Lost on Brier Island (4 page)

“
Good morning, sweetie.” Eva's eyes twinkled at
her from behind the counter. “Want some breakfast? I made something special this morning.”

Sweetie? Alex blushed under Eva's direct gaze. “I
am
kind of hungry,” she murmured.

“Of course, you're a growing girl!” Eva bustled. “I've got these ham and cheese rolls, my own concoction. Like a cinnamon roll—only better.” She winked and handed one over the counter.

“Thanks, um, Ms…”

“Call me Eva, dear, everyone does. Tell me if you like it, and be honest.” Eva wagged her finger. “I need to know if it's good enough.”

“Good enough for what?”

“Eva's writing a cookbook of her own recipes,” Aunt Sophie said. She set her already half-empty coffee cup on the counter and took a roll from Eva's outstretched hand.

“You're making your own cookbook?” Alex asked.

It was Eva's turn to blush. “Well now, I don't know. Sophie's been after me—said she'd do photos of the food for a book if I write up my recipes. I'm just putting a few together, that's all. We'll see what happens.”

Alex took a bite, and immediately another. The buttery pastry melted in her mouth, blended with bits of salty ham and sharp cheddar.

Eva's cheeks bloomed even brighter. “I'll take that as a positive endorsement.”

Alex stuffed the rest into her mouth. She suddenly remembered she hadn't eaten supper last night. “Can I have another one?”

“Well, how can I refuse? Not now that you're my official taste-tester.”

“She's right, too!” Aunt Sophie said. “These definitely have to go in the book.”

“Mornin', ladies,” Gus called from the doorway. His huge frame blocked out the sunlight. “What's cookin'?”

He sat down at the only table in the small café section of the store. It was tall, with six high stools around it, and it sat in front of the large window. Gus pushed his wooden stool back to make room for his long legs. There was much chatter and laughter among Gus, Sophie, and Eva as they all feasted on coffee and rolls while Gus entertained them with one hilarious fishing story after another.

“Gus, stop!” Aunt Sophie gasped, holding her sides. Tears were running down her face. “I can't take it.”

Gus grinned, but didn't let up. “And there was that little runt last season—no more than eighteen, I'd say. Remember him, Eva? Arty Leblanc's young fella, from over Long Island. Well, you shoulda seen him trying to get them lobsters out of the trap and get the claw bands on! There was a lobster clamped on his sleeve and another on his pant leg and he was runnin' around in a circle screaming like a baby. You'd a sworn he was getting eaten alive by dogfish or worse. Didn't last the day, that one!”

Alex could see the guy plain as day in her mind and she laughed. Surprised at the sound of her own laughter, she choked on her chocolate milk.

Gus slapped her back as she coughed. “Don't hurt yourself, now,” he chuckled.

“All right there, dear?” Eva asked.

Sophie was watching her. Alex could feel the heat of embarrassment and then guilt creeping into her cheeks. Why had she laughed? She scowled and dropped her gaze, hunching down on her stool.

“Shouldn't you all be heading out now?” Eva finally said. She began gathering up the empty cups and plates.

“Right you are, Eva.” Gus grabbed another roll. “Let's get a move on.”

Alex slid off the stool and grabbed her pack. She'd made sure to bring a jacket this time. Aunt Sophie popped the last morsel into her mouth and took another drink of coffee.

“Aren't you coming?” Alex asked.

“Not today. I'm doing a painting demonstration in the gift shop.”

“But…so I'm going alone?” Alex stood in the middle of the café, staring after Gus's lumbering form as he strode across the parking lot towards the wharf.

“Don't worry, Gus will take good care of you. Oh, I've got a favour to ask. Could you take my spare camera and get some fluke shots if you see any humpbacks today?”

“Me?”

“It's the Nikon,” Sophie said, handing it over. “I showed you how to use it before. Remember?”

“Uh…”

“No sweat, I'll show you again.” Aunt Sophie proceeded to give Alex a crash course that made her head spin. “See, it's easy!”

Alex repeated the instructions over and over in her head as she scurried down the wharf. There were two families and a couple already on board, and Rachel was inside with Gus.

They must be waiting for me
, Alex thought. She barely looked down as she hopped over the gap between the dock and the boat and landed softly on deck.

“She's finall
y here, Uncle Gus.” Rachel rolled her eyes.

Brat
, Alex thought as the engine roared to life.

The bench that ran along the deck was full, so she stepped into the cabin area to the wheelhouse. She couldn't stand the thought of being surrounded by people.

“Gus, can I go up top?”

“Sure. Take your time and get up there now before we start moving. I've got the sound system on so you'll be able to hear me up there. No other help today. My marine biology student is still sick.”

Alex slung her pack over her shoulder and climbed carefully up the metal ladder. Her loose sneakers slipped on the rungs, but she made it to the top. Securing a life jacket around her, she settled into one of the seats, more at ease than the day before. The boat slowly steamed out of the harbour and Alex watched for the herons she knew would be in the trees.

The wind was chilly. It nip
ped her ears and made her eyes water. Alex took off the life jacket, shrugged into her windbreaker, and pulled the hood over her head, tightening the strings under her chin. She tugged on the bright vest again, tying it securely. Sunlight danced off the waves. The ocean had changed colour under a blue sky—now it was a rich cerulean rather than the slate grey of the foggy day before.

Al
ex hung Aunt Sophie's digital camera around her neck and snapped a few practice shots. She shaded the camera with her hand and hit the review button, disappointed to see the images were blurry and not quite centred. After several more attempts, the results were much better. Satisfied that she'd be ready when they came across whales, Alex turned her attention to the scenery.

There w
ere tons of seabirds around. She pulled out the whale-watching book her aunt had given her and flipped to the small section on birds. She recognized a few from the previous day, then tried to identify some of the species flying about. She was able to match a greater shearwater and a northern fulmar to photos in the book.

The puffin was the cutest picture in the book, though. With its bright orange, rounded beak and puffed-out cheeks, it looked like a chubby parrot. Alex focused the binoculars on the bobbing seabirds, on the lookout for spots of bright orange.

“Alex, keep your eyes open for whale blows. You've got the best view. I'm sending Rachel up too,” Gus's voice suddenly bellowed in her ear.

Alex jumped at the sudden, loud intrusion. She turned her head and noticed a speaker beside her, then caught Rachel's neon-yellow jacket out of the corner of her eye. She'd already climbed the ladder and was walking towards her.

“See anything yet?” Rachel asked.

Alex shrugged. “A few seabirds.”

“Well, I'm a really good spotter, Uncle Gus said so. Just watch me!” Rachel chirped as she plopped down beside her.

“Uh-huh.”

“Can I see your book?”

Alex passed it over.

Rachel flipped through the pages. “You should check out Uncle Gus's books. They have all kinds of birds. See, this book only has the greater shearwater. Did you know there's more than one kind of shearwater?”

“Uh-huh.”
Who cares?
Alex thought. Her interest in the birds had evaporated with Rachel's arrival.

Rachel yammered on about all the different birds she'd seen that weren't in the book, whales she'd seen, when she'd seen them, and on and on. She didn't even seem to pause to take a breath. Alex was getting tired just listening to her.

“Are you ever quiet?”

“What do you mean?”

“You don't shut up!”

“That's a mean thing to say.” Rachel frowned.

“Sorry. You talk too much. Is that better?” Alex said. “I was doing great up here alone.”

“Well, excuse me for trying to be friendly!” Rachel huffed and tossed the book back at Alex.

Both of them looked off in different directions and didn't speak. Rachel didn't stop making noise, though. She sighed every ten seconds, getting louder each time. Alex tried to ignore her, but it was impossible.

Finally, it seemed Rachel couldn't hack not talking any longer. “I even brought you some lunch. I thought you'd be hungry.”

“Why?”

Rachel bit her lip and avoided Alex's eyes. “Um, well I figured…you know, you're poor or something.”

“What?” Alex gaped at her.

“Well, yesterday you didn't have a jacket—and those shoes.” Rachel pointed to Alex's blue sneakers.

Alex lifted up her foot. “What's wrong with them?”

“Uh, hello! They're boys' sneakers, and they're way too big. I figured your family got them second-hand or something.”

“Why don't you—”

“Girls! What are you doing up there? You're supposed to be lookouts. Whale blows, two o'clock!” Gus's irritated growl reverberated through the speakers.

Both of them jumped up and grabbed their binoculars. Sure enough, there were puffs of something off in the distance. Alex's pulse quickened. She was going to see Daredevil again!

Evania Rose
seemed to fly over the waves. As they drew closer, Alex could make out dark forms in the water. Her heart sank. They weren't the same kind of whales as yesterday.

“It's a pod of minke whales! They're the littlest ones around here,” Rachel said, still peering through the binoculars.

“Oh.” Disappointed, Alex turned around to scan in the other direction.

“Hello! The whales are this way!”

Ignoring Rachel, Alex searched for her baby whale. Suddenly, a black form flashed in front of her lenses. Alex dropped the binoculars, grabbed the digital camera, and snapped as the whale dove beneath the surface.

“Alex, did you get that fluke?” Gus asked.

She checked the digital screen. It was a blur. She leaned towards the speaker and pushed the two-way button. “Nope.”

“Bogs! That's what I thought. My eyes must be playing tricks, was sure it was Rooftop for a second, but didn't see her calf. Could've been Shuttle, I s'pose…she's never had a calf as far as we know. Or maybe it was Lacuna, one of the males.” Gus's musings echoed over the speaker.

They watched for a few more minutes, but the whale didn't return.

As they moved around the bay for the tour, they spotted several humpbacks, some with calves. But there was no sign of Daredevil and Rooftop.

Alex missed more whales than she caught on camera. Gus was calling them by name as he identified them—Sickle, Hopper, Cloud, and Peajack. They also saw Touchdown with a calf, Flash, Highlighter, Notchy, and Gremlin.

She was fascinated with it all, and made a game with herself of trying to find the distinguishing marks on their flukes that would have been the inspiration for their unique names.

But it was hard to watch and take pictures at the same time.

“Rats!” she muttered as she missed another. “There must be some other way to tell who these guys are besides their tails.”

“They're called flukes, not tails,” Rachel corrected. “And no, there isn't.”

Alex gritted her teeth.
Evania Rose
sputtered to a stop as they approached the area where there had been whale blows a few minutes before. She scanned the water, waiting for one to appear.

“There she is!” Rachel's excited squeal pierced the air.

A humpback broke the surface briefly. Alex was getting
used to their movements and could tell that the whale was preparing to go deep and that its tail should be visible any second. She focused the camera and caught it perfectly.

“That's Rooftop,” Gus said.

Finally! Alex leaned over the railing, looking for Daredevil. Nothing. He must have gone under before they got there. She waited patiently for mom and baby to resurface, camera ready. Minutes passed. Her aunt's camera whirred, the zoom retracting as it went into standby mode.

Where are they?
Alex wondered.

“Over there!” Rachel called, pointing off the right side of the bow.

Alex sprinted to the opposite railing. There was still only one whale. That couldn't be right.

More agitated by the second, Alex raced from one side of the boat to the other. Where was Daredevil? Maybe she needed to be down close to the water, like before, and he would come up to see her again.

She scurried to the metal railing and stepped out onto the first rung of the ladder to the lower deck. At the same moment, the engine roared to life and the boat jerked forward.

Alex stumbled. Her right foot slipped off the thin rubber grip of the rung and her sneaker sailed off her foot and through the air. She grabbed for the side railing, but her arm got tangled in the swinging camera strap.

“Look out!” Rachel screamed.

Alex swung her head back and her eyes locked with Rachel's panicked gaze for an instant before she plummeted to the deck below.