Page 48 of Smuggler’s Cove (Twin Lights #1)

Chapter Nineteen

Parties and Festivals

I n less than twenty-four hours, everyone had RSVPed except for Viggo.

Madison sat at her desk. She was deflated.

Maybe he was out of town? Maybe he had plans?

Then later that evening, he phoned instead.

He apologized for not getting back to her sooner, but he was having trouble with his phone.

He asked if there was anything he could bring.

Madison hadn’t planned to bring Mario and Luigi until after the opening, so she suggested he bring Diogo. “Does he have good table manners?”

Viggo laughed. “Better than mine.”

“Perfect. If you’d like, he is certainly welcome.”

“Thank you. I’ll check to see if he’s available.”

“Is he vegan or have any food allergies?” she asked coyly.

“None that I am aware of,” Viggo said, as if he had been asked that question many times before.

Madison appreciated Viggo’s sense of humor, and apparently, he appreciated hers. There was an easiness between the two of them that she found refreshing.

They ended the call with “talk soon.” Yes, it was very easy.

Her shoulders finally relaxed. Madison hadn’t realized how uptight she was before the phone call.

She stretched her neck and looked down at Mario and Luigi, patiently waiting for their dinner.

She explained about the dinner party and how she was concerned about whether or not Viggo would attend.

The cats stared and blinked. Madison could have sworn Mario looked up at the clock.

Had he been wearing a watch, he would have tapped it with one of his paws.

“Okay. Okay. You guys are so pushy.” Then she laughed at herself.

“Do you think Viggo talks to his dog the way I talk to you?”

Mario gave her a get busy look, and then rubbed his head against her leg.

The weekends that followed were jam-packed with meetings.

Lincoln was meeting with the suppliers and his crew, and Madison and Olivia were meeting with the festival committee.

Madison was very aware that the local townsfolk were still a little leery of them, and she held her tongue as much as possible.

When she wanted to present an idea, she would use her tried-and-true technique and ask their opinion first. She won most of the time.

For example, getting local radio stations to promote the event as a public service announcement due to the money raised for families of victims. It had never occurred to any of them to try that tactic, and it worked.

They even got one of the stations to agree to broadcast live from the festival.

They hadn’t made any other friends aside from their little group, but that was fine with Madison. Her only agenda was to honor her uncle and have a special dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony. To that extent, she got no pushback.

* * *

The weekend of the dinner party had arrived, and the house was buzzing. Even though it was a small party of twelve, Madison wanted it to be exceptional. She especially wanted to impress Viggo with her hostess talents.

A few days before the party, Madison combed through her wardrobe in her apartment to find the perfect outfit.

With all the commotion, comings and goings, and planning, she hadn’t given it much thought.

The only dinner-party attire she had was white.

She picked a white silk pantsuit. It was elegant enough, yet simple enough for the occasion.

She took a few days off from work and arrived at the house on Wednesday, just in case anything needed emergency attention.

But thanks to Olivia and Irene, everything was going according to plan.

On the morning of the party, the skies were threatening to rain. Madison paced the floor of the kitchen area. “What’s Plan B?” she asked Olivia.

“The same as Plan A. I ordered tents to put under the balcony, so we can still be seated outside.”

Madison hugged her sister-in-law. “You are amazing.”

“I learned from one of the best.” Olivia returned the hug.

The caterers arrived around four and began to set up the bar and the long dinner table, complete with linens. They hung string lights along the underside of the upper balcony, set the table with several floral arrangements of white peonies, and scattered tea lights in front of each place setting.

When Madison stepped outside, she was awestruck. “It’s gorgeous, like a fairy wonderland.”

“And when it gets dark, the city lights will be a fabulous backdrop,” Olivia added.

Before she went upstairs to get ready, she chose the music for the evening: bossa nova and soft samba. Madison crossed her fingers and hoped everything would go according to plan. Or better.

By six o’clock, everyone in the house was ready. Lincoln wore a light blue shirt, blazer, and jeans. Olivia had a colorful maxi dress, and Madison floated down the stairs on her white cloud. It was a handsome trio.

The first guests to arrive were Irene and her husband Alan.

Lincoln escorted them to the bar, and a server mixed their drinks.

Madison didn’t want any of them to have to work.

It was important to spend quality time with their guests.

That was one thing she learned from her mother.

Two servers were also on board, leaving the three of them to mix and mingle.

It was their first social interaction, and they wanted their guests to feel appreciated.

Without them, none of it would have been possible.

Hannah and Charlie were next, along with Crusty.

Madison was touched by the effort Crusty made to look respectable.

He had gone to the Goodwill store and found a dinner jacket from who knows when, but the brocade collar screamed 1960.

Hannah wore a light-blue pantsuit, and Charlie was donned in a plaid jacket.

Burton and his wife were nicely attired, as well. Madison got the impression that everyone was treating the evening with the same regard. It was special.

Viggo was the last to arrive. When Madison opened the door, a very large dog wearing a bowtie had a bouquet of peonies in his mouth.

Madison’s heart melted. She bent over and thanked the dog.

“Aw. This is so sweet. Diogo, it is very nice to meet you.” She held out her hand, and he gave her his paw.

She gently took the flowers, and without missing a beat, she kissed Viggo on the cheek.

It felt good. Easy. Natural. His navy-blue blazer accentuated his deep eyes, as they gazed upon Madison.

“You look beautiful.”

“So do you.” She turned to Diogo. “As do you. Please come in!” She stood aside as the two well-dressed males entered.

The dinner menu was a choice of pepper-crusted steak or charred tuna. Sides included string beans almondine, twice-baked potatoes or rice, and roasted carrots. A salad of mixed greens and beets was served first.

Crusty sat with his mouth agape. He had never experienced such special treatment. When the servers poured the wine, he cleared his throat. “If nobody minds, I’d like to say something.”

It came as a surprise, and Lincoln encouraged him.

“I want to thank our host and hostesses for this special dinner. When Kirby passed, rest his soul, none of us had no idea what was gonna happen. Me, Charlie, and Hannah worried for months. Then when you all arrived, we got even more worried.” A few chuckles went around the table.

“But when we seen how much you went out of your way to make the place better, we were thrilled. So, I want to offer my thanks for saving the Taylor Marina, for all our sakes.”

Charlie stood up next. “I can ditto Crusty. You are some of the finest folks we ever met. But then again, you were related to Kirby.”

Hannah raised her glass. “Here’s to a ton of clam sandwiches!”

Lincoln was next. “On behalf of my sister, my wife, and myself, our appreciation runs deep. We could never have done any of this without you.”

Madison chimed in. “Thank you for your kindness. It has meant the world to us.”

Glasses clinked, and the air was filled with laughter.

Dinner and wine continued to be served for the next two hours. When it came time for dessert, Madison asked Viggo if he would give her a hand. He was happy to accommodate her. They went into the craft room, and Viggo carried out a large box. He set it on a table where Lincoln was standing.

Madison opened the box. “I would like to present everyone with our official Kirby’s Marina merchandise.” Hoots and applause went around the table as Madison handed everyone a cap, T-shirt, and overalls.

“Now you can get rid of that Grateful Dead T-shirt,” Hannah teased Crusty.

“Not in your life. That thing’s gotta be worth some money.”

“Not after you’ve been wearing it,” Charlie joked.

The evening began to wind down, with everyone satisfied and happy. Madison, Olivia, and Lincoln walked their guests out while Viggo and Diogo lingered.

The staff made haste clearing the table and removing any remains of a fine dinner party.

“Care for a nightcap?” Lincoln asked.

“I would love one,” Madison replied. “Viggo, what can we get for you?”

“Brandy?”

“Coming right up.” Lincoln went into the kitchen and squared up with the staff. He poured everyone a snifter, and they returned to the patio with Diogo in tow.

They sat in silence for several minutes, soaking up the atmosphere. Viggo was the first to speak. “You are wonderful hosts. This was an exceptional evening. I am certain everyone will be talking about it for weeks to come.” He raised his glass.

“Thank you. I am very happy we were able to do it, and that you and Diogo were able to attend.” After a few minutes, Lincoln gave Olivia a look that said, Let’s leave these two alone. They got up and bid everyone a good night.

Again, silence. But it was a comfortable silence. Viggo took Madison’s hand. “You’ve been a bright light in my otherwise boring life.” Diogo woof ed in agreement. “I hope we can see each other again. Maybe without a crowd?”

“I would love that.”

More silence, and then a heavy sigh from Madison.

“I should let you get some sleep. You have had one very busy day.” Viggo got up from his seat.

“I suppose you’re right.” Madison slipped her arm through the crook of his elbow as they walked up to the front door. “I am really happy you came tonight.”

“Me too.” He pecked her on the cheek and opened the truck door for Diogo. “Sweet dreams.” He smiled at the stunning woman in the doorway.

She watched him pull out of the driveway. “Sweet dreams, for sure.”

* * *

The miles of traffic heading to the beaches signaled the official start of the summer.

It was Thursday, and people were coming in droves.

Burton and his crew had their hands full rerouting vehicles around the town square.

As much as the people in town enjoyed the revenue from the festival, it was fraught with logistical nightmares.

Food trucks, amusement rides, vendors, and the like, had to drop off their booths and wares, and then move their vehicles down to a parking lot assigned to them.

Viggo was already contemplating the number of calls he was going to receive regarding bozos on the waterways.

He made sure his shift was covered so he could attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday morning, and the award on Saturday night.

He would have to be in and out, but such was the nature of his job.

He’d take an hour for each event and then go back to work.

He knew Madison wouldn’t mind him showing up in his uniform.

Even though they hadn’t seen each other in a few weeks, they kept in touch over the phone, checking in every few days, updating each other on the impending activities.

Madison knew Viggo would be less available during the season, but she planned to spend more time at the house, making herself flexible to his schedule. She supposed she was being presumptuous, but she had a good feeling about it. For a change.

Over a hundred people showed up for the ribbon cutting, including an officially dressed Captain Eriksson.

Madison, Lincoln, and Olivia were stunned at the size of the crowd.

The mayor, town council, and Detective Burton stood together on one side.

Hannah, Charlie, and Crusty stood on the other, proudly wearing their Kirby merch.

The mayor said a few words of praise and then handed the microphone to Lincoln.

“When we first heard of Uncle Kirby’s passing and leaving his legacy in our hands, we weren’t sure what to do.

Neither my sister nor I know a darn thing about marinas.

Charlie can attest to that.” He paused for the chuckles.

“Most people would have balked at taking on a challenge like this, but not Charlie or Crusty, or any of the fine folks who lent a hand. To all of you, you have our deepest appreciation.”

Madison was next. “I shall never forget my first visit here. I was wearing the most inappropriate outfit. My high heels—yes, I was wearing them—got caught in between the planks, and I made the most ungraceful face-plant on to the dock.” More chuckles.

“As you can imagine, I was covered in bait and a few clamshells. But thanks to Hannah, she rescued me with some fresh clothes so I could go home and not smell like a bucket of chum.” Again, chuckles.

“Thank you, Hannah, for your kindness, and thanks to all of you for making this day possible.” Madison’s eyes began to well up with tears.

She took a deep breath. “As most of you may have guessed, we changed the name, and we now dub thee, Kirby’s Marina.

” She and Lincoln took the giant scissors and cut the ribbon that was fastened between two pilings.

Applause and cheers filled the air. Lincoln took the microphone.

“I believe there is a festival you should be attending.” More cheers, and the crowd began to disperse.

Viggo made his way over to where they were standing. He shook Lincoln’s hand and kissed Madison on the cheek. “Congratulations.”

Madison spotted Hannah wiping tears from her face and giving Madison a thumbs-up.

The following night was the award ceremony, which was met with the same enthusiasm and applause. Madison was proud of what they were able to accomplish, and again welled up with tears. She spotted Detective Burton approaching her. He had a serious look on his face.

“I have some bad news,” he addressed the three of them.

“What is it?” Madison asked with great concern.

“The shed was robbed,” Burton announced.

“Robbed?” Lincoln looked incredulous. “What on earth could they take?”

“The map,” Burton replied.