Reluctant Housemates Read online

  “Are you ready to return to Pilgrim Cove?”

  Rachel transferred the receiver to her other ear and collapsed onto her chair. “Do you always start off your conversations with a punch to the gut?” she asked. “Wait, don’t answer that. I seem to remember that you do.”

  “Because it usually works, my dear, and it can save a lot of time. But not today. I guess today requires a full conversation.”

  “Dr. Bennett.” Rachel spoke softly. “At the risk of having you think I’m buying time, could you please repeat the question.”

  His laughter was the only answer for a moment. Then he said, “We’re offering you the position, Rachel.” He outlined the details, which she could barely concentrate on.

  “But think hard, Rachel,” he continued. “You’ll be living under a microscope because the position is a new one. And you’ll be living in the shadow of your past. Some of the people here will remember you. There will be no quarter given. I want the job done well. Which is why I’m asking, as an old friend, are you ready to come back?”

  She took a deep breath. “I can handle it, Dr. Bennett. I think it’s time for me to come home.”

  Dear Reader,

  Pilgrim Cove native Rachel Goodman has come home for one good reason: to prove to the town and to her family that she’s not a loser. She’d graduated from high school—barely—and gone to college on a swimming scholarship. And now the swimming jock is the new assistant principal for academic studies at Pilgrim Cove High.

  Marine biologist Jack Levine has a woman in every port, and his boat, The Wanderer, is his most prized possession. When he winds up teaching science at Pilgrim Cove, he finds that he likes the small town very much.

  Bart Quinn and the ROMEOs have a plan for this young couple: Sea View House. Living there worked for Laura and Matt (The House on the Beach) and for Shelley and Daniel (No Ordinary Summer) so why not for Rachel and Jack?

  Welcome to Pilgrim Cove! Or welcome back! Everyone’s invited to enjoy the goings-on in this friendly coastal town where love is as powerful as the ocean next door.

  See you in Pilgrim Cove!

  Linda Barrett

  P.S. I’d love to hear from you. Please e-mail me at

  [email protected] or write to P.O. Box 1934,

  Houston, TX 77284-1934. Check out my Web site,

  www.linda-barrett.com.

  Reluctant Housemates

  Linda Barrett

  To Teddy and Richie Grossman, for providing the

  inspiration for the Pilgrim Cove series.

  All it took was a house, a beach and wonderful friends.

  CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Rachel Goodman:

  Assistant vice principal; leases ground floor of Sea View House

  Jack Levine:

  Marine biologist; leases upstairs at Sea View House

  Alex and Susan Goodman:

  Rachel’s brother and sister-in-law

  Children: David and Jennifer

  Dr. Bennett:

  Principal of Pilgrim Cove High School

  Bart Quinn:

  Realtor for Sea View House

  Maggie Quinn Sullivan:

  Bart’s daughter

  Partner in The Lobster Pot

  Married to Tom Sullivan, coach at Pilgrim Cove High School

  Thea Quinn Cavelli:

  Bart’s daughter

  Partner in The Lobster Pot

  Married to Charlie Cavelli

  Lila Sullivan:

  Bart’s granddaughter and partner

  Dee Barnes:

  Manager of Diner on the Dunes

  Married to Rick O’Brien

  THE ROMEOS (RETIRED OLD MEN EATING OUT)

  Bart Quinn:

  Unofficial leader of the ROMEOs

  Sam Parker:

  Matt’s dad; works part-time with Matt

  Joe Cavelli:

  Thea’s father-in-law

  Rick “Chief” O’Brien:

  Retired police chief

  Married to Dee Barnes

  Lou Goodman:

  Retired high school librarian

  Rachel’s father

  Married to Pearl

  Max “Doc” Rosen:

  Retired physician

  Ralph Bigelow:

  Retired electrician

  Mike Lyons:

  Retired engineer

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER ONE

  TOTAL DEVASTATION. No roof. Barely a wall. Not a single classroom remained intact.

  Rachel Goodman stared at what used to be the high school, trying to visualize the neat brick building that had stood on the spot just yesterday. Before the tornado had struck.

  “It’s unbelievable,” she murmured to the police officer assigned to the site.

  “Maybe to an easterner,” the cop replied. “But Round Rock, Kansas, is in Tornado Alley. Twisters happen all the time during the season.”

  Rachel’s hands fisted at her side as a shiver raced through her. She managed, however, to cling to one happy thought. “Thank goodness it’s summer and the school was empty.”

  The man nodded. “But the building’s done for, Ms. Goodman. Not much left.” The cop scanned the area once more, his expression bleak. “Can’t be used.”

  Rachel followed his gaze. The man was right. Her students would have to attend somewhere else when classes resumed after the summer break three weeks from now.

  She waved to the officer and walked to her parked Ford Explorer. Creative planning would be needed to make sure the students’ education wouldn’t be compromised. As one of the high school’s three assistant principals, she’d be very much involved. In fact…she glanced at her watch and realized she had barely enough time to try reaching her parents again before her three o’clock meeting with her principal and the other assistants.

  Sitting in the front seat of her vehicle, she punched the auto dial on her cell phone. The landlines in town were down, and every time she’d called Pilgrim Cove, Massachusetts, on her mobile, she’d been unable to get through. Her parents were probably frantic by now.

  Or maybe not. If they’d listened to the news, they’d know that no lives had been lost. Maybe she was worrying for nothing. Her dad would probably think that not contacting them was typical of Rachel. He’d expected little of her while she was growing up, and that’s exactly what she’d given him—very little. C’s and D’s were good enough. How could she possibly compete with Alex? Ten years older than she, her brother had been the perfect one. A straight A student, president of the student council and universally popular with adults, Alex also had loads of friends and was certainly the pride of her father’s heart. Rachel had recognized a no-win situation and communication between father and daughter had never been strong. After Rachel had entered college on a swimming scholarship plus some good SAT scores, she’d struck out on her own, returning home only for brief visits.

  But tornadoes required some effort on her part. She listened to the normal ring at the other end of her cell and felt relieved. Finally—the promise of connection.

  “Hello, hello.” Her dad’s voice. Tense.

  “It’s Rachel. It’s the first…”

  “Rachel! Rachel. Hold on. Don’t go away.”

  Then she heard him call, “Pearl, pick up the extension. Rachel’s on
the phone. She must be fine. She’s talking.”

  Guilt threatened to overwhelm Rachel. Of course her parents would be worried about her. She took a deep breath when he came back on. “I’m fine, Dad. The phone lines were down here, and I have a new cell phone. Just got it a couple of days ago. So, you don’t have the number. I’m sorry. I’ve been trying every half hour…. I’m fine, Mom. Truly. Yes, totally in one piece. There were no casualties. Except for the high school—which was completely destroyed—there was remarkably little damage to the town.”

  “Thank God.” Her dad’s utterance was heartfelt.

  She had more news to convey. “Listen, Mom and Dad. About my visit home next week. I may not be able to leave town. I have no idea what my principal has in mind or what the school board will decide for the next term. Whatever it is…I’m sure I’ll have to stick around here.”

  Her parents’ disappointment was audible. Rachel chatted for a little while and promised to let them know the outcome of today’s meeting. Maybe she’d still be able to fly home for a quick visit. They could hardly know that she referred to her yearly treks east not as a vacation, but as her pilgrimage to Pilgrim Cove. Her mixed feelings about going home plagued her each time she went.

  Her teenage years had been difficult. In fact, her memories of high school gave her hives. She’d been too tall, too gawky. Her breasts had forgotten to develop, and the heavy braces on her teeth hadn’t helped. All she’d wanted was to fit in. Before she’d found her salvation in swimming, she’d tried joining a club but had felt out of place. She’d tried basketball because of her height, but she’d been clumsy, dropping the ball, falling. Her teammates had groaned, and the opposing side had laughed.

  She hadn’t cared about schoolwork or grades at all. She’d only wanted friends. Some teachers had felt sorry for her. Some had tried to reassure her father! There’d been one old biddy…. She automatically squeezed her eyes shut, intentionally dismissing the memory. Darn it! She wasn’t a sensitive fifteen-year-old anymore. She was beyond that hurt now.

  Her school memories weren’t the only bad ones. She’d disappointed her folks throughout her childhood, and again as an adult, by choosing to live far away. And her brother still resented her. She sighed and shook her head. Family relationships were often complicated. Well, maybe she and Alex would never be close, but she was crazy about his kids! And she’d miss seeing her niece and nephew this summer if she didn’t take her vacation.

  Turning her key in the ignition, Rachel scanned her surroundings. She’d been very happy in this landlocked part of the country since she’d arrived here as a college freshman. She’d been happy at her university, happy being on her own with no family history dogging her. She’d been so content with her life that she’d decided to stay in the Midwest.

  The last two years as assistant principal in Round Rock had kept her busy. Most of the time, she had no regrets. But lately, sometimes…when the nights were long and she had no one to share them with, she felt lonely. At thirty-one, she’d had a couple of relationships that had gone nowhere. Always her decision, but the results were the same. She spent her nights alone.

  And occasionally, when her Sundays stretched long with no family to visit…to have dinner with…to talk with…she wished Pilgrim Cove weren’t so far away. In the next moment, however, her stomach would tighten and she’d laugh at herself.

  She’d been on her own for thirteen years now, and an unhappy truth hit her with recurring regularity: she was alone. Her stomach often tightened at this thought, too, but somehow, she couldn’t manage to laugh the idea away.

  She glanced at her watch as she headed back to town for her meeting. In the end, Pilgrim Cove, Massachusetts, was her past. Round Rock, Kansas was her future. She had no intention of leaving the Midwest.

  NOTEBOOK AND PEN IN HAND, Rachel sat on the end of the sofa in John Thompson’s living room. For a man who was usually organized and direct, he seemed to be fumbling for words. Of course, the shock of the destroyed school could account for his loss of equilibrium, but Rachel didn’t think that was the explanation. The principal was well seasoned in his job.

  Rachel glanced at the other two assistant principals in the room. Both older than she, both married with families, and both looking as concerned as Rachel felt.

  “You’re wearing a hole in your carpet, Mr. Thompson,” said Rachel with a smile. “No one was hurt, and that’s the most important thing.”

  The principal paused in his step and sat down in a club chair opposite Rachel and her two colleagues. “You’re absolutely right. And I hope you keep that in mind when I tell you what the School District has decided, in fact, why I called this meeting as soon as I learned their plans.”

  “Go on,” said one of the assistants.

  The man took a deep breath. “In a nutshell, our students will be divided and bussed to two other high schools. A few portable classrooms will be erected at each facility to handle the influx. Our teachers will be reassigned to these schools to work with the faculties there.” He stopped talking for a moment.

  Suddenly Rachel’s stomach sank to her toes. She knew where this conversation was going. “And we administrators are out of jobs?” she asked softly.

  No one moved. The silence in the room made her ears throb, wiping out the birdsong coming from the trees outside the window.

  “I’m afraid so,” replied Thompson with a heavy sigh. “At least for now. For this year. Or until a new school is built.”

  “I’ve got a family to support!”

  “Is there unemployment insurance? John, are there any alternatives?”

  The exclamations of dismay from her colleagues washed over Rachel while she faced her own situation. Completely self-supporting since college graduation, she’d saved enough money to tide her over for a little while, but she needed a job!

  “I’ve done some preliminary research, and there might be good news for some of you,” said Thompson, “if you want to return to the classroom on a teacher’s salary.”

  “We need to work,” said the woman next to Rachel. “And until our school is rebuilt, of course I’ll go back to the classroom.”

  “Then you’re in luck. There’s an opening for a high school math teacher,” said the principal, looking a bit more relaxed. “I can make another phone call and arrange a meeting. You should be all set.”

  But there wouldn’t be an opening for a physical/health education teacher or coach. Rachel knew it just as surely as she knew the sun would rise the next morning. Math and science teachers were always in demand. No community had enough specialists in those subjects.

  “I’m a licensed guidance counselor,” said the third assistant principal. “Any openings in schools within fifty miles? Elementary, middle or high school. I don’t care which.” The man’s voice was strained, his hands clenched on his knees, as he stared at the principal.

  Thompson nodded. “I’ve been inquiring for all of you. There’s a counselor going on maternity leave in the middle school right here in town. A last minute change.”

  “Thank God,” said the man, shaking his head. “My own wife’s pregnant with our second and…to be unemployed….” He closed his eyes and leaned against the back of the couch.

  “Any rabbits in your hat for me?” asked Rachel quietly, hoping that her instincts were wrong.

  John Thompson just stared at her, sorrow in his eyes, crushing even the faintest of hopes. “You’ll have the strongest letter of recommendation I can write,” he said. “In your two years with us, you’ve been a great asset. And I want you back next year if you’re available.”

  “Count on it,” said Rachel, suddenly finding it difficult to speak. She swallowed a few times, trying to absorb the implications. “I…I’ve enjoyed working with all of you.” She looked at her colleagues. “You’ll watch out for our kids…check up on them…? They’ll have so many adjustments.”

  They reassured her. She turned toward her boss. “I’ll do whatever I can to help, but right now…�
��

  “Right now, you need some time to catch your breath. Go home! Update your résumé. I’ll be in touch.”

  Rachel stood. “Thanks, John. Excuse me, everyone.” She left the room.

  When she reached her Explorer, she collapsed against it and focused on breathing. Inhale. Exhale. Two tornadoes within two days. And no warning for either.

  What lousy timing! She loved her job. Loved working with high school kids. And now, just when she’d settled in and started making her mark in Round Rock, she’d have to do a job search and relocate.

  She opened the car door and got in, her mind still whirling. Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time she’d moved. But there was one big difference now. In the past, she’d been the one initiating the change. She’d wanted a school management position after earning her master’s in educational administration. She’d chosen to build her career out of the classroom, and she’d loved her work at Round Rock. If the high school was rebuilt by next year, and if John Thompson called her back, great. But there were too many “ifs.”

  She pulled out of her spot and headed toward her apartment. Looking backward never helped—only caused pain. Now it was time to go forward, to find a new position. Time to call Pilgrim Cove, explain the situation to her folks and cancel her flight home. Finding a new job was priority now.

  “DON’T GIVE UP THAT ticket, Rachel!”

  Her dad’s voice boomed in her ear, and Rachel jerked the receiver away from her head. What was that all about?

  Lou Goodman rarely “boomed.” Her mild-mannered father, a retired school librarian, took life in stride. She couldn’t remember him ever raising his voice, not even to her when she screwed up. Between her lousy grades, arguing with teachers, picking fights with her brother and being angry at the world in general, she’d given him plenty of cause. But her dad had never said much, just always looked…sad. Or maybe disappointed.

  She paced the floor of her large kitchen and cautiously placed the receiver to her ear again. “Dad? I can visit during Christmas or something. But now I have to find another job.”