End Of The Road: (A Clean Romance Novella) (Women's Adventure in Alaska Romance Book 3)

by Renee Hart

The next morning, Lou and Adrian were back on board before Ray’s feet hit the floor. They had clean clothes, groceries, and some sticky buns from the Sister’s Bakery. Ray could tell at a single glance they hadn’t brought enough sticky buns. There was gonna be a fight over them for sure. He was even considering if he could get away with pitching the women over board so he could have them all for himself.

  As if reading his thoughts, Adrian grabbed one for herself and headed for the far end of the deck. Lou followed suit and hurriedly jammed it into her mouth licking at the caramel as it dripped down her chin. Ray had one in each hand and took a big bite out of both of them as a sign of ownership. The three of them made funny sounds as they devoured the gooey treats.

  Soon they were all laughing at the sight of each other’s sticky hands and faces. There was nothing like sticky buns to bring out the inner child in someone was the thought they all shared in that simple moment. Cleaning up the mess took longer than making it had taken them as they scrubbed caramel and cinnamon from their hands and faces and a few other places it had dripped.

  When they were done, Ray headed for the wheelhouse and they were headed back to sea in search of more salmon. Their spirits were high as they looked forward to another good haul from their favorite spot. The weather was clear and the two women made themselves comfortable on the deck.

  “So, what’s going on with you and Ray,” Adrian asked her sister quietly.

  “Nothing really. I keep thinking something’s going on, but every time we get close to testing that theory, somebody comes along and messes us up…like you and the whales the other day. I was sure he was just about to kiss me and I wanted him to, then BANG! You hit us with the galley door.”

  Adrian busted out laughing at the look on her sister’s face.

  “Well, you know my timing never was that great, and besides, whales rock! You didn’t want to miss them, did you?”

  Lou stuck her tongue out at her sister and finding a stray smear of caramel at the corner of her mouth, she tried licking it off. It had been a good long while since she’d had sticky buns, but they hadn’t lost their appeal. Good thing she didn’t live in Homer full time, she thought with a grin, or she’d have a ‘sticky bun’ butt!

  ***

  Ray decided to check out another one of his favorite fishing spots on this trip. Heading a little farther north, he focused his ‘fish sense’ on the water below, hoping to tap into another good haul. Passing a few other fishing boats along his route, he gave them a wide berth. He found it always worked in his favor to respect the other captains and their crews. The horizon was clear and the sea was choppy under a brisk breeze.

  Reaching a spot he liked, his feet began to itch as they sensed the fish moving along below the boat. Ray signaled to the women to start hanging out the nets and they jumped to work as usual. Soon the three of them were in sync moving like a well-oiled machine and the fish starting coming in a steady stream. The numbers were slower than their past couple of runs, but the women were busy on the deck.

  After several hours, the nets started coming up nearly empty and Ray called for them to take a supper break. He was pretty sure this fishing hole was played out and they’d have to move on to find another.

  Adrian headed below to throw together a meal while Lou cleaned up the deck. Ray stepped out to inspect the nets and equipment, but mainly, he was looking for an excuse to be near Lou. She didn’t pay much attention to him as she was focused on getting her work done.

  “How are the nets holding up,” Ray asked.

  “No problems that I can see so far,” Lou answered him absently.

  “I’m thinking this spot is played out and we’re going to need to find another one,” Ray added as he tried to get a conversation going.

  Lou just shrugged and turned away to stow some gear.

  Ray stared at her back in frustration and then turned to go to the wheel house. It was pretty clear to him, she wasn’t interested in talking.

  Lou listened to him stomp off and fought back the urge to call after him. Knowing that sooner or later she was going to have to face this situation head on, didn’t make her feel any better about ignoring him. She always felt better when she had a clear destination in mind. This was more like traveling in uncharted waters in the dark and she didn’t like it at all.

  Adrian called them to come down to the galley to eat. She made a couple of starts at a conversation, but gave up when she got no response and they ate in silence. She threw Lou a couple questioning looks, but her sister carefully avoided looking at her. Ray jumped up when he was done eating and put his dishes in the sink. Mumbling something that sounded like ‘thanks’ and ‘I’ll take care of these later’, he headed topside without another word.

  “Okay. Now what’s going on,” Adrian asked sarcastically. “Being stuck on this boat with you two is like being trapped in a high school soap opera. Why don’t you just kiss him and get over it?”

  “I don’t think it’s a really good idea to kiss the captain. What if he takes it the wrong way or worse what if he’s a terrible kisser and wants to kiss me again?”

  Adrian burst out laughing at the look on her sister’s face.

  “Girl, I don’t know what to tell you, but I’m certainly not going to kiss him for you so you can find out. This is one ‘fish’ you’re going to have to reel in by yourself.”

  The sound of the motor trying to start and failing caused them both to pause and listen. Engine problems were never good, but a problem this far out could quickly become a serious matter. They held their breath as Ray gave it another try. Once again the starter ground down to silence as the motor didn’t catch. The two women came up from the galley as Ray stomped towards the engine compartment with a grim look on his face. He avoided looking at them.

  They watched him poke around for a bit and jiggle a few wires here and there. There was nothing jumping out at him right off the bat.

  “Do you want me to take a look,” Lou asked hesitantly. “Sometimes a second set of eyes on a problem helps.

  Ray shrugged and took a step backwards. He watched carefully as she poked around in pretty much the same way he did and jiggled a few wires herself.

  “You want to go and give it another try while I stay here and see if I notice anything out of order,” she asked.

  Ray obediently turned and went to the wheelhouse. He didn’t expect anything to be different, but one never knew with these things. Sometimes it turned out to be a loose wire and other times, it was just one of those mysteries that came along without warning and left the same way.

  He pressed the START button and the motor roared to life as if laughing in his face. He looked out at Lou and gave her a big ‘thumbs-up’. If it was just plain dumb luck, that was good enough for him. He headed the boat north as the women went below. Plagued by this strange feeling, he figured they were talking about him. On that count, he was wrong.

  “Sis, how did you know Gage was the right man for you,” Lou asked quietly.

  “Hon, even if I could tell you that, it wouldn’t necessarily apply to you,” Adrian replied. “As much as we’re alike, we’re still two very different people. You like captaining your own fishing boat. My dream is flying in the Bush. I wanted a family. You’re still trying to figure out what you want. Gage and I were moving in the same direction and it felt right for us to do it together. You’re not going to find that with a guy whose life plan doesn’t have room for the things you love…..like Ryan,” she added.

  Lou looked at her sister with storm tossed eyes as she considered her words.

  “Ryan’s telling me he made a mistake and he wants to try again. He’s hinting that there’s something about Ray that I should know about, but so far he hasn’t told me what’s bothering him.”

  “Maybe you ought to go and ask Ray about it yourself. If he tells you, then you’ve got one up on Ryan and he can’t use his info to play you, if that’s what he’s trying to do, I mean.”

  Lou nodded thoughtfully and f
illed two cups with fresh coffee.

  “You’re right. I think it’s time to step up to the wheelhouse and have a chat with the captain. Maybe he’ll be glad to see me coming and maybe he won’t, but I’ll give it a shot.”

  Adrian watched her sister go and then took a look around the galley. I guess this mess is up to me since I made it, she thought.

  ***

  Ray heard the door to the wheelhouse open behind him. Smelling the fresh coffee, he turned and looked hopefully into Lou’s eyes. She gave him a wry smile and handed him a cup.

  “Don’t worry. I didn’t make it,” she said with a grin.

  Ray laughed and took a swallow.

  “So, where are we heading Captain?”

  “I’ve got another spot I like a few miles north of here. I thought we’d check out the fishing there. Should be there within the hour.”

  The two paused and sipped their coffee for a bit.

  “Can I ask you a personal question,” Lou asked hesitantly.

  “Sure. You can ask me whatever you want. Fire away.”

  “Ryan’s throwing around hints like you’ve got some deep, dark secret in your past that I should know about. He thinks I’m falling for you and he’s trying to warn me off.”

  “Are you?”

  “Am I what?”

  Ray considered her with a raised eyebrow and a half grin on his face.

  Lou decided to sidestep the question.

  “I’m not good with uncharted waters. I like to know what I’m getting into before I get into it, if you know what I mean…”

  Ray turned to fiddle with some instruments and check his heading while he considered his answer. If he was getting into something here, he knew it was better to go in with a full disclosure. Ryan was in a position to undermine any chance he had with Lou and he had the opportunity right here to shut the guy off at the pass. It seemed like a good idea to take it.

  “Ryan has probably tapped into my police record. It’s not a big enough deal to scare anyone outright so he’s just dangling it like bait. The bottom line is that I do have a police record for a crime I did commit.”

  “So, you admit you’re a criminal,” Lou said, “and are you willing to tell me about this crime you committed or do I have to guess.”

  Ray scratched his head and then he rubbed his arm. Reaching for his cup he took another sip of coffee as he avoided looking at Lou.

  She got the distinct impression, he was about to start laughing.

  “If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anybody else,” Ray warned while trying to look serious. “I don’t want this to get out and ruin my reputation.”

  Lou crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned back against the wall.

  “You might want to sit down for this,” Ray said. “It’s another long story.”

  She didn’t move so he went on.

  “I finished up my high school years here in Homer. One of the traditions at graduation is to go down on the beach and have a big bonfire. That usually involves beer….”

  “Of course,” Lou agreed dryly.

  “It also usually involves some of the guys getting their cars or pick-ups out on the sand at low tide and goofing around doing donuts and skids, you know, silly movie stunts without the camera tricks.”

  Lou nodded.

  “Well, I had an old Ford pick-up and I was out there playing the fool like everyone else. The tide was starting to come in and we were splashing through the inlets. Water was spraying up in the air like crazy. Everyone was laughing and having a great time and I got a little too carried away with it all. I’d like to blame it on the beer, but I was just being stupid.”

  “What happened?”

  “I was too far out and I hit a rock pretty hard with the right front wheel. It busted one of the tie rods and the wheel was turned out almost at a right angle. Some of my buddies were trying to get a tow line on me to pull the truck back in, but with the tire wedged up against the rock and sideways, we couldn’t move her.”

  “Let me guess,” Lou added. “The tide caught you out and the truck went under.”

  “Yeah, the local authorities get pretty nasty about stuff like that and I got hit with all kinds of charges about damaging the environment and messing up the ocean with the oil and gas from the truck. You know the drill. They threw the book at me to make an example. I ended up with some big fines I couldn’t pay and a year’s probation, and because I was already eighteen, a police record that won’t go away. It never mattered that much to me. I worked for my dad and I’ve never had to explain my past to anyone.”

  “But, it’s there for someone like Ryan to make light of it, if they’re looking to make trouble for you,” Lou finished for him.

  “Yeah, exactly,” Ray said watching her closely.

  “So, I’m guessing your effort to try the criminal lifestyle didn’t actually take and you decided to live the straight and narrow from that point on…”

  Lou took a couple of steps toward him.

  “You’re right about that. A couple of hours sitting in a jail cell thinking my dad was going to kill me for drowning his truck was more than enough to convince me not to go down that path.”

  Ray stood up out of his chair.

  “Good thing you were wrong about that…”

  “About what,” Ray asked confused as he took another step closer to Lou.

  “That your dad was going to kill you,” Lou said with a grin, “or we wouldn’t be standing here having this conversation.”

  As she finished her sentence, the two of them closed the gap between them and Ray reached out to take her into his arms. He paused to look carefully into her eyes checking the weather before they closed and he leaned down to kiss her gently. Lingering to take in the scent of her and the feel of her warmth against him, he kissed her once more and then gently set her away from him.

  She looked at him curiously, but he turned his attention back to the boat.

  “We need to get back to work,” he said a bit brusquely. “This is the spot I wanted to try next.”

  Lou stared at the back of his head for a moment unable to hide her confusion. Not knowing what was going through his mind, she turned and left the wheelhouse.

  Ray listened to the door close behind her before he punched the wall next to him. Focusing on the pain in his hand, he tried not to think about how much he’d wanted to just keep kissing her. In that moment, he saw an opportunity for a whole other kind of life ahead of him, and he wanted that life. The questions he was afraid to face were all jumbled together like a heap of stinking fish. He didn’t know where to begin to clear that deck.

  Chapter 6

  Lou nearly ran down Adrian as she hurried to go below just as her sister was coming topside. One look at her sister’s face and Adrian knew everything there was to know in that moment. It was also very clear that Lou wasn’t ready to talk about it. She was beyond words as she wrestled with a flood of emotions and thoughts. Adrian was smart enough to leave it alone…for now.

  ***

  The two women easily stepped back into the rhythm of hanging the gill nets and hauling in their catch without any words. They were in another good spot and the fish were coming in pretty steady.

  Ray was glad to be back in safer territory as fishing was all he really knew. The sea life and keeping this boat running was enough of a challenge for him. The idea of letting go and making a new life for himself was terrifying. The hope that he and Lou could make a life together out here as a couple even more so. Kissing her had set loose the wild idea in him of the two of them getting married and having a couple of kids as a real possibility. He’d never considered that with any other woman.

  ***

  Lady Luck was riding shotgun on this run and the holds were full once again. Ray was satisfied that his season was back on track and he’d make full quota for the salmon catch this year. Setting course for Homer, the three of them settled down for a nice meal and a quiet trip back to port. With clear sailing, t
hey’d be at the cannery ready to off-load by morning.

  Adrian was looking forward to seeing the twins and getting some news on her husband. His training mission was supposed to be over soon and he would be coming back to Homer with his new orders. She was also ready to get away from her sister and Ray for a couple of days. They were dancing around each other, being polite and trying to pretend there wasn’t anything going on between them. The only people on board being fooled by that act was the two of them.

  Ray announced they would spend a couple of days in Homer and the two women were free to head home. He would stay with the boat and take care of his business while they took care of theirs. When he got the pay slip for this haul, he told them they’d get their percentages and they’d start the next month anew. Everyone was happy with that particular piece of news. It’s always good to get paid.

  The next morning, Ray was good on his word and the sisters headed home with a smile on their faces and a month’s pay in their pockets. He tried not to watch as they headed off, but a part of him wanted to go along with them too. He’d gotten pretty used to having the two women around.

  With a sigh, he turned back to the business at hand. The paperwork in the life of fishing vessel was a job all by itself and Ray had let it get ahead of him. He had catch reports to file and bills to pay before he could take some time for himself. The good news was the boat and his equipment was holding up and he didn’t have any repairs to make or equipment to replace. That wasn’t always the case with some crews he’d had in the past.

  A couple of advantages that came with this crew was how they’d taken on his dirty laundry with theirs and the way they always came back with plenty of groceries for the three of them. He couldn’t remember how long it had been since his last can of cold beans. If he was being honest, he’d have to admit he wasn’t missing them.

  ***

  Ray spent the better part of the day getting all his paperwork brought up to date. It was pretty late when he realized the day was nearly gone and his stomach was growling big time. Breakfast was a distant memory and lunch had slipped by him without comment. Dinner needed to be something a bit more substantial than a can of beans. He headed for the galley to see what he could scrounge up.