Cottage at the Beach (The Off Season)

by Lee Tobin McClain

  Trey grimaced. “Don’t remind me. I got an email from my chief. He wants to meet with me and Greene tomorrow.”

  “Are you worried?”

  “I mean, yeah. I really want to get my old job back.”

  The thought of Trey leaving, going back to the city he came from, not being here on the shore anymore, not working with her... All of it made Erica feel a big sense of loss. Too big. She’d let herself get attached to someone who wasn’t going to stay.

  On the other hand, that was pretty much what she had facing her. She could get attached to someone, if at all, only for a short time.

  Suddenly, the music and laughter and happy, dancing people weren’t lifting her spirits anymore.

  Trey, of course, was oblivious to her inner thoughts. “I just don’t know what else I could have done,” he said. “When I saw him yelling at King, it was bad enough, but when he kicked him I couldn’t just stand by.”

  “You couldn’t have. You did the right thing.” And she admired him for it, but she wasn’t going to go all mushy on him. She didn’t need to be showing him her softer feelings.

  “And I know they’re going to say I shouldn’t have gone there, shouldn’t have been spying on him, but I can’t wish I didn’t do it.” Trey’s jaw tightened. “If I hadn’t, King would be there getting abused, still.”

  Just the memory of how King had been treated made Erica’s stomach tighten. “How’s he doing?”

  “He’s okay. Glad to be home. But a lot more jumpy than he was when he left.”

  “That only makes sense.” And it was really, really sad. “I’m sure he’ll get better with time.”

  “I hope so.” Trey’s voice was grim. Then he stretched and twisted his neck like he was consciously trying to relax. “Did O’Neil say anything to you?”

  “Not yet, but I’m sure he will.” Her chest felt suddenly heavy. If there was anything her status-conscious boss disliked, it was a public conflict at his school. “I’m afraid he’ll use this as one more reason to recommend closing down our program, and I’ll be out of a job.”

  “Look,” Trey said, “if my presence is hurting the program, I’ll step back.”

  “Your presence isn’t hurting the program as far as the kids are concerned. They’re really starting to care about you.” As was Erica herself. But again, she didn’t need to let him know that.

  Erica felt a hand squeezing her arm and turned toward Amber. “Hey, you okay?” she asked. She’d gotten too caught up in her conversation with Trey, lost track of her sister.

  “Help?” she asked, half laughing as she nodded sideways at the cowboy she’d been talking with.

  “She ish gonna dance with me,” the cowboy slurred, draping an arm around Amber.

  “Whoa. That’s her choice.” Erica stood and gestured for Amber to scoot over to her chair, away from the guy. Then Erica took a step closer and loomed over him, trying to look intimidating. “I think she’s had about enough of you.”

  “You volunteering for the job?” He reached a hand toward Erica’s arm—at least, she hoped that was where he was aiming. She stepped back.

  He stood and stepped forward.

  “Not interested,” Erica said, sidestepping away from him. “Amber, I’m thinking it’s time for us to head home.”

  “Are you just stuck up?” the cowboy asked with a mean laugh. “Or don’t you gals like men?”

  “Oh, please,” Amber said. “Don’t you think there might be other reasons a woman wouldn’t like you?”

  “Yeah, because she’s a—”

  Before the word could come out of his mouth, Trey stood and bumped into the cowboy, hard, and then the man wasn’t there anymore. Or at least he wasn’t at eye level. He was sitting on the ground, looking confused about how he’d gotten there.

  “My apologies.” Trey reached out a hand and helped the man up. “I think the ladies would like to be left alone.”

  “Fine. I don’t like them anyhow.” The cowboy stomped away.

  Amber chuckled. “I’d forgotten the downside of going to bars,” she said. “I do think I’ve had about enough for tonight. Thanks for coming to my rescue, you two.”

  “Not a problem,” Trey said. “Can I walk you ladies home?”

  Erica hesitated. On the one hand, she would like nothing better. But on the other hand, she didn’t want to give people the impression that she and Trey were dating, and she didn’t want to rely on him any more than she already was. Plus, a glance at Amber told her that her sister could use her undivided attention tonight. “No, we can make it fine,” she said.

  Trey frowned, his eyes going from her to Amber. “I’ve got my car here. How about a ride? Those few blocks seem longer after a couple of drinks.”

  “That would be great,” Amber said. “Truth is, I’m a little tired.”

  “My pleasure.” He put out a hand to tug Amber to her feet and helped her with her sweater.

  Then he turned to Erica. “Ready?” The look in his eyes left no doubt: he was interested in her.

  Which both made her insides dance and made her mind swirl with worries. If only things could be simple.

  * * *

  TREY’S MEETING WITH the chief didn’t go well.

  “You hunted Cochran down and spied on him.” The chief paced back and forth through the Pleasant Shores police station’s small conference room. “I would never have had King placed so near if I had thought you would do something like this. How did you find him?”

  “Word of mouth.” The last thing he wanted to do was implicate Erica. “I knew it was against protocol, but I’d heard he was mistreating King. I found out the rumor was true. He was abusing a K-9. That’s not acceptable.”

  “He denies it.”

  “I have a witness.”

  Lincoln spun to face him, hands on hips. “Yeah, about that. Erica Rowe is your contact in Healing Heroes. You work with her. Dating her wasn’t in the job description.”

  “I’m not...” Trey trailed off and stared at that wooden table in front of him, marred with carvings and ink stains and what looked like a dab of ketchup. What could he say? He wasn’t dating her, not technically, but apparently the fact that they had feelings for each other was pretty obvious to everyone. “I know the boundaries,” he said finally.

  “The fact that you’re seeing each other negates her viability as a witness,” the chief said.

  He couldn’t argue, so he moved on. “King can’t go back to Cochran.”

  “No, he can’t. I take your accusation seriously, and I don’t want any canine abused. And after I discussed K-9 training techniques with Cochran, he decided he doesn’t want him back. Says he’s gotten vicious and out of control.”

  “Only when somebody’s kicking him,” Trey said, indignant on King’s behalf. “He’s a great dog, a great officer. You know how good he is at detecting drugs, and all the other jobs he’s done.”

  The chief shook his head back and forth, slowly. “He can’t work anymore.”

  Trey exploded to his feet. “That’s not fair!”

  “It may not be fair, but it’s reality. I can’t have a dog who can only work with one handler. I can’t have a dog who’s been threatening and out of control. You know perps hit and kick dogs all the time. They can’t take things into their own hands.” He half smiled. “Paws, whatever.”

  Trey stared at the table. “Can I keep him?”

  “As a pet.”

  The very word made Trey cringe on King’s behalf.

  “And you may have to purchase him. I’ll talk to city council, but the fact that he displayed undue aggression—”

  “He was being attacked!”

  Lincoln shook his head. “That’s a matter of debate. I don’t want you to be responsible for the cost of him, but council may see it differently.”

  Trey stared down at his
hands, clenched too tight. “If I have to raise the money I’ll do it.” Somehow. He’d borrow it, work a second job, sell off his stuff.

  “It’s you I’m worried about. Not only with the physical rehab, but with your attitude. You’re not exactly following the chain of command.”

  Trey’s heart sank. “I want to come back to the force.”

  “I know that. I was hoping the chance to get away and do some community work would help you calm down and get your head back where it needs to be. But I don’t see that happening.”

  “My physical therapy is going well,” Trey protested. And it was, to a point. He didn’t add that the trainer wasn’t sure he would recover full range of motion or live without pain. He could do it. He could suck it up.

  “I’m debating whether to recommend that you stay in Healing Heroes.” The chief leaned back against the wall, crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Trey. “I hear there are two new candidates who are interested in participating, and they both fit the mission—K-9 officers, disabled, eager to work in the community as volunteers.”

  “You’d recommend that they replace me? Now?”

  “Considering it. Considering it more after this blowup. It’s not only about King. The principal of the school isn’t happy with your performance. He doesn’t like disruptions like what happened when Cochran came to the schoolyard yesterday.” He sighed heavily. “I want this to work as much as you do, but we have to be realistic. It’s not going well.”

  “I’ll work on it, sir,” Trey said, and held his breath. Would the chief kick him out right now?

  He didn’t want to leave Pleasant Shores, not yet. He was starting to care about the kids, to feel like there was more he could do with them. There was more he wanted to do with Erica, too.

  The chief looked around the conference room. “You know, I started out in a small police department like this,” he said. “There’s a lot to be said for small-town police work.”

  “Why are you saying that?” Was Lincoln preparing him for a job hunt that was a step back, career wise?

  “Because it’s the truth. Do you know anything about it? Have you paid attention?”

  “I... A little.” Trey thought of Earl Greene. His initial impression had been negative. The guy wasn’t in the best of shape, and his department was small, just three guys. As a result, the man always seemed to be working, despite the fact that there was no real crime around here. Greene did a lot in the community. Everybody knew him, and Trey was beginning to realize that everybody respected him, too. “I can see the appeal,” he said.

  “Good,” said the chief, “because if your return to our force doesn’t work out, there could be a middle ground. You could get a job in a place like this. Less stressful, less taxing physically.”

  “But—” Trey broke off, trying to figure out why the notion bothered him so much. “It’s just... I’m a city cop.”

  “Do you have the discipline to be a city cop?” The chief frowned. “Do you have the physical ability? Look, I don’t want to cut off your chances prematurely. I’m just telling you that the odds of your returning to the force aren’t great. I want you to think about other possibilities.”

  Trey opened his mouth to argue and instead shut it again. Part of what was bothering the chief was his attitude, and part of the attitude problem was him forgetting about the chain of command and talking back. He knew better, had thought he had gotten that childish behavior under control after college and the police academy, but when Michelle had left, he’d regressed. “I’ll think about what you said,” Trey said. “But in the meantime, I’m hoping to be able to still have a chance at returning.”

  The chief studied him. “I like you. You’re talented, and you’ve done good work for me. So I’m not closing that door. But what has happened in the last few days has had its impact. Don’t let it happen again.”

  “I won’t, sir,” Trey said.

  He wasn’t lying. He was going to work harder at distancing himself from Erica, doing his job, keeping his head down. Put his extra energy into physical therapy. Try to adjust to the idea of King as a pet.

  Out of all those, the hardest thing was going to be keeping his distance from Erica. But he was going to do it. Starting tomorrow, there would be some changes.

  * * *

  SATURDAY EVENING, JULIE walked through the bookstore at the end of her shift, inhaling the scent of books, straightening shelves and running a feather duster over the few high spots that might have collected cobwebs, checking in with the couple of customers who were still browsing.

  She wished it wasn’t almost time to close. She found Saturday nights to be downright lonesome. Yes, she could go out, and she’d tried dancing with a couple of guys at the bar, even been asked for her phone number, but it didn’t fill the void.

  Mary had driven to a restaurant up the shore with a friend. Ria and the girls were undoubtedly busy, and anyway, Julie didn’t want to impose on them. None of them wanted to spend time with her outside of their scheduled shifts.

  Stop feeling sorry for yourself. She had a great job, a place to live, a daughter and two granddaughters who loved her. In fact, she had plans with Ria and her granddaughters to do mani-pedis tomorrow for Mother’s Day.

  Lots of women didn’t have it so good.

  Decisively, she flipped the switch to turn off the soft jazz they always played in the background.

  “Oh, you’re closing! I’m sorry!” Erica Rowe emerged from the mystery section with a book in her hand. “Do you still have time to ring this up?”

  “No problem. I’m in no hurry.” She took Erica’s book and went behind the counter. “Oh, this is a good one.” She rang up the book and ran Erica’s credit card. “You’ll be really surprised at the end, unless you’re a smarter reader than I am.”

  “I’m not. I never try to guess the ending of mystery novels. I just like how everything turns out so neat and perfect.”

  “Unlike life.” Julie slid the book and receipt into a Lighthouse Lit bag.

  “My mom and I always read the same books and talked about them,” Erica said, her voice wistful. “She loved to read. She even kept a list every year of all the books she’d read.”

  “That’s a great idea.” Julie studied Erica’s sad face, and her heart went out to the younger woman. She didn’t know Erica well, but she’d heard Erica and her sister didn’t have much family. “Mother’s Day weekend can be tough. Did you lose your mom recently?”

  “Two years ago, and I miss her every day.” Erica’s eyes got a little shiny.

  Julie brought the bag with the book around the counter and patted Erica’s shoulders. “I’m sorry. Do you want to talk about her?”

  Erica sniffed and smiled. “You’re so sweet. Thanks, but no.” She held up the bag. “I was just looking to find a distraction. My sister and her daughter went out to dinner and I just didn’t feel like going home alone.”

  “I hear that,” Julie said.

  “What’s new with you?” Erica seemed to want to change the subject, but also prolong the conversation.

  Even though Julie didn’t know Erica well, maybe because of that, she blurted out the truth: “I just found out my ex is getting married to his pregnant girlfriend. So you’re not the only one looking for a distraction.”

  “Oh, I heard that, too,” Erica said.

  “You did?”

  Erica clapped a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry. You didn’t want it confirmed, did you?”

  Julie sighed. “I didn’t want to know it was all over town. It’s humiliating.”

  “I don’t think it’s all over town,” Erica said. “She used to work at the school where I work, as an aide.”

  “So,” Julie said, infinitely curious but keeping her voice neutral, “you know her?”

  “A little. She’s very shy, but she’s about my age and we talked someti
mes. She recently quit, but not because she was doing a bad job. I think she was fine.”

  Something twisted inside Julie. The poor child was a good worker? Shy? Nice enough that Erica had enjoyed talking with her?

  The door jingled open. “Grandma!” Kaitlyn brayed. “You about ready?”

  Ready for what?

  “I’m sorry to keep you here talking,” Erica said. “It’s my fault, Kaitlyn. She hasn’t had a chance to count the money or whatever it is you do when you’re closing a store.”

  “This is the first thing.” Kaitlyn flipped the sign from Open to Closed and turned the lock on the door.

  Julie had actually already had the drawer counted, so it was just a matter of adjusting the numbers for Erica’s purchase.

  “Do you two have big plans for tonight?” Erica asked Kaitlyn.

  “No. We’re supposed to go out to dinner because Mom and Sophia are busy.”

  “We are?” Julie asked. “Wait—don’t tell me it’s your turn to babysit Grandma.”

  Kaitlyn flushed a deep, unattractive red that suggested it was, indeed, her given duty tonight.

  Julie put the money into the cash bag and leaned on the counter, studying her granddaughter’s face. Kaitlyn looked tired, overwhelmed.

  The way she looked almost every day when she arrived home from school, but now the stress was bleeding over into Saturday. Not good.

  And Julie didn’t know if “time with Grandma” was a hurdle or a help. But God forgive her, she dreaded sitting across the table from her sullen granddaughter, watching her play games on her phone.

  Inspiration struck. “Erica, would you like to join us for dinner? We usually go to the Crab Shack or Elmo’s Pizza.”

  Erica’s face lit up. “I’d love to!” Then she glanced at Kaitlyn. “If it’s okay with you, honey. I don’t want to horn in on your time with your grandma.”

  Julie stifled a snort.

  “It’s fine,” Kaitlyn said, sighing, “except I really don’t want to go out at all. Can we just order pizza and take it home?”

  And there went Julie’s brief vision of a pleasant evening with a new potential friend. Except...somehow, she wasn’t willing to give in to Kaitlyn’s whim, because she knew what it would be like: Kaitlyn would grab pieces of pizza and disappear into her room, and Julie would be eating alone. “Tell you what,” she said. “I’d like to get together with Erica and talk books. We could either go back to the motel, or the two of us could go out and you could have pizza on your own.”