by Grace Palmer
“Eddie Green! How are you doing, buddy? It’s been forever!”
Eddie broke into a grin and got up, hugging the man with enthusiasms. Tasha frowned. She had no idea who this guy was at all.
“Charlie! When did you get back in town?” Eddie suddenly seemed to remember she was still at the table as he turned. “Sorry. So rude of me. Charlie, this is my girlfriend, Tasha Baldwin. She’s my partner in crime in all things.”
The man waved at her.
“Good to meet you. I’m Charlie Brooks. Eddie and I went to high school together, eons ago.” Turning his attention back to Eddie, he continued. “I just got back a month ago. Finally decided to give up scriptwriting and take up my true destiny.”
Eddie grimaced. “Your dad’s accounting firm in Inverness?”
Charlie shrugged. “Yup. Turns out I’m much better with numbers than with words. And I already scored.” He nodded toward a brunette sitting at a table in the center of the bar. She waved at them with a slight smile. “Fellow accountant.”
Up on stage, the music was just ending and the MC returned to the stage. “Alright! That wasn’t half bad! Now. Who else has a request?”
She scanned the room and a few hands went up. However, to her surprise it was Charlie Brooks who drew the attention to himself by jumping in addition of waving.
“I got a volunteer. Eddie Green here! He’ll do ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow.’”
He winked at Eddie, who had gone deathly pale.
Charlie chuckled. “Remember Senior Ball when you tricked me into eating laxative-laced brownies so you could spend all night dancing with my date? Vengeance is finally mine!” He patted Eddie on the shoulder once more and then looked at Tasha. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Baldwin. I bet we’ll see a lot more of each other.” With that, he returned to his seat, leaving Eddie to remain in his seat, frozen with fear.
For somebody who was so involved in the theater, Eddie was quite shy when it came to performing himself, even though he was an excellent performer.
He looked at her. She spotted the panic in his eyes, and at the sight of it, all the anger fell away and she could feel nothing but sympathy for him. Before she knew what she was doing, she stood up and grabbed his hand.
“We’ll do it together.” She said as they made their way to the stage.
He squeezed her hand. “Alright. As long as you’re by my side.”
“Of course, I’m by your side. I’ll always be by your side.”
As they ascended the stairs, he leaned forward. “I really am sorry about the prank. I should have listened to you when you said it was enough.”
“I’ve already forgiven you. Now let’s just get through this song so we can kick back with our wine and enjoy the rest of our night.”
“I love you, Tasha Baldwin.”
She winked at him. “I love you too, Eddie Green. Now let’s grab this microphone and give these people a show.”
Before he could protest, the crowd had risen and clapped as, behind them, the piano player started playing. She spotted Liza and Ben at a table in the corner. Liza hooted and hollered loudest of all and Tasha felt a surge of warmth at her mom’s friend’s support.
With her eyes closed, Tasha began to sing. She didn’t know quite what it was—perhaps it was the fact that she was on stage with her best friend, or maybe it was because the audience was filled with people who knew and loved her—but she felt a little bit of the magic she thought she had lost forever returning bit by bit.
By the time she opened her eyes and saw the faces in the audience filled with delight at the sound of her and Eddie’s voices, she knew that it was still there. That spirit of the performance she’d held onto all of her life.
She just needed to rekindle the embers. And tonight, she was sure she did.
15
Melanie
Melanie returned the black kitten to its mother’s side and shut the crate.
“They are all doing well.”
“That’s great news. I’ll update the chart.” As Ashley started to scribble notes on the animal’s charts, she glanced at Melanie. “Have you slept at all? You look like you can barely keep your eyes open.”
Melanie shrugged her shoulders. “I slept a little bit at the hospital, but not much, no. Honestly, I’m pretty beat.”
“How is Colin doing? Drew said he has a broken leg?”
Melanie nodded. “Yeah. Broken leg, cuts, and scrapes. But the main issue is the concussion. Apparently, the airbag deployed, but he cracked his head on the side window. He’ll probably be out by the end of the week.”
Ashley nodded. “That sucks. I’m so sorry. Have you had a chance to talk to him about the fight at all?”
Melanie shook her head again. She found herself confiding in Ashley more since they worked so closely side-by-side. “Not yet. He’s not really in any condition to talk since he’s sleeping most of the time anyway. Truth be told, there is no reason for me to be there so much, but I can’t help myself. I feel like…”
The office phone rang, interrupting her flow of words.
Ashley dashed to the front desk and answered. Melanie followed slowly behind and listened to Ashley’s part of the conversation.
“Oh, that’s awful. Yes, I’ll see that Dr. Baldwin takes a drive out there, Helen. I’m so sorry. “
She hung up the phone and looked up at Melanie. “That was Helen Slocum. She has that little house on the edge of town. It seems somebody’s gone and smashed up her chicken coop. And the goats’ enclosure. Foxes got in and… well, she hopes some of the animals made it, but she can’t bring herself to look. She…”
Melanie nodded. “Understood, I’ll take a drive out there now. Can you handle all the incoming?”
Ashley nodded. “Yeah I think I can. It will probably be more of the same right? Bunnies, squirrels, foxes, and the like.”
“Yeah, we will see a lot more of it. Such a shame the developers have to destroy the animals’ homes in order to build. Soon enough there won’t be much left of our tranquil, sleepy little village of Willow Beach.”
Ashley pursed her lips. “From what Drew says, there’s quite a lot planned. I think he’s kind of conflicted about it all. I know he’s happy to finally have a proper career path, but at the same time, that guy he works for is putting up a whole bunch of new developments and it might just end up destroying everything he loves.”
Melanie nodded and went to grab her purse and cardigan. She did not quite understand why her brother was so intent on a career in real estate. It seemed so unlike him. He loved baseball, and even though his career hadn’t worked out, she imagined that he would still pursue the sport somehow. Perhaps as a coach or a sports columnist.
“I suppose all we can do is hope for the best. In the meantime, fix what we can.”
Melanie left the office and got into her car. The Slocum home was on the outskirts of town, near the new construction that was driving all of the animals into town and ultimately into her office. The old lady kept a chicken coop, goats, a couple of sheep, and a cow in her estate. That was all that remained since her husband’s death that led her to sell much of her farm.
During the entire drive there, she could not help but think of Colin, injured and alone in his hospital bed. She’d see him again this afternoon, but she hated leaving him alone.
It would be a difficult recovery for him, she already knew it. He was not the kind of person who managed well when incapacitated. The leg would take weeks to heal, which meant that the finishing touches on the house would not be completed for some time.
She could only hope that the delay would not put further strain on their relationship.
Melanie got out of her car and glanced at the construction site across the field from where Helen Slocum’s little house sat. A fancy hotel was going up; that much was clear. She wondered for a moment if this was another of the projects Drew was involved in.
Did he realize the problems his firm had caused for the town already? S
he’d have to ask him when she saw him next.
However, for the time being, she had other things that needed her attention. Helen Slocum stood on the porch in front of her house. The woman looked even more frail than the last time Melanie saw her. She was dressed in simple black slacks and a large yellow wraparound scarf. Her face showed one emotion, clear as day: complete and utter devastation.
“Dr. Baldwin!” she exclaimed as she came hurrying down the steps. “I’m so glad you are here. It’s awful. I cannot even bring myself to look. I pray some of them can be saved.” It was obvious from her red eyes that woman had been crying.
Melanie joined her and together, the two women walked into the backyard where the old woman housed her various animals. Melanie had been here before to take care of the assorted livestock. They were well-looked after and their pens and homes secure.
However, when she came around the corner this time, she was utterly unprepared for the sight before her. She stopped right in her tracks when she saw the chicken coop.
It was obvious that this was not a simple animal attack. The entire coop had been smashed in, and the fence that protected the baby goats had been torn down, allowing wild foxes access to both. It was an ugly mess of blood and feathers. The sight alone was enough to turn Melanie’s stomach.
“Oh, Mrs. Slocum, I’m so sorry. Who would do such a thing?”
The old woman shook her head, still holding back sobs. “I don’t know, but this is the third time I’ve had trouble. The first two times, it was my own fault. I must have let the chicken coop open and that’s how the fox has gotten in before. But this time…”
She shook her head again and looked up at Melanie. “Last night everyone was secure, I know it. Then this morning, I woke up to this carnage. Isn’t this awful? And I had already found homes for all of them.”
Melanie frown. “Homes?”
Mrs. Slocum nodded sadly. “I’ve decided to sell. It’s all been getting a bit much for me and seeing how I’m growing ever more forgetful, I didn’t think it was fair to the animals. The last time the fox got in, I decided I owed it to the animals to give them a better life. I don’t even know what to tell the people who were going to take them all. Oh, please, can you see if anyone made it out alive? Anyone? I couldn’t have lost them all at once. I just couldn’t bear that thought.”
It had to be so hard for a woman of her age to manage on her own. Still, Melanie found herself surprised because she hadn’t noticed Mrs. Slocum to be particularly slowing down. It seemed unlike her to forget the chicken coop at night once, let alone twice. She was always a responsible woman.
And there was still the matter of who was responsible for this attack. The coop had been smashed open, after all, not merely left unlocked.
Seeing how upset the woman was and realizing that time was of the essence should there be any survivors, Melanie placed a hand on Mrs. Slocum’s shoulder.
“Why don’t I go and take a look and see what can be done for the animals? I’ll come find you when I’m finished, okay?”
The old woman nodded. “I will sit on the porch with the cat. At least she made it out alive, but then again, I keep her in the house with me at night.”
The woman left then as Melanie glanced at the destruction before her. With a deep breath, she set out to see what was left of the victims of this heartless attack.
After a half an hour, Melanie returned to the old woman’s side, three crates in hand. The woman looked up, her eyes wide.
“You found someone still alive?”
Melanie climbed up the steps and sat down the crates. Her heart was racing with rage at the needless suffering she’d seen as well as with sadness for all the animals lost. There was still reason to be grateful, of course.
“Three of the chicks were alive and well. They were hidden from the foxes under a fallen part of the coop. I found two of your bunnies hopping around the yard, unhurt. And one of your baby goats. I’ll have to take him back to the clinic to treat some bites, but he’ll make it.”
The old woman leaned forward and glanced into the crates. “Billy! My Billy! He’s alive,” she exclaimed. Sticking a finger into the crate, she stroked the goat’s muzzle and Melanie smiled at the display of affection.
Once again, utter disbelief at this unfathomable attack overcame her.
“I’m sorry there wasn’t more I could do. I can have the city come out and clean and … help with the others.” She didn’t want to detail the condition of the other animals and their homes. It would only upset Mrs. Slocum.
“I’d be grateful for that. And don’t you worry. You’ve done more than you know.” She paused then. “I have a suspicion. While you were gone, I thought over and over about who could have done this to me. Then it came to me.”
Melanie tilted her head to the side. “Oh?”
“Alfie Burrows. I had him out to fix up the chicken coop last time I forgot to close it. I was going to hire him on for some extra work but he showed up drunk, so I showed him the door. Can’t have that kind of behavior. Anyhow, he was upset and I could swear I saw him lurking around a couple of times.”
Melanie grew cold at once. Alfie. The cause of her fight with Colin. The drinking on the job seemed a habit, as was blaming someone else for the results.
Could he have done this?
And if so, was he capable of perhaps a more elaborate attack?
If he vandalized Mrs. Slocum’s property because she fired him, would he have targeted Melanie’s mother as well in an act of revenge? It was well known that Colin and Melanie’s mother were close. It was equally known the inn would be all but empty prior to the celebration.
Would it be fathomable that he would try to take out his anger at Colin on the only family he had in Willow Beach?
She shivered and pulled her cardigan closer against herself. The thought alone was terrifying. And yet, a real possibility.
16
Drew
The following morning, Drew sat at his desk. It wasn't even ten in the morning yet, and he was already ready to go home.
This job was the most boring thing he had ever done in his entire life. He knew it's what he had to do if he wanted to have any chance of marrying Ashley. However, he really wished there was another way, because the thought of this being his future was depressing beyond belief. Each passing day only confirmed that more.
On the other hand, there was nothing he enjoyed more than coaching the local high school baseball team. That was when he really came to life. Other than when he was with Ashley, and his family, his time spent coaching was the one thing he really truly enjoyed.
But of course, that was not a career. It was just something he did on the side and as a volunteer. He wasn't even the head coach. That was still Mr. Clarkson. The same old Mr. Clarkson who'd been the coach when Drew himself went to high school.
There were days when he pondered—usually when driving home after another coaching session—the idea of going into professional coaching. He had years of experience and he'd often shown his teammates his little tricks to improve their game. Even Ashley learned to throw a ball properly after less than an hour of coaching.
The thought made him smile, but then his eyes fell on a photograph of Ashley pinned to his cubicle wall. She was standing in the water, her slender body hidden underneath a chest wader. She held a fishing rod in one hand and a large mutton snapper in the other.
Drew had chosen this picture in particular to hang up in the office, because it was taken the very week her father turned down his request to marry her. The picture served as a constant reminder why he was doing this job.
For her. For Ashley. For their future.
Usually, that was enough. Whenever he felt complacent about this job or considered walking out and doing something else, he only had to look at the picture. At once, he was reminded that it was all worth it.
Ashley was the woman he wanted to marry. The woman he wanted to have children with. If he didn't make this work, that would ne
ver happen.
But today, he found it more difficult to convince himself to relax. He spent the entire morning improving a marketing plan for the new development in Inverness. This hadn't even been his project; however, now it was.
As he worked, he couldn’t help but wonder what bringing in so many additional people would do to Willow Beach and its surrounding villages. The ecosystem would suffer, and according to Ashley, it already had. Day after day, she returned from Melanie's veterinary clinic upset about the number of injured woodland creatures that showed up on their doorstep.
“Baldwin!” Rachel walked up to his desk with a stack of papers in hand. “How goes it? How's your mom? That was some story, huh? You guys got any idea who was behind the attack?”
Drew gulped. That newspaper article had been the bane of his and his mother's existence for four days. While the story had been forgotten in favor of some other random viral article, it was still the talk of the town.
And it had already cost his mother dearly. Cancellations were coming in left and right, current guests all but departed, and she shut down the inn that very morning in order to beef up security.
He shook his head. Security at the Willow Beach inn. It had really come to that.
He looked up at Rachel. “It goes. She's holding up okay. Yeah, that was some story. Nope, no idea who was behind it.” He was well aware that his tone and response was probably rude. After all, she hadn't done anything but ask the same questions that everybody else in town had been asking.
However, he was exasperated. And he no longer cared who knew.
Rachel, a smart cookie, raised her one free hand as if to placate him. “Alright, Baldwin. Got it. No worries. I won't ask anymore. But before I go, here's something to take your mind off of things.”
She dropped the folder on his desk and turned to leave as he flipped through the papers.
