“Not really. I was a fisherman like my dad—maybe you know him? Bud Erikson? Anyway, we were out in a storm right after Labor Day and the rough sea nailed me with a bad bout of vertigo; it took a long time for me to shake it once I was back on dry land. The doc said it might be triggered again if I go too far out, and he politely suggested that I find another career.” He pouted, but only briefly. “Accidents sure can change your life in a flash.”
Of course, that made Maddie think about Rex. “How awful for you,” she said, again pushing down her thoughts. “But how lucky for us.”
Dave grinned. “Kevin saved me, by giving me all kinds of jobs. Rex, too. Daria and I live in a house my dad owns, but we’ve got four kids, so whatever I get really helps.”
“Good thing I’m still here and don’t charge them rent.” A husky voice made its way in from the front door.
“Hey, Bud,” Stephen said. “Maddie, meet Bud Erikson.”
Bud had a light complexion that looked like it had beensunburned too many times; it highlighted Shar-Pei-looking wrinkles framed by a scruffy beard. He wore a stained yellow slicker and matching pants and sported a scent of fresh-caught halibut or something like that. Maddie figured that a photo of him should be on a package of frozen fish. Or on a poster for the movieJaws.
Then she remembered that she’d seen him before: He was the grumpy guy at the potluck who’d been yakking about Arnie’s Bait & Tackle, in the remains of which they now were standing. So, as unappealing as Bud was, Maddie reminded herself that without having overheard that conversation, she wouldn’t have a bookshop in the making.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Erikson,” she said. “Dave’s doing a great job.”
“We should all be so lucky to be able to retire at age thirty-eight,” he blabbed, as if Dave had had a choice. “I’ve been fishing nearly sixty years and I’d ’a killed for a break like that.” He clucked as if he thought that was hilarious.
Maddie glanced back at Dave. “Please tell Kevin we dropped by. If he has a chance to run up to the cottage, we have a few things to go over with him. I’d call, but I don’t like to bother him if he’s working at the ferry.” She turned to her dad. “Shall we get back to work?”
They said good-bye to the Eriksons and quickly left. When they were nearly up the hill, Maddie realized Bud Erikson had said he was “still here.” It wasn’t an uncommon saying, yet, coupled with the man’s coarseness, it was like the second note:WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?
Which could be a coincidence.
If Maddie believed in those.
Grandma got home from Joe’s midafternoon, and at six thirty she roused from her afternoon nap and padded into theliving room, where Maddie and her father had been immersed in their laptops since returning from Dave and Bud and the bookshop.
Setting fresh logs in the fireplace, Grandma announced, “I’m lighting these now.” She struck a wooden match and tossed it into the fireplace. “Joe sent me home with a nice hunk of sea bass if either of you feel like cooking dinner. Or I suppose I can do it if you landlubbers don’t know how.”
Maddie glanced at her dad, who now wore a similar “I have no idea how to cook a hunk of fish” expression.
“Give it your best shot, Nancy,” Stephen finally said.
“The trick is to soak it in milk before you fry it,” Grandma said. “It takes away the stink.”
“Ahhh,” Stephen added, “a major plus.”
Maddie smiled, reminded again, thanks in large part to her pregnancy, it was a miracle that her father and Grandma were getting along so well.
“You may laugh, Mr. Clarke,” Grandma replied, “but I learned that little trick from my father, Isaac Walks-With-Thunder Thurston. I taught it to Joe, and I taught it to Rex when he was a kid. Darned if Rex doesn’t cook it that way in his restaurant.”
Rex, Maddie thought.Tonight, I’ll call him again. And, come hell or high water (another of Grandma’s favorite sayings), she’d tell him about the baby.
Forty-five minutes later, the trio was feasting on the sea bass with roasted potatoes (from the root cellar), and carrots and tender spinach that Grandma had grown and canned early last summer while she was concocting the scheme to lure Maddie to the island.
The food tasted great, until her father said he was packed and ready to leave in the morning. “I got a slot on the nine-thirty boat; I was told I was lucky there was space. I had no idea the ferries would be booked on the first of April.”
Maddie set down her fork. “We still have lots to learn about this place.” It was a useless comment, but helped fill the air while not revealing how much she’d miss him. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel guilty about going.
“As for the conference,” Stephen added, “I hope you know I’d cancel if I didn’t think you could handle things on your own now.”
She helped herself to more fish. “Thanks, Dad. And I know you’ll be a phone call away, but I promise not to abuse that.”
“Well, if you need instant answers, you can always ask Evelyn.”
Maddie smiled and thought,Evelyn. The attractive, supportive woman. If all was as it seemed.
“Good grief,” Grandma said. “How hard can it be? It’s not like you’ll be competing with Barnes and Nople.” She smirked, because she no doubt knew the chain store’s name was Noble, not Nople.
