The Lighthouse Romance Anthology (The Life Saving Series)

by Dawn Luedecke

  “Alright, but you need more than just you to sail it.”

  “I figured as much. I’ll write the skipper of one of my other ships and have him send a small crew.”

  “If you want to write it now, we can row to the mainland and have my friend deliver it.”

  “Your friend?”

  “Old man Bartlett lives in a cottage just up the mountain. He will deliver it for you.”

  “Alright, wait here and I’ll pen the letter,” he said and turned around to race to the house.

  After Alex sent the letter, they waited two weeks for the Manzanita. They spent the days working in and around the lighthouse to prepare it for winter. He and Sylvia fixed any problems that arose. At night, they ate dinner together at the small table in the kitchen, and retired to the sitting room where Sylvia would read from her father’s many books. Alex dreaded the moment his crew would step foot on the island and he would have to leave. But, leave he would. He couldn’t intrude in her life anymore than necessary.

  He woke the first day of the second week to the sounds of Sylvia rushing around the little house.

  “The supply ship is anchored just offshore,” she said as she opened up the curtains to the large window in the sitting room. “The men will be over in a skiff shortly.”

  On that, she hurried out of the room, and shut the door.

  Alex slipped out of the cot, straightened up his clothing and cot, and stepped into the passageway.

  “Ready?” she asked.

  On his nod, she turned and walked outside. He followed her down the path and toward the tramway.

  He watched—his mind half on his footing and half on the chaos below. Three boats had rowed into the little cleft at the base of the rocky walls. From there, the supplies were hoisted up to the tramway, where they were pulled up the sloping wooden trail, to the top of the island.

  Somewhere deep within his soul he wanted to join in the work. Feel the anticipation of an upcoming voyage rage within his soul once more. Experience the thrill of the ship as the winds took hold of the sail and set it in motion.

  He would get the feeling again soon, but this time it would be tainted by the loss of the one woman on earth he wanted to see each morning. The woman who’d stolen his heart in just a few weeks.

  On the third trip from the small boats, his crew and Sylvia’s cousin arrived. A bittersweet moment.

  The crew was a boisterous lot. Rough enough to live the life of a sailor, and wild enough to not be considered civilized. The crew and Alex would live for the next day or two on the ship, preparing it for sail. When they were ready, they would leave the island, and Sylvia, behind. He informed his crew of his plans, and pointed out the direction of the ship. The ruffians lifted their gear and took off toward the ship, eager to get to work.

  Sylvia’s cousin walked up the trail, greeted his cousin, and turned to Alex. “You must be a rescue.” He extended his hand in greeting.

  “That I am,” Alex said, and shook his hand.

  “I’m Harry Ross, Syl’s cousin.”

  Alex nodded and introduced himself.

  “I take it from the crew that just disembarked that you have bought my uncle’s ship.”

  “I have. Your cousin said she was thinking of selling it, and I needed a new one.”

  “Good, one less thing for Syl to worry about,” Harry said as he picked up his gear and started up the tramway. Sylvia stayed behind to supervise the rest of the offload and Alex followed her cousin, wanting to talk to him before sailing.

  “Did you come to help her manage the Lighthouse?” Alex asked when they were out of ear shot.

  Harry’s face turned in a frown. “No, I came to convince her to come home with me. She loves it here, but she can’t stay here alone. The Board can find someone else, and I will stay with her until they do, but she can’t stay here.”

  Alex nodded his understanding and they crested the top. “When do you plan to tell her?”

  “Tonight, more than likely.”

  Alex didn’t think he could stand to see her when her hopes and dreams were dashed. If he had to watch her in pain, he would surely want to stay and protect her. There was only one thing he could do; he would sail out at sunset and leave the only woman he’d ever wanted behind. For her sake.

  Chapter 5

  The wind filled the sails and they grew taut. The ship pulled him to sea. They rounded the island and sailed into the vast open water. Alex turned to watch the island shrink as they glided further-and-further away. A movement on the cliffs caught his eye and he looked closer.

  Sylvia stood on the edge of the land, the wind pulled her dress toward the ocean—toward him. At that moment all he wanted to do was go back. Return to a simple life alone with only Sylvia. His light. His beacon of the night.

  He somehow knew she was crying, whether for him or her lost dreams, he wasn’t sure. Unable to watch anymore, he turned and stomped into his compartment. She was better off without him. Needed to get to shore and find a man who didn’t toe the line of criminality.

  Alex shut the door and pulled out the bottle of whiskey that the crew had brought on board. He took a swig and stashed it in the drawer of the desk nestled in the corner. If he didn’t care about life before, he certainly didn’t care now.

  He was now a heartless man. If he’d had one, he’d left it on Destruction Island.

  Black Bellamy was as good as dead, Alex made that decision. He would not stop, nor give up until the pirate bled on his cutlass blade. On top of everything, Bellamy ruined his life further by making him fall in love.

  He would finish his business with the pirate once and for all.

  Weeks later, Alex sat once again in his Stateroom and thought about life without Sylvia. He now sailed the seas mercilessly, searching for Bellamy’s flagship, The Devils Deceit.

  Once he left the island, he traveled to Clallam Bay, where they had supplied his ship, recruited more crew, and changed the name. He now sailed the newly named vessel, The Destruction from port-to-port, trying to locate the deadly pirate. The need for revenge burned his soul, along with the image of Sylvia. She dominated every thought he possessed. He would always remember her standing on the edge of the cliff where her mother had fallen to her death.

  He leaned over the table and looked down at the charts in his Stateroom, not quite seeing what he was looking at. By the time he forced his mind to focus on the chart, his First Mate crashed in the room, panting. “Black Bellamy. Port side.”

  Without a word, Alex jumped to his feet and charged up the ladder. On deck, he grabbed the spy glass a searched the water. The Devils Deceit advanced quickly on his ship with all speed, and knowing Bellamy as he did the ships goal was to overtake and conquer.

  “All hands on deck!” Alex yelled. “Ready for battle! Black Bellamy port side!”

  The ship became a maze of chaos as the sailors readied for the fight to come. Alex stared at the evil ship as it came at them fast. Its dark hull aiding in the ominous feel of the situation.

  But Alex was oddly calm as he waited for them to draw near. Ready. Ready for this to be over.

  “Captain, there is another vessel on the horizon,” a sailor said, an pointed off in the distance. “It may be another of Bellamy’s ships. It’s too far away to see the flag."

  “Let them come. We can take ‘em both.” Alex collapsed his spy glass with a thud.

  The sailor saluted and ran to his position along the rail, as Alex stared at the new ship too far away to see the flag. Who was it? A second Bellamy ship? A fisherman? Someone else?

  The dark pirate ship cut through the water quickly, coming within canon range and turning to port, to parallel The Destruction. It seemed like forever before the first cannon shot rang through the clouds, and it wasn’t long before Alex ordered the cannons to fire in response. The battle began as fierce as he’d anticipated.

  The seas seemed to answer the call of war. It kicked up and churned in rage as the pirates ascended on Alex and his crew. Th
e first scallywag swung forth and landed with a thud on the hard deck, but his crew was ready.

  Black Bellamy and his crew craved destruction. They enjoyed the blood—craved it—a classic cutlass being their weapon of choice for hand-to-hand combat. But Alex had trained hard. He fought his way through the throng of cutthroats, trying desperately to find Black Bellamy. Needing to cut him down.

  Before Alex could spot the nefarious captain, a burley pirate ran toward him, sword raised, and ready to kill. He smelled the man from where he stood. The stench of sweat, blood, and devastation almost tangible as he drew nearer.

  They met in clash of metal. The clang echoed throughout the walls of the ship. The man fought strong, persistent, and thirsty. They parried in dangerous repetition, both needing the flesh of the other. Alex was driven back, and up the steps to the helm. The pirate was ruthless in his attack, but Alex stayed strong. He waited for the man to make a wrong move, and leave an opening. When it happened, Alex thrust with all his might and sliced through the air. He caught that man through the middle, and killed him in an instant. The pirate slumped forward to his knees and fell face down onto the deck.

  Alex yanked his blade free, and glance up straight into the eyes of Black Bellamy.

  Alex waited, feigning patience as adrenaline pumped through every fiber of his being. It seemed the world around them faded as he watched Bellamy slowly stomp toward him and up the ladder.

  They both knew how this fight would end. One would live, and one would die.

  Bellamy’s hair swung forward as he launched his attack with speed and accuracy. Alex drew back, stunned, but quickly focused his attention to fight back with the same skill and determination as the pirate captain.

  Bellamy was fierce. An angry black-soul in need of destruction and chaos. Madness drove the man—you could see it in his eyes. It made him who he was. A madness that was matched only by the desolate void that now drove Alex to this life of violence, unable to find peace.

  Their weapons clanged together, hissed as the metal of his blade slid against the other and pulled apart, repeating the process in rapid succession. Bellamy gained the advantage. Drove him to the edge of the ship. Alex leaned at a dangerous angle over the rail as he fought—barely controlling his position with each swing of his arm.

  The pirate brought the cutlass down and caught Alex’s forearm. The blade sliced through his thick wool jacket and into his skin forming a long gash from elbow to wrist. Luckily, it cut through his weak arm. He continued to fight back. Alex pushed away the pain and ducked, as the edge of his foe’s sword sliced through the air, almost beheading him.

  Alex rolled behind Bellamy. Before the pirate could respond, he lunged forward and pierced him through. Bellamy died just as the echo of a cannon dominated the air. The sound too far away to be from either of the battling ships.

  All fighting ceased as sailors from the United States Revenue Cutter Commodore Perry stormed the decks. The Government’s sailors surrounded the cutthroat crew that remained on The Devils Deceit. Those on The Destruction dropped their weapons and raised their hands in surrender as Alex lowered his weapon and struggled to regain slow breaths.

  It was over.

  Within minutes, the Captain of the Commodore Perry swung onto the deck. “Captain, your stateroom, if you please?” He said to Alex as he walked past.

  A few minutes later, Alex shut the door to his stateroom, and turned to the newcomer. “How may I help you, sir?” His infused his voice with arrogance and defiance, half expecting the captain to arrest him—at the very least.

  “Captain Morrison and I would like to thank you for taking care of this little problem,” the military man said as he waved his hand in the direction of the pirate ship.

  “I beg your pardon?” Alex asked, stunned.

  “We have been sent to protect the gold shipments from the Klondike to San Francisco. Recently, we’ve had an insurgence of pirates in the area. Bellamy was one of three who’ve joined forces, intent on intercepting the gold. We trailed him for days, but he has continued to evade us. We were just about to try to gain on him when he turned and headed for you. You’re actions here today have made you, and your crew, heroes. We could always use a good sailor such as yourself. If you would think about joining the U.S.R.C. I can request you be stationed on my ship, if you so wish.”

  Alex blinked. He couldn’t make sense of what he’d just heard. He wasn’t thought of as a criminal after all that had happened? Wasn’t about to be taken to the brig? Instead, the captain offered him a position on a Revenue Cutter. How can that be?

  “Think about it and let me know what you decide. You can reach me in our office in San Francisco,” Morrison said, and turned to leave.

  The Captain opened the door just as Alex regained his bearings.

  “Wait,” he almost shouted, “there is something I would like, if you have the power.”

  Chapter 6

  Christmas Day dawned bright and crisp. It would have been a beautiful sight, but it wasn’t. When had her life had taken such a turn? Five months earlier she was happy and content to spend her life on the island with her parents. Now she was being forced to leave her home so the new keeper could take up residence. In two days, she would sail away with the shipment of her belongings.

  A sad day, to be certain.

  She stood on the edge of the precipice where her mother had died. Bundled in a thick coat, she watched the waves crash into the rocks. Studied the vessel traffic one last time.

  “It’s beautiful, that’s for sure,” a man’s voice interrupted her thoughts.

  Startled, she turned as Alex stepped up behind her.

  “Where did you come from?” she asked once she could regain her wits enough to speak.

  He pointed behind the lighthouse where the double mast and center stacks of the U.S.R.C. Commodore Perry stood proud against the early morning sky.

  “I’ve come to ask you to be my wife.” He held out a little box with a red Christmas bow on top. “I know we haven’t known each other long, but I feel as though I’ve known you my whole life. I love you, Sylvia. I have since the first time I saw you standing on this very cliff. Years before my accident. I’d search for you every time we sailed past. Watch you stand vigilant over us. Caring for us from afar. If you say yes, the captain will marry us this minute on the Revenue Cutter. Then we can come back and live forever… together.”

  Sylvia smiled sadly. Inside, her heart both soared and broke. She did love Alex. Had realized it the moment he’d sailed away from her. If she couldn’t have the lighthouse, at least she could be happy with Alex. Her days wouldn’t be as bleak as she’d feared just moments ago. At least she could find happiness with Alex. “I’ll marry you, but I’m afraid we can’t live here.”

  “Really? I thought you loved it here?” A frown stretched across his face, and he turned to study the beacon. “I guess I can tell the lighthouse board that I can take the keeper position then.”

  “You what?”

  “I told the board that I would take the keeper position on this island. I thought you would be happy, but if you don’t want—”

  “No!” She shouted. Her heart beating wildly. Did he do that for her? Give up his desperate search for vengeance and justice just to be with her? Make her happy? Sylvia struggled to keep the tears from falling, but she lost the battle when one escaped—tickling her cheek as it fell. “I knew you were a hero.”

  In a heartbeat, Alex took her in his arms. She smiled as he smoothed her windblown hair, and lifted her face to his.

  “If you have no more questions, my dear, would you like to get married now?” His mouth tipped up in a teasing smile.

  “More than anything.” She threw her arms around his neck, needing to feel his heartbeat against hers.

  The kiss the followed was passionate. A release to all the emotions that had plagued them both since Alex left her standing on the cliffs. He needed her as much as she needed him. Together they were one. One in mind, and on
e in heart. He’d proven as much by becoming keeper. Just as she would have kissed him again, he picked her up and carried her to the Commodore Perry. There, with the sea as a witness, they became man and wife. To stand together as the watchers and lifesavers. The beacon of the night.

  I Heard The Bells

  Abigail, niece of Cape Disappointment's lighthouse keeper has loved Gavin since she could first remember. As a rescuer of men and ships in the wild Pacific Ocean along the treacherous Columbia Bar, Gavin is everything a man should be-strong and brave. When trouble comes to Abigail's family, she turns to the only hope she knows...Gavin and the lighthouse bell.

  Chapter 1

  I wondered, through God’s eyes, what does he see?

  Then suddenly these words came, “A ship at sea.”

  Well, where is it going? Is it trying to flee?

  No, it’s headed straight back to dwell with me.

  How long will it take to make its long journey?

  A lifetime of trials and pain and learning.

  -Dave Torell

  A Ship at Sea vs. 1-3

  Cape Disappointment - Baker Bay, December 22, 1899

  The waves crashed onto the rocky cliffs, which sent sea spray fanning out and forced them to flow in a cascade of misty drops back into the blue depths. Abigail leaned over the railing on the edge of the cliff and tried with desperation to see the water’s edge, but was prevented by the cold steel pipe pressed into her stomach as she stretched over the safety fence of the observation deck. She stood at the edge of the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. The deck sat right below the base of the lighthouse, and on the edge of the cliff.

  “Don’t do it,” a deep male voice said from behind. “It would be a waste of a beautiful woman if you jumped.”