The Northern Cross (A Baltic Sea Crime Novel Book 2)
Page 32
“Nope. So far, so good.”
“When do we drop anchor?”
“Have you had enough?” said Hannes. “Or are you getting seasick?”
“Of course not. The water’s almost as smooth as glass. I was only thinking about your presents under the tree.”
So that was what Anna had been up to. Hannes smiled and placed her hands on the wheel.
“Keep her going straight. I’ll be right back.”
Hannes strode across the planks of his ship, then climbed down the stairs to the cozy cabin. Lena hardly pitched in the faint swell of the placid sea. In the afternoon, he had bought a tiny Christmas tree that was perfect for the space. Given his recent experience with burning barns, he had decided against decorating it with real candles and used a string of electric lights instead. He had also heeded Ole’s advice: “No open flames on board.”
Anna had piled a mountain of small packages under the tree. Hannes pulled his small, clumsily wrapped presents for Anna out of his bag and placed them next to the others. He was glad Anna had been gung ho about spending Christmas on the water. He didn’t want to think about what it would have been like if they were sitting in his parents’ living room instead. They were headed to Copenhagen and would return shortly before New Year’s. There would be an entirely different atmosphere at that celebration. Hannes chuckled, remembering the discussion with his friends about what to drink on New Year’s Eve. He gave the decorations on the tree a little fine-tuning, fluffed a few pillows, then ran back up to replace Anna at the wheel.
They anchored for the first time shortly before reaching the Danish island of Lolland. Anna had already uncorked the bottle of red wine and was waiting for him in the small cabin. As Hannes stood on the stairs and saw her sitting in the soft light in front of the tiny Christmas tree, the stress of the past couple of months drifted away in the mild sea breeze. Anna shook one of her gifts, and a warm feeling flowed through him. He cleared his throat, and with a smile of feigned guilt, she put the package back. Hannes climbed down the steps and pulled the hatch down. The moon cast a glittering ribbon across the water, and the lights of the tiny Christmas tree twinkled in the reflection of the Baltic Sea. High above the small boat, in the vastness of the night sky, shined the constellation Cygnus, also known as the Northern Cross.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2015 Ruediger Schapmann
German author Hendrik Falkenberg studied sports management and works in sports broadcasting. The magical allure that the sea holds for him comes alive in his stories, which are set on the north German coast. His first book, Time Heals No Wounds, was a #1 Kindle bestseller in Germany.
ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR
Patrick F. Brown studied French and German at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. He currently lives in Philadelphia, PA, where he does freelance translation.