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“Beth Pennington has no use for a houseboat.”
Charlie’s sister, Lucy, made a sound of disgust before continuing, “I don’t know why Abraham Steele left it to you and Beth in the first place. He knew you were divorced. And Beth’s afraid of water—or have you forgotten?”
Charlie didn’t want to admit there were few things about his ex-wife he had forgotten. “As soon as Beth comes home, she’ll sign her half over to me.”
“Beth’s coming back to Riverbend? I wonder why.”
Talk of Beth made Charlie’s breakfast stall on its journey to his stomach. He took a sip of coffee in an attempt to wash it down. “You sound like Mom—always trying to remind me Beth’s never going to be a part of my life again.” He pointed at her with a strip of bacon. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly losing sleep over Beth.”
“We’re just worried. She already hurt you once.”
Charlie was spared further discussion when a customer signaled for Lucy. He decided to make good his escape, but as he left the café, he glanced back to see his sister chatting with Evie Mazerik. Much as he wanted to think Lucy was talking to the cashier about work, Charlie had a pretty good idea they were discussing the one subject he didn’t want to share with the town. Beth.
Dear Reader,
Ask my dad about his youth and you’ll hear all about the guys from Thirty-third and Third Street in Minneapolis, just two blocks from the Mississippi River. They were the kids he played ball with, the ones he worked on cars with and with whom he sneaked down to the river for a swim. They were also the friends who introduced him to the girl he would marry.
Growing up on the Mississippi and hearing my dad’s tales, I felt an immediate affinity for the River Rats of Riverbend. There’s a mystique about life in a river town that has been part of American culture since Mark Twain plunked Huck Finn, Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher down in Hannibal, Missouri, over a century ago.
I was delighted to be asked to participate in this series so that my very own River Rats, Charlie and Beth, could come to life and tell their story. Like my mom and dad, they fell in love as teenagers, but unlike my parents, they couldn’t make it last. Now, as adults, they have a second chance. I hope you enjoy their adventure on the river.
Sincerely,
Pamela Bauer
P.S. I enjoy hearing from readers. You can write to me c/o MFW, P.O. Box 24107, Minneapolis, MN 55424.
For my wonderful sister and brother-in-law, Sharon and David Lingren
With a special thank-you to Courtney Burken
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Charlie Callahan: Contractor, temporary guardian and River Rat
Beth Pennington: Physician’s assistant, athletic trainer and Charlie’s ex-wife
Nathan Turner: Charlie’s fourteen-year-old ward
Abraham Steele: Town patriarch and bank president, recently deceased
Lucy Garvey: Charlie’s sister, Beth’s former best friend and waitress at the Sunnyside Café
Ed Pennington: Beth’s brother, lawyer and River Rat
Grace Pennington: Ed’s wife
Aaron Mazerik: Former bad boy, current basketball coach and counselor at Riverbend High
Lily Bennett Holden: Golden Girl, widow, artist and River Rat
Evie Mazerick: Cashier at the Sunnyside Café, Aaron’s mother
Dr. Julian Bennett: Town doctor, Lily’s father
Wally Drummer: Former basketball coach at Riverbend High, now retired
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER ONE
“YOU’RE UP BRIGHT and early this morning,” Lucy Garvey said to her brother, Charlie, as he sat on one of the counter stools at the Sunnyside Café. She reached for the coffee carafe and poured him a cup.
“You know what they say. The early bird catches the worm.” He took a sip of the coffee, needing the jolt of caffeine.
“You want the usual?”
He shook his head. “Just coffee this morning.”
She clicked her tongue. “Now what would your mother say if she heard that?” She turned to face the window separating the kitchen from the dining area. “Two eggs over easy, bacon and a side of hash browns.” She turned back to Charlie with a smug grin, then made her way down the counter to refill the cups of the other customers.
Charlie could only shake his head. Lucy was a lot like their mother. She had the same blue eyes, the same dimpled smile and a light dusting of freckles that his mother managed to hide with make-up, but Lucy didn’t bother to camouflage. Both thought he needed to be fed every time he walked into the diner. Anyone watching would have thought Lucy was the older sibling, the way she fussed over him.
“So what worm you trying to catch this morning?” Lucy asked when she finally made her way back to his section of the counter. “And how come you look like you’re going to either a wedding or a funeral?”
“I’m going over to West Lafayette.”
“To see your little brother?”
Nathan Turner wasn’t Charlie’s brother in the literal sense of the word. Four years ago Charlie had met the boy through the Big Brothers program. They’d been friends ever since and were more like father and son than brothers.
“He’s got himself in trouble. Threw some rocks and busted a few windows in what he thought was an abandoned building.”
“Doesn’t sound like a felony offense.”
“It’s not, but it’s enough to land him in juvenile court this morning.”
“Ah. Now I get the reason for the shirt and tie.”
He grimaced as he tugged on the silk knot, attempting to loosen its grip on his neck. “I hate these things.”
She leaned over the counter and pushed his hands away. “Here. Let me fix it for you.” As she straightened his tie, she asked, “So, are you going to go put in a good word for the kid?”
“I have to. I promised Amy that I’d always be there for Nathan, and I intend to keep that promise.”
“He hasn’t exactly made it easy for you, has he?” Satisfied with her work, she stepped back. “There. Isn’t that better?”
“Much, thanks.” Charlie took another sip of his coffee. “Nathan’s not a bad kid. He’s just had a lot to deal with for someone so young. Tomorrow it’ll be exactly one year since his mother died.”
“Then it’s a good thing you’re going to see him. This past year can’t have been easy for him.”
“No, and I haven’t spent very much time with him since he moved to West Lafayette with his grandparents. I hope to change that.”
“You said he was coming to spend a couple of weeks with you this summer.”
He nodded. “Next month. I think his grandparents could use a break. He’s a handful.”
“Isn’t every teenage boy?”
Charlie smiled. “I know I was.”
“Yes, and look at you now.” A bell rang and she scurried over to the window to retrieve a plate of bacon and eggs. “So what kind of punishment will Nathan get?” she asked when she returned, setting the plate in front of him.
“That’s what I’m going to find out. I want to make sure the judge understands I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him out of trouble.”
She pulled a bottle of ketchup from her apron pocket and placed it on the counter. “It’d be a shame if he couldn’t visit you this summer.”
“If we’re lucky, that won’t happen.” He poured a liberal amount of ketchup onto his potatoes.
“You should enroll him in one of Aaron Mazerik’s sports programs while he’s here. Two weeks shooting hoops and hanging out with other boys his age would do him good. Speaking of basketball, I heard there’s going to be a pickup game Wednesday at the gym.”
“Yeah. A few of us got together after Abraham’s funeral and decided to shoot some hoops on a regular basis.”
She sighed. “I envy you. It’s been years since I was on a court.”
If it hadn’t been for an injury, Lucy would have gone on to play basketball in college. Unfortunately a torn ligament in her knee had ruined her chances for an athletic scholarship. Instead of going away to university, she’d stayed in Riverbend, married and started a family.
“Why don’t you stop by and play with us?” he suggested.
“As if the guys would want a woman crashing their night out,” she drawled.
“Hey, anyone would be nuts not to want you on their team. You were always better than I was.”
She punched his arm playfully. “I do believe brotherly love has caused your memory to fade. It was nice seeing so many of the River Rats at Abraham’s funeral, though. Weren’t you surprised by how many came?” The River Rats was the name given to the bunch of kids who used to hang out down by the Sycamore River.
He was surprised. Abraham Steele might have been the bank president and town patriarch, but he hadn’t exactly been the most popular man around. “Most of us showed up out of respect for Jacob.”
“I still can’t believe he wasn’t there. No matter what happened between him and his father, he should have been here for his father’s funeral and the reading of the will.” Charlie knew she was only saying what many folks in town were thinking. “Is it possible he doesn’t know his father died?”
He wrinkled his brow. “Could be.”
“People are wondering if maybe Jacob’s dead.”
Charlie raised an eyebrow. “People being you?”
“I’m not the only one.” The bell sounded again and she disappeared briefly to deliver breakfast to the waiting customers. When she returned she said, “It’s funny how things work out. Twenty years ago, who would have thought the richest man in town would die estranged from his son?”
“Or that he’d leave me a houseboat—or I should say, half of one.” Charlie shook his head. “When Nathan comes for his visit next month, we’re going to spend some time on the river, but first I have to work out a few details.”
“You mean Beth being part owner, don’t you?”
He took a sip of coffee. “I’m sure that’ll change. Ed says she wants to sell her half.”
“Didn’t I tell you she wouldn’t want it? She has no use for a houseboat.” Lucy made a sound of disgust. “I don’t know why Abraham left it to the two of you in the first place. He knew you two were divorced. And Beth never liked the river. She’s afraid of the water—or have you forgotten?”
Charlie didn’t want to admit that there were very few things about Beth Pennington he had forgotten. Only time and distance had allowed him not to think about them.
“Well, he did leave it to her, and now we have to figure out a way for me to become the sole owner. Ed’s working on it.”
Her sister frowned. “You did hire your own attorney, didn’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Good. As much as I respect Ed, he is her brother.”
“Yes, and for that very reason he’ll do what he can to get this legal stuff taken care of as smoothly as possible. He knows our situation. As soon as Beth comes home, she’ll sign the necessary papers and that will be that.”
His words stilled Lucy’s hands, which had been busy rearranging the condiment tray. “Beth is coming back to Riverbend?” she demanded. “When?”
“I’m not sure.”
“How long is she staying this time?”
“I don’t know,” he said, which was the truth. Despite the divorce, he and his ex-wife’s brother had managed to remain friends by not talking much about Beth. As much as Charlie had been tempted to ask Ed the details concerning her visit, he had kept his questions to himself.
Lucy wouldn’t let the subject rest.
“I wonder why she’s even coming. She doesn’t want to be here. Not that I blame her. She’s made a new life for herself. She doesn’t fit in here anymore.”
Talk of Beth made Charlie’s breakfast stall on its journey to his stomach. The food seemed to stick in the middle of his chest. He took a sip of his coffee in an attempt to wash it down. “You’re sounding like Mom again.”
Lucy threatened to smack him with her order pad. “Oh, hush!”
“It’s true. Every time Mom hears that Beth is coming back to Riverbend, she starts saying things like, ‘Beth doesn’t belong here, she doesn’t like it here’—as if she needs to remind me that Beth’s never going to be a part of my life again.” He pointed at her with a strip of bacon. “In case you and Mom haven’t noticed, I haven’t exactly been losing sleep all these years over my ex-wife. I have a life.”
“Of course you do, and the reason Mom and I say those things is that we don’t want your life getting messed up by her again.”
“That’s not going to happen,” he stated firmly.
“I hope not. She was all wrong for you, Charlie.”
“I agree. Now can we drop the subject? I’m trying to enjoy my breakfast.”
She looked as if she wanted to continue the discussion, but the bell rang again, indicating more food hot off the grill.
When she had gone, Charlie took a bite of the whole-wheat toast. It tasted like cardboard. What little appetite he’d had when he’d come into the diner had disappeared, thanks to Lucy.
It wasn’t really fair to blame his sister, he knew. She hadn’t said anything he himself hadn’t been thinking the past week. Ever since he had learned that Abraham Steele had left the houseboat to him and his ex-wife, he’d been bothered by memories of Beth. He knew what his mother and sister said were true. Even Beth’s brother had voiced pretty much the same thing. Beth had made a life for herself that didn’t include Riverbend. Or him.
And that was fine. He didn’t want to share the houseboat with her, anyway. According to his attorney, there was no need for them to see each other. Papers could be signed without any contact between them.
“Are you thinking about her?” his sister’s voice interrupted his musings.
“Who?” he asked, feigning ignorance.
She gave him a disbelieving look as she refilled his coffee cup. “If you’re lucky, this visit will be no different from the others. It’ll be short, and neither one of us will be on her calling card.”
“Hearing you talk, no one would ever guess that you and Beth used to be best friends,” he said dryly.
“That was a long time ago. People change.” A spoon fell to the floor and she bent to retrieve it. “I don’t plan to see her and neither should you, especially not now.”
“Why not now?”
“You’re vulnerable.”
He looked at her over the rim of his cup, trying to hide his amusement. “I am?”
“I’m not stupid, Charlie. I know that men have certain…needs.”
He chuckled. “You think I’m going to fall for Beth because I’m lonely?”
“She’s always been able to do a number on you.”
This time he laughed out loud.
Lucy planted her hands on her hips. “I’m serious. I’m worried about you. Owning this boat with her…well, it could present all sorts of problems.”
“None I can’t handle,” he assured her.
Her sister harrumphed. “She hurt you once. What makes you think it won’t happen again?”
“I learned a long time ago that even if I could ride a white horse, they don’t make shining armor in my size.”
Charlie was spared Lucy’s reply when a customer signaled for her attention. He ate as much as he could of the breakfast and finished his coffee.
With luck he figured he could exit the diner with a simple wave in Lucy’s direction. But luck wasn’t with him. As he paid the cashier, his sister caught up with him.
“Here. Let me give you a hug for good luck at the hearing today.” She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed.
“Thanks. By the way, I’m going to be gone for the weekend. After I get this stuff straightened out with Nathan, I’m going to Indianapolis.”
“Who’s in Indianapolis?” she asked, her eyes widening with interest.
“Not who. What. A trade show. Mitch Sterling and I are going.”
As he left the café he glanced back through the plate-glass windows and saw his sister chatting with Evie Mazerik, the cashier. As much as he wanted to think Lucy was talking to the older woman about work, Charlie had a pretty good idea the two were discussing the one subject he didn’t want to share with the town. Beth.
BETH PENNINGTON breathed a sigh of relief as she crossed the Illinois border into Indiana. At least twice during her trip from Iowa the engine light had come on, giving her cause to believe her car had mechanical problems. At least now she was close enough to Riverbend that she wouldn’t feel guilty about calling her brother, Ed, if she needed help.
As she left the gently rolling farmland behind and the brick buildings and treed streets of Riverbend came into view, she was surprised by the nostalgia that washed over her. Seeing her hometown sent a shiver through her—and not an unpleasant one.
Just the opposite, in fact, which was why it caught her off guard. She didn’t expect to feel good about coming home—although she really couldn’t call it home anymore. Once she’d crossed the Sycamore River she took a right, instead of proceeding straight through town, inexplicably wanting to drive through her old neighborhood.
She felt a catch in her chest at the sight of her childhood home. It was a two-story frame house, nothing fancy, but full of memories. Most of them good, but a few painful. Along the walkway day lilies bloomed in a profusion of orange, a legacy of her mother, who’d planted them only a few weeks before she’d died.
“You’re still here, Mom,” Beth murmured quietly. As a nine year old, she’d taken her grief out on any weed that dared to pop up in that garden, tugging at it with a vengeance and tossing it aside. Every spring and summer that followed, she’d nurtured those lilies with the same tenderness her mother had nurtured her, knowing that when the flowers bloomed, she’d feel her mother’s presence again.
As Beth glanced at the wooden porch, she imagined her father lying in his hammock, the newspaper propped on his belly. How many times had she and Lucy Callahan run past him in a hurry, slamming the screen door on their way inside, only to have her father holler, “Where’s the fire?”
Up the stairs to the second floor they’d race, eager to plop down on her double bed and dissect everything that had happened at school that day. Although Lucy was the same age as Beth, she’d been a year behind her in school because Beth was in the accelerated program. That hadn’t stopped them from being the best of friends, sharing their fears and disappointments, along with their hopes and dreams.
Automatically Beth’s eyes sought the Callahan house next door. Although her father had moved away, Beth knew that Lucy’s parents still lived there. Time was, she would have never dreamed of passing their house without stopping to say hello. They would have scolded her if she had.
A honking horn startled her out of her musings. She wasn’t twelve, she was thirty-one, and Mr. and Mrs. Callahan no longer regarded her as a daughter. There was no point in stopping, so she turned her attention to the street and drove away.
As she reached the heart of town, she saw that, although time had brought some changes to Riverbend, most of the commercial district looked the same. There was Steele’s bookstore and the Sunnyside Café, two of her favorite places. The Strand Theater still showed movies nightly, according to the marquis, and Beck’s was selling shoes right next door.
Beth continued down Hickory Street, suddenly impatient to see her brother and his family. When she reached his home, the excitement bubbling inside her had her hurrying out of the car and up the front steps.
“Omigosh! You’re here!” Grace Pennington’s mouth dropped open when she saw Beth standing on the front step. “Ed didn’t think you’d come.”
“Should I leave?” she joked.
“No, this is wonderful. Come on in.” After a warm welcoming hug, Grace ushered her sister-in-law inside.
As she stepped into the living room, Beth saw Grace’s parents seated on the sofa.
“Mom and Dad are here for the weekend,” her sister-in-law told her. The two seniors smiled and greeted Beth warmly.
“I should have called before I came,” Beth apologized. “I didn’t even think that you might have company.” For once in her life she’d made an impulsive decision and it looked as if it was the wrong one.
“We’re not company,” Grace’s father bellowed. “We’re family.”
“That’s right, and there’s always room for family,” Grace assured her, pulling Beth into the living room with a loving hand.
In their hearts maybe, Beth said to herself, but in her brother’s house there was only one guest bedroom, which was now occupied. Maybe she could bunk in with one of her nieces. She was about to make that suggestion when her niece Kayla came bouncing into the room followed by a set of twins.
“Hi, Auntie Beth,” said Kayla. “Look who Grandma and Grandpa brought with them. My cousins Erin and Jenny. They’re sleeping overnight, too.”
Beth’s eyes met those of her sister-in-law. “The more the merrier, right?” Grace said in her usual calm manner. “I bet you could use a cold drink. Why don’t you come into the kitchen with me. While I put the finishing touches on dinner, you can bring me up-to-date on everything that’s happened.”
“I feel really stupid,” Beth told her as she took a seat at the wooden table. “I should have called before I came.”
“Nonsense. We love surprises—especially ones that bring us our favorite people. Now, don’t even worry about the sleeping arrangements. We’ll figure something out after dinner.” She gave Beth’s arm a squeeze. “I’m so glad you’re here—Ed’s going to be delighted.”
“Where is my brother?”
“Working, but he’ll be home for dinner.” Grace opened the fridge and took out a pitcher of lemonade. She poured a large glass for Beth. “He’s going to be surprised. Now that July’s half gone, he thought you’d keep postponing your visit until the summer was over.”
“It was tempting,” Beth confessed, accepting the cold drink gratefully. “I can’t remember the last time I didn’t work over a summer break.”
“You work too hard, Beth. You and your brother have that in common.”
“Guess it’s in the genes,” she said lightly. “If I didn’t work I’d get bored.” She watched her sister-in-law tend to the pots on the stove. Despite having a houseful of kids and extra guests for dinner, she looked her usual calm self, not a hair out of place on her blond head, her makeup as fresh as if she’d just put it on.
“You won’t have to worry about being bored here. We’ll find plenty of things for you to do. The girls were counting on you coming and they’ve made plans to take you on picnics and a dozen other things.”
The girls were Beth’s nieces—Kayla, who was eight, Allison, five, and little Cierra, who was three. “They’re the real reason I’m here. It’ll be good to spend some time with them.”
Grace grinned. “They love being with you, but I have to warn you. They’ll run you ragged if you let them. No reason you can’t lie around and do nothing if that’s what you want.”
Beth had never been very good at doing nothing, which was why she said, “Ed mentioned that Dr. Julian Bennett might be looking for someone to help out at his clinic.”
“Are you thinking about working while you’re here?” Grace asked.
Beth shrugged. “It would only be part-time.”
Just then her brother walked in through the back door. “Hey! I thought I recognized that car out front.” He spread his arms to welcome his sister, who jumped up to give him a hug. “It’s good to see you, sis. You look great.” He pushed her back at arm’s length and let his eyes take her in.