Noah met them as they approached the farmhouse, shook Sol’s hand, accompanied him to the car, deposited Sol’s files in the kitchen, then agreed to show him the boat.
The happy, weary, sweaty crew was washing up and shifting toward the firepit and trestle tables between the house and the boat. The barn held plenty of space for everything to be brought inside when it rained. Folding chairs were spread across the rear lawn, several clusters of families and friends. Kids were gradually shepherded toward the outside sink, where they shouted and complained as they cleaned up. Dogs were everywhere.
Sol traced his hand along a gleaming outer hull. Once the holes had been filled in, the entire structure had been coated with epoxy, then buffed until it shone like a giant pearl. “Gun to my head, I couldn’t tell you where the damage was.”
“That’s the great thing about working with fiberglass,” Noah said. “Do the repairs with care, the results can be pretty incredible.”
As Sol climbed the stairs positioned by the stern deck, he said, “You’ve got yourself quite a crew here.”
“They’ll be leaving now that the interior has been cleaned up,” Noah replied. “From this point on, it becomes a specialist’s job.”
“That’s not what I mean. You and your project have become part of this community. I’m happy for you.”
Noah turned and smiled at Jenna. “Me and my crazy dream.”
Sol reached the top step and declared, “This is amazing.”
A broad plywood platform held tools and materials for the next day’s work. Jenna stepped in between the two men and shared Noah’s smile.
All the damaged articles had been torn out. Remnants of the three internal floors, the kitchen and master bedroom and bath were all visible through what was left of the walls. The shattered windows and their broken aluminum frames were gone. New glass was stacked in carefully insulated sheets along the barn’s north wall. Seventeen made-to-order frames were scheduled to arrive in another week.
The motors were rebuilt, the wiring an orderly array as thick as Jenna’s thigh. The bilges were spotless. The two massive propellers leaned next to the glass.
“The boat looks . . .”
“Real,” Jenna said.
“I was going to say in excellent shape. But real certainly works.”
“Warren will test both engines tomorrow morning,” Noah said. “Fitting the interior control room comes next. Electricians promised to be here tomorrow at eight. Which is why we’ve been pushing so hard to get done with phase one.”
“He means the cleanup,” Jenna said.
“I’ve seen enough.” As Sol started back down the stairs, he said, “Truth be told, I never thought I’d be asking you this. But from what I’ve seen . . . When do you think you’ll have this completed?”
“It’ll be a good while yet. Paying the mechanics and electricians, not to mention the first set of controls, leaves me pretty much broke. Which means I’ll be working in stages when I’ve put together the next payment.” Noah stepped on the barn’s hard-packed earth floor and turned to gaze at the craft. “Once I can afford to buy the wood and the special epoxy, Ethan’s offered to do the floors and the walls.”
Sol asked, “Epoxy?”
“All joints and seals have to flex.” Noah pounded a fist on the boat’s side. “It looks solid, but in a heavy sea this baby shifts. Regular sealants will crack. Floors splinter. Plumbing becomes a nightmare.”
“Expensive?” Sol asked.
“You don’t want to know.” They started back toward the crowd. “Ethan’s a master with wood. A true artist. Anything he does is going to be first rate. After that comes rebuilding the flying bridge, replacing the kitchen, and then working on the two master suites.”
Jenna found herself tempted. More than that. She had to fight down a sudden urge to take the next step. Dive in. Offer a partnership. The desire was strong as hunger. It felt as though she clenched every muscle in her body just to stay silent.
Sol glanced over, studied her a moment, but all he said was, “Whatever they’re cooking sure smells great.”
CHAPTER14
There was a warm finality to the meal, a sense of farewell that overshadowed the happy chatter. Zia played his role as the complaining clown. Parents chided children and ordered dogs to behave. No one paid them any mind. Jenna thought it all formed a fractured melody. These strangers were now Noah’s friends.
Zia made coffee while his wife brought a trio of homemade pies from Noah’s fridge, a vanilla custard and two key lime. As Zia started filling mugs and passing them around, he moaned, “My aching back.”
This brought a chorus of laughter from the groups, including Zia’s two kids. Amos said, “Standing around giving orders is such a pain.”
“I’ve been doing my job and yours and three others,cabrón.” When the laughter died once more, he told Noah, “I’m keeping tabs of my hours. Two on the water for every one I spend cleaning up your mess. I’ve put in enough time for six trips to Hawaii.”
