Page 11 of For Every Letter

And now rumor has it an NFL team is planning to spend their off-season training here. The mermaids’ ovaries are going to explode if that’s true. Maybe I should already get a t-shirt made. ‘If you don’t want to drive into the ocean, don’t ask me where they’re at.’

The big news is the owners of the Mermaid Motel contacted me. They’re ready to sell. I don’t have near enough money saved up for a down payment. I think I need to ask my parents for help. I hate to ask them but what if someone else buys the motel? I can’t stand the idea of losing my chance to fulfill my dream.

Am I crazy? I’m not even twenty-seven yet. My birthday’s coming up – hint hint. I shouldn’t be worrying about buying a motel. I should be off exploring the world. Spoiler alert – I have no desire to explore the world. I’m happy on Smuggler’s Hideaway. I couldn’t think of any place else in the world where I’d rather live.

I’ve enclosed the latest clipping about Mermaid Karaoke. Read it and you’ll understand why I don’t want to leave!

I can’t wait to show you the place. But no pressure. I can wait, although it turns out classes on learning to be patient isn’t a thing. There’s definitely a hole in the market there.

Please be safe. No more getting shot! I worry about you. And don’t say I shouldn’t. It’s my right and privilege to worry. I think I have the entire island worried. Since I rushed out of here like I was a smuggler with the police on my tail, everyone knows the truth about the ‘letters’. I thought Dad would freak but all he did was grumble, ‘soldier, good choice’ and then grunt. I think he approves???

I need to sign off. Cora – she’s the postmaster for the island – is tapping her toe and pointing at the clock. She also says hi. As does everyone else on the island.

Be safe Ben,

Love, Your Sadie

22

Sandbox

July 15 th

My dearest Sadie,

I’ve thought long and hard about this and I finally made a decision.

I’m not re-upping. Getting shot (even though it wasn’t the first time I got shot in the line of duty) woke me up. I’m thirty now. How many times can I fool death before he comes calling for me? I’m done taking chances. Before, I had no reason to leave the Army. Where would I go? What would I do? You’ve given me a reason to look further. To expand my world beyond the military. I can never thank you enough for that.

My brothers are giving me tons of shit. They think they’re hilarious calling me pussy whipped. They stopped calling me names when I dipped all of their underwear in hot sauce. You’re not the only prankster in the family.

But I can tell they envy me. They wish they had a woman as sweet as my Sadie to go home to.

I can’t wait to explore Smuggler’s Hideaway. Although, I don’t have any interest in any mermaids. I have my hands full with a snarky, sexy motel owner. I can’t wait to meet your friends and family.

I’m counting down the days until I see you again. Twenty-nine more nights until I can hold you in my arms all night long again. But no pressure. We can take it slow with the physical stuff. We have all the time in the world.

Love,

Ben

23

Mermaid Motel

Smuggler’s Hideaway

August 1 st

Dear Ben!

You’re coming home! Your letter surprised me so much, Cora thought I was going to faint. She was traumatized by my reaction. If she had just delivered the letter and left like a normal mail delivery person instead of being Ms. Snoopy, she wouldn’t have been ‘traumatized’.

I’m so excited, I’m full of nervous energy. I can’t sit still. I even cleaned the windows in the reception area of the motel. My cleaning staff thinks I have smugglers’ fever. Smugglers’ fever is what we islanders call it when someone has unexplained physical symptoms. There are a lot of terms you’ll have to learn once you move here.

If you move here, of course. You don’t have to move here. You can visit from time to time, and we can try the long distance thing. We’ve basically been doing long distance for nearly a year. And we rock at it, if I do say so myself. Although, I did prefer it when we spent the night together. Not together sweaty naked bodies together. But in each other’s arms.

Oh great. Now my face is red again and everyone probably thinks I’m writing you a naughty letter. Which I’m not opposed to doing. I’m willing to try anything once. Except being gagged and choked. No thanks. And now I really am writing you a naughty letter.