The Legend of Tabby Hollow (Whales and Tails Mystery Book 5) (3 page)

“So you think our Destiny should keep her baby?” I asked.

“Not necessarily. I’m just saying that it’s a big decision that will have a huge impact on the rest of her life, so she should take her time and be sure.”

“Yeah, it really is a huge
decision. She told me that she’s going to go ahead and ask her doctor to tell her the sex of the baby. She didn’t want to know at first, but she said it might weigh in to her decision.”

“She has a preference?” Cody asked.

“She seemed to feel more confident about raising a girl on her own. She said a boy needs a dad, and she doesn’t have any husband prospects, so she wasn’t sure how she’d be able to fill that father role should she have a son.”

“I guess that makes sense. It’s nice when kids can have two parents, but in most cases boys do need a strong male role model more than girls do. Of course the role model doesn’t have to be the boy’s father. An uncle, grandfather, or family friend can usually fill in just fine. Besides, it seems like she might have something going on with Jake.”

Jake was a boy Destiny went to school with who she spent a lot of time hanging out with, even now that she was no longer going to classes.

“She swears they’re just friends, but I have a feeling they’re just friends like we are,” I commented.

Cody stopped walking. He turned and looked me in the eye. “And exactly how are we
just friends
?”

Me and my big mouth.

“You know.” This was a conversation we needed to have at some point, but I wasn’t certain this was the right time. Still, Siobhan had been right. If I didn’t want someone else to scoop him up I’d best claim my territory. “I just meant that we’re friends—good friends—who share common interests and values, and therefore we have the potential to, at some point, possibly, become something more.”

Cody smiled. “Yeah.”

I couldn’t help but smile back. “Yeah.”

“Would I be totally jumping the gun if I were to kiss you?” Cody leaned in so his lips were inches from mine.

“I think that might be okay.” I closed the distance.

I woke the next morning to the sound of rain hitting the roof. Unfortunately, Cody hadn’t been wrong about the bad weather, but I don’t think even he realized it was going to arrive so soon. I rolled over onto my side and looked at Max, who had been sleeping next to me.

“Doesn’t it seem like a perfect kind of day to pull the covers over our heads and go back to sleep?”

Max barked once. I couldn’t help but notice the tone of judgment in his voice.

“I know I said I needed to get up early, but I was awake half the night. I really could use at least another hour.”

Max just looked at me before he jumped off the bed, grabbed the covers with his teeth, and pulled them onto the floor.

“Okay, you pushy dog. I’ll get up.”

I’m not sure how Max knew which mornings I needed to get up and which I was actually able to sleep in. But somehow he knew the difference and always made sure I kept my commitments. Tara speculated that Max knew when I had set my alarm and when I had not and acted accordingly.

Still, having a dog for a warden did get aggravating at times, although as much as I hated to admit it, Max was right; I had promised Tara I’d be at work on time. Thursdays were shipment days and we always had a lot of unpacking and shelving to do before the customers arrived.

I pulled a knee-length sweatshirt over my head and stumbled down the stairs. Luckily, I’d thought to set the timer on the coffeepot the previous evening, and the rich aroma of coffee brewing was almost enough to give me the energy I so desperately needed.

I leaned against the counter as the brewing finished. I couldn’t help but replay that one perfect kiss Cody and I had shared over and over in my mind. His lips had been both soft and firm and I could feel his heart pounding under my palm as I’d placed my hand on his chest. In actuality the kiss probably had been rather brief, but in my memory it went on and on. My heart told me that it had been so much more than just a kiss. I sensed that the moment our lips touched, our lives had touched as well, in a way I’d only dreamed of. Cody and I hadn’t talked as he walked me back to the cabin. I don’t think either of us wanted to ruin the moment with mindless chitchat. He kissed me on the cheek when we arrived at my door and wished me good night, but I could tell his heart held so much more.

I found that for the first time since those first days when he’d arrived on the island, I was actually nervous about seeing him. What if the kiss hadn’t rocked his world the way it had mine? I felt like I’d been in this very situation ten years ago, when I’d seduced Cody on the eve of his leaving for his first tour in the Navy, and my sixteen-year-old heart had been certain he’d stay. But he hadn’t. Of course back then he really had needed to leave. I just hoped my heart wouldn’t be shattered again the way it had been back then.

Max barked to remind me that I’d forgotten to let him out. I crossed the room and opened the door, only to be greeted by an unexpected guest.

“I was wondering if you were going to show up at some point,” I said to Ichabod, who was standing on the covered porch. I stepped aside so he could come in, which he did after hissing at Max.

“So are you here to help Finn, Cody, and me figure out who killed the mayor?” In my mind, the fact that Ichabod had shown up answered the question as to what had happened to Mayor Bradley. I doubted Tansy would send a cat to help if Mayor Bradley had died as the result of an accident or suicide.

Ichabod jumped up onto the kitchen counter and began to meow. Apparently, he was more interested in breakfast than in conversation. I opened a can of cat food and spooned it into a bowl. I set the food on the mat next to the water dish and went in search of the litter box I’d used when my last kitty guest was in residence. So far the cats Tansy had sent to me only stayed until the murder they were sent to help with was solved. I missed the kitties that had come so briefly into my life, but I’d learned to accept the fact that they really were never mine to keep.

I was trying to decide what to make for breakfast when Max barked at the door to let me know he’d like to come back in. When I opened the door I noticed the light was on in Maggie’s kitchen. I’d planned to stop by to check on Siobhan the previous evening, but the house had been dark by the time I’d arrived at the cabin. Deciding that breakfast could wait, I fed Max and then hurried upstairs to change into some warm clothing. After pulling my hair into a ponytail, I grabbed my coffee and an umbrella and headed to the main house.

“You’re up early for someone who’s on vacation,” I commented to Siobhan, who looked gorgeous even though it was obvious she had been crying.

“I couldn’t sleep. Is that coffee?”

“Yeah, but I only brought the one cup. I’ll make a pot.”

Siobhan smiled tiredly as I set to work measuring grounds and filling the water reservoir.

“Do you have any plans for today?” I asked.

“No. I thought I’d just hang out here.”

“Does Mom know you’re on the island?” I wondered.

“I hope not. I’m not sure I’m up to a visit from her quite yet. You haven’t told her, have you?”

“No. The only people who know you’re here, other than Tara, Destiny, and me, are Cody and Finn.”

“You talked to Finn?”

“Yeah,” I answered as I pulled a mug from the cupboard. “Remember, I told you that I was going to meet with him last night so we could discuss Mayor Bradley’s death. You didn’t say not to tell anyone that you were here, and I figured he’d want to know.”

“How did he seem? Did he ask about me?”

“He was surprised to hear you were on the island, and I guess he was curious as to why you’d come home.”

I poured Siobhan a cup of the freshly brewed coffee and then sat down at the table across from her. “Are you ready to tell me why you really are here?”

Siobhan looked at me with a tear in her eye. It was disconcerting to see my big sister looking so defeated. Siobhan had always been the strong one, who knew what she wanted and how to get it.

“What is it?” I placed my hand over hers.

“My life is a complete and total mess.”

I waited for her to elaborate, but she didn’t.

“In what way is your life a mess?” I finally asked.

“My boyfriend dumped me, I have no job, no car, and in a few days, no place to live.”

“What? What happened?”

Siobhan looked up toward the ceiling, the way she did when we were growing up and she wanted to try to suppress the tears I knew were lurking just beyond her eyelids. I’m not sure when it started, but at some point Siobhan had decided it was a sign of weakness to shed a tear and she’d fought for control even when she had every reason to let go.

“Remember a couple of months ago I told you that the company I worked for had been sold and they were reorganizing?” Siobhan began.

“Yeah. You thought you were going to get a promotion and a raise.”

“Well, I was wrong. I not only didn’t get the promotion, but the job I’ve been doing better than anyone else for the past five years was eliminated.”

“They fired you?” I asked.

“Technically they downsized me, but yeah, the end result is that I’m out of a job.”

I tried to come up with something brilliant to say that would make Siobhan feel better, but I was coming up blank.

“I wasn’t worried at first,” Siobhan continued. “I have a strong résumé and a good reputation in the industry. I figured I’d get another job in no time. But I’ve been looking for two months and I’ve yet to get so much as a nibble. And then, to make matters worse, I wrecked my car and I can’t afford to get it fixed, so I don’t even have transportation to get to job interviews should I manage to actually get one.”

“Wow. I’m so sorry. How can I help?” I asked.

“You can help me move. I have to be out of my condo by the end of the month. The rent is too high, and there’s no way I can afford to stay where I am without a job. I’ve been looking for another place that’s more reasonable, but apparently you have to have a job in order to rent an apartment. I have no idea what I’m going to do.”

Siobhan lost her battle to prevent the tears she’d been suppressing from rolling down her face. I got up from where I’d been sitting and put my arms around my sister. I couldn’t suppress my own tears as she sobbed into my shoulder. When it seemed she’d cried out all her tears, I handed her a tissue.

“Why don’t you stay here?” I suggested. “With Maggie. Just until you can figure out your next move. You know she’d be happy to have you and she has a lot of extra bedrooms. We can put your stuff in storage while you look for a job and try to figure out what it is you want to do next.”

“I really didn’t want to come back to the island with my tail between my legs, but the reason I’m here is to ask Maggie if I can stay with her for a while. I hate asking for favors, but I really don’t have a choice at this point.”

I smiled. “I’m sorry you lost your job and your condo, but I’m happy you’re home. Even if it is temporary. Everyone is going to be so happy to see you.”

“Is Aiden back?”

“Yeah, he got back a few weeks ago.”

Our oldest brother Aiden is a fisherman who had been in Alaska all summer.

“I guess I might call him to see if he can help me move my stuff into storage. Now that I’ve decided to come back to the island for a while I find I’m anxious to put Seattle behind me both literally and figuratively. The past couple of months have been horrible. I’m beginning to wonder why I ever thought I wanted to move there in the first place.”

“Why
did
you move there in the first place?” I’d always wanted to ask her that, but I’d sensed she wouldn’t have been receptive to my question.

“I don’t know. Dad died and Mom and I were fighting all the time. My world felt so small, and I guess I was scared. Finn and I had been together forever and I really did love him, but I realized I wasn’t ready to get married. I’d never lived anywhere but here and I never really dated anyone other than Finn. The more Mom and I fought over the wedding plans the more claustrophobic it began to feel. When I was offered the job in Seattle I jumped at the opportunity to run away and do something new. Something on my own. It was the biggest mistake of my life.”

“While the whole job thing didn’t work out in the long run you learned a lot, made a ton of contacts, and really were successful. I wouldn’t consider making the decision to take the job the biggest mistake of your life. You’ll find something else eventually.”

“That’s not the mistake I was referring to.”

“Finn?”

Siobhan didn’t say anything, but I could tell by the look on her face that I’d hit it on the head. Siobhan was still in love with Finn. I knew he was still in love with Siobhan. Now all I had to do was to get those crazy kids together. I knew I’d need both a plan and reinforcements.

I looked at the clock on the wall. As much as I wanted to stay and chat with my big sister, it was getting late.

“I really do need to go. I have to see to the cats, take a shower, and get to the bookstore in less than ninety minutes.”

“I can take care of the cats,” Siobhan offered.

“Are you sure? I know cats really aren’t your thing.”

“I want to. It will give me something to do.”

“If you want to drop me at work you can use my car today,” I offered.

“Thanks, but I think I’ll just hang out here and try to figure out what to do with my life. I might call Aiden. He’s always a good one to talk to when you have a crisis.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “He’s the best.”

“Is he still seeing Meghan?”

Meghan Halloway was Aiden’s part-time girlfriend. He was away as often as he was home, so they’d never become serious, but when Aiden was on the island they tended to pair up.

“Yeah, she’s been coming to Sunday dinner since Aiden has been back. It’s nice to have a full house again. It’s not like the huge meals we had when we were growing up, but most weeks Cody comes now that he’s back, and Tara has been coming with Danny.”

“Are Tara and Danny dating?” Siobhan looked shocked.

“I wouldn’t say dating, but there’s something going on. I think they’ve decided to take it slow, but I can tell they have feelings for each other that aren’t of the friend variety.”

“And Cassie?”

I laughed. “She has a boyfriend with tattoos, piercings, and colorful hair. He’s a musician with a wide range of interests.”

“I bet Mom hates that.”

“Mom loves him,” I countered. “Which I think makes Cassie love him less. You know how Cassie likes the bad boys. I honestly thought she’d dump him the minute she realized Mom loved the guy, but so far they’re still together. You have to come to dinner this week. It’ll be fun, and you can meet Cassie’s guy.”

“I might do that. I guess I’ll see how the next few days go. I would like to see everyone, in spite of the fact that Mom will probably have me ready to pull my hair out by the end of the day.”

“She’s not that bad.”

Siobhan raised one eyebrow.

“Okay, she can be a bit meddlesome, but she loves us and she means well. I really gotta go.” I got up and turned toward the door. “I’ll come by when I get home.”