by Renee Hart
“Good for you!” Lou slapped her sister on the back and regretted it instantly as Adrian winced in pain. “Sorry.”
“No worries. What’s one more bruise between sisters?”
The two of them looked at each other and burst out laughing. Suddenly, they noticed Detective Sanders heading their way. It was clear he was a man on a mission as he zeroed in on the boat. Lou stepped out on the dock to head him off.
“Lou, can I have a word with you…privately,” he said with a side glance at Adrian.
Lou tried not to laugh as her sister stuck her tongue out at Ryan’s back. Giving her sister a warning look, she turned to follow him a short distance away from the boat.
Adrian couldn’t hear their conversation, but she could read their body language well enough to see that Ryan was trying to stand a little too close and her sister wasn’t having any of it. He did all of the talking and when he was done, Lou started to turn away. He reached out a hand to stop her.
“Lou, I know you’re still mad at me for breaking off our engagement and I’m sorry. I was a fool and I know that now. I’m wondering if you’d be willing to give me another chance,” Ryan said softly.
Lou paused and turned to look into his eyes carefully. At one point in her life, this man had shared her heart with a boat. Now, the boat was a wreck and her heart was patched together with bailing wire and pitch. She searched through the wreckage trying to find a spark of feeling for him. She turned back to the boat without another word, leaving him standing there.
Much to their relief the cannery guy waved them in to offload and they were able to make quick work of it. Stashing the paperwork in the wheelhouse, Lou made the boat ready to head back out while her sister made a quick call to check on the twins. They still hadn’t heard a peep from Ray’s cabin so they let him rest.
***
They were halfway back to their choice fishing hole when Ray finally made an appearance above deck. Adrian was taking a turn at the wheel while Lou was catching some shuteye. He took in his surroundings with bleary eyes as he tried to get his head clear.
“How long have I been out,” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” Adrian considered. “I think somewhere between twelve and fourteen hours. Lou would know better than I. She’s the one who’s been taking care of everything. I lost some time myself last night.”
“Where’s she at,” Ray asked.
“She’s sleeping right now. Last night, she brought the boat back into Homer while we were both out. We offloaded the holds this morning at the cannery, paperwork’s in the drawer there, and headed back out right after.
Ray pulled out the paperwork and gave it a quick scan. Shoving it back into the drawer, he headed to the galley for some fresh coffee and a bite to eat.
“You want some coffee,” he threw back over his shoulder as he left.
“Sure, thanks.”
Stepping in the galley, he was surprised to find Lou had just finished making a fresh pot. She grabbed another cup off the hook for him without asking.
“I hear you’ve been keeping things going while I was out,” Ray mumbled.
“Yeah,” Lou said without looking at him. She didn’t know what to say. Her feelings were all jumbled up like a school of dancing fish.
“Well, I guess the least I can do is say ‘thanks’…”
Lou turned to take some coffee to her sister when Ray reached out a hand to stop her.
“I mean it, you know. I really appreciate you stepping up and helping me out.”
Lou looked into his eyes as she considered his words. There was a warmth mixed with confusion as Ray’s feelings warred with his thoughts. Her eyes slipped down to his mouth and she considered what it would be like to kiss him. She blushed as she realized how much she wanted to feel his mouth on hers. It had been a long time since she’d been kissed, too long maybe.
As if he’d read her thoughts, Ray leaned towards her and…BANG! The galley door knocked into both of them as Adrian pushed it from the other side.
“You two have got to come up and see this,” she said excitedly waving them topside.
They both hurried up to see what her excitement was all about.
In the late afternoon sun, they found the boat surrounded by a pod of whales. It appeared they were headed in the same direction, and the humpback whales easily kept pace with the boat. The three of them were entertained for the better part of the next hour as the mammals played in the water alongside.
When the whales decided they’d had enough, the pod quickly disappeared from sight. The three of them realized it was way past time for supper and Adrian headed below to rustle them up some grub.
Chapter 4
They arrived at their fishing hole about the same time as they finished their meal. The two women were ready to get back to work and started laying out their gear. Knowing it wouldn’t be getting dark anytime soon, well at least for the next few weeks, they voted to fish until they were tired. Then they’d take a break and get some rest and get back at it again. With any luck, the holds would be full in the next couple of days and they’d be heading back to Homer.
Hanging the gill nets took them less time than eating supper and the fish were once again pouring into the boat. Ray carefully divided his attention between the fish, the women and the weather as he maneuvered the boat to keep the nets in line with the current. The three of them worked together like a seasoned team and Ray was encouraged to believe Lady Luck had returned for the ride.
The holds were more than half full when Ray called for a break in the action. Adrian hurried below to make some coffee and sandwiches for the three of them while Lou checked over the gear and put the deck back into some semblance of order. She didn’t care to leave a sloppy deck when the work was done. Just made the next shift a little bit harder, she thought to herself.
They ate together in the wheelhouse in companionable silence as they watched the sun take its late night dip below the horizon before it started to climb back into the sky. Summer was short in Alaska, but the long days drove everyone to make the most of it. The dark days of winter left plenty of time for sleeping.
“So, what was Ryan all worked up about this morning,” Adrian asked casually.
Lou slipped a sideways glance at Ray before answering. She’d forgotten about her little chat with her ex-fiancé already. She noted Ray’s sudden interest in the conversation.
“He wanted to let us know the fire on the dock wasn’t a criminal act aimed at us specifically. It seems some fool dumped some oil cans full of dirty gas into the trash bin instead of disposing of them properly. Then another idiot came along and dumped something hot into the overstuffed bin and when it caught fire, he kicked it over thinking the whole thing would fall into the ocean. Instead, it rolled down the dock and ended up against the side of our boat. He ran off fearing he was in for a lot of trouble leaving us to deal with his mess. That was his story anyway. Seems there were enough witnesses to put the story together.”
Ray listened to her relate the detective’s version of the events without comment. Even if the fire wasn’t an act against them, that still left the cut rope and a few other mysteries to be explained away. He couldn’t shake the feeling someone was trying to cause him trouble.
Clearing away the remains of their supper (breakfast?), the two women headed back to the deck to put in another shift. They figured one more good haul would earn them some shuteye, and then they could decide on their next move.
Apparently, the fish had decided to hang around for a while longer and soon they were back in the rhythm of working the nets and stacking the fish in the holds. Ray wrangled the boat with a smile on his face in the choppy sea as the two women worked steadily. He was pleased to hear the holds were full when the two women brought in the final catch and filled the deck with fish for the last time. It had been a very good day and thanks to Lou’s quick thinking, they had another load for the cannery already.
The three of them cleaned up the gear tog
ether as Ray pitched in to help everyone get settled in for the ‘night’. It was time for some well-earned rest. He would take the first watch as the two women hit their bunks. He set course for Homer once again.
***
At the end of his watch, he was surprised when he saw Adrian slipping into the wheelhouse. He’d been expecting, hoping to see (if he was being honest), Lou come in for the second watch. Adrian came and stood next to him and surveyed the area around them. There weren’t any other lights or boats in sight and the sea was nearly dead calm. Swallowing his disappointment, he nodded to her before surrendering his seat and headed for his own bunk.
As he lay in his cot, Ray thought about his feelings for Lou. He’d never expected to find romance in Homer, especially with a member of his own crew. He’d had some vague dreams about marriage and a family, but never considered how to make them a reality.
His world was a fishing boat and the stink of fish combined with a deep love of the sea. The sea was a demanding mistress and most men found that women weren’t willing to compete with her. The hold she had on the men that loved her went far too deep for the average woman. He’d never met a woman caught up in that same grip, or so he thought of Lou.
She was clearly at home on a boat, but he wondered if she’d leave it if given the chance for a home on dry land. Ryan Sanders clearly had an interest in changing her mind, if he’d read the man right. What did I have that could compete with a man earning a steady paycheck every month, he wondered.
Pushing away his thoughts, he struggled to find the sleep that tried to elude him. His body was tired, but his mind wouldn’t let him rest. Every time he closed his eyes, he would find himself looking into a pair of stormy gray eyes or focusing on a mouth waiting to be kissed. That was the trouble with having women crewing on the boat, he thought angrily, they’re a distraction!
With that thought, he slipped into an uneasy sleep.
***
He felt like he’d only been asleep for a few minutes when someone began shaking him and calling his name.
“Ray! Ray! You need to wake up! There’s trouble.”
Ray forced his eyes open to find Lou standing over him as she tried to wake him.
“What’s the matter,” he groaned still groggy from the bad dream that had overtaken him.
“There’s a boat in trouble off the portside. They’ve got a fire on board and there’s smoke everywhere. It’s The Maiden, out of Soldotna, I think from what I can see and make out on the radio. The captain put out a ‘Mayday’, but the Coast Guard’s at least two hours out on another call. We’re the closest boat.”
Ray swung his legs out and tried to sit up. Lou stepped backwards out of the way and turned to head topside. It was his call on how to help the other boat. They’d be able to take on the crew, but the question remained to be decided on how far he could go to save the other boat without risking his own.
Struggling to pull on his pants, he realized the sea was picking up as the boat pitched back and forth. Getting the crew off the other boat and onto his own wasn’t going to be as easy as walking across a plank. That was clear as he made his way topside and noted the wind rising from the west.
Lou had maneuvered the Seabiscuit within shouting distance of the distressed boat and they could see the white faces of the crew between the clouds of billowing smoke. Ray couldn’t make out the source of the fire from their vantage point. There wasn’t much to burn on these fishing boats beyond the fuel and some of the trappings. If the fuel did catch, however, the explosion would be deadly to anyone on board.
He tried to raise the captain of The Maiden on the radio, but there was no answer. He watched carefully for some signal on the situation. A life raft came over the side and three crew members lowered themselves down into it. They quickly paddled the raft towards the Seabiscuit and Lou tossed them a line from the deck.
Adrian lowered a rope ladder and the three men scrambled aboard. One of them hurried to the wheelhouse to apprise Ray of the condition of the other boat. Ray was surprised to find himself face to face with Jonesy.
“The fire’s out on The Maiden but the motor’s toast. We think it was the wiring that caught. The captain wants to stay on board, but thought we’d be safer with all the smoke over here. The Coast Guard’s on the way. They can tow him in. He says you can wait or go on your way and he’ll catch up with us in Homer.”
Jonesy relayed all this without looking at Ray’s face.
“It’s good to see you Jonesy. I’ve been wondering how you’ve been,” Ray said with a grin. “Looks like you found yerself a much better post.”
Jonesy didn’t say anything and Ray figured he’d said enough. Signaling to the other captain, Ray got them back on course. There was clearly no point in wasting time sitting out here. He had more important things to do.
***
The three men made themselves comfortable on the deck and Ray was amused to see Adrian bringing them some coffee and sandwiches. Those men probably wouldn’t have been nearly so accommodating if the situation had been reversed and the women found themselves on The Maiden. Ray noted that even Jonesy took a couple of sandwiches when they were offered. Maybe the man wasn’t as much an old fool as Ray thought, or perhaps he was just really hungry.
They made it into Homer as the line was forming up for the cannery. The three crewmen from The Maiden gave a hurried thanks as they disembarked and walked off. Adrian wasn’t far behind them as she wanted to see to the twins. She had a rucksack stuffed with dirty clothes thrown over one shoulder. Once again, Ray and Lou found themselves alone together on the boat with nothing to do, but wait.
They hadn’t been docked very long before Ray noticed Detective Ryan Sanders coming towards the boat. He had a determined look on his face. Lou didn’t see him approach as she was busy coiling up some rope on the deck. He called to her from the dock. Hearing his voice, she turned towards him and Ray tried to catch the look in her eyes. He barely caught a flash of something before she’d looked away from him.
“Lou, do you have some time? Can you take a walk with me,” Ryan asked.
If there was a hint of desperation to Ryan’s voice, Ray couldn’t help but feel the echo of it in his own thoughts. He really wanted to hear Lou tell the guy to buzz off, or worse. Instead she turned to look at him with a question in her eyes and he just nodded. She shrugged her shoulders and stepped up on the edge of the boat. Ryan offered her a hand down, but she ignored it and jumped to the dock. The two of them walked off as Ray watched them go. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so helpless about anything in his life before.
Lou was back before their turn came to offload and Ryan was nowhere to be seen. Ray took that as a good sign, but Lou was pretty tense and avoided his eyes. He had the distinct impression the conversation between the two of them didn’t go very well, but he dared not ask any questions. As the captain, he was supposed to at least try to maintain some professional distance from the crew. At least that was what he kept telling himself. Only a fool would listen to such nonsense.
After they weighed their fish in and received the payout, Ray considered the idea of taking an extra day off since they’d made such a good haul. They were well on their way to making quota for the season and everyone was pulling their weight. It wouldn’t hurt to give the women a day off and take one for himself at the same time, he figured.
He shared his thoughts with Lou and she actually looked relieved at the idea. He planned to stay on the boat, but she was free to go to her sister’s house for the night. Almost quicker than the words were out of his mouth, Lou was heading for the dock with her phone in hand. She was climbing into a cab by the time he’d gotten used to the idea of her going.
***
Sitting on the deck of the Seabiscuit, Ray soon found himself with company. The word was out on The Maiden’s SOS call and Ray’s good deed, so a few of the other captains stopped by with beer to chew the fat and swap fish tales. It appeared the salmon run was holding up well for everyon
e and they each took a turn at bragging up their hauls.
A couple of the guys tried to tease him about his new crew, but he didn’t take the bait. He was quick to point out to them how he was on track to make quota same as them so he had no complaints. Besides, he was eating something other than cold beans from a can and that was a big step up for him.
As the group thinned out, the two guys left stopped talking and started to fidget. Ray could tell something was on their minds, so finally he just told them to say what they had to say and get over it.
“We thought you should know that State Trooper, Detective Sanders has been snooping around and asking a lot of questions about you specifically,” one of the guys said quietly.
“Yeah,” the other one pitched in, “and he hasn’t been too subtle about it. It’s like he’s trying to find something to pin on you. What’d you do…steal his girlfriend?”
Ray leaned back in his chair, but didn’t answer. It had been a lot of years since he’d run into trouble with the law and he didn’t feel like repeating that experience. Guys like him never came out on top when cops got it in their head to make a case. It didn’t even really matter if he’d done anything wrong. They could make it look anyway they wanted it to look.
As the conversation died, the last two guys packed up their empties and headed for their own boats. Ray sat there a while longer wondering what he’d gotten himself into with Lou. If Sanders was looking for a way to take Ray out of the picture so he could go after her, he was probably on the right track. Sometimes, a man’s past had a way of catching up with him when he least expected it.
Chapter 5
