Romance on the Edge 01 - Hooked

first time I laid eyes on him,” Gramps said, nudging Grams. “Didn’t I tell you, Maggie May?”
    “Yes, dear, you did indeed.” Grams gave Sonya a look that said there would be no living with the man now that he considered himself a master matchmaker.
    “We need something to celebrate with. Is there any of that German chocolate cake left?”
    Grams served them all a slice along with powdered milk to drink. When she joined them at the table, Gramps hit Sonya with the big questions. “So, when you two getting hitched?”
    “What? No, no, Gramps. Don’t go there. Garrett doesn’t seem to be the marrying kind, and I’m not ready for that kind of commitment.” Being married would be nice, though, if she turned up pregnant.
    “Poppycock. Fear of commitment flies right out the window when you fall in love.” He winked at Grams. “Right, Maggie May?”
    She reached over and squeezed his good hand. “You’re so right.” They shared a look that pulled on Sonya’s heartstrings. Could she be in love with Garrett? She’d thought she’d been in love with Aidan, but had she really? One thing she did know, she was definitely confused.
    They heard an engine pull up outside below the cabin. “I’ll see who it is. You two stay there.” Sonya opened the door and found Garrett climbing up the path, still dressed in uniform. It didn’t look that bad on him, if she were to be honest. What did it mean that the uniform seemed to be growing on her? Somehow she’d known she’d see him again tonight. Was the jumping of her heart due to joy or fear? Or both?
    “Sonya.” Garrett nodded. “Mind if I come in?”
    She opened the door farther for him to enter and indicated that he take a seat at the table. Garrett shook Gramps’s good hand first and gave Grams a nod and asked after their health.
    Grams offered him a piece of cake that he turned down. “This isn’t a social visit,” he said, though he gazed at Sonya like he very much wished it were. “We found the Albatross earlier this evening.”
    “Where?” As of this afternoon no one had seen the Albatross since the night before. Hopefully there would be some evidence onboard that pointed in another direction besides hers.
    He cocked a half smile. “She actually sailed right up to the dock of the cannery. Her crewmen seemed really surprised when they heard what had happened.”
    “I don’t understand. Didn’t they question not having their captain onboard?”
    “Apparently, they were very inebriated when they returned to the boat. She was still dry when they boarded. They went to bed, and when they finally woke, they found themselves drifting upriver halfway to King Salmon. By then the tide started heading out, and with neither one of them competent enough to pilot Kendrick’s boat, they ran aground on a sandbar. They had to wait until the tide came in again to navigate their way back to the cannery. They were expecting to get filleted alive by their captain and seemed relieved that he was in no condition to do that.”
    “Why wasn’t the Albatross at anchor?”
    “They both swear the anchor had been set before they hit their bunks. I think whoever attacked Kendrick, pulled the anchor. The timeline is a little fuzzy with the temperature of the water being so cold. According to the crew, they left the Pitt, having stayed after Kendrick stormed off not long after you left. They drank, played pool, and drank some more. They left when the Pitt closed, boarding the Albatross soon after. ”
    “So Kendrick’s whereabouts from the time he left the Pitt, until he fell into the water are unaccounted for,” Sonya said.
    Garrett smiled. “You’re sounding like a cop.”
    “Sorry.”
    “I like it.”
    Gramps cleared his throat. “Does anyone know where Kendrick went into the water?”
    Grams shook her head. “I know he wasn’t liked by many, but no one deserves to die the way he did.” She shivered.
    “Actually we don’t know the way he died for sure,” Garrett said. “Not until the medical examiner has a chance to exam the body. There was evidence aboard the Albatross that Kendrick was set upon there.” He reached into the inside pocket of his trooper jacket and pulled out another evidence bag, this one considerably smaller than the one that held the gaff earlier. “We also found these.” He handed the bag to Sonya. “How long have you been missing your sunglasses?”

C HAPTER T WENTY- N INE
    Sonya slowly reached out for the evidence-wrapped