Pamela Bauer - That Summer Thing

“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.

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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

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

“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.”