Page 86 of Happy Harbor
Josie rubbed her hands together and smiled. “I feel like it might help me resolve some issues.”
Diane put her hands on her hips. “I can’t believe you two are ganging up on me!”
“Come on, Mom! It’s hot out here, anyway. You’ll get cooled off.”
Diane stared at her, squinting. “You just want to dunk me in that water. You don’t care if I’m cold or hot!”
Josie laughed. “It’s for the restaurant.”
The crowd was clapping and chanting, “Diane! Diane!” She threw her hands up in the air.
“Fine! But I’m gonna get you back for this, Walker Jackson!” she said, laughing as she walked toward the dunk tank.
As Josie watched her take her position, she wondered if she could even dunk her. She had one of the worst aims of anybody she knew. In fact, as a teenager, her grandmother had tried to put her in softball to give her something constructive to do. But Josie couldn’t throw the ball straight to save her life, and she bonked one of the other players on her team in the head with a very fast ball. That was the end of her softball career.
Once Diane was in position, Josie stepped up to the plate, so to speak. Walker handed her the ball.
“You can do this. The crowd is going to go wild.”
Josie turned around and saw one volunteer collecting donations from everybody watching, the bucket already almost full of money. She turned back to face her mother, who had her arms crossed and her bottom lip stuck out.
“If you dunk me in this water, we’re even!” Diane yelled.
Josie laughed. “Not even close!” She figured they might as well give the crowd a show. Even though she wasn’t nearly as mad at her mother as she had been in the past, she knew people loved rumors and gossip. Might as well give them what they came for.
As if in slow motion, Josie pulled her arm back as far as she could, looked at the bull’s-eye sticking out from the side of the dunk tank, and threw the ball as hard as she possibly could. Miraculously, it hit the bull’s-eye on the first try, sending her mother plunging into the cold water with a loud splash.
As expected, everybody in the crowd went wild. Diane popped up, rubbing water out of her eyes and slicking her hair back. She pointed at Josie, laughing.
“Are you sure you don’t want to get in?” Walker asked.
“Do you?”
He shook his head. “Good point.”
Walker ran over and handed Diane a towel. She dried her hair a little and then wiped down the rest of her body before rejoining Josie.
“So do you feel refreshed?” Josie asked, chuckling.
“Actually, I do. I was sweaty, and that was just what I needed.”
“Sure, it was,” Josie said, rolling her eyes.
CHAPTERNINETEEN
Walker and Josie strolled along the Riverwalk just as the sun was setting. The beautiful pink and orange tones painted across the sky were breathtaking.
“Want to sit for a minute?” Walker asked, pointing to a bench. Josie nodded.
“Yes, please. My legs and feet are exhausted. When I get home, I’m taking a nice long bath.”
They sat there looking out over the water, the sound of the crowd dissipating behind them on the other side of the buildings. It had been a long, hard, exhausting day, but Josie had never been more thankful for the community than she was right now.
This simply wouldn’t have happened back in Atlanta. That wasn’t because the people in Atlanta were bad, but she wasn’t connected to her community. She didn’t have friends. She had rivals, enemies, and acquaintances.
Melody was the only genuine friend she had. In Happy Harbor, she was feeling things she had never felt before, even when she lived there as a kid. Kids don’t have an appreciation for the simplicity of their childhood until they are older.
She was so thankful for all the people who had come together to help her, even though she probably didn’t deserve it. Her grandmother certainly did. She was well aware that she would have to prove herself to these people over time, and she hoped to have a chance to do that. She hoped she could feel this way forever and not revert back to the bitter woman she had been when she arrived in Happy Harbor.
