The Cove Read Online Free Page B

Five Corners?”
    “Not yet. They’re still pushing the town council something wicked for clearances, but Brian Hatcher’s been fighting them hard.”
    “Brian Hatcher? Who the fuck is Brian Hatcher?”
    “New guy in town. Moved here a year or two ago from West Virginia. He’s getting all involved with town politics and is on the town council. But there’s a lot more support for the store than you’d think.”
    “Umm … Pete was telling me last night how things had gotten pretty heated last fall.”
    “ Ahh .” Kathy waved a hand in front of her face like she was shooing a mosquito. She gazed at her sleeping baby’s face again as she spoke, lowering her voice. “It’s mostly Ray and Jerry Hanson making all the fuss. They stand to make a killing selling the family property to the company that wants to build the store.”
    “They never worked an honest day in their lives,” Ben said, his lip curling with disgust. When he was in high school, he had worked with Jerry Hanson as dishwashers at Augie’s , a local seafood restaurant. Ben had never seen a worse slacker. “Neither one of them. And now they’re hoping to cash in so they never have to.”
    “Yeah — and meanwhile, people ‘from away’ are fighting to keep the town the quaint little fishing village it’s always been even though that new store would mean more jobs.”
    Kathy smiled at him, but the truth was Ben was barely engaged in this small talk with her. What he really wanted to talk about seemed impossible to bring up. Mercifully, above the murmur of the crowd, someone was calling his name. The bellowing voice echoed from the granite walls that lined the harbor.
    Ben looked down toward the water. His brother was perched on the new boat, both hands gripping the gunwales for balance. Wally had backed the trailer down the cement launch ramp until the wheels were in the water.
    “I think your brother wants you,” Kathy said with a quick nod in Pete’s direction.
    All too anxious to leave her while at the same time not wanting to walk away, Ben started to turn. Before he left, though, he stopped and looked back at her. He had to ask one thing … so he could settle his mind.
    “Does he know?” he said.
    At first, Kathy looked perplexed by his question, but then her face went white and her eyes narrowed.
    “You mean does Dwight know … about the baby?”
    Ben swallowed hard. He couldn’t speak as he looked away and nodded. His heart felt too large for his chest, and he found it impossible to catch his breath.
    “Of course he doesn’t,” Kathy said. Her voice lost all of its lightness and was suddenly as hard as steel. Without missing a beat, she added, “And as far as I’m concerned, he never will.”

Chapter Two
     
    Launch
     
    B en made his way slowly down to the water’s edge, wending his way through the crowd, smiling and nodding to everyone who greeted him. He took up a position on the rocks, close to where Louise was darting back and forth, trying to find the best angle for taking pictures. Collars of dark brown seaweed floated like wet leather in the water, rising and falling on the gentle swells.
    With the boat already all but floating, Wally got out of the truck and walked over to the passenger’s door, where he made a great show of helping the flesh and blood Abby Rose down to the ground. The cement launch ramp was pitched at a steep angle, and she was a little unsteady on her feet. Ben attributed it to nerves, what with her mother hovering at the shoreline, saying over and over at high volume how “goddamned proud” she was of her daughter.
    Wally folded his arms across his chest and waited until conversation died to a murmur. He was used to commanding attention.
    “I wanna thank you all for coming by today,” he said, his voice loud and confident.
    Wally smiled as he surveyed the crowd like they were adoring subjects, come to honor the king. Sunlight washed over his tanned and weather-beaten face, giving him a glow of