Safe Harbor

"Do you pull all 100 pots every day?" Danni asked. She hoped she didn't sound like she was whining.

"Not the same ones, no. I have 300 of them out here. Each one gets pulled every third day."

When Danni stepped off the dock onto the ground, she got a new surprise. The ground felt like it was lurching under her feet. She felt another wave of nausea but it quickly passed. She looked at David and he understood.

"You need to get your land legs again."

When the lobsters were in the truck for delivery to the market, David turned to Danni. "You had a pretty rough day out there. If it's not for you, I understand."

"No, I'm fine. Have I got the job?"

"For now. See you tomorrow at 6:30. The tides shift by an hour each day, so we can start later."

David couldn't help but be impressed with Danni's spunk. She had fought sea sickness all day, but she didn't give in and she was willing to come back. In spite of his earlier reservations, he found himself rooting for her to succeed.

The next day wasn't as bad as Danni's first one, it was worse. The weather was bad. There was a cold driving rain and gusty winds. Sampson hid in the cabin.

Danni didn't have proper foul weather gear, so David loaned her some that had been Dennis's. She couldn't wear the pants, though, because they were so big on her it would have been unsafe. Her jeans were soaked all day. The tidal chop from the previous day was a gentle ripple compared to the angry seas they faced. Danni was violently ill all day, but she kept working. She found that mentally detached zone and kept going.

She was terrified of the heavy seas. Terrified she would fall overboard. Terrified they would capsize. She was amazed how calm David was and how easily he moved about the boat. At one point she lurched into the lobster table and thought for a moment she had cracked a rib.

At the end of the day, David asked her again, "Have you had enough?"

"No, I'm fine. Have I got the job?"

"For now. See you tomorrow at 7:30 am"

The next day was breezy, but clear. Danni only threw up four times.

"Ready to throw in the towel?"

"No, I'm fine. Have I got the job?"

"For now. We start tomorrow at 8:30."

If you want to meet me at Walter's tomorrow at 7:30, you can borrow some breakfast, my treat."

"Borrow?"

"Well I doubt you'll keep it all day."

"Good point," she conceded. She grinned, realizing it was the first time he had revealed his sense of humor.

The truth was, David could be very witty when the mood struck him. It was one of the things that had attracted his ex-wife to him initially. He felt a little guilty about that, feeling like he had deceived her, because he had stopped making the effort to maintain that witty repartee after a few years of marriage. Then again, she had stopped wearing sexy clothes and acting seductive around him, which was what usually prompted the banter. He wasn't completely sure why everything had fallen apart, but he suspected it was mostly his fault.

David drove through the quaint New England town on the way home from the fish market. He really liked living here. It suited him. Pretty much everyone knew him, but they gave him his space. They said hi and chatted amiably with him at Walter's but never tried to get too personal with him.

Except Mrs. Crandall. She had been pursuing him for the last five years. Sometimes he thought he should let her catch him. Sharon was a pleasant enough woman, intelligent and her cooking was almost legendary in town. Looking at her objectively, the 40 year old divorced math teacher was pretty and had a nice figure, though a little on the busty side for his tastes. Dennis had actually had a real thing for her. Then again, Dennis was famous for his roving eye, which undoubtedly played a hand in his divorce.

David's brain told him settling down with Sharon made perfect sense. It would be nice to come home to a hot meal and a loving wife. He wanted to be attracted to her. When she was not around, he would try to convince himself he was. He had actually dated her twice and had spent time with her at social events in town, but when he was close to her he couldn't deny that she didn't appeal to him. He didn't know why.

Every encounter with her ended the same way. She would make it known in no uncertain terms that she was his for the taking, but it would just make him feel uncomfortable and he would give her a peck on the cheek and leave. Maybe he would feel differently if he went through with it, he thought. Maybe after a night in her bed he would see her in a whole new light and a passion would be kindled.

David thought he just didn't understand women, but then he corrected himself. He understood Sharon just fine. She was an open book. It was his own reaction he didn't understand.

Sharon liked to refer to David as the most eligible bachelor in town. It surprised him a little that anyone would see him that way, especially with his...history. He had moved into town 12 years ago in a vain attempt to escape his past. In retrospect, it was foolish to think he could pick such a small town to escape to and remain unnoticed. It took Walter's wife Mildred, the town gossip, all of three weeks to uncover his dark secrets. He probably could have moved to a larger fishing town like Gloucester and remained anonymous. Much to his surprise, the town accepted him anyway. It probably helped that his troubles were so long ago.

If David ever had thoughts of bringing romance, or even just sex, back into his life, it occurred to him he had two choices. Either shack up with Sharon or look out of town. There weren't that many available women in town anyway and none of them would step in on what they considered Sharon's territory. It seemed everyone in town had decided it was a done deal except him.

Danni pulled up to Walter's just after David and Sampson at 7:20. Sampson stayed in the truck and the other two went in together and sat at the counter.

"Morning Mildred"

"Hello, David." She poured him a coffee without asking. "...and who is this pretty young thing hiding in those manly work clothes?"

"This is Danni, my new deckhand."

"Really?" Mildred was clearly taken aback. She recovered quickly. "Coffee?" she asked Danni.

Danni nodded. As she poured the coffee, Mildred looked at David with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't let that pretty face fool you, she's tough as nails," David said.

Danni felt an unexpected rush of pleasure from that description. She wasn't sure why that pleased her so much and whether it was because he appreciated her toughness or because he called her pretty.

When she looked at the menu, it occurred to Danni that she had been set up. Given the issues she had with seasickness, the right thing to do was probably to stick to something light and bland. After the "tough as nails" comment, she felt like she was expected to wolf down a hearty meal.

"Fuck it," she thought, "I'm starving. It's probably coming back up no matter what I eat, so I might as well enjoy it." She ordered "The Works" special.

David gave Danni and amused look.

"Fuck you," she thought silently.

Mildred turned to Danni, "So, honey, did you just move into town?"

"Yeah, I'm staying at the Seagull Motel for now."

Mildred paused for a few seconds, looking like she was trying to recall something, then said, "You're the Iowa farm girl, right?"

"Yes, how'd you know?" She looked at David with annoyance, thinking he must have been telling the townspeople about her. She was surprised because he didn't seem the type to engage in town gossip.

"Rochelle owns the Seagull, she mentioned a new renter. Once the tourist season is over, she doesn't get many customers, so each one is news."

So it wasn't David's fault, it was hers. Now she remembered making small talk with the chubby Italian lady that was working the motel office. She made a mental note: she would need to be more careful if she didn't want everyone knowing her business in this town.

Mildred was still looking at her, "Do I know you from somewhere? You look familiar."

"I don't think so. I had never been to this town before last month, so it seems unlikely." Danni tried to reassure herself that it was just mistaken identity. This pleasant, if nosy, old lady couldn't really recognize her unless...no, it didn't seem plausible.

Mildred's eyes betrayed her. They opened wide as the recognition hit her.

Danni saw a whole host of emotions cross Mildred's broad, plain face: shock, titillation, embarrassment, fear. No question Mildred recognized her and had figured out from where. That also meant Mildred had her own dark secrets.

Danni wondered what Mildred would do with her new-found information. Mildred was the town gossip and she now had some of the juiciest dirt about a fellow resident that had come along in a while, but to spread it would be tricky without revealing her own secrets.

Danni shook her head slightly and silently mouthed, "No...please" hoping Mildred would understand.

"You must just look like someone else," said Mildred.

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

Before they left Walter's, Danni went to use the restroom. Mildred took the opportunity to pull David aside. "Where'd you find this girl?"

"She just showed up at the boatyard looking for work."

"...and you hired her just like that?"

"I've been looking for a new deckhand for a month now, she's the first one that actually wanted the job"

"But what do you know about her?"

"Just what she told me. She's a farm girl from Iowa," David said. He was used to Mildred being nosy, but this seemed different. "Do you have some concern about her?"

Mildred hesitated, "No, no, just being a busybody like usual."

Certainly, it was true that Mildred was a busybody, but David thought there was something more to this conversation.

Danni returned and looked at Mildred and David. She wondered what they had just been discussing. There was an awkward silence for a few moments, then David said, "We'd better get going."

"You two be careful out there...Nice to meet you honey."

The day went well on the water. Remarkably, Danni kept her breakfast down all day. She had a few twinges of queasiness, but they passed quickly.

As they entered the harbor in the late afternoon, Danni asked David, "What were you and Mildred talking about when I came out of the ladies room this morning?"

"She was just pumping me for information, like usual. I bet she's gonna try to fix you up with someone."

"Good luck with that, me and men don't mix too well."

"And here I thought we were getting along famously."

"No, no, I meant...you know, romantically."

"Well, Mildred would be just as happy to find you a girl, if that's what you like. We're not as old fashioned around here as you think."

"That's not what I meant either, I'm not a lesbian." Danni realized David was pulling her leg a little. "I'm just a train-wreck in the love department."

"You and me both, young lady...you and me both." David looked serious, and kind of sad. Then he deadpanned, "You know, maybe it's because we both smell like dead fish."

For some reason this struck Danni as really funny. She had been drinking from her water bottle and her unexpected laugh sprayed water everywhere, which made her laugh even harder.

David couldn't help but laugh too.

It was nice to hear a girl laugh with him. That hadn't happened in a long time.

"David?"

He looked at Danni. She looked serious now.

"Yes?"

"When you hired me, you never asked what I did in the four years since I left the farm."

"I figured if it would help me catch more lobsters, you would have told me. Otherwise, it was none of my business."

Danni wished more people were like David. She wasn't sure how much she should tell him, but if Mildred was going to spread any gossip, she felt like David should have some warning.

"It's just that...well...there's some things that I've done. Things that I'm not proud of. Things that other people might not accept."

David's heart went out to her.

"Come over here," he said. She did. He put an arm around her.

"Look, I've been there. I have some dark stuff in my past. In my case, it's no secret anymore. Mildred found out three weeks after I moved to town and made it public. If they didn't burn me at the stake, I'm sure they'll get over whatever baggage you've got, too."

Danni felt comforted by this. She wrapped her arms around David and squeezed briefly. Without thinking, he gave her a kiss on the forehead. Both of them suddenly felt self-conscious about their impulsive physical contact and separated quickly.

"Just one question: are you hiding from the law?" asked David.

"No."

After a long pause, Danni asked, "If I was on the lam, would you hide me?"

"Probably...I'd want to know what you did though."

Danni thought about that answer for a while. Was he saying he didn't want to know her dark secrets, so long as she wasn't wanted by the police? Was this blind loyalty?...or did he just not care?

What was that kiss on her forehead about? It seemed out of character for David. When it happened, she had felt warmth, safety and comfort. Now she felt a twinge of disappointment, a reaction she didn't understand at all. She tried to sort this out. She was disappointed because...because what? Because he was a more caring person than he let on? Why should that disappoint her? She realized it reminded her of her dad. Dad used to kiss her like that. Come to think of it, David was a lot like her dad. Gruff, stoic and quiet, but showing occasional glimpses of humor. OK, that made sense...she missed her dad. She felt better, having sorted that out.

Meanwhile, David was sorting out his own thoughts. What the hell did he kiss her on the forehead for? He hoped he hadn't made her uncomfortable. They were turning out to be a good team and he didn't want to jeopardize that. She was kind of like a daughter to him. Yes, that was it...he used to kiss his daughter on the forehead like that. That made sense...he missed his daughter.

Back at the boatyard, David went to the house to check on Earl. He brought Danni with him. "Brought a new girlfriend with you, eh, David?" said Earl, "she's a pretty one."

"No, not my girlfriend, she's my new deckhand," David said.

"If you say so, you sly dog."

When they left, David said to Danni, "Sorry about that, old Earl has an active imagination...and an eye for the ladies."

"I think he's cute."

Three weeks passed and Danni became more efficient at her job. She learned to move with the pitching and rolling of the deck instead of against it. David was impressed with her seemingly limitless endurance. They developed an easy familiarity, comfortably working side by side without feeling the need for small talk. Occasionally they would exchange sarcastic barbs and sometimes when Danni least expected it, David would say something laugh out loud funny. Invariably he would wait until she was taking a swig from her water bottle, prompting her to snort water through her nose.

One day, David looked at Danni and asked, "Would you like to try your hand at hooking the next one?" He gestured to the helm. Danni took the wheel with one hand, gaff in the other. She attempted to maneuver to the next buoy.

"A little slower...more to starboard...more"

She missed it. The buoy passed just out of her reach.

"It's OK, turn and make another pass. You need to avoid those other buoys, though." There were several other buoys in the vicinity, marking the pots of other lobstermen. Danni made her turn and headed for the orange buoy, picking her way through several others. As she set her sights on her target, she failed to account for the cross wind. Too late David realized what was about to happen.

"Danni, turn to port...you're going to run over that..." thump, thump, "buoy."

David held his breath as the buoy slid under the hull.

Several larger thumps, a lurching of the hull and a bogging of the engine confirmed David's fears. The line was wrapped around the prop shaft.

David took over. He tried reverse, hoping that would free the line, but it was hopeless. He shut down the engine and set anchor.

"I'm so sorry," said Danni.

"It happens."

"What do we do now?"

"I go overboard and cut the line out."

"You're kidding." It was 45 degrees.

David kept a wetsuit in the cabin for this purpose. He stripped down to his boxer/briefs to put on the wetsuit. Danni couldn't help but sneak a peek. She was impressed with David's powerful physique, honed from physical labor.

David cut the line free. The green and white buoy had been chopped up by the prop. He couldn't leave the line with no buoy or the pot would be lost. He hauled the pot aboard. He knew who it belonged to. He would return it to its owner when they got back into the harbor.

Later that day, they pulled up to the dock of Andrew Perkowski. David never got along with Andrew. Just as David set the wayward pot on the dock, Andrew came out from his boat. "What are you doing with my gear, Cortland?"

"It got hung up in my prop. Chopped the buoy up. Thought you'd want it back."

"You ought to be more careful around...Woah, what have we here? Who's this fine young lady?"

"Danni's my new deckhand."

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Andrew," he said with a bow. "I'm surprised you're hanging out with an old crook like David."

-------------------------

Every year, the town held an autumn dance at the Community Center. All of the residents generally attended. Mildred was in her glory in the weeks leading up to the dance, playing matchmaker for the single residents, whether they wanted it or not.

David stopped in to Walter's one late afternoon about a week before the dance. He was craving Mildred's meatloaf. Mildred looked pleased with herself when she approached David.

"I set up a date for the dance for Danni...Andrew Perkowski is very interested in taking her."

"Why would you do that? Did you even ask Danni first?"

"I think they're a good match."

"Andrew is trouble and you know it. Why not your grandson Peter?" Peter was a pharmacist in town.

"There are things you don't know about Danni. She's not the innocent little girl you think she is. Peter's a nice guy, but he's a wimp. Danni would chew him up and spit him out. No, Andrew is a much better match. He can handle her."

David narrowed his eyes, "Mildred, what the hell are you talking about? What do you know about Danni?"

Mildred hesitated, then said, "No, I can't say...I've already said too much."

David was exasperated, "Mildred, you have never kept a secret in your life. Why start now?"

"I just can't tell you."

"Well, Danni is not going with Andrew."

"She already said 'yes'."

"Dammit, this is a bad idea."

David confronted Danni the next day, "I hear you agreed to go to the dance with Andrew."

"Yes."

"Why? He's trouble. You should stay away from him."

"David, men aren't exactly beating a path to my door to date me. He's interested and I'm going to give him a chance. Don't worry, I can handle myself."

"Yeah, that's what Mildred said too."

Danni looked worried, "What else did Mildred say about me?"

"Nothing, really, but she seems to think you are some kind of a man-eater. Look, I just worry about you. I don't want to see you get hurt."

Danni thought to herself, "Then there's a shitload of photographs out there you probably wouldn't want to see."

What she actually said was, "don't worry...'Dad'."

As David pulled his truck into Cecil's Fish Market, he noticed Sharon's green Jeep Liberty parked out front. He knew exactly why it was there. She was waiting for him to arrive, although she would give some other excuse for being there.

David pulled around to the back entrance and lugged in his catch to be weighed and credited to his account. When he headed back out to his truck, Sharon had pulled around back and was there to greet him.