Lacey reached out and tapped Brody’s knee. “I’m not going to say this as your secretary. I’m saying this as somebody who cares about you. Your mother was a good person. I know that, and most of Coldbrook Bend knew that. I’m sure she had her reasons, and she wouldn’t have done it to hurt you, Mr. Sexton. You can be sure of that.”
14
Dak
Dak didn’t see it coming. It was dark out and harder to see than usual, but he was distracted, too. A tow line snapped and swept across the deck like a snake striking out at its prey. It knocked Dak’s feet out from under his body and propelled him forward toward the deck rail. Chet saw what was happening and lunged forward. He barely reached the fabric of Dak’s pant leg. Grabbing it caused them to both tumble onto the deck, but the effort stopped Dak from going over the rail into the inky, dark river water.
Struggling to his feet, Dak thanked Chet. He responded, “Hey, I’m just doing my job. You would have done the same for me. It doesn’t help any of us to lose a man overboard. You’d survive it, but dragging you out slows everything down. Time is money, Dak. I’m sure you’ll get a chance to pay me back sometime. Those broken lines can be killers.”
Dak thanked Chet again. He appreciated everyone treating his close call as an accident, but he knew that the incident was avoidable. Dak was swabbing and cleaning part of the deck while thinking about Brody back home. Every time he was doing a job on the boat that didn’t require a lot of mental concentration, Brody popped up to fill up the extra space in his brain. Dak wondered what Brody was doing. He was curious whether Brody was curled up on his sofa watching TV by himself or hanging out at the Corner Hitch downtown.
The shift supervisor said, “Dak, go to your quarters and take the rest of this shift off. I’ll send one of the guys to pull Leo out here. He got to skip a shift earlier today. Make sure you didn’t injure anything and get a few extra hours of sleep. Maybe that will help with your concentration.”
As he slipped between the sheets, Dak heard a fist pounding on his door. He called out, “Hang on. I’m in bed. Don’t tear down the door!”
He was surprised to see the boat’s engineer standing at the door. He asked, “Can I come in?”
“Of course. You’re welcome anytime.”
The engineer was ten years older than Dak. He kept to himself most of the time, but he didn’t have any enemies on the boat. He was just quiet and reserved. The engineer grabbed the chair from the room’s tiny desk while Dak sat on his bottom bunk. He said, “The captain sent me down here. He said he’s worried there could be problems on the way, and he wants to head them off right now. He’s heard concerns that your head isn’t in your work. Is there anything we should know?”
Dak shook his head. He itched at being singled out, but he understood the reasons why. “No, I guess I’m missing home. Everything was in a good place when I left, so it was hard to pull myself away.”
The engineer nodded and said, “I hope that’s all it is because you’re one of the most experienced members of the crew, Dak. We’ve got all these new men streaming in looking for jobs, and we need to show them how Eagle Point operates. So far, sadly, you’re not the best example.”
Dak winced when he heard the comments. Doing his best work was important. He always wanted to be seen as one of the hardest working crew members on the boat. He was stronger than most of the men, and he often got called on to deal with the heaviest equipment.
He also knew that the engineer was sent to make the warning calls. It was like sending the pitching coach out to the mound in a baseball game to check on the pitcher. If the manager came instead, you were out of the game. Dak said, “I’ll shape up.”
The engineer slapped his knee and said, “When you say that, I trust that it’s going to happen. You’ve given us great years so far, and I’m hoping for at least another decade to come.”
“Maybe two,” said Dak.
The engineer grinned. “Yeah, you might have that in you.” He stood, and before he left the room, he turned back once more. “Are you sure there’s nothing I can help with? All conversations are confidential. Sometimes the only way you can deal with something is to face it head on and talk about it.”
Dak shook his head and said, “Thank for the concern, but I’m fine. I’ll get a few extra hours of sleep, and then my focus will be back. I’m sure of it.”
As the engineer left, Dak wasn’t quite as confident as he’d sounded in the conversation. He knew that he had to make some changes. Getting kicked off the boat would screw up too many things in life. He wasn’t sure Brody would treat the news kindly either.
Settling back into the narrow bunk, Dak pulled the sheets up to his neck and let the rocking of the tow send him off to sleep. He slept so soundly that he didn’t hear a thunderstorm in the middle of the night. He woke up at the crack of dawn feeling refreshed.
The next day of work was better. Dak made a minor save when it looked like one of the new crew members came close to being knocked down. It was a rerun of the day before, except the new guy was paying attention. He was just frightened by the sudden movement when the line snapped. The shift supervisor yelled, “You gotta be checking those lines. Too many snaps. Don’t assume! Always check!”
Dak turned to look at the supervisor, and there was something about him that brought Brody to mind. Dak didn’t know whether it was the slim build or it was the dark wavy hair on the top of his head. Maybe it was something about the way his barking of orders sounded harsh and caring at the same time. Dak thought about lying in Brody’s arms, and the sensations threatened to pull him away from the job once again.
Dak shook his head. He only had an hour left. Then he would be off the deck for another twelve hours. He would even have a couple of hours to hang out and do something. He could watch a movie with the other guys, or he could hang out in his bunk with the laptop if his phone could successfully connect to a satellite to create an Internet connection. Then he remembered the engineer’s words.
He wasn’t going to deal with the distraction of thinking about Brody unless he confronted it head-on. He was off at 8:00 p.m. It was a Wednesday night. Brody was likely at home trying to figure out what to do, too. Dak decided to give him a call. He hoped it would be a pleasant surprise on the other end of the phone.
With only about 45 minutes left in the shift, Dak felt energy coursing through his veins. He stepped up the speed of his work and encouraged the other crewmen to do the same.
John, one of the new men, asked, “What’s gotten into you?”
“Pride in the boat,” said Dak. “We’re a quality company, and we do the job right. If you don’t believe that, then you have no business working on an Eagle Point tow.”
The shift supervisor heard Dak’s words, and he smiled in a fashion that was half-smirk. He said, “Happy to hear the new tone, Dak, and you’re right. We’re the best crew on the river. We’re a step up for all of these new men, and they better be learning that fact fast.”
Brody answered the phone after only two rings. Dak asked, “Were you staring at the phone and willing it to ring?”
Brody laughed. “No, I was lounging on the couch watching TV, and the phone was lying here on my chest. I just dealt with a call from the store. They were closing up, and somehow an opossum wandered into the back part of the store by all the gardening stuff. They were all panicking while trying to figure out what to do with it. I had a hard time talking about it without laughing.”
“Fuck, that’s bizarre,” said Dak. He didn’t really care about the particular problem. He was just happy to hear Brody’s voice. “Did you have a solution for them?”
“I tried to keep them on the phone while I sorted through who they might call. I figured animal control was long shut down for the evening, but there’s an emergency veterinarian line to call. I thought maybe they could help.”
“Is that what they’re doing?” asked Dak.
Brody laughed again, and Dak smiled on the other end of the phone. “No,
by the time I came up with an idea, the opossum wandered out of the store on its own. One of our evening guys who lives out in the country put down a trail of dog food out the door, and it worked. Is everything okay out on the river? I assume you are out on the river? This call is such a great surprise.”
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” said Dak.
15
Brody
Dak’s voice was intoxicating over the phone. It was deep, and it was gravelly. Brody wasn’t surprised, but he was a little self-conscious when he could feel himself growing hard as they talked. He said, “You’re kind of hard to forget about, too.” The words were true, and he knew that he could say much more, but he waited for Dak’s next comment.
“It’s great to know I’m on your mind. Is it ever distracting to you? I get a little wrapped up in, well, you know.”
“You do?” asked Brody. He wasn’t sure what Dak meant, but he decided to jump on it anyway. “You mean about the night before you left?”
“Yeah, you’re a good kisser.”
Brody could still call to mind exactly how Dak tasted. He asked, “How did that happen?”
“I guess we both wanted it.”
Brody said, “Yeah.” He was struggling with what to ask or what to say. He couldn’t believe they dove right into the topic just seconds after beginning to talk on the phone. Maybe it was easier to discuss on the phone than in person. “I don’t know what to say.”
“I’ve got an idea,” said Dak. “I want to see you and not just talk to you. What do you think?”
“Are you sure you can do that on the boat? Are you really where you can be that private?”
Brody held his breath when there was sudden silence on the other end of the line. Dak spoke softly in his deep tone of voice. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but I just wanted to see your face. I did that with Lewis a couple of times, and when the times were better, it was nice to see his face.”
Brody was happy that Dak wasn’t able to see him yet. If he did, he would have seen Brody’s face blushing beet red. He made a huge leap when Dak talked about video chat. He thought that Dak meant something erotic like those guys on gay dating apps. They always wanted a, “You show me yours, and I’ll show you mine,” session.
He also liked that Dak mentioned him along with Lewis. It wasn’t because he wanted to be compared to Lewis. He knew that he was a much better person than Dak’s ex-boyfriend if the stories Dak told were true. Brody was happy that he came up when Dak was talking about a boyfriend. Maybe Dak was curious about the future, too.
Brody asked, “How about I call you back on video chat?”
“That works for me. See you in just a minute or two.”
A huge smile spread across Dak’s face when he answered the phone. Brody couldn’t see a whole lot more beyond his face, but he figured out that Dak was lying down, and he thought he saw a small dresser in the background.
“Hey there, you look like the same Dak that I know!” exclaimed Brody.
“I hope so. There was a close call yesterday, though. I almost landed in the river.”
Brody shook his head. “You can’t tell me about that because I’ll worry about you if I know. Tell me the weather is sunshine all the time, and the boat’s just sailing along with light summer breezes. Talk to me about playing cards or eating bad casseroles for dinner. I don’t want to hear about close calls.”
“Okay, I’ll tell you that, but you know it’s not always easy on a boat. How’s everything back home?”
“It’s all fine, except there’s a big hole where you’re supposed to be.”
“Aw, I miss you a lot, too,” said Dak. “Do you feel like we’re beating around the bush a little? I felt that way when I left your house. I knew it had to come up sooner or later.”
Brody smiled. At least he knew they were on the same wavelength about one thing. He asked, “The kisses?”
“Yeah, back to those. Like I said before, they were great.” Brody watched Dak move his index finger toward the camera, and he knew that they were touching the lips that Dak saw on his screen.
“What do we need to talk about?” Brody knew they could talk about a whole raft of subjects, but he wanted to know what was on Dak’s mind.”
“Do I get more kisses when I get home?”
“Do you want more?”
Dak said, “I’ll be disappointed if I don’t get more. If you don’t want any kisses from me, you’d better hide from me, because that’s what you’re going to get the next time I see you. I’m going to pin you up against the wall and press these lips tight against yours.”
Brody had to look away from the screen for a moment. His heart was starting to race. He never thought seriously about a relationship with Dak, but he was beginning to wonder why. It all sounded so easy, and it sounded so good. The only red flags were Dak’s failures with other men. While staring at Dak on the screen, it was easy for Brody to convince himself that they were all bad choices. He looked at the screen again and said, “Wow. I felt that. Did you?”
Dak grinned and said, “I felt it as soon as I saw your face. That’s why I said it.”
“Does that mean…dating?” He couldn’t believe he was asking the question, but it seemed like the obvious one to ask. He sensed that he was standing at a crossroads, and all of the signs were pointing down only one of the roads.
“I think it’s worth a try,” said Dak. “What about you?”
“Uh, yeah, I think so.”
“Is there any reason not to?”
Suddenly, a new neon sign started flashing in Brody’s brain. It was the one everyone talked about when they considered dating a good friend. What happened if they broke up? Was the friendship over, too? Dak was Brody’s best friend for more than twenty years. Was it worth the risk? All of the thoughts swirled in Brody’s brain, but he decided to slam them all back down as firmly as he could. He slapped a lid on the container and said, “No, I don’t think so.”
Dak leaned in closer to the screen and said, “Brody, I want you.”
“I want you, too, Dak.”
16
Dak
A week into his latest tenure on the river, Dak settled back into the routine. He worked two six-hour watch duties a day. His assignment was midnight to 6:00 a.m. and then noon to 6:00 p.m. He chose to do most of his sleeping in the morning from 6:00 a.m. to noon. That left him with time in the evening to hang out with other crew members and talk to Brody.
Every other day they spoke for at least an hour over video chat on the phone. Occasionally, the calls ended abruptly when the boat moved out of cell phone range, but Brody was never upset about it. While they were apart, it was the most relaxed relationship Dak had experienced in years. Far too many of his ex-boyfriends were continuously wracked with jealousy and fear of him cheating.
He laughed when Brody decided to start taking him on virtual trips around town. They hung out together in the bar downtown. Brody had Dak talk to Jake, the bartender at the Corner Hitch. It was fun, but it all made Dak homesick. He could see the guys roar at the bar when the Twins scored a run, and he laughed so hard he nearly cried when Brody set up an extra beer across a little round table for his absent boyfriend.
The best Dak could do to match Brody’s efforts was letting him know when they hit New Orleans. Dak didn’t get time off the boat, but the engineer brought out Mardi Gras beads he had stowed away, and the cook surprised them with crawfish gumbo.
Brody said, “You know those crawl around in little creeks up here, too. They’re like big, oversized bugs.”
“And they are delicious!” exclaimed Dak as he ate from a bowl of gumbo on his bunk. He held up one of the crawfish and sucked the meat from the head like a Louisiana native.
Brody recoiled in horror. “That’s so disgusting, Dak! You’re not gonna see me do that.”
Dak grinned and said, “Be adventurous, Brody. You have no idea what I might make you try. I’ve had some crazy things on boats before.”
He watched as Brody shook his head. “I’ll try a lot, but there are limits.”
Dak asked, “So did you ever find out more about that uncle?”
“A few more bits here and there.”
Slurping the last spoonful of gumbo, Dak asked, “What kind of bits? Do you have any idea who his boyfriend was?”
“Seb, who works for me, said he spent a lot of weekends in the Twin Cities. I assume that was because he couldn’t be out of the closet at home.”
“I bet that’s where his boyfriend lived,” said Dak. “It makes sense that he would look for someone in the big city. I’ve been tempted by that on a lot of weekends in the past.”
“Are we gonna get a condo downtown in Minneapolis?” asked Brody.
“Unless Home Pro rakes in a lot more cash than I think it does, it’s probably not gonna happen right now,” laughed Dak. “What else do you know?”
“He was good friends with Wiley Tarrant.”
“Is that the Wiley Tarrant? One of the Tar-Mor kids?”
Brody said, “He’s the only Wiley Tarrant that I’m aware of. I don’t think it’s a common name. That reminds me, Dak. I’d meant to look up more information on Wiley Tarrant. There’s a possibility that they weren’t just friends. I think he might be the guy kissing Great-Uncle Clyde.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, Lacey, my secretary, said they went to the cities together on the weekends. I’m just trying to put two and two together.”
River Town Box Set Page 9