Page 4 of Hooked on the Otter Doctor
“No, I’m meeting others.” I looked around and spotted Ghosha and Squire sitting at a table with Sergeant RamponMolwynog, head of the prince’s security, and his new mate Quincy Boone. “There they are.”
She nodded and gestured for me to go ahead. I wove through the large, sturdy tables with plush seats, appreciating the muted sunlight through the wall of windows and the crackling fireplace. I could smell an abundance of fish dishes and had to wonder how they got their fish if they weren’t allowed to leave the harbor to catch them. Remembering my mistakes this morning had me frowning as I arrived at the table, which didn’t go unnoticed.
“What’s wrong?” Ghosha asked as he gestured to the open seat at the end of the table.
I sat down and tried to wave his concerns away. “Nothing. Just an unfortunate series of events while I was out swimming.”
“Did someone protest you swimming in the harbor?” Rampon asked. “I’ll need a description and?—”
“No, no,” I said, heading him off. “I…did something I shouldn’t have.”
I should have known I couldn’t get away with saying nothing more. Four sets of eyes stared expectantly at me. I groaned and put my head in my hands, elbows on the table. “There were boats in the harbor with their nets just dangling, traps empty, and very obviously not going to catch a single fish. Of course they wouldn’t since the fish don’t come into the harbor in any great number. I’d heard a man singing while a woman played an instrument to accompany him, and I was moved by the song.”
I sat up and shrugged, waving my hands because I’d clearly lost my mind. “I swam into deeper water, found a school of fish, and herded them into the net of his boat. Except I didn’t realize that would cause the boat to pitch, which then had the woman falling into the water.”
“Oh my gosh,” Squire said, “is she okay?”
“She is. I helped her out. Well, partway out.” I scratched at my ear, hating to admit my mistake. “She was frantic about her lost instrument. A guitar. She wanted to dive down to retrieve it.”
“Oh, no,” Quincy said with a wince.
“I didn’t let her, but I did… Well, I left her clinging to the side of the boat and retrieved it myself.” Embarrassment swamped me and I stared at the tabletop. “When I resurfaced, I found she wasn’t there anymore, but I could hear voices inside the boat. I got onto the boat and was leaving the guitar when the man strode out.”
“Was he angry?” Squire asked.
I looked back at them and shook my head. “Oh, no, he wasn’t upset. He said the woman would be glad to have her guitar back.”
“Did you give fish to the other boats?” Ghosha asked with a smirk.
“No. After what happened, I didn’t want to risk anyone else.”
“So you only brought fish to the one man? The one who sang a song that moved you?”
I blinked at him a few times, wondering if he meant to make it sound like I’d been flirting. “Yes, just him. If you’re implying something, I was simply trying to be kind.”
“How did he smell?” Rampon asked. Beside him, Quincy chuckled.
I frowned at all of them because even Squire was looking a bit giddy. “I don’t know. The wind was at my back.”
“You should return tomorrow,” Rampon said with a nod. “Just to make sure.”
Exasperation had me snapping, “Make sure ofwhat?”
Ghosha grinned so widely his eyes disappeared. “Whether or not he’s your mate.”
CHAPTER 3
TOBIAS
After dropping our catch off at the processing plant and collecting our payment, I drove home with Helli. She was much better, but didn’t want to unbundle herself to drive her own car. I figured she also wanted to take a bit more time to brace herself up for a scolding from our parents since I was doing the same. They’d come down on her for being reckless and on me for not watching out for her. Hopefully, the biggest paycheck we’d collected all year would distract them.
I still couldn’t believe we’d brought in nearly four tons of cod. It had been nearly two years since we’d had such a catch. There were a few ways to get Atlantic cod, and we’d always been trawlers. The nets were meant to skim along the seafloor behind us, but as we were drawn back closer and closer to shore by the changing laws, we’d stopped moving.
Given that the otter-like alien had said he hoped the fish helped, I had to assume he’d somehow herded all of those cod into our net, but I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why he’d done it.
“Maybe he thinks you’re cute,” Helli said with a giggle.
“Me? You’re the one he had to rescue.”
