inexperienced.”
Their eyes met again, sparks flaring between them as Jake asked, “And you’re planning to visit Queen Charlotte City?”
“ Yes! ” She glared at him.
George was frowning. “I don’t know, Jenny. Jake just read the Pacific Pilot book to me – I didn’t realize that the narrows west of Queen Charlotte were that hazardous. I did want to go in, but maybe we should reconsider.”
Jake pushed the book across to her, his finger jabbing at the paragraph on Skidegate Narrows. “Read it, Jennifer.”
It wasn’t cheerful reading. The passage was shallow, tortuous, and subject to treacherous currents.
“You’re saying we shouldn’t go through?” Jenny pushed the Pilot Book back to him. Just what was he up to?
“Not without a guide,” he said, his eyes moving swiftly to George and back again.
Jenny reached over and slammed the book shut. “You two have already worked this out!”
George said quickly, trying to pacify Jenny, “Jake volunteered to guide us.”
Jenny glared at Jake. “Why? Getting us through the narrows isn’t going to help you get me back to work.”
Jake shrugged. Jenny demanded, “Or is it just another one of your attempts to run my life?”
“I guess that’s it,” he agreed. George let out a soft noise that might have been a giggle.
Jenny ignored her, anger in her voice as she demanded, “The book— this book says the narrows shouldn’t be navigated without intimate local knowledge. Do you have intimate local knowledge?”
“I know the way through.” He was smiling, knowing she wanted him to lose that cool control, to be goaded into anger. What was getting into her? Looking for fights with Jake was asking for trouble.
She took refuge in the details of navigation. “You said the passage was well marked?”
“It is,” he agreed with a slight smile. “And there’s more than one wreck visible on shore.”
Jenny paused, knowing he had her on this one. George was looking on Jake with approval, evidently glad of the offer of guidance. There wasn’t much she could do about it. Jake would be guiding them, but she didn’t have to like it.
She sat down beside George, directly facing Jake. “How come you’re so available to help us, Jake? How are you managing time to follow us around the Pacific? Don’t you have to go back to work?”
He picked up his own cup and sipped before he answered. Today he was wearing a heavily-knit Indian sweater that carried a stylized raven design. He looked like one of the locals. She tried to close her eyes and imagine him back in the city. He was less dangerous there, easier to handle – if Jake could ever be described as easy to handle!
“I’ll go back to Vancouver this afternoon on the jet from Sandspit. I’ve only been away three days – a weekend’s work will catch it up.”
“Then you don’t need me, do you? If it only takes a couple of days to catch up.”
His eyes flashed, but his voice was neutral. “I’ll fly back next Wednesday. I have an aunt living in Queen Charlotte – George has her number now. When you get to the west side of the narrows, you can call me—”
“Call you? How?”
“Radiophone. Yours is working now – David fixed it. A loose wire.”
“Oh. So I’ll call.” She glared at him, but it made no impression at all. “I suppose there’s no point telling you to get out of my life?”
“No point at all,” he agreed mildly, refusing to rise to her anger. His smile infuriated her.
“And what about your work?” she demanded again. “A week here. A week there. Unless Austin Media has changed, it’s not enough. There’s still two episodes in the Great Hamburger Caper to be filmed, aren’t there? And the Eglinton film.”
“Only one hamburger episode. I’ve managed to finish one, and I’ve left Hans working on the last one— what did you say?”
“Nothing.” Giving her opinion of Hans wasn’t going to get either of them anywhere.
She took her cup to the sink as Jake
Their eyes met again, sparks flaring between them as Jake asked, “And you’re planning to visit Queen Charlotte City?”
“ Yes! ” She glared at him.
George was frowning. “I don’t know, Jenny. Jake just read the Pacific Pilot book to me – I didn’t realize that the narrows west of Queen Charlotte were that hazardous. I did want to go in, but maybe we should reconsider.”
Jake pushed the book across to her, his finger jabbing at the paragraph on Skidegate Narrows. “Read it, Jennifer.”
It wasn’t cheerful reading. The passage was shallow, tortuous, and subject to treacherous currents.
“You’re saying we shouldn’t go through?” Jenny pushed the Pilot Book back to him. Just what was he up to?
“Not without a guide,” he said, his eyes moving swiftly to George and back again.
Jenny reached over and slammed the book shut. “You two have already worked this out!”
George said quickly, trying to pacify Jenny, “Jake volunteered to guide us.”
Jenny glared at Jake. “Why? Getting us through the narrows isn’t going to help you get me back to work.”
Jake shrugged. Jenny demanded, “Or is it just another one of your attempts to run my life?”
“I guess that’s it,” he agreed. George let out a soft noise that might have been a giggle.
Jenny ignored her, anger in her voice as she demanded, “The book— this book says the narrows shouldn’t be navigated without intimate local knowledge. Do you have intimate local knowledge?”
“I know the way through.” He was smiling, knowing she wanted him to lose that cool control, to be goaded into anger. What was getting into her? Looking for fights with Jake was asking for trouble.
She took refuge in the details of navigation. “You said the passage was well marked?”
“It is,” he agreed with a slight smile. “And there’s more than one wreck visible on shore.”
Jenny paused, knowing he had her on this one. George was looking on Jake with approval, evidently glad of the offer of guidance. There wasn’t much she could do about it. Jake would be guiding them, but she didn’t have to like it.
She sat down beside George, directly facing Jake. “How come you’re so available to help us, Jake? How are you managing time to follow us around the Pacific? Don’t you have to go back to work?”
He picked up his own cup and sipped before he answered. Today he was wearing a heavily-knit Indian sweater that carried a stylized raven design. He looked like one of the locals. She tried to close her eyes and imagine him back in the city. He was less dangerous there, easier to handle – if Jake could ever be described as easy to handle!
“I’ll go back to Vancouver this afternoon on the jet from Sandspit. I’ve only been away three days – a weekend’s work will catch it up.”
“Then you don’t need me, do you? If it only takes a couple of days to catch up.”
His eyes flashed, but his voice was neutral. “I’ll fly back next Wednesday. I have an aunt living in Queen Charlotte – George has her number now. When you get to the west side of the narrows, you can call me—”
“Call you? How?”
“Radiophone. Yours is working now – David fixed it. A loose wire.”
“Oh. So I’ll call.” She glared at him, but it made no impression at all. “I suppose there’s no point telling you to get out of my life?”
“No point at all,” he agreed mildly, refusing to rise to her anger. His smile infuriated her.
“And what about your work?” she demanded again. “A week here. A week there. Unless Austin Media has changed, it’s not enough. There’s still two episodes in the Great Hamburger Caper to be filmed, aren’t there? And the Eglinton film.”
“Only one hamburger episode. I’ve managed to finish one, and I’ve left Hans working on the last one— what did you say?”
“Nothing.” Giving her opinion of Hans wasn’t going to get either of them anywhere.
She took her cup to the sink as Jake
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