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At the beginning of the school year, Liam had started hanging out with a new group of friends. To say it was a bumpy year was an understatement. There had been multiple incidents where Natalie was called by the school. It started with cutting classes and bullying others. Lately it had progressed to minor vandalism and drinking on the property late at night.
Abby braced herself for whatever new drama her sister faced.
“That was Ethan. He caught Liam and his friends smoking pot at the old mini-golf place,” Natalie said.
Ethan Hunter graduated the year before Abby, and had done his own share of hell-raising in his teenage years. He’d gotten his act together, and now was part of Pelican Bay’s law enforcement. He was a friend to the sisters and did his best to toe the line when it came to Liam and his shenanigans.
“Hell. Did he take him to the station?” Abby asked.
“He wasn’t on duty. And since the new owner of the property didn’t cause a problem, Ethan called me to pick up Liam.”
“Someone bought old Mr. Riley’s place?”
“The Maguire brothers bought it.”
Right…of course they did. The town had been buzzing about the Maguire brothers since they returned to town for the pier renovation. Abby couldn’t walk into the market without catching dribs of the local gossip, including speculations on which real estate the brothers would snatch up next.
Probably to spotlight on their TV show.
Natalie dried her hands and grabbed her bag off the counter. “I need to pick him up and deal with this. I’m sorry to bail on you.”
“I understand.”
“I’ll call you later and try to come back before my shift at the store,” Natalie said, and dashed out the front door.
Abby did understand, but whether it was a conference with a teacher, an injury during sports, or a fight at school, there was always drama Natalie had to deal with. It was one concern Abby had about starting a business with her sister.
Being a single mom was tough. Their mom had been a single parent for most of their life, and Abby was a witness to how hard it was to juggle a job and family demands. At fourteen, Liam needed to be accountable for his actions. But even the part-time job he’d gotten at Harrison’s Market didn’t seem to keep her nephew out of trouble.
In the main room of the store, Abby reviewed their progress and considered what she could accomplish on her own. With the left and back walls drying, she picked up where she left off on the right wall. Since she was doing her best not to use the ladder, she painted what she could reach with the roller brush.
Choosing her favorite ABBA playlist, she sang along with the music as she painted. She made her way to the wall facing the boardwalk and was moving the ladder off the plastic drop cloth when she stepped into a puddle of paint. Of course, she stepped in it with her injured foot. When she started sliding, she lunged for the ladder to stop herself from falling, but her reflexes weren’t quick enough. Her feet slipped out from underneath her, and she crashed to the ground, the ladder falling on top of her.
Chapter Four
After a morning installing drywall at the office with his brother, Connor grabbed lunch from Harrison’s Market and drove to the lighthouse. One project they’d gotten approval from the town council to start was building the Pelican Bay Museum. With its location next to the lighthouse, it would offer visitors the history of the lighthouse and the island, including the tragic story of Hurricane Samantha and its impact on the town and the surrounding area.
Connor and Jason were waiting for the permits that would allow them to break ground for the construction. In the meantime, Connor wanted to get a head start on the nature trail they planned to build across from it. He’d spent his free time sketching the area and planning how they’d excavate the ground.
Rather than sitting at one of the picnic tables available for visitors, Connor walked to the rocks surrounding the lighthouse and settled himself on a relatively flat rock. Removing lunch from the bag, he bit into a corned beef and Swiss sandwich. The soft marble rye held the perfect balance of spicy mustard to meat and cheese ratio. He sighed in pleasure.
Having grown up with little money thanks to an alcoholic father who had a habit of drinking or gambling away their funds, Connor and Jason had often struggled to scrounge enough change to cover the reduced-fee lunch at school.
As a result, Connor appreciated food and took every opportunity to expand his palate and try different cuisine from a variety of cultures. Since returning to Pelican Bay, he’d been working his way through the restaurants, delis and grocery stores, always willing to try something new, along with his favorites.
He finished half the sandwich and was taking a swig of iced tea when someone called his name.
Emma Erickson, his soon-to-be sister-in-law, picked her way over the rocks.
“Hey, Connor,” she said, dropping onto a rock and wiggling to find a comfortable spot.
“What’s up, Emma?” He held out the bag of chips, and she snagged a few.
“Nice day. The breeze here is refreshing.”
“The sound of the water against the rocks is relaxing. When I can, I like to come out here and eat lunch.”
“Can’t say I blame you.”
