life,” added Sheltie.
“And the wind, she blowed,” continued Cyrus. “When she died a bit, we took stock and Tom, ever ta gennelman, set Tabby down easy and helped Charlie secure the second line on the man boat. Just as they finished, here she comes again, right over the deck. So’s we all grab aholt again and the boat, she be spinnin’ around. I look over and Tabby’s got the mains’l now with Tom and Charlie a hangin’ offa her.”
“And next we know, off comes ta gull’s skirt, bloomers and all. Tom flies with ’em but nabs the riggin’ and Charlie fetches up against ta rail, ta gull’s bloomers in his hand,” Sheltie slapped his thigh and led the appreciative laughter.
Gasping with merriment, Cyrus continued, “There she is, flyin’ from the mains’l like a pirate’s pennant, white nether cheeks shining through the dark.” He snorted with laughter, waving his hands as if drawing the image. “Tom sees what’s happened and he’s fightin’ the wind to get to Tabby but it’s hard goin.’ He hand-over-hands the riggin,’ makin’ his way to the mains’l. He somehow pulls her down and they crawl on they’s bellies to the hold and spill over in with the waterfall.”
“An’ we never let him forget the day,” added Sheltie. “We rode out the storm, all lookin’ like drowned rats when ta’s over. Took us a week to bail out the hold but ever’ time we worked it we had to laugh at Tom and that pretty white bottom spillin’ over in.”
“Poor Tabby,” Cyrus said, chuckling. “She was never able ta look straight on at any of us after that.”
Laughing, Sheltie, motioned with one hand. “The boat, tell ’bout ta boat.”
Cyrus laughed and mopped at his eyes with both gnarled hands. “Jackson christen’d the boat again after ta re-work. Made Tom do it with a bottle of elderberry wine. He called it…called it…the Broken Moon .”
Nina laughed along with the rest of them even as another tale was begun. By late afternoon, when she helped Cyrus load his truck for home and waved a farewell, Nina felt as though she knew her grandfather as she never had before.
After popping back into the store to purchase bottled iced tea, Nina drove toward Channel Haven, her mind relaxed and filled with fondness, lingering on her grandfather’s life.
Chapter 18
The familiar blue truck parked in front of her cottage door wiped away the mists of the past. As she parked her car next to it, she was able to see the driver. Mander.
Groaning inwardly, she looped her plastic grocery bags over her arm and rose clumsily from the car.
Mander shouted a cheery hello from the open truck window. “I thought you might like a little company tonight,” she called. “See? I brought wine.” She held up a dark green bottle and wagged it back and forth.
Nina was disarmed by her enthusiasm and smiled.
Taking this as encouragement, Mander leapt from the vehicle and waited with an anxious air in front of the cottage door. She appeared to be fresh from the shower, her hair still damp, and she wore a Hawaiian-styled shirt and denim shorts.
Nina sighed with something akin to vexation but nevertheless moved to the door and ushered her in.
As Nina put away her purchases, Mander roamed the small cottage, criticizing the poor construction points which had totally escaped Nina’s notice. She had thought the small house charming and so her reply was caustic.
“I suppose you’ll just have to offer your services to Ms. Duncan so some measure of perfection can be obtained.”
Mander’s puzzled frown quickly faded and she answered, “You’re right, I should. Old man Leppard and his cronies had a part in building this place and none of them have a reputation for framing a house plumb.”
Nina busied herself folding the cumbersome grocery bags so the other woman couldn’t see her annoyance. Was she talking about the kind woodcarver she’d met earlier that day? She hoped not, for she had no wish to argue that point
“And the wind, she blowed,” continued Cyrus. “When she died a bit, we took stock and Tom, ever ta gennelman, set Tabby down easy and helped Charlie secure the second line on the man boat. Just as they finished, here she comes again, right over the deck. So’s we all grab aholt again and the boat, she be spinnin’ around. I look over and Tabby’s got the mains’l now with Tom and Charlie a hangin’ offa her.”
“And next we know, off comes ta gull’s skirt, bloomers and all. Tom flies with ’em but nabs the riggin’ and Charlie fetches up against ta rail, ta gull’s bloomers in his hand,” Sheltie slapped his thigh and led the appreciative laughter.
Gasping with merriment, Cyrus continued, “There she is, flyin’ from the mains’l like a pirate’s pennant, white nether cheeks shining through the dark.” He snorted with laughter, waving his hands as if drawing the image. “Tom sees what’s happened and he’s fightin’ the wind to get to Tabby but it’s hard goin.’ He hand-over-hands the riggin,’ makin’ his way to the mains’l. He somehow pulls her down and they crawl on they’s bellies to the hold and spill over in with the waterfall.”
“An’ we never let him forget the day,” added Sheltie. “We rode out the storm, all lookin’ like drowned rats when ta’s over. Took us a week to bail out the hold but ever’ time we worked it we had to laugh at Tom and that pretty white bottom spillin’ over in.”
“Poor Tabby,” Cyrus said, chuckling. “She was never able ta look straight on at any of us after that.”
Laughing, Sheltie, motioned with one hand. “The boat, tell ’bout ta boat.”
Cyrus laughed and mopped at his eyes with both gnarled hands. “Jackson christen’d the boat again after ta re-work. Made Tom do it with a bottle of elderberry wine. He called it…called it…the Broken Moon .”
Nina laughed along with the rest of them even as another tale was begun. By late afternoon, when she helped Cyrus load his truck for home and waved a farewell, Nina felt as though she knew her grandfather as she never had before.
After popping back into the store to purchase bottled iced tea, Nina drove toward Channel Haven, her mind relaxed and filled with fondness, lingering on her grandfather’s life.
Chapter 18
The familiar blue truck parked in front of her cottage door wiped away the mists of the past. As she parked her car next to it, she was able to see the driver. Mander.
Groaning inwardly, she looped her plastic grocery bags over her arm and rose clumsily from the car.
Mander shouted a cheery hello from the open truck window. “I thought you might like a little company tonight,” she called. “See? I brought wine.” She held up a dark green bottle and wagged it back and forth.
Nina was disarmed by her enthusiasm and smiled.
Taking this as encouragement, Mander leapt from the vehicle and waited with an anxious air in front of the cottage door. She appeared to be fresh from the shower, her hair still damp, and she wore a Hawaiian-styled shirt and denim shorts.
Nina sighed with something akin to vexation but nevertheless moved to the door and ushered her in.
As Nina put away her purchases, Mander roamed the small cottage, criticizing the poor construction points which had totally escaped Nina’s notice. She had thought the small house charming and so her reply was caustic.
“I suppose you’ll just have to offer your services to Ms. Duncan so some measure of perfection can be obtained.”
Mander’s puzzled frown quickly faded and she answered, “You’re right, I should. Old man Leppard and his cronies had a part in building this place and none of them have a reputation for framing a house plumb.”
Nina busied herself folding the cumbersome grocery bags so the other woman couldn’t see her annoyance. Was she talking about the kind woodcarver she’d met earlier that day? She hoped not, for she had no wish to argue that point
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