The Jump

23 Arrivals

Early the next morning, Merrill got into his old blazer and began his road trip to Breeze Bay. He had left out a letter for Duncan instructing him on how to prune the fruit trees and to keep his eye on the loose hinge for the chicken coop. He also instructed Duncan to tell Aaron to go to hell if he ever called the house or showed up. He figured Duncan might get a kick out of the last part and would be dumb enough to actually do it.

It was dark when he got on the road but he made sure to fill his thermos to the very top with coffee. As he drove he watched the mountains change into hills, then open flat land for several miles and then back into mountains again. He didn't mind the quiet as he drove since it helped him reflect on old memories and new ones. His late wife, Louise, would've loved a road trip to Breeze Bay and he would've loved to see her playing in the ocean waves. The beach always held a special place in his heart, since it was where they fell in love.

If only Louise had been able to meet Lucinda. His wife would be proud of him for taking the young woman under his wing and giving her a sense of family which she so desperately craved. Louise had always been the one to step up and help members of the community. Whether it was quilting blankets, knitting hats and scarfs or fixing meals, Louise always offered help. Sometimes she even behaved as a mother figure to children with single parents. If she were alive now, she probably would've moved Lucinda into their home!

Merrill chuckled to himself, imagining his wife fussing over Lucinda by cooking her meals and cleaning her home. He could picture Louise giving sound advice to her while tucking a piece of hair behind Lucinda's ear and then kissing her on the forehead. Feeling his eyes beginning to water, Merrill turned the knob on the radio dial and cranked the volume up. Road trips were meant to be fun, not a weepy mess. After driving a large stretch of road, the coffee had him begging for a sign that signaled there was a restroom up ahead. Thankfully, the next exit went right into a small town, with a small shopping center where Merrill could finally take a bathroom break.

He parked the car slightly crooked, his stomach gurgling and hopped out of the truck quicker than a flea. He walked briskly to the public restroom, sat down and felt immediate relief as he released his bowels. Merrill shook his head thinking to himself about how much he regretted eating two servings of chili for dinner the night before. Definitely a bad choice before a road trip!

Once he was outside again, Merrill returned to his old blazer to find a dog on a leash tied to his side mirror. The silly looking dog looked at him with its head cocked and tongue sticking out from the particularly warm day. He looked around to see if he could find the person who abandoned this dog, but he didn't even know where to begin. So he began asking passerbys.

"Excuse me Miss, you wouldn't happen to see who tied this dog to my truck?"

"No Sir, but try asking inside that spa," said a young woman with ruby painted lips and a fresh coat of polish on her nails that matched. "Maybe they saw something."

Merrill decide to take her advice so he went into the spa that was in front of his blazer. The door chimed as he walked through it and a red headed woman looked up from putting nail polish on a customers toes.

"Welcome to Audrey's Beauty Spa, how may I help you today, Sir?"

"Oh, I'm not here for an appointment. I was wondering about that Pit Bull tied to my truck," he said pointing behind him. "Did you see who left her there?"

"I'm sorry, but I reserve all answers for customers only." The redhead smiled.

"Well I'm sorry ma'am, but I'm on a strict schedule, I plan to make it to Breeze Bay by tonight."

"Breeze Bay? My sister lives there... What's waiting for you that you're in such a hurry?" she asked while escorting a tiny elderly customer to a seat by the nail dryer.