Dear Ex-wife Marry Me novel (Maja) novel Chapter 1674

"I'm off to meet my dad, his boat's docked," Tobias stammered, his eyes darting away, clearly hiding something.

But in this backwater town, what secrets could he keep?

Abner walked on without a word, Tobias trailing behind him, lost in thought and tripping over his own feet.

It was a nasty fall; blood gushed from his nose.

Abner helped him up. "You should head back and have Queena take a look."

At the mention of Queena, Tobias clutched his nose as if stung.

"No need, no need, it's just a scratch. I'll be fine, really."

Strange, considering how much Tobias usually adored Queena, his reaction now was anything but normal.

Even a guy as simple as Abner could see something was up.

But he said nothing, just pulled Tobias to his feet, and they ambled toward his house.

The boats coming in was usually the highlight of the day, but since both families had recently lost someone, the crowd was sparse.

Abner tagged along to the shore. Tobias seemed out of it, but he perked up at the sight of the approaching fishing boat, hopping excitedly on the dock.

Soon enough, the boat landed. But thanks to a harsh wind, the catch was meager; six crewmen brought in just two buckets of fish.

Fishing was always a gamble. A good haul could set you up for the year.

A bad one meant tightening your belt.

Tobias spotted his dad, looking grim, and called out.

"Dad! Over here! Over here!"

The man, Jackson, tanned and weathered from the sea, didn't look happy with just two buckets of fish. His share, five fish, wouldn't cover much, let alone school fees.

"Tobias."

Jackson called out, holding up the fish as he approached.

Tobias glanced around. "Only five, Dad?"

Jackson's face was a picture of helplessness. "Hit some bad winds, son. Let's head home."

Tobias knew they'd be pinching pennies now, his face fell.

Upon reaching Abner, Jackson remembered the man they'd hauled in from the sea.

"How you holding up?"

"Better, thanks."

Jackson patted Tobias' head, a gesture of simple affection.

"We were all scared witless when we dragged you out of the water, thought you were a goner."