South of Heaven

by Ali Spooner

  “You got a good one on the line, Dad?”

  “It feels like it. This one’s got a lot of fight in him.”

  “Bring him on in,” she said just as Lindsey let out a holler. “Damn, I’ve got a fighter, too.”

  “I better get my line back in the water quick,” Kendra said and dropped her line into the water.

  She and Lindsey both landed fish nearing fifteen pounds, but her dad was still fighting the fish he had hooked. “You okay, Dad?”

  Kevin wiped the sweat from his face. “Yeah, he’s got a lot of fight in him. Just when I think I’m making headway, he makes a run and I lose ground.”

  “Our money may be in danger if he lands this beast,” she hollered to Lindsey.

  “Get him, Captain,” Lindsey yelled back.

  Kendra watched as the heavy-duty rod bowed with strain as Kevin reeled the line. That must be a helluva fish. She reeled in her line and walked over to her dad. The strain was evident on his face and the sweat was running down his cheeks like tears. “Do you need me to give you a break?”

  “Maybe in a few if he doesn’t wear down. I hope I can bring him in, but I definitely will need you to gaff him to get him onboard.”

  “I’ll be ready,” she replied, and walked over to the rack where the long-handled gaff was stored. She would use the hook to grab the fish under his gills to haul him on board. If the fish was giving her dad this much fight on the line, there would be no way that, unassisted, he would be able to lift him onto the deck.

  After ten more minutes passed, he still hadn’t landed the fish. Lindsey had reeled in her line and walked over to them. “He must be a monster.”

  “Do you think it could be a Goliath, Dad?”

  “Not this close to shore, but he’s big. You still want to fight him?”

  “Oh, hell yeah.” Kendra could see the exhaustion and relief in her dad’s face as she took the rod he offered. “Lindsey, will you bring Dad a bottle of water from the galley?”

  “Sure thing.” Lindsey rushed across the deck, returning with three bottles of water.

  “Damn, he’s got a good pull,” Kendra commented as she cranked the reel. She watched the grin on her dad’s face grow as he watched her fight the fish.

  Lindsey handed him a bottle of water.

  “Thanks.” He downed half the bottle. “Man, that’s good.”

  Lindsey twisted the top off another bottle and held it to Kendra’s lips. “I think you’re going to need this.”

  She took a long drink and looked at Lindsey. “Thank you.”

  “Welcome, now get that monster on board.”

  Kendra battled the fish for another ten minutes before she felt him begin to tire and she began to reel him closer to the boat. The muscles in her arms were starting to burn from the exertion and she knew her dad had to be exhausted from the fight. She glanced over at him and saw the smile on his face as he saw the glimmer of the fish’s scales flash in the sun as she pulled him from the deep water.

  “He’s a monster of a fish,” he cried. “Lindsey, can you handle the gaff?”

  “Yes, sir.” She picked up the long pole.

  Just when Kendra thought she had him beat, the fish attempted to dive for deeper waters again. Kendra held firm and was relieved when the fight left him. She began frantically cranking the reel to take up the slack. If she couldn’t keep the line tight and the fish got a burst of energy, he could snap the line with a frenzied attempt at freedom.

  “Hot damn,” Kevin hollered when the fish rose to the surface. “You’ve got him now, Kendra. Think you’ll be able to bring him aboard without losing him?”

  “I’ll get him as close as I can, but you’ll have to gaff him so we can get him on board,” she told Lindsey.

  “I’ll be ready, just say when.”

  “Dad, you’ll need to take the line and keep him tight. I think it’ll take both of us to get him on board.”

  “No problem.” She could feel the trembling in his hands as he took the rod from her.

  “Now, Lindsey,” she instructed as she released the rod to her dad.

  It took two attempts, but Lindsey finally hooked his gills. “Got him,” she cried out in what sounded like relief.

  “We’re going to have to work together to bring him in, Lindsey.”

  “Let’s do it.”

  Together they began to pull the gaff pole up, inch by painful inch, until he broke the surface completely. With a final burst of strength, they lifted him over the rail onto the deck.

  “Damn, he’s big.” Kevin whooped excitedly.

  Kendra was breathless as she looked up to him. “At least 50, but could be 60 pounds,” she gasped.

  “Do you have a fish scale on board?” Lindsey asked.

  “Yes, you two catch your breath and I’ll go get it.”

  Kendra leaned back against the rail. “I can’t believe he fought him that long. That fish is a monster.” She grinned.

  “We’ve definitely lost our money on this one, but seeing that smile on your Dad’s face makes it worth a hundred times more.”

  “He’s by far the biggest we’ve ever caught.”

  Lindsey leaned back next to her with their arms and thighs touching. Kendra could feel Lindsey’s warmth against her bare skin. Damn, it feels good to be this close to her. She looked into Lindsey’s eyes to find them sparkling with excitement.

  When Kevin returned with the scale, Kendra hooked the fish and helped her dad lift it into his arms.

  “Let me get a quick picture of this.” Lindsey pulled out her phone. “Big smiles,” she prompted, as she clicked off several frames. “Got it.”

  “Fifty-eight pounds and four ounces,” Kendra announced. “You want to have this beast mounted or fileted?”

  “He’s way too ugly to mount, but he’ll put a bunch of steaks into the freezer. We’ll frame and mount one of Lindsey’s photographs to remember this day.”

  “That sounds like a good plan. If you want, we can carry him to the sorting table, and when we dock, I’ll bring out fileting knives and we can get to work.”

  Kevin grinned at her. “I brought some crab traps that are in the back of my truck. Maybe you can swap out your Jeep for my truck and bring them down. These carcasses will make good bait for them.”

  “No problem. I’ll grab a couple of coolers, too, so we can put the filets on some ice.”

  “We will eat like royalty tonight,” he replied with a broad grin on his face.

  “That we will, Dad. Will you take us back in to the harbor?”

  “With pleasure.”

  Lindsey winked at her. “Wait just a minute,” she said, before disappearing into the galley. She returned seconds later carrying the three bills, handing them to him. “Congratulations on a hard fought victory.”

  Kevin attempted to refuse the money. “You two landed him, so I can’t take your money.”

  “You hooked him and wore him out so we could bring him on board. You earned it, and a deal’s a deal,” Lindsey said.

  Kendra smiled at him. “She’s right, it’s your win.” Then she smiled at Lindsey. Her admiration for the younger woman was growing rapidly, and she appreciated the respect Lindsey showed her dad. Too bad, you’re only staying for the summer.

  They placed the fish on the sorting table while Kevin drove the boat back into the harbor. While waiting to process the fish, she and Lindsey took their seats back on the bench.

  “What a great day to be out on the water.” Kendra gazed across the Gulf.

  “Good weather, good fishing, and good friends. What more could you ask for?” Lindsey agreed.

  “Exactly. I don’t think Dad will have any problems sleeping tonight after battling that beast.”

  “Me either, but watching him holding that fish made my day.” Lindsey grinned and pulled out her phone and shared the photographs she’d taken.

  “Those are good. I really would like to blow up one of them to hang in the house.”

  “This is my favori
te.” Lindsey pointed out a photo with both Drakes smiling widely at the camera.

  “That is a good shot,” Kendra agreed.

  “I’ll see about getting it blown up and printed this week.”

  “Just let me know how much.”

  “Are you kidding? It’s the least I can do for you and your Dad.”

  †

  Kevin killed the engine and the boat floated beside the dock. Lindsey, along with Kendra, stepped onto the weathered wood to secure the mooring lines as Kevin secured the wheelhouse before joining them on deck.

  “I’ll be back in just a few with your truck,” Kendra said.

  “We’ll get a head start on these fish,” Kevin replied, and turned to Lindsey.

  “Right behind you, sir.” Lindsey smiled at him. “I’ll come help with the traps and coolers when you return, Kendra.”

  “See you in a few then.” Kendra strode off toward her Jeep.

  Once Kendra left, Lindsey helped Kevin, who had picked up a fileting knife and begun working on the smaller fish. He dropped the severed heads and carcasses into a bucket for bait. It wasn’t long before the filets started piling up on the sorting table.

  “These will make for some delicious meals,” he remarked, stacking another steak on the pile.

  “We shouldn’t go hungry for a while.”

  “That’s for sure.” Kevin dipped the tip of the knife into the body of the fish, the blade clicking against the backbone as he guided the knife the length of the fish. “That big boy alone will keep us fed through the summer. We may have to host a fish fry so the filets don’t go to waste from freezer burn.”

  “That might be a fitting way to finish off the red season.”

  “Not a bad idea,” he agreed with a grin.

  When she heard the rattle of the crab traps as Kendra drove into the parking lot, Lindsey looked up.

  “You two seem to be getting along well,” Kevin said.

  Lindsey smiled at him. “You’ve raised a good woman in your daughter. I really admire her strength and knowledge.” Not to mention she’s drop dead gorgeous.

  “She can teach you a lot if you’re willing to learn.”

  “I’m looking forward to that. I’m going to go help her with the equipment.” Lindsey wiped her hands on a towel and walked off toward the truck.

  Kendra parked the truck and stepped out to begin unloading the crab traps and coolers she had grabbed from the garage. She glanced up to see Lindsey approaching wearing an adorable smile. “You can take the coolers on board and I’ll bring the traps.” Kendra handed her a pair of coolers.

  “You got it, boss.” Lindsey grinned and picked up another cooler before walking back to the boat.

  The soft sway of her hips was a sight to see and Kendra had to shake herself mentally to get back on task. You’re so doomed. She grinned as she picked up several traps and carried them to the boat before returning to the truck for the rest.

  “You two have been busy,” Kendra remarked as she stepped back onto the boat, nodding toward the growing pile of fileted fish.

  “We haven’t even touched the big boy yet,” Kevin replied.

  Kendra lifted a nearly full bucket and replaced it with an empty one. “I’ll get started loading these traps unless you need my help.”

  “I think we’ve got this under control for now. We’ll need your help on the big one though.”

  “Just give me a holler when you’re ready.” She carried the bucket onto the dock.

  Kendra immersed herself in baiting the traps and tying lines to them from the spool of rope she’d brought from the house. She lowered the first of the traps into the water and tied it off to one of the pilings. The water was tinted pink from the bloody carcasses and she felt herself smiling, knowing the scent of the fresh blood would attract the crabs.

  Lindsey swapped out buckets with her. The large head from her dad’s catch filled up a bucket on its own.

  “We’re almost done with the smaller catches,” Lindsey said as Kendra placed the large head in a trap. “If that doesn’t catch a dozen crabs, I’d be surprised.”

  “I sure hope Dad has a plan for the all crab he’s going to be catching with this many traps.”

  “I do,” Kevin said from the boat. “Gene down at the market guaranteed he’d buy as many as I can catch. I thought it would be a good way to spend my mornings. He wants them live so I don’t even have to clean them.”

  “The trash fish we catch in the nets should keep you set for bait,” Kendra told her dad.

  “That’s what I’m hoping and if I need to, I can do a bit of surf fishing while you’re out for reds or hook up with another of the shrimpers.”

  “You are going to retire one day, Dad, right?”

  “I’ll still be retired, but I can’t sit at home all day, or play golf all the time. I’ll do things at my pace though, so stop your worrying.”

  “I’m not worried.” Kendra chuckled. “Let me drop this trap and I’ll come help you two with the last one.”

  By the time they finished fileting the last fish, they had two large coolers filled with filets. “That’s a lot of fish,” Kendra groaned as she hefted one side of the cooler. “Lindsey, would you mind going to the truck to get the dolly? There’s no need to break our backs if we can use equipment to do the hard work for us.”

  Lindsey nodded and rushed down the dock for the dolly.

  “We talked about having a fish fry at the end of the red season,” Kevin said as Kendra watched Lindsey striding to the truck.

  “Good idea. I don’t think we could eat all these by ourselves before they start to burn.”

  “Yep, that’s the idea. I’ll start planning once the time gets closer,” he said. “I’ll bait and hang the last two traps if you want to help her load the coolers.”

  “Deal, you’ve already got crabs creeping in toward the traps. Don’t be surprised if you have a bunch caught by the morning.”

  “That’s fine by me.” He grinned. “I’ll probably have to use everything I make on golf balls.”

  “Good point.” She laughed and slapped him lightly on the shoulder. She stepped back on deck when Lindsey returned with the dolly.

  †

  “I’m going to shower and catch a nap if you ladies don’t mind,” Kevin said when they returned to the house.

  “No problem, Dad. We’ll get these fish bagged and in the freezer.”

  “I can go ahead and whip up some coleslaw, too,” Lindsey chimed in. “I’ll mix up the hushpuppy mix as well before we get cleaned up. Then we’ll all be fresh and ready to cook and eat dinner.”

  Chapter Five

  Kendra stretched her legs out in front of her and took a long drink from her beer. Kevin and Lindsey sat across from her as a cool breeze blew across the porch.

  “Thanks, ladies, for a wonderful meal, but I think this old man’s going to call it a night.”

  “I won’t be too far behind you, Dad. This is going to be a busy week.”

  “That it is, but an exciting one, too,” he added with a sparkle in his eye. Turning to Lindsey, he warned. “I’d get a good night’s sleep. She’s going to work you like a dog to prove your worth to the crew.”

  “Yes sir,” Lindsey answered. “I pretty much reckoned she would, so I’m right behind you.” She stood to follow him into the house.

  “You two go ahead. I’ll lock up and set the coffee pot.” Kendra watched them walk to the door.

  “Goodnight, you two,” Lindsey said and slipped past Kevin into the house.

  “You want some breakfast in the morning?” He looked back at his daughter.

  “Just some coffee and toast.” Kendra stood and stretched.

  “I’ll have it ready when you come downstairs. Goodnight, honey.”

  “Night, Dad, sleep well.”

  “You too.” He slipped inside the door.

  Kendra watched as the light came on in his bedroom. It still felt strange for her to go out without her dad on the boat, but he deser
ved a chance to retire after all his years on the water. The long days of hard work had taken a toll on his body. She cringed whenever the arthritis in his joints made him limp painfully as he walked even short distances. She prayed that retirement would permit his body to heal enough to allow him some physical relief. Her heart felt heavy, weighted with concern for her father, as she entered the house and locked up for the evening.

  †

  The sun crept above the horizon as the crew worked in unison to set the nets, and Kendra found herself smiling at the ease with which Lindsey had fallen into rhythm with the crew. She watched them work through the wheelhouse window until Harvey turned and gave her the signal that the nets were set. She was ready to begin the slow trawl through the smooth waters to gather shrimp in the nets. Kendra eased the boat forward as the crew disappeared into the galley for fresh coffee, while she started to trawl.

  Kendra smiled when Harvey stepped inside and handed her a cup of steaming coffee.

  “Thanks. We’ve been blessed with another beautiful morning.” She nodded toward the golden orb rapidly filling the sky with light.

  “Yes, we have. I hope this weather holds out all season.”

  She saw Lindsey step out of the galley and walk over to the railing sipping her coffee.

  “How she doing?” she asked.

  “Like she’s been on this boat for years.” He grinned. “She works well with the men, and gives their teasing right back at them. She’s a good fit if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  Kendra nodded and took a sip of her coffee. “The last thing we need is drama, especially if we’re going to be in tight quarters for days at a time.”

  “I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I think she’ll pose a challenge to the younger men to outwork her and that’s good for the rest of us,” he stated. “She knows her way around a shrimp boat and I don’t think she’ll tolerate them cutting any corners.”

  “Not that you would either.” She smiled. “I know just how tight a crew you run, remember?”

  “You still thinking we’ll do four days this week?” he asked.