Chapter Six
Owen zipped up the top of his wet suit and walked to the end of Jared’s boat, which Gordon Chandler, Jared’s father, had named the Cordelia Elizabeth, after his lady love, the mystery writer Delia Enright. The diving platform was in place and Owen’s equipment all ready to go. His half mask hung around his neck, and around his waist he wore a belt that held a flashlight, a knife, and an underwater camera with which to record his finds.
“I’d feel better if you waited for Mario.” Jared came out of the cabin and crossed the deck. “You know that diving alone is basically a dumb thing to do.”
“The water’s not all that deep here. I’m thinking maybe thirty-five feet at the most. I’ve been in water a lot deeper and rougher than this on my own. Diving in a river as calm as this one is a piece of cake.” Owen leaned over to put on his fins. “Besides, I don’t plan on being down there all that long. Just long enough to check out the scene. Twenty minutes, tops.”
“You know, you could wait for me to suit up.”
“Not necessary.” Owen strapped on his air tank.
“If anything looks off, come right back up.”
“Don’t worry, pal. The last thing I’m going to do is risk this pretty face.” Owen descended the steps to the platform and went to the edge, easing into the water before securing the mask on his face and placing the regulator into his mouth. Just as Owen flipped forward, he was aware that Jared had begun to say something, but it was lost as Owen propelled downward.
Owen knew the water in the river would be dark, but even he was surprised at just how low visibility was. He turned on his flashlight and aimed toward the bottom, eager to see what lay below. Alone in the silent dark, he swam at an angle to his destination, stopping every ten feet or so to equalize the pressure. Soon the light picked up shapes and shadows on the river bottom, and he descended more rapidly, his heart beating just a little faster at the sight unfolding before him.
The outline of the ship appeared like a phantom, the hull mostly buried in silt and sand, but there was no mistaking what it was. Because he’d only brought one flashlight, he was unable to take in the entire vessel without moving the beam of light from end to end. Next trip down, he’d bring lights with broader beams and other divers to hold them.
Owen drifted slowly along the broken hull. The current was not swift today, so he easily observed the condition of the wood and the placement of the ship. He shot picture after picture until he had photographed the wreck from every angle. Later, they’d map the entire area and uncover what was left of its cargo, if anything, and what might lie beneath the layers of sand.
He swam over and around the wreck several times, memorizing its shape and the areas where the cargo had most likely been. He noted what he saw as well as what he didn’t see. When he was satisfied, he headed toward the surface.
He rose as slowly as he’d descended and found Jared leaning over the side of the boat to watch him emerge from the water.
“What did you find?” Jared asked even before Owen had pulled himself onto the diving platform.
“Pretty much what we thought we’d find.” Owen pulled off his mask and stepped onto the ship’s deck. “Whether it’s the merchant ship Ruby talked about, or another, we won’t know until we can get some better light and some equipment down there, get the airlift going to suck up the sand. See what’s left in the hold, if anything.” He lowered his air tank carefully to the deck. “I couldn’t tell if it rested on another vessel, though. We’ll have to wait to determine that.”
“The magnetometer located something else in the bay,” Jared told him. “Farther out. It may be that 1812 warship the state had contacted me about before this became a priority because of the construction that had already begun on the dock.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me to find there’s more than one vessel down there. The one in the bay poses no obstacle to Brian Deiter’s construction operation, but the one in the river is going to require some changes to their plans to build a dock. I think he’s going to have to build elsewhere, so he might as well start looking now rather than wait for the state to make a determination on this site. It’s going to take a while.” Owen stripped off the belt, then the top of the wet suit. “Doesn’t surprise me at all, though, that there’s something right where Ruby said there would be.”
“She’s pretty spooky sometimes,” Jared agreed. “Did I ever tell you about the time I stopped by to see if you were around and she invited me to dinner?”
“No. When was that?” Owen rolled down the neoprene diving shorts that he’d donned over a bathing suit.
“A few years ago. Right before you married Cyndi.” Jared paused. “What ever happened to her, anyway?”
“She moved to Boston after the divorce.”
“Why Boston?”
“A job, I guess. She didn’t exactly fill me in on her plans. I was in Alaska at the time.”
“I never understood how you could leave a woman like her home alone all the time. I mean, I like my freedom as much as the next guy, but still . . .” Jared rubbed his chin.
“What does that have to do with anything?” Owen sat on a bench that ran along the side of the boat. He opened a cooler and searched amid the contents for a beer. He found one, popped the top, and took a sip. “You were going to tell me about stopping by the store and talking to Ruby.”
“Oh, right. So she invites me to dinner and we’re eating at that table in the front of the store, that round one over on the right near the window? And out of the blue, she says, ‘Jared, you be heading south before long.’ Well, yeah, I was headed back to South Carolina where my dad had opened up his new headquarters, so I said, ‘Yes, ma’am, I am.’ And then she says, ‘You take care, be stormy weather by and by. Mind your instincts.’ ”
“So?”
“So before I could even join my dad, he calls me and tells me he wants me to fly down to the Gulf and take over a job from another salvor who had turned out to be a sham. Didn’t bother to get permits from Florida, didn’t have the proper equipment on board, that kind of crap. The guy who’d found the site knew of Chandler and Associates’ reputation, so when he needed a replacement for the dud, he called my dad in a panic.”
“I repeat, so?”
“So I get down there and something seems off. I didn’t like the look of the boat, and the equipment was suspect. The crew was sloppy, the divers were sloppy—nothing was up to our standards. I didn’t want the job and told my dad. The guy running the op offered me everything but his firstborn. I admit I was tempted—but something told me to back off. Which I did. Of course, they were able to find another salvor to take over. Four days into the job, a hurricane blew up and the boat went down with everyone on board.” Jared blew out a long breath. “How do you figure Ruby knew?”
Owen shrugged. “She has the sight.”
“What does that mean?”
“It just means she knows stuff sometimes.”
“She always knows everything that’s going to happen?”
“No, not always. It depends.”
“On what?”
Owen answered honestly, “I have no idea how it works. Why some things are clear to her and others aren’t even on her radar.”
Ruby’d explained it to him once by saying it was no different from the way some in the family had blue eyes and some had green. It was just the way the genetic cookie had crumbled. But Owen was reluctant to get into it even with a longtime friend.
“You ever think about having her pick lottery numbers? Ever take her to the track?” Jared opened the cooler and took out a bottle of water.
“Not on her radar. And, no, I don’t know why.”
“Aren’t you curious about how it works? Ever ask yourself why some things and not others?”
“Every day.”
Such as why he was always on the money when judging the character of new acquaintances, but couldn’t usually foresee future events the way Ruby sometimes could. Why he could get an instant read on some people but not others. But the truth was, he’d tried so hard for so long to silence the voice, to not know, that most of the time he wasn’t sure if it was instinct or his third eye that hinted at things.
“But back to the dive. I think you’re going to need at least three more divers plus yourself, the best lighting we can set up down there, and we need to map it out. I did see some of the ship’s frame, but not the amount of structure I’d expected. This is freshwater here, so the disintegration of the wood isn’t what it would be if it were in salt water. Ruby thought the ship might have been set on fire, which would explain why there isn’t more to the frame. We’ll be able to tell more once we get the silt and sediment out of the way and see if there’s any charred wood.”
“We have a new dredge engine and pump, new hose—everything’s brand-new. We can map the site with side-scan sonar, then use the dredge engine and pump to clear away the sand, and we’ll see what it all looks like with the naked eye, see what we can recover. I love all the new technology, but there’s nothing like seeing a wreck with your own eyes.” Jared tapped his fingers on the water bottle. “I’ll be going down myself. If it’s a merchant ship from the 1700s, I definitely want to take my time with her. Plus, the state is going to insist on it.” He nodded. “So let’s get started mapping the site, then we’ll see what we can do about securing enough lighting for us to explore the wreck.”
“You think about mapping using the grid system?”
“Takes longer.”
“True, but there’s nothing like going over a site square by square, especially when you have no idea what you might find. You miss less that way.” Owen took another swig of beer. “Up to you. It’s your job.”
“Yeah, but you have almost as much experience as I have. You ever think about doing this full-time? I’d hire you full-time myself if I could talk you into it.”
“But then I’d be pretty much tied down, and I’m still not ready to spend all my time doing the same thing.”
“You’ve worked for me in the past.”
“I’ve worked as a consultant for others, too.”
“If—when—you think you’re ready, you’ll call me first, right? I get the first shot at hiring you?”
Owen nodded. “Of course. Just don’t hold your breath.”
He glanced skyward as clouds began to gather. A low rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. “Doesn’t look like we’ll be diving much more this morning.”
“We can wait if we have to. No need for you to hang around. If it clears up enough, maybe I’ll start getting the area mapped and we’ll see what we can see.”
“Want a hand with that?”
“Nah, I’m good. Mario’s here, and Tony. We can cover it.”
“You know where to find me when you need me.”
“OOOH! CRABS!” LIS poked her head into the kitchen at Ruby’s store.
Owen had just finished steaming the crabs he and Cass had caught the previous day and placed them on a platter. All but one had survived in a bucket filled with seaweed and bay water. Earlier he’d tossed the deceased crustacean onto the beach, where it was immediately attacked by several hungry gulls that had a tug-of-war for feeding rights.
Lis reached for a crab, and her brother smacked her hand.
“What? You can’t share?” Lis frowned.
“I’m sharing, but not with you.”
“You think you and Gigi are going to eat all those?” Lis peered over his shoulder. “There’s some pretty hefty claws on that plate, Bro.”
“I’m doing crab cakes for dinner tonight and there are just enough.” He frowned, looking over the crabs, red from having been steamed and still piping hot, stacked on the platter. “I hope I have enough.”
“You’ll have plenty for two people.” Lis took a bottle of water from her bag and removed the top.
“Three people.”
“Who’s the third?” Lis took a long drink from the bottle.
“Cass,” he said casually, in his best no-big-deal voice.
“Cass Logan?”
“You know another Cass?” Owen opened a cupboard and sorted through Ruby’s spices looking for the Old Bay.
“Huh.” Lis leaned back against the counter, a satisfied smile on her face. “I knew it.”
“Knew what?” he asked without turning around.
“Knew you had the hots for her.” Lis drank the remaining water in the bottle.
“I don’t have the hots . . .” He glanced over her shoulder, ready to protest, but instead, he paused. “I don’t know what it is I have for her.”
“Cryptic.” Lis boosted herself onto the counter.
“I admit I’m attracted to her—I mean, come on, what guy wouldn’t be?—but there’s something else. I like her. I admire her work ethic and her wanting to do right by the island. To keep its history from being destroyed. She sees things here that the rest of us either have forgotten or never saw at all. And besides being pretty, she’s really smart.”
“Wow. That might even qualify as deep, coming from you.”
“Yeah, well, no one’s more surprised than I am.”
“So you went out and caught some crabs and you’re going to woo her with your crab cakes. That borders on diabolical.”
“We caught some crabs. I took her crabbing out on the point yesterday.”
“Really? You took the city girl crabbing? I wouldn’t have guessed you were that clever.” Lis nodded slowly. “This is more serious than I thought. Did you dazzle her with your net-handling skills? Lure her with a pile of chicken necks?”
“How do you know there were chicken necks?”
“You never use anything else. So how’d she do? Did you make her tie off her own bait? Was she grossed out?”
Owen laughed. “I tied the bait, and while she did appear to cringe a little when she first saw the bait bucket, to her credit she was a good sport about it.” He found the container he was looking for and set it on the counter. “And actually, she caught more crabs than I did.”
“And how did your manly ego react to being bested by an amateur?”
“Beginner’s luck,” he scoffed as he began to clean the crabs, removing the claws first.
“Want some help?”
“No, because you’ll eat more than you pick.”
“I’m a world-class crab picker. Gigi taught me when I was knee-high, and I’m still damned good. I was always better than you.”
“You wish.”
For a moment, the only sound in the kitchen was the cracking of a crab’s shell.
“I saw Jenn Castro a couple of days ago,” Lis said to break the silence. “Alec and I went to Ballard to look at some tables a guy makes out of reclaimed wood.”
“Who’s Jenn Castro?” He tossed the crab meat into one bowl, the pieces of shell into another.
“You remember her. She’s married to Cyndi’s cousin Andrew.”
“So what about her?”
“So she said she heard Cyndi was going to be visiting her parents sometime soon, she wasn’t exactly sure when.”
“So?”
“So I just thought I’d mention it, that’s all.”
“Well, if it’s a warning you’re giving me, I appreciate it, but I have no interest in what Cyndi does or doesn’t do or where she goes. That ship sailed a couple of years ago, Sis.”
“I know, I know, but there was something in the way Jenn said it. . . .” Lis shook her head. “Maybe it was my imagination, but it almost sounded as if it was more than a simple heads-up.”
“What more could there be? Cyndi’s parents moved to Ballard a couple of years ago, so we probably won’t even run into each other.” Another empty shell into the bowl, another crab to clean and pick.
“I don’t know. She just gave me a weird feeling, that’s all.”
“I have about as much interest in my ex-wife as she has in me. I haven’t heard a word from her in years, and that’s just skippy as far as I’m concerned. We were a bad idea that never should have happened. Fortunately, we were both able to walk away before things became too complicated.”
“Shortest marriage ever. Never even made it into the family Bible. Gigi was appalled.”
“No, she wasn’t. Gigi thought I shouldn’t have married Cyndi in the first place. She tried to talk me out of it more than once.”
“Teach you to ignore Ruby’s advice.”
“No fooling.”
“How come you didn’t see it yourself?”
“Maybe I did. Maybe I ignored it.”
“That was dumb. If I had the sight, I wouldn’t ignore it.”
“No, you’d buy a bunch of lottery tickets every week and end up with your own reality show.”
Lis laughed. “I asked Ruby once why she didn’t use it to pick the Kentucky Derby winner, and she all but took my head off. ‘No good come of abusing a gift, any gift. Sure way to be losing it.’ You could probably do it, right? Pick lottery winners? Call the outcome of horse races? Clean up in Vegas?”
“Gambling’s not my thing. Besides, if I don’t use it, I don’t have to deal with it.”
“Why don’t you want to deal with it?”
Owen shrugged. “There’re things I just don’t want to know. I don’t want to know what happens in the future—what if I don’t like what I see? I don’t want to know what other people are thinking. I just . . . I don’t want to know.”
“You’d read Cass if you could.”
“Maybe make an exception in her case,” he conceded with a slow smile. He wasn’t about to let Lis know he’d tried and failed. Again. He held up the bowl of crab meat. “Think I’m going to need more?”
“How many crab cakes were you planning on making?” She looked into the bowl and raised an eyebrow.
“At least two each.”
“That would be six total.”
“Who says girls can’t do math.”
“You don’t have enough crab meat.” She hopped down off the counter. “Now, if I were a good sister, I’d offer to bring over the crabs we caught this morning so you could add to your mix.” She smiled sweetly. “But then, of course, we’d expect to be invited to dinner.”
“How many crabs did you catch?” he asked cautiously.
“About three times as many as you did.”
“No way.”
“Way. We took out a rowboat Alec rebuilt and just drifted along. Early morning, the sun just rising, the gentle lap of those little low-tide waves against the side of the boat, a thermos of coffee, and the love of my life manning the net.” She sighed. “It was so romantic.”
“You’ve got it bad, girl.”
“No kidding. Which is why I’m marrying him.” She flashed her engagement ring. “Thanks again for agreeing to walk me down the aisle and give me away.”
“Can’t give you away fast enough.” His eyes twinkled when he looked at his sister. “Besides, who else is there? Gigi’s too old, and—”
“Too old for what, boy?” Ruby came through the door from the front of the store, her hands on her hips.
“Too old to walk Lis down the aisle.”
For a moment, Ruby looked as if she was about to protest or scold, but instead she said, “Depends on how long the aisle be.”
“It can be as long as we want it to be.” Lis put an arm around Ruby. “If you wanted to walk down the aisle with Owen and me, the walk will be whatever you say.”
“That be something to think about, Lis. Might be I’d want to. Course, I don’t know what your mama would think. She might be wanting that duty for herself.”
Lis snorted. “She hasn’t even said if she’s coming back for the wedding. She’s very much involved with her new family. One of her stepchildren is about to make her a step-grandmother again, and that’s all she talks about on the phone. She sends me texts every week with pictures of the grandkids.”
“Don’t be holding that against her, Lisbeth,” Ruby admonished. “Other than you and Owen, nothing good came out of your mama’s marrying your daddy. Second husband weren’t much better. This time, looks like she found someone that makes her happy. Leave her to it. She’ll do as she needs, by and by.”
“I guess,” Lis said. “Still, I wish—”
“She’ll do as she needs, Lisbeth,” Ruby repeated. “No need to fuss.”
“All right. So you give some thought to walking with Owen and me, and we’ll scale the distance accordingly.” Lis smiled and kissed Ruby’s cheek.
“You’re still set on doing all at the point?” Ruby asked.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t we? We want the ceremony right there on the pier overlooking the bay.”
“Best be just the two of you, then,” Ruby said. “That pier be going into the bay afore long.”
“Alec is fixing it, shoring it up and replacing the broken boards.”
“He better get a move on, then, since as of yesterday, it was still needing repair,” Owen said. “He doesn’t have much time left. Tell him I’ll give him a hand if he needs one.”
“I’ll tell him. Anyway, after the ceremony, we’ll have the reception on the grassy area between the pier and the cottage. It’ll be perfect. Lucy has a big wedding at the inn, but she’s helping out with the planning and she’ll be over as soon as her event ends. She already reserved a tent and tables and chairs and a dance floor, and we lined up Sophie Enright to cater. She’s already working on the menu, and I know it will be phenomenal. Grace talked Steffie into making an ice cream flavor just for us.” Lis broke into a grin. “Is that the best? Oh, and we’re having a special beer made as well. Steffie’s husband, Wade, and Clay Madison promised to come up with something.”
“I have to admit I’m partial to Steffie’s ice cream myself,” Ruby said. “Known Steffie since she was little Steffie Wyler helping her cousin Horace plant flowers at that house over there on Olive Street. He left her that place in his will. Always said she’d have her own ice cream shop someday. Now she has that shop . . .”
“One Scoop or Two,” Lis supplied the name.
Ruby nodded. “Does right well for herself.”
“I haven’t been to Scoop since I’ve been back, but I’ve sampled my share of MadMac beer, and I have to say, it’s damned good,” Owen said. “So you’re going totally local for the wedding. I like it.”
“Everything except my dress. Well, it’s sort of local, I guess, since Vanessa at Bling ordered it in special for me from a designer I saw online. She said she was thinking about expanding into the bridal market. The antiques place next to hers has been closed now for six months and there’s no sign of it being reopened.”
“You don’t mean Nita’s place?” Owen stopped chopping the onion he was working on and looked up. “She’s an institution in St. Dennis.”
“No. Nita’s a few doors away. I don’t even know who owns the store next to Vanessa. But she said it might be available sometime soon and she’d like to move into the space. Which is a great idea. Weddings are huge right now, and St. Dennis is the perfect spot. The inn is one of the most popular wedding venues on the Eastern Shore. All the town lacks is a bridal boutique.”
“Yeah, I noticed that.” Owen turned to Lis. “I just said to Jared this morning, ‘Know what St. Dennis needs? It needs a good wedding—’ ”
Lis sent her empty water bottle in his direction, and he caught it in one hand. Owen tossed it back to her.
“So if I pick and clean our crabs and bring them to you, can we come for dinner? Or are you afraid that might cramp your style?” Lis hesitated. “Not that you have any discernible style. Besides which, if you were planning on a move, you wouldn’t be making dinner for Cass and your great-grandmother.”
Ruby stood by silently, though clearly amused.
“Oh, come on. Don’t make me beg, Owen. We’ve already established that you rule when it comes to crab cakes.”
“A fact I cannot deny. Okay, if you can get your crabs over here before I begin to work my magic, you guys can join us. But you have to bring a salad and dessert.”
“No sweat there. Wait till I tell Alec.” Lis raised a fist in victory, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door.
“You knew you were going to give in to that girl, Owen Parker. Why’d you give her such a hard time?” Ruby asked.
“She’s my little sister. I have to remind her of that fact once in a while.”
“Be nice to have a little group for dinner for a change. We can eat outside while the weather is still warm. Maybe use that old table that my mother favored.”
“I don’t remember an old table except the round one in the store. Is that the one you mean?”
“No. I mean the long one up on the third floor. Chairs be there, too.”
“Which means I need to get them.”
“Course you do. Not gonna be me, traipsing up those steps.”
Owen covered the bowl of crab meat and put it in the refrigerator. He climbed the stairs that led from the store to the second floor, then to the third, where the attic held furniture and personal belongings from untold generations of family members. The lighting was poor but he had no trouble locating the table. It stood smack in the middle of the attic floor and was piled high with boxes of who knew what. It took Owen five minutes to remove and stack the boxes, then another five to dust the tabletop and the legs. Even so, it needed a good cleaning. He went back downstairs, where he found Ruby in the store at the counter.
“Ruby, that table is really dirty.”
“You be dirty, too, you spent forty or so years just standing around in the attic.” She raised her eyes from the register to stare him down. “I suspect you know where I keep the cleaning things. Also suspect you know how to use ’em.”
“Even so, there’s no way I can bring that table down here by myself.”
“Lucky for you, Alec be along before you set dinner out. He be a willing helper.”
Owen sighed and went into the kitchen in search of cleaning supplies.
“You’re a tough taskmaster, Gigi.”
“Gotta earn your keep somehow.”
LIS AND ALEC wandered into the store at six thirty. With Alec’s help, Owen had the table set up in the garden exactly where Ruby directed.
“Last of the summer things blooming,” Ruby pointed out. “Afore long, won’t be any color out here ’cept green and maybe some morning glories. Maybe a few dahlias hang on awhile, a few black-eyed Susans, some of the roses. Mostly all else be dying back soon.” Ruby stood on the back porch and stared at her flower beds. “Shame to see all that color fade away.”
Lis came up behind her. “Happens every year, Gigi. And you have said the same thing every year for as long as I can remember. They’ll all be back again next year, just as pretty.”
“If I be around to see it. Never can tell.”
“And you say that every year, too.”
“Never can tell, Lisbeth.”
“Gigi, I’m betting you outlive us all.” Owen had brought a chair out from the house and placed it next to where Ruby stood.
“Wouldn’t surprise me”—Ruby sat down—“the way you run around here and there, diving down under the water one day, flying up to the sky the next.” She tapped Owen on the arm. “I’m talking to you, boy.”
“I heard you, Gigi.” The sports car pulling into the driveway diverted his attention. He tried not to stare as Cass unfolded herself from the driver’s seat and smoothed the front of her sundress before looking toward the store.
“We’re all out here,” Owen called to her, and she raised a hand to let him know she’d heard.
She opened the trunk and removed something before slamming the lid. As she drew closer to the store, Owen saw she carried a six-pack of beer in each hand.
“You got the beer.” Owen walked across the yard to meet her.
“That was the deal, right? I bring the beer, you cook the crabs.” She looked to the garden when the porch door slammed. “Oh, are we eating outside? I love that. I’m so glad you thought of it.”
“Actually, it was Ruby’s idea.”
“Whoever. I love it.”
He reached to take the beer from her but she declined. “I’ve got them. I’m not sure how cold they are at this point, though.”
“Let me put them in the store cooler. Alec brought some beer as well, and his should be nice and cold by now.”
“You didn’t mention that Lis and Alec would be here.” Obviously pleased, she flashed a happy smile, and Owen’s stomach did a little flip. She handed over the six-packs. “Some of my favorite people all in the same place. And what a pretty place it is.”
Cass walked past him to the backyard, where she greeted Lis and Ruby. Alec came out of the store carrying a chair under each arm, and he, too, got a warm hello from Cass.
Wondering if he was one of her favorite people—though doubting it—Owen went inside and tucked the beer into the cooler after moving around some of the soda cans. He stopped at the back door to gaze out the window. Cass was conversing lively with Lis, and Ruby was smiling as if approving of everything Cass was saying. He gave himself just a minute or two to look at her because he just flat out liked the way she looked. It was as simple as that. He liked the way her short blond hair curled around her ears, liked the way her dress, something light blue that looked like a long T-shirt, just grazed the top of her knees and skimmed over the rest of her, liked the way . . .
Owen sighed. There wasn’t anything he could see that he didn’t like. He forced himself to look away from the window and retreat into the kitchen, trying to decide if the presence of the others was a good thing or a bad thing. Probably good. If he and Cass were alone, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to think of much to say—so out of character for him, but she had that effect on him sometimes. At least the others would keep the conversation moving.
He hadn’t been lying when he told his sister he wasn’t sure what he felt for Cass. Attraction, of course—he’d admitted that along with a list of other things he liked about her. So what, he asked himself, was so different about her? He’d been attracted to more women than he could remember.
But he didn’t remember having been aware of those other things—how smart a woman was, or what she cared about, as long as she cared enough about him. Past relationships—if he could call them that—usually had more to do with how comfortable he was, how hard he had to work to have things the way he wanted them, and he usually hadn’t had to work hard at all. And in the past, he reminded himself, women had generally found him pretty much irresistible. He couldn’t remember anyone having expectations of him that he hadn’t met. Which probably meant that the bar hadn’t been set high.
Maybe he was losing his touch. Or his hair. He frowned and ran a hand through it. Nope. That wasn’t it.
And most of the women he’d known in the past hadn’t spent all that much time talking. Not that Cass was a chatterbox. The conversations they’d had had been about something. The island, its history, and its people. The renovations to the houses Deiter had purchased, the designs she’d drawn up for the new ones. He’d even helped her in that, assisted her and Alec in tracking down some of the residents who’d just picked up and left, so they could purchase the properties.
He took the crab cakes from the fridge and turned on the oven, trying to recall if he’d ever spent that much time in conversation with a woman other than his sister or Ruby. He was embarrassed he couldn’t think of a one. Even Cyndi and he hadn’t spent all that much time talking. Well, she’d talked and he’d pretended to listen.
Had he really been that much of an insensitive ass all this time?
The back door opened and closed, and he heard footsteps coming toward the kitchen.
“Owen?” Cass paused in the doorway. “Ruby said you’re doing all the cooking tonight. Is there something I can help you with?”
“Everything’s under control, but thanks.”
Cass came into the kitchen and peered at the tray. “You made all those crab cakes from those few crabs we caught?”
“Ahh, no. I made about five from what we caught. Lis and Alec caught a bunch this morning and decided to toss theirs in with ours.” Owen smiled and turned back to the stove. “If my sister can find a way out of cooking, she’ll take it.”
“What else are you making?” Cass leaned on the island.
“Baked potato fries. Lis made a salad and she brought dessert.”
“Sounds fabulous. Thanks for inviting me.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Can I at least peel the potatoes?”
“No need. I just scrub them and cut them into wedges. A little olive oil, a little salt, a little pepper.”
Cass moved behind him, so close her dress brushed against the back of his knees. “Where’s your scrubby thing for the potatoes?”
“Really, Cass, you don’t have to—”
“I want to. I like to be busy. I can sit around for only so long. Not that the company out there isn’t stellar. I just feel like . . .”
“Like what?” He turned around.
“Like being busy. Useful. I’m an okay cook. I’ll never win any awards, but I’m okay. I’m pretty sure I can scrub up a couple of potatoes without screwing it up.”
“Only one way to find out.” He pointed to the vegetable scrubber on the counter next to the sink and the pile of potatoes he’d left there. “Have at it.”
“That’s some garden Ruby has out there.” Cass turned on the water and got to work. “Her flowers are beautiful, and I can’t believe she grows all those vegetables by herself.”
“She’s always had a garden, always planted everything from seed. She shares her flower seeds and can point to every garden on the island—some in St. Dennis, too—where her flowers have taken root. I know Grace planted a bunch of Gigi’s seeds at the inn some years ago. I guess the flowers or their progeny are still growing. Gigi’s big on perennials.”
“I’ll try to remember to ask Grace. But how does a one-hundred-year-old woman tend a garden that size?”
“For starters, we’re not talking about your average hundred-year-old lady. This is Ruby Carter,” he said, his pride apparent. “She’s the toughest of the tough, and the wisest of the wise.”
“That describes her to a T. But still, there’s all that bending, planting, and weeding. Gardening is hard work. Okay, I’ve finished scrubbing. Where will I find a knife to cut the potatoes with?”
“Top drawer next to the dishwasher, and the cutting board is right there on the counter. Just cut them in half lengthwise, then half again. This summer I did most of the planting and weeding. Other years, some of the neighbors’ grandkids came over and helped out in the mornings. Their grandmothers wouldn’t let them take money from Ruby, so she paid them in sodas and chewing gum.”
“So how’d your dive go this morning?” Cass said casually.
“It was okay. A little cold. But it was an easy dive.”
“Find anything?” She kept her eyes on the potatoes, but Owen knew her interest went beyond making casual conversation.
“I did. There’s definitely a ship down there. What it is, when it’s from, who it belonged to, all remains to be seen. Jared’s going to map it before we disturb anything. Once we can get to the cargo and the cabin, we’ll know what we’re looking at.”
“What does that mean in terms of our dock?” She still hadn’t taken her eyes from her task.
“It means you probably should start looking for another location.”
“Oh, Dad’s going to love this news.”
“I’m sorry, but if I were you, I wouldn’t wait until the state gave me official notice. I’d start looking now and find another place to build the dock.”
“Gee, what a swell idea. Why didn’t I think of that?”
“I wasn’t trying to be a smart-ass, Cass. What’s the alternative?”
“We’ve already spent so much money on that dock. We’ve dredged and brought in those huge pilings, and they were not cheap.”
“You’re just lucky you didn’t dredge anywhere near the ship. You’d have a mess on your hands if you’d dug that up.”
“I guess I should be thankful for that. But still, if we have to take it down and start somewhere else . . .”
“I get it. But I repeat: What’s the alternative?”
She blew out a long breath. “I guess there isn’t one.”
“There has to be at least one place where the water is deep enough that with a minimum of dredging you’ll be able to bring your boats to dock.”
“You think?”
Owen nodded. “Let me check out the bay side. They used to bring large fishing boats into the cove, so we know there’s some depth. I don’t know how much of that has changed over the years due to shifting sands and such. But it’s worth looking into. Any specific reason you started building on the river side?” “My dad thought it was more picturesque. He figured when we were done using it to bring in building materials, we could offer docking rights to some of our customers who had boats. He thought it would be a nice perk.”
“Maybe it still could be, just probably not in that spot. The bay side isn’t as picturesque as the river, but it’s better than no dock at all. We’ll probably need to get an engineer involved at some point, but I’ll leave that up to you. You’ll have to get a permit if it turns out you have to dredge, but we won’t worry about that unless we have to. In the meantime, Jared has some equipment on board that can measure depth, so I’ll ask him to bring his boat over to the bay side when he gets the chance.”
“That would be great. Thank you. I’d hate to have to call my dad and tell him the dock has to come down, and by the way, we can’t build anywhere else.”
“Well, you know what Ruby always says.” He smiled at Cass over his shoulder. “ ‘You got a problem, you find a solution. You don’t be wasting time worrying about it.’ ”
“That definitely sounds like Ruby.” Cass finished cutting the potatoes. “What now?”
“Dump them into that blue bowl there to your left on the counter. . . .Yes, that one. Then add some olive oil—that’s in the cabinet over the bowl—and salt and pepper.” He watched her as she followed his instructions.
“That’s it?”
“You could toss in some red pepper flakes if you’re feeling like a little spice. Then spread them on the baking sheet on the island.”
When the potatoes were ready, Owen opened the oven and slid them in.
“That was easy. What else can I do to help?”
“You could go into the store and grab two beers from the cooler.”
“I’m on my way.” Cass disappeared into the store. She came back carrying two bottles. “I took two from the back. I’m guessing Alec brought those because they’re colder than the ones I picked up.”
Owen tossed her an opener and she popped the lids off both bottles and handed one to Owen.
“Glass?”
She shook her head no. “It would feel . . . I don’t know, maybe a bit pretentious to be eating crabs we pulled out of the bay ourselves and drinking our beer out of a glass. The bottle seems to fit the ambience.”
He nodded. She got it.
“So how did you learn to cook?” she asked.
“Our mom worked at night sometimes—she waited tables at the inn on occasion—and my father wouldn’t cook.” Owen gave her a rueful smile. “Women’s work, you know? So when my mother worked late, he ate at one of the local bars, and I cooked for me and Lis or we didn’t eat. Gigi showed me how to do some things, others I learned by reading the old family cookbook.”
“Recipes that have been passed down, you mean?”
“Yeah. It’s more like a folder than a book. It’s around here somewhere.”
Cass fell silent.
After a moment, Owen asked, “Do I see wheels turning?”
She laughed. “Sorry. I was just thinking how cool it would be to gather some old recipes and make a Cannonball Island cookbook. We could give it to people who buy the houses, and we could—” Cass stopped. “I know. I get carried away. Sometimes I get very enthusiastic about something and my imagination just takes off. This whole project has taken on a life of its own.”
“It’s a very worthy project, Cass. I admire the way you’re handling things here on the island. And a cookbook would be a great addition to everything else you’re doing, if you could fit it in between cleaning graveyards, renovating some of the old houses, and tearing down others to build new. How are your designs coming along, by the way?”
“They’re done. I keep tinkering with them, but for the most part, they’re finished. I’m thinking of marketing some of the renovated homes as perfect little one-person retreats. You know, target singles who are looking for a place to get away.” She watched him as if waiting for a response.
“I saw something on TV last week—something Ruby was watching about little houses. They seem to be popular right now.”
“Tiny houses are definitely on trend. But ours would be special because they’d have so much history.”
Owen glanced at her face. She’d taken on a bit of a dreamy expression, as if imagining what those tiny houses might look like. He took a swig of beer to keep himself from leaning over the granite and kissing that dreamy face.
“History seems to be your thing.”
“My first love. If my father hadn’t convinced me I’d be more of an asset to Deiter Construction as an architect, I’d probably be teaching history at the high school or college level. My parents both thought teaching wasn’t lucrative enough, and my dad wanted me to join his company in some capacity. I’m one of three architects the firm employs, but when a project comes along that I’m interested in, I always get dibs. The other two guys understand that’s how it is.”
“The perk of being the boss’s daughter.”
“It’s one of the only perks, believe me. He works me as hard as he works the guys, expects more from me because I’m his kid.”
“Do you regret becoming an architect?”
“Not really. I actually love designing houses. I like imagining people living in the spaces I design. And a project like this one suits me to a T.”
“Because of the history involved?”
She nodded.
“The bay area is crazy with history. From the earliest settlers to the Revolution to the War of 1812, the Civil War, and the connections to the Underground Railroad.” He opened the oven, turned over the potatoes, closed the oven, then took a frying pan from an overhead rack. “Have you been on any of the history tours?”
“What history tours?” Her eyes widened with interest. “Someone gives history tours?”
“Well, no, you have to plot them out yourself.” He flashed a grin. “Or know someone who knows where to go.” He turned on the burner under the pan and added butter.
“Someone like, oh, I don’t know. Got anyone in mind?”
“Colonial tour. Revolutionary War tour. Eighteen twelve tour. Civil War tour—I’m your man.”
“Are you volunteering your services as tour guide?”
“Anytime. Your choice of tour.”
She smiled and leaned her elbow on the island and rested her chin in her palm. “Hmmm. Something to think about, for sure.”
He went to the porch door and opened the screen. “Lis, come get plates and stuff to set the table.”
“I can help her.” Cass turned, and for a moment she was that close, so close to his chest they were almost touching. Owen looked down and almost wished he hadn’t. Their eyes locked, and the temptation to kiss her was so strong. All he had to do was lean in just another few inches.
If I’d waited one more minute to call Lis in, I’d be kissing her right now.
Lis and Alec came through the back door, laughing at something one of them had said, and the sound of their laughter broke the spell. Owen took one step back, then a second, his eyes still on Cass’s face. He didn’t recognize her expression. Relief or disappointment? He wasn’t sure.
Lis continued to chatter as she lifted plates from the cupboard, while Alec went into the store for a six-pack of beer.
Lis glanced into the frying pan. “Those crab cakes are monstrous.”
“They’ll need about ten minutes.” Owen moved to the stove and began adding the crab cakes to the pan where the butter was beginning to sizzle.
“I’ll take some of the plates,” Cass offered.
“I’ve got them, but you can bring the salad.” Lis opened the refrigerator door and pointed to the white bowl. Cass grabbed it and followed Lis out the door.
Owen had just finished adding the crab cakes to the pan when he heard the door again. He knew without turning around it would be Cass, even though she didn’t make a sound, and he knew within seconds she’d be right behind him. Instinct? Or was the sight finally pulling through for him?
Cass leaned around him, one hand resting on his shoulder, and every cell in his body went on alert. “They smell amazing.”
“They will be amazing.”
“Think the potatoes are done?”
He couldn’t take his eyes off her mouth. Owen half turned and slid an arm around her. Without hesitating this time, he kissed her ever so lightly on the lips. When he realized she was kissing him back, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her again. The jolt went from the top of his head to his toes and was so strong, he was sure she must have felt it, too.
Slightly flustered, she pulled away, avoiding his eyes. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Best idea I’ve had in a long time. Glad I acted on it.” He leaned close to her ear. “And so are you.”