Cona Island

Chapter 2

That evening, while the guests mingled at the party, Melody sat with a glass of wine in her hands, and thought of Drake Johnson. There was more than just brooding going on there, she mused, sipping wine. He seemed kind of lonely to her, like he’d locked himself away from the world, but he didn’t really want to. It just sort of happened that way. Those gilded eyes of his had pinched her heart, and made her want to chase away the shadows in them.

“So, how was he?” Bethany asked, sitting herself down opposite Melody at the white garden table.

Most people were outside, gathering around 70-year-old Dave by his barbeque. It was a warm summer evening, and the garden was magical with lanterns and fairy lights hanging from the trees, and flowers filling the warm air with their sweet aromas. Aunt Emily was an avid gardener.

Melody blew out a long breath, then fanned herself with her hand.

Bethany laughed. “That hot, huh?”

“Gorgeous as they come. But I thought there was something dark about him.”

Bethany’s eyes narrowed. “Uh-oh.”

“Not like Jason,” she added.

“How can you tell? There’s a reason people are sullen like that.”

She shrugged. “I just don’t get that from him. Plus, he said he was a marine.”

“Yeah well, Jason was a policeman and he still beat the s**t out of you.”

Melody sighed. She hadn’t had much luck when it came to men in the past. Flirts here and there. And the day she actually found one she thought she liked, he turned out to be an abusive ass with a badge. They were engaged, and she merrily pretended not to be slapped around every day at work, because he’d told her she wouldn’t find anyone better. No one wanted someone like her, after all, according to him. Today, she didn’t really know why the hell she had been staying with him. But she knew it was some kind of victim-pattern.

Everyone knew something was going on though. And when she finally came clean to her family, they informed a Detective in the city, who made sure that Jason was convicted and charged in the end. And now that she thought of that, she remembered that his parole date was coming up. But she’d since resolved that she absolutely would not allow that experience to rule her life, and make her cower away from prospective partners. She will have a zest for life, she will smile and hold her head high, and she will not let fear rule her. She’d throw caution to the wind, especially for a guy like Drake who made her heart flutter. She hadn’t had a heart flutter in a long time…and never one like she’d experienced with him. She could all but see the sparks flying through the air.

“Drake’s nothing like Jason,” she finally said, “I meant that he seemed troubled to me, kind of isolated. But if you’re worried, I’ll work my magic to get him to come to the house so Nanna can check him out. She would know.”

Bethany was only nineteen, but oh so opinionated. “I want to see him for myself!”

Melody laughed. “I’m sure. He said Cliff’s given him work at the Crabber’s Boat House.”

“I’m taking cupcakes there in the morning. Cliff isn’t here tonight. It’s the perfect excuse.”

Melody stared at her younger sister in amazement. “You’re just as bad as I am. This morning you thought I was crazy for wanting to jog past his house. Now you want to make up excuses to go there just to make sure he isn’t some kind of nut.”

“Hey,” Bethany shrugged, “Sisters look out for sisters.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t mention that you’re my sister.”

“Maybe I should, and threaten him too. If you hurt her, I’ll cut off your balls and make you eat them.”

“And there go my prospects of ever having good-looking children, or yours of ever becoming an aunt.”

“Well, if he’s decent he doesn’t have anything to worry about.”

"God, I wonder if he's as well endowed as I imagine him to be...he's a big guy, probably big everywhere..."

They laughed and chatted, and eventually the party drew to a close. Melody told Aunt Emily about Drake, and she agreed that she should convince him to come over to their house sometime, but that she would probably bump into him in town someday anyway.

***

“Gonna take some time for you to sand off all the paint by hand, you know,” Cliff said, sucking on his cigarette.

He turned sixty-seven a few months ago. And most people would describe him as looking a little scrubby. He had a belly, often wore clothes with some holes in them, and he had a slight grey beard and close-cropped hair. His right eye was a little lazier than the left and often twitched. He figured why buy new clothes when the old ones still covered everything up. It made him look approachable if nothing else.

“My hands do a better job than the machine. I can feel how deep I go.” Drake said.

It was mid-summer, and sweat was already pouring down his face. It wasn’t even noon yet.

“Most boys walk around in shorts this time of year, don’t them jeans bother you?”

I’m frying out in them. But nobody needs to see my legs. “I’m good.”

“Usually’s gonna rain if humidity’s this high. Gonna go work out the books for this month. I’ll be in my office if you need anything.”

Drake stood up with a grunt and wiped the sweat from his face with the back of his forearm. “Yeah. I got it.”

The old man left him, and he continued sanding for a while longer, thoroughly losing himself in the work.

“Helloo!”

Drake peered over the boat and stood up again. A girl. Around twenty or so, with light brown hair, a flowered dress and huge sunglasses stood in the door. She was carrying a tray of cupcakes. He walked around the boats to the front.

“Good day, can I help you?” he asked.

She took off her sunglasses, and eyed him up and down and holy mother of sexyness, no wonder Melody was swept away by him. If she wasn’t her sister, she’d be all over him. “You’re the new guy?”

He smiled. Small towns. “Guess so.”

She extended her free hand. “I’m Bethany Andrews, Melody’s sister.”

He shook her hand. “Okay.” Did she send you here?

"Is Cliff here?"

"At the back."

"I brought cupcakes. Our uncle had his birthday yesterday and he wasn't there. So I figured I'd bring some cake. You can have one too, if you'd like. They've got buttercream icing, made with real butter."

"I can already feel my arteries clamping shut. I can take those," he took the tray from her and placed it on the counter. "I'll go call him."

He walked back, and now she could see the slight limp Melody was talking about.

Cliff came out and Bethany threw her arms around his neck. "Hey! Sorry, I couldn't make it last night. Had a hot date,"

"Pfft, sure you did. Probably played online poker all night. I've known you since I was in diapers. You ain't fooling me."

They laughed and talked, and Drake was the awkward third wheel. So he just continued working on the boat. Bethany looked a lot like her sister, except for the darker hair, he thought. A sudden pang of sadness stabbed him when he thought of Abigail.

"Well, I should probably get going before I'm missed. We're getting in so much fishing stuff right now with the holidays coming up. Tourists are going to flock to the island. And the Welcoming of the Whales festival is in a couple of weeks too!"

"Yeah, gotta get these babies ready before long. People are gonna wanna hire." Cliff winked at Drake.

He had reservations about hiring the kid when he told him about his leg and that he was near deaf in the left ear. But after seeing him work, and that he had the required strength, at least in his arms and back, it was all in now.

"I'm workin', old man."

"I'm gonna work you into the grave in the next few weeks, son."

"I can handle it."

"Well, when you have time to rise from your watery grave," Bethany said, "You should come over to our house for coffee sometime. My sister would love to see you again. And so would my Uncle and Aunt. And me, too. We live in Seabreeze, House number 12."

"I'll think about it." Better not. Because his head would go straight into the gutter thinking about her.

Bethany left. Cliff took a cupcake and leaned against the wall behind Drake as he worked. "You should chew on one of these. Emily bakes the best cake on the island. And take the girl up on her offer. Nicest people around. I don't get around much meself. But I'd go to the Andrewses any day."

"I saw Melody yesterday morning. I thought she was pretty nice," Drake said.

Cliff eyed him while he chewed. He had only half a mouth of teeth, and sometimes he moved his mouth in a way that looked like he wanted to spit like an old cowboy. "Pretty nice or pretty and nice?"

Drake grinned. "She ain't just pretty..."

Cliff raised his brows. "Hmm."

"She's pretty gorgeous."

"Well, what are you waitin' for?"

"I don't know anything about her." I’m no good for her. She deserves better than half a man.

"So get to know her."

Drake shook his head. "I'll see."

Cliff eyed him, shook his head, and went back to his books. "Don't let life pass you by, son." He called back.

The life I knew is already over. Drake sighed deeply, and went into the tool storage to get a brush and paint. Get your head out of the muck, Johnson.