"And I have saved the best for last," Bill joked, as he pulled into the parking lot in front of Dove's Pub.
"Are they opened?" Daniel wondered.
Bill laughed, as he put the truck in park.
"Of course. They open at around eight."
"Isn't that early for a drinking establishment?"
The two men got out of the truck and walked inside.
"A lot of the men of the village and the contractors we have hired, come here for breakfast."
Daniel was surprised, as they walked into the Pub. Nearly every table was filled and three women were serving breakfast. He recognized Lindsay and Valerie.
"Busy spot."
"Come on, lets grab that table over there."
"Coffee?" Yolanda yelled out.
"Irish, please."
"Sure thing, love."
The two men sat and Bill lit a cigarette.
Daniel looked at him, a little wide eyed.
"I thought smoking was banned in public places."
"It is," Bill agreed, "but, this is not a public place. Tuckamore Bay is actually a registered business and a private village.
Yolanda put coffee in front of the men.
"Youse want any breakfast."
Bill looked at Daniel.
"You hungry?"
"What would you suggest?"
"A Newfie breakfast. Ham, eggs, bacon and fishcakes, with toast."
Daniel nodded.
"Sounds good."
"I'll have the same, Landa."
She smiled.
"And welcome to da Bay, Premier Best," she added, as she walked away.
Bill saw Wike Rideout stand up.
"Sits da fuck down, Wike," Clayton barked at him.
"Ise was ..."
"Ise know what youse was and Ise sayin' sit da fuck down."
Wike slumped back in his chair.
Daniel laughed.
"What was that about?"
"Wike was probably going to come over and complain about something. His father decided that he wasn't."
Daniel sipped his coffee.
"Good stuff, but isn't it a little early for serving alcohol?"
"Private property," Bill reminded the Premier.
Daniel chuckled.
"I think the courts might say differently, but, what do I care, right now. As far as I am concerned, I haven't seen a thing."
He looked over at Wike.
"But I wouldn't mind if that young man did talk to me."
Bill shook his head.
"Eat your breakfast first. Trust me, you do not want to get involved in discussions with this crowd and besides, they all have to get to work shortly."
Daniel noticed an RCMP officer walk into the Pub and sit at the bar.
"You have a visitor."
Bill turned around.
"That is Officer Temple. He is here to get a coffee and see Yolanda."
"Landa? Officer Thumper is here," Valerie yelled.
Officer Temple laughed, as he sat.
"Morning to you, Val."
Yolanda walked out from the kitchen and walked to the end of the bar, smiling.
"Morning handsome."
She jumped up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
"I'm gonna be sick," Valerie urged.
"Just a coffee, Yolanda. I am on duty."
He looked over at Bill's table.
"Premier duty."
Bill turned back to Daniel.
"Seems like you have a bodyguard, on duty."
"I didn't realize you had a police presence here in the Bay."
Bill nodded.
"Yea. After that shit with Hirst, Don Lukeman decided that we needed to have a couple Officers here. So you have Officer Temple there at the bar and there is an Officer Bradley, too."
Lindsay walked to the table with two plates.
"Morning Premier Best. I hope you had a good night's rest."
"Please call me Daniel, Lindsay. And yes, it was a wonderful night. And thank you again for a wonderful dinner last night."
"It was our pleasure," Lindsay smiled, as she put the plates in front of the men.
She looked at the big sailor's clock over the bar.
"Okay youse riftraft. Git yer breakfast finished and git to work."
She walked back to the bar and leaned against it.
"And don't forget to tip yer servers. Big time."
She looked at Wike.
"And dat means youse too, Mr. Cheapass."
"Loves youse too," Wike sneered as he threw a ten dollar bill on the bar.
As the men left the Pub, they all looked at the Premier and smiled, nodded or waved. In a matter of minutes, the Pub was empty, except for Bill and Daniel, Officer Temple and the three women.
Daniel was laughing.
"Now I have seen everything. The way she herded those guys out of here."
Bill sipped his coffee.
"Lindsay runs a tight ship here and the men rely on her and the girls to make sure they get to work on time. Especially on a Friday, since they only work until one o'clock."
"Why is that?"
"Just the way things work out. They work all kinds of strange hours, so Fridays are short, especially so the out of towners can go home. We have about thirty men and women from Deer Lake and a few communities up the coast."
Daniel ate some of the fishcake.
"This is a delicious breakfast."
Bill nodded.
"The girls are great cooks and its all homemade, even the bread. We have several women, here in the Bay who make it fresh every day and we pay them for the bread. It gives them a few extra dollars. We try to keep everything here in the Bay."
"I am more than impressed, Bill. You have created an amazing community here."
"Well it has had its moments and we still have some shit to deal with."
Daniel nodded, as he washed down his food, with coffee.
"Yea. I have been giving this situation a lot of thought, Bill and I think I know how I am going to handle it.
Wendy and I were talking last night and we would like you and Matty to join us in St. John's for a few days."
Bill thought for a moment, eating his toast.
"I don't know, Daniel. There is so much going on here, right now and we are still waiting on the Tourism Department to see if we get our contract back."
Daniel shook his head.
"That will be looked after very soon," he assured Bill.
"I have already emailed the Tourism Minister and told him not to make any decision, until I am back in St. John's. I will meet with him on Monday and the contract will be reinstated."
"Thank you. The men worked hard on that contract and it means a lot to the Fab Plant to get that contract back. We have men relying on the work."
"Not to worry. Actually it would be nice to have you join me for that meeting."
Bill laughed, as he sat back in his chair.
"I will talk to Matty. It would be nice for us to get a break."
Lindsay appeared at the table and took the empty plates.
"Youse both needs a break. I says youse shud go with the Premier."
"Is that so?"
Lindsay glared at Bill.
"Yes dat is so."
She turned and walked away.
"I has spoken. Youse shall be off to da Town."
Daniel laughed.
"This is certainly an unique place Bill."
"Well, we will all feel better once our name is off that relocation list. I know we are self sufficient here, but we are still on the list. Matty checks every day.
And we still have to deal with Parsons."
Daniel sat back in his chair.
"That is another reason why I want you two to come, Bill. I do have a plan on how to handle Parsons."
"But you are not going to tell me, right?"
Daniel shook his head.
"No. That is my secret to getting you and Matty to come to St. John's. Besides, like Lindsay said, youse needs da break."
"Yea, we could use a few days away from here."
A thought came to Bill.
"Shit. We have Henry coming home this weekend and Dr. Rose and his family will be coming up to move into their home."
"And you have to be here for that?"
"No he doesn't," Lindsay yelled out.
"We can all looks after that."
"Thank you Linny," Bill called out.
He looked at Daniel.
"Oh, by the way, there are no secrets here in the Bay. There are little spies everywhere."
"You almost make it sound ominous."
"Tuckamore Bay is an unique place, Daniel. Believe me, when I say that. More unique than you can even imagine."
"Well, I will agree that there is something about this place. You just seem to completely relax, as soon as you come into the village. And that sleep last night was amazing. I don't think I have slept that sound for years."
Lindsay approached the table, with a carafe.
"Then the Bay accepts you, Mr. Premier."
She filled the cups.
"You have a home here."
"You talk as though the Bay is a living thing."
Lindsay thought for a moment and then nodded.
"I guess it is."
A man entered the Pub.
"Well, Mr. Lamont. Pleasure to see you."
Jackson Lamont walked to Lindsay, taking off his cowboy hat. He took her hand and kissed it.
"Always a pleasure, Lindsay. Now do you think you could rustle me up a drink of Bill's good scotch?"
"Right away."
Jackson walked to Bill's table.
"May I join you, gentlemen."
Bill pulled out a chair.
"Have a seat, Jackson."
Jackson offered his hand to Daniel, before sitting.
"Mr. Best I assume? The Premier of the province I believe?"
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lamont."
Jackson patted Bill on the back, as he sat.
"Had to pop by and see you. Grabbed a text off the TT."
"TT?"
Bill explained.
"TT stands for Tuckamore Test. They have a village wide text. That is how things get around so quickly."
"That must be the spies you told me about."
Jackson laughed.
"No. Probably the ghosts that are all over this place."
Lindsay put a scotch in front of Jackson.
"Now Jackson. How many times do we have to tell youse, there ain't no such thing as ghosts?"
Jackson made a zipper motion on his lips.
"Would you gentlemen like anything to drink?"
"Bring them both a drink of this fine scotch and put it on my tab," Jackson suggested.
"So, Mr. Best. What do you think of this amazing little place?"
"I am completely impressed. Unbelievable is a word that comes to mind."
Lindsay brought the drinks.
"Ifin youse needs anything, jest holler."
Daniel laughed.
"Your accent."
Lindsay shrugged.
"I use it when its necessary. Ifin Ise needs to joins in wit da rest.
Or I talk like this."
She left.
"And Bill. Youse and Matty are goin' to St. John's."
"Yes Mommy."
"What's this about going to St. John's?" Jackson wondered.
"Daniel wants Matty and I to go to St. John's with him and spend a few days there."
Jackson nodded.
"Sounds like a good idea. I'll get my pilot to fly you."
"Excuse me?"
"I have my jet in Deer Lake. I'll just have my pilot fly you to St. John's and then when Bill and Matty want to come back, I'll send him again."
"No, I couldn't impose like that," Daniel insisted.
"I will ..."
Jackson cut him off.
"You will accept Mr. Premier? I knew you would."
Danile smirked.
"Okay. We accept."
"So when are you going to leave?"
"Sunday, at some point should be okay?"
Daniel looked at Bill.
"That sound good?"
Bill looked at his cellphone.
"Sure. It is obvious that I don't have a whole lot of say in it anyway."
He showed a text to the two men.
"Seems like Matty and Wendy have already decided that we are going."
"Then I will have my jet all gassed up and ready to go Sunday. Just give me a time."
"We will," Daniel assured him.
"And thank you."
"So you are sticking around for a while, Jackson?"
"Yea. Well Monday we have to go and see that loser son-in-law and let him know that we have an agreement."
"You haven't told him yet?"
"Fuck no," Jackson laughed.
"Pumpkin, well my Gail, is having such a good rime here. I haven't seen her this relaxed in years. So I figure the longer I can keep her happy, the better. And seeing that bull's testicle of a husband will just stress her out."
Jackson finished his drink.
"So he and that loser lawyer of his can sweat it out."
Jackson leaned forward, laughing.
"I even sent them a text telling them that the offer was refused and that they had to get a new offer together by Monday. That will keep them two busy all weekend."
Jackson got to his feet.
"Anyway gentlemen. I have a date with my daughter. We are going to take a drive up to Rocky Harbour and see the local scenery."
He shook hands with both men and left.
Daniel looked at the time on his cellphone.
"Perhaps we should get back as well. I want to take some time and go over the papers with you and Matty, to be sure that I have all my facts straight, before I go ahead with my plan."
Bill nodded, as he finished his drink.
"Lindsay?"
"All taken care of Bill, courtesy of Jackson."
"Thanks Linny."
Officer Temple got off his stool.
"Relax Dave. I will look after the Premier. We are going straight to the house."
Daniel shook hands with the young Officer.
"Thank you for your attention."
"My pleasure, Sir."
Bill and Daniel left.