Fortunately, the sailboat was drifting slowly, making it easier to hold off if it came to that.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind. “I can help. What do you need me to do?”
Jerrod didn’t immediately recognize the voice, but when he turned around, he knew the boy. “Hey, Gordon.” He quickly explained the situation. “You stay here. I’m going aboard Lucy Bee.” He put his hand on Gordon’s arm. “Don’t even think about getting any closer...got it?”
Gordon snickered. “Oh, okay, but I could push the boat off the dock if I had to.”
“Maybe you could. But don’t.”
With that, he boarded the tour boat and positioned himself on the bow with his legs over the rail and the boathook in hand.
“Sorry, man,” the helmsman called out, only a few yards away now. “We’ll push off using your hull for leverage and stay off your bow.”
“Someone’s coming with a towline,” Jerrod shouted. He could practically reach out and shake hands with the guy.
The seconds ticked by, the boat was inching closer to the front of the dock. He glanced down. Gordon stood in a wide stance, ready to put all his weight behind his raised hands and force the drifting boat to stop in its path. The chance of Gordon getting hurt was small, but that was irrelevant. It wasn’t the boy’s job to muscle around a boat. “Gordon, back off now,” he yelled. “It’s okay. I’ve got it.”
Gordon glared at him, but did as he was told and moved back a couple of feet from the end of the dock. He planted his hands on his hips. The kid’s angry look didn’t surprise him. Jerrod knew exactly what it was like to be thirteen and yearn to jump in and lend a hand. He’d been raised on the water and hung out with other boys who helped their dads in situations exactly like this one.
When Nelson motored up to the sailboat, Jerrod stayed put until Rob positioned a towline. As Nelson eased the boat the short way to the fuel dock, Jerrod got off Lucy Bee.
“It’s all over, Gordon.” Jerrod pointed to Nelson’s crew positioning the boat while the two sailors began securing the lines to cleats on the dock. “And thanks for offering to help. How long have you been here? Were you having one of Nelson’s burgers?”
Gordon frowned. “Uh, no. My mom and I had sandwiches over there in the park.” He waved to the crowded waterfront beyond the marina. “We’re waiting for the fireworks. I just felt like going for a walk and wandered down here.”
“Are you with other people in the park?” Jerrod asked, puzzled. “Will you be coming over here later?” He’d been looking forward to seeing Dawn.
“No. It’s just us.” Gordon gestured to the shore and to people on boats. “Mom said Nelson’s party is for the people on the boats. You know, Nelson’s customers. You gotta have an invitation. You can’t just show up.”
He needed to invite Dawn and Gordon? “Wow. I should have asked how this gathering works, Gordon. I assumed you’d be here because you and your mom know Nelson. She’s down here a lot because of me. I had no idea...” He didn’t know how to finish the sentence.
“I could go get her,” Gordon said eagerly. “I mean, she’d like to come, I think.”
Jerrod thought for a minute. He could send Gordon on his way, but that wasn’t good enough. “No. I’ll go get her myself. If you don’t mind, keep an eye out for Carrie. She’s coming down with Melody for the fireworks.”
“I don’t mind,” Gordon said.
“Okay, go find Wyatt and Rob and introduce yourself. We all planned to watch the fireworks from Wind Spray.”
Gordon’s face broke into a big smile. “Okay.”
“I’ll get your mom.”
Jerrod set out for the park, more eager than he should be to find Dawn. In his mind, he’d had it all arranged. As soon as the dive was over, he’d planned to find Dawn and invite her and Gordon to come aboard the boat for the fireworks.
Funny, he thought, he hadn’t needed Gordon to save Lucy Bee, but without knowing it, the kid had saved the day.
Chapter Nine
DAWN PAID FOR the two iced lattes and led the way out the door to one of the few empty tables on the Bean Grinder’s brick patio. The warm June day made it nearly impossible to stay inside if she didn’t have to.
“I email and text Jerrod every day,” Dawn said. “We chat when we need to, but until the Fourth of July fireworks, I hadn’t seen him since the night of his presentation at the library. That was a week prior. But I’m going on the tour later this week.”
“Miles called to sign up for his training later this month. He’s eager now to see the two shipwrecks.”
“That’s great. Jerrod’s season is truly underway. He’s so busy.” She rubbed her hands together and whispered. “Ah-ha, my master plan worked, you see, and he has customers. What do you think of that?”
“My first response?” Lark asked, playfully. “I guess I’d say, ‘So what else is new?’”
True, her campaign had raised a flurry of interest in Jerrod. Dawn was dividing her time between other clients, including the merchants’ association in Two Moon Bay who were planning their annual sidewalk sale, Stroll & Shop.
“I’ve been working to drum up interest for Stroll & Shop,” she told Lark. “The bead shop and the art supply store have given our downtown another boost.”
“And what about diving?”
Dawn groaned. “That again.”
Lark lifted her hands in a show of mock helplessness. “You never give me a good answer, so I have to keep asking.”
“I know, I know. Jerrod mentioned it again, but I begged off successfully. So far.” She held up her left arm, the immobilizer gone. “Too bad my sore wrist excuse won’t fly anymore.”
“You knew that would have a limited shelf life.”
Dawn faced the fact that she hadn’t told Lark the whole truth about her aversion to diving. More than aversion. Fear. “I know it seems irrational, but I’m embarrassed about my fear of diving. I don’t like admitting I’m afraid of anything. That’s why I haven’t simply told Jerrod I’m not interested. He might ask too many questions. It’s about my foolish pride.”
“Oh, please. He surely knows not everyone shares his passion.”
Dawn shrugged, frustrated with herself. “On the other hand, my enthusiasm about the boat tour is completely genuine. I’m looking forward to hearing his spiel.” She frowned at her own word. “Spiel. Not the right word. It minimizes the history, and he takes that seriously.”
“From what you’ve said, he takes everything seriously.”
“So it seems,” she said. Enough about Jerrod. She and Lark had other things to hash over. She riffled through the pages to get to her monthly planning notes and tapped the page as if to refocus.
“Where did your good mood go?” Lark asked.
Tired of avoiding the truth, she looked Lark in the eye. “I think about Jerrod way too much.”
“Uh-huh. I get it. And now it’s bothering you. I know what it’s like for a man to start taking up space in your head. It’s not all bad. But are you really so worried about mixing the personal with the professional?”
Dawn shook her head. “No, I could handle that. I’m worried that he’s on my mind all the time.” Her mind drifted back to the moment of surprise when she’d seen him wandering around the park. She saw him before he spotted her. And when he did, his face had lit up. She’d no doubt looked the same way. He’d apologized for not understanding that he’d need to invite her to Nelson’s gathering. The whole night had been festive and fun. When he’d walked them to her car, he’d even seemed a little sad to say goodbye to Gordon.
She ran her hand over the open page of her planner. “I can be creative about his business and excited about interviews and booking talks for him. But I can’t get him off my mind. I’m way too happy about seeing him later this week. I look forward to every call, every visit.” She held her cup cl
ose to her mouth and said, “He hugged me. Twice. The night I went to his house we almost kissed. By accident. I moved, he moved.” She laughed at how silly it sounded.
Lark’s eyes sparkled. “And?”
“And I liked it. We might have made that connection again on the Fourth, if Gordon hadn’t been with me.” She batted her hand toward Lark and gulped back a mouthful of her latte. “Stop looking so amused.”
“Can’t help it, my friend. Besides, you’re making my point.”
“Which is what, exactly?”
Lark folded her arms on the table. “Maybe he can’t get you off his mind.”
Dawn’s first instinct was to protest, but she didn’t. Instead, she said, “I don’t know. That’s the thing. Sometimes I feel...” she put her hand over her heart “...there’s something there. It’s as if it swirls in the air between us. But then I think, no, it’s only my imagination.” She clenched her fist in front of her chest, almost shocked by the intensity of her inner turmoil. “That’s why it’s better that I don’t see him so much.”
Lark stared at her for a few long seconds. Finally, she said, “Meanwhile, Gordon is gone. I imagine you miss him.”
“Well, I don’t miss the grumpy teenage stuff.” She guffawed, glad for the diversion from the tightness in her body. “You know what I mean.”
“I do. Evan is easier to deal with when Brooke is with us. She likes to hang around him. It’s like he’s her hero, so he tries to live up to the image.”
“That’s probably the way it will be with Gordon and Zinnie. She’s toddling around now,” Dawn said. “The other day I told Gordon that no one would ever view him with such uncomplicated adoration than his baby sister.” She paused. “I wear my heart on my sleeve too often. I even told Jerrod I’d wanted more children.”
“You did? How did that come up?”
“When we sat on his front porch the night of the book signing and talked. It ended up being personal. I told him about Bill leaving me. And about how I wanted more kids.” She threw her head back. “What a dumb move.”
Lark tapped Dawn’s hand. “Stop saying things like that. It wasn’t dumb. You want what you want. You’ve been open about that for as long as I’ve known you. You love kids, you enjoy your family. You shouldn’t feel bad about saying it.”
Dawn squared her shoulders. “Right you are. But I also wanted Jerrod to know that I’m grateful for what I have. My thwarted little wishes are nothing like what happened to him. Besides, most of the time I’m okay...even happy.”
Lark gave her a sidelong look. “My opinion only, but Jerrod seems like the perfect match for you. It’s why I bring him up, and not only because he’s your client. Ever since you broke things off with Chip, you’ve said you wanted to find a man with more depth. Someone who would intrigue you.”
“Did I say that?” Dawn mocked.
“You did, my friend.”
“Next time I start talking like that, shut me up.” But yes, she recalled expressing that exact thought to Lark. It was her statement of resolve not to hang on to relationships that her gut told her wouldn’t work out. “Jerrod is nothing if not deep and intriguing. And not available.”
Dawn swallowed a mouthful of her drink before patting her page in the notebook. “Let’s get down to the business of the Art for Life fund-raiser.”
“Right. Now that’s going to be a great event,” Lark said.
“I hope so. Any group trying to fund arts and music education in our schools is fine with me. I’m proud the people of Two Moon Bay have gotten together to act on their own behalf.” Budget cuts had forced the issue. The town had a healthy—and growing—arts and crafts community and a budding community theater company. Firing art and music teachers didn’t sit well.
Grateful for the distraction, Dawn worked with Lark for the next half hour on the wording for the program for what had become an annual event. And a glamorous one, at least by Two Moon Bay standards. Once again, the yacht club donated its space and the Half Moon Café agreed to provide a buffet.
“I’m predicting this event will be even bigger than last year’s,” Dawn said, gathering up her things to leave. Lark did the same and after clearing their table, they headed toward their cars, both checking messages on their phones.
“Anything interesting on those screens?” a male voice asked.
She knew that teasing tone. Jerrod. When she lifted her head, she saw Carrie walking alongside him.
“Hi, Dawn,” Carrie said. She rocked up on tiptoes, then back on her heels and all but bounced in the air with a young kid’s energy.
“Well, hello there.” She turned to Lark. “This is Carrie, the special little girl I was telling you about.”
“Oh, that little girl,” Lark said, knowingly, “the happy one with pigtails and a big smile.”
Dawn acknowledged Jerrod, but addressed Carrie. “So did you walk here for your favorite treat?”
“Yep,” Carrie said. “Next time I’ll ride my bike. Wyatt and Melody taught me to ride. No training wheels.”
“Really?” Lark said. “I’m impressed.”
Jerrod beamed. “She caught on right away.”
Dawn laughed. “Such a proud dad. I can see it all over your face.”
“I guess I am.” He pointed with his chin to the patio. “I suppose you two were getting some work done.”
“As a matter of fact, we were.” Feeling awkward, maybe because Lark was making no attempt to hide her curiosity as she looked on, Dawn filled in details about the annual Art for Life event she helped publicize. “It’s quite a gala.” She cocked her head. “We even dress up.”
“Sounds like a worthy cause, too,” Jerrod said.
“We’ll be happy to sell you a ticket—and for your staff, too,” Lark said. “You might enjoy meeting some new people. Supporters come from several towns around here.”
“Real subtle,” Dawn said, rolling her eyes at her friend.
“I’m just saying...networking and all that.”
“I’d like to come to the dinner,” Jerrod said eagerly.
Carrie reached out and tugged on Dawn’s hand. “You know what Melody said? She said I might get a new mommy one day.”
“Hmm...did she now?” Dawn fidgeted with her necklace at her throat.
“So, we should go, little girl,” Jerrod put his hand on Carrie’s back as if to encourage her along.
“Could you be my new mommy?”
Dawn drew in a breath, her cheeks heating up, probably turning bright pink.
Jerrod laughed nervously. “Hey, little one. You can’t just go around asking people questions like that.”
Not trusting herself to look at Jerrod, Dawn leaned forward and cupped Carrie’s chin. “Becoming somebody’s mom can be more complicated than it seems. But anybody would be really lucky to have you as her daughter.”
Carrie didn’t say anything, but she tapped her chin where Dawn’s fingers had been.
“We’ll be on our way,” Dawn said, finally laughing.
“Let’s go to a table, honey. You said you were hungry,” Jerrod said, shaking his head.
“Yes...I...am.” Carrie emphasized each word with a hop.
Keeping her gaze on Carrie, Dawn said, “You have fun.”
“We will.” Another hop.
Lark waited to burst out laughing until they got to their cars and well out of Jerrod’s earshot. “What were we just saying about you and Jerrod?”
“I’m officially embarrassed.” She smiled sadly. “But you can see for yourself she’s a precious little imp.”
“You handled it beautifully,” Lark said. “All kidding aside, much better than Jerrod. He had trouble getting words out.”
Dawn caught her breath, affected by the question more than she cared to share, even with Lark. “Enough with that. What are you up to? I feel like we’
re in high school, scheming to see our favorite guys.”
“I’m not up to anything.”
“Oh, your innocent face! Give me a break. You basically strong-armed him into coming to our fund-raiser.”
“It’s a fun—and dressy—night,” Lark said defensively, “and if he’s really going to become part of the community, then why shouldn’t he be invited to fund-raisers and other kinds of events where he can meet people?”
Dawn shrugged. “I know you’re right, but it seemed like you were finding a way to get the two of us together.”
“Oh, maybe I was. A little.” Lark paused. “He likes you, a lot. So why not go with it?”
“You know that for sure? You’re a psychic now?”
“I’ll ignore your sarcasm.” Lark stared at the gravel in the lot, apparently gathering her thoughts. “Okay, I get it. You’re skeptical. But I’m sure. I saw his eyes go soft when he looked at you. The man is a member of your fan club. Get used to it.” She jingled her car keys in her hand. “By the way, why didn’t you invite him? As your date.”
Dawn felt a familiar fluttering in her stomach, more from anxiousness than excitement. What if Lark was right? The other night, the way he brushed his cheek across her hair, his mouth so close to hers. She’d let her head rest on his shoulder long enough to know she liked it. “I suppose I could have.”
Before Lark could respond, Dawn changed the subject. “I’ve got my eye on a spectacular dress for the fund-raiser. I haven’t made up my mind yet, but maybe early next week I’ll go have another look at it.”
Lark’s face showed her delight.
“I knew you’d like that,” Dawn teased. “Your smile tells me exactly how you feel.”
“That’s because I like to see you enjoy your success,” Lark insisted. “Jerrod or no Jerrod, you’ve earned a great new dress.”
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