A Case for Forgiveness

“Oh, yeah, I can’t think of anything I’d rather do with my time than play bingo. Gramps said the entire town is atwitter with talk of the record-breaking jackpot.” His mocking pretty well summed up his feelings about Rankins. “And, gosh, there are hundreds of dollars in prizes.” He worked in one of his eye-snaps. “Does he not know how long it takes me to make hundreds of dollars back in Chicago? A matter of minutes. Bingo isn’t exactly my thing, Shay.”

Shay’s jaw fell open. “Jonah, sometimes people just do things because they’re fun, without giving a thought to much else. People enjoy spending time together for the sake of nothing more than that. You’ve been in town for about twenty minutes and you can’t at least go along and pretend to enjoy something—for your gramps’s sake? Did you know your gramps never even keeps his winnings? He always donates them back to whatever cause is being played for.”

“I...” He let out a frustrated groan. “That really did sound bad, didn’t it?”

“Yes, it did.”

“I’m just... I’m out of my league here, Shay.”

Out of his league?

“You grew up in this league, Jonah, remember? And you used to kind of like it. At the very least—you liked some of the people. And you know what? Many of those people still think highly of you and some of them consider you a friend, although why that is I don’t know because I’m almost positive you don’t deserve it. But right now there’s a whole table of them waiting to have breakfast with you, so before you head back there, you might want to rethink that condescending attitude. People will catch on, Jonah. And they won’t like it.”

She turned to leave.

“Shay, wait.” Now he did touch her, reaching out and grabbing her elbow, but she had no problem shrugging him off this time.

He pushed his fingers through his wavy black hair, making it look messy and frustrated, like she felt.

“Look, you’re right. I’m sorry. It’s not that I think I’m better, it’s just being here again—like this...it makes me feel off-balance.” He inhaled a deep breath and then exhaled a sigh. “Of course I’ll go. Gramps is excited about it.”

Shay watched him, waiting. It was a pretty good apology, but... “And...?” she drawled.

He grinned—a sheepish, boyish grin and she had to resist its sneaky attempt to sweeten her mood.

“And, I will have a good attitude. I will do my best to have fun at bingo with Gramps.”

She gave him a short, single nod of satisfaction. “Good. I’ll see you there.”

* * *

“THAT WAS A terrible cast.” Doc clucked his tongue, his lips twitching in amusement.

Caleb yanked on his fishing pole. “Don’t you think I know that? That’s why I’m reeling back in.”

Doc chuckled. “Okay, don’t get all riled up now. But you are a little off your game—you have to admit that. This is the third time you’ve casted and that last one only went about four feet. You sure you’re all right?”

“Yes,” Caleb snapped, “for the third time. I feel fine.”

“I’m not talking about your health. Is something else bothering you?”

“Something besides this piece-of-junk reel my best friend gave me for my birthday, you mean? No.”

“That’s operator error where that expensive, state-of-the-art reel is concerned and you know it.”

Caleb snorted.

Doc executed a perfect cast. “You’re positive? Nothing is bothering you?”

“That’s what I said.”

“That’s your official statement? You’re ready to sign it?”

Caleb moved to face him. “Doc, you been nipping at the schnapps already this morning? It’s not even close to noon yet, and that would be early even for you. If you’ve got something on your mind I wish you would spit it out. I feel like I’m sparring with a cagey client here—and I’m not working today, remember?”

“That reminds me—how did you get out of the house? Where did you tell Jonah you were going?”

“I told him I needed a nap, asked him to turn off the phone and not bother me before noon. Then I climbed out the window.”

Doc belted out a laugh as he slowly worked the lure toward the boat. “You climbed out the window?”

“Yep.” Caleb’s lips curled up with the threat of a smile.

“Till noon, huh? That’s not a nap, that’s a whole night’s sleep.”

“You know I’m not a napper, Doc. Why don’t you tell me how long they usually last?” Caleb bit his line in two and stowed the flasher along with the lure he’d been using in the tackle box.

Doc shrugged. “Mine are usually an hour or two at the most. But let’s get back on track here.”

“I didn’t know we were off of it.”

“So, you’re not feeling the slightest bit guilty?”

Caleb didn’t answer and Doc finally, blessedly, remained silent as he shifted things around in his tackle box.

All that could be heard was the soft lapping of the water against the side of the boat. An eagle sailed overhead and they both looked skyward to watch it. Caleb didn’t know a soul who could stop themselves from pausing to watch a bald eagle fly by. Then he tied a favorite lure to the end of his line.

Eventually he answered, his tone taking a serious turn. “It doesn’t matter. I’m committed. There’s no turning back now.”

“Well, I don’t like it, Caleb. I’m feeling guilty. It’s dishonest, and I’m not a dishonest person.”

“What have you done to feel guilty about?”

“Besides lying to Jonah about what we’re up to today?” Doc fiddled with his own reel for a few seconds and then, instead of casting again, he laid the pole across his thighs. He leaned his head back and stared up at the clouds.

Caleb followed his gaze and marveled at the luscious blue of the sky. Alaska in the summertime, he thought, as he let the sheer beauty of it soak into him—there was nothing like it in the entire world. He used to take weeks off every summer so he and Jonah could enjoy as much of it as possible.

Jonah used to love summers here—fishing, hiking, biking, exploring...surely, being in Rankins now would make him realize how much. And hopefully before this thing was through his grandson would realize some other things, as well.

“Shay,” Doc muttered. “That’s the thing. That’s what I feel bad about. I understand what you’re trying to accomplish as far as Jonah is concerned, but I feel guilty about deceiving Shay. I didn’t think that through when I agreed to this. At the risk of waxing poetic—that woman is a shining example of all that is right with this town. She doesn’t deserve to be dragged into this. And I don’t like being a part of causing her any more pain.”

“Yep, she is a shining example. And, yes,” Caleb confessed, “I’ll admit that has been poking at me a bit, too. But I’m not doing it on purpose, Doc. That girl is like my own granddaughter. I promised Gus if anything ever happened to him that I would watch out for her.” Emotion clogged Caleb’s chest.

It took a minute before he could speak, and when he did he let pride fill his voice. “Gus would be so proud of her, Doc. With what she’s done with the inn—it looks like something from a darn magazine now.”

Gus had loved all of his grandchildren, but Shay had been a little extra special to him. Her love for the inn was one reason certainly, but Caleb always thought it was her personality that so closely mimicked Gus’s that had truly stolen his heart—kind, thoughtful, generous to a fault, but feisty, stubborn and strong-willed at the same time. It had stolen Caleb’s heart—and Jonah’s, too, once upon a time.

Doc smiled wholeheartedly. “Every time I go there I think that same thing. I imagine that ole Gus is smiling down on her every single day. But that’s what I’m saying, Caleb. The devotion Shay has for her family...well, she showers it on you, too. And you’re sure lucky to have it. But now, well you know she’s got to be worried plum out of her mind.”