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Chapter 11
Tuck
Jaredhelpsmemaneuvera kayak through the center aisle of the store. It's a tight squeeze and we have to turn the kayak on its side. "There's got to be a better way to do this, Uncle Tuck."
"Yeah? I'm all ears."
"Maybe we can keep a few on the street?" he suggests.
"I've thought of that. But we'd still have to store them in the breakroom at night."
"Couldn't we store them in the boathouse?"
Hazel and Jared live two blocks from the beach with my mother. The boathouse in the backyard houses an old fishing boat and doubles as a garden shed. But with a little rearranging and organizing, we could fit in storage for the kayaks. "That's not a bad idea. But they'd still have to be brought to The Bait Bucket every day, and that'd be a lot of hassle."
"I've been thinking about that," Jared says. "What if you put me in charge of Tuck's Kayaks this summer? I can drive the kayaks here in the morning and set them up, and then be in charge of getting all the paperwork in order for rentals."
I grunt as I lift my end of the kayak over an end cap filled with fishing lures. "Who's going to help me in the store if you're outside with the kayaks? Summers are busy around here."
"Maybe it's time to add another part-time employee."
That has crossed my mind, too. Back when I thought Hildy's Hut would be home to Tuck's Kayaks, I had plans to add another employee. "Have anyone at mind?"
"I heard Mandy Aronson's looking for a job."
I chuckle. Jared has had a crush on Mandy Aronson since middle school. He tries to hide it, but his cheeks turn pink every time he says her name. And he always says her full name even though there's not another Mandy on the whole island.
"Tell you what," I say, "if Mandy Aronson doesn't have a problem handling live bait, I'll hire her."
Jared stumbles, nearly dropping the kayak. "Really?"
"Really. Now, take care of this customer's kayak rental. If you're going to run Tuck's Kayaks, you may as well get started."
He's six feet of hard muscle now, but when he beams at me, he still looks like a little boy.
I stand to the side, listening as Jared talks to the customer. He asks what type of adventure the man is looking for. After learning that the man is a wildlife photographer and will be packing expensive equipment, Jared checks the tide chart and explains where the calmest water will be.
He points to a map we keep on the counter. "You'll want flat water, so stay on this side of the island. There's an old, historic lighthouse on an inlet in the estuary. It photographs well, and there's a lot of wildlife, too. There will definitely be a large variety of birds, but you're also likely to see dolphins."
I can't help but smile with pride. Jared has helped me in the store since before he could walk. And his idea to use the boathouse does provide a solution of sorts. It’s not as ideal as a dedicated store front, but it could work, at least as a temporary fix until Margo sells me her property.
"One more thing," Jared says to the customer. "If you're on the water, wear a life vest. The tides can change quickly."
As Jared's fitting the man for a life vest, the mayor comes into the store.
I flash her a smile. "Finally taking up fishing?" I laugh at the expression on her face. "One of these days, you're going to tell me that story, Mom."
"What story?"
I raise an eyebrow. "The story about what happened to turn you off fishing. You married a fisherman, your son owns a bait shop, your grandson is a natural…" I pause while we both look at Jared with affection. "Not to mention, no one can pack away more fish tacos than you in one sitting."
She glares at me. "I'm here on official business, for your information."
Official business?"I don't see Houdini."
"Not Keeper of Collars business. Mayoral business."
I frown. "What does that mean?"
