South of Heaven

by Ali Spooner

  “That’s not fair, she’s cheating,” he cried.

  “How exactly is she cheating?” Harvey asked.

  “By distracting us with the smell of that cake.” He grinned. “I can’t focus on anything but how good it’s going to taste later tonight.”

  The table broke out in laughter right on cue as the timer sounded.

  “You’re saved by the bell.” Lindsey laughed, and walked to the oven to take the cake out to cool. “Go ahead without me. I’ll play catch up later tonight.”

  She poured two glasses of tea. “I’m going to check on the captain. Harvey, do you think you can keep them away from the cake?”

  “I’ve got your back,” he grinned, as he shuffled the cards.

  †

  Kendra was on the phone when Lindsey entered the wheelhouse and the look on her face was one of relief. “That’s great news, Dad. Do you think you can relax now?”

  Lindsey placed the glass of tea in Kendra’s free hand.

  “So when do they think he’ll be out of the woods? Really? Wow that’s amazing,” Kendra said into the phone.

  Lindsey took a seat and waited for the call to end.

  “Okay, call me later when you get back to Uncle Henry’s. Love you, too.” Kendra ended the call and let out a deep breath.

  “Good news I take it,” Lindsey said.

  “The surgery was a success. They had to unblock three chambers, but everything went well. He’s already back in his room on the cardiac floor, and Dad told me they planned to get him up and walking tomorrow afternoon.”

  “That’s amazing.”

  “He’ll still be in the hospital for about a week on IV antibiotics to prevent infection, but everything so far has gone like planned.”

  Lindsey was about to say something, but was interrupted by an alarm on the console. She watched as the computer screen came online.

  “That can’t be good.” Lindsey frowned as they watched a weather alert came on-screen.

  A tropical depression was highlighted on the screen just south of Puerto Rico, and the ticker tape report projected the depression to strengthen quickly, turning into a tropical storm within the next twenty-four hours. The next screen showed the projected path, a high probability of the storm turning east and heading back out into the eastern Atlantic. Two other paths, however, with lower probability, showed the storm heading up toward the Outer Banks, or turning west and heading into the Gulf.

  “Give your dad a call to make sure he’s seen this alert.” Kendra handed Lindsey the phone before turning back to the computer screen. “When you’re done, round up the crew and bring them here, please.”

  “Will do, boss.” Lindsey heard the clicking of the phone as the satellite picked up the signal and then the phone began to ring. She breathed a sigh of relief when her dad answered the phone.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, Dad, it’s me, Lindsey.”

  “Hey there, sweetie, is everything okay? I didn’t recognize the number.”

  “I’m on the boat’s satellite phone. We’re out in the Gulf, going out for reds, but Captain Drake just got a weather alert and wanted to make sure you got it as well. There’s a storm brewing that has the potential of making it to the Outer Banks by next weekend.”

  “I’m booting up the system now, but tell her thanks for the heads up. How have you been doing?”

  “I’m great. Kendra’s dad had to fly to Phoenix yesterday. His brother suffered a massive heart attack and needed surgery today.”

  “Have you heard from him? Is his brother going to be okay?”

  “Yes, she had just talked to him before the weather alert came up. Things went very well, and he should be in the hospital about a week.”

  “That’s good news. Damn, I see the storm track now. Hopefully, it will head back out to sea or die off completely.”

  “I hope so, too, but please keep an eye on the storm, Dad.”

  “I will. You said you’re out in the Gulf fishing reds, is that right?”

  “Yes, sir, we’ll hit our grid tonight unless the captain turns us around to head for home.”

  “That probably won’t be necessary for at least a couple more days. Maybe you can get a few passes in before heading back.”

  “Hopefully so. I’ll keep in touch. Stay safe, Dad.”

  “You too, honey. I’ll call this number if anything changes here.”

  “Thanks, Dad. Love you.”

  “Love you, too, baby girl.”

  †

  Lindsey walked into the galley. “Wrap it up, boys, the captain wants to meet with us in the wheelhouse. We’ve got weather issues.”

  The men groaned at ending the game, but followed her into the wheelhouse.

  “I just wanted to give you a heads up on a weather alert we just received. The National Weather Center is tracking a depression. The scientists feel it has a strong chance of becoming at least a tropical storm, but more likely a hurricane,” Kendra told them.

  “Aw man,” Charlie groaned.

  “What about the track?” Harvey asked.

  “Still early in the game, but one of the tracks does send it potentially our way, in four to five days. The best case scenario is that the Gulf Stream flow takes it back out to sea in the eastern Atlantic.”

  “That’s good to hear.” Harvey relaxed a bit.

  “I’ll keep a close eye on the track, and if we need to high tail it home we will. What I need to hear from you is whether or not you want to bust it for the next three days, and hopefully get our quotas and head in early, just in case.”

  Lindsey noticed several heads nodding as Kendra spoke and looked into the faces of the crew. “I think we’d all be in agreement to push a little harder to make the quota and head for home.”

  “I’m certainly on board with it,” Harvey agreed. “If we put in just before sunrise, and bust it until the sun goes down, we can probably get in four, maybe five runs.”

  “I think that’s doable, but it’s going to be long days,” Kendra warned.

  “Hell yeah, let’s do this,” Charlie said. “I don’t know about y’all, but I enjoyed the hell out of last week’s paycheck, and I want another, even better.”

  “If we fill all the bags I ordered for this week, we can double your check, but I will not put the crew or the boat in any danger.”

  “Thanks, Captain,” Tim replied. “We’ll make it happen.”

  “We should arrive at the edge of the grid in about an hour, and I’ll drop anchor for the night. I’d suggest we have a hearty meal and get a good night’s sleep.”

  “You heard the Captain, let’s get to fixing supper,” Harvey instructed, ushering them out of the wheelhouse.

  “I’ve got a cake to frost. Do you need anything?” Lindsey asked.

  “A strong westerly wind to blow the storm away from us.”

  “I wish I could get that for you.” Lindsey shrugged, and followed the crew to the galley.

  †

  Kevin kept his word and called Kendra just as the sun was going down and she was preparing to drop anchor.

  “Henry’s doing remarkably well. I think he’s even excited about starting to walk tomorrow.”

  “That sounds good. I just hope he stays positive once the pain medications start wearing off. We know he’s a fighter, but don’t let him overdo things,” Kendra warned.

  “I don’t think we have to worry about that. His personal nurse has to be kin to Nurse Ratched. She could probably bench press more than I could in my youth.”

  “That’s good to hear. How are you holding up?”

  “Tired, but relieved that the surgery went well. I know the tough part is just beginning, but I feel good about his rehab.”

  “I love you, Dad.”

  “I love you too, baby girl. Did you make it out to the grid yet?”

  “We just arrived and I’m about to close her down for the night. Harvey’s frying chicken for dinner.”

  “That sounds so good. Rice and gravy, to
o?” he asked.

  “Don’t you know it. Lindsey’s made a cake, too, yellow with chocolate frosting.”

  “Aw man, you’re killing me.” Kendra could almost see his smile across the phone lines. “Go ahead and get her tucked in for the night and enjoy a good meal. Just know how jealous I am at this moment.”

  “I will, Dad. Will you call again tomorrow?”

  “Yes, but if there are no changes, I’ll wait until he walks to let you know how it went.”

  “Sounds good. Have a good night, Dad, and get some food and rest yourself.”

  She ended the call and fought a momentary pang of guilt about not telling her dad about the potential weather problem—he has enough on his mind. Hopefully, the television in Phoenix wouldn’t be broadcasting about the storm just yet. They could get a full boat and on their way home before he found out. She could at least hope for that luck.

  Kendra dropped anchor, and once she felt the tug of it planting in the floor, she killed the engine and closed out her logbook for the night. She turned up the volume on the weather alert system, and followed the smell of frying chicken to the galley.

  †

  After the meal, Lindsey finished cleaning the galley before walking onto the deck for some fresh air. The breeze had picked up and felt good on her face as she looked up at the brilliant stars. Movement to her left alerted her to Kendra’s presence, sitting on a small bench next to the wheelhouse.

  “Hey, boss, you okay?”

  “Yes, just too wired to sleep just yet. I had a long nap today thanks to you.”

  Lindsey grinned at her. “Would a nice glass of wine help you relax?”

  “That would definitely help.”

  “I’ll be right back then.” She disappeared into the captain’s suite.

  Lindsey smiled as she pulled open a small drawer and pulled out the corkscrew she had picked up at the store as an afterthought. It would have been horrible to have such lovely wine but no way to open the bottle. She held her breath as she began the process of uncorking the bottle, working it free from the bottleneck, breathing again only when she heard the pop of the cork. She had to chuckle when her search failed to locate wine glasses, so she took a pair of mason jars down from the cupboard. She poured the wine into the jars, re-corked it, and returned the bottle to the fridge. She picked up the jars and walked back on deck.

  “Not exactly a wine glass, but these will do in a pinch.” She handed Kendra a jar.

  “I will add some to my next shopping list. Where did you come up with the wine?”

  “I stopped off at the wine shop and picked up six bottles of Riesling. I’m not certain it’s the same as we both liked, but the shopkeeper declared it his finest.”

  Kendra smiled. “So it was you. The shopkeeper told me a young woman had been in earlier and bought six bottles.”

  “Yes, it was me.” Lindsey grinned and made a bow.

  “Good job.” Kendra lifted her mason jar to Lindsey. “Care to share my bench?”

  “I’d love to.” Lindsey took a seat beside her. ”Gorgeous out here isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, you’d never know there’s a storm brewing out there.”

  “Stupid question, but have you checked the weather report lately?”

  Kendra smiled at her and Lindsey felt her heart melt a little more. “Still strengthening, and slowing down. That’s never good.”

  “How much longer until you think they’ll have a better idea of the track?”

  “Two, three days tops.”

  “We better work hard these next few days then.”

  “We can do this, if the shrimp are still as plentiful as last week.”

  “You’ll find them, just like you did before, Captain.”

  Kendra took a sip of the wine and she turned to face Lindsey. “Thanks for having faith in me.”

  “That’s so easy. You’re a great captain.” Distracted by the shine of the wine on Kendra’s lips, Lindsey found herself thinking how much sweeter her lips would taste. She cleared her thoughts when she realized Kendra had spoken.

  “It helps to have a great crew to back me up.” Kendra had a tremor in her voice.

  Twenty minutes later, they had finished the wine. “Would you care for another glass?”

  “No, I think that was enough to relax me.”

  “Let me have your fine china and I’ll go wash them,” Lindsey said. “I’ll bring them back to you tomorrow.”

  “Thanks, Lindsey. That was just what I needed. Have a great night.”

  “You too, Captain. Goodnight.” Lindsey fought the temptation to kiss Kendra. She would wait to allow the captain to make the first move on the boat.

  Kendra stopped in the wheelhouse to check the weather before retiring for the evening. Not much had changed from the earlier report.

  “Just give us a few more days,” she whispered into the darkened room. She double-checked the volume on the system and retired to her cabin.

  Stretched out in her bed she felt the gentle rocking of the boat and let the wine relax her into a restful sleep.

  Chapter Twelve

  Harvey woke earlier than planned from the rocking of the boat. The wind and waves had increased significantly overnight. He climbed out of his berth to dress and walk on deck. The skies were still dark, but he could see ominous clouds racing in front of the moon. There was a drop in the temperature that, while noticeable, might not be enough to affect the approaching storm. He returned to the galley, started the coffee, and picked out items for breakfast. It would be a long day ahead and he wanted the crew to start it with a robust breakfast.

  Lindsey heard Harvey head up on deck and slipped from her berth. He would probably start breakfast before the crew woke, and she planned to offer him her help.

  He looked up when she arrived in the galley. “Good morning.”

  “I hope so. Those clouds look a bit ominous today.”

  “I just pray we can get two or three long days in before we have to head for home.”

  “Amen to that. What can I do to help?”

  “Cube up some ham and cheese, then chop a few of those green onions. I thought we’d have some good scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, and toast to get us started. I don’t imagine we’ll have time for a leisurely lunch today.”

  She pulled out a knife and began chopping the onions. “In between runs, I can come in and prepare sandwiches. I’ll put chips in a bowl so when we can take a short break everything will be ready to eat.”

  “That’s a good idea. I can help to make things go quicker.”

  The outside door opened and Kendra entered the galley. “Good morning.”

  “Morning, Captain, did you rest well?” Harvey asked.

  “Not bad, Harvey, and you?”

  “Slept like a rock.” He grinned. “Grab a couple of mugs of coffee for you and Lindsey if you will.”

  “Will do. What can I do to help? You two look like you’re whipping up a feast.”

  “You can make a pile of toast,” Harvey said.

  Kendra passed a mug of coffee to Lindsey and went to work on making toast.

  “What’s the latest on the storm?” Lindsey asked.

  Kendra dropped six slices in the toaster and pushed the lever. “It’s still growing, unfortunately, but no clear path yet. She’s got a name now, too.”

  “Dare I ask?” Harvey replied.

  “Tropical storm Dani.”

  “Damn, I hate four letter storms. They almost always come into the Gulf,” he groaned.

  “Is that true or you pulling my leg?” Lindsey asked.

  “Oh, it’s true,” Kendra, agreed. “Erin, Opal, Ivan, Kate, all have paid us a visit.”

  “Damn,” Lindsey echoed Harvey’s concern.

  The door opened again and Charlie came through.

  “Go ahead and get the rest of the crew moving, breakfast will be ready in just a few,” Harvey instructed as he whipped up two dozen eggs. He turned to Lindsey, “Drop your ingredients in the bowl and let�
��s get this party started.”

  “You want me to do the eggs while you finish the potatoes?” she asked.

  “Be my guest.” He handed Lindsey a spatula. “Captain, will you pull out jelly, juice, and ketchup?”

  “You got it.” She buttered the last of the toast to pop up, and put out what Harvey had asked for.

  Lindsey watched as Kendra scooted back her chair and stood. “I’m going to get the engine warmed up,” Kendra announced. “As soon as you can, get the nets in the water and the doors set so we can start a pass. You can clean up once we start to trawl.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Harvey answered. “You heard the captain. Eat up boys.”

  “Thanks for a great breakfast,” she told them, and left the galley.

  †

  When the nets were in place, Kendra began their first pass of the day. The lights on the front of the boat lit the water as the sun had yet to rise. The crew prepared the deck for the first haul while Lindsey cleaned the galley.

  The sun was beginning to creep above the horizon as the crew finished the setup. Beautiful hues of red, orange, and gold filled the eastern sky. Lindsey felt Kendra back down the power on the engine and she looked up to see her give Harvey a thumbs-up sign to start the winches. The crew held their collective breaths until the first full net rose above the railing, guided onto the deck above the bins.

  Charlie was the first to let out a yell. “Now that’s what I’m talking about!”

  Lindsey turned to see Kendra smiling as they untied the first net and the bins overflowed.

  “Let’s get them emptied and back in the water as fast as we can,” Kendra instructed over the intercom.

  Kendra watched as the crew carried out their tasks, two men retying the emptied net while the other two brought in the second net. Harvey and Lindsey began the process of bagging the shrimp.

  The first pass netted a great first haul with full nets. Charlie and the other crew took the filled bags to store in the freezer. The nets also brought in several nice grouper that they placed in a live well for a future meal. Harvey walked to the wheelhouse to report the catch.