Hot, Wet, Smooth, and Hard (Craving Cove Book 1)

by Blue,Marina

  “Except Knox…”

  Pearl's face fell a few inches. “He was the second person I asked about. I guess you heard he was out on the water when we got hit?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, that guy’s a great swimmer, so don’t mourn him until there’s something to mourn.”

  “But-”

  “Listen to me. Hope. You used to be able to do that. I need you to do it now, ok?”

  Melody half smiled. “Ok.”

  “Good. So maybe we can change the subject, and you can tell me how you look so glam.”

  “I don’t know how glam I look.”

  “Get a mirror. I’m sick of this modesty. You don’t get to be modest when you’re that gorgeous. You look like a brand new disco ball.”

  “Well, I feel like an old disco floor.” Melody began to talk about her night. She explained everything from Celia’s call, to the attempt on her life, to the lost funds, and finally the realization that Sparrow was Sheriff Pinter’s nephew.

  Pearl listened to it all, nodding now and again, and tsking when she had to. Finally, when the tale was told, she threw her legs out of the bed and stood up.

  Melody jumped forward. “Don’t.”

  “Don’t what? The docs said I could go whenever I wanted.”

  “No they didn’t! I’ve seen enough medical dramas to know they never do that.”

  “Har har. No. We’re going home. And don’t ask why, the answer is two fold. First, they need this bed for other people and I’m fine. Second, I need rum.” Pearl grabbed her coat off of the chair. “And obviously, so do you.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because. Let’s go.”

  “But the Coeur de Mer… Is it…” Melody couldn’t bring herself to ask the question.

  Though she didn’t have to because Pearl said, “Standing? I don’t know. But there’s only one way to find out.”

  Chapter 40

  After the two women got home, they found the Coeur de Mer was still erect. Miraculously, only a few windows were cracked, while others were shattered, and the porch swing was lying on the ground, but for the most part it still stood. It was a relief. But they couldn’t find the energy to celebrate, and instead shared a few shots of rum before quietly going to bed.

  The next morning, when Melody woke up, she slipped on a black dress, and went outside to watch the sun rise. As she stood on the porch, she thought of Knox, just as the sun peeked over the horizon.

  “Staring out to sea like that has never brought a man home faster,” Pearl said.

  Melody turned around. Her aunt was wrapped in a dressing gown, with her gray hair pulled back into a ponytail.

  Melody turned back around, and stared at the ocean. It was brighter now. The sky was shockingly blue, and its clouds were white and soft. The warmth of the day was already driving away the cold, wet dew that hung in the air. It almost seemed hopeful. Like the previous night was a bad dream.

  That is, until Melody got a good look at the town.

  Half of the trees and houses in the valley were damaged. Rick’s bar was completely flattened. The pier was missing. So was the boardwalk. The dozen or so ships were shredded on the beach. And the streets were cluttered with branches, broken glass, and garbage from who knows where. And the electricity was still out.

  “This place looks dead,” Melody said.

  “Drink your coffee.” Pearl passed a cup over. “It’s instant, but things look better when your stomach’s full of warm caffeine.”

  Melody took the cup, and then a sip. “There’s rum in this,” she said.

  “Well, things look better when your stomach’s full of warm booze, too.”

  Melody smiled. “I suppose so. But just because something looks better, doesn’t mean it’s actually improved.”

  “Child, where do you get this pessimism? It’s impressive in its relentlessness.”

  “Thanks. But I think a better word is realism.”

  “Come on darling, let’s go have a seat.” Pearl put her arm around the younger woman, and led her to the porch swing.

  “You fixed it!” Melody said.

  “After you went to bed. It only took a new chain. Now sit.”

  Melody sat down next to her aunt, and they slowly swung back and forth. “Now what?”

  “Now I want you to lay down every problem you think you have, and we’re going to see how we can fix them.”

  “Pearl…” Melody whined. “I don’t-”

  “I don’t care what you think. Do it.”

  “Fine. Let’s run through the disaster… I’m currently broke because my husband took all of our cash and hid it in some investment that’ll probably make him richer, and leave me with nothing but debts. The job I had lined up is now currently in a place that’s destroyed. The man I think I might love is lost at sea, or more likely dead, and I’m living in a house that’s being repossessed by a company that’s buying up all of the real estate here, guaranteeing that my hometown, the place I grew up, will be put to a bulldozer, not that it matters because the town’s already looking like that happened. Added to all of that, there’s a guy who’s tried to kill me three times already, and who’s probably going to take a fourth swipe, for a reason I can’t grasp. The only guy who can stop him is the sheriff, who’s also his uncle, a man who I spurned romantically years ago. Oh, and my anniversary is in two days and I won’t be getting a present.” She turned to Pearl. “Did I miss anything?”

  “There is one thing you forgot,” Pearl said. “One very important thing.”

  Melody looked confused. “What?”

  Pearl put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re almost forty.”

  Melody sat dumb for a second. Then chuckled. “Yes. Thank you for that. Now, I swear to God, stop talking. Please. Let’s just sit in peace for a minute, I’m begging you.” Melody sighed. And drank some more.

  “Ok,” Pearl said. “I’ll stop talking.”

  The two sat there swinging. Back and forth. The metal chain squeaked some.

  “Ladies,” a male voice said. “Sorry to bother you.”

  Both women turned around. Standing a few feet away was Rudy, the restaurant owner who served Melody her first night back in the cove.

  “It’s no bother, Rudy,” Pearl said. “What can we do for you?”

  “Since there’s no phone lines, I’m personally telling everyone that there’s going to be a meeting today. At the high school auditorium.”

  “About what?” Melody said.

  “About what’s happening. And what’s going to happen. Coldwater Corporation will be there.”

  “Then you can tell them to suck a dozen eggs,” Melody said. “Or go jump in the bay. Whichever wastes less food.”

  Rudy said, “Sure thing. I can do that. Heck, I want to do that. But still, I’m going to listen to what they have to say. Apparently they backed a lot of mortgages for our bank, which means they have a vested interest in the cove being solvent. The town thinks it’s in everyone’s best interest to attend.”

  “So you’ve said. But as you don’t know, I’m not really a land owner here anymore.” Pearl turned back around.

  “Oh,” Rudy said. “Ok.”

  Melody put a hand on Pearl’s shoulder. “Thanks anyway, Rudy. We might stop by.”

  “I hope you do. People will want to know what you think. Oh, and by the way, we should have electricity back any minute.”

  “Are they using the state’s generators inside of the lighthouse?” Melody asked.

  “State’s generators inside? No.” Rudy had on a funny face. “The county delivered a pair of generators, outside of the lighthouse a few hours ago. I didn’t know there were backups inside. But either way, we should have power in about-”

  Just then the lights in the house, as well as throughout the valley, kicked on. A smattering of cheers rose from the homes.

  “About right now, I guess,” Rudy said. “Hope to see you later.” Rudy walked away to visit the other eight hundred
families scattered throughout the cove.

  “How’d you know there were generators in the lighthouse?” Pearl said. “That’s news to me. And apparently the county emergency agencies as well.”

  “I was up there with…” Melody trailed off, and stifled a sob. “Never mind.”

  Pearl sensed her sadness, and tried to change the subject. “So, do you want to go to this meeting?”

  “No. But I think we have to.”

  Pearl said, “We don’t have to do anything we don’t want to do.”

  “That’s not true. I’ve done a million things I didn’t want to do.”

  “That’s always been your problem, dear.” Pearl pat her thigh again. “Ever since you left.”

  Chapter 41

  “You look sharp, sir,” the counselor said. “Very professional.”

  Mr. Waters looked in the mirror. It was six PM. He was backstage in the Craving Cove High School auditorium, wearing a black suit, red shirt, and silver tie. His hair was slicked back tight, and looked like an oil spill. “Thank you, Goat. You look trustworthy yourself. Grey suit. White shirt. That’s exactly what we need tonight if we’re going to convince these rubes to sell at the price I set.”

  “Yes, sir.” The counselor looked in the mirror. “Thank you.”

  “Absolutely. Is the sheriff all paid up?’

  “He is, sir. As is his nephew.”

  “Good. They did a stellar job. How many muggings and thefts occurred last year?”

  “About three a week, sir.”

  Mr. Waters nodded thoughtfully. “Impressive. And not a single report was filed?”

  “No, sir. The sheriff was meticulous.”

  “He must’ve been. Considering that’s a mini-crime wave in his town and nobody seems to have heard about it.”

  “He’s a sharp one, sir. He’d have to be. If anyone finds out he’s covering up crime he’d go to jail. But what about your secret mole?”

  Sinton Waters’ eyes narrowed, and he glared at the counselor. “You mean the one that saw Melody Song alive this morning? What about them?”

  “Oh. Uh, nothing. I was just-”

  “Don’t worry about that, Goat. Worry about yourself.”

  A few beads of sweat formed on the counselor’s brow. He cursed Melody, and her amazing luck. She’d been a thorn in his side for too long. “I’m sure she won’t be a further problem, now that the hurricane’s destroyed everything. But... Should I be worried, sir? About my shares?”

  Mr. Waters stopped staring, and grinned. “No. The fact that this woman has proven impossible to remove isn’t going to affect your shares. As you said, it’s too late for her to do anything. And besides, you’ve worked very hard on this deal for a very long time. Furthermore, I know that there isn’t a soul who’s personally risked as much as you. I looked at your investment today. I wasn’t aware you’d actually gone into debt over this.”

  “Yes,” the counselor said. “I think the risk’s worth it.”

  “It is. And when this is all over, you’ll be a very wealthy man. Now all we have to do is close this deal tonight, get them to sign, and start leveling the town. By next week we’ll break ground, and start drilling.” Mr. Waters shook his head. “Ha! Who’d have thought all our years of work and preparation would’ve been for naught? Thanks to this hurricane I can scoop this town up sooner, and cheaper, than we originally planned.”

  “Kind of a shame,” the counselor said. “This town was actually kind of charming.”

  Waters sneered. “Small towns produce small people, who have small brains who use them to live small lives. If I could, I’d rip every burg like this out of the country and replace it with a coal mine. At least those produce energy.”

  “True,” the counselor said. “That’s absolutely true.”

  “And profitable. But all that aside, did you see this place when we drove in? Half of our work’s been done for us already.”

  “That’s accurate, but still… If I may make a suggestion, sir?”

  Waters looked over with a cocked eyebrow. “Go on.”

  “Well, the reason you hired me was because of my history, and I know for certain that this town had once been destroyed by a hurricane just like this one. Only they bounced back. And it was worse then. Much worse. But in just a week they’d put on some annual event, and raised enough to rebuild. So don’t go too hard, these small town people may have small lives, but they’re not stupid, and they’re not incapable of doing what they already did again.”

  “I disagree,” Waters said, “but I see your point. A soft sell. Play to their tiredness, the fact that this was inevitable, and that they’d be selling even if there hadn’t been a hurricane. Make Coldwater out as a savior, pious. We’re doing what no one else will. We’re giving them money for something that’s broken. We’re…” Waters raised his chin up high. “Generous.”

  “Yes, sir. Also charitable. We’re a good, generous, charitable company who should walk away from this deal now that the town’s destroyed, but since you’re an honorable man, you’ll continue to invest in it. And most importantly, Craving Cove will survive. The selling of their homes to you is an act of intelligence.”

  “Very good, counselor. I believe your strategy is perfect. Let’s get started.”

  “I’ll alert the sheriff,” the counselor said, and he exited the room.

  Which left Mr. Waters to think the suggestions over. They were good. Because Goat was smart. Hiring the counselor especially for this job was a stroke of genius. Granted, the snafu in the man’s personal life was a problem, but they made that work out for them. He was poised for victory. This was going to be a good day. A profitable day. He checked himself in the mirror one last time. Waters looked successful. Moneyed. Sharp. And slowly, ever so slowly, the sides of his mouth began to climb, revealing a row of blinding white teeth.

  And anyone who saw his grin couldn’t be blamed for thinking there might be a second row of teeth, hidden right behind it.

  #

  The sheriff was sitting on stage. Next to him sat Mr. Waters. There was the bank owner, Harrison Talbot, too. The auditorium was filled to near capacity with the town’s citizens. The sheriff checked his roll. Every single local landowner was there. Only two people from town, not counting the sailors, were missing. So it was time to proceed.

  The sheriff walked to the podium and said into the microphone, “Alright, thanks for coming, everyone. The reason why we’re all here has become quite clear. That hurricane nearly destroyed this town completely, and in the meantime we can’t rebuild. Most of us had a terrible season last year, and had to borrow money to stay solvent. But the bank here couldn’t keep up, and had an outsider come in. An outsider who has proven to be compassionate and professional, and despite the fact that many of us are behind on our mortgages, only one single eviction’s been served. And even after all that, he’s come here before us, in our time of need, to help again. So please, give a warm Craving Cove welcome to Mr. Sinton Waters!”

  The crowd responded as expected, with respectful applause. From the side of the stage, unseen, the counselor clapped vigorously. He was smiling. It was off to a great start.

  Mr. Waters stood up, and walked to the podium. The sheriff smiled, and the two shook hands. Then the sheriff walked off the stage.

  Waters gazed out over the crowd. “Good evening.”

  The entire crowd replied as one with a, “Good evening.” It was followed by laughter.

  Sinton Waters smiled. “That’s the thing I love about towns like this. There’s warmth. Genuine manners. People treat each other with the respect they deserve, and in return get it. I was born in a small town like this…” New York, “and I can say that I love small towns…” but I’d be lying. “It’s the roots. The history. But unfortunately, even though a lot of towns have a great past, not every one has a successful future. Times change. The future can’t be stopped. You see, the small town I came from was once a great stop in the middle of the country. Truckers, familie
s on vacations, even a president once stopped in for our famous pie and sights. But then progress happened. The interstate highway. People started zipping past us without a second glance.

  “And that bit of road took every bit of opportunity along with it. People no longer stopped in. No longer spent money. They no longer wanted what we had to offer, because they no longer needed it. And that killed my home.”

  The audience members murmured to each other. There was some dissent.

  Waters continued. “It’s true. In fact, I bet most of you here took the interstate once or twice in your lives. Isn’t that right?”

  There was some nodding and laughter.

  “I knew it,” Waters continued. “I’ve taken one or two in my life. But the thing is, that means we’ve all taken part in the murder of my home.”

  Silence.

  “That’s right. We did. It’s true. But it’s not our fault. Something changed. It was the world. And we didn’t change with it. Not fast enough, at least. And so we died. And as much as I hate to say it, the world is changing here, too. Not just because of the hurricane, but because of people. They don’t come to places like this anymore. The children are too busy on their social media, and their parents are working two jobs. There’s no time to enjoy each other’s company, no time to visit places where they can be a family. No room for precious jewels like Craving Cove.”

  More mulling. But this time, more agreement.

  Then two new people walked in. Nobody noticed. It was Pearl and Melody, and they took two free seats in the back.

  Waters continued. “My company had faith in this town, which is why we invested so much money buying up mortgages. Even though business here was down, I thought it was a smart investment. That’s why I don’t evict. I believe in your future. And had this hurricane not struck, I believe we could’ve waited out this slow down, done some savvy marketing, and saved Craving Cove. But now, I’m afraid it’s too late. Another year or two to rebuild, another year or two of no revenue, and I’m afraid that Coldwater, a business my beloved aunt built, will go bankrupt. So in order to save it, I have to foreclose, and evict everyone.”