Christmas In The Cove

“Man, we had some good times here,” Alex said. “Remember all the card games we used to play? Dang, Aubrey was good at that one where you have to get rid of all the cards in your pile. She has freakishly fast hands. Remember how we would cheat? We’d get frustrated and throw her cards so she’d have to scramble around for them while we would frantically try to catch up.” His deep belly laugh was contagious. “She’d get so mad, but she’d giggle at the same time. It’s been great having her back in town—and Nina, too. I love those Wynn girls.”

Eli chuckled in remembrance. He hadn’t had fun like that in a very long time.

“Speaking of rescues... That was kind of a scary one yesterday, huh?”

Of course Alex would know about it. He knew everything that happened in town. Plus, Aubrey and Alex were still close, just like he and Alex were. Unlike him, Alex was still friendly with the entire Wynn family.

“You heard, huh? Aubrey was great. They are lucky to have her.” Eli wasn’t about to give away how scared he’d been. He didn’t even want to admit that to himself.

“Yeah, I talked to Nina last night. I called Aubrey first thing this morning because I knew she had a Christmas meeting. She’s a little obsessed with this competition. The woman goes nonstop as it is. If she’s not on base or working out, she’s swimming or giving lessons at the pool or helping somebody with something—or worrying about someone. Nina is on the receiving end of that these days. You know about how Nina’s been living with her since her divorce?”

He knew, but only because Alex had told him months ago over the phone.

“She’s been through hell, and Aubrey’s been there for her every step of the way. Don’t get me wrong, she’s amazing, and I’m not begrudging her any of it...” His head fell to one side as if pondering. “Most of it, anyway. I just wish she’d take a little time for herself once in a while.”

Eli wasn’t surprised by any of this. She’d always exhibited that kind of compassion. He’d been drawn to it as well as her courage and unshakable drive. At times he’d been almost jealous of the phenomenal amount of energy she possessed. Even when they were teenagers, she’d been tough to keep up with. When she’d told him she wanted to be a rescue swimmer, he’d never once doubted her ability to achieve that goal.

“What’s a Christmas contest?” Gale asked.

“Oh, there’s this competition, sponsored by DeBolt Realty. Their goal is to find the beach town with the most Christmas spirit. They specialize in oceanfront property and they’re trying to expand their footprint here in the Pacific Northwest. Aubrey is co-chair of Pacific Cove’s effort, along with the mayor, Jack Hobbes. She really wants to win. I’m not super thrilled about the venture because, if she wins, the town gets included in a national advertising campaign. Don’t let them fool you. Not all publicity is good publicity. But I’m being supportive for Aubrey’s sake because also included is prize money, which she wants to use to spruce up the community’s pool. That part I’m on board with. We spent an awful lot of time in that pool when we were kids, especially Aubrey.”

Alex pointed at what used to be Eli’s yard. “Remember how we would get those whiffle ball games going in your yard? Your dad would always play when we needed to make the teams even. He was so cool. He made being a single dad look easy. How’s he doing?”

Tim Pelletier had been a great dad, caring for Eli in the best way he knew how and steadfastly making their house a home. Eli’s mom had taken off when Eli was only three months old, so his dad had been left to fulfill as much of the mom role as he could. In spite of his dad’s bouts of depression, his childhood had been great, right up through his teenage years.

But everything had changed soon after his high school graduation when his father had been transferred. Closing in on two three-year assignments, it had been time for him to move on. But not in this way. The new assignment, which he’d had no choice but to take, had essentially been a demotion for his father, marking the end of his career advancement. Depression had kicked in and he’d retired soon after.

The situation had been bad for Eli, too. He’d been left with no choice but to break up with Aubrey while a burning anger and hatred had born for the man who had caused it all—Brian Wynn. Aubrey’s father. Because how could Eli be with the girl whose father had ended his own dad’s career? How could he be with her and not tell her all of the things that weren’t his to tell, like why he’d really broken up with her and what her parents’ role had been in it all?

Eli realized Alex was waiting for an answer. “He’s good. Really good, actually. He’s thinking about flying up for Christmas.” After his retirement, his father had moved to Florida, bought a boat and become a sport fishing guide. After several rough years of adjustment, his dad finally seemed content. The last couple of years in particular he’d been especially busy and seemed to be flourishing.

“We should go fishing with him again. Man, that was a blast.” Three years ago, he and Alex had taken a trip to Florida to visit him.

“Alex caught a marlin that weighed in at—what was it?—four hundred and twelve pounds.”

“Four hundred and twelve point two pounds,” Alex answered, launching into his fish story.

Eli took the opportunity to study his old neighborhood. Alex was right. Unlike the west side, or “beach side” as they’d called the upscale part of town, this side of town had changed. Dramatically. A few years ago a developer had bought a huge chunk of land here, torn down the old houses and put up one of those cutesy subdivisions where the houses looked different and yet matched at the same time. It reminded Eli of a set of snap-together toys.

“Isn’t this a crying shame?” Alex asked a few minutes later. “It looks like a bunch of gingerbread houses have been smacked down in the middle of Candy Land. I did my level best to block approval of this project. But the developer...he’s got his shizzle together. I tell you what...”

Alex rambled on while Gale asked questions.

Amazingly, the giant spruce tree that had stood in their front yard was still there, sans swing, but Eli could see the scars where a succession of ropes had spent years relentlessly rubbing into the thick limb. He stared at it as Alex ranted on about the injustice of unfettered construction in their town.

He wondered how long he and Gale would be in Pacific Cove.

The real question was how long could he work so closely with Aubrey and yet keep the distance he knew he needed to maintain? And what about Brian Wynn? Alex had told him that since his retirement, Brian and his wife, Susannah, had been spending a few months of the year down south in Arizona. He’d also mentioned that they would be home for the holidays.

Avoiding him was completely unrealistic. Could he be around the man and not reveal the hatred he harbored for him? Did he even want to? Maybe a confrontation was the answer to this long-held animus. Eli knew his train of thought was nothing but a vicious, ugly circle with no end. Because the problem with this scenario was that Susannah was still Brian’s wife—and Aubrey was still their daughter.

CHAPTER THREE

AFTER THE CHRISTMAS meeting Aubrey headed across town to visit Danielle Cruz. She’d learned that the girl had suffered a bad sprain to her knee along with a variety of scrapes, bumps and bruises. She was lucky. Aubrey had seen people suffer much worse after becoming entangled in boat rigging or debris.

Danny’s mom answered the door and she spent a quiet, emotional moment thanking Aubrey. She then led her up the stairs to Danny’s room and left Aubrey there with a grateful, encouraging smile. The door was open and the pretty teenager was sitting up, eyes closed, reclining against the headboard. Straight black hair was tucked behind her ears and a magazine lay open on her lap. Bare feet with purple-painted nails were sticking out from the end of a green-and-blue comforter. One foot was busy tapping a rhythm. The other was sporting a black brace around the knee.

“Hey,” she said, wrapping her knuckles on the doorjamb.

The girl’s eyes snapped open as her head turned, fingers reaching for the turquoise ear buds nestled inside her ears. Recognition dawned across her features. “Oh...” One hand flew up to cover her mouth and she promptly burst into tears.

Aubrey hurried toward her bedside. “Danny, what’s the matter? Are you all right?”

The girl reached for her hand and squeezed it tight. “I’m so happy to see you.” She snuffled out the words. “I was so cold and out of it, I didn’t have a chance to thank you. Thank you for saving me. And for saving Brendan and his dad and his uncle, too.” She dabbed at her face with the white sheet.

“Of course.” Aubrey smiled gently and lowered herself onto the chair next to the bed. “You’re welcome. It’s my job and you did great.”

“Yeah? Well, I can’t imagine having your job. You are so cool, you know that? Like, totally badass. I thought I was going to die. That net, it was going to pull me under. I couldn’t believe it when you came swimming over to me and I hoped I might actually be saved. And when I realized you were a woman? I was, like, shocked. I thought you might be an angel, even though you were wearing all that Coast Guard stuff.”

Aubrey let out a soft laugh. “Believe me, I was just as happy to see you as you were to see me. And just as surprised, by the way. I didn’t realize I was looking for a girl, either. You know, you weren’t part of the original distress call?”

Her head bobbed as fresh tears sprang to her eyes. With her free hand, Aubrey reached for the tissue box on the bedside table. She placed the box between them.

Danny plucked out a couple of tissues and used one, dabbing her eyes and blowing her nose. “I’m so sorry. I’m really emotional for some reason.”

“That’s perfectly normal after what you’ve been through.”

She sniffled. “Yeah. I’ve been crying a lot. I go from really, really happy to, like, the saddest of sad in one heartbeat. It’s been rough. I mean, I’m super grateful to be alive and everything, but...everyone is mad at me and Brendan. Especially at Brendan.”

“Why would they be mad?” Aubrey placed a hand on her own chest. “I’m not mad at you.”

Danny nibbled on her lower lip. “I wasn’t supposed to be on the boat. Brendan stowed me away.” She added a raspy chuckle. “That’s what he called it. He called me his stowaway. I thought it was cute...”

“Where were you headed?” She couldn’t help but wonder how the young couple thought they would get away with the scheme when they reached their final destination.

“Brendan’s dad and his uncle? They drop off these parts sometimes down the coast. It was just supposed to be one of those trips. There and back. Drop off the stuff and then turn around and come back. Brendan said it would be easy. He was going to pretend like he was getting seasick and then come into the cabin where I was hiding. I know it probably sounds really bad...” She trailed off with an apologetic shrug.

It had been a stupid thing to do, but they were kids. She was struck by the memory of the time she had been Eli’s “stowaway.”

During his teenage years he had worked for Quinley’s Berry Farm. Sometimes he’d deliver berries as far away as Portland. One time he’d suggested Aubrey hide under a blanket in the cab of the pickup so she could ride along. It had been a perfect day filled with sunshine and laughter. On the way home they’d stopped for frozen custard and watched the most incredible sunset from a bluff overlooking the Astoria Bridge. For a few seconds she let the happiness of that memory sink in, refusing to spoil it with thoughts of the unhappily-ever-after that followed.

Danny dabbed at her eyes with a fresh tissue. “My parents have been pretty good, though. I think they’re just happy I’m alive.”

“Of course they are.”

Her head started an agitated shake. “But Brett, that’s Brendan’s dad, has, like, blown a gasket over the whole thing. Usually he’s a really nice guy, but this...?” She gave Aubrey a pleading look. “He’s... Brendan is worried.”

“Worried, how?” The loss of a boat was a pretty big deal and definitely a reason to be upset. Hopefully it was insured.

“I’m not sure. He just keeps saying that his dad is in a serious rage. He can’t let it go. Keeps asking Brendan questions and going over and over what went wrong.”

Near-death experiences hit people in different ways. She wondered if she should follow up on this for Danny and Brendan’s sake. Talk to his dad or recommend some counseling? She would brief her superior officer Senior Chief Nivens and get his opinion. What she didn’t need to do was upset Danny any further.

“You know what? I know it’s difficult to believe right now, but chances are this will all blow over. Just do me a favor. Next time you decide to stow away or participate in any activity at all anywhere near the water, wear a life jacket, okay? Promise me.”

She let out a giggle. “That’s funny. That’s exactly what that other Coast Guard guy said this morning.”

Coast Guard guy? “Who?”

“Lieutenant Commander Pelletier.” She enunciated the title proudly. “That’s right, isn’t it? He told me to call him Eli, but he looks more like a lieutenant to me. A really good-looking one. And the other guy was totally hot, too. He looks like a movie star or a model or something...”

Eli. And the “hot movie star” had to be Gale. Why would Eli and Gale come here to talk to Danny? The girl had already been officially debriefed. Danny’s unknown presence onboard had thrown a wrench in the midst, but wrenches like that were thrown into rescues all the time. Yet a niggle of concern began to form in her mind. If they were questioning Danny again, did that mean she herself was being investigated for some kind of misconduct?

Aubrey replayed the entire series of events over and over again in her mind. She reassured herself once again that she hadn’t done anything wrong. Had she? Maybe she should have radioed that she was fine and didn’t need assistance. But time was always a factor... These were the kinds of details she could stew about for days. She wanted to quiz Danny about what they’d asked her, but felt it would be wrong somehow.

Besides, she told herself, not only was she a big girl, she was good at her job. She would wait it out, with confidence, until she knew for sure what this was all about.

Instead she focused on Danny and what she could do for her.

* * *

“I HAVE AN IDEA,” Gale said from the passenger seat of the pickup as Eli drove back toward the base.

“What’s that?” Eli asked.

“It occurred to me earlier while we were talking to Alex. It made me think about what I’d do if we were trying to solve this case in Falls Terrace. I know you haven’t lived here, or even been here, in a long time, but you still have a lot of connections in the community.”

“Yeah.” Eli was already realizing how true that was. Twelve years didn’t seem that long now that he was back.

“All this Christmas stuff going on? This could help us solve this thing—getting out there and meeting people and socializing. A town this size, with this close-knit feel? People talk. There’s not much that is really and truly secret. Folks might not even know they are sitting on important information because they only have one piece of the puzzle. But if we gather some of these pieces, make some connections, we might get somewhere.”

He had a point. Eli guided the pickup into a space in the air station’s lot.

“Which reminds me.” Gale pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I got a text from Yeats.” Yeats was their contact at the DEA, keeping them informed about news on the case from California. He slid a finger across the display as he explained, “The crates have been sent to the lab for examination.”

For the last year a potent strain of heroin had been flooding the West Coast. Early indications had the DEA believing the drugs were being shipped up from the south. As a result, they’d focused most of their resources there even as the drugs continued to flow. He and Gale had been stationed in San Diego when a tip had come in to the DEA that Coast Guard personnel may be involved. Because of a connection Eli had in the DEA, he and Gale had been consulted about the case.

The DEA had seized a shipment of drugs from a boat off the coast of San Diego. Upon reviewing the evidence, it had been the wooden crates, not the drugs, that had got Eli thinking. They had been constructed from various woods, including maple and larch. Eli knew that larch was a wood that could only have come from much farther north where maple was also very abundant. He had speculated that the drugs were being smuggled into the Pacific Northwest, where they were being broken down into smaller units then shipped out again to lower level dealers in these locally constructed, and hopefully traceable, crates.

It was just speculation on his part, but soon after that, Eli had been at a Coast Guard luncheon where he’d mentioned the theory to Admiral Schaefer. The admiral had seized upon the notion and, a few short weeks later, Eli and Gale had been added to the task force and transferred to Astoria.

The admiral’s blessing and enthusiasm had been welcome, the assignment essentially like a promotion for him and Gale. For Eli, the importance of solving the case had increased exponentially. Not only did he want to solve the case for his own career, he didn’t want to let the admiral down. Failure, in any form, was Eli’s worst nightmare. Nothing, and no one, was going to stand in his career path the way it had his father’s.

“You have a history here, right? Plus, your friendship with Alex and Aubrey. Can you get us involved in some of this community stuff?”

“Yeah, probably,” he said with much more confidence than he felt. He had no idea how things stood between him and Aubrey.

Gale reached into the backseat and grabbed his notebook. He pulled a sheet of paper from inside and began to read in an overly enthusiastic tone. “‘It’s okay to be crabby this Christmas! At Pacific Cove’s crab races and crab feed you can be a crab and eat one, too’ et cetera and blah, blah, blah.”

“Crab races?”

“Yes. I just happened to pick up the Crazy About a Coast Christmas schedule of events. The first item listed is the crab races and crab feed this Friday night. At a place called The Shoals Hotel. Attending doesn’t sound like that much of a hardship. There’s an all-you-can-eat crab feed and buffet. But, if we could volunteer? Mingle with the folks? That would be even better.”

Eli grinned. “This actually isn’t a bad plan. I’ll see what I can do.”

CHAPTER FOUR

“OKAY, GUYS, THAT’S it for today. Great job, my little minnows! Don’t forget to practice your crunches and push-ups at home. Remember what we say?” A chorus of little voices joined hers. “Strong on land means strong in the sea.”

“Awesome! That’s right. You guys are smart as well as super swimmers.”

The fitness standards for a rescue swimmer were some of the most stringent in all of military service. Regulations required that they pass a monthly fitness test in order to remain on duty. The training on base, while intense, wasn’t enough. So, on her off days, she worked out. A day rarely went by when she didn’t get into the water and she liked to do it here at “her” pool, Pacific Cove’s community pool. And two or three times a week when she wasn’t on duty, she taught swimming lessons.

Six little bodies scrambled out of the pool. This group had made a ton of progress in the last few weeks. This fueled her resolve, even as it killed her that the pool she’d literally grown up in, and that she loved with all of her heart, was crumbling around her. She refused to accept what others were calling inevitable.

“Is anyone sticking around to practice today?” Aubrey had a policy that the kids could stay after class for fifteen minutes and practice what they’d learned in their lesson that day. They could practice anything, really, as long as they were in the water.

Two hands shot up into the air. One belonged to George, a shy little guy with huge brown eyes and a sweet smile featuring one front tooth. The other hand belonged to Eleanor, a tiny girl with blond pigtails and a bright purple swimsuit. Eleanor was one of her all-time favorite students, a foster child who’d been bounced around from relative to foster home her entire short life. For now, she’d found a home with stable parents who were motivated to bring her to swim lessons.

She qualified for free lessons through a program Aubrey had started for youth who couldn’t afford them otherwise. And Aubrey could see what swimming did for Eleanor because it was the same miraculous, confidence-building phenomenon she’d experienced as a child.

“Excellent, George and Eleanor. I’ll see the rest of you yahoos on Thursday?” With waves and goodbyes, the remaining crew headed toward the locker rooms.

“Do you guys want to jump off the diving board?”

“I do! I do!” This from Eleanor.

Ever cautious, George said, “I think I’ll practice treading water some more first.”

“Sounds good, buddy. You can never be too good at treading water.” Aubrey knew this was his way of gathering courage. She wouldn’t push him.

He climbed back into the pool while Eleanor hustled over to the diving board.

“Whenever you’re ready, El,” Aubrey called to the little girl.

She took a few steps, bounced on the board, sailed through the air and splashed into the water with all the force her forty-two pounds of weight could manage. She surfaced and began to swim toward the edge exactly as she’d been taught.

“Perfect!” And it was. The girl reminded her so much of herself at that age. She’d always been the first one in the water and the last one out. The first one to jump off the diving board. The first to swim across the deep end. The first to hold her breath while swimming the entire length of the pool under water...

A giggle sounded. “Can I do it again?”

“Absolutely. Good job, Georgie. You’re doing great.”

“Fearless,” a familiar voice said near her left shoulder, startling her.

“Eli, hi.”

He came around and sat beside her on the bench. “Reminds me of a girl I used to know. She would literally jump off of anything, no matter how high, as long as there was water to land in below.”

Aubrey gave him a casual smile even as her heart kicked hard against her rib cage. She focused on the pool where George was now practicing his freestyle stroke from one corner of the pool to the other.

“Really?” she said, her tone dubious.

“Really. She’s all grown up now, but I don’t think she’s changed all that much. In fact, now she jumps out of helicopters and allows herself to be lowered by cable onto sinking boats or to the sides of cliffs to help people who are stranded.”

“Wow. It sounds to me like she totally rocks.”

“Oh, she does, but...” His mouth formed into this adorable half frown as he glanced around as if to confirm no one would overhear. “Between you and me? I think she might be a little crazy.”

She couldn’t stop the smile playing on her lips even as recalling the memories tightened her chest with emotion. They used to call each other crazy after some of the stunts they’d pull together: jumping off cliffs and bridges, swimming across icy-cold rivers, exploring treacherous cliffs and caves.

His head dipped until his mouth was only a few inches from her ear. “But then, I’ve always been a little partial to crazy.”

Aubrey felt her cheeks grow warm as a blast of heat flooded her bloodstream. Apparently twelve years had done nothing to weaken her body’s response to Eli Pelletier. She was going to have to draw on her much more dependable brain when dealing with him. Luckily, her brain was stronger than her heart, and knew better than to fall under his spell. Her brain she could trust.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, glancing at him again. He didn’t appear to be here to swim, attired as he was in soft, worn jeans and a faded blue-and-gray Gonzaga Bulldogs T-shirt. His black hair was damp and he’d draped a soggy rain jacket over the bench beside him. She turned her attention toward Eleanor who was now bobbing in and out of the water like the dolphin Aubrey had nicknamed her after.