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“What kind of rules?” Simon’s eyes went wider, if that was possible.
“Well, being a member of the youth facility is going to be a privilege,” Luke explained. “It means staying on the straight and narrow.”
“And what if they haven’t in the past?” Jake asked.
“We’ll look at their history and determine if they’re capable of adjusting their behavior. I ran a similar program in Chicago. We’ll start with a sign-up sheet and go from there. In the meantime, Simon, would you like to be our first recruit?”
“Me?”
He said it in exactly the same way his grandfather had moments ago. “You’ve been behaving yourself lately. And it’s not as if you’re going to give your mom any more grief between now and then. Right?”
“I could use a helper,” Jake added. “Official assistant. It would mean a lot of work, though. And you couldn’t hang out here as much. You’d be with me or Sheriff Luke.”
“What about Charlie?” Simon shifted his feet under his butt and began to bounce in the vinyl seat. “Can she help, too?”
“If she wants and her mom says it’s okay.”
“There’s one catch, though.” Luke took another bite of his breakfast. “You’d have to be a junior deputy.”
“You mean like a real crime fighter?” Simon’s mouth dropped open. “Do you mean it?”
“I do. You’re a smart kid, Simon. I need smart people working with and for me. But this is conditional. Only if your mom says it’s okay.”
“She will! I know she will!”
“She will what?” Holly sidled up to their table. “What’s all this jabbering going on? Somebody win the World Series?”
“Mom.” Simon rolled his eyes. “That’s not until October. Sheriff Luke wants me to be a junior deputy.”
“Does he?” Holly angled a look at Luke that had him refocusing on his half-full plate. He needed an extra stomach. “And what will that entail?”
“To be determined,” Jake said before Luke could swallow. “We have to clear up the mystery of the station saboteur before we can move forward with anything else.”
“Whoever it turns out to be, it’s too bad they won’t be able to participate in any of the youth center’s programs,” Luke added.
“They won’t?” Simon’s face fell.
“I can’t let someone destructive interact with you and the other kids. It would defeat the purpose. It’s too bad, too. I was hoping we could get things going with a camping trip up at Milkweed Lake.”
“I love camping!” Simon announced.
“How do you know? You’ve never been,” Holly pointed out.
“Then, I would love to try camping. Please, Mom. Can I be a junior deputy and help Grandpa with the group?”
“I don’t see why not.” She ruffled Simon’s hair. Luke would have had to have been blind not to see a rush of relief slip over Holly’s face. “See what being good brings you? You get to do things like this.” She leaned over and kissed the top of his head. “Thank you for being such a good boy these past couple of weeks.”
“Why don’t the three of us head over to the community center now and take a look at what you have to work with,” Luke suggested.
“Can we, Grandpa?” Simon pleaded.
Jake gave Luke a long, considering look, the frown on his face fading to interest as he nodded. “Why not? Can’t hurt to see.”
“Great.” Luke glanced at the clock. He’d still have time to run his other errands before he needed to be at the station.
And put the rest of his plan into action.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
“WELL, THERE’S SOMETHING I didn’t think I’d ever see.” Holly watched her father and son head out the diner door with Luke a little while later. They couldn’t have captured Simon’s attention any better than if they’d tied him to his stool.
“You worried?” Paige popped up behind her as they stared out the blinds.
“No.” Holly shook her head. “For the first time in a long time, I’m not.” And what a joy that was. She pushed open the door. “Hey, Twyla.”
“Sorry I’m late.” Twyla grabbed an apron from behind the counter before heading into the kitchen. “I had to walk this morning,” she called. “Someone siphoned off the gas in my car last night.”
“What is going on around here?” Holly muttered. Who stole gasoline out of cars anymore?
“Things are strange everywhere these days,” Paige agreed. “Is it okay if I go check on Charlie? I could call if you’d rather—”
“No, go ahead. Oh! Hang on.” Holly dashed into the kitchen to grab a set of keys. “Twyla? Can you keep an eye on things for about fifteen minutes?” She pointed up and Twyla stretched her overpainted red lips into a wide smile.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Thanks. Paige, I have something to show you.”
She led the way outside and around to a staircase at the back of the building. “I know you like the Chrysalis Motel.” Holly unlocked the dead bolt. “But that’s got to be racking up some serious rent.”
“It is what it is. Nothing’s free.”
“Well, I know it’s not much, but—” Holly pushed open the door and waved Paige inside. “It’s yours and Charlie’s if you want.”
“Wh-what?” Paige stepped forward with such a look of wonder it was as if she’d stumbled into a magical kingdom instead of a one-bedroom apartment. “Holly?”
“It’s small, but it’s clean. And it’s private.” Holly was more than pleased with the cleanup she, Abby and Ursula had done. “I’d been using it as a storeroom the past couple of years, but all it took was some of my grandmother’s furniture. Abby donated the linens and Ursula fixed up the kitchen, stocked the pantry for you. Just don’t start outdoing her in the kitchen more than you already have,” Holly warned with a teasing wag of her finger.
Delicate lace curtains draped the single-paned windows where a scarred desk sat. A daybed took up most of the far wall to be used for either seating or sleeping. The small bedroom was large enough for the double bed and nightstand, along with a bookcase and small dresser, and the bath, well... As long as they didn’t try throwing any parties, the place should be more than serviceable. Personally, Holly envied the old-fashioned claw-foot tub outfitted with a modern hand-held shower wand.
“So.” She slapped her hands together and looked at Paige. “What do you think? Paige?”
Her friend was sitting on the sofa, her pale face streaked with tears.
“How much?” Paige whispered.
“What?”
“How much is the rent?”
“What rent?”
Paige blinked, as if the question held no meaning.
“Paige, you’ve more than paid me with the work you do in the diner. I can’t afford any more hours, but this was just sitting here. It doesn’t cost me anything more than a few extra dollars a month for electricity and water. It’ll help you out, right? Let you start socking some money away. Then maybe you can find a more permanent place here in Butterfly Harbor. If and when that happens, it’ll be ready to rent out.”
“You’re giving this to me.”
“To you and Charlie. Something tells me you’re a long time between breaks.” It felt so good to be able to give someone something they really needed. “Besides, I need Charlie close by so she can keep Simon in line.”
Paige hugged her arms around her waist and rocked back and forth. “This is so much, Holly. Too much.”
“It’s not. Not for me.” Boy, she was on a roll these days. The fact Paige wasn’t taking the offer or the apartment for granted proved Holly’s instincts were dead-on when it came to her new employee...and friend. “We single moms have to stick together. Now—” she held out her hands and wiggled her fingers “—how about you take the rest of the morning, go home and pack up your daughter and get settled in.”
“Yeah.” Paige nodded and swiped her fingers under eyes that continued to spill tears at a dehydrating rate. “Oh, Charlie’s not going to believe this.”
“You look as if you don’t believe it.” Holly couldn’t remember the last time she felt this happy, this lucky. Maybe, just maybe Paige wasn’t the only person getting a break. She thought of Luke’s amused, smiling face as he’d had breakfast with her father and son. The easy conversation and banter they’d exchanged. And how her insides had fluttered as soon as she’d seen him this morning. Loosening up on all that anger and resentment she held on to for so long was paying off in spades. Finally, her luck was turning around.
