Page 30 of Kraken the Seal

“Right, yeah, okay,” the kid said, nodding like a bobblehead.

Standing up, Archer faced us. “If Dad doesn’t tell you what you need to know at the end of the three days, I’ll…” he paused, glanced at Dale, then back at us. “I’ll help you. In the meantime, enjoy the town. There might be laws and rules I don’t agree with, but there are some really good people here. I’d like you to know that so you’re not tempted to do anything rash.”

Those words were delivered directly to me. I nodded my head, and Archer turned and walked off, leaving Dale nervously shifting from foot to foot.

“I…we…or…” Dale had three failed attempts at starting a sentence before I let go of Nina’s hand to hold up my hands, palms out.

“I've never eaten a selkie,” I said. “I've never eaten a sea mammal. Not even that orca that was being obnoxiously curious. I know there are a lot of legends and stories out there, but I promise that most of them aren't true and none of them apply to me.”

Dale stared at me, as if debating the truth of my words. “What if you saw something you didn't like?”

I tilted my head to the side, thinking it out before answering. “That’s a broad question, so I guess it would depend on what I saw. If someone was trying to hurt someone else, then I'd separate them. If someone was sick, I'd try to get them where they could be helped.”

That must've been the right answer because Dale nodded and relaxed a little. “I want you to know that my family is happy and content. Some selkies, like the sheriff, don’t agree with Mayor Norris, but he's always treated us well. Last year, when Dad's fishing boat caught fire and the insurance didn't pay enough to replace it, Mayor Norris gave us the difference. Without him, Dad wouldn't be able to fish. He's said that if he couldn’t fish, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. I think, in a way, Mayor Norris saved Dad's life.”

I nodded. “I understand. I'm not going to judge anyone or cause any trouble unless someone messes with Nina.”

Dale beamed at me. “That's good. That's very good. Sheriff Norris said to take you to the grocery store, it's this way.”

Looking far more relaxed, Dale turned and walked away. When he got to the edge of the park, he stopped and waited for us with an expectant expression..

“I guess we're going grocery shopping,” Nina said with a little chuckle.

“It’s not a bad idea to stock up,” I said, standing up and holding out my hand.

She accepted it, and we followed Dale back down the hill. Hopefully the next three days wouldn't be too painful, then we would find out if Norris was going to hold up his end of the deal or if we were going to need to talk to Archer.

It felt good to know he was in our corner. Although I wasn't sure how helpful he’d be. If the mayor decided to be petty, Archer might not be prepared to stand up to him.

We could only hope everyone did the right thing.

Chapter 11

Nina

The town's main street was adorable. Exposed red brick buildings, ivy growing up walls, and planters full of flowers everywhere. Old-fashioned wooden signs hung outside every shop bearing the business’s name.

It was also busier than before, although not by much. A few cars were parked along the street, and some pedestrians were walking between shops.

It was absolutely charming. No wonder people flocked here during the open-for-tourism weeks. I bet the fact that it wasn’t open all the time made it even more popular.

Dale talked constantly as we walked. “I had Billy and Maeve move their boat. When we get back to the harbor, you can move to their spot. It's a nice one, with water and electrical hook ups.”

“What about Billy and Maeve?” Delmar asked. “Where did they put their boat?”

“Their parents have a little dock next to their house,” he said. “They put their boat there.”

“If we see them, I'd like to thank them,” I said.

“They work at this store," Dale said as he pointed to the sign we were coming up on. W & M Grocery.

“Wait, does that stand for William and Maeve?” Delmar asked.

Dale chuckled. “Good guess, but it was Billy's parents, Walace and Mary. When they retire and Billy inherits it, I guess he and Maeve won't have to change the name.”

We walked into the almost empty store. The front section was all crafts with a sign that declared them all organic, locally sourced, and handmade. I loved stuff like this!

I moved to the closest display and started uncorking sample bottles to smell various herbal oils.