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

by Blue,Marina

  And with that, the gallery exploded. “Boo!”

  “You can’t do that!”

  “That’s not fair!”

  Pearl leaned over to Melody. “I knew it. They’re coming to suck the blood out of this place.”

  Waters put his hands up. And the crowd quieted down. “I said I have to, but I didn’t say I would.”

  The crowd murmured again, unsure of what he meant.

  “You see, I’m not going to evict your families. I’m not going to choke this place to death.”

  Quiet reigned now. The people were amazed.

  “But I do have to do one of two things. I can sell your debt to the highest bidder, which will be two cents on the dollar, maybe. A major loss for me, but at least some money will come to my company.”

  Tara stood up. “And what will that mean for us?”

  Waters said, “I’m not sure. The new owners will have to decide. Maybe they’ll evict and foreclose on half the properties here, or maybe they’ll forgive those debts and give you years before you can start paying it back.”

  “They won’t wait,” Tara yelled, “they’ll evict!”

  The crowd started to yell again.

  “Big banks don’t care about us!”

  “What about my kids?”

  As the yelling got louder, the counselor smiled offstage. Things were going perfectly.

  “But wait!” Mr. Waters said. “There is a second way. If we transfer every outstanding mortgage in the cove, from Mr. Talbot’s bank to Coldwater, I may be able to save every home in this beautiful valley.”

  “Wait!” Tara said, sounding unconvinced. “Mr. Waters, that seems like a pretty big risk, why would you do that?”

  “That’s a fair question. See, I’m already invested in this place,” Waters explained with a dour frown. “Over the past year, I’ve borrowed a lot of money, mostly because I thought mortgages would be a safe investment. And if I walk away now, and this city folds, I’ll be ruined. So I only have one choice: I’m betting on the future of this town. I bet, that if I can put you all under Coldwater’s umbrella, and you fix this place back up, we can make it the way it was, and show people that a small town like this has a lot more to offer!”

  The place erupted. Applause and cheers filled the room.

  Pearl leaned over. “But if everyone signed, doesn’t that mean he’d own the whole cove if people fell behind in their payments?”

  “Yes,” Melody said, “that’s exactly what it would mean.”

  The cheers died down.

  Mr. Waters prepared for his finale. “But the thing is, everyone needs to transfer their mortgages. I can’t represent most of the cove. I need to represent it all. This gives me leverage with my investors so I can refinance my own debts. And once that’s done, I can offer a new mortgage to everyone here at a lower rate, which will free up funds for rebuilding and make us profitable over the long term.”

  More cheers. More thrilled cries.

  And backstage, the counselor was smiling. That would never happen. Waters would immediately kick anyone out who couldn’t pay their mortgage, which would be every single person here. Then he’d bulldoze the place, and start drilling the next day. Who’d stop him?

  The counselor looked out over the crowd. Rubes. He almost felt bad for them. They had no idea what was coming.

  Mr. Waters turned to the counselor. “Ok folks, now I have to run. I think we made a great decision here today. I’m going to have to get my team working on this immediately, if we’re going to save this place. In the meantime, I’m going to turn this over to my chief of staff, and he’ll be able to answer any questions you may have. Thanks again!”

  Mr. Waters walked backstage to applause. When he disappeared from view he shook the counselor’s hand. “Don’t screw this up, Goat.”

  “I won’t,” the counselor said. “We’ll have this all signed and done in three days’ time.”

  The shark smile surfaced on Waters’ face like a dorsal fin. “That’s what I want to hear.” And then he left.

  The counselor walked out on the stage and took the podium. “Hi everyone, I’m William Brooding.”

  Pearl sat up.

  And Melody froze.

  William Brooding.

  Mr. Waters’ counselor.

  The man who stood on the stage, answering questions and trying to drive nails into the coffin of Craving Cove, was none other than Melody’s own husband.

  Chapter 42

  “Oh my God, that’s William.” Melody grabbed Pearl’s arm. “That’s my husband.”

  On stage, William was saying a few words. “Actually, with this large an audience we won’t be able to do an actual round table, however we have packets for everyone at the exit, please take one, and read through it. There’s an email address you can use if you have any questions. Please, feel free to contact us about whatever, whenever. Also, there is one more thing. We’ll be making this deal in three days. I know, it’s quick, but the faster this gets done the better. Thank you.”

  Three days… Melody did the math, and shuddered. That was the day of their-

  Loud applause from the crowd shook her from her thoughts.

  Melody got up. She went to walk down the aisle to the stage to choke her husband to death. But in front of her, everyone stood up and filled the aisles. There was no way she’d get through them all. So she turned, and charged out of the auditorium and into the lobby. There were two tables already set up there with a handful of people in red shirts, smiling. The nearest one looked at Melody and said, “Need some information about Coldwater?”

  “Screw you,” she said, and sprinted past him into the night.

  It was dark. And cold. But Melody ignored both, and ran around to the back of the school. When she got there she froze. William was standing next to a black limo, speaking to Sheriff Pinter and Sparrow.

  Melody ducked behind a bush, hunkered low, and edged towards them.

  “-so we’ll collect the deeds, and the land, in three days. There shouldn’t be any issues,” the sheriff said.

  “If there are, Mr. Waters will have to foreclose on half the homes. That’ll kill the town, but it’ll be more costly, and slower, which is bad news because every day we don’t implement Coldwater’s plan is a day we lose money. If we wait too long, and people get wise, then this deal could collapse, and I don’t want that to happen, so make sure it all goes smoothly,” William said.

  “We will,” Sparrow said.

  “That’s what you said before, and yet Melody’s still alive,” William said.

  Sparrow barked, “Hey, that bitch is impossible to kill. She’s tougher than two marines!”

  “He’s got a point,” the sheriff said. “At least she didn’t show up tonight. Honestly, who thought your ex-wife would be such a pain?”

  William said, “Actually, she’s still my wife.”

  “What?” Sparrow said. “She’s not your ex?”

  “She would be,” William said, “if you’d done your job. Now I have to get her to sign these.” And he pat his jacket pocket.

  “You carry your divorce papers in your pocket?” the sheriff said.

  William said, “I’m a man who likes to be prepared.”

  “Speaking of prepared,” the sheriff said, “what should we do about Harry Talbot?”

  “Nothing. He has no idea what we’re planning, and even if he did, he couldn’t stop it. Speaking of which, shouldn’t you be collecting signatures? We’ve worked a long time…”

  As William droned on Melody’s mind raced. Coldwater was going to buy the whole town. And then kick everyone out. They’d originally been driving business away with tales of crime, for which Sparrow was responsible and his uncle covered up. Meanwhile, Coldwater was buying up mortgages, which locals were actually falling behind on. Only they weren’t foreclosing, because they wanted to consolidate the whole town so they could do it in one fell swoop. If they moved sooner, Harry or the rest of Craving would’ve tried to stop it, and maybe co
uld’ve succeeded. So the plan would’ve taken at least another year to come to fruition, but the hurricane moved it all forward by...

  And that’s when it occurred to her.

  Years. William had been working on this project for years. He’d been preparing to strip-mine her hometown! And he’d secretly invested every cent they had in its destruction. Which also meant that he was behind the seizure of the Coeur de Mer!

  Hot rage grew in Melody’s chest. But she was snapped out of it by the men talking.

  “Absolutely, see you tomorrow,” the sheriff said.

  William got in his limo, and pulled away. The sheriff waved, and walked towards Melody with Sparrow behind him.

  She froze in place as they passed her without notice, and turned the corner.

  #

  Melody was in a daze when she walked back into the lobby of the high school.

  All around her locals chatted.

  “Seems like a good idea.”

  “I trust them because they haven’t foreclosed on anyone, but still…”

  “What choice do we have?”

  Pearl walked through the throng and stopped next to Melody. “Catch him?”

  “Huh?” Melody said. “Yeah, but he was too small, so I had to throw him back.”

  “I’m not sure how you mean that, but either way it’s funny.”

  “Yeah, I’m a cut up.”

  “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  Melody explained everything.

  Pearl said, “So, at least now you know who’s behind all of this, and why.”

  Melody looked at her friend. “Who cares if I know? I’m going to do something about it.”

  “Oh. You are, are you? What happened to the girl who wasn’t good enough?”

  “She’s gone. Now quick, help me up.” Melody put a hand on Pearl's shoulder, and stepped onto a nearby chair. “Hey everybody!”

  The people stopped talking and looked her way.

  Rudy stood a few feet away. “Ok Melody, you got our attention, what do you want?”

  It was then that Melody realized she didn’t know what to say. She had no hard facts. No real proof of anything. It was just her word against theirs. Could she persuade the crowd? What if they didn’t believe her? What if they laughed? What if…

  Melody looked around at the familiar faces, and she immediately stopped playing The Melody Brooding What If Game, and yelled, “These guys are liars!”

  “How do you know?” Tara asked.

  “I just know,” Melody said.

  “How?” Rudy said.

  “Because,” Melody said, “that lawyer’s my soon to be ex-husband.”

  There were some laughs from the men. The women though, mostly nodded.

  But Tara wasn’t one of them. “Melody, don’t get me wrong, I have no love for exes, but that doesn’t mean he’s lying. The town’s been hurt. We need more than personal feelings to go on.”

  “Quiet,” Pearl said.

  “No, she’s right,” Melody said. “But think about this… Since I got back I’ve found a community on the brink, the chances of bankruptcy worse than ever, and an out of town bank buying up land. Why? Because of a downturn caused by crime that only struck tourists. And now, when we need help most, the man who’s holding all of the debt appears out of nowhere? Why?”

  “Tell us!” someone said.

  “Ok, you all know me. You know I left, and you know I’m back because I really have no place else to go. But this is my home, my port in a storm, so you must know I’ll do anything to protect it. And this offer doesn’t protect it. We’re putting every bit of our trust into a man we’ve never met. Nothing’s stopping him from kicking us all out once he gets the deeds.”

  But the crowd was only half convinced.

  So it was surprising when Tara said, “Quiet people! Melody’s got a good point. But what’s our other option? Go on, we’re listening.”

  Tara, along with everyone else, had their eyes locked on Melody. They weren’t angry. They weren’t scared. They wanted the favorite daughter of Craving Cove to give them a way out. They wanted hope.

  But how to provide it? Melody thought about what she needed. A short term shot of money, and a long term way to change the cove’s reputation. And it all had to be done in three days. Only one thing came to Melody’s mind. “The Ocean Frolic.”

  People started to whisper.

  “The Frolic.”

  “Maybe...”

  “Just like last time.”

  “I don’t know, seems like a gamble.”

  The chatter was split evenly between optimists and pessimists. But there was definitely a small trace of hope that wasn’t there before.

  Melody said, “Yes. That’s exactly what we’ll do. It saved this town once before. You all remember, we were hit with a hurricane that almost destroyed us, but we pulled together and pulled through. We can do it in three days, and that means money from tickets, money from food, and a ton of great press. Come on, if we pull this off we’ll raise enough funds to fix our homes, without having to sign over our land.”

  “Great idea, I’m in,” Tara said. “But who’s going to put it all together? Who’s going to lead?”

  Again, every eye turned on Melody. And she said, “I will.”

  There was a silence. People were unsure.

  So Melody got off the chair.

  Pearl said, “Good work.”

  “You think? I’m not sure-”

  “Hey.” It was Tara. “That was great. And don’t get me wrong, I’m in, but we’ve got some challenges. There’s wreckage that needs clearing, shops that need new windows, food prep, entertainment… It’s a logistical nightmare. What’s the plan?”

  “I don’t have one,” Melody said. “Yet. Rudy!”

  The restaurateur ran over to Melody. “Yeah?”

  “Tell everyone who wants to be involved to meet back here tomorrow morning at six. We’ve got a lot of work to do, so it’s vital we get started first thing.”

  Rudy smiled. “Oh, I’ll be sure everyone knows.” Then he walked off.

  Pearl leaned in and whispered, “What exactly are we doing?”

  “I’m going to save Craving Cove. And screw my husband in the process.” Melody smiled. She looked at Pearl. “But mostly, I’m going to put some crazy in my life.”

  Chapter 43

  It was five forty-five the next morning, and the sun had barely poked over the horizon when Melody and Pearl were walking to the high school. They could clearly see that nearly all of the damage to the town was still there, but what they didn’t see was another soul.

  “Where is everybody?” Melody said.

  “Probably waiting for us.”

  “You think?”

  “I’m positive,” Pearl said. “Everyone will be there. Rudy’s a good guy.”

  Melody smiled. But then looked out over the ocean, and she realized that at least one person wouldn’t. Knox… Was he still alive? Would he be, if she hadn’t raced off? Of course. His death was her fault. She’d raced away without a word, and he’d sought comfort on the ocean. And it had gotten him killed.

  “Focus,” Pearl said. “We have work to do.”

  Melody nodded. “You’re right.” But she looked at the water again. And vowed to save Knox’s home, and then mourn him.

  The two women walked the last mile in silence, and when they arrived at the school it was silent. Nobody was outside. They walked in, and the lights were off.

  “I told Rudy six, right?” Melody said.

  Pearl looked down the hall. “Yes you did. Come on, I bet they’re in the auditorium already.”

  Melody nodded, and strode towards it. Her heels echoed down the empty corridor. As she went, her stomach knotted. But it wasn’t out of fear. Melody realized she was nervous with anticipation. So when she got to the auditorium doors, she grabbed their handles, turned to Pearl, and said, “It’s go time.” Then she threw them open, and strode into an empty room.

  Melody almost burst
into tears. “How could no one show?”

  Pearl put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry, hon. I never thought-”

  “Me neither. Let’s just go home. And pack.”

  Melody turned around, and she and Pearl-

  “Hey, what’re you two doing here?”

  The women spun around to see the janitor. “Well?”

  “Sorry,” Melody said. “We’re here for the meeting.”

  “Oh,” he said, “that’s in the gym.”

  “What?” Pearl said.

  “The gymnasium, it’s down the hall to the-”

  “I know where it is. How many people are here?”

  The janitor shrugged. “A few.”

  “A few. That’s better than none,” Pearl said.

  “I suppose. Well, let’s go meet our army.” Melody walked down the hall with Pearl in her wake, and when they got to the doors, Melody grabbed the handles. “Take two.” She threw open the doors, and strode in. And just like the janitor said, a few people were there.

  If by a few he meant everyone.

  “She’s here!” someone yelled.

  And everyone erupted in cheers that bounced off the gymnasium walls louder than any basketball game. When they finally abated there were nothing but smiles all around.

  Melody put up her hands. “Ok, I see a lot of happy faces, but that’s going to stop right now. We need three committees to begin work immediately. First off, we need a cleanup crew. Men and women prepared to sweep through the streets to get rid of garbage, tree branches, anything that doesn’t belong. Then they need to repair Ocean Way. This has to be done by Saturday. That’s in three days, including today, so you only have forty-eight hours to actually work. Who’s in?”

  A bunch of hands went up.

  “I’ll do it.”

  “Me too.”

  Melody yelled, “Who’s going to take lead?”

  “I will.” It was Sheriff Jerry Pinter. He strode over with a big smile. “I can handle the cleanup crew.”