Shell yeah!
Coffee first, beach second.
Who came up with those cheesy slogans?
I glance at my watch and pace back to the counter.How long does it take to make a Reuben?
My phone timer chimes from my back pocket.It’s my reminder to look into the ferry.
Through a gap in the kitchen door, I spot Chloe laughing and chatting with an older woman in an apron.
“Hello?”I call out.
Chloe’s blue eyes snap to mine.“Be right with you,” she says, then goes back to flailing her hands at the woman like she’s telling some long-ass story.
By the time Chloe comes out clutching my wrapped sandwich, my jaw is ticking, and I’m twenty minutes later than I should be.
“Damn, that wasfast,”I mutter as I collect the sandwich.
Her lips curve up.“Sorry, Mr.Punctuality, I forgot my stopwatch today.”She flashes me a smile that’s all white teeth and blinding sunshine.
I head out the door, shaking my head.
Runningmy palm across my jaw, I read over the checklist of repairs typed into my NOTES app.There’s a shitload of work lined up, but today was a good start.
To celebrate, I swing by the gas station for a case of beer to go with the pork steak in the fridge.With the sky a deep pink, I grab a bottle and head out onto the deck.
The previous owners left some old patio furniture, so I flop into one of the wooden deck chairs and stretch out my legs.
The rhythmic rush of the ocean loosens some of the tension in my shoulders.I take a long sip and breathe in the salty air.
My phone buzzes beside me.I tense when I see Leo’s name on the screen.
What if he got bad news from his doctors?What if he needs something and I’m all the way down here?
I lift my phone to my ear.“Hey, Leo, is everything okay?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
His voice hits me in the gut.He knows exactly why.“How… how are you?”I ask.
“I’ve been better, but I’ve also been worse.How are you, my friend?”
“I’m doing all right.”I tell Leo all about Inner Shores and my folks’ house renovation.
When I finish, he replies with a smile in his voice.“Your parents must be so thrilled.I keep telling Isaac that I want him to be just like his Uncle Ethan when he grows up.”
God help Leo and his wife if their son turns out anything like me.“Be careful what you wish for.”
“What do you mean?You’re a good man.”
I sigh quietly.Leo is one of the only people in my life who genuinely believes that.Wyatt would probably laugh if he heard him, and Gray would just shake his head.
Leo and I first met when we were young construction cubs, and another foreman was sending us off on wild goose chases for wood stretchers and reverse saws.When Leo and I realized we were being tested by the bigger boys, we became instant comrades, trading war stories and helping each other out while we were still learning.
Leo had no desire to become a foreman.I’m the one who convinced him to be my deputy.
Guilt crashes like those waves down the shore.
