"Dat cowboy saw me," Nanny Dove commented.

"I told you not to pop in like that," Matty scolded her.

"I 'eard me name and thot youse were callin' me. Ise stayed invisible as best Ise cud, but youse knows dat special peoples can see us spirits."

"Its not that big a deal," Bill joined in.

"So, he saw Nanny Dove. Whats the problem with that?"

"The problem is that too many fucking people are learning about our spirits."

Matty slumped on the couch.

"For years it was just the people of the Bay and we could control that, but now we have new people moving in here and ..."

Matty lit a cigarette.

"I just don't want that part of the Bay becoming general knowledge. Can you fucking imagine the influx of people we would have, if that got out?"

"I'll talk to Jackson," Bill suggested.

"I will find out just what he saw and we will take it from there."

Matty was shaking her head.

"I don't like it Bill. The Bay has never had this many outsiders before. I mean we have RVs lined up down the the fab plant, with all the outsiders we have here working. 

I will be just happy when we go back to normal."

"Don't tink dat will bes 'appenin'," Nanny Dove commented.

"Tings are changin' Matty and dere ain't a whole lot youse can do 'bout it. Not ifin youse wants to save da Bay."

"I wanted to save the Bay, but I didn't think it would come at this cost."

"Then we stop it," Bill suggested.

"We shut everything down and do the best we can to keep the Bay as it is. Stop building the new motel. Stop ..."

Matty cut Bill off, shaking her head.

"We can't do that. We are in too deep. If we do that, the Bay dies."

"I don't see it that way. All it will mean is that we stop outsiders from coming to the Bay. Sure, it will mean that some of the men will have to go and look for outside jobs, but I am sure they will have no effort finding work."

Bill lit a cigarette.

"I don't know where the Bay will end up, once the money is gone, but I am sure we will find a way to survive."

Matty shook her head.

"No. We can't. You know the difference to that. We have made a commitment."

"Ise will chat wit da other spirits," Nanny Dove suggested.

"Ise will makes dem understand dat dey 'as to stay out of da public when dere bes strangers around."

"You think they will listen?"

Nanny Dove shook her head.

"Not a fuckin' chance, Willam, but Ise will gives it a try."

Bill forced a laugh.

"Look, we just have to deal with this, as it comes up."

"Fuck, Bill. Aren't we dealing with enough. Seriously, I don't know how much more I can take."

Matty took a deep breath and stood up, dropping her cigarette in the ashtray.

"This has gone way beyond what I expected."

"What did you expect hun?"

Matty threw her hands in the air.

"I don't know. I, I, just wanted to get someone to help me save the Bay. I wasn't expecting to get a husband and I sure as hell wasn't expecting to adopt a fucking village.

I just wanted enough money to get us to a point where the government said, okay Tuckamore Bay, you are off the list. Con-fucking-gratulations.

And instead ..."

She stared at Bill.

"Instead you got me."

Matty started shaking her head.

"No, no, no. Sweetie, its not like that."

She walked to Bill and took his hands.

"I would not trade you for anything."

Bill took a deep breath.

"Seems like I have become part of the problem."

"No," Matty said, emphatically.

"No. Never. I will admit I didn't expect to fall in love, but I did and there is no way in hell that I would change a thing.

Its just that all the rest of this shit is becoming overwhelming. We are doing all this alone, Bill. It is fucking hard."

"Then we make a change and we make it soon."

Bill kissed Matty gently.

"We set up a committee to help us. Young people, like us, who care about the Bay as much as we do. We give them the power to deal with a lot of the minor shit that we have to deal with every day and that will leave us to handle the big shit and hopefully give us more time for each other.

I am not letting Tuckamore Bay tear us apart."

Matty hugged Bill tightly.

"I love you so much. So fucking much."

Bill kissed her again.

"Help me get hold of everyone. I want a meeting at the Pub. Shut it down until we are finished. I want all the managers and possible replacements there. Let's get this thing on the right path right now."

"You sound like you have a plan?"

"I do. I just hope everyone is on board."

~~~

Bill and Matty walked into Dove's Pub at 8:00 p.m. Everyone Bill wanted there, was sitting down, enjoying a drink.

Bill jumped up on the bar and opened some papers he had in his hand.

Lindsay passed him a beer and walked around the bar to sit with the others.

Bill took a deep breath.

"Okay. I don't know how all of you are going to take these decisions that I have made, but I have made these decisions based on what I feel is best for the Bay.

I apologize, in advance, if I upset anyone and I will be available to talk to anyone, once this meeting is over."

Clayton Rideout stood up.

"Can Ise 'ave a few words before youse starts, Billy?"

"Of course."

"Ise talkin' to youse on behalf of everyone 'ere. Wese been 'ere for da last couple 'ours talkin' amongst ourselves and wese all come to some decisions.

Youse 'as already done more fer da Bay den any of us can even imagine and wese knows, 'specially us old farts, as me lovely daughter in law, Cindy, called us. Wese knows dat wese still long in da tooth and wese all knows dat ifin da Bay is to keep goin' forward, den da young peoples 'as to take over.

Da same as youse, Billy and young Matty dere. Wese all agrees dat da two of youse is da real strength of da Bay now and wese all are ready to follow any decisions dat youse makes. Wit dat in mind, wes 'as taken a vote and it were unanimous.

Wese all wants youse to be da Mayor of Tuckamore Bay and Matty to be da Deputy Mayor."

"Well, Clayton, I thank you, but I still think we need to have an election."

Clayton laughed and walked to the bar, handing Bill a paper.

"Wese 'ad an election. Dat TT is one easy way to do tings. As youse can see, everyone agrees. So, youse mite as well accept it, Mayor Williams."

Bill jumped down from the bar and shook Clayton's hand.

"If that is what people want, then so be it."

Clayton shook Bill's hand and then helped Matty from her chair and gave her a hug.

"Deputy Mayor Dove."

Matty kissed Clayton's cheek.

"Thank you."

She looked out at those in the Pub.

"Thank you all."

"Three cheers for our new Mayor and Deputy Mayor," Clayton yelled.

All present cheered the two.

"Now Ise knows dat youse 'as some ideas as to 'ow tings shud go, but ifin Ise can, Ise wud like to share our ideas wit youse and Matty."

Bill took Matty's hand and led her to the nearest table.

"You have the floor, Clayton."

Clayton took some folded up papers from his pocket.

"Wese 'opes dis 'helps youse make yer decisions a little easier."

He opened the paper.

"'as of today, Ise will be step-in' down as manager of the welding and fab shop. Ise suggests dat youse promotes me son Wycliff to my position. Ise knows 'e can bes a bit of a pain in da ass, but 'e is a good worker and dere bes no one who knows da business better. Ise also suggests that youse makes Jr. Tucker, Wike's assistant and foreman of da shop and me son Billy bes made sales manager and customer relations. Also Ise suggests dat Carl Pike be made foreman and assistant sales manager, concentrating on mobile sales, with da two new mobile welding units, ifin youse decides to do dat.

Of course Ise will stay on, as an advisor and 'elp all dese guys git settled in. Den Ise will retire and maybe skipper one of da boats fer da tourists."

Clayton passed Bill one of the folded pieces of paper.

As Clayton passed the paper, John Dove walked to the front of the Pub. He took the papers from Clayton.

"Ise been part of the council of Tuckamore Bay fer longer den Ise caters to tink, but like Clayt, its bes time fer me to step down. Both mes and me wife Joyce are resigning from the council.

Ise also steppin' down as the village engineer and special projects manager. Joyce and Ise 'as talked 'bout maybe openin' a little souvenir shop, ifin da village wants one.

Anyways, we 'as a couple great peoples dat can fill up my position."

John took a deep breath and wiped a tear from his eye.

"Sorry."

"Take your time John," Matty smiled.

"You're doing fine."

John nodded.

"Wes all knows Freddy Simpson. 'e bes as much of da Bay 'as anyone bes. Freddy and Gertie bes in Corner Brook drunk right now, but wese talked to Freddy earlier. Dere bes no one who knows are 'bout da waters and sewer and electrical tings den Freddy does. So he looks after dat part of da infrastructure.

Young Mac Dove come back to da Bay to 'elp us wit all da construction dat bes goin' on 'ere, so Ise wud makes 'e da new Construction Manager and Ise 'ave 'is brudder, Lenny, as 'es assistant.

As far as dis new fang dangle internet and stuff goes, Wese 'as a young man named Lance Dove dat bes wastin' 'is time as a carpenter. Lance and 'is wife both 'ave degrees in computer technology and Ise tinks dat dey shud bes lookin' after that.

And last, but not least, when it come to bringin' tourists into da Bay, dere be no other choice den young Tanya. Not only is she great at dat, 'er ideas and designs are da best any of us 'as ever seen. She wud bes me choice for not only a tourist person, but 'ead of infrastructure fer da Bay. Ise guess youse calls 'er village engineer."

John nervously nodded and walked to Bill and Matty's table, passing them his paper.

"Dey bes my recommendations."

Bill shook John's hand.

"Thank you, John. I know that was hard."

Cindy Rideout stood up.

"John dere forgot to mention dat Ise will bes stayin on, as Accounting Manager. Joyce will work wit me and Pansy Dove, who 'as jest finished her basic accounting. Pansy will continue online and be trained to be me assistant."

Cindy sat Down again.

"Thank you Cindy," Matty called out.

Harry Tucker was the next to the front of the Pub.

"Ise will bes makin' dis short and sweet. Mable and Ise will keep on workin' in da General Store, but our daughter, 'arriette, will take over as manager of da store and da motel. Me two daughter-in-laws, Lizzie and Rachel will look after da operations of da motel."

Harry shook Bill and Matty's hand and passed them his paper.

Ken Johnstone walked to the bar and opened a beer. He spoke as he leaned on the bar.

"Not much will change at da garage. Ise will stay on as manager, wit me son, Kenny as apprentice. Da only change will be dat wes hirin' Davey Dove, as a mechanic, now dat 'e bes finished 'is courses. And of course Quinton still bes apprentice wit me.

So, dat bes pretty much dat."

Kenny waved to Bill and Matty and walked back to his table.

Ron Johnstone was next to stand up.

"Ise will bes teachin' me son Ronald da ropes, which Ise already been doin' anyway and 'e will do all da paperwork and stuff. Me and Betty wants to stay on as drivers, simply 'cause dere bes no one else rite now to do dat, but wese will bes takin' on a couple apprentices come da spring and git dem trained.

Den in da future, me and Betty were tinkin' dat wese could be snowmobile instructors or guides or someting, ifin dat bes a direction dat Tanya tinks da Bay shud be goin' in.

Tank youse."

Ron sat down.

"Thanks Ron."

Bill looked over at Lindsay.

"I guess you're next hun."

Lindsay shook her head.

"Ise don't tink wese needs to change anyting 'ere at da Pub."

Bill stood up and walked to the front of the Pub again.

"Sorry, Linny, bt the Pub is going to change too."