It was Wednesday, May 12, Thomas and Daniel had stopped in to the shop to say hello to Tracie while she was working. When they walked in just after noon, the place was busy and there was long line with nine or ten people in it. Tracie upon seeing Thomas smiled and gave her boyfriend and boss an I need help look. It was a rare thing to be this busy at one time even in the summer but Thomas was not going to complain about it. After giving his girlfriend a quick kiss on the lips and sending Daniel back to the office to play on the laptop for a bit, Thomas jump behind the counter to give Tracie a hand. An older female customer made a comment about it “being nice to see a husband and wife working together” which made Tracie blush uncontrollably and causing Thomas to laugh a bit.
Most people were buying at least three or four drinks at once, many for people that were outside or waiting in the car. There were few hot drinks ordered, most people choosing something colder like iced mochas, iced lattes, and smoothies’ things of that nature. It was pushing 80 degrees outside and the breeze was very light so that might have had something to do with the type of drinks ordered. The shops stereo started playing Frank Sinatra’s “Fly me to the moon” and Thomas, being a huge Frank Sinatra fan started singing along loudly as he made drinks and being very cheesy as he did it. The customers were amused and entertained and Tracie could not help but laugh at her boyfriend
A half an hour and over $200.00 in sales later Thomas and Tracie got through the large line. As they cleaned their mess up they talked about their days and mildly flirted. Thomas was always messy when he made his drinks, using his own method of pouring flavors into them and how he put the drinks together. He did not believe in carefully measuring espresso shots and syrup flavors for the drinks and did not like his employees to do it either. To Thomas, measuring was the work of an inexperienced untalented barista who had control freaks for bosses. Bosses that were more worried about their bottom line than making drinks customers actually thought tasted good. He had been in the coffee shop business off and on for many years; and had a reputation as one of the best baristas on the coast. His coffee shop was popular for its quirkiness, amazing drinks and for having talented, knowledgeable and fun baristas.
As a successful owner of a multiple coffee shops over the years, Thomas knew that people generally cared more about how their coffee and mixed drinks tasted and the price they paid for them. He knew the average customer could care less about where the coffee bean came from, how it was roasted and if it had a pretty design on top. To Thomas that kind of thing was just a sideshow and was something only “coffee snobs” paid attention to. One thing Thomas also knew was that “coffee snobs” were full of crap most of the time. However, being in the Pacific Northwest and the coffee shop capital of the world it was something Thomas had grown used to having to tolerate occasionally. As Thomas and Tracie were finishing up Daniel came out of the office and sat on the counter.
“So Dad what’s the plan for the day” the boy asked.
“I don’t know, Bud. I didn’t have too much planned. It’s kind of a boring Wednesday I guess. What are you in the mood for?” Thomas asked.
“Well I sort of have plans, at least if it’s okay with you” the boy said shyly.
Thomas laughed a little as Tracie bit her lip trying not to do the same. Thomas eyeballed his son a little bit as the boy returned the stare.
“You’re only 7, dude. What do mean you have plans? Almost 8 years olds can’t have plans,” Thomas said as he glanced over at Tracie.
“Sure I can have plans Dad, and don’t call me dude. You’re too old to call someone dude, it sounds odd” the boy said.
“I was around when that word first started being used you know, and I can’t believe you just called me odd” Thomas said.
“Wow Dad you remember when words were made…you are old” Daniel said with a grin as he looked at Tracie who could not help from laughing now.
“Ha, ha, Very funny smart aleck. So what are your plans, or maybe plans?” Thomas asked.
“Well you know my friend Stevie from school?” the boy asked.
“Stevie Hogarth?” Thomas asked.
“Yep him, well he just texted me. Anyway Stevie, his mom and his little brother are going over to Oceanside to hang out for the rest of the day on the beach and stuff. He was wondering if I could go with them. Please Dad can I go” Daniel asked.
Thomas had wondered when this was going to start happening; his son wanting to go and hang out with friends. However, he knew at some point that it was going to happen, as the boy got older.
He thought about it for a minute before answering and then said, “Yeah I think that would be okay. I want to talk to his mother first though and I want you back here by 8 pm. Where and when are they going to pick you up?” Thomas asked.
“Well I told him I was here with you and his mom said she could pick me up and drop me off here if that’s okay with you” Daniel said.
“Okay sounds good to me, when is this all gunna happen bud?” Thomas asked his son who was texting as he was talking.
“They will be here in about 20 minutes or so” Daniel said smiling.
“Do you need money?” Thomas asked as he pulled out his wallet.
“We might get ice cream or something but his mom’s gunna bring food,” the boy replied.
“Okay, well here is $20.00 bucks, whatever you don’t use bring back to me okay. And don’t go and buy a bunch of candy and stuff with it got it” Thomas said as he handed his son the money.
“I won’t Dad and thanks,” the boy said smiling as he jumped down and gave his dad a hug.
“Go out to the truck and grab your backpack and I’ll give you some bottled stuff from here to drink and a few snacks. But leave your laptop with me I don’t want you getting sand in it by accident” Thomas said as he handed his son the keys for their truck.
“Okay Dad, I’ll leave it in the truck” the boy replied as he turned and ran out the café’s back door and out to the truck and leaving Thomas and Tracie alone.
“He’s really excited Tommy,” Tracie said
“Yeah he is, the kid is growing up babe” Thomas answered.
“You’re too cute, already worried about your little boy getting bigger” she said.
“Well these things happen” Thomas replied as he watched his son coming back into the shop thru the front door this time. Then he reached for Tracie’s hand pulled her closer to him and kissed her.
The boy walked in the door as Thomas and Tracie were kissing and said, “Couldn’t even wait for me to leave before you two got all kissy-kissy, could you?”
“Hey these things happen buddy” Thomas said as him and Tracie smiled.
“I know Dad but I don’t get the kissing thing. It seems gross,” the boy said then suddenly adding, “Tracie, does my dad put his tongue in your mouth when you kiss”
The last comment from the boy almost caused Thomas to spit out his coffee he had just taken a sip of; he looked over at Tracie and saw that her face was bright red. The boy was staring at them waiting for an answer.
“Um sometimes he does handsome but it’s only an accident, He don’t really mean too” Tracie replied not sure what else to say.
“Huh…yeah I bet it feels really weird. The whole idea kind of freaks me out a little” Daniel said
“So I’ve heard, well Danny I don’t think it’s anything you’re going to have to worry about for a while” Tracie said smiling.
“Thank goodness for that” Daniel said as he handed his dad his backpack.
Thomas set his son backpack on the counter and opened it up. Then he started loading some juice drinks and a 20oz soda into the bag along with some cereal bars and a few small bags of chips. Then Thomas handed it back to his son. A moment later, there was a honk of a horn as a black SUV pulled into the parking lot.
Daniel smiled and then said “they’re here Dad”
“Okay buddy lets go outside so I can talk too Stevie’s mom all right, hey do you have your cell phone?”
Thomas asked.
“Yeah Dad I got it, it’s in my backpack” Daniel replied but Thomas already knew where the phone was but just wanted to check.
Thomas and his son headed out the café’s front door as Stevie and his mother were getting out of their SUV. Thomas had never really met Stevie; he had seen him at the kid’s school a few times but never talked to him much if at all. He had never met the boy’s mother before either whose name was Amy, so he spent a few minutes talking to her to feel her out. They talked for about ten minutes and after Amy agreed to get Daniel back no later than 8 pm, the beach bound friends got into Amy’s SUV and left. As Thomas stood there Tracie came out the front door of the shop and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, she looked and him and said “stop worrying so much stud, he will be fine. It’s a nice day to be out at the beach”
“Yeah I know he will, he will call me if there are any issues” Thomas answered.
“Of course he will and besides Tommy you know you are going to be checking the GPS locator on his phone every half hour or so just to make sure he is where he is supposed to be” Tracie said.
“You know me to well” Thomas replied.
“I know you well enough to know you’re going to watch out for your son and that’s another reason I think you’re sexy as hell” Tracie said smiling.
Thomas pulled her closer to him and kissed her again, this time for a little bit longer since his son was not around. The two of them went back inside so Tracie could get back to work. Thomas sat down and talked with one of regulars for a little while and then after saying goodbye to Tracie, he got in his truck and left heading over to The Whaleback to see if Derrick was still there. It had been a while since he had part of day all to himself and was not quite sure what to do with his time. Tracie had plans with a few of her friends for the night so if he did see her, it would not be until much later.
Twenty
Her flight had gone smooth enough and she slept for a large portion of it. However, as soon as she landed at the Portland International Airport at around 10:45 am Pacific Time Stephanie’s nerves started to get the best of her and she called Karen for a quick pep talk. As Stephanie made her way through the airport to get her luggage and then to the rental car counter she felt tense and lonely. She had traveled light and only brought a small carry on piece of luggage and her laptop bag. The clothes she had decided to bring had giving her some issues when it came to packing for her trip. Oregon’s weather and specifically the coast could change frequently and she had spent the last two weeks watching the weather. She had decided on bringing three different changes of clothes and if she had to pick something up at a store while in Oregon, she would.
When she was making her reservations before the trip, she decided to splurge and rent a convertible while in Oregon, assuming during May the weather would be nice. However, when she landed in Portland it was raining and she briefly questioned that choice of vehicle for her trip. The nice older man at the car rental counter assured her the weather would clear up for the most part but also cautioned her that on the coast it would rain periodically regardless. Then he went off on a tangent about why Oregon had such varying weather patterns as you went around the state and the differing climate. Stephanie was polite and nodded as she pretended to listen but was not really listening much at all. After getting the keys and heading to her car, which turned out to be a Chrysler Sebring, she left the airport and slowly made her way to the highway.
If not for the built in GPS unit in the car she would have been lost and confused for sure on Portland’s totally foreign highway system. She remembered hearing Thomas talk about the traffic in Portland and how much he hated it. Now as Stephanie drove she completely understood why. Even with the help of the built in GPS, she almost missed two exits to merge onto other highways to go the direction she had to. The driving style of people in Portland was erratic and unpredictable and made her nervous; she was cut off several times along with being honked at. It was lunchtime and construction season and it took her nearly an hour just get out of the general Portland area. While sitting in traffic she debated on which way to go to get to Cannon Beach. She briefly considered going through Tillamook than up the coast but decided against it.
Eventually she made her way west down a stretch of road called The Sunset Highway, or Highway 26, which was where she was now. A few minutes earlier, she had passed the exit for Tillamook and as she continued towards Cannon Beach she was happy she didn’t allow herself to get too eager just yet. The rain had ended for the time being so she stopped at a drive-thru coffee stand to get something to drink and put the convertible top down on her rental car. When she got back on the road, the fresh air and wind in her hair felt wonderful to her. As she drove further, she noticed the air even smelled different. She tried to look and notice everything and could see the coastal mountain range getting closer and closer. Everything seemed greener to her in Oregon, and in many ways better for some reason. The trees were bigger and taller than she had ever seen in her life and as she went down the road, she felt small.
Back home Stephanie was used to the mowed grassy medians on the roads and with exception of a few roads in the northern part of Michigan they seemed dingy and boring. However, in Oregon even the trees that had fallen over on the side of the road seemed green and interesting. She laughed as she passed a sign that said “elk crossing” something she you never see back in Michigan. As she drove, the road got narrower and she could feel the rising altitude causing her ears to pop. The road eventually began to make curves that are more substantial and she felt like the forest around her was going to swallow her whole.
After going around yet another curve, she saw an open gravel area on the left side of the road and decided to stop and stretch her legs. When she stopped her car and got out, she saw a waterfall about 20 yards into the trees. Somewhere inside of her, she felt a sudden gush of happiness and peace that she could not explain. She had seen a few waterfalls before but never like this, and never this close. The fact that she was here in Oregon felt like a dream to her still and maybe that’s why seeing this waterfall meant so much and made her feel the way it did. She walked closer to it and after going down a worn path, she was just feet away from the cascading water, cool droplets hitting her skin. She looked up to the top of the hill, as the water seemed to appear out of nowhere. Above her she could see the remains of a tree that fell, it looked bigger than anything she had ever seen in person. The sun was peeking through the tops of the trees when it was not hidden behind the clouds, and the way the light filtered through was like looking at a painting. The light bounced off water sitting on the leaves on the trees and the huge ferns were mesmerizing to her, it seemed almost hypnotic. She reached her hand towards the falling water and let it hit her hand; she had heard about mountain water and wanted to taste it. Stephanie heard a noise and looked up to see a deer, a doe looking down at her from the rise above her. It was munching on some sort of plant, stared at Stephanie, and did not seem too concerned with this human being there; a moment later it turned and bounded off the way it had come. Stephanie looked at her cell phone and decided it was time to leave, she was extremely happy she had decided to stop at this spot.
While Stephanie was at the little waterfall hidden off the side of the road she noticed that the sky was staring to cloud up the way she was heading. She headed back towards the rental car when she felt tiny drops of rain hitting the back of her neck and arms. When she got in the car she put the convertible top back up and then head west again towards the coast. As she drove, she could see the tall mountains that lined the coast through breaks in the trees all around her. Her mind started wandering to things that may or may not happen while she was on the coast for the next few days as she drove. She had a plan, but she silently wondered if that plan would work out the way she thought it would back in Michigan. She wished she was on better terms with Derrick and she thought maybe not letting him know that she was coming out there was a mistake. She was excited but a
lso felt lonely all at the same time. Stephanie wondered if this was how Thomas felt when he came back to Oregon after she broke his heart.
Stephanie’s back was hurting and she was tired of driving so she was elated when she saw the exit sign for Cannon Beach. The GPS unit had been getting on her nerves so she turned the volume down earlier, but now nearing the exit, she turned it back up. As she pulled off on the exit, she followed the demanding female voice of the GPS unit. After getting off the exit and a turn to the left, she headed south for a short ways. She followed the GPS’s orders and a few minutes later, she was driving into the small resort town of Cannon Beach.
As she drove into the little town she instantly fell in love, she had never seen anything like this place. The little shops that lined both sides of the road caught her eye, and she was excited to explore them all. They all seemed to have the same outer design and grayish color and as she drove, she was surprised there were not any “chain” stores, not even a Starbucks. Even though it was a Wednesday, there was still a fair amount of people walking up and down the sidewalks. She saw older and younger couples, people with kids and a lot of people with dogs that made her miss her own dog Shadow quite a bit. Stephanie caught brief glimpse of the Pacific Ocean to her right as she drove slowly through the business district and eventually she made her way to a more residential area. She followed the directions the GPS unit was giving her and a few moments later pulled into the small driveway of the house she was renting for her trip. It sat in a group of small houses right off the beach. Stephanie got out of her car, stretched her legs. She was caught off guard by the views all around her.
Running Northwest Page 22
