“And the residents bankrolled Kent Caskets?”
“No. Emmett did.”
“Emmett? He’s your silent partner?”
“Yeah. Why are you surprised?”
“I was under the impression that Emmett had hoped to turn Sengatti Yachts over to you one day. Why would he help you start a brand-new business?”
“Because his wife had just been diagnosed with inoperable cancer, and he told me he wished he was as
emotionally strong as Levi and could build Gretchen a casket, too. He tried, but he couldn’t do it, so I told him I would. I was going through my divorce at the time, and I think Emmett saw my opening Kent Caskets as some sort of therapy for me. So he put up the money. He said he had as much faith in my being a success as someone had faith in him nearly fifty years ago.”
She suddenly gasped, touching Sam’s sleeve. “Emmett told me he owed Abram a very large favor. Your grandfather must have given him the money to start Sengatti Yachts. They met when Abram was attendingMaineMaritimeAcademy . The timing’s about right.”
“That makes sense.” Sam folded his arms over his chest. “So, what sort of business should I open?
Something to do with food, maybe? I’ve been eating out a lo lately, and I’ve had some fantastic chowders. I should probably do something different. How about lobster cakes? You know, like crab cakes? I’ve rarely seen lobster cakes on any of the menus. And we could eventually ship them worldwide. That’s something the clubbers could do. And I’d hire able-bodied people, like you did, to pick up the slack.”
“Sam, you are not opening a business inMaine .”
“Why not? In three months, I’m going to need a new job.”
Willa scrambled to her feet. “But not here! You’re a city boy, born and raised. And you haven’t lost Tidewater yet. That company needs you.”
“Even if Tidewater survives, it only needs Ben,” he said, also getting to his feet. “And I may be a city boy, but I really likeMaine .” He frowned at her. “What’s so upsetting about my opening a business here?”
“Because you’re doing it for all the wrong reasons.” Now that he was standing, Willa got her first good look at him. “Oh, my God. Sam, what’s happened to you?”
“What?” he asked, looking down at himself, then rubbed his baggy flannel shirt over his not-so-flat belly.
“This, you mean?” he asked with a grin. “I started thinking about how you got David to divorce you, and I decided you might be on to something. I figured if I gained a few pounds, women would either look right past me or take the time to know the real me. I wasn’t worried about your reaction, because you wouldn’t care if a man is five-foot-two, bald, and cross-eyed; if you love him, it’s for real.” He rubbed his belly again. “A very clever idea, Willa. Just like giving the senior citizens something to do.”
She was utterly speechless.
He turned away and walked to the fridge and came back with a bottle of champagne. “It’s not Dom Perignon, but I’ve put myself on a budget.” He started unwinding the wire. “Will you toast my new adventure with me?”
“Sam,” she said, covering his hand to stop him. “You don’t know the first thing about making lobster cakes.”
“Phil Grindle used to own a lobster shack. I’ll get him to oversee that part of the operation. And Doris Ambrose is a fantastic watercolorist. She can design the labels and advertising.”
“Have you even asked Phil and Doris if they want jobs?”
“Of course. They’re quite excited about it. Sean Graves knows of an old warehouse over in Prime Point we can buy and renovate,” he said, going to work on the wire again. Willa stopped him again. “Sam, does this have anything to do with Abram’s dying? Have you considered that you might be missing your grandfather and have substituted the coffee clubbers for him?”
He sat on the love seat and frowned up at her. “Why was it a good idea for you but not for me? Why shouldn’t I open a business?”
She sat beside him, resting her hand on his knee. “You’re not yourself right now, Sam. You’ve suddenly been cast adrift with no direction or purpose. You’ve lost Abram, your home, and possibly Tidewater. You’re depressed, Sam, and you’re trying to fill the void in your life with food and…and with being needed.”
“That’s it exactly,” he said, covering her hand with his. “Not the depressed part but the purpose part. Bram needed me, and I wasn’t there for him. I should have seen his health was failing, but he was such a tough old bird I assumed he’d live forever. Maybe if I’d been paying better attention, he’d still be alive.”
“You can’t possibly know that. Abram kept his heart condition from you precisely so you wouldn’t fuss over him. You have nothing to feel guilty about.” She squeezed his hand. “Don’t you see, Sam? You can’t take Abram’s dying as having anything to do with you . Life happens, and so does death, and none of us has a magic wand we can wave to make everything turn out perfect.”
“But we can make up for our mistakes. I wasn’t there for Bram in the end, but I can be there for someone else. And it feels damn good to be totally focused on helping other people, Willa. It’s almost addictive.” He raised her hand and kissed her fingers. “Bram might have thought he was doing you a favor by writing that bequest, but it’s my eyes he opened.”
He suddenly stood up, took the champagne back to the fridge, and walked to the door and grabbed his jacket. “Will you go to dinner with me tomorrow night?”
“What about tonight’s dinner?” she asked, motioning toward the woodstove.
“I just realized that I’ve left Emmett alone a lot lately. I don’t think he eats a very balanced diet. I should take him to a place I found in Ellsworth that serves a wonderful dish of broiledMaine scallops, rice, and broccoli florets. Emmett loves scallops. Is tomorrow night good for you?”
Her head spinning, Willa nodded.
“Great. I’ll pick you up at six,” he said, and left.
Willa stared across the suddenly empty cottage. Emmett had it all wrong. Sam wasn’t depressed, he must be on drugs!
He actually thought there was a war going on in Keelstone Cove? And that he could adopt the coffee clubbers for his new family? And move here? Permanently?
As for Emmett, just when had he become Sam’s responsibility?
Chapter Eighteen
If Willa had beenasked a week ago what she thought Keelstone Cove’s greatest asset was, she would have said unequivocally that it was the town’s dynamic senior-citizen population. Just consider the cumulative decades of wisdom the older folks were glad to share, from weather predictions, fishing methods, and recipes to business advice. Ask any of them a simple question, and you’d be treated to a twenty-minute lecture.
Seniors were the backbone of any society.
They were not, however, supposed to start acting like rebellious teenagers—which is exactly what her Grand Point Bluff workers were doing. She stormed into work the very next morning and shot off a memo demanding that everyone older than seventy be in her conference room atten o’clock . Willa sat at the head of the long mahogany table in her office suite and glared at the expensive antique wall clock that Silas had insisted Kent Caskets needed to present an air of success. It was ten-fifteen, and she didn’t recognize the lone person sitting four places down on her right.
“You said you just moved into Grand Point Bluff a month ago, Mr. Goodard?” she asked. “And that Silas hired you last week?”
Gary Goodard shot her a nervous smile. “Yes, ma’am. I originally retired toFlorida , but there’s so many people down there I couldn’t breathe. I explained to Silas I probably should work in sales, considering I used to own a Mercedes dealership, but he told me the only opening you had was in shipping. If this is about that mix-up the other day, I’m really sorry. I don’t know why they ever changed the state abbreviation system. I thought AR meantArizona , and that’s why I sent those caskets toCedar Creek,Arizona , instead ofCedar Creek,Arkansas . I promise it won’t happen again, Miss Kent .”