A Dolphin's Gift

by Watters, Patricia

  Will crouched in front of her. "You say you've painted some?"

  Nellie peered into a pair of compelling brown eyes. Will Edenshaw's gaze stirred something inside her, something she hadn't felt since Richard. But as she looked at him, she also saw the face of a man who rarely smiled—the corners of his mouth turned down, and there were frown lines between his brows and worry lines at the corners of his eyes. His was a sad face, and she wondered why...

  Blinking several times to redirect her thoughts, she replied, "Yes, I've painted quite a bit. I've also done upholstering. If you rent a heavy-duty sewing machine I could reupholster all the cushions, including the dinette seats. And I could also make curtains," she added, unsettled by their nearness. It had been a long time since she'd been so close to a man. Actually eye-to-eye and no more than a couple feet apart. Kissing distance.

  She mopped her hand across her forehead to shove her hair back, leaving a chain of soap bubbles there. Will trailed a finger across her brow, catching the bubbles before they rolled into her eyes, as he said, "I'm not interested in new curtains."

  Nellie could still feel the path of Will's finger on her skin, and with his gesture, she realized how much she'd missed the touch of a man's hand. "But I am interested in curtains since we’ll be living on it and...." her words trailed off as she contemplated what incredibly haunting eyes Will had, intense brown eyes that seemed to hold her captive, at least for the moment.

  Will smiled then, a sort of crooked little twist that tipped up at one corner and laid flat at the other. An appealing smile, really. One she'd like to see more often. "An endless list of talents, it seems," he said, holding her gaze. "If you did all that, I suppose I could cut off another half month's rent for curtains and reupholstering."

  They at last had a plan! Nellie felt like throwing her arms around Will's neck and kissing him. And she'd be going to sea once again on the Isadora. She'd never expected to be able to do that so soon. She knew she and Mike would eventually, but for the moment all she wanted was a place to live. But now, she and Mike would have a kind of vacation cruise before school started. And there would be little in the way of expenses while they were gone. Then, as soon as they returned from Will's whale study, she'd find a less expensive place to moor the Isadora so she could finish making payments on the balance of the rent...

  She extended her dripping-wet hand. "Mr. Edenshaw, you have a deal."

  Will contemplated Nellie’s animated face and eager eyes, surprised to find himself considering at least part of her proposal. It was, in fact, a pretty resourceful idea. Besides, if she didn't do the work, he'd have to hire someone else to do it in order to finish on time. At least it would give her a means of paying off a good portion of the back rent while providing a place for them to live until he was ready to leave on his whale study. But then, she’d have to find temporary quarters, because there was no chance in hell he’d set out to sea with a cat, a dog, a hostile kid and a beautiful woman aboard. No chance at all...

  "It's Will," he said, tempted to take her hand, stubborn enough to refuse it.

  "Okay. Will then." She eyed him dubiously as she continued to hold out her hand.

  "I'll draw up a contract," Will said. "I don't trust handshake agreements, though I didn't always feel that way."

  "Fine, you do that." Nellie withdrew her hand. Retrieving the brush from the soapy water, she continued her attack on the carpet.

  Will watched her agitated movements for a few moments before commenting, "Don't worry about the rug. It's scheduled to be replaced soon."

  "Thank goodness for that." Nellie tossed the brush into the bucket. Grabbing a rag, she swished it in the water and wrung it out, then began passing it over a low table. Glancing with distaste at the dismal-looking upholstery on the couch, she said, in a wistful voice, "How could this have happened? Uncle Vern loved this boat. I can't imagine why he let it get so run down."

  Will felt a need to apologize for the Isadora's sorry state, though he didn't know why. Vernon Sinclair had little concern for the boat during the time Will knew him. "Apparently your uncle had other priorities and serious financial problems. He'd even resorted to renting out the boat for cruises and parties, until he let her get so rundown he couldn't."

  Nellie looked at him with a perplexed frown. "All the time I was growing up the Isadora was Uncle Vern's pride and joy," she said. "He never would have let it get run down like it is unless there was something drastically wrong. And he'd have to have been truly desperate to rent it out. It just doesn't make sense."

  "Maybe it was his pride and joy when you were a kid," Will said, "but during the three years I knew him he showed no interest in the Isadora at all. I hated to see the old boat run down like it was which was why I suggested refurbishing it in exchange for its use."

  "It all just seems odd. Not like Uncle Vern." Nellie stared at Will for a few moments, distracted by the appealing curve of his lips, nice masculine lips that had her wondering what he'd be like to kiss. An odd thought, having known the man for only a day. It started when they were crouched and looking at each other, and he was so close she felt his breath on her face. Then the spell was broken when she started thinking about her and Mike going to sea...

  Mike! She glanced around, and noting that Mike and Katy were gone, she said, with alarm, "Have you seen Mike?"

  Will shrugged. "Not for a while. He probably took the dog for a walk."

  "He knows he's not supposed to go off without asking me," Nellie said. She set her rag aside and stood. "He could wander off and get lost, or someone might—" she stopped.

  Will looked at her, curious. "Someone might what?"

  "Well, take him." Nellie turned and started to leave.

  Will took her arm to stop her. "This is Port Townsend," he said. "No one kidnaps kids here. He's probably just down the dock."

  Nellie shrugged off Will's hand. "I have to find him." She dashed onto the deck. Leaping to the dock, she rushed through the side door of the boathouse and looked up and down the long wooden wharf connecting the buildings. "Mike!" she called out, feeling the first stomach-twisting grip of panic when she didn't see him. The thought that they'd been followed by someone all the way from Portland, and maybe even Medford, could not be dismissed.

  Will joined her on the wharf. "I'll go this way," he said, pointing, "and you head in that direction. He can't be far. It hasn't been that long since he was here."

  Nellie's heart pounded as she ran from boathouse to boathouse, cupping her hands around her eyes to peer through the windows of side doors, rattling doorknobs while calling out Mike's name. As she pressed her nose to a glass to peer through yet another side door, a man's voice, coming from behind, startled her. "If you're lookin' for a boy and a dog, they're over there," the man said, pointing.

  Nellie looked in the direction the man was pointing and spotted Mike sitting on the dock, crossed legged, elbows on his knees, knotted fists against his cheeks, staring at the water. Katy, at the end of her leash, was curled on the dock beside him. After panic passed, anger took over. Nellie marched up to Mike, while shaking her finger, and said, in an agitated voice, "I told you to stay on the boat. I can't be worried about you wandering off and getting in trouble."

  "You were with what's-his-face," Mike spat out, "so I went for a walk."

  Nellie caught her lower lip between her teeth to stop its trembling. Never before had she been so distracted she'd forgotten, even momentarily, about Mike. But she couldn't deny that Will had been a distraction. "You know you were supposed to stay on the boat and not wander off without asking me first," she said.

  "I don't like that man," Mike stated. "He hates Katy."

  "He doesn't hate Katy," Nellie said, "but he loves his cat and doesn't want anything to happen to him, just like I love you and don't want anything to happen to you."

  "You don't care that something happened to Daddy," Mike said.

  Nellie looked at Mike, dumbfounded. "I loved Daddy," she said. "Why would you say somet
hing like that?"

  "You looked at that man just like you used to look at Daddy, real close like," Mike said.

  Nellie stared at her son. Certainly she hadn't looked at Will Edenshaw the way she used to look at Richard. She could never look at any man that way, never feel for any man what she'd felt for Richard. Nor would she try. The stakes were too high. "Mr. Edenshaw and I made an agreement and I was pleased," she replied.

  Mike looked at her, dubiously. "What kind of agreement did you and what's his face make?"

  Nellie lowered herself beside Mike. Tucking her legs to the side, she perched on one hip. "His name is Mr. Edenshaw," she said. "I suggested that you and I help fix up the boat in return for cutting off some of the back rent and he agreed. But I need your help. I can't do it alone. And you'll also make a little spending money helping me, like you did at home. This way we'll be able to stay on the Isadora."

  "I don't like that stupid old boat. It’s gross," Mike said.

  "You’ll like it when it's cleaned and fixed up and painted," Nellie replied. "At least we can give it a try. It's better than living in an apartment. You never liked that." She reflected on the times Mike complained about how he hated the city. Before Richard's death, Mike had never suffered the closeness of apartment living, or even city life. The house she and Richard bought was on five wooded acres. "It's not the country like you think of it, honey, but we'll be away from the city. We'll also have a chance to go cruising when the boat's fixed up. It would be a vacation of sorts before you have to start school in the fall."

  Mike looked at her, warily. "Who'll run the boat if we go?"

  "Well... Mr. Edenshaw at first," Nellie replied. "But after his whale study's over and I get a job, we'll find someone else. There are probably lots of old sea dogs around here who'd love to have a chance to take us on trips. So what do you say?"

  Mike shrugged. "I still won't like Mr. Edenshaw."

  "I'm surprised at you," Nellie said. "You're not even giving him a chance."

  Mike's eyes focused beyond Nellie, and she noted the dark expression on his face. She turned to see Will walking toward them. Forcing a smile, she said to Will in as light a tone as she could muster, "As you see, Mike's fine. He decided to take Katy for a walk."

  "Umm," Will hummed, while eying Mike, who stared steadily back.

  Nellie vowed to later impose stricter rules and firmer discipline on Mike, if only to keep incidents like this from happening. But for now, she decided it was best to say nothing. But when she glanced at Will and saw his narrowed eyes as he continued to hold Mike's gaze, there was no question about what was happening. Two males in a standoff. Contemplating the weeks ahead, she suspected it was going to be a long, stressful voyage.

  ***

  Standing in the galley, Will watched Nellie's face as she read the handwritten contract he'd just handed to her, hoping she'd sign it, all but certain she wouldn't. Only moments before she'd flatly refused to leave the boat for any length of time, then followed with psychological jargon about security of home and stability of family life for her son, a concept Will couldn’t grasp. There was nothing stable about home and family. For him, stability came after he'd left home, when he’d at last taken control of his life...

  Nellie pursed her lips. "Not only am I supposed to complete all of the work you've outlined in this in just two weeks—" she flicked her fingers against the sheet of paper "— but the contract says I am to relinquish the boat at that time and find temporary housing for the duration of your whale study. This was not our agreement, and I refuse to sign it!" She slapped the paper against the table and glared at him. "You agreed that I would work on the boat and you'd adjust the back rent accordingly."

  Will peered into a pair of unwavering hazel eyes. "That's exactly what the agreement says. You'd be working off almost all of the back rent."

  "But I also told you this is our home and my son and I are here to stay, which means we will be going with you on your whale study. We have no choice."

  Will held her unwavering gaze. "You have the choice of finding temporary housing for the short time I'll be gone," he said, struggling to keep his voice calm in the face of her unrelenting mule-headedness.

  "Short time! You’ll be gone two months!" Nellie cried, her voice shooting up.

  "Technically, I’ll only be gone a month," Will insisted. "But I have use of the boat for two months. Besides, there are furnished apartments in Port Townsend."

  "Not that I can afford or intend to pay for, especially since I have a legal right to stay on my own boat!" Nellie set her jaw and peered up at him. A clear challenge.

  Will sucked in an extended breath to check his temper, which was quickly pushing him beyond the limit of his tolerance. But the woman was impossible! Trying to deal with her was like trying to negotiate with a junkyard dog! He also realized they'd reached an impasse. She had title and possession. He had back rent owed and time invested, but no written contract to prove it. But he'd try one last ditch effort to have the boat to himself. "Look, it’s only for a month. Don't you have relatives or friends where you can stay?"

  Nellie shook her head. "I'm an only child, I have no friends or relatives who'd take us in, my father passed away a few years back, and my mother lives in a retirement home where kids and dogs aren't allowed. So you're stuck with us, unless, of course, you choose to force foreclosure and have us evicted, which will take considerably longer than two weeks."

  Will looked into a pair of unyielding eyes. Something told him this woman was here to change his life—complicate it, confuse it, rearrange it maybe—but definitely change it. She was changing it already. She was determined to remain aboard, and he didn't have the luxury of time to relocate her. Releasing a heavy sigh, he said in a firm voice, "You'll have to keep the boy away from my equipment and out of the bridge unless I'm there."

  "I assure you, my son will be no trouble," Nellie said. But the look of uncertainty in her eyes defied her words.

  Will's mouth twitched with skepticism. So much for written contracts. Nellie Reid managed to outmaneuver him into agreeing to something he knew he'd regret. But he admired her tenacity, and she had a varied assortment of skills he needed. She might even be of use on the trip. She'd spent time on the Isadora so she undoubtedly had navigational skills.

  Almost as if she’d read his thoughts, she looked at him steadily, and said, "In addition to being very familiar with this boat, once we’re out at sea you might find me useful in other ways."

  Will eyed her dubiously. Could she be implying what he thought? She was after all a woman whose marital life had been cut short, and she undoubtedly missed sharing a bed with a man. "Well, it just so happens I need a mate," he said, testing.

  Flares of outrage lit her eyes, as she said, "I hope you're not implying what I think."

  "First mate," Will amended. "There are drift logs in the waters where we're heading and I can use a spotter on the bridge." A fine lot of help this crew will be. Three days ago his life was orderly. Work on the Isadora was approaching completion, his sonar equipment was scheduled to arrive any day, and the whales would soon be moving into Robson Bight where he'd be able to make contact with them. And then everything went to hell in a hand basket.

  He tried not to dwell on his decision to allow a woman, a boy, and a dog to accompany him and Zeke on his whale study, but for the first time since Nellie Reid burst into his life, he seriously began to question the soundness of his judgment. The possible ramifications could be staggering.

  ***

  "Two months on the Isadora with him! That sucks!" Mike slipped out of the dinette, scaled the ladder leading from the galley up to the salon, and marched outside. He stood with his hands on the railing, gazing at the boat house. From behind the closed door to the fo'c'sle, Katy barked.

  Nellie followed Mike and stood beside him. "It probably won't be for more than a month," Nellie said. "Then we'll have the boat all to ourselves."

  "But it's our boat," Mike groused. "I don't know
why he has to come."

  "He has to run it. Besides, technically it's his boat for the next two months, and he's been nice enough to let us stay on it. He doesn't have to do that, you know," Nellie said, struggling to hold her patience. But of course Mike was upset. He'd been uprooted again, he'd left his friends behind, he'd be starting a new school, and on a small scale, his life was in as much turmoil as hers. But once he was back in school he'd make new friends, and she'd get him involved with scouts, and the Isadora would be brought back to its former glory, and life would be good again. At least as good as it could be without Richard. But a job would help keep her mind off things...

  "Why don't we go back to Medford until he's done with it?" Mike asked.

  Nellie sighed. "Because we have no apartment to go to and we can stay here free." When Mike started to turn, Nellie grabbed his arm and said, in a firm voice, "It’s time for you to get ready for bed. I don't want you wandering around here after dark."

  "But Mom!"

  "Do as I say!" Nellie snapped. "I'm in no mood to argue." She hated their confrontations, which seemed to come more frequently of late. Much of it was Mike's reaction to her edginess over their situation, the seemingly insurmountable financial burdens coupled with the fact that someone might have followed them to Port Townsend, for whatever reason. But maybe it was time to set aside that notion since there was no plausible reason why someone should.

  While Mike was getting ready for bed, Nellie looked out the window and saw a light on in Will's apartment. She wondered what he did evenings. She also wondered if there was a woman in his life. She'd seen no signs in his apartment. Just Will and his cat, and a boathouse apartment that was bare of anything but necessities. Actually, she wondered if there was anyone in his life. She'd seen no sign of visitors, and she got the impression he was a loner. Even going out to sea to study whales was a solitary undertaking.