Chapter 84

By the time we got back to shore, daylight was just starting. We decided to take shifts sleeping to make sure no one sneaked up on us. The Captain assured us that either he or his son would always be onboard. He said one of them were always working on nets or cleaning. I decided to take the first watch and settled back against the table in the small galley. I let my mind wander back to the island and my determination to talk to my daughter.

Timmy and I spotted Sally about halfway to the village. I slowed down when I came up beside her and she gave me that look and got in the back, but refused to talk to either me or Timmy, even though he tried. I could tell he was hurt by her actions and when we stopped at the edge of the village Koma met us. Timmy went running to him, telling him that he was allowed to play with the kids his age. Koma gave him a big smile before looking at me and then Sally who was still silent.

"I will make sure he returns for his evening meal, Jon."

"Thanks, Koma, I appreciate it."

He turned and walked away, holding Timmy's hand while Timmy was trying to talk his ear off. I backed the cart up and headed back to the house, stopping where I had blown the cliff before turning to my daughter.

"Sally, your actions have hurt me and Kat. Now before I get upset and act like you are, I want to know just what your problem is, young lady!"

I waited for a few minutes to see if she was going to answer. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Sally Morgan, if you answer me with a question again, so help me I will turn you over my knee. Now, you have hurt everyone who loves you today by your actions, and I for one want to know why?"

I got a glare, silence, and a dirty look as tears started from the corner of her eyes before she broke down sobbing. I quickly went to the seat and slid in next to her, taking her into my arms. I didn't say anything, figuring she would talk about what was bothering her when she was ready. I sat holding her and thinking about all that had happened and how it had upset her life. I again wondered how any of the people I loved were able to stand up to it all.

"Dad, I thought Kat loved you and that she was your wife. I hurt inside by the way she embarrassed us when we landed."

"Huh! Whoa ... Whoa ... Whoa ... What are you talking about? I seemed to have missed something here, Sally."

She leaned back, looking at me with the intense look I had come to recognize over the years as her way of silently telling me I was dumb and didn't know what was happening around me. She kept it up and in spite of myself, I started to think I had missed something she had seen and I hadn't. Then the next statement shocked me so bad my mouth was flapping in the wind like a fish gasping for water.

"Didn't you see the way she kissed and rubbed herself up against that big hairy Neanderthal when we landed? She acted like he was some lost lover or something. My god, dad, will you open your eyes to what's going on? If I were you, I would have shot him and turned HER over my knee. I can't believe a pregnant married woman would act that way. It's shameful, that's what it is! I don't know what you would do if you didn't have me to look out for you!"

I sat next to her in shock with my mouth opening and closing like I said earlier, until my sense of humor kicked in and I totally lost it. The laughter started deep in my stomach and just rolled out of me to the point I had tears streaming down my cheeks. The whole time Sally was giving me that look and I somehow instinctively knew she just wanted to slap me which made me laugh harder.

"DAD! Will you quit laughing? I don't see any humor in the situation at all. You should throw that hairy beast off our island!"

It took me almost five minutes to get myself under control to where I thought I could coherently put words together again. I was getting the look the whole time. I cleared my throat and sniffed, looking at my daughter, feeling the love I had for her and almost started laughing again at her indignant look.

"Sally, boy do you sound like Myrna, just a younger version. I know it's not my place to tell you this, but considering the facts, I think it's something that you can understand. I will tell you about Pat and Kat and the history behind their love for each other."

I looked at her, smiled, and spent the next half hour telling everything that Kat had told me about Pat. I watched her face as I did, and it ran the whole gauntlet of emotions from shock to blushing back to shock then when I got to the end of the story. Smiling at her as she looked up at my face, I could tell she was still adjusting to all the facts. She was red as a beet and her eyes were wide open in shock.

"Oh my god, Kat is gonna kill me!"

I fell out of the cart, landing flat on my back. I was laughing so hard I was having trouble breathing. Sally leaned over the edge of the cart, looking down at me with a shocked look again.

"Dad, do you think if I asked Koma nicely he would sneak me off the island before Kat finds out what I was thinking? I wish Myrna was here so I could stand behind her before I told Kat. I would have a few seconds to run before she blasts me."

"JON! Snap out of it! I think we have company again, I just heard a boat go by, and it stopped close to ours."

"Sorry, Farley, I was thinking about Kat and Sally. Get the hiding places ready and wake Jubal."

I carefully went up the few steps to the deck where I could look out and see what was going on outside. When I popped my head above, the Captain was sitting facing the hatch I was coming out of and slowly made a motion with his hand for me to stay down. I ducked below the deck with the pistol in my hand, watching him to see what was going on. In a few minutes I heard voices and the Captain stood looking towards shore with a smile on his face. Then I recognized one of the voices. It was Quanta and he yelled for me to come greet him. I went outside, tucking the pistol in my swimming trunks.

"Jon, there is no need for the three of you to hide. You forgot your passports when you left the bank this morning so I brought them to you. I want you to meet Captain Kushka of the harbor police. I brought him with me to introduce you, Jubal, and Farley so he would know you're supposed to be here. I forgot to tell you about all that was going on when you arrived this morning. Captain Jubee, do you have any of that cold beer your tribe makes? I think we could all use one while we sit and talk."