End Of The Road: (A Clean Romance Novella) (Women's Adventure in Alaska Romance Book 3)
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Lou nodded and paused before heading below.
“Good night, Captain. Thanks for the pizza.”
“My pleasure,” Ray said with a smile.
He started to reach out for her when he realized that she was an employee, not a date and jerked back his hand. Quickly, he turned away and started to gather up their trash. He didn’t hear her leave.
Stepping to the dock, he hurried over to a nearby trash can and crammed the pizza box inside. The can was nearly full to the top with paper and boxes he noticed. He walked back to the boat and ran a practiced eye over the deck. Seeing that everything was in order, he went below hoping to catch some sleep before he had to deal with the cannery in the morning. He feared his mind was too full of the wrong kind of thinking to let him sleep, but soon he was sawing logs in his father’s best tradition.
***
He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep when the smell of smoke began to choke him. He could see the blaze of orange right next to the boat and he leaped out of his cot.
Running topside, he saw the trash can he’d walked to earlier right up next to the boat and tipped on one side. The paper and boxes inside smelled of gasoline and were blazing fiercely. He could see the dock was already starting to catch where the gas had soaked into the wood.
He turned to grab the fire extinguisher from the bracket on the wall, when he realized Lou was standing right next to him. She pulled the pin and started spraying the fire. Fearing it wouldn’t be enough to keep the fire from spreading, Ray grabbed a gaff hook and tried to move the can away from the side of the boat. There was no room to push it off the other side of the dock without endangering someone else’s boat.
The two of them worked together frantically trying to contain the fire. They were relieved when a couple of men from nearby boats came to assist them. Trying to fight the fire from the deck of a moving boat was difficult and having men on the dock soon got the fire out completely. The boat escaped any damage, but the dock was missing a large chunk that had to be chopped away. Ray knew there would be questions this time. No way to get around the fact this was an act of arson. He was pretty sure it was directed at him.
The fire wasn’t out very long when a firetruck pulled up. The firemen checked to make sure the fire was completely out. Examining the trash can, they noted the evidence of gasoline used to start the fire. They took several samples of the dock where the fire had burned clear through the wood. There was no mistaking the fire had been set deliberately.
They were followed by another car and a man in casual clothes came over to look at the scene of the crime. He was followed by two Homer police officers in uniform who got busy taping off the area. They interviewed the two men that had helped Ray and Lou put out the fire. The first man came over to talk to Ray and Lou about the incident. They were still a bit shaken with their close call.
“Good evening, folks,” the man said, “I’m Detective Ryan Sanders with the Alaskan State Troopers. Looks like you’ve had a pretty scary night. Can you tell me what happened here?”
Ray gave his account of the evening including the fact the trash can hadn’t been that close to the boat when he went to bed earlier. Lou couldn’t confirm that as she’d already gone below when Ray took out the trash. Detective Sanders took detailed notes as they talked. Looking pointedly at Ray, he asked if there was any reason someone would set a fire next to his boat.
Ray just looked at the detective and shrugged.
“If there is a reason, I don’t know what it is,” he said.
Turning to Lou, Detective Sanders asked her the same question.
“Ryan, you know I don’t have any reason for someone to try and kill me. Not even you would be that mean!’
“Wait a minute,” Ray said. “Do you two know each other?”
“We do,” they both said simultaneously.
“We were engaged to be married, oh, about ten years ago or so, but Ryan wanted to be a cop and he didn’t want a ‘fishwife’, if that’s even a word,” she finished lamely.
Ray stared at the two of them in surprise. He couldn’t think of how this night could get any stranger. His head was reeling and it wasn’t just smoke inhalation.
“I take it you two are working the salmon run so you’ll be in and out of the harbor,” Detective Sanders said. “I need you to check in with me when you’re in port in case something comes up or I have any further questions. Is that clear?”
“Are we suspects or something,” Ray asked.
“No, I don’t see it that way. At this point, you’re probably closer to being heroes. Who knows how far the fire would have spread if you hadn’t woken up when you did. Some people around here have reasons to be thankful.”
With that said, Ryan closed his notebook and stood up.
“Lou would you mind walking me back to my car,” he said.
She nodded stiffly and followed him off the boat.
Ray watched the two of them walk away and then turned back to the mess on the deck of his boat. He had one busted gaff hook and a fire extinguisher that needed to be replaced. Thank God that was all. This problem had just moved to a whole new level with this single act. There would be no more sleeping without someone on watch.
***
The next morning, Ray and Lou were both up early and once again, they were first in line at the cannery. They were already back on the boat having coffee when Adrian arrived. She had clean clothes for the three of them.
“Mom took care of washing them last night. She’s hoping you’ll come by next time we’re in port. She misses you,” Adrian said to Lou.
Noticing the blackened paint on the side of the boat, she took a step back and asked what had happened. Lou hadn’t told her about the first incident and didn’t relish telling her about the second. She didn’t want her sister worrying about anything else. The woman already had her fill of worries with her husband away and the kids at home.
“Aw, it’s nothing. There was a fire on the dock last night. We were parked a bit too close,” Lou said trying to pass it off.
Ray’s eyebrow went up, but he didn’t try to correct her. He figured she knew her sister far better than he did. If she didn’t want to talk about it, he wasn’t going to either. Thinking it was time to change the subject, he tossed the rest of his coffee over the side and gave the order to cast off. He was ready to put Homer behind them.
***
Ray picked a new fishing spot this time out thinking the other one might just be played out. His fish sense wasn’t working for him and the sea felt empty. Pulling up an empty net only confirmed what he already knew deep inside. There was nothing here for them. After an entire day, they’d come up with barely enough fish to cover the bottom of the hold.
He thought it might be best to move on to another spot in the morning. The women said it was his boat, his call. They knew there were fish out here. They just needed to find the right spot to drop the net again.
The next morning, he headed off to another area before the women got up. He wanted to be ready to get to work as soon as they finished breakfast. He’d fished this area before and the currents usually worked in his favor. He was hoping things would go his way once again.
Just before he got to his spot, he heard the door open behind him. Turning, he caught sight of Lou coming in with two cups of coffee in hand. She came and stood next to him and together, they watched the sun slip up over the horizon. He wondered what it would be like to watch the next ten thousand sunrises with this woman standing at his side. His face turned red as he realized he would like to do that.
“So, what’s the plan, Captain,” she asked quietly.
“There’s a spot here with a trough and a high ridge. The currents sometimes push the fish to run alongside the ridge for about a mile in this direction. I figure if we start here, we can bring in a pretty good load, maybe make up for yesterday.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Lou said as she gathered their empty cups and headed down to the galley.
***
After a hasty breakfast, the two women jumped to work on the nets. Their poor catch on the previous day weighed heavy on their minds as they worked. Everyone was feeling tense and jumpy as net after net came up empty or nearly so. It was clear Lady Luck hadn’t come along on this ride.
Finally, in frustration Ray called for an early supper and went down to take a nap. He didn’t know if sleep would help, but he needed to shut down for a little while and give his brain some time to cool off. He couldn’t even think straight at this point.
The two women cleaned up the deck and stowed all the gear. No point in getting sloppy and risking somebody getting hurt. Their father was always quick to remind them fishing didn’t come with any guarantees. It wasn’t worth getting all worked up about things you didn’t have control of in the first place.
Adrian pulled out some chocolate and a deck of cards. A few hands of five card stud ought to draw the attention of Lady Luck back to the boat, she figured. Lou caught her thoughts as usual and the two sat down to play.
When Ray came out from his nap, he was tempted by the M&M’s to join in the game and soon had captured far more than his fair share of the bag according to the ladies. They wouldn’t let him quit playing until they’d won some back. The game went on far too late and soon everybody was yawning.
Ray said he’d take the first watch and they’d split the watch times. It wasn’t the best arrangement, but they were in good spirits after the fun, so everyone agreed. The two women headed for their bunks.
When Lou came up to take her turn, she looked pretty groggy so Ray made some extra strong coffee before he headed to the sack. Adrian dragged in when it was her turn to watch, making Lou laugh. The three of them were a mess and the day just might be another wash, but at least everyone was in a better frame of mind about it.
Ray decided to move the boat to the far end of the ridge and head north from there. He hadn’t gone very far when his fish sense went into overdrive. He knew this was going to be a very good day for them. He powered down and took a quick scan of the area. He didn’t see another fishing boat in sight.
The two women were already getting busy setting the gill nets and despite their broken sleep, their enthusiasm was evident. They could sense the fish for themselves. As they brought up net after net, the hold filled up quickly. Some nets were so full, they were straining under the weight of the fish. Ray was praying his equipment would hold out longer than the salmon run as he watched the fish pour into the boat.
He was so busy keeping an eye on the women, he forgot to keep an eye on the weather. Suddenly, he realized the sea was getting pretty choppy and the sky to the west was dark. Dialing up the weather scanner, he learned a storm was heading their way pretty fast.
He was debating whether or not they could outrun it and make for the harbor or could they batten down the hatches and ride it out when a rogue wave swept across the deck catching Adrian off guard. She went down with a crash and nearly took Lou with her. The two women scrambled to secure their gear as they took in the darkening skies over them. There wasn’t going to be any running. The storm was already on them and they were in for a bumpy ride.
The women raced to secure the hold and the nets before the storm hit. Ray caught a few angry looks cast his way as Lou knew it was his responsibility to keep them apprised of the weather conditions. He’d put them all in danger by not paying attention. He was just as aware of that as she was, but there wasn’t any way to fix it now. He was fighting to keep the boat in alignment with the racing wind and currents. He was relieved when the two women made their way to the wheelhouse.
Turning to see if they were okay, his eyes met Lou’s. The storm he saw there was far more frightening than the one outside his windows and he quickly looked away. He was expecting a torrent of recriminations, but she was silent as she pulled out the first aid kit and began to bandage her sister’s arm and right leg. The injuries were minor, but nothing was left to chance when at sea. Small cuts could turn into big problems if not treated properly.
Ray wrangled the boat like a wild bull as together, the two of them fought against the storm. The women braced themselves into a corner and watched without comment. As Lou had said once before, this wasn’t their first rodeo. This storm would pass and others would follow. It was the life of a fisherman or woman.
***
After an hour of raging winds and gusts of rain and even some snow, the storm passed and the sea lay calm in the light of the setting sun. Ray’s whole body ached as he staggered to a chair and collapsed into it. Adrian headed to her bunk to rest her aches and pains while Lou headed to the galley to make some fresh coffee and rustle up something to eat. She surveyed the mess below decks and figured it wouldn’t take much to set things right.
Heading back to the wheelhouse, she pondered the situation. She’d been angry at Ray for not keeping an eye on the weather. It was the captain’s responsibility to keep the crew safe.
Unfortunately, for her, she’d made the same error a few months ago and her boat was a wreck. Ray put an enormous effort into keeping the storm from taking the boat under and deserved a lot of credit for it. Her crew was saved, but the credit for that really went to the Coast Guard. In all fairness, she didn’t have the right to take him to task for making the same mistake she did. Sometimes, things out at sea just went south in a big hurry.
She carried the tray with food and coffee inside and found him slumped over in the chair. Putting her hand on his shoulder, she shook him gently. He roused slowly and looked at her cautiously.
“Here, try drinking some of this,” she said, holding a cup of coffee to his lips.
He stared deep into her eyes looking for any sign of anger. There was nothing there but concern for him that he could read. He took several sips of the heavily sweetened coffee before taking the cup from her hand.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I should have been watching the weather closer.”
“It’s not your fault. Things happen out here that are beyond our control. That’s one of the first lessons we all have to learn as captains.”
Handing him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she shrugged her shoulders.
“You never asked how I came to be looking for a job on your boat,” she said.
“I didn’t think it was any of my business.”
“Maybe not, but I want to tell you. I made a very similar mistake a few months ago. My boat nearly went under. The Coast Guard arrived just in time to tow us back to port. If it hadn’t been for them, I wouldn’t be here telling you this sorry tale. My boat’s in dry dock wondering if she’ll ever ride the seas again. I’m starting to wonder the same thing myself,” she added dryly.
“I…I’m glad…you’re here…telling me…this sorry tale,” Ray said as he leaned towards her. Thinking he was about to kiss her, Lou closed her eyes in anticipation. She was very surprised when he passed out and fell into her arms. Gently she lowered him to the floor of the wheelhouse. It was clear the man was beyond exhaustion.
Summoning Adrian, the two women hauled him off to his cot and tucked him in. Lou sent her sister back to bed and took charge of the wheelhouse. The sea was dead calm and there wasn’t much point in keeping watch, but she didn’t want to leave anything to chance. Lady Luck was playing a pretty fickle hand this time out.
***
Lou knew the holds were only two-thirds full, but with Ray and Adrian under the weather, so to speak, they could use a break. If they stayed and tried to keep fishing the same spot, the holds would be full long before the day was over. If they went in and offloaded what they had, Ray and Adrian could get some rest while she piloted the boat in and back out again.
With the holds empty and tho
se two back on their feet, they could get a fresh start and only lose one day at most. It was a gamble every way she figured it, and the real problem was Ray’s reaction to her making an executive decision. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t dare to overstep her bounds as a crewman. As a captain, she wasn’t sure how she’d respond to a crewman stepping up like this, but she’d never been one to just sit around.
Checking her GPS, she pointed the boat for Homer. With clear skies and a calm sea, they’d be at the cannery by morning. She settled in for a long night at the wheel. There wouldn’t be anyone coming up to relieve her anytime soon, she figured with a sigh.
***
Waiting in line at the cannery, Lou checked out the boat for any damages from the storm. Tightening down some loose gear, and after clearing up the mess in the galley, the boat was sea-worthy. Adrian came up on deck as Lou was looking over the tally sheet. Aside from a few bruises and some stiff muscles, she looked good to go also. The two of them debated on what to do about Ray. Lou had peeked into his cabin earlier, but he was still sound asleep. She slipped away quietly to let him rest.
“So, you didn’t tell me what happened with your job at Air & Sea Tours,” Lou asked her sister quietly.
Adrian scoffed and shook her head.
“That jerk, Winchell, that runs the operation, he thought he was going to take me for a ride.”
“What do you mean,” Lou asked as she watched Adrian closely. She wasn’t one to let someone take advantage of her little sister.
“I signed on in hopes of flying some of the tour groups. Well, that was supposed to be the job anyway, but he wanted me to go to the local pubs and restaurants and hustle up the customers too. He had this idea I’d find the clients, fly the tours and collect less than half what they were paying while he sat on his butt in the office. Thirty percent was the number he was throwing around. I told him it was a crap deal and walked. I wouldn’t make enough money this summer to put a down payment on anything.”