Safety Harbor. Chuck Cooper

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СКАЧАТЬ Lynn told Nate she was taking the kids back to Vermont to visit her parents. She never came back. He’d heard she had moved in with the guy. A few weeks later, he got divorce papers.

      It was a lonely life for Nate. He missed his kids. He’d named the boat with that in mind. They came out for the summer, but those were some of his busiest days. He spent more time with them the week after Christmas than he did during the summer. If he didn’t have a full boat, he would take Caitlin, nine, and Buddy, seven, on board with him. But it was a long day, and the novelty for the kids wore off fast.

      The times when they didn’t go along, they went to Luke and Ginny Dingell’s. They had not been able to have kids and so they gave their love to other children by running a day care center. When Sally got off work at Joe’s, she would go by and pick up the kids and take them home with her. It saved Nate money since she didn’t charge for watching them.

      He would pick them up at Sally’s house. Sometimes Nate and the kids would stay for supper. Sally’s husband, Keith, was away a lot in the Alaska oilfields. Sometimes, after supper, the kids would go and play with friends in the neighborhood and Sally and he would talk for a long while.

      Today, the ocean was a little choppy as they ventured out, but, by the time they arrived at the fishing spot, the waters were calm. Nate went on the microphone and told the passengers that his Sonar had spotted a significant number of salmon below. They would be here for a while.

      Georgia, the cook, was serving coffee on the bottom deck and taking orders for pastries. There were no fancy breakfasts since lunch was the main meal of the day and included in the price of the trip. Nate went downstairs to get some of Georgia’s coffee. Her strong brew would put him over the top for the day.

      When he was a kid, his dad, Walt Beard, had been in the fishing business too. He’d take Nate out with him and Nate would get deathly seasick every time. Over the years he’d mostly overcome it, but he still needed to pop a couple of motion sickness pills from time to time.

      “There’s the seasick fishing boat captain! Now, don’t that beat all!” Johnny Watson would say every once in a while, as if he had never thought of it or said it before.

      Nate had always found him irritating. They’d been in the same high school class. Back then, while they were both good athletes, Nate had worked hard for his grades. Johnny had just seemed to float along and teachers would grant him favors and extend deadlines and flex on his grades.

      The day at sea was long and uneventful and when the time came, Nate was all too ready to head into shore. When he pulled his fishing boat into harbor that evening the sun was setting behind them. He could see from the landing that Harbor Days Celebration of Coast Living was in full swing, an every-summer event with something for everybody’s taste.

      Merchants displayed their wares out on the sidewalks. Local musicians had a chance to show off their talent. More so each year, people came from all over the country and, to some extent, the world, to see the fine Oregon Coast. Safety Harbor was a beneficiary.

      Organizations and businesses that weren’t already located on Safety Harbor Square By-the-Sea, set up temporary booths to promote their products and programs. Argostoli’s featured both local artists and out-of-towners. There would be standing room only this evening as people gathered for the Annual Silent Auction.

      Down at Harbor Village, where strips of shops lined the beach, a band was playing bluegrass music and was beginning to attract a crowd. A few dancers could be seen in front of the band.

      Joe’s always closed its doors at 2:00 p.m. every day. He always said that he made enough money to get along during the first part of the day. Let the other merchants, some of them struggling, have their chance. In that spirit, Joe didn’t have a booth at Harbor Days. He’d been asked this year to organize the whole affair, including the parade.

      Nate finished getting the boat ready for the next morning and sauntered down to the Square. Sally said she would have Caitlin and Buddy there when he came into shore. It was crowded. He didn’t see her right away. Suddenly, the kids came running toward him out of the crowd and Sally was right behind them. Nate stooped down and the kids both hugged him around the neck.

      He knew that he enjoyed seeing Sally too much. A moment of guilt flooded him as he realized he was looking for the married woman more than his own kids as he walked in from the boat.

      Marshall Hale, the local deputy, approached the two of them, breaking the awkward and thrilling tension.

      “Has anyone seen Joe? People are asking about him.”

      “He’s around here somewhere,” Sally said. “I think I saw him talking to Father Callaghan.”

      She left Nate and his kids with reluctance. She was hopelessly attracted to Nate, but she had made promises of her own.

      Nate, Buddy, and Caitlin sauntered down the promenade over to the food court. They sat down with their hot dogs and soft drinks next to Margaret Hodges, the local state legislator and spouse of Luther Hodges. Unfortunately for her work, Margaret was an introvert. She could make a good speech, but she was personally shy. She’d been roundly criticized at Always Sunny Church for not attending more social events and for leaving right after service without staying for coffee.

      There was a bit of polite but awkward conversation before Katye and Susanna joined them. Being unable to ignore a growing crowd of familiar faces, a gregarious Father Callaghan stopped by, too.

      “Has anyone seen Joe?” he asked.

      “We thought he was with you,” said Nate. “Sally said she saw you talking to him.”

      “Well, I was earlier, but now he’s nowhere to be found. He’s supposed to be leading a Harbor Days Steering Committee meeting in fifteen minutes. He left word with Sally that he’s got the answers to several questions we have not been able answer regarding the parade. We need him here!”

      The Steering Committee met and decided, because of Joe’s absence, to postpone the meeting. Joe didn’t answer his phone or respond to email or text messages. Nobody could reach him that night.

      The next morning, Sally Hankins unlocked the door of the Diner with the key set aside for such contingencies, hidden under a nearby rock. By now, Joe had always had the place open, the lights on, and some coffee brewing. There was a rush of stark emptiness that greeted her, the kind that said “Nobody’s here, but they should be.” A wave of heavy chill air, both palpable and poignant, blew across her face. She shuddered. She started the coffee and turned on the stoves. It was five-thirty. Joe always opened at six o’clock. She had only a half hour to get started. Hesitantly, she climbed the stairs to Joe’s living quarters. There was a note on the door in Joe’s handwriting.

      “Carry on,” it said. An envelope attached to it was labeled, “Parade Instructions.”

      Chapter 3

      The weather had returned to normal with an early morning fog that kept a chill on everything until about noon. Later, the sun would come out, warming it into the sixties.

      Nate was the first to arrive for breakfast. “You’ll have to close the place down,” he said after hearing the details.

      “Well, we can at least serve coffee, and we have our daily order from the bakery.”

      “Yes, I suppose so,” Nate agreed.

      He СКАЧАТЬ