The “working” part of Cassie’s vacation had to mean doing dirty work for her daddy. Tad Wheeler had been courting various business owners for months to sell out. With the businesses gone, tourism would die and the cabin owners would have to sell. And sell cheap. It wasn’t hard to see what the man was up to, and at the last Merchants meeting, they’d all agreed to stick together. He hoped Wheeler would lose interest, but past experience taught him not to underestimate the man. “It’s about time you got here,” Joe’s dad yelled from behind the bar. “Grab an apron and start clearing tables.” Joe looked around the crowded dining room. Families, college students, and middle-aged fishermen filled the tables and booths. “Where the hell’d they come from?” he asked, pulling an apron off a peg inside the kitchen. “I have no idea, but they’ve been rolling in like waves for two hours.” “Need me to grab a tray, Tom?” Sid asked. A beer mug slid down the bar and another glass appeared in Tom’s hand.
