THE TROUBLE STARTED as soon as Drew and Kaitlyn headed for the waterfront, Navy walking along beside them. Drew was in a bad mood to begin with. Last night with the family had been great, just great. He had thought, or at least hoped, that he and Ria could continue the evening, just the two of them. Lately, his body responded to her every move. Finding the discipline to keep his hands off her took up way too much of his energy.
Asking her to sit with him, flirting with her, it had all come so naturally last night.
Natural to him, maybe, but not to her. She had run away as if he had a horrible disease.
And that shouldn’t be a surprise. They had always come from different worlds. He had always felt a little bit inadequate. That hadn’t changed since the divorce.
“How often do you come down here?” he asked Kaitlyn now. He was concerned about his daughter for all kinds of reasons, but one of them was her apparent familiarity with the waterfront. He’d never known a dock area that wasn’t seedy and dangerous, no matter what Earl Greene thought about this one. For his young daughter to be hanging out there didn’t seem right.
“A few times a week.”
Don’t criticize and judge. Part of the point of starting this new volunteer job was to spend positive time with his daughter. “What do you like about it?”
“I like that no one else from school comes down here.” She paused, then added, “A few of the dock kids go to my school, but they’re not really a part of things. They don’t give me a hard time.”
Drew frowned. Kaitlyn seemed to have accepted that the majority of kids were going to give her a hard time. Why? She was a beautiful, smart, good-hearted girl. He just didn’t get it.
“This way.” She slowed way down and then grabbed his arm, stopping him. “Look out—the road is sort of rocky.”
Drew used his cane to navigate the small bumps and dips in the road, but it wasn’t easy.
“Take my arm,” she ordered, then paused. “I know, I know, I’m supposed to wait until you ask for help. Mom keeps drilling that into us. So do you want to hold on to me? And here, I can take Navy’s leash.”
“Thanks.” He took her elbow, wishing he didn’t have to depend on a fourteen-year-old to walk down the street. “I’ll get better at this,” he promised Kaitlyn. “I’m meeting a new orientation and mobility specialist later this week.”
“Sure you will, Dad.” Her voice held doubt, covered over with a too-sweet, encouraging tone that was not Kait’s style at all.
He wasn’t much more enthusiastic about the O&M specialist than Kaitlyn, but for a different reason. His vision was improving a little, and he kept hoping he wouldn’t have to entirely learn to navigate the world as a blind person. Hoped his blindness would just go away, though the odds of that happening were slim. His field of vision was getting wider to include perception of peripheral movement, but none of it was very clear. He saw blurry shapes, but not enough to distinguish landmarks or curbs. In bright sunlight things got a little clearer, but even then, he couldn’t rely on his vision. He was trying to resign himself to the fact that this might be as good as it got.
Seagulls squawked but there was no sound of other people.
Good. He needed all the time he could find to get used to the thought of meeting a bunch of new people, trying to work with them, when he couldn’t see. He felt at a huge disadvantage.
There were so many things that could go wrong, including the downright embarrassing way that people sometimes walked away without him realizing it. There he would be, talking to the air. He remembered doing that himself, sometimes, when talking to someone with a visual impairment. He hadn’t realized how rude it was, or how alone and isolated it would make the blind person feel.
He blew out a breath. The last thing he needed was to focus on his insecurities, so he cast around for another topic of discussion. It wasn’t hard to find. “I’m not sure I like you spending time down here at the docks,” he said.
“It’s fine, Dad. Hey, are you and Mom getting back together?”
That was an obvious conversational dodge, but it worked. “Why do you ask?”
He felt her shrug. “Last night was nice.”
“It was. And we’ll spend more time like that.” Even though it might kill him to be around Ria, knowing he could only get so close and no closer.
“If you guys are fine spending time together,” she said, “then why not...?”
She wanted to know, obviously, why they didn’t just get back together. “It’s complicated,” he said, because he couldn’t explain. Couldn’t tell Kait that her mother just didn’t love him enough.
The smell of brackish water and a fishy odor drifted to his nostrils, and he heard some distant shouts and then some conversation, along with the rhythmic lapping of the water against the shore. The Chesapeake didn’t have big waves, but it could get pretty choppy.
“Hey, Juan. Sunny.” Kaitlyn was greeting people now, but she didn’t pause to introduce Drew. “We’re going to meet Captain Eli first,” she said. “If he likes you, and if Bisky likes you, everyone else will fall into line.”
That analysis must be part of the waterman culture Earl Greene had mentioned. He guessed it was helpful that Kaitlyn knew something about it. No doubt her middle school social radar helped her detect the subtleties of any situation. “I’m not sure I like how you know everything about everyone at the docks. How much time do you spend here?”
“Oh, Dad, I’m fine.” Then her pace quickened. “Come on. There he is.”
Unprepared for her speedup, Drew stumbled and nearly fell. Great, just great. Way to impress a bunch of working guys. His face heated as he regained his balance and held Kaitlyn’s arm a little tighter.
She slowed down, stifling a sigh. A minute later, she came to a stop. “Captain Eli, I’d like you to meet my dad.”
Drew wanted to give the man a good look in the eye, and to inspect him, as well. He didn’t know the man’s age, or how he looked at Kaitlyn. He straightened his shoulders and held out his hand. “Drew Martin,” he said, and when the other man’s calloused hand gripped his, he squeezed hard.
The captain’s grip was firm, but he didn’t respond with a test of strength. “We like your girl,” he said mildly.
“Thanks. Rough place for her to spend time.”
“Dad!” Kaitlyn sounded embarrassed.
He could feel the captain shift his position, and when he spoke, his voice was less friendly. “We’re not any rougher than anyone else down here, especially when there’s a young lady present. We do work hard, though.”
Footsteps approached on the wooden dock and Kaitlyn said, “Hey, Mitch.”
“Kait’s dad,” the captain said. “Look out—he’s a strong man. He’ll squeeze your hand off.”
Drew felt his face heat as sweat dripped down his back. He couldn’t tell whether the joke was friendly or mocking. He shook the other man’s hand, consciously trying not to overdo it. This just stank. Here he was amid strange men with his daughter, and he couldn’t know how they were looking at her, couldn’t know if she was safe.
“Dad’s going to do some interviews. It’s his new job. Miss Mary and Chief Greene set it up.”
“Oh, the project for the new museum,” said Mitch.
“I heard about that,” the captain said.
“Yeah,” Drew replied. “So I’ll be spending time here and Kait won’t, after today.”
“Dad!”
“I just don’t think this is a safe place for you,” he said to her, not caring that the other men heard, actually intending it.
“Might be safer for her than for you, if you come in and talk down our way of life,” Mitch said and stomped off in what sounded like heavy boots.
“Don’t have time to debate about whether the waterfront is more dangerous than some city,” the captain said. “I have work to do.” Then he, too, stomped off.
“Dad!” Kait was almost crying. “You were so rude to them.”
“Just letting them know you have someone who cares about you,” he said.
“They were here for me this summer when you weren’t!”
Ouch. This was going all wrong. “Look, Kait, I want to make that up to you. And part of that is doing what I’m supposed to do as your father. Protecting you from dangers you don’t even know are here.”
“You don’t even know about the dangers there are now. It’s nothing to do with these people. The kids at my school are worse than them any day.” She stomped her foot, that vibration reverberating down the dock. “And you know what? If you’re so tough, find your own way back home.” She thrust Navy’s leash into his hand.
Then she, too, stomped away from him.
Shaken, Drew made his way back to land, slowly. Once, he nearly went off the edge of the dock, and would have if not for Navy’s nudging him back to the center.
He tried to get his bearings, to remember exactly what way they’d come. He got started on what he thought was the right road and walked along slowly, like a ninety-year-old, listening for cars, feeling for obstacles with his cane.
What a day’s work. He now had a poor setup for his job. His daughter was furious with him. And for all he knew, he was walking in the wrong direction, getting deeper and deeper into the fishermen’s world, where he had just made some enemies.
“Need a hand?” The voice was deep, but melodic. He was pretty sure the speaker was a woman, but not 100 percent.
And, yeah, it was easier to take directions from a woman than from another man. “If you could direct me back toward town, I’d appreciate it,” Drew said.
“Let me walk you partway there,” the woman said. “I’m Bisky.”
The one who Kaitlyn had said was the other important person to know. Maybe he could do a better job with her. Mend some bridges.
“Drew Martin,” he said. “Pleased to meet you. I appreciate your help.”
“Not a problem,” she said. “I saw Kaitlyn running off. I have a young daughter myself, just Kaitlyn’s age, so I know how hard it is to please them.”
He could tell she was tall, almost as tall as he was. “Do you work the waters here?” he asked.
“Since I was ten years old. Lived here my whole life.”
“I’m going to be taking some oral histories for a museum they’re building,” he said. “Maybe I could talk with you when you have a spare hour.”
“I don’t have a whole lot of those, but we can figure something out. I like Kaitlyn. I’d like to help out her dad.”
So she was making it clear that he was getting an in with her only because of his daughter. Well, he guessed he deserved it. “Do you think the waterfront is a safe place for a young girl like Kaitlyn to spend time?”
“Yep. My daughter’s here every day of the week.” She slowed. “Okay, here we are at the edge of downtown. About half a football field up, you’ll make a left and head all the way down that road, and it’ll take you to the cottage.”
“You know where I’m heading?” Drew asked.
“Honey,” she said, “you haven’t spent much time in a small town, have you?” She laughed, loud and long. “See you around the docks, Drew Martin. Bring your daughter.”
He heard her walk away and then headed in the direction she’d indicated, Navy at his side. This new job, as well as rebuilding his relationship with his daughter, was going to be a lot more complicated than he had expected. But at least he had somewhat of an ally.
RIA SAT IN the passenger seat of the Tesla, listening to Ted Taylor drone on about all the car’s features and wishing she were anyplace else.
Dusk was closing in around them, and after a long day of working, she would much rather be at home curled up on the couch with her girls and some takeout.
But instead, she was having dinner with Ted. A “business dinner,” though he had dressed up in expensive preppy clothes and brought her flowers. Not very businesslike.
“I’m just as glad DiGiorno’s wasn’t open,” Ted said, finally running out of Tesla features to extol. “Gives us a chance to take a nice drive up the coast and get out of town, see some new sights.”
“That’s true,” she said politely. “The sunset is pretty.” She turned to look out the window as they drove through Pleasant Shores’ downtown. When she saw a familiar silhouette walking in the dusk, though, she froze, then gripped Ted’s arm. “Stop the car!”
“Stops on a dime,” he said, and indeed, the car halted silently.
She climbed out and rushed to the side of the road. “Drew, it’s Ria! Why are you walking alone at this time of the evening?”
“Heading home from the docks,” he said. “I’m fine.”
Maybe he was, between his white cane and Navy, who was walking beside him. “You probably are, but your dark clothes make it hard to see you in this light. I thought Kaitlyn would be with you.”
He blew out a sigh. “I did, too,” he admitted. “But we had a disagreement, and she took off.”
“Whoa. I could strangle her. Do you...?” For the first time, she considered that Drew might not welcome knowing that she was out with Ted, nor accepting a ride home in Ted’s vehicle. Still, his safety was the most important thing. “Can we give you a ride home?”
He shifted to face her head-on, and Navy settled at his side. “Who’s we?”
“I, um, I have a business dinner with Ted Taylor.”
He let out an inelegant snort. “Uh-huh. Sure you do.”
Even though Ria herself had thought the same thing, it annoyed her that Drew assumed she was covering up a different kind of meeting. “I’m just concerned.”
“Thanks for that, but I’m fine.” He turned to go, but now Ted was out of the car and headed their way.
“Hey, Martin. Can we run you home?”
Drew stopped, turned in Ted’s direction and glowered. “No, thank you.”
“Are you sure?” Ria asked. How did you navigate a city on your own when you were blind?
“No need to infantilize the disabled,” he said. “Nothing to see here. I’m just an ordinary guy walking home from my new job, and I would appreciate being left in peace to do it.”
He spun and started walking, and Ria had to admit he seemed to be doing just fine. A strong, solitary, competent figure.
With enough pride to fill some big buckets. And a complete unwillingness to accept help.
At least, help from his ex-wife and her date.
“See you later,” Ria said, too quietly for him to hear, and watched him as he faded into the deepening dusk.
“Do you want me to follow him, make sure he’s safe? The Tesla is quiet.” Ted sounded proud, and Ria felt like strangling him. He was using Drew’s blindness as just another reason to brag on his car. Or maybe she was just being oversensitive. Regardless, she knew Drew would be infuriated at the notion of being followed.
“No, I’m sure he’s fine. Let’s just head on up to dinner.”
Even though the restaurant was lovely, Ria barely tasted her seafood, ignored her wine despite its expense and couldn’t even focus on the brownie magic cheesecake.
That right there was the evidence that she was upset. Worried about Drew—whether he’d gotten home, whether the fact that she was out with Ted had bothered him. She deeply wanted to call him and check on both issues, even as she tried to pay attention to Ted.
She had made an effort to keep the discussion on business throughout the whole dinner, but Ted had seemed equally dedicated to learning more about her personal life. The result had been a pretty uncomfortable evening, and Ria was glad it was almost over.
“Gosh, it’s rough that Drew is blind,” Ted said now. “He can’t earn a living anymore, I guess.”
His words jolted her into an automatic defense of Drew. “Why not? Plenty of blind people earn a living every day.”
“A few do,” Ted corrected. “Most people with disabilities are chronically underemployed. It’s a sad statistic, but true.”
The notion of Drew working at some job that didn’t use his abilities made Ria’s stomach churn. He had always devoted himself to his work, investing highly in his identity as a policeman and public servant. The thought of him now doing something way beneath his skill level was horrifying to her, mostly because she knew how horrifying it would be to him.
“I have the feeling that Drew will land on his feet, whether his vision improves or not,” she said to Ted. It was true, she realized. Whatever Drew’s issues, he was competent. Good at everything.
“Are you...?” Ted paused. “Are you still attached to him?”
She met his eyes and then stared at the table, the rich chocolate dessert melting on her plate. “I shouldn’t be, but I am, a little bit.”
“That’s okay. It makes sense.”
She looked up at Ted, touched by the kindness in his voice.
“In fact,” he said, “it speaks well of you, that you don’t let go easily. It’s awfully hard to get over a divorce. I know. It took me several years to get over my wife.”
“I didn’t even know you were married.” She felt guilty that she hadn’t probed into Ted’s past the way that he had probed into hers.
“I don’t talk about it much. Letting a marriage die feels like a failure, and I’m not eager to brag about it. But I do understand.” He reached out and took her hand, holding it lightly with his own soft one.
“It does feel like a failure,” she said, “especially since it’s had a bad effect on our girls.”
He nodded, his head tilted to one side, his brow creased. “Divorce is hard on children. Even if the children are practically grown up, like your girls.”
“Thanks for understanding.” She extricated her hand from his. “And for being so easy to talk to.”
“It’s my pleasure, and I really mean that. Eat your dessert.”
“Oh, I had such a good big meal, and I’m really not that hungry. Besides, I shouldn’t.”
“You are not worried about your weight, are you?”
Ria frowned. Why would he say that? But then again, Ted was just a friend, like a girlfriend. “I always worry about my weight. Comes with the territory of having a dad who’s very weight conscious.”
“Speaking of your dad,” Ted said, “I’m pretty sure that’s him over by the wall.”
Ria turned and saw her father at a table with a woman she didn’t know. Not his new wife. “Hmm, yes. Yes, it is.”
“Do you want to go over and say hello after dinner?”
“I’m not sure he would welcome that.” As she watched her father, defensive anger rose up in her. Not that she adored Dad’s new wife or even knew her that well, but she did know the woman was at home with a new baby. So what was Dad doing in a town up the shore, gazing at another woman, leaning in, touching her hand?
“Sounds like there’s a story there,” Ted said.
“Not a very original one. Dad likes women who are tiny and adoring, with all their attention on him. Which pretty much means he can’t have a relationship that lasts longer than a few months.”
“But were your parents married for a long time?”
She nodded slowly. “They were,” she said, “but I’m not sure how loyal and committed Dad was, especially during the last few years.”
“That must’ve been hard for you. I’m glad you stayed strong and compassionate through all the issues you’ve had.” He was looking at her with warm admiration. “You are an incredibly beautiful woman, but you don’t act like you know it. You’re not vain at all.”
“I’m the opposite of vain,” she said, laughing a little. “I never feel like I look good enough.” Certainly, she hadn’t felt pretty enough for Drew.
Ted raised a hand to the waiter and made a signing gesture on his palm.
Ria went to the ladies’ room, avoiding the area where her father sat. She couldn’t believe the man. How could he leave his beautiful young wife home alone with the baby while he ran around with someone new?
She wondered whether he had run around on her mother.
She wondered—just for a minute—whether Drew had run around on her. But she was pretty sure not. Drew was an honorable man, focused on doing the right thing.
She loved that about him, except that it made him somewhat intolerant of other people who didn’t do the right thing.
Like when his ex-wife didn’t take good enough care of herself to keep the baby they had conceived together.
Outside the restaurant, Ted opened her door for her, and then, before she could climb into the Tesla, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. “I can take this slow,” he said, “but I would really, really like to get to know you better.”
“I don’t think so, Ted.” Firmly, she pushed his arms away and took a step back. “I’m really not ready for that.”
“I’m a patient man. And I have a genuine business interest in the Chesapeake Motor Lodge. So I hope you won’t mind if I stay in touch.”
She smiled at him, grateful he wasn’t angry. “Of course. Thank you for understanding.”
They drove back to Pleasant Shores in a companionable silence, but Ria’s mind was racing. It seemed that Drew had ruined her for other men.
Thanks a lot, Drew.