Page 24 (1/2)

Author: Robyn Carr

"And now, Devon? What now? Because I think you know--er"

She didn’t have to even think about it "I just want a normal life Like other people have"

He smiled into her eyes "Really?" he asked "Normal like who? Like Rawley, an old Vietnam vet who spent a lot of the past forty years hohter at the age of sixteen and raised her alone? Like Scott Grant whose wife died just after the birth of his second child? Leaving hile father of two? Or maybe a normal person like me--ho shares his son with another father? We’re all just a bunch of flawed people, trying to slap together decent lives with the few tools we have"

She just stared at hihtly She could feel her eyes threaten to tear and she sed "God I don’t know if I’m just completely naive or really insensitive I’ave her a little kiss "Your challenges haven’t been s tone "Look how far you have come"

Twelve

The landscape of the hill behind the beach took on a ravaged appearance as the earth an a complicated excavation for the new Cooper residence The old switchback road from 101 to the bar was closed and would eventually disappear while t roads would take its place, s safer andhis parking area, which would allow people easier access to the bar and the dock

These two roads were going to cost a s the additional cost of a custo on the beach every day, watching those huge, noisy, exhaust-spewing earth rin on his face?

And he wasn’t alone on the beach by any measure Everyone arrived at one time or another to watch the action So on the beach near hi up at that vast hill This was a momentous event for Thunder Point--the development of new land The town and the whole north promontory was pretty well developed and there were some who had hoped Cooper would sell this land to a resort or hotel chain but, mostly, people were just happy to see it iood for the town

Cooper had talked to a developer, of course He had it in his head that he’d sell lots along the beach for single family residential It was even within his power to lease those lots with restrictions on the size and architectural style of each structure "I’ll be the ho a purple shed with a neon sign that flashes Girls Girls Girls on my beachfront"

He planned to put sorills on the beach Not a ton of them, but a few He had an idea that once this part of the beach was further developed, and the new roads were built, they’d have more visitors in the bar And if they had more visitors, he would be able to adddays of August, there weren’t a lot of people on the beach, at least during the weekdays, so work progressed nicely And the beach, while the road creasn’t working, was completely unaffected

He had a vision for this hillside development Given it was a hill, tall es and even wood shops or rec rooms would fit perfectly on the lowest level withspace on the second level Then lofts or second levels could be built on top of that Anywhere from twenty-five hundred to four thousand square feet, these fae oceanfront decks and staircases to the beach That style of architecture was not only most practical but would h he had an idea of how le family lots this stretch of beach could handle, he was still focused on one--his Theirs

Mac drove the sheriff’s departot out and just stood with Cooper for a while, looking at the roadwork, as he did al he said every day "That’s gonnaas it doesn’t look like Fort Lauderdale at Spring Break, I’ll adjust Maybe they’ll buy sandwiches and drinks from me"

Rawley came down from the bar to stand with them and stare up at the site "Damn fancy, you ask me"

The men looked at him "I didn’t hear anyone ask You hear anyone ask, Mac?"

"I like fancy," Mac said "I’d kill to have one of those parcels I don’t need et their own lives eventually But I’d take one of those s Or the deck--I could use a deck like that as long as it had an ocean out in front of it"

Cooper looked at hihed "I walk into a bank in this uniform and they smile, thank me for the service to the town and offer to set up a little checking account for me They knohat I ether You pick out one of the lots I’ll make you a deal"

"I don’t want a deal"

"Why not? I can do whatever I want," Cooper said

Mac sighed "Because I don’t want to be sitting out on that deck having a beer with you," he said, lifting his chin toward the bar, "and have you remember you cut me a deal and be all butt sore about it"

"I’et like that"

"Tell you what," Rawley interrupted "I’ll buy one and I’ll cut you a deal I’ll be dead by the tiet around to coether to look at hi to buy a lot?" Cooper asked

"I could," Rawley said with a shrug "If it ht you didn’t have any money!"

"Did I ever tell you that?" Raanted to know

"You were going to sell your truck to bury your father!"