Saving Simon (Tarnished Saints Series Book 5) (17 page)

“Don’t bother,” said Aunt Cappy. “I can tell the princess doesn’t want to ride in back because she’s afraid of messing up her hair. I’ll get in back instead.”

Piper was surprised how easily the woman could read her. She wondered if she were that transparent to Simon as well.

“No, I’ll get in back, it’s all right,” she protested, but it was too late. Aunt Cappy got out and extended her arm motioning for Piper to take the front seat. “Well, let me at least move the seat first so you can get in.”

Aunt Cappy grabbed her by the elbow and all but shoved her into the front seat and slammed the door shut.

“Aren’t you coming?” asked Piper, confused as to why the woman was still standing outside the car.

Cat started laughing from beside her and Piper felt as if she was on the outside of a private joke.

“I’m coming, but I’m going to show you how it’s done. After all, if you’re going to be a Taylor soon then you’d better drop the prima donna act and start acting like one of the family.”

“What?” she asked, but never got an answer. In one motion, Aunt Cappy hauled her plump body up onto the side of the car and then twisted quickly, dropping down into the back seat with a loud thump.

Piper’s eyes opened wide when she looked back to see Aunt Cappy’s feet in the air and her head on the seat. She reached over to help her, but Cat’s hand on her arm stopped her.

“Don’t do that or she’ll be insulted,” Cat warned her with a giggle.

Sure enough, though Piper thought the woman was jammed in so tight she wouldn’t be able to move, she managed to right herself and put her feet on the floor. “Well, what are you waiting for, Cat? Get a move on already, or did you plan on sitting here all day?”

“Hold on,” said Cat, backing up and turning around quickly which only jostled Aunt Cappy so much that Piper thought she was going to get hurt.

“Maybe you should wear your seat belt, Aunt Cappy,” Piper told her, clicking hers into place as she spoke.

“Hah!” she sniffed from the back seat. “For one thing it wouldn’t fit around me, and for another, I’ve never worn one in my entire life and don’t plan on starting now.”

They sped away and Piper just looked at Cat and spoke in a soft voice so Aunt Cappy wouldn’t hear her. “I can’t believe this. Any of it.”

“Why do you think the boys call her Crazy Aunt Cappy?” asked Cat with a smile.

“I heard that,” she called out from the back seat. “I may be old but I have ears on me like a hawk.”

“Don’t you mean eyes like a hawk?” asked Piper.

“Maybe that’s what they say in the big city where you come from, but out here in the sticks we just say whatever the hell we want.” Aunt Cappy threw her arms up in the air just then and let out a loud hoot, startling Piper and making her jump.

Piper turned back around and looked out the front window, squinting in the morning sun and missing her designer sunglasses immensely right now.

“Lighten up, Pippi Longstockings,” Aunt Cappy called out from the back seat loudly. “It’s a good thing you don’t smile because if you did, riding in this contraption you’d be sure to have bugs in your teeth before we ever got to town. And I’m sure you’re manicured hands have never even touched a bug in your life.”

“Don’t let her get to you,” said Cat, with a sympathetic smile. “She doesn’t mean any harm. She basically did the same thing to me, tho I think she’s getting crazier and harsher with each day she spends back here on Thunder Lake with her nephews.”

Piper didn’t know what to say. She really didn’t like Aunt Cappy. She put down her visor to block the sun, and flipped up the cover on the mirror to check her hair, wishing she had brought along a hat or at least a hair tie with her. When she looked into the mirror, she saw Aunt Cappy watching her from the back seat.

“We’re going to have to do something about this one fast, Cat,” she shouted out over the wind. “We’ve got a lot of work to do before Simon leaves for the Caribbean and I’m not at all sure we’re going to have enough time.”

Piper flipped the lid of the mirror back down quickly and shoved the visor up in the air, looking out the side window instead. She wondered just what that meant, and figured she’d have to ask Cat about it once they finally got rid of the crazy old woman in the back seat. The sooner the better as far as she was concerned.

* * *

“The boat looks great, boys,” said Simon, exiting the cabin of the sailboat and standing up straight. His eleven-year-old nephew Zeke and the nine-year-old twins, Josh and Jake stood inside the boat with dirt on their clothes and faces just watching him. Zeke held onto a bucket of dirty water with two sponges and Josh had a full garbage bag in his one hand and a broom in the other. Jake, wearing his coonskin cap, had a dustpan in his hand and held it out in front of Simon’s face like one of the collection baskets at church.

“All right, you earned your money,” said Simon, pulling a twenty out of his wallet and dropping it onto the dust pan. Jake smiled and quickly plucked it up with two fingers and shoved it into the front pocket of his dirty jeans.

“Where’s our share?” asked Zeke with his hand outstretched as well.

“That’s for all of you to share, now don’t be greedy,” Simon told them.

“Are you still going to take us fishing later?” asked Josh.

“Well, I don’t know. I’m going to be kind of busy today,” he said, thinking that he wanted to spend time with Piper later and didn’t want the kids around. It was busy at the marina today and he knew he wouldn’t have a lot of extra time on his hands.

“You promised us you’d take us fishing on the sailboat,” complained Josh. “Pa said we could cook whatever we caught for dinner.”

“Fine,” said Simon, not wanting to disappoint his nephews. He hadn’t seen them in a long time and they were growing up so quickly. He knew that this was really important to them so he’d just have to find some other time to spend with Piper instead. “Come on back later this afternoon and bring your poles. I’ll have a bucket of bait ready, and I know a good spot on the lake where the big fat catfish all hang out.”

“Catfish?” asked Zeke. “I like cats, I don’t want to kill a catfish.”

“It’s not the same,” he told him. “Besides, it makes great chowder. So make sure to tell your brothers if they want to fish too, I’ll give a prize to the one who catches the biggest fish.”

“What’s the prize?” asked Josh.

“I’m not sure. I’ll let you boys decide.”

“How about the winner gets to wear your boat’s man whistle for a day?” suggested Zeke.

“Oh, you mean my Bosun’s Whistle,” he said, pulling it out from under his shirt where he wore it on a chain. “Every good sailor should have one of these.” He held it up to his mouth and blew a series of notes that meant various things from all hands on deck to the signal used to announce a passing ship. He’d worn this whistle religiously while in the Navy and every day since he was dismissed as well. This was his past and once his dreams of the future. He’d planned on making a career out of the Navy, but those dreams ended all too soon.

“Let me try,” said Zeke reaching out for it, but Simon quickly slipped it back under his t-shirt.

“Not yet,” he said, not really wanting to hand it over to a child. “I think we should choose something else.” He already regretted telling them that they could decide the prize, but he never expected them to choose this.

“Uncle Simon, you said we could choose the prize,” complained Josh.

“That’s right,” said Zeke. “You never let us touch your boat’s man whistle. You must not like us very much.”

“That’s not true,” he said, feeling like he was letting down his nephews. They were more important to him than any material possession, so he decided he’d just have to go through with it and hope for the best. “I don’t let just anyone try my whistle, tho. It is only for those who have earned it. Now catch the biggest fish and maybe you’ll win the prize.”

“That’s not fair. Dan and Sam always catch the big fish,” complained Jake, talking about their older brothers. “They’ll win for sure.”

“You’re right,” Simon agreed, knowing the older boys had been fishing for years. “We’ll just keep the contest a secret between us then.”

“Don’t blab it to Eli,” Jake said looking at his brother Zeke. “Last time Eli came fishing with us he dumped all the worms into the water and made so much noise he scared all the fish away.”

“What’s up?” asked Thomas’s eldest boy, Dan, walking up the pier to meet them with his brother Sam limping along behind on his bad leg, and Eli jumping up and down on the pier shaking the whole thing as he followed them.

“Nothin’,” said Jake looking the other way. “See, Eli’s already scaring all the fish,” he mumbled under his breath.

“Are we goin’ fishin’ Uncle Simon?” asked Eli with a big smile on his face. “I want to hold the worms.”

Simon couldn’t lie to a six-year-old, so he just smiled and nodded his head. “Yes, I’ll take you all fishing later but since we can’t all fit on the sailboat, we’ll have to take Mrs. Glover’s pontoon boat instead. Someone’s renting it right now, but they should have it returned in a few hours or so.”

“Uncle Simon, you promised!” Jake scolded, crossing his arms and scowling at Simon for spilling their secret and also deciding they wouldn’t use the sailboat after all.

“It’s all right, Jake. I’ll take you boys on the sailboat soon, I promise.”

“Uncle Zeb said he can sail better than you with his eyes closed,” little Eli blurted out.

“Oh, really?” asked Simon, knowing now he needed to put his brother Zeb in his place. They’d always been competing when they were younger and Simon usually won any challenge Zeb threw his way. Of course, the challenges had usually been initiated by their brother Pete, who’d always had a gambling problem and still did even now as a minister in South America.

“Eli, you shouldn’t have told him,” said Sam reaching down and grabbing his little brother and picking him up in his arms. Sam was only fourteen, but always looked after Eli and basically raised him after their stepmother died.

“Is it true, Uncle Simon?” asked Josh. “Can Uncle Zeb sail better than you?”

“In his dreams! It’s a lie and you boys know it.”

“Prove it!” said Jake, obviously still angry with him about the whole fishing episode.

“Okay, I will,” said Simon, always up for a challenge. “Today we’ll fish and tomorrow we’ll have a sailboat race between me and your lying Uncle Zeb.”

“Which boat is Uncle Zeb going to use?” asked Dan from the pier. “That one?” He pointed to another sailboat on the docks. It belonged to the marina, and as far as Simon knew no one had rented it yet for Sunday. It was an eighteen footer with blue, green, and pink striped sails, and he knew it was lighter and faster than his boat. Still, Simon had been the one to teach Zeb how to sail in the first place. He would have no trouble beating him in a race, even if his brother did have the faster boat. Zeb may know a little about sailing, but he was a lawyer, not a sailor. His real skills were in a courtroom, not in the middle of the lake. The water was Simon’s domain.

“Yes, that one,” said Simon. “Tell your uncle to get himself a crew and be prepared to be humiliated in front of everyone.”

“What does that mean?” asked Eli.

“It means Uncle Simon is going to kick Uncle Zeb’s ass!” Jake shouted out excitedly. “Uncle Simon, can I be a part of your crew?” he asked, tugging on Simon’s shirt.

“Me too,” said Zeke, and Simon realized this would be a good way to make up for disappointing the boys by having invited their brothers along on the fishing trip.

“Jake, Josh, and Zeke, you can be my ground crew,” he told them. That got whoops of excitement out of all three of them. “However, you can’t be on the boat when I’m racing because it’s too much weight and will slow me down.”

“Are you going to sail by yourself?” asked Sam.

“Nope.” Simon shook his head. “I’m taking Thad with me.” His brothers Thad and Nate had sailed with him all the time in the Caribbean. Both of them knew how to handle a sailboat with ease.

“Then Sam and I will be on Uncle Zeb’s ground crew,” said Dan.

“Me too!” shouted Eli.

“You too,” Simon added. “Then it’s set.” Simon helped the boys get out of the boat and up on the pier. “So tell Uncle Zeb to find himself a first mate, and be prepared to lose. Now lets all get some lunch and then Dan you take the boys home to get their fishing poles and come back here later this afternoon. I’ll have the bait ready, so tell your pa we’re going to have catfish chowder for dinner tonight.”

They all started back down the pier eagerly, then Josh turned around, seeming to have remembered something.

“Oh, Uncle Simon, I almost forgot. I found a bunch of papers and things under one of the cushions on the bunk. I figured they were garbage and threw them out.”

“What? No, those weren’t garbage, Josh. Those were very important papers. You need to put them back where you found them.”

“Well, I guess I can take them out of the garbage,” he said, putting the plastic bag down on the pier. “If they’re so important why do you keep them on a sail boat? Won’t they get wet?”

“I’ll get them Josh, thanks,” he said taking the bag from the boy. That’s all he needed was for Mrs. Glover’s invoices and ledger book to be thrown away. He couldn’t say he wasn’t tempted to throw them out himself just to keep them away from Piper, but he couldn’t do that. She’d been so distracted lately that she’d only asked for them a few times, and each time he’d changed the subject. Still, he knew this was a business and he was going to have to eventually hand them over to her no matter how much he dreaded the thought.