Fish Perfume (Cozy Harbor Marina Series) (15 page)

Then he kissed me and said, “Meggie, last night meant a lot to me.”

“Me, too.”

When Ian got out of the shower, I jumped in. When I got down to the kitchen, he handed me a cup of coffee.

I said, “I’ll just take this with me.”

When we got to the marina, it was just starting to get light. He said, “Have a great day. Can I see you tonight?”

I said, “I’d love that. Helen and Tony are going out.”

He said, “I’ll pick you up at 7:30.”

He kissed me and went down to the docks.

When I got into the cottage, I had to do a happy dance. Today my life is perfect.

CHAPTER TWELVE

I couldn’t stop smiling all morning. I’m so in love I can’t stand myself. Helen stopped in mid-morning and found me in the office.

She took one look at my face and said, “So, I can see he didn’t let you leave last night. It’s written all over your face.”

I sighed and said, “Being with him was everything I knew it would be and more. Hel, I love him. I know what you’re thinking. I’ve fallen hard fast but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. He’s it.”

She smiled and said, “I like him, Meggie. He seems like a great guy. Just be careful. Just so you know, if he hurts you, I’ll have to beat the crap out of him.”

“Deal.”

I asked her how her night was.

She said, “It was super-fantastic as usual. He’s taking me to the beach today, then I’ll be back to get ready for our last night. Tony has special plans, and I’m supposed to dress up. Are you seeing Ian tonight?”

“Yeah, I don’t know what we’re going to do, but he said he would pick me up at 7:30.”

“Oh good, we can get ready together. I don’t want to go home tomorrow,” she whined.

“Hel, you’re welcome to stay as long as you want.”

“Thanks, but I can’t. I’ve got a big meeting on Tuesday, and I’ve got to do a presentation. I need to get back and get ready for it. Tony is going to come down to Philly next weekend.”

“That’s great.”

“Yeah. I’ll show him our stomping grounds.”

“Well, enjoy your last day.”

“I’ll see you around 6:00.”

At the end of the day as I closed up the store, I realized that no one had been in to report any more thefts.

Helen and I helped each other get ready that evening for our big dates. She looked stunning in a gorgeous, strapless blue dress that matched her eyes. I wore my blue sundress with the tiny spaghetti straps. Tony showed up first, looking like he stepped off the cover of GQ. They made the most gorgeous couple. I saw them off and waited for Ian. He showed up in a pair of jeans and a light blue chambray shirt. He looked at me and said, “Sweetheart, you look beautiful, but I think you’re going to have to change.”

“Where are we going?”

“The Rhode Island Philharmonic is doing a concert tonight at Narragansett Town Beach. I’ve picked up a couple of different salads, some bread and wine. We’re going to meet up with some friends of mine. They went early to save a spot.”

“Okay. That’s sounds fun. Just give me a minute.”

He said, “Make sure you put on your bug cream, and bring a sweatshirt, too.”

I put on another dose of bug cream and threw on some capris and a long-sleeved shirt. I grabbed a sweatshirt and walked out into the living room.

Ian looked me over and said, “You look great no matter what you wear.”

We were walking to the door when he stopped, put his arms around me, and gave me a long, deep kiss.

When we finally pulled apart, he smiled and said, “I’ve been looking forward to that all day.”

I was a little nervous about meeting Ian’s friends. We found them without a problem and Ian introduced me to Kristen and Jake and Tammy and Steve. Steve and Jake were childhood friends of Ian’s. It was a great night to be on the beach. The music was beautiful. We all shared the food and wine and I got to know Ian’s friends. After the concert was over, Ian took me back to his house where we spent another amazing night making love. I haven’t been getting much sleep, but I’ve never felt better.

The next morning, I was in the store when I saw Tony’s car pull up. I went out to say hi. Tony went down to his boat and said he’d be back to say goodbye after Helen got packed up. I went with her into the cottage.

I asked her, “So, where did Tony take you last night?”

She said, “We went to his favorite restaurant on Federal Hill. He knew the owner and half of the wait staff. The food was amazing and we were treated like royalty. Then he took me to Waterfire in downtown Providence. They have all these wood-burning cauldrons in the middle of the Providence River, which flows through the city. There was opera playing and tons of people strolling along the river. Tony arranged for us to take a gondola ride. I felt like I was in Venice. It was really romantic.”

“Any flaws yet?”

“Not a one.”

“Well, at least you’ll see him next weekend.”

She said, “It’s going to be a long week.”

I helped her pack, then we loaded up her truck.

She said, “Meggie, this was the best week ever. I love you.”

I gave her a hug and said, “Love you too, Hel. Drive carefully.”

Tony walked up, and I left them to say goodbye. As I walked away from them, I felt my eyes welling up. In a little over a month from now, I’ll have to say goodbye to Ian.

Late in the afternoon, Deb and Terry came into the store.

Deb said, “Meggie, we caught the thief. It’s a little boy about nine years old. We saw him sneaking on the
Breaking Wind.
He was on the boat for a couple of minutes and then left. We followed him out of the marina, and he pulled something out from under his shirt. We kept following him. He lives about two blocks away.”

I asked her, “How do you think we should handle this? I don’t want to call the police on a nine-year-old.”

She said, “How about if Terry and I go talk to his mother?”

“I’d go with you, but Journey’s not here today.”

“No problem, Meggie. We’ll handle it.”

They came back an hour later.

Deb said, “The boy’s name is Sean and his dad died in May. His mother said he’s been having a really hard time dealing with his dad’s death and he’s been acting out.”

I asked, “How did the dad die?”

Terry said, “Roadside bomb in Afghanistan. He was in the National Guard.”

My eyes welled up for the second time today.

I said, “Poor kid.”

Deb said, “The mother’s name is Marybeth. She called Sean in the room and asked him about the stolen items. He started crying and confessed. He had all the stuff he’d taken hidden under the cottage in the crawl space. Marybeth is making him load all the items in his wagon, and she’s going to come down to the marina with him so he can return everything and apologize to everybody.”

I said, “Do you think that’s necessary? He’s had a rough time.”

Deb said, “He has, but he’s acting out in a bad way. If he gets away with it, or gets off too easy, then he’ll do something worse the next time.”

I said, “I guess you’re right. God, that’s so sad.”

Terry looked at Deb and said, “Maybe we could talk some of the guys into taking the kid fishing. They could teach him how to fish and maybe take his mind off his dad’s death.”

Deb said, “That’s a great idea.”

I hugged them both and said, “You two are the best. Thank you so much for taking care of this for me. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

Deb said, “It felt good to have my old cop skills kick in.”

Terry said to Deb, “Let’s go twist a few arms.”

I took all the notices off the bulletin board and breathed a sigh of relief. My heart was breaking for Marybeth and Sean, though.

Ian popped in the store on his way home. I invited him over for dinner. He went home to clean up, so I closed up and ran to the grocery store. I made a nice salad for us. I layered Bibb lettuce with broiled tomatoes, sprinkled some blue cheese on top, and then I drizzled some aged balsamic over it. For the entrée, I made shrimp scampi with roasted red peppers and spinach. He loved it. After dinner, we sat on the deck for a little while.

Ian turned to me and asked, “Do you run?”

“I do, but I haven’t done much since I’ve been here. Why?” I wonder if he thinks I’m getting fat.

“The Blessing of the Fleet is a couple of weeks from now, and I usually run in the road race. I was wondering if you would like to run with me. They have a walkers’ division, too, if you’d rather walk.”

“I’d love to run with you, but I’ll have to start training for it.”

“Sam and I usually go for a run when I get home from work. If you came over right then, we could go together or I could meet you here when you close up.”

I said, “That would be great. How many people run in the race and how long is it?”

“The road race is put on by the Lions Club. All the proceeds go to their various charities. Last year about 2600 runners ran in it. It’s a ten-mile race through Narragansett on the Friday night before the Blessing, which is on Saturday at noon.”

“I’ll give it a try. I just hope I don’t slow you down.”

“He said, “I’m sure you’ll be fine. I’ll send in entry forms for both of us.”

“Okay.”

“Meggie, can we go to my house? I want to spend the night with you, but I don’t feel comfortable staying at your grandmother’s cottage.”

I laughed and said, “You’re kidding.”

He said, “Hey, I’ve known your grandmother my whole life. I don’t feel comfortable ravishing her precious granddaughter in her house. Call me old-fashioned.”

“You win. Let me grab some clothes for the morning and a toothbrush.”

Monday after work, I met Ian at his house for our first run. We decided to try for five miles and work our way up a mile every day before the race. It felt good to run. I know Ian can run faster and farther than I, but he held back and kept pace with me.

On Tuesday morning, I wandered over to the Snack Shack for a cup of coffee. Mo was by herself.

She said, “What’s up, honey?”

I said, “Well, things couldn’t be better with Ian. We’ve been seeing a lot of each other. He asked me to run in the Blessing of the Fleet road race with him, so we’re training for it.”

“Good for you.”

While she was pouring my coffee, Big H walked in and sat at the counter. Mo poured him a cup of coffee, too.

Mo asked him, “Hey, do you know a good handyman?”

He asked, “What’s the problem?”

She said, “One of my bedroom windows is broken. I can’t get the thing shut. I’m hopin’ I can just get someone to fix it rather than havin’ a whole new one put in. I’d fix it myself, but I’m about as handy as a back pocket on a shirt.”

He said, “I’ll fix it for you. Give me your house keys, and I’ll go over there right now.”

She said, “Do you know where I live?”

He said, “On Cypress Street at the end on the left.”

Surprised, she said, “That’s right. Thanks.”

She handed him the keys and he left with his cup of coffee in hand.

Mo turned to me and said, “That man is gonna drive me friggin’crazy.”

The door opened and Tony walked in.

He said, “Hey, Meggie, I wanted to do something nice for you as a thank-you for introducing me to Helen.”

“Tony, I should be thanking you for entertaining my company.”

He put his hand out and said, “How about giving me your car keys and I’ll fix that dent on the left side of your car. I think the guys can just bang it out, but I may have to keep the car for a couple of days.”

I reached in the pocket of my shorts and pulled out my car keys. I handed them over and said, “That’s okay. Gram wants me to drive her car once in a while anyway.”

He looked at Mo and said, “Mo, you’re looking good today. Did you do something different to your hair?”

She put her hand on her hips and gave him a big smile and said, “I got it colored a shade lighter than usual. You’re the only one who’s noticed. You notice everything about women, don’t you?”

He gave her a wink and said, “I only notice the really beautiful ones.”

We laughed.

Tony continued and said, “Now that I’ve met my Polish Princess, though, I’ll only be admiring beautiful women from a distance. You beauties have a nice day.”

After he swaggered out of the Shack, Mo said, “Your friend is one lucky gal.”

“That’s for sure. They’re pretty hot and heavy. He’s going to Philly to see her this weekend.”

“Well, if that don’t put pepper in the gumbo.”

“Anything knew with you, Mo?”

“I had a busy weekend. I went out Saturday night with an accountant. I met him for dinner. Before we ordered, he wanted to make sure I knew that we were goin’ Dutch. I don’t mind payin’ my own way, but we met at a diner. How expensive could the bill be? I bet he squeezes a quarter so tight the eagle screams.”

“I take it you won’t be seeing him again.”

“No way. Last night I went out with a truck driver. A nice guy, but he’s on the road three weeks out of the month. I want a guy full-time, not part-time. So, I’m back to square one. I’m tryin’ not to get discouraged.”

“Are you still talking to that local guy?”

“Oh yeah. He says he lives right here in town, and he has a boat somewhere down here. We have the best time chattin’ on the Net, but he still hasn’t asked me out. I’m startin’ to think maybe he’s married. Otherwise, why wouldn’t he want to meet?”

“I can see your point. Have you had a lot of married men hit on you on the Net?”

“Oh yeah. I set them straight right away. I’ve never dated married men and I never will. That’s just lookin’ for trouble.”

“Good for you. Well, I’d better get back. You hang in there.”

“I will. See you later, Sweetie.”

I went clamming with Mac in the afternoon. I didn’t let him do any of the work, though. I let him drive the boat and sit and relax while I did the digging. I dug up a half of bucket full and we had a fun time. He looked good and was really glad to be out on the water again. I enjoy my time with Mac so much. He’s such a wise man and has the sweetest nature about him.

The rest of the week flew by. Things were calm at the marina, and I was able to catch up with a stack of paperwork. Every minute I wasn’t at work was spent with Ian. We would meet after work and run, have a little dinner, and than I would spend the night with him at his house. The more time I spend with him, the more in love with him I am. Saturday night he suggested we take a night off and go out. He made an exception to his rule about not going to Newport on the weekends and took me over there for dinner. Afterward, we went to a blues bar to hear some music. The band was great, and we danced a lot. I was surprised because when I ran into him at Kelly’s that night, he said he wasn’t much of a dancer. Truth is, he’s a great dancer, and we look great together. Most guys I’ve dated wouldn’t dance, and whenever we went to hear music, I’d be left tapping my feet the whole night wishing I were on the dance floor.

The following Wednesday, I was sitting in the Snack Shack having lunch with Deb and Sexy Cathy when Tony walked in. I hadn’t seen him since he’d taken my car keys last week.

He smiled at us and said, “Hello, ladies.”