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“According to him, she didn’t have any clothes on when he picked her up.”
“Weston Milton is more of a tourist attraction on Smuggler’s Hideaway than Mermaid Mystical Gardens.” The office phone rings. “It’s probably the mayor wondering where you are.”
I grab my baseball cap from the hook on the wall and hurry out of the trailer on the job site before I’m forced to explain to Lana why I didn’t rush to her aid after she rang the first time. The mayor is a pain in my ass.
A crowd is gathered on the street in front of city hall when I arrive. I barely make it out of my truck before Lana, Jennifer, and the rest of the mayor’s office rush me.
“We need your help,” Lana declares.
I tip my cap at her. “Always happy to be of service. What did you stuff down the toilet this time?”
“No toilet.” Jennifer motions toward the crowd. “Follow me.”
The crowd parts for Jennifer and Lana as they lead me to the cause of the problem.
“Sammy?” I raise an eyebrow. “You demanded my presence because of Sammy? You know how to deal with him by now.”
Sammy is a very naughty seal that doesn’t realize he’s not a human. He was released from a Sealife sanctuary, but Sammy has no interest in going back to the ocean where he has to fend for himself. He’d much rather spend his days goofing off in Smuggler’s Rest where the tourists feed him. Judging by how big he is, they’ve been feeding him too much.
“The tourists are filming,” Lana says with a big smile on her face. “I can’t be caught on film yelling that I’m going to sic the dogcatchers on a seal. People love seals.”
Threatening to call the dogcatchers is the one surefire way to get Sammy to get off the road.
“Hey, Sammy,” I greet the seal. He lifts his head to bark at me. “Time to get going.” I shoo him toward the beach. He lays his head back down.
I step closer.
“Hey!” a tourist yells. “You shouldn’t get this close to a seal. They’re protected animals.”
“Did you hear what he said, Sammy? You’re a protectedanimal.” I make sure to emphasize the word animal. I swear if seals could snort, Sammy would snort at me now.
I kneel in front of the seal, making sure not to touch him. Sammy may love being around humans, but the tourist is correct – he’s still a wild animal that shouldn’t be touched.
“Come on, Sammy. Get going. Don’t make me look bad in front of the tourists.”
“Is he touching the seal? I’m filming this!”
I glare at the tourist. “I’m not touching him. I’m trying to get him to relocate of his own accord, so he doesn’t get hurt by a car.”
A woman saunters forward. “How can I help?”
“You can get him to remove his shirt,” Jennifer shouts.
The woman’s brow wrinkles. “How does him being shirtless help the seal?”
Jennifer shrugs. “We’d have something pretty to look at.”
“I’m contacting animal control,” the annoying tourist says and lifts his phone as proof.
I sigh before standing and approaching him. “I’m Flynn.” I hold out my hand.
“Jason.” He shakes my hand.
“I appreciate your help, Jason, but the nearest animal control is an hour's drive away.”
He purses his lips. “You don’t have animal control on the island?”
“Nope. We don’t have any animal problems except this guy that doesn’t realize he’s a seal.”
