4 comments/ 14490 views/ 4 favorites Captain's Choice Ch. 03-04 By: coaster2 This story was edited by ErikThread and DaveT with my thanks and appreciation. Any errors are mine alone. Previously posted on another site. ***** Chapter 3 The Busy Season Del continued to live aboard during the winter. We took on a few charters and it gave us the opportunity to get to know one another. I really didn't know quite how to categorize her presence on board. She was almost like a big sister. A little older, a little more experienced, a little smarter, and yet a comfortable companion. There were times when I thought we could read each other's mind. When something needed doing, we both seemed to realize it at the same time. When we were on the boat, it was like we were in a cocoon where everything was within reach of us. I hadn't been thinking of Del in a sexual way ... well ... not much, anyway. I was attracted to her, but she was strictly "hands off" from my point of view, and I got the same impression from her. All the same, whatever we had as a team of two, we had it in spades. As the spring and summer season approached, I could see we were going to be as busy as we wanted to be. We would sit down regularly and decide which charters to take and which to refuse. There was a strategy to these meetings and as we discussed the options, I could see that we both thought the same way when it came to a yes-no proposition. It took any tension that might have existed between us and made it a non-factor. I was lucky this spring to have my usual crew available for the season. The two young men had crewed with us during the weekends and over Christmas and Spring Break. It was good that we didn't have any rookies to break in and I was looking forward to a smooth operation over the next five months. The "season" was generally agreed to be from late April to early September, although my guys weren't out of college until early May. Until then, I would only charter what Del and I could handle ourselves unless I could find a temp crew of known quality. Of the roughly twenty weeks, we had bookings or deposits on eighteen so far. For the first time, we would be based out of Campbell River in July and August. I thought it might be a risk, however our bookings said otherwise. With regular airline service and multiple ferry options to the island, we had no trouble convincing people it would be closer to their objective, whether that was fishing or wildlife or just exploring the dozens of inlets and passages in the area. "Are you ready for this, Del?" I asked one morning before our first full charter. "Yes, I think so. You and the boys have already warned me about the long days. I can handle that. We had long shifts on the tow boats." "Don't let yourself get overtired, that's all I'm asking. I don't want you getting sick or exhausted. You're too valuable to us to have that happen." She gave me a questioning look before turning away. "I'll be careful," she promised, still not looking at me. It seemed like an awkward moment despite the fact that all I was doing was giving her some friendly advice. Early on, it wouldn't be so bad. Later in the summer, with day after day of looking after guests and trying to keep them happy with our services, it could get very wearing. With Del as the "extra" crew-person on board, I was hoping I could spell off anyone who did become exhausted or even ill. I had to work hard to find a place to dock in Campbell River for the two months we would be based there. The main marina was expensive and reluctant to rent out to us for that length of time at any discount. I needed a reasonable alternative. I found it in Menzies Bay, just north of the city near the site of the now-closed paper mill. It was less than a ten minute drive from the town and better still, the north end of town was where all the new stores had been located, including a Walmart, Home Depot, a specialty liquor store and a large supermarket. A newly renovated motel was in the vicinity and made an ideal place for our guests to stay. All in all, it was a good situation at a reasonable cost. "We'll move the boat up to Menzies Bay on Tuesday, Del. Our next charter will be arriving on Thursday evening for the long weekend," I said, looking over the booking schedule. "Okay. Are the boys going to come with us or meet us up there?" "They're going to meet us up there. They want a car available. Gee, I wonder why?" I chuckled. "Raging hormones, I imagine," she snorted. "No doubt. Our first four charters will be staying at the motel and I've got a confirmation of the rooms, so we'll have the boat to ourselves in the evening unless they want to go on a moonlight cruise." "Where are they from?" she asked. "Reno. I remember the conversation with the guy who booked it. Their wives were going on an Alaska cruise and these guys wanted to do some salmon fishing. The cruise is leaving from Victoria and then they are driving up island from there." "Just four of them?" "Yup. No space problems for us at all. I just hope the new caterer is up to the standards we want." "I checked with a couple of the other charter guys," Del offered, "and they all said we wouldn't be disappointed." "I guess we'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, we've got another day-and-a-half to get everything on board for the next two months." "That should take about two hours," Del chuckled. "Relax, Pat. Everything is taken care of." "If you say so, then I'm satisfied. You've been a god-send, Del. I feel so much more relaxed with you around." She didn't respond to my compliment, looking away and fussing with some packages that needed stowing. Apparently, my praise made her uncomfortable for some reason. "I'm going up to the post office, Pat. Is there anything I can get you while I'm out?" "Not that I can think of. We've got to make a run to the liquor store, but that's about all. We can do that this afternoon." "Okay, I'll be back in about an hour," she said, stepping out of the cabin and onto the dock. I watched her go, noticing the confident stride and bearing that I was getting used to seeing. The more I saw, the more attractive she had become. What she lacked in cover girl beauty, she more than made up for in other ways. I found myself regularly being reminded that she was an employee and according to my rules, off limits. Del was gone for over two hours and I was beginning to wonder what had happened to her when I saw her slowly walking down the gangway onto the dock. Her shoulders were slumped and she didn't look very happy. I wondered what had happened. She looked nothing like the woman who had walked off the boat a couple of hours earlier. "Hi, any problems?" I asked, noticing the frown on her face. "No ... not really. Just something that I've been expecting and didn't know how I would feel about it." "Okay," I said, deciding not to pursue the unspoken question. She flopped herself down on the bench in the galley, placing a large manila envelope on the table. "Would you like a coffee or a beer?" I asked. "Beer ... thanks." I opened two and passed her a bottle. She remained silent, looking thoughtful and unfocussed at the same time. I still wasn't about to disturb her. At length, she pushed the envelope toward me, indicating she wanted me to look inside. I picked it up and pulled some papers out of it. It took a moment to understand what I was reading. It was her final divorce papers. She was now single again and obviously it wasn't a cause for celebration despite what she thought of her ex-husband. There are times to talk and times to shut up and let the other person decide what should be said and when. "I didn't think this would bother me at all, Pat. I thought it would just be another thing that had to be done. I guess I was wrong." "Six years is a long time, Del. You had a lot invested in that marriage. I'm sorry for you that it ended this way." "Yeah ... me too. I'll tell you what, though. I'm having a hard time feeling sorry for myself. I'm pissed that it came to this, but I'm not sorry. It was my mistake and I had to fix it. Fuck him and the horse he rode in on," she spat, taking a big swallow of beer. "Come on, let's go get lunch at McGillicuddy's and then do the booze run. Maybe that will get your mind off it." "Yeah ... let's do that." She seemed to brighten up at that suggestion. I volunteered to put her papers in the safe and she agreed. If my observations were correct, she was coming out of her funk and getting back to normal. It seemed she was very resilient. We left Coal Harbour early Tuesday morning for the long run to Campbell River. It would be almost two hours by the time we cleared English Bay and then Bowen Island. We set a course northwest and settled in for the run to the entrance of Johnstone Strait and Campbell River. Our ten knots maximum cruise speed would get us to our destination near five o'clock that afternoon. We spend almost the entire trip on the upper bridge, trading stories about our adventures at school and at sea. The more time I spent with Del the more impressed I was with how bright she was. I also got the feeling that her family was well off and that money hadn't been a problem in the past and perhaps not today either. I knew her father had been a well respected newspaper editor and very visible in the community. Her mother was in her mid-fifties and in good health. She was living on what Del described as a ranch in the south Okanagan Valley, right on the U.S. border. It was hard to tell just what her relationship with her sisters was, but I didn't detect any animosity. It was more like they just didn't have a lot in common other than being family. I envied her having siblings since I had grown up without any. It seemed very strange that she wouldn't be close to them, but it wasn't any of my business and I promised myself not to pry into her private life. "So, I suppose you were the serious student at college," Del said. "Hah! Like that ever happened. I was a scrape-along arts student, just managing to get by. I belonged to a fraternity and my main objective was to get through to Friday night to start partying." "I don't believe that. That's not you at all." "That's not me now ... but it was then. Remember, my father was still alive and I had a guaranteed job when I graduated, even if it wasn't with a MBA. Everything in my life changed when Dad died. I was suddenly alone. I had no one. No parents, no brothers or sisters or uncles or aunts. That was a very sobering experience. So ... like the popular saying goes, I had an epiphany." "How long was it after your father died that you began to work on the boat?" "A few months. I had to get the estate through probate ... or at least my lawyer, Sam Fowler, did. I was lost, to tell the truth. I didn't know what I wanted or what I was going to do with myself. I needed something that would sustain me, at least for a while. I chose the boat and now it seems I lucked into exactly the right thing for me." "You had a girlfriend at the time I recall you saying." "Claire had given up on me a couple of months after I started on the boat. I was virtually living with the project. I had committed myself to the restoration and I felt closer to it than I did to her. It wasn't like we fought about it. She left quietly one day, wishing me good luck and telling me she was sorry she couldn't handle my lifestyle." "There's something about living here on the coast and being on the water," Del said. "It's hard to explain to someone who doesn't relate to it. Kurt didn't understand it either. Why would I want to do a hard job like that when I had been offered a good job on dry land? He didn't get it and I guess that he and your ex-girlfriend had that in common. I couldn't live anywhere else, now. This is what I have to have," she said, looking out at the scenery surrounding us. "Maybe that's why we work so well together," I suggested. "We both have a passion for being here, doing what we love. In that case, we're pretty damn lucky." I saw her nod, still surveying the surrounding mountains, islands and waterway. She had a quiet, comfortable look about her that afternoon. It was a nice change from the forlorn look I saw a day earlier. I had been watching the gauges carefully since this was the first extended-hours constant speed run this year. There was no need to worry. The temperature gauges were steady and right where they should be. Oil pressure and fuel consumption were nominal. The electrical system was functioning normally and all the electronics were performing as per expectations. Everything was just where it was supposed to be. Nine continuous hours of full cruise was a good test. We docked at the floating wharf and checked in with the Menzies Bay Marina manager. We were assigned a permanent spot, as promised. It was on the outside, near the end of the dock, making it very easy for us to get in and get out at any time. I was pleased to see that they provided carts for taking heavy goods and luggage to the boat. I had a couple of small, portable ones that we carried on board, but the larger ones the marinas featured were much more efficient. I had planned to arrive a day ahead of our guests so that I could see the facilities and check out the surrounding area for parking, supplies and fuel. I was happy with my brief reconnoiter. I wouldn't have to run down to Campbell River for fuel or bait. It was all here, as promised. "This is going to work well for us, Del." "Yep. Better than being in those tight berths at the big marina. I'd say we can pretty much take tomorrow off, Captain. I doubt we'll see Pete and Dean until mid-tomorrow afternoon." "As long as they're here and organized before the guests arrive, I'm okay with that." "Quit worrying, will you," Del said with an exasperated look. "I watched you all the way up here fussing over the gauges. Everything is fine. You've done everything you need to do. The boat is perfect. Relax before you drive me nuts." I chuckled at her little diatribe. "Sorry. I guess I'm just a bit anal about making sure everything is just right." "You'd think you'd never been on this boat before. You've got all kinds of hours under your belt and never had a problem." "I know. I know. I'll lighten up," I promised with a grin. "In the meantime, what do you say we head into town and get some supper? Captain's treat." "I'll go for that," she smiled. Our cab dropped us off at an upscale pub near the marina and we had a nice meal and some red wine for a change. Ardele was in a good mood, and now that we had arrived and the boat was performing perfectly, I was as well. We started telling stories about some of our college antics again and found we were laughing as if they were the funniest things we'd ever heard. "You guys are having fun," the young waitress said as she served us another glass of wine. "Yeah," we nodded in unison. "Talking about school ... way back when," I said. "Oh, that can't be that long ago." She was examining us more closely. "Ten years for me," I volunteered. "Eight for me," Ardele added. "Jeez, I just realized it was almost eight for me too," the girl said. "Time flies when you're having fun," I said, using an old worn-out cliché. "What do you do?" the girl asked. "I own a charter boat. We're up here for the next two months. Ardele is my first mate." "Really?" she exclaimed. "That must be really a great life." "It's pretty good," I agreed, "as long as you've got a great partner." I had inadvertently put my hand on Ardele's as I answered. "Let's take a walk along the waterfront," I suggested after paying the tab. The sun was low but wouldn't set for another hour at this latitude. It seemed natural to hold her hand as we strolled along the sidewalk toward the boatyard. We stopped near the gangway to the dock and gazed at the multitude of boats before us. "It always amazes me," I observed, "that just around the corner ... the other side of Quadra Island, or a couple of kilometers up Johnstone Strait and we're in complete wilderness. I can't imagine a coastline anywhere in the world that has the scenery and wildlife that we do from here to Alaska." "I know," Del said, watching the ferry to Quadra Island move past. "I've been on these waters many, many times and still they fascinate me. The idea that you could navigate a hundred thousand ton cruise ship through these channels still staggers me." "What are we doing tomorrow?" Del asked after a period of silence. "Nothing planned until mid-afternoon when our guys are supposed to arrive. The guests will be along sometime after four by my reckoning. Maybe I'll set the barbeque up on the dock to give us some more room. Weather should be okay according to the forecast." We headed back to the pub, calling the cab company as we walked. It wasn't busy that evening and the cab was waiting for us as we arrived. Fifteen minutes later we were back in Menzies Bay and walking along the floating dock toward my boat. "What do you suppose those women are doing on that boat?" I asked, pointing to a sixty-foot fiberglass yacht moored two floats over from Captain's Choice. "Why, whatever do you mean?" Del answered in a faux shocked voice. "Have you seen any guys on board at any time?" "Nope," she chuckled, just barely containing a full belly laugh. "What's so funny?" "Have you ever heard of the Calcutta Cougar Club?" "No. Why?" "Do you know what a 'cougar' is?" I thought for a moment. I was sure she wasn't talking about mountain lions. "Yeah ... older women who like getting together with younger men," I said, recalling the term now. "You mean ...?" "A boatload of them. Five to be exact. In their forties and looking for studs half their age." "How do you know this?" "I've talked to a couple of them. They wanted to know if I was interested in hooking up with them. I guess they go 'bi' once in a while." "Where the hell did you run into them?" I asked, now really curious about the crew on the Sound Settlement. "They've been here before, but usually at the big marina. I remember them from a couple of years ago. They are mostly divorcees with a couple of widows thrown in for good measure. They spend most of the summer hunting young, horny males for entertainment." "The boat is registered in Tacoma. Is that where they're from?" "Gig Harbor," she nodded. "Huh ... how 'bout that," I said in mild surprise. "I went over to say hello this morning. They've been trying to get me to join them now and then. It has its appeal," she smirked. "You're kidding, right?" "Maybe ... maybe not," she said with an arched eyebrow. Chapter 4 Getting a New Perspective The conversation with Ardele last night had rattled me. I lay in my bed thinking about what she had said. I was upset about the implication that she might be interested in some young guy, maybe even one of our crew. And then the bi-sexual thing. What's up with that? Was she just pulling my chain or did she really mean it. I still had my rule of no fraternization, but I had to admit Ardele was really testing my resolve. It took some time before I finally fell asleep. I crawled out of bed and stretched, checking the clock on the wall. It wasn't seven yet, but that would amount to sleeping in if my customers were keen fishermen. I wandered out to the galley and plugged in the coffee machine. I set about making my usual breakfast: fruit, juice and cereal. There was no sign of Ardele yet. I looked out the stern to the east and saw we were in for another sunny, calm day. The tide chart said it was a half-tide at five-thirty am and low near noon. Not ideal, but it would do. I looked in the mirror, examining myself. Still lean and fairly fit. I would have liked to claim I was six foot tall, but in truth I fell a half-inch short of that. Thick, dark brown hair was a feature I inherited from my father. Brown eyes, a clear, all-weather suntanned complexion, a slightly larger than average nose and ugly, knobby knees. Yeah, that was me all right. A shave and a shower and I'd be looking as good as I was ever going to. Captain's Choice Ch. 03-04 As I stood at the door to the afterdeck, I saw Ardele walking back toward the gangway to our dock. Obviously she had been up well before me. I watched her occasionally wipe sweat from her brow and even from a distance I could see the flush of exertion on her face. "Mornin'," I said as she stepped aboard. "You've been working hard by the look of it." "Hi. Yeah, got to keep in shape. No gym nearby," she said, breathing fairly heavily still. "Doesn't look like you need to do much." "Thanks, but it can go away quick enough if I don't keep up the workouts." "That would be a shame." I saw her look up at me as she was untying her fancy runners, but she said nothing. She stepped past me into the cabin and headed for the refrigerator and her morning juice fix. She walked back to the door and onto the afterdeck, carrying the glass in her hand as she sat in one of the deck chairs. She looked sexy when she was sweaty with her hair plastered to her head. Few women could claim that, but Del was one of them. I fetched a hand towel from the nearby head and passed it to her. "Thanks," she smiled. She was wearing a t-shirt that was soaked in the front, revealing a sport bra beneath. Her shorts were nylon and nicely framed her lovely long legs. I'd noticed some time ago that she didn't use nail polish and very little makeup. It just didn't seem very necessary to me ... and apparently to her as well. She was quite at peace with her appearance and didn't exhibit a shred of vanity. It was hard to tell if she had any idea just how appealing she looked. While Del went for a shower, my curiosity got the better of me and I walked over toward the Sound Settlement to see what I could see. Del's comments about the women aboard this boat had intrigued me and I wondered just what they were all about. I found two of them on their rather large afterdeck and said good morning. "Hi, you must be Pat," a rather voluptuous bottle blonde said with a distinct American accent. That surprised me and I managed a nod and a yes in confirmation. "Del says you restored your boat yourself. You did a hell of a job." "Thanks, but I had help." "How's your summer looking for charters," the other dark-haired woman asked. She was a good deal slimmer and taller than her friend. "Fine. We'll be busy for the next two months. Our first group arrives this afternoon." "Yeah ... so we heard," the blonde said. "Too bad. We were going to invite you and Del over for dinner. Get to know you since we're going to be here for the summer ourselves." "That's a nice thought. Maybe when we've got a couple of open days." "Great!" the blonde said, sizing me up I thought. "My name's Tanya and this is Corrine." "Nice to meet you, ladies. Pat Hamelin, as you probably already know," I chuckled. It seemed that Del had pretty much given these women any information they wanted. "Don't be a stranger, Pat," Corrine smiled. "I'm sure we're going to be seeing a lot of each other in the next few weeks." Their smiles reminded me of a shark ... or then again, maybe a hungry cougar. "No doubt," I said, waving and turning back up the dock. Del's description of the women seemed to be accurate. They were on a hunting expedition. I walked back to the boat and was met by Ardele. Maybe I should say a scowling Ardele. "I see you met a couple of the club members." It sounded like an accusation. "Yeah ... I let my curiosity get the best of me," I admitted. "Thinking of getting to know them better?" There was no humour in her voice. "I'm not quite that desperate yet. Maybe later this summer," I said, trying to dismiss it lightly. "I'd be surprised if you were ever desperate," she mumbled, turning away. I watched her walk away toward her bunk, pulling the sheets off and stuffing them into the almost full laundry bag. She would haul them up to the marina washing machines and make sure all the bunks and beds were made with clean sheets and pillow cases. They wouldn't get done again for five days. Her good mood seemed to have vanished and I decided not to bother her. In fact, I thought it might be a good idea for me to disappear for a while. "I'm going for a walk, Del. Lock up while you're at the laundry, please." "Okay." It was a toneless acknowledgement. I picked up my MP3 player, plugged in the ear buds and walked up the gangway. A walk in the morning sunshine wouldn't do me any harm. Damn women! They are so bloody hard to understand sometimes. Worse, I have no idea what I did or said that switched her off. It couldn't be my little visit with the cougars, surely. I thought she knew me better than that. I learned a long time ago that a brisk walk helped put things into perspective. When I had been stressed, I found I was able to work out that stress as I moved along. I hadn't needed to exercise away any stress lately. The truth was, Ardele Quinton had taken a lot of stress out of my day-to-day existence. I had to admit I was dependent upon her to keep my world stable. She did things without asking because she knew they needed to be done. I began to question if I was taking advantage of her without telling her just how valuable she was. Maybe that was what was at the root of her mood change. No, that wasn't it. It was my visit to the Sound Settlement that set her off. I claimed it was curiosity, but I wonder if she thought it was something else. Did she really think I was over there checking out the women? Women! I stayed away for a little over an hour before I was back at the boat. Ardele was nowhere to be found. My stomach was rumbling, so I made myself a sandwich and opened a beer, sitting on the afterdeck in the sunshine. I was uncomfortable. I didn't want Del to be unhappy. I certainly didn't want to be the cause of it. I also didn't like the idea that I didn't know where she had gone. There was no note on the galley counter that we would usually leave if one or the other of us stepped away. I could hear music and I worked out that it was coming from the women's boat. I could see a couple more women moving around on the boat. I wondered if Ardele had gone over there. I didn't see her, but she might be in the cabin. I tried not to think about it, but it was hard to shake the feeling that I had upset her. Lost in my thoughts, I jumped when I felt the boat move slightly. I looked around the rear bulkhead and saw Ardele had jumped on the forward deck and was adjusting the warp. I sighed in relief that she was back, realizing now how tense I had been. I was going to have to be a good actor not to reveal just how upset and worried I had been. "Hi ... you go for a walk?" I asked as casually as I could manage. "Yeah," she said in the tone of voice I had been more accustomed to. "I finished the laundry and hitched a ride into town. I walked around, had a quick lunch and came back. We should be seeing our guys pretty soon." Everything was back to normal, or so it seemed. "I didn't mean to upset you this morning," I said, hoping I wasn't reopening a touchy subject. "I know," she said, not adding anything. "When I do something like that, please tell me. I'm kind of clueless. I can use all the help I can get." "Yeah ... I noticed." I couldn't see her face, so I couldn't tell just how she was reacting to my apology. I decided to drop it and not make things worse. I was tense all over again. I tried to avoid her, but somehow we were usually in the same space. The boat was getting smaller on me. I had half a mind to get off and go up to the parking lot and wait for the guys to arrive. Anything to break the tension. I jumped in surprise when I felt two arms encircle me and pull me against a warm female body. "Relax, Pat," she whispered softly. "You're wound up tighter than a clock spring. You didn't need to apologize to me. I had an attack of the "stupids" when I saw you over talking to those women. You don't need them. They aren't right for you." I felt myself begin to breathe again. The tenseness wasn't gone, but it had lessened. Ardele continued to hold me, her chin on my shoulder. I could feel her warm breath on my cheek. I turned to face her, looking into her eyes, trying to see what I wanted to see. I tipped my head forward and kissed her lightly on the lips. There was no hint of surprise from Del. In fact, I saw a faint smile, so I returned for something a little more lasting. "You're breaking your rule," she whispered when we broke the kiss. "Rules are made to be broken," I grumbled. "Glad to hear it. I thought I was going to have to drug you to get a response from you." Her hand had worked its way down to my crotch and was massaging my growing erection. "How much time do we have?" she asked between more intense mouth-to-mouth contact. "How much do you need?" "Quite a lot. I've got a lot of catching up to do." "Why don't we start small and work our way along as time permits." "Small is the wrong word, Pat. Right this moment I'm thinking big, hard and fast." I pulled her into the aft cabin and shut the door. We were naked in less than a minute and my head was between her legs the moment she flopped onto the bed. "Oh fuck, Pat. I don't need this. Put it in me now. Jesus, have mercy on me," she begged. I moved up over her, knowing time was of the essence. There was little resistance as I pushed steadily into her, helped along by her pulling at my hips. It was only seconds later that I was pumping steadily and vigorously, watching her eyes as they grew bigger and her face took on a look of surprise. Neither of us was going to last very long. That was confirmed when Del went off like a bomb and I immediately followed by flooding her womb with my seed. It was quick, frantic, and oh so good. I had briefly collapsed on her before falling off to one side. "Sorry ... that wasn't much to write home about," I said quietly. "Didn't matter," she said. "I just needed a fix." "We might have broken the world's speed record," I suggested. "Naw, I had a boyfriend in high school that could come quicker than that. I never knew the difference until I dumped him and hooked up with a guy who knew how to hold out longer than ten seconds." I laughed. "I guess I can throw the rule book out the window, huh?" "Your choice. I've been waiting for this. It's taken a while, but I'm through being patient." "I didn't even bother to ask you about protection," I said. "I should know better." "I'm okay. Don't worry. Besides, would it have mattered?" "Probably not. We were both pretty hot ... out of control." "True, but sometimes that's when it's best." "I'm not spontaneous by nature." "I know. I could tell," she said quietly, stroking my face. "I guess we'd better fix the bed and get ready for our crew," I suggested, wishing we'd started this an hour or so earlier. "You go have a shower. I'll look after the bed and airing the cabin out." And that was it. Was this Erica Jong's zipless fuck? No emotional connection, no planned seduction, no strings, no recriminations? No, it wasn't. At least, not for me. There was always an emotional component for me, regardless of who the woman was. And there were strings. We were going to be together every day for months at a time. There had to be more to it than just primal urges. I wondered if Ardele felt the same. It was a question that bothered me and yet was never asked. It would be almost six weeks later before I got an answer. Our crew, Pete Masters and Dean Wilmot, arrived just before three that afternoon. They had their gear stowed within a couple of minutes and were ready for any assignments that needed doing. There were none. We had a beer on the afterdeck as we awaited our guests. "I think this is a good move, Pat," Pete said as he peeled the label off his bottle. "This is right where the action is and the scenery around here is fantastic." "No kidding," Dean agreed. "Hard to beat this for a trip into the wilderness. Throw in some whales and eagles and the city folks go apeshit." "That's the idea," I agreed. "That's what we promise them and this is the best place to be to make good on that promise." "This is nothing new for you, is it Del?" Dean suggested. "No, we were in some pretty remote camps, picking up booms or barges. But this is better. More civilized and the clients keep you from becoming jaded about it. To them it's all new and exciting. They want to see everything and remember it all." "Yeah, and the food's way better," Pete chuckled. "No doubt about that," Del agreed. Our guests arrived just before five that afternoon. Introductions were made all around and we helped them get settled into their cabins. By the time we had set out the food we had prepared for the supper hour meal, I had the feeling that these guys were going to be okay. They didn't expect to be waited on hand and foot and they were polite. They were all in their mid-to-late forties and, judging from the clothes they wore, appeared to be fairly prosperous. As we finished the meal and relaxed over a glass of wine, I had a chance to ask them about their expectations and hopes. Darren Sunden seemed to be the spokesman for the group. "I was thinking since the sun comes up early," he began hesitantly, "we could get an early start tomorrow morning. Do some fishing in the morning, have some lunch in a cove someplace, then do some sightseeing in the afternoon. How does that sound, guys?" he asked, looking around at his friends for confirmation. He got general agreement and I was pleased with that. "What do you consider an early start?" I asked. "Six o'clock too soon for you?" Zach Miller asked. "Nope ... no problem. We'll probably head north up the straits unless the wind picks up. Otherwise, we'll head down to Cape Mudge and fish the flats." It was that easy. Dean and Pete would look after getting the live bait before we left. The bait barge was in business by five each morning and there were grumbles that it was not early enough. It was plenty early enough for me and our clients. We were lucky the next morning as the wind was light from the northwest and wouldn't pose a problem as we headed for Seymour Narrows. There had been some nice Chinooks taken there in the last week, several over twenty-five pounds. I would moor the Captain's Choice around the corner, behind a small rock pile island on the north end of Quadra Island and the boys would take our guests out, two to a Zodiac, to try their luck. Both Pete and Dean knew their way around these waters and if anyone could find some fish, they could. That left Del and me on the boat alone. We would do up the beds, check and clean the heads and get lunch prepared and still have some time to relax. It would allow us to plan where to take the guests that afternoon. We guessed that the wind would come up in the afternoon as low tide approached and that made the decision easier. We would work between Sonora Island and Quadra Island south toward the south tip before turning up the entrance to Johnstone Strait toward Menzies Bay. I estimated we would be back before sunset. The boys returned just before lunch and by the grins on everyone's faces, they had something to show for their efforts. Darren had picked up a decent sized halibut chick, probably close to twenty pounds and plenty big enough for a great feed of fish and chips with lots left over. His partner, Tyrone, had a nice eight or nine pound Cohoe salmon and was anxious to talk about the fight he had landing it. Cohoe, or in his lexicon, Silvers, are tenacious fighters and often come to the surface to jump in an attempt to spit the hook. Tyrone was obviously a good fisherman, since he didn't lose the fish as most rookies would. Zach had landed a pretty good sized Ling Cod and that too would make a nice meal. Carl had been skunked, but had hooked a couple of Cohoe that both spit the hook. It didn't seem to bother him, though. All four of them were excited about the action that they found and that was our aim. The fish were in a cooler in the hold, and would be dressed and filleted when we got back this evening. We still had plenty of bait for tomorrow as long as one of us remembered to hook up the recirculating pump to keep them alive overnight. I was using the upper bridge and was joined at one time or another by each of the guests. They all had digital cameras of some kind. I was hoping they would get some good shots today, but we had four more days after this one and I was sure there would be plenty of subjects for them to shoot. We didn't have to wait long. A pod of Orcas moving south passed by us just as we rounded the north end of Quadra and the guys were all over it. Dean had given them a heads-up in plenty of time to scramble for their cameras. "Serendipity, I think it's called," I said as Ardele stood beside me on the bridge. She gave me a questioning look. "Good fishing in the morning, great scenery in the afternoon. I think the guys are pretty happy with their first day." "Yeah ... no doubt about that," she agreed. Our good luck stayed with us for the whole five days. The weather held and by the end of the charter, every guest had his limit of salmon and countless pictures. Carl overcame his first day "skunk" and had boated the largest fish, a twenty-seven pound Chinook that took him almost an hour to land. He was being very careful not to lose this fish. Everyone else had their legal limit of salmon. When they stepped off the boat for the last time, they couldn't say enough good things about how they were treated and just how rewarding their five days were. All music to my ears, of course. Dean and Pete made out like bandits with tips. The guys were very generous and thankful for all the help they got from our two deckhands. Del and I had declined tips, telling them that all the hard work was with the deckhands. They ignored us and we found a check for two hundred dollars in an envelope addressed to both of us after they had gone. I bought the four of us dinner with it. That set the tone for July and the first part of August. For the most part, the weather was good with little rain and not much wind. We had pretty good luck fishing as well, but then it was a good year for salmon anyway. Plenty of whale sightings, seals, sea lions, and even elephant seals made our guests very happy. Early in August, we had a charter of five men who gave us cause for concern. It was clear they weren't fishermen, nor did any of them have a camera with them. In fact, they were pretty tough looking characters. They had chartered us to hold a meeting in the main cabin and made it plain that they didn't want anyone else in there unless they were summoned. They didn't even want us handling their luggage. After the first day, I gave Pete and Dean the week off and Del and I assumed all duties. They didn't care where we took them during the day as long as it was away from other people. They stayed aboard the boat at night making both Del and me nervous, to say the least. We had decided they were criminals planning some big job and we were undecided what to do about them. Should we report them to the police? I didn't see any sign of guns, but I wasn't sure they didn't have them stowed in their cabin. We were told not to make up the beds since they would look after that themselves. I was counting the days until this charter was over. We were not having any fun at all and we spent most of our time staying out of their way. They seemed to be happy with that and certainly were satisfied with the food. Other than that, I had no idea why they would have wanted to charter us. It made no sense unless they didn't want to be overheard. This sure as hell wasn't some corporate meeting. Unbeknownst to me, Del had taken some pictures of the five guys with her iPod, pretending to be playing a game on it, I guess. When they finally left at the end of the charter, we got a perfunctory thank you and a wad of bills to pay the invoice. The next morning, Ardele and I were in the RCMP detachment at Campbell River, telling them about our guests and their behaviour. They thanked us for the pictures and the descriptions, took the cash to have it inspected with a promise to return it, and that was it. Captain's Choice Ch. 03-04 We got the money back a week later, but no information was forthcoming and we were no wiser than when they first stepped on the boat. I was not anxious to see those guys again. To Be Continued.