Decided to go ahead and write some more… : )
Okay…looks like it'll be a chapter then an epilogue…lol : ) It's always as much a surprise to me as it is to you guys!!
Chapter 19: Welcome to the Family
Three weeks later…
The Cornelia Marie had set out for the crab season about a week late, but had managed to haul in more crab than nearly half the fleet in almost half the time. The crab gods had been on their side, despite a busted engine and late repairs.
The Time Bandit and the Wizard were the first boats to turn their bows in the direction of Dutch Harbor. With quotas fulfilled and loved ones to see, they raced back to port, full throttle.
The Cornelia Marie fell in alongside the Northwestern as they began to enter the channel that led to the harbor about two days after the Time Bandit and the Wizard. Just behind them, the Hannah Boden steamed into port.
Chris smiled when she saw the Northwestern was just finishing tying off to the docks. She skillfully maneuvered her large vessel alongside theirs and watched as her crew and the crew of the Northwestern helped tie the two boats together.
Chris had called Sig after the prank to say 'touché' and to assure him that she was honored to be docked alongside his boat. The two boats had worked together to haul in the crab, giving each other tips and hot-spots. The relationship that had formed between Sig and Chris was as surprising as it was thrilling for both crews.
Chris smiled when she saw her crew jump onto the Northwestern and start shaking hands and giving each other hugs. They were joking around with each other and talking about the pranks, each claiming theirs was better than the other. If a stranger had seen the interaction between the crews, they would have thought they were life-long friends rather than age-old rivals.
After Chris finished maneuvering the Hannah Boden, she rushed out of the wheelhouse and ran out onto the deck. She saw Griffin running around the deck of the Northwestern, peering around everyone to find her. She smiled and climbed over the rails and onto the boat. She grabbed his arm and he whirled around, eyes brightening with joy. They embraced in a long hug and the two crews turned to watch, knowing and happy smiles on their faces. Griffin pulled back and looked into Chris' eyes for a moment before he leaned down and kissed her.
Loud cheers erupted on the deck as the crews whistled and hollered. Sig came out of the wheelhouse to see what all the commotion was about and started laughing when he saw his son and Chris. After Griffin pulled away, Sig put a hand on Chris' shoulder. She turned around and smirked when she made eye-contact with the skipper. For the first time, the two captains looked at each other as friends.
Sig held out his arms and Chris smiled as she gave him a hug, eliciting another round of applause and cheers from the deckhands.
"Welcome to the fleet," said Sig as he pulled away, "And welcome to the family."
…
PLEASE REVIEW!!
Super short, I know…but there's gonna be an epilogue and yes Madison will be in it I promise!! : )
Not sure if I'll be able to write it tomorrow or Sunday, but I'll do it asap!