She chuckles and shakes her head at me. “You need to learn how to shut your mouth, boy.”
I turn around with a smile, walking backwards so I can face her. “Alright, then you can tell my sister why I was late.”
She snorts, waving a hand towards me. “Get. And tell her I say hi.”
With a wave, I turn around and continue to my truck. I told Heather I would be at the store ten minutes ago. It’s only a couple minutes’ drive away since Torrin Cove is tiny, but still… I was late the last time she needed me to cover for her too.
As I park in front of the general store my family owns, I’m greeted with the familiar sight of the town’s retired fishermen sipping coffee on the front porch. The old man crew meets here every afternoon, watching the boats come in and catching up with the current fishermen as they stop into the store. They sayit’s to “stay social”, but we all know it’s so they can keep tabs on us.
As my mother says, once a fisherman, always a fisherman.
“How was the water this morning?” my grandfather asks as I climb the few steps onto the porch.
“Decent,” I say. “Good haul, calm water. Brought in eighteen hundred pounds.”
Jack, one of my grandfather’s old crew members, lets out a low whistle. “More than decent, I’d say.”
Grandpa leans back in his chair with a smirk. “Still haven’t beat my biggest catch then,” he says with a wink.
I roll my eyes. He claims his biggest catch was twenty-three hundred pounds. But when he was fishing, the number of traps allowed was lower than our two hundred and fifty, and they didn’t have the technology we have now. So there’s no fucking way.
“You going to come back out then, old man?” I huff out an amused breath and nod my chin at the mug in his hand. “Or you just going to keep sitting on your ass drinking coffee and reminiscing about things that never happened?”
He tips his head back with a deep laugh, and the other men do the same.
“Nah, I’m not going to put my only grandson to shame,” Grandpa says with a sly smile. “And you wouldn’t even have a boat or a licence if it wasn’t for me, so shut your trap.” He winks and takes a drink of his coffee.
I shake my head and turn to open the door to the store. “Put your money where your mouth is and maybe I will.”
The door closes behind me as I enter the store, the sound of laughter from the group of men fading away as I’m met with the smell of freshly baked bread and coffee.
And a wild-eyed Heather.
“Finally.” She stands from her stool. But she stops and scrunches her face up as I join her behind the counter and pour myself a mug of coffee. “You smell nice,” she says.
I shake my head, placing the coffee pot back on the burner. “You’re the one that needed me hererightafter I got the boat in.”
“Could have allotted some time for a shower,” she says as she shrugs her sweater on and makes a dramatic show of sidestepping around me to avoid the smell of fish and sea water.
I roll my eyes at her and she chuckles.
“Smell aside, thanks for coming in today. I know it’s not ideal.” She grabs her bag from under the counter and slings it over her shoulder. “But I have to pick the kids up from school then drive to Lunenburg for their dentist appointment.”
“It’s alright,” I say, leaning back against the counter and taking a drink of my coffee.
If there’s one thing I can always count on, it’s Heather being frazzled. And honestly, I’m surprised at how well shedoeshold it all together, considering everything she has on her plate. She runs the business end of the store, has two kids aged five and seven, is actively involved in their school and all their sports and interests, and her husband, Chris, is often travelling for work. And she’s my older sister, so she’s usually trying to take care of me too. She doesn’t ask for help often, but when she does, I want to be able to support her as best I can.
“Ok.” She blows out a breath, and looks around the store, like she’s making sure everything is in place before she leaves. “Text me if you need?—”
“I’ve been doing this since I was fourteen.” I rest my elbows on the counter and gesture with my head towards the door. “Go.”
She smirks at me and turns, waving over her shoulder as she heads for the door. “See you later.”
“Bye,” I say, watching as the door bangs shut behind her. Once she’s gone, I let out a long breath and drop my headbetween my shoulders. Then I stand up, drain my coffee, and pour another one.
“Rough morning?”
I turn my head as Mom exits the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron.