“WILL JERROD GO to Nelson’s barbecue?” Gordon asked, getting into the car.
Dawn didn’t know for sure and said as much as she backed the car out of her driveway and onto the street. She and Gordon were on their way to the waterfront park for the Fourth of July fireworks. “Why do you ask?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen Jerrod since he was at our house,” Gordon said with a shrug. “And I’m leaving with Dad tomorrow.”
“But when you get back you’ll be ready to go diving with him. He said you could and he won’t go back on that.”
Gordon nodded, but said nothing.
Dawn drove the few blocks and found a parking place on the edge of the lot at the already crowded park. As she pulled in, the likely reason for Gordon’s question hit her. “Were you thinking we might be invited to Nelson’s party? Because I work with Jerrod now, kind of like one of his crew?” It was easy to see why Gordon could get the wrong impression.
Nelson threw an annual July Fourth marina party. He cooked burgers and hotdogs on the grill for his marina regulars and boaters just renting a slip for a night or the weekend. The marina customers brought salads or chips and made it a real potluck meal. Dawn had never been to one of Nelson’s events, but she assumed Jerrod and his crew would be among this year’s crowd.
Gordon shrugged. “I guess so. I mean, the two of you hang out. Kind of.”
“He’s my client, honey. Sure, I check in with him often, and I go with him to interviews or meetings. But that’s not the same as hanging out.”
He grabbed the door handle, but didn’t make a move to get out of the car. “It seemed different with him. Not like your other clients. You’re friends, right? He was at our house.”
“Business friends, yes,” Dawn said, reluctantly, but firmly. “He and Carrie were at our house for dinner that one night because of my accident.”
“I thought he’d, you know, maybe start being around more.”
So, that was it. “You thought we’d start going out together. On dates.”
“I guess.” Gordon didn’t wait for an answer. He opened the door and got out, and then pulled the folded camp chairs and cooler out of the backseat.
Her spirits spiraling down, Dawn got out of the car, too, and scanned the park looking for an empty spot on the grass. As it was, the Fourth of July had arrived with little fanfare. She’d been preoccupied with helping Gordon pack to go up north with Bill and Carla and had hardly thought about the holiday other than going through the motions of their usual routine. She’d made them thick roast beef sandwiches, Gordon’s favorite, and packed the cooler with cold drinks. Taking a picnic to the waterfront fireworks on the Fourth was a given every year, just like Gordon spending the rest of the month with Bill was part of their summer schedule.
Watching Gordon, a tall and athletic teenager now, Dawn knew the same old thing, watching fireworks in the park with Mom couldn’t work much longer. Even this year, Gordon was acting like a hard-to-please teenager. Yesterday at breakfast he said he couldn’t wait to get up to the cottage with his dad, but by lunch he was grumbling about the clothes she suggested he take along. They were all wrong. By dinner, he announced he didn’t want to go at all.
When she reminded him he and his dad were diving, he shot back a response. He could get certified with Wyatt and Rob at a local pool. She had no answer for that, other than to remind him it was his regular time with his dad. Not to mention seeing grandparents who’d doted on him all his life.
Dawn took a deep breath. “Let’s be clear. Jerrod isn’t interested in going out with me.” Avoiding his gaze, she pointed to an empty spot and picked up the chairs and started walking to it. Gordon grabbed the cooler and followed her. “You know he lost his wife and daughter.”
“But that was a long time ago.”
“Not really. Two years isn’t that long to get over that kind of loss.” Her resigned tone even surprised her. Her son had no idea how much she liked his scenario. If it had been up to her, Jerrod would have invited them to join their group at the barbecue. She’d much rather enjoy festivities on the docks, too.
“I admit it’s a little strange to be by ourselves this year,” she conceded. “I guess this is as good spot as any.” She gave the first chair a push to let it fall open. Last year they’d been with Lark and Miles and their kids. This year Evan was camping with his dad in Michigan, and Lark and Miles were away, too.
“Evan didn’t even want to go camping.” Gordon put the cooler down and took out a can of cola. “He wanted to go away with his mom and Miles.” Resentment had seeped into his voice, and the vein in his temple pulsated as he popped the can open.
She set up the second chair, annoyed by the direction of the conversation. Somehow, it was hard to feel too sorry for either of these boys, Evan or Gordon. Camping, diving, seeing grandparents. Poor kids. “You’re right on the edge of sounding angry. Is this about Jerrod? Or are you telling me you don’t want to go up north? Tell me, what has you in such a grumpy mood.”
“Nothing.”
“Right. Nothing. Then lighten up. Okay?”
His expression finally sheepish, Gordon nodded. “Let’s eat.”
Good. She sat down and unwrapped their sandwiches and handed Gordon one, along with his own bag of chips. Sulky or not, he all but inhaled their dinner, and there was still a lot of time before fireworks. Meanwhile, laughter rising from groups all around them reminded her of what she wanted in her life—and didn’t have. Inside, she was as grumpy as Gordon.
“You don’t have to stay here with me and wait for the fireworks,” Dawn said. “Take a walk. You might run into kids you know from school. Really, go ahead. I can see you’re restless.”
“Okay, but I’ll be back when it gets dark.” He hesitated only a second before taking off.
She watched him weave through the groups of people at picnic tables and grills before moving closer to the beach.
Watching her son disappear, Dawn hoped he’d bump into kids he knew. Anything to improve his mood. But she blamed herself that they’d ended up alone in the park. Why hadn’t she come up with a better plan? She had friends and neighbors she could have invited to come with them. Or why hadn’t she asked Jerrod and his crew to join her and Gordon?
She couldn’t shake the idea that Gordon saw through her. Yes, Jerrod was a client, but she spent more time with him than the others, and talked to him almost every day. They often called each other when they could have emailed or texted. Apparently, her son had noticed.
Her thoughts drifted to the night they’d sat on Jerrod’s porch. Getting personal. Oh, they had a thing, the two of them. Dawn was sure of it. Call it chemistry or something else. They had an understanding that didn’t need words, like recognizing a kindred spirit. As different as they were, that bond was there, hanging between them, whether Jerrod thought he was ready or not.
* * *
WITH WYATT’S HELP, Jerrod secured Wind Spray’s dock lines and adjusted the fenders until he was satisfied the boat was snug in the berth. Raising his hand overhead, he signaled for Rob to turn off the engine. The end of a good trip with three divers, a couple and their college-student daughter. After saying goodbye to his guests, he watched them head toward the office with Wyatt to gather their things and be on their way.
It wasn’t an easy path to the office, not with dozens of people hanging out at the potluck table and the grill. Nelson himself was serving the burgers and hotdogs. A few of the marina regulars had told him about the marina’s annual July Fourth party, and it seemed to be living up to its reputation. Carrie and Melody would be coming down soon. He hadn’t talked to Dawn specifically about it, but he assumed she and Gordon had already arrived.
Lost in his thoughts, he started when he heard Rob calling out to him. “Hey, Jerrod, turn around.”
He spun on his heel to see Rob in the wheelhouse pointing out beyond the dock. Whoa…a sailboat, a twenty-five-footer at least, was drifting with its half-lowered mainsail flapping. And it was heading toward Lucy Bee, whose bow was in its immediate path.
Jerrod ran down to the end of the dock and, cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted, “Hey, hey, what’s the problem?”
A man on the bow pointed to the sail. “The engine cut out on us. Now the sail is stuck,” he yelled. “We can raise it, but we can’t lower it.”
They were running out of time, too. Sometimes the only way to stop a crash into another boat or a dock was to physically fend it off until somebody could get it under control.
“Turn the wheel to port,” Jerrod shouted at the helmsman. “You might catch enough breeze in the sail to shift your direction.”
“I’ll get a runabout and go out there to hook up a towline,” Rob said as he jumped off Lucy Bee and ran down the dock.
“Let Nelson know what’s going on,” Jerrod shouted after him.
Meanwhile, though, the breeze died down, and turning the wheel worked only to keep the sailboat dead in the water for a matter of seconds. When the boat began drifting again, the guy at the helm shrugged helplessly. Apparently, he had no idea what to try next. If Jerrod had been on the boat, he might have raised the jib to at least attempt shifting direction. But that wasn’t an option now. At that moment, Jerrod needed to be two places at once. On the dock and on the bow of his tour boat. He could fend off the out-of-control boat from either place.
Fortunately, the sailboat was drifting slowly, making it easier to hold off if it came to that.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind. “I can help. What do you need me to do?”
Jerrod didn’t immediately recognize the voice, but when he turned around, he knew the boy. “Hey, Gordon.” He quickly explained the situation. “You stay here. I’m going aboard Lucy Bee.” He put his hand on Gordon’s arm. “Don’t even think about getting any closer…got it?”
Gordon snickered. “Oh, okay, but I could push the boat off the dock if I had to.”
“Maybe you could. But don’t.”
With that, he boarded the tour boat and positioned himself on the bow with his legs over the rail and the boathook in hand.
“Sorry, man,” the helmsman called out, only a few yards away now. “We’ll push off using your hull for leverage and stay off your bow.”
“Someone’s coming with a towline,” Jerrod shouted. He could practically reach out and shake hands with the guy.
The seconds ticked by, the boat was inching closer to the front of the dock. He glanced down. Gordon stood in a wide stance, ready to put all his weight behind his raised hands and force the drifting boat to stop in its path. The chance of Gordon getting hurt was small, but that was irrelevant. It wasn’t the boy’s job to muscle around a boat. “Gordon, back off now,” he yelled. “It’s okay. I’ve got it.”
Gordon glared at him, but did as he was told and moved back a couple of feet from the end of the dock. He planted his hands on his hips. The kid’s angry look didn’t surprise him. Jerrod knew exactly what it was like to be thirteen and yearn to jump in and lend a hand. He’d been raised on the water and hung out with other boys who helped their dads in situations exactly like this one.
When Nelson motored up to the sailboat, Jerrod stayed put until Rob positioned a towline. As Nelson eased the boat the short way to the fuel dock, Jerrod got off Lucy Bee.
“It’s all over, Gordon.” Jerrod pointed to Nelson’s crew positioning the boat while the two sailors began securing the lines to cleats on the dock. “And thanks for offering to help. How long have you been here? Were you having one of Nelson’s burgers?”
Gordon frowned. “Uh, no. My mom and I had sandwiches over there in the park.” He waved to the crowded waterfront beyond the marina. “We’re waiting for the fireworks. I just felt like going for a walk and wandered down here.”
“Are you with other people in the park?” Jerrod asked, puzzled. “Will you be coming over here later?” He’d been looking forward to seeing Dawn.
“No. It’s just us.” Gordon gestured to the shore and to people on boats. “Mom said Nelson’s party is for the people on the boats. You know, Nelson’s customers. You gotta have an invitation. You can’t just show up.”
He needed to invite Dawn and Gordon? “Wow. I should have asked how this gathering works, Gordon. I assumed you’d be here because you and your mom know Nelson. She’s down here a lot because of me. I had no idea…” He didn’t know how to finish the sentence.
“I could go get her,” Gordon said eagerly. “I mean, she’d like to come, I think.”
Jerrod thought for a minute. He could send Gordon on his way, but that wasn’t good enough. “No. I’ll go get her myself. If you don’t mind, keep an eye out for Carrie. She’s coming down with Melody for the fireworks.”
“I don’t mind,” Gordon said.
“Okay, go find Wyatt and Rob and introduce yourself. We all planned to watch the fireworks from Wind Spray.”
Gordon’s face broke into a big smile. “Okay.”
“I’ll get your mom.”
Jerrod set out for the park, more eager than he should be to find Dawn. In his mind, he’d had it all arranged. As soon as the dive was over, he’d planned to find Dawn and invite her and Gordon to come aboard the boat for the fireworks.
Funny, he thought, he hadn’t needed Gordon to save Lucy Bee, but without knowing it, the kid had saved the day.