satisfaction that the weather had cooperated so perfectly for the weekend’s Coast Christmas Treasure Hunt. Yesterday’s windstorm had blown away every speck of cloud, leaving a sky the color of a robin’s egg. It was an unseasonably warm sixty-four degrees and many people were strolling around on the beach in jeans and shirtsleeves. Even the surf was cooperating, with gentle waves lapping at the shore. He’d seen at least four kids with their shoes off.

  Excitement, on the other hand, was raging like a storm. Early that morning, just as the tide was turning, handblown glass balls had been released into the breakers offshore. Now the waves rippled in, depositing the sparkling treasure for eager beachcombers on sand resembling an endless blanket of gray velvet.

  “What do you know about Alex’s work?” Eli managed to casually drop the question into the conversation he was having with Aubrey about chickens. Well, specifically eggs and what an exceptional source of protein they are.

  “What do you mean? You know he’s an engineer. His company does major construction projects, roads and bridges and buildings for the county and the town, as well as the Coast Guard. He has a great reputation, not to mention he’s always donating to the community. Why?”

  “Nina wants to have a chicken coop built. I was thinking maybe I’d pick his brain about it, where to get the supplies and stuff. Then we could build it for her.”

  Aubrey stopped abruptly and looked up at him. “Eli, that would be amazing.”

  He shrugged. “Gale has volunteered to help. He’s pretty handy with a hammer.”

  “Really? That is so nice.”

  “That’s Gale. He’s always helping people. Reminds me a lot of you, actually.”

  “And you.” She winked and kept walking.

  Eli could only wish his motives were as selfless as hers. They spotted several ornaments, but left them where they were in order to let enthusiastic treasure hunters find them.

  “Aubrey!” A little voice squealed with delight just before a tiny girl launched herself onto Aubrey’s person.

  “Eleanor, hi! You made it.” She bent over and gave her a hug. “I’ve been watching for you.”

  “Eli, I’d like you to meet Eleanor. Eleanor, this is my friend Eli. She takes swim lessons from me at the pool.”

  “Nice to meet you, Eleanor.”

  “Where’s Sheila?” Aubrey asked.

  Eleanor pointed. A family had placed chairs a ways up the beach. Eli couldn’t blame them. It was a day to relish. Aubrey exchanged waves with a woman sitting in one of the chairs.

  S
he looked back at Eleanor. “How’s your day going, Dolphin?”

  The little girl shrugged. “I’m having fun on the beach, but I haven’t found a ball yet. I’m trying really hard, Aubrey, because you always say that we shouldn’t give up if we want something really bad.” The longing and bravery in her tone tugged at Eli’s heartstrings.

  “That’s right.” Aubrey nodded. “And if you keep looking and don’t give up, I feel confident you will find one.”

  He wondered if she should be saying something like that to the obviously hopeful Eleanor. It seemed like the potential disappointment could be crushing to the kid.

  “Really?”

  “Yep. We’ll help you. I think that stump over there looks like a good place for one to be hiding. Eli, will you take Eleanor over there to have a look?” She added a meaningful look and he suddenly suspected she had something up her sleeve.

  “Sure,” he said. He led little Eleanor over to the waterlogged stump half buried in the sand. They traveled all the way around it. Eli distracted her with examining the intricate roots. He pointed out a piece of white shell sticking out of the sand.

  After a few minutes they returned to where Aubrey was waiting.

  From the corner of his eye he saw a man and woman had stopped nearby. He was medium height and build, and wearing a baseball cap that shaded his face as he gazed out at the horizon. But the woman, plump and short with bright red hair, seemed to be surreptitiously watching them. Eli glanced up the beach. Eleanor’s foster mom was still sitting in her chair while three kids played on a blanket in front of her. The couple’s presence struck him as odd, and he wondered if the investigation was starting to get to him.

  “Nothing?” Aubrey asked.

  Eleanor shook her head. “We found a sand dollar.” She held it up proudly.

  “That’s awesome. Have you looked around there?” She pointed to where a car-size rock jutted out from the beach. A large tide pool had formed around it.

  They all moved toward the pool. Eli spotted the glass ball Aubrey had obviously squirreled away in her bag for just this occurrence. He found himself holding a breath as little Eleanor traveled the perimeter. The woman with red hair and the man in the ball cap moved closer. Eli kept an eye on them as he wondered if they were going to try to snatch the ball.

  Seconds later Eleanor’s delighted squeal split the air. “Look! There’s one! I found one.” She squatted and reached for the ball. She scooped it out of the water and held it aloft. Dancing from one foot to the other, she said, “Aubrey, look, it even has a dolphin on it. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “No! Way! Good find, little one.” Aubrey pretended to examine it. “It is gorgeous!” she declared.

  They all spent some time admiring the prize, holding it up to the light and watching the silver dolphin sparkle in the blues and greens of the hand-blown glass.

  Eli realized the couple had disappeared. A delighted Eleanor couldn’t stop giggling and Eli found himself grinning from ear to ear as they delivered the exuberant child to her foster family. He was relieved when Sheila seemed genuinely excited for the child, hugging her close and telling her how proud she was.

  After a few more minutes of visiting, they said their goodbyes and took off again.

  “That was...” Eli searched for a word. “Incredible.”

  Aubrey grinned. “It was fun, huh? Sheila told me they were coming today, so I saved that one, hoping I’d run into her.” She sighed. “I wish I could make her life that good every day. You should have seen her when she first started coming to the pool for lessons. I could see her wanting to be happy, but there was just this sadness weighing her down. Sheila and Dave have done so much for her, too, but even Sheila says that she lives for her swim lessons. I remember that feeling so well, and I had good, solid parents.”

  They strolled along, chatting and laughing. The next time he looked up, he saw Aubrey’s mom, Susannah, approaching them with Camile. He added two barefoot adults to his tally.

  “Hi, Eli! Aubrey, honey, this is just...so much fun! Look what I found.” She held up a gorgeous glass ball in shades of red and gold. “Can I keep it?”

  “Yes, you can keep it, Mom.”

  “I didn’t know if it was against the rules or not, since you’re in charge and all.”

  “This isn’t my event, but it wouldn’t matter, anyway. You’re out here searching and enjoying the beach. That’s the point of it all.”

  “Seriously gorgeous,” Camile said, showing off her own glittering ornament in shades of blue and silver. “If Mom gets to keep hers, then I’m keeping mine, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “I’m so excited. This really is amazing, Aubrey.” Something caught her eye and she lifted a hand to wave. “There’s Mrs. Green. I’m going to go say hi.”

  Eli followed her gaze. “Our English teacher, Mrs. Green? I loved her. I haven’t seen her in years. Do you mind if I tag along?”

  * * *

  ELI AND CAMILE took off while Aubrey and her mom continued to walk and talk, enjoying the day.

  “Mom, can you believe all three of us girls are home for Christmas this year? It’s been...what? Four years?”

  “Yes, all of my girls together under one roof for the holidays. The only thing that would make it better is if we had some grandbabies to join us...”

  “Subtle, Mom.”

  Since Nina’s divorce, their mom had been not-so-subtle about hinting that it was her middle daughter’s turn to have a go at marriage. Which was odd, she thought, seeing as how Nina’s experience had been such a disaster. It wasn’t that Aubrey was determined to never get married, it was just that she hadn’t found the right guy yet. Granted, she hadn’t really tried that hard. Maybe that was because she’d found him once and then her instincts had proved to be so woefully wrong. Even though she’d been young, Eli had messed with her head. The notion slipped in that he might be doing the same thing again.

  “I’ve tried subtle,” her mom countered.

  “I’ll get to work on that. Just as soon as I find someone who is as great as Dad.”

  “Well, your standards are awfully high, honey. I’ve been telling you that for years and I—”

  “Mom!”

  Susannah laughed. “I don’t mean it that way. I just mean that your father is not perfect. Not like you seem to think. He has his flaws. We all do. What I mean is, I think your constant strive for perfection is keeping you from settling down.”

  “I don’t want someone perfect. I just want someone perfect for me. Besides, I don’t expect anything out of anyone else that I’m not willing to deliver myself.” It was one of her dad’s favorite quotes.

  Her mom stopped in her tracks, surprise and amusement stamped across her face. “Your sisters are right, you know? You are so much like your father.”

  “Thank you.”

  Susannah heaved a sigh and started walking again. “Honey, I’m going to tell you something and you’re not going to like it.”

  “If you’re going to lecture me about my love life, please don’t. I have—”

  She held up a stop-sign hand. “I’m not. Well, not directly, anyway. But I am going to tell you about mine.”

  “Please, if you love me, Mom, you will not do that,” Aubrey quipped.

  “Aubrey, I’m serious. I want to tell you this.”

  The stern edge to her mom’s tone gave her pause. She stopped. “I’m sorry, Mom. What is it?”

  Her mom stopped, too. The expression on her face was so grave it caused a jolt of nerves to flow through her.

  “When you girls were younger...” Her mom paused to look up at the sky.

  Aubrey waited.

  She met her eyes again. “Your father and I almost got divorced.”

  “What? When?” In spite of her mom’s use of the past tense, Aubrey felt her stomach knot.

  “When you were in high school. Nina was already in college and Camile was in middle school. Let’s see, that would
have been what...your sophomore year?”

  The same time she and Eli had been together. No wonder she hadn’t seen it. She’d been so absorbed in her life, in Eli. Still, her family was close. She couldn’t remember her parents ever fighting. Now that she thought about it, she did remember a time when her mom had complained that her dad worked too much, especially back then...

  “What happened?” she found herself asking, even though she wasn’t sure she really wanted to know.

  Her eyes latched onto Aubrey’s and she said, “I fell in love with another man. Well, I thought I was in love with another man and... I even considered having an affair. I thought I might want a divorce. Your father did not. He refused to even consider it. He didn’t know that I was having feelings for someone else, although I don’t think that would have affected his decision. You know him, he does not quit. Thank goodness.” She added an appreciative smile. “You got that trait from him, too. You know, if you didn’t look so much like me, I’d wonder if you really had half of my DNA.”

  “Mom... Um...” She didn’t know what to say. It was so surreal. Was this something a daughter was even supposed to know about her own parents? What was she supposed to do with the information? How could her mom have even considered a divorce? Her dad was so great.

  “I’ve grappled with telling you this for a while now. Because...”

  Aubrey stared but somehow knew what her mom was thinking. “You were afraid I’d judge you?”

  “I know how strong your opinions can be,” she amended. “And I know how much you adore your father. Which is also why I wanted to tell you, because you are so much like him. The world is awfully black and white for people like you and your father. But people aren’t all good or all bad, Aubrey. Relationships, situations, even people, aren’t always as they appear. There is every shade of gray out there. And I just don’t want you to pass up someone who might be a little gray but who might still be right for you. Is this making sense?”