Life was normal in Carefree Cove on an August Wednesday. Amanda Albright had just taken a vacation with her great-grandmother Gracie, and on awakening was anxious to go back to the cove from the moment the sun peeked over the horizon. When her father, Thomas Albright, reported that their neighbor Michelle Hawkins was at her dock, Amanda was out of her clothes and running down the path to the water at full tilt. Michelle welcomed her warmly, they frolicked in the water while Tom stood above them, watching. He took a few pictures with her digital camera, but carefully, so none of his daughter's forbidden parts were in the picture. The little girl usually had a short memory, except when she was set on something. He hoped she would forget about having her nude portrait with Michelle, but it was a faint hope.
Tom Albright, an artist who worked for a card company in Kansas City, had a difficult time the past few days. Michelle's arrival at Carefree Cove, Missouri had awakened long dormant feelings in his heart: some bitter memories of his teenage lover and protege, Renee Carter, who left a month after their daughter Amanda's birth, and jealousy as the local land baron, Mutt Hayes, romanced Michelle despite being married. Seldom in his 51 years had he been so conflicted over such a short period of time. The return of his 4 year old daughter had lifted his spirits, and Michelle's rejection of Mutt had lifted them more.
After the girls had their play time, he came down the path and got in the water. His daughter swam over to give him a hug and kiss, then over to her little island to swing on the set. Michelle sidled over to stand beside him on the bottom. "How come Gracie isn't living anywhere better than that trailer park?" she asked quietly.
"Gracie's lived in that trailer park for years, and she knows all her neighbors. They've stayed by her through thick and thin, and she doesn't want to leave her home. As long as she can manage it, I'll see that she can stay there."
"Aren't you worried about Mandy spending time there?"
"Amanda's fine there. I've talked to the neighbors: they look after each other."
"But the poverty. . ."
"Is no shame as far as I'm concerned. I don't want my daughter to grow up a snob. Gracie's place is clean and neat, her mother's mementos are there, and Gracie's the only other family she's got. Amanda needs to know what life is like away from the cove. Needs to know everybody doesn't have life easy, and needs to experience her great-grandmother as she is.."
The little girl was swinging naked on her swinging set, flying toward the Lake and the morning sun, singing an improvised song. Michelle took Tom's hand underwater and they watched her.
The three lunched together, and Michelle went back home afterward. Amanda took a bath after his morning in the lake, and was still excited about returning home.
"Daddy, do you like my friend Shelley?"
"Yes, punkin'. I do."
"Did you kiss her while I was gone?"
"No, sweetheart. I only have kisses for you."
"That's nice, Daddy, but you need a girlfriend. Grammie says that a lot."
"Well, it's OK Grammie says that, but I'll be the judge. Do you know your uncle Hoot is sick?"
"No, Daddy. Is he in the hospital?"
"Yes, he's up at Fairhaven."
"We'll have to go see him, and I'll make a picture for him."
"I'm sure he'd appreciate that. But I heard he may be coming home soon. Let's wait until he gets back."
"Okay, Daddy. Daddy?"
"Yes."
"I love you, Daddy."
Amanda settled down for her nap, and Tom also dozed through the heat of the afternoon. As he came back to consciousness, he had an idea that would make get his daughter's mind off her idea to pose for a picture with Michelle. It was simple, fun and it would work. He wondered about Mutt Hayes and what he was up to. Ashley and Maria were obviously happy when the sirens went by: what did they know? It didn't matter. His rival for Michelle was gone.
*******
Sunday afternoon in August was a lazy time. Resting comfortably on his couch after church, and Amanda safely napping upstairs, he flicked his remote to life, and searched for a baseball game, but none were to be found. Cursing, he went down and looked at his portrait of Michelle. She stood in front of a waterfall with a white flower in her hair, buxom and unclad, standing in knee deep water. He regarded it as a lover, a slight contented smile on his face.
The temperatures hovered in the mid 90s in the afternoon, the humidity was in the 70s, and evening found some relief. The teenagers of the Seville Hills, the nearest sizable town, sought refreshment at the local pool, while the unofficial elders lingered in the shade with their memories and their games. Tom and Amanda went to join the usual crew of grizzled old men in the seventies as the game in the shelter house began. A group of young boys in t-shirts and shorts hovered across the parking lot, smoking cigarettes and talking as they snuck peeks at the girls they longed for cavorting in the water.
"Look who the cat dragged in," Chigger Jones exclaimed as Tabitha Smoots and Todd Hayes brought Hoot Pidgeon to the Shelter House. The young people supported him as he walked carefully.
"Already tired of laying around," Hoot's voice rasped harshly. "24 hours in my bedroom bein' waited on hand and foot was too much already. I could hear the grass growing. Got Irma to let the kids take me out."
"And made us promise to look after you, Grandpa," Tabitha noted. Todd shook his head in agreement.
"Bull--ah--nonsense, Tabby. You're going to leave me here with my friends and have fun until the sun goes down."
Tabitha gave Todd a look, and he ran back to the car to retrieve a padded folding chair, which he then set up for the old man. They installed him in his usual place, facing away from the pool and toward the domino game.
"You all right for now, Grandpa? Todd's gonna bring over your cooler, and we're going to be right over there at the pool."
"I'll be fine, Tabby. You kids have a good time and don't worry about me."
She looked around at the other men at the table. "If he has problems, you wave at us and we'll come right over."
"Yes, Tabby," Freddy Kleinschmidt said. "Petey, Chigger and me've had the same operation. We know what it's like. Don't worry."
Tabby put her hands on her hips defiantly for a moment, as Todd did his last errand. She was wearing a plum colored bikini under an open oversized light yellow man's shirt. Turning, she grasped Todd's hand and led him to the pool. He was wearing a straw hat and blue trunks. After a few steps, they broke into a run, laughing as they covered the distance over the green grass.
Hoot looked over his shoulder, then reached into his inside jacked pocket to pull out his rear view mirror. Petey clapped his hands: "Good to see some thing's haven't changed."
"I have to keep an eye on those kids," Hoot groused. "They've been getting extremely too fond of each other lately."
"Yeah, Hoot," Freddy interjected. "What d'ya think of Tabby going out with Mutt's grandson."
"Oh, the boy's all right," Hoot admitted. "Must take after the other side of his family. Hates the old man with a passion. Wants to go to college and be a social worker."
"Let's play dominoes," Tom said, shuffling the tiles in front of him, with a glance toward to pool to find his daughter.
Another summer evening at the Overlook Park Pool. The air was full of splashing, shouting, and sounds of water play. The men looked at the girls from time to time: Tammy Kleinschmidt was wearing a one piece light green suit that turned transparent when wet. Monica Hayes was strangely absent; Michelle heard that she was the one caught having sex with her grandfather when the police arrived. Michelle and Amanda played by themselves over to the side; the men reveled in the lack of requests for a certain musical number from the little girl.
"What's happened to Mutt?' Chigger asked. "He hasn't been in the news since Sunday."
Petey grinned broadly. "Gentlemen, I don't think we have to worry about our friend Mutt Hayes being in the news around here ever again."
"Really? Hoot asked. "I thought that old bastard was bulletproof."
"Not with what they've uncovered. The connection with the computer sites overseas busted him beyond redemption. Five local girls have signed complaints that he molested them. He was looking at serious jail time."
"Was?"
"Our buddy has taken it on the lam. Got an e-mail and picture from him today. Crossed the border into Mexico and he's looking for passage to Morocco. Says he's got enough cash in off shore banks to live on for three lifetimes, and we kin go fuck ourselves." With that he showed them a print of Mutt Hayes, wearing a sombrero and standing in front of a Mexican bar flying a flock of birds.
