I
think it could be serious."
"Why wouldn't I believe it? I fell in love in
an afternoon. Maybe crazy runs in the family."
"It must. His name is Jay West."
Sabrina heard a gasp on the end of the line.
Seconds passed in silence. "Grandmother, are you there?"
"Jay West? As in the West family?"
"Yes; he's the son of Margaret West. Not only
that, he owns the boatyard where I have the Zephyrus."
"What?"
"I met him my first night in town, but I
didn't know who he was. Then, when I found out, it was too
late."
"Too late? As in …"
"Um hmmm."
"My goodness. Well, what next?"
"I'm not sure. I need to convince him to
restore the boat."
"I thought you said they picked up the boat.
Didn't you give him a deposit?"
"Actually, I gave the deposit to his
assistant manager, Brett Story. He's the one I talked to on the
telephone, and he picked up the boat. I had no idea Jay was
involved until after the boat was delivered. Brett told me that Jay
was furious when he saw the Zephyrus. He wanted to destroy it when
he saw it."
"Why would he want to do that?"
"Brett told me that Jay's mother was an
alcoholic and took drugs, and that she died of an overdose when he
was twelve."
"How tragic!"
"He went to live with his grandmother, who
apparently had gone off the deep end. She poisoned him with stories
of the Windhams, and how we ruined her life. He left home for a
while, went to college in Maine and studied naval architecture.
When he returned, he started the boatyard."
"Sabrina, do you believe in destiny?"
"I'm beginning to."
Chapter Five
Jay finished his sandwich, wadded his napkin
and tossed it in the empty basket. "I needed that."
Brett spooned mashed potatoes and gravy into
his mouth and groaned. "Ahh man, why can't Shawna cook like this?
What's so hard about meatloaf?"
Jay shrugged. "Can't have it all, I
guess."
Brett saw his opening. "Worked it out
yet?"
"What?" Jay finished his root beer,
stalling.
"You know damn well, 'what.' Are you going to
work on the Zephyrus?"
Jay nodded. "Whatever she wants."
"Well, that was easy. Sounds like you got it
bad," Brett teased. "What did she say to change your mind?"
"Nothing. I'm not going to talk about her.
You keep your fat mouth shut, too."
Brett raised his hands is surrender. "What'd
I say?"
"Don't tell me you didn't spill your guts
yesterday."
"You should be thanking me; you finally got a
love life."
Jay shook his head resignedly. "I don't need
help."
"What about Faye?" Brett prodded.
"What about her?"
"What are you going to do when she meets
Sabrina."
"That won't happen."
"Are you kidding?"
"She's not going near her," Jay bristled.
"She's not going to ruin this."
* * *
Faye West clumped through her kitchen, still
dressed in her bathrobe and slippers. It was after two o'clock and
she had just watched a "shock" talk show episode titled "Are You My
Baby's Daddy?" It featured a young, overweight woman, her infant,
and three men, similarly dressed in oversized T-shirts, baggy pants
with crotches that hung down to their knees, and baseball caps
turned sideways. The men had submitted to DNA testing and,
surprise, surprise, none of them were the "baby's daddy."
"Slut," Faye grumbled, lighting a cigarette
and then opening the refrigerator. She looked inside for the
seventh time that afternoon, not hungry because of nicotine and
caffeine, but knowing she had to eat. Faye weighed about ninety
pounds but she claimed she didn't have an eating disorder. She just
wasn't interested in food. She wasn't interested in much of
anything, actually.
Except Jay. She picked up the portable
telephone and called the boatyard.
On the other end, Brett noted the caller ID
and whistled to Jay. "It's your grandmother."
"Don't answer," Jay responded, then went back
to spraying primer on the bottom of a boat. "I've got to finish
this coat or I'll have to start all over."
Over the compressor, Jay heard Faye leave a
long and rambling message, although he couldn't make
think it could be serious."
"Why wouldn't I believe it? I fell in love in
an afternoon. Maybe crazy runs in the family."
"It must. His name is Jay West."
Sabrina heard a gasp on the end of the line.
Seconds passed in silence. "Grandmother, are you there?"
"Jay West? As in the West family?"
"Yes; he's the son of Margaret West. Not only
that, he owns the boatyard where I have the Zephyrus."
"What?"
"I met him my first night in town, but I
didn't know who he was. Then, when I found out, it was too
late."
"Too late? As in …"
"Um hmmm."
"My goodness. Well, what next?"
"I'm not sure. I need to convince him to
restore the boat."
"I thought you said they picked up the boat.
Didn't you give him a deposit?"
"Actually, I gave the deposit to his
assistant manager, Brett Story. He's the one I talked to on the
telephone, and he picked up the boat. I had no idea Jay was
involved until after the boat was delivered. Brett told me that Jay
was furious when he saw the Zephyrus. He wanted to destroy it when
he saw it."
"Why would he want to do that?"
"Brett told me that Jay's mother was an
alcoholic and took drugs, and that she died of an overdose when he
was twelve."
"How tragic!"
"He went to live with his grandmother, who
apparently had gone off the deep end. She poisoned him with stories
of the Windhams, and how we ruined her life. He left home for a
while, went to college in Maine and studied naval architecture.
When he returned, he started the boatyard."
"Sabrina, do you believe in destiny?"
"I'm beginning to."
Chapter Five
Jay finished his sandwich, wadded his napkin
and tossed it in the empty basket. "I needed that."
Brett spooned mashed potatoes and gravy into
his mouth and groaned. "Ahh man, why can't Shawna cook like this?
What's so hard about meatloaf?"
Jay shrugged. "Can't have it all, I
guess."
Brett saw his opening. "Worked it out
yet?"
"What?" Jay finished his root beer,
stalling.
"You know damn well, 'what.' Are you going to
work on the Zephyrus?"
Jay nodded. "Whatever she wants."
"Well, that was easy. Sounds like you got it
bad," Brett teased. "What did she say to change your mind?"
"Nothing. I'm not going to talk about her.
You keep your fat mouth shut, too."
Brett raised his hands is surrender. "What'd
I say?"
"Don't tell me you didn't spill your guts
yesterday."
"You should be thanking me; you finally got a
love life."
Jay shook his head resignedly. "I don't need
help."
"What about Faye?" Brett prodded.
"What about her?"
"What are you going to do when she meets
Sabrina."
"That won't happen."
"Are you kidding?"
"She's not going near her," Jay bristled.
"She's not going to ruin this."
* * *
Faye West clumped through her kitchen, still
dressed in her bathrobe and slippers. It was after two o'clock and
she had just watched a "shock" talk show episode titled "Are You My
Baby's Daddy?" It featured a young, overweight woman, her infant,
and three men, similarly dressed in oversized T-shirts, baggy pants
with crotches that hung down to their knees, and baseball caps
turned sideways. The men had submitted to DNA testing and,
surprise, surprise, none of them were the "baby's daddy."
"Slut," Faye grumbled, lighting a cigarette
and then opening the refrigerator. She looked inside for the
seventh time that afternoon, not hungry because of nicotine and
caffeine, but knowing she had to eat. Faye weighed about ninety
pounds but she claimed she didn't have an eating disorder. She just
wasn't interested in food. She wasn't interested in much of
anything, actually.
Except Jay. She picked up the portable
telephone and called the boatyard.
On the other end, Brett noted the caller ID
and whistled to Jay. "It's your grandmother."
"Don't answer," Jay responded, then went back
to spraying primer on the bottom of a boat. "I've got to finish
this coat or I'll have to start all over."
Over the compressor, Jay heard Faye leave a
long and rambling message, although he couldn't make
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