Read Online Elaine Orr - Jolie Gentil 04 - Any Port in a Storm by Elaine Orr - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Elaine Orr
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it.
“Let me know if I can buy you a hotdog tomorrow, okay?” I said this as I opened my car door, anxious not to prolong the conversation.
He beamed at me. “You always help me, Jolie.”
Guilt.
CHAP TER FIVE
A BANNER with Harvest for All Talk Like a Pirate Day and me slicing a loaf of bread with a pirate’s sword blew in the breeze, as did the seats on the park swing set. I stared mutely at the banner for a few seconds and walked toward one of the picnic tables. I’ll get George Winters .
Oceanside Park sits at the spot where Ocean Alley’s boardwalk ends and is barely more than two acres. It’s an area filled with many tons of gravel and then soil, according to Aunt Madge, because it’s kind of a natural cove and used to bring water too close to several small shops and houses. Big piles of stones sit at the edge of the park, and mostly the water doesn’t come beyond the rocks. Mostly. There’s some gritty sand near the rocks, and the rocks are piled high enough that no one can swim in the area.
I felt grouchy from lack of sleep and lectured myself on staying on an even keel for the afternoon. As if the threat of an impending storm wasn’t enough, I was worried we wouldn’t have enough prizes. This is where the Serenity Prayer could come in handy. Was I supposed to ask for courage or wisdom first? “Patience would come in handy right about now,” I said aloud.
I balanced a box containing tickets for door prizes, aprons to hold donated money, my digital camera, and other odds and ends. It was eight in the morning and Talk Like a Pirate Day (or half-day) would start at one o’clock.
“Five hours and counting,” said George’s voice, from behind me.
“I swear George, if you take any…” I stopped as I turned and looked at him. He had on black jeans and a tee shirt, but had a ruffled white shirt and a violently purple jacket draped over his arm. “Okay, you get six points for trying.”
“Is that a lot?” he asked, as he took the box from me and put his own camera in it.
“Probably.” I nodded toward the sky. “What do you think?” We both looked at the clouds to the southeast, and then at the surf, which was a lot choppier than yesterday.
“I just looked at the radar map. It’s not coming ashore here. We may need to go to First Prez even before dinner, but you should be okay for most of the day.” George grinned at me over the top of the box. “Should make the pirate flags fly high.”
“You’ll get yours later,” I said, and looked around the park. Last night Jennifer and several friends had set up the plywood pirate ship with its holes for bean bags. It looked as if they had braced it pretty well. “Hey.” I looked closer at it. “What’s different about her ship?”
“I can tell you.” Scoobie was balancing a couple boxes of balloons on top of a larger box of small triangular flags that we planned to string around the swings and jungle gym. “Look at the name of the ship.”
I swore and George laughed. “She made the name of the ship bigger!” George sounded like a kid who sank a spit ball while the teacher wasn’t looking. HMS Stenner was now lettered in script about six inches tall.
“That’s okay,” Scoobie said. “Your posters have been all over town.”
My posters. “They made Harry happy,” I said.
There were a couple horn honks and Dr. Welby pulled into the small parking area.
“Scoobie!” Josh had called to him from the edge of the boardwalk. Max trailed Josh, carrying the kind of gray wool blanket church groups pass out to homeless people. He also had a pirate hat, one of the many cheap ones that had been for sale on the boardwalk all week.
I waved at them. “Max said something about helping?” I asked Scoobie, in a low voice.
“I asked them,” Scoobie said as he waved at Josh and Max. “I knew they’d come, and it’s better if Max has something to do.”
I repressed a sigh. “What’s he going to do?” Max’s incessant
“Let me know if I can buy you a hotdog tomorrow, okay?” I said this as I opened my car door, anxious not to prolong the conversation.
He beamed at me. “You always help me, Jolie.”
Guilt.
CHAP TER FIVE
A BANNER with Harvest for All Talk Like a Pirate Day and me slicing a loaf of bread with a pirate’s sword blew in the breeze, as did the seats on the park swing set. I stared mutely at the banner for a few seconds and walked toward one of the picnic tables. I’ll get George Winters .
Oceanside Park sits at the spot where Ocean Alley’s boardwalk ends and is barely more than two acres. It’s an area filled with many tons of gravel and then soil, according to Aunt Madge, because it’s kind of a natural cove and used to bring water too close to several small shops and houses. Big piles of stones sit at the edge of the park, and mostly the water doesn’t come beyond the rocks. Mostly. There’s some gritty sand near the rocks, and the rocks are piled high enough that no one can swim in the area.
I felt grouchy from lack of sleep and lectured myself on staying on an even keel for the afternoon. As if the threat of an impending storm wasn’t enough, I was worried we wouldn’t have enough prizes. This is where the Serenity Prayer could come in handy. Was I supposed to ask for courage or wisdom first? “Patience would come in handy right about now,” I said aloud.
I balanced a box containing tickets for door prizes, aprons to hold donated money, my digital camera, and other odds and ends. It was eight in the morning and Talk Like a Pirate Day (or half-day) would start at one o’clock.
“Five hours and counting,” said George’s voice, from behind me.
“I swear George, if you take any…” I stopped as I turned and looked at him. He had on black jeans and a tee shirt, but had a ruffled white shirt and a violently purple jacket draped over his arm. “Okay, you get six points for trying.”
“Is that a lot?” he asked, as he took the box from me and put his own camera in it.
“Probably.” I nodded toward the sky. “What do you think?” We both looked at the clouds to the southeast, and then at the surf, which was a lot choppier than yesterday.
“I just looked at the radar map. It’s not coming ashore here. We may need to go to First Prez even before dinner, but you should be okay for most of the day.” George grinned at me over the top of the box. “Should make the pirate flags fly high.”
“You’ll get yours later,” I said, and looked around the park. Last night Jennifer and several friends had set up the plywood pirate ship with its holes for bean bags. It looked as if they had braced it pretty well. “Hey.” I looked closer at it. “What’s different about her ship?”
“I can tell you.” Scoobie was balancing a couple boxes of balloons on top of a larger box of small triangular flags that we planned to string around the swings and jungle gym. “Look at the name of the ship.”
I swore and George laughed. “She made the name of the ship bigger!” George sounded like a kid who sank a spit ball while the teacher wasn’t looking. HMS Stenner was now lettered in script about six inches tall.
“That’s okay,” Scoobie said. “Your posters have been all over town.”
My posters. “They made Harry happy,” I said.
There were a couple horn honks and Dr. Welby pulled into the small parking area.
“Scoobie!” Josh had called to him from the edge of the boardwalk. Max trailed Josh, carrying the kind of gray wool blanket church groups pass out to homeless people. He also had a pirate hat, one of the many cheap ones that had been for sale on the boardwalk all week.
I waved at them. “Max said something about helping?” I asked Scoobie, in a low voice.
“I asked them,” Scoobie said as he waved at Josh and Max. “I knew they’d come, and it’s better if Max has something to do.”
I repressed a sigh. “What’s he going to do?” Max’s incessant
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