Page 12 of Colton's Secret Weapon
It came after aggressive, and before he passed out.
A plan became obvious as she cleared her mind and the cloud of negativity. She had to sit quietly with her dad and wait for the mellow stage.
Sometimes it took longer than others. Depending on how much or how quickly he was drinking. Straight out of the bottle, as rapidly as she was hearing it rise to his mouth, she figured another ten minutes or so ought to do it.
He was checking out for the day. She recognized the signs.
Something on the cruise must have triggered his grief. Anything could do it. The sound of a bird at just the right time could remind him of a picnic he’d had with her mother when they were in high school. A wave might be a replica of one they’d first dunked Dove in when they’d taught her to swim.
“They’uz ha-ha-ving a grand time.”
Dove’s eyes flew open as her father spoke. Centering on him immediately. “Who was?” she asked, truly wanting to know.
To somehow get inside his pain so she could help lead him out of it. Even as her logical mind made note of the fact that they’d arrived at mellow. Which meant she had about fifteen minutes before his chin dropped to his chest.
“People. I made ’em laffff. Your ma…ma…” His attempt to speak was interrupted by a big belch. And without even seeming to realize it had happened, he continued, “Ma…motherrr…she said I was…good…at thhaaat.”
With a sad smile and a nod, Dove said, “Yes, she did. She used to tell everyone what a great time you’d show them if they booked a trip out with you.”
Whaler’s gaze found her then, his eyes bloodshot and weary-looking. “I missh her sooo mush.”
“I know, Dad. I do, too. And that’s why we have to get through this together, just like Mom said. You and me, we stick together, so she can look down and see both of us at once.” She spokesoftly but didn’t let herself pause long enough for him to flop to another train of thought. “And that’s why I need you to do something for me. I can’t just sit here and watch this place fall apart. I want to be here more. Help out more. But I don’t know nearly as much as you do. And Mitchell, he’s an adventurer just like the rest of his family. Yeah, he’s got a law degree and sits in an office during the week, but on weekends, from what I hear, he goes it alone even more than his family does. He does it out of love for the land, the sea, the adventure, just like you do. That’s why I need him here for a bit. Helping out. Just until we get through this rough patch, and get Fletcher off our tails.” Whaler was still conscious, still watching her, so she pressed on. “I need you to sign a contract that will let me be an equal signer on St. James Boats, Dad. That way, if you’re having a bad day or are out at sea, I can make decisions here and help you fight off the Fletchers in the world. Just like Mom would do.”
Crawling on her knees, she stopped right in front of her dad, putting her hands on his knees, and looked up at him. “Please?” She wasn’t just fighting for his life, but for her own, too. She was half him. He was all the family she had left.
“Not highing law, juss ’venture.” His eyes were cloudy, but he was still with her.
She didn’t move. Didn’t speak. She wouldn’t lie to him.
When he lifted a hand and put it in her hair, softly cupping her head, she couldn’t stop the tears that sprang to her eyes. No matter what, he was her father, and she loved him.
“’Kay.”
Eyes widening, she sat encased in stillness. As though a veil of safety had enclosed her. “You’ll sign?”
Looking her in the eye, he nodded.
And Dove jumped up, rushing to his computer she searched for a contract, filled in some blanks and within a few minutes had it printed and ready for him to sign. But before she gavehim the pen, she made the call for the police escort Mitchell had arranged for her, telling her father that she had to talk to the police about her call with Fletcher—true—just not the reason for her call. And when the officer arrived, she gave Whaler the pen. Dove called in the college boy her father had helping out that summer and, with the cop and the deckhand as witnesses, had her father sign his name.
It was possible that, once sober, Whaler wouldn’t recall a whit of what had transpired over the last half hour. And equally possible that he’d wake up in the morning and remember it all.
Either way, with document in hand, she had her chance to save his business. And him.
Against all odds, the stars had led her right again.
It was like her mother had always taught her.
She just had to hold on to hope.
It would show her the way.
Mitchell’s phone beeped a text at just after eight Saturday night, the moment he stepped up and onto a cliff face overlooking the sea, eight thousand feet up in the Chugach mountain range. The only place he knew of where he could get service.
Why he’d headed in that direction, he didn’t want to contemplate. His family was used to him disappearing without leaving word during his time off. Most particularly during the summer when temperatures were mild and days were long.
But with only another hour plus before sunset, if he was going home that night, he had to start his downward trek so he’d be hiking on more level ground by the time it was fully dark.
The sleeping bag hooked to the bottom of his pack told a different story. The plan was to sleep alone up in the mountains where no one would find him. To rest without everyone’s cares on his shoulders.
