Cope sat next to his husband. The mattress was surprisingly firm. “Our friends don’t hate you. It’s the motel they hate.” Cope offered his husband a smile.
“What do we do?” Jude asked, looking distraught.
“Well, for starters, let’s go check out the beach. Didn’t you say there was a pier with restaurants and shops?” Cope knew everyone would be in a better mood after they ate something. “Then we can spend the afternoon relaxing on the beach.”
“That sounds pretty good.” Jude headed for the balcony. “Come see the pier!” He waved Cope forward.
“Isn’t it cool, Daddy?” Wolf asked when Cope stepped onto the balcony.
Cope looked out over the beach. It was filled with brightly colored umbrellas and beach blankets. Kids and parents bobbed in the waves, and several teenagers were throwing Frisbees. To his left was the aforementioned pier. It reminded Cope of Florida and the Carolinas, where structures like this were common. It extended about five hundred feet into the ocean. He could see people milling about and could smell fried dough. “See, everything’s gonna be okay.”
“I want to ride the roller coaster just like we did at Fun-A-Rama!” Wolf pointed further down the beach to the amusement park. Cope remembered reading it was the only one in New England right on the beach.
“Let’s just hope it’s not haunted like Fun-A-Rama,” Jude muttered loudly enough for only Cope to hear.
As Jude spoke, a shiver ran through Cope’s entire body, giving him goose bumps and making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He hoped to hell this wasn’t another bad omen. He wasn’t overly fond of the current tally.
Bad Omens, 2. Cope and Jude, 0.
3
Jude
Jude felt lower than an earthworm with a tax bill. The room hadn’t been as bad as he thought it would be, but he knew this was the last place any of his friends would have booked into for a weekend of fun in the sun. He didn’t know how, but he’d make this up to Ronan and Fitz if it was the last thing he did. He supposed a good way to start was by paying for lunch.
Everyone was gathered on the beach, staring out at the sea. Jude could tell Wolf wanted to run into the waves and splash around, but that would have to wait until after lunch. “Let’s go check out the pier,” Jude said. “There are supposed to be a lot of restaurants there.”
“Sounds good to me. I’m starving,” Ronan said. He took off at the head of the group, leaving Jude to wonder if his best friend was avoiding him.
Jude hoped the hell not. Just in case, he stayed at the back of the group with Cope and Lizbet, who was insisting she wanted to walk on her own but kept slipping and falling on the sand. Finally, Jude scooped her up, making his one-year-old daughter cry. Cope swooped in and took her. The baby instantly settled. What the hell else could possibly go wrong? Rogue wave? Food poisoning? Attacks by rabid seagulls? He didn’t know and, truth be told, didn’t want to find out.
Minutes later, they arrived at the Old Orchard Beach Pier. It was lit up in flashing lights that were barely visible in the summer sun. Jude knew it would look incredible when it got dark. As with everything else so far, it had unrealized potential that Jude desperately hoped would be fulfilled.
As they walked up the ramp, Jude heard the kids start to shout for candy. There were stands for fried dough, fudge, candied apples, gummy animals, and ice cream. He could smell hot dogs and burgers on a grill, along with the familiar scent of lobster and clarified butter.
“What’s everyone in the mood for?” Jude asked. “Lunch is on me.”
“Let’s see what else there is.” Ronan hung back and slung an arm around Jude. “Sorry I was such a dick when we got here. This place isn’t what I expected based on what you told us. That’s on me. We’re gonna have a great time here. Stop beating yourself up. You don’t have to pay for everything to make this up to us. But let me tell you, if Everly gets doused in a bucket of pig’s blood, we’re getting the hell out of here ASAP. Got it?”
Jude snorted. He obviously wasn’t the only one who’d been thinking the start to this trip sounded like a Stephen King novel. “Got it. Ditto for seeing a crazy pet cemetery or if Wolfie makes friends with a little girl who can set things on fire with her mind.”
Ronan laughed and led Jude further down the pier. Every type of carnival food imaginable was available, from foot-long hot dogs to churros. Jude wanted to eat everything in sight but knew it would be up to the kids where they landed. “What looks good, Wolf?”
“Everything, Daddy! I want a giant hot dog, waffle fries, a bucket of chicky nugs, and fried strippers.” Wolf’s dark eyes glowed with excitement.
Jude bit his lower lip to keep from laughing. “What are fried strippers?” Aside from the obvious, which Jude knew they didn’t serve in Maine. The state was called Vacationland, not CannibalLand. The only other thing he could think of was clam strips. Wolf wasn’t as big into seafood as Aurora was, and to the best of his knowledge, his son had never eaten a clam.
“You know those yummy candy bars Dad gets at the store?” Wolf shot Jude a look that said he was wondering if his father was losing his mind.
“Oh, you mean Snickers?” Definitely not pole dancers, then. Jude remembered seeing a booth further back that featured deep-fried candy bars, among other heart-attack-inducing delicacies.
Wolf nodded. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Aurora and Everly screaming, “Unicorns!” in perfect tandem.
The girls ran to a game stand where you had to pop balloons with darts to win a prize. Jude knew from experience that the Aurora-sized unicorns were the top prize, and it would cost approximately four million dollars to win one, let alone two.
“Let’s give it a try,” Fitz said, pulling out his wallet and heading for the game booth. He turned to Jace. “Pray for me.”
Jace laughed and held up his hands with his fingers double-crossed for luck.
