Ruined By My Stepbrother novel · Chapter 10 of 32

Chapter 10: Four in the Morning

I sat on the carriage-house floor in my underwear with the phone against my ear.

"He fished with my dad," I said. "For eleven years."

"I know, honey."

"You held me at his memorial."

"I know." His voice cracked. "I've got a boat payment and a bad shoulder. I'm sorry."

He hung up before I could say anything worse.

Barrett was sitting up in bed.

"Scallops?" he said.

"Every scallop he brings in. Starting Wednesday."

The apology scallops were half my dinner orders now.

Without them, I had a framed review on the wall and nothing to sell under it.

I had to get past the big house before Glenn came out for the paper.

"Let me call around," Barrett said. "I know people at the Philly fish markets."

"No."

"It's my supply. I'll get it."

"Then I'll drive," he said.

I spent all of Monday on the phone.

Every boat out of Cape May was already sold to somebody.

At ten that night, my fry cook's uncle told her there was a scalloper up at Barnegat Light who'd just fought with his buyer.

"He's mean," she said. "He hates restaurant people."

"Good," I said. "So do I."

At four the next morning we were on the Parkway in my old pickup.

It had a bench seat and a cooler of ice in the bed.

Barrett drove with one hand on the wheel and a gas-station coffee in the other.

He'd bought me one too.

Black, one ice cube.

We didn't talk about the carriage house or about the fight.

The marshes went by in the dark, flat and silver, and the sky turned pink over the ocean.

Barnegat Light at sunrise was gulls and diesel and men in orange bibs hosing down decks.

The boat was rusty and blue and had just come in.

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