Page 30 of The Seal's Promise
“See you then, Counselor.”
“You really think you can outsmart Gran and convince her Missy is moving in just so she can get some motherly advice?” Wes asked.
“No, but she might agree if I say I’m going to be helping out at the hospital in town for a few months.”
“Since when?”
“Since I chatted with the docs at the game earlier today and they made the hard sell.”
“So.”
“So, I’m not used to not working, and I don’t like having so much idle time on my hands,” Dalton said, grabbing a menu and looking over his options.
“Does this have anything to do with Brooke Garcia, who also happens to work at the hospital?”
“Maybe.”
“Just remember she’s a mom now, and her ex isn’t exactly a stand-up guy. The more he sees you around Brooke, the more vengeful he’ll get.”
“I’m just looking for a part-time gig while we get Gran settled and then I can figure out what I want to do with my life.”
“Let me know how that goes.”
“Speaking of, how come everyone in this town calls you the real sheriff?”
Wes sighed. “It’s just easier I guess. But the sheriff is more of a political appointment. Our current sheriff is old school, and he’s been in place for three decades.”
“But?”
“But he’s been asking me to run when his term is up next year. He’s not interested in modern policing with body cams and technology.”
“Wow. Sheriff Hart has a nice ring to it.”
“We’ll see, I’m not sure I want the job. I sorta fell into law enforcement after Mom and Dad died. Maybe we both need to figure out what we’re going to do next.”
“If I stayed in Sandy Point, would you want to go back to the city?”
Dalton remembered the day Wes returned home with a few suitcases; it was the same day of their parents’ funeral. He’d had a job and an apartment in the city, probably an entire life. But he’d moved home to make sure Levi and Dalton had what they needed. Three months later, Dalton left for the Naval Academy and never came back. But Levi had been only sixteen and needed a guardian. Between Wes and Gran, they made sure Levi channeled his grief into sports. He finished at the top of his class and was recruited by several Division One schools and got a full scholarship in Georgia. By then Wes had been working in the local police department and stayed to manage the family estate.
“I guess I never considered leaving again. If we sell off the pier and some land, there won’t be much here for me to manage besides Gran. If you stay, that does leave me with more options.”
“I forgot about the pier, and you didn’t say anything about selling off the land,” Dalton said.
“Do you know how expensive property taxes are on a hundred acres? Or a pier that’s in need of a million-dollar repair?”
“Point made. Look, I support whatever you decide, but am I allowed to ask what the options are?”
Wes nodded. “I’m happy to tell you anything, you and Levi just never seemed to worry about it or care.”
“Have you talked to Levi about potentially funding the pier repairs? I feel like after years in the MLB just a fraction of his salary could cover it and he should get the option to say no.”
“Our little brother has been dodging my calls, so unless you can get him to cut us a check, I need to make a decision by the end of the month. It won’t really matter who we sell to if we can’t afford to keep it.”
A sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. “Let me guess, a prominent local family wants to buy the pier and turn it into a tourist attraction, along with our land?” Dalton stood.
“Yup, and when you put this place in your rearview again, it won’t matter if the Banks family owns this town or if I’m the sheriff for the next thirty years,” Wes said matter-of-factly as he stood. “Come on, I’ll get you into Levi’s place and make sure it’s hospitable, then swing by Gran’s and see if any of those party animals need a ride home.”
Dalton didn’t like the idea of his brother feeling trapped by obligations to stay in Sandy Point or selling the family land to the one family they had such a bad history with. But the question remained, what was he going to do about it? Because staying in Sandy Point wasn’t an option, and now he might be forced to tell Wes why. Then his brother was definitely never going to want to see him again.
