The Eclipse of Moonbeam Dawson (15 page)

The wind picked up when he drove outside the channel marker. Reid pushed on the throttle and the boat moved ahead with a burst of speed, its bow high in the air for a few minutes before it started to plane. Picks up great. Reid grinned, feeling the saltwater spray on his face and the wind in his hair. He couldn't think of a single time that he'd ever driven alone. He'd always been with Rainbow or with Rainbow and his dad. He saw the whole ocean ahead of him and he began turning the boat, steering it in huge circle eights. “YE-OOW!” He let out a joyous yelp knowing that only the seagulls overhead could hear him. Incredible. There wasn't a person in sight. It was like a rush. Freedom!

He pulled the throttle back, slowing the boat, and took two more big swings driving in large circles, turning first to the east and then to the west before he reluctantly turned back and headed for the marina.

At the dock he checked out the anchor to make sure the lines were secure, since he thought he and Michelle would probably anchor next to a steep bank tomorrow. Most of those islands had sharp drop-offs, which was good because you didn't have to worry about shearing a pin if you went in too shallow and didn't pull the skiff up in time. Good. This stuff had all come back to him, Reid thought as he put the bumpers out, tied the lines, and pulled the tarp over the boat. Just like riding a bike.

When he got back to the marina, Michelle was waiting at the top of the steps. She smiled and waved to him as he started up the stairs.

“Were you just out in your boat?” she asked in her soft breathy voice.

“Hi.” Reid walked up the steps, feeling like he owned the place, enjoying the fact that she had seen him drive in. “Yeah, I just got here.”

“Is that the boat we'll take hunting?” She walked along next to him.

“That's the one. I was just checking a few things out.”

“My dad's friend came in last night on the
Regina II.
It's the boat right next to yours. They're going fishing early tomorrow.”

“It's a good idea to start early if you want those chinooks,” Reid said, trying to sound like an expert.

“Do you have to go early to hunt, too?”

“Oh sure,” he said, casually.

“What time?”

“Dawn. The bear's more likely to be moving around then.”

“Oh, well where should I meet you?” Michelle put her hand on his arm and gazed eagerly at him with her gold-and-green cat's eyes.

At my apartment. Then you can come in and we can bag this whole dumb hunting thing.

“Down at the dock.”

“What time exactly?”

“When does your dad leave?”

“I think he told Mr. Roessler that he'd be down there at five-thirty.”

“Okay, I'll meet you at six.” Reid looked at his watch. “Well, I've got to go and get ready for the next shift.”

“See you later,” she started to leave, then hesitated a minute and turned back. “Reid, I just can't wait until tomorrow. I'm really excited about this.”

“Yeah, well.” Reid gulped, grinning nervously. “See you in the morning.”

Chapter Ten

Reid's alarm went off at 5:30. He grabbed the clock and went to the window and opened the drapes. It was still kind of dark out. Maybe the bear on that island would decide that it was too early to get up and it would just go back to the cave and sleep some more.

Reid dressed quickly and then quietly slipped out of his apartment. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this, taking a beautiful girl out in a boat to an island in the middle of nowhere. Just a couple of weeks ago he was living at the Happy Children of the Good Earth commune, hanging out with Meadow MacLaine and wishing there were some girls his age. What a change! And Michelle Lamont wasn't just any girl. She was so beautiful and sophisticated, he didn't know girls like her existed. And here she was, wanting to be with him. Amazing.

Down at the dock Reid pulled the tarp off Harvey's boat, folded it, and put it under the bow. Then he took the rifle from between the folds of the smaller tarp and held it for a few minutes, trying to get comfortable holding the thing, although he doubted that could every really be possible. He tried picking it up and setting it down a few times as if grabbing the gun from under the bow was something he'd been doing for years. Then he picked it up and turned toward the channel marker, planted his feet firmly, and aimed the gun at the red buoy. He felt his knees go weak and was sure that any minute the sky would open and an Angel of Peace would swoop down and let him have it.
What's wrong with you, jerkhead! Put that gun down. Who do you think you are? You weren't raised to mess with guns! If you go over to the other side the whole world will get out of balance, the voices of reason will lose the fight and the whole universe will blow up in your face, you snail brain!

Then there would be a huge roar of thunder and a crack of lightning and the Angel of Peace would konk him on the head with a bolt of lightning.
Take that, you rodent!

The gun would fly out of his hands. Burned to a crisp. Michelle would come, laugh in his face, and that would be the end of everything.

Reid turned around and put the rifle back under the bow, placing it carefully on top of the tarps so Michelle would be sure and see it. He jumped out on the dock and then looked back under the bow, trying to get used to the idea of the thing lying there. He sure hoped that when the time came to pick it up and carry it around that he wouldn't be bothered by any voices from the sky waiting up there to zap him.

Reid sighed and leaned against the pilings near the skiff, waiting for her to come. He looked at his watch, 6
A.M.
on the dot. He glanced at the rifle lying on the tarp under the bow and was glad he'd gotten down a few minutes early. At least he'd picked the thing up a few times.

The sun was just beginning to come up and the huge cedars looked black against the blue gray of the early morning sky. Up at the lodge, the lights were coming on as the kitchen staff was prepping for breakfast and the guests were getting up to go fishing. Reid saw that the
Regina II
had gone, which meant that Michelle's father had gotten the early start he'd planned.

Reid hadn't thought too much about Michelle's family situation before, but while he waited for her he began to wonder why they hadn't come with her mother. It seemed kind of strange that a guy would take his daughter on a vacation during spring break and that the mother wouldn't come. Then he wondered if maybe she didn't have a mother. Probably divorced. But maybe her mother was dead, just like his father was dead. Maybe she never knew her mother either and they had this whole thing in common. Being an only child and having just one parent with the other one dead. The more he thought about it, the more Reid was sure this might really be the case. That they had this whole bond with their family situations even though her dad was a timber executive and his mum hated logging.

The air was chilly and Reid pulled his collar up around his neck. The sky was lighter now, and the cedar trees took on a deep green as dawn began to break. A small figure made its way down the path from the lodge toward the marina steps. Reid's heart fired like a machine gun as he recognized Michelle. Her hair was fastened back and she wore a cream-colored fisherman's sweater and jeans. She waved from the top of the steps and Reid waved back.

He climbed in the boat and put the keys in the ignition and then checked the gas tank. Good old Harv. It was full. He must have stopped by last night to check on it, and then filled it. Reid hopped out of the boat and walked to meet Michelle as she came down the dock. If only Meadow MacLaine could see him now.

“This is sure early.” She yawned. “I almost went back to sleep after the alarm went off.”

“It's part of what you've got to do if you want to hunt.” Reid tried to act like he did this every day.

“That's what my dad says about fishing.” She looked at the slip where the
Regina II
had been moored. “Guess he got off all right.”

“They were gone by the time I got down here.” Reid led the way to the boat and pulled it in close to the dock.

“This is really small.” She frowned as she looked at the skiff.

Reid laughed. “Especially if you're only used to things the size of that boat your dad's on.” Reid hopped in then held out his hand for her.

“Are you sure it's safe and everything?” she asked, grabbing his hand.

“Sure. It's really calm out there this morning.” As he helped her into the boat, Reid noticed that her nails were polished perfectly, each one a bright pink oval, like she was going to a party or something. He put his arm around her waist to steady her as she carefully stepped first on the deck and then on the driver's seat.

“I just haven't been on a boat this teensy.” She laughed as the boat rocked.

“Just sit here in the driver's seat and hold the dock while I untie us. Then you can sit next to me when we get underway.”

Michelle sat down and clutched the edge of the dock. “Oooh, it's rough.” She drew one of her hands back. “I hope I don't get splinters.”

“Just hold tight, we're almost ready to fend off. I'm done with the stern.” Reid ran to the bow and uncleated the line. “Okay, you can scoot over now.”

Michelle let go of the dock and moved over as Reid jumped in the driver's seat. He held the dock with one hand while he started the engine. “Forgot the bumpers, can you hold on again?”

“I guess so.” Michelle didn't seem too pleased, but she got in the driver's seat and grabbed the dock again while he pulled up the bumper from the stern.

“Okay, just one more minute while I get it from the bow.” He climbed over the windshield and flipped the bumper into the boat. Michelle moved next to him as he got back in the driver's seat.

Reid put the boat in gear, steering carefully away from the dock while Michelle examined her fingernails. The dawn had broken and the sky and the ocean took on a rosy glow as he drove slowly through the channel.

After a minute she looked up. “It's really pretty out here.”

“I love it early like this.”

“My dad does, too.” She yawned. “But I'd usually rather sleep in.”

Reid decided this might be a good time to ask about her family. “What about your mum?”

“Oh, she hates fishing.”

“Is that why she didn't come?”

“No. They're divorced. And he gets me on my spring break. We always have to do what he wants, and it's usually fishing on one of his friend's boats, which I find totally boring.”

“So you must be an only child.” Reid steered carefully next to the channel marker. “That's what I am.”

“No, my mother had a kid with her second husband. Ashley, my half sister, goes to Hawaii spring break with her dad, which is a much better deal than having to go salmon fishing. My mother's in the sun, too. She and Pete, her third husband, are in Palm Springs.”

“But they don't get to go bear hunting where they are.”

Michelle laughed. “This year I put up such a fuss about having to be stuck on a boat the whole time that my dad said we could come here. Sort of a compromise. But it's still boring.” Michelle shivered and leaned close to him. “Jeez, it's cold out here.”

Reid decided this must mean he was supposed to put his arm around her, so he did. She cuddled next to him and she was so casual about it, he figured getting close to guys was probably an everyday kind of thing with her. Then today was his lucky day. That was for sure.

“How long does it take to get to the island?”

“About twenty minutes, if we go full speed.” Reid reached for the throttle. “Want to?”

“Sure.”

Michelle's eyes got wide as he thrust the throttle hard and the boat shot across the waves. She leaned even closer to him, and her body pressed against him with every bounce of the boat. She said something, but he couldn't hear her over the motor. He slowed the boat down.

“Couldn't hear you.”

She glanced at the rifle under the bow. “If we get the bear, how do we get him back to the resort?”

“I've got a friend with a converted fishing boat. We'll come back and haul it out.” Reid thrust the throttle forward and she leaned against him again as the boat went full speed. They couldn't talk over the roar of the engine, which was fine with him. That way she couldn't ask any more bear hunting questions and he wouldn't have to make up more stuff, and he especially liked the way they were squished together with her pressing into him with every bounce of the boat. Boating with Meadow MacLaine was never like this!

“Reid, look!” Michelle sat up and pointed to something off the bow.

He pulled back on the throttle, slowing the boat. “What is it?”

“There! See, that speck over to the left? I think it's the island.”

Reid turned the boat toward the speck and then picked up speed a bit. “Does this look like the place where you saw the bear?”

“It's hard to tell, it looked different from the plane. But it wasn't a little dinky island or anything and this one looks fairly big.”

“This is Hope Island,” Reid said, remembering what Harvey had told him. “It's about three kilometers long and about one and a half across.”

Reid brought the boat in close to the shore and began circling the island, looking for a good place to beach the boat. The island was empty except for some seagulls hanging out on the rocks. So far so good. He pulled back the throttle to almost an idle so that they just inched along a few feet from the rocky shore.

“Can you imagine owning this island and putting a fantastic house on it and having this whole place to yourself?” Michelle looked up into the huge trees that came practically down to the water.

“It might get kind of lonely.”