Page 7 of Catch of a Lifetime
It was an old-fashioned rope hammock, and the same thing happened twice more with the replacements I’d bought before I caved and bought a canvas one instead. The only rope it had was a short length at either end to connect it to the frame.
I’d shopped around for the biggest, sturdiest one I could find, in the hopes that I could tempt him in there with me. I never did get him to give it a go, but he didn’t destroy it like he destroyed the other ones, either. Presumably because, unlike a rope hammock, a canvas hammock didn’t read to him as,Joe is stuck in a net! Murder it!
All he did now when he came upon me having a lazy swing was scoop me out, set me on the nearest patch of sunny grass, and snuggle me there.
It would work. It was about nine feet long, which made it big enough to fit him. There might be some overspill, but most of him would be protected.
More importantly, if he regained consciousness while we were dragging him, he wouldn’t panic and think it was a net.
I skimmed a hand down his side, around over his hip, and down his tail where his thigh would be if he had legs. The skin was satiny smooth and when I brushed in the opposite direction, it had a strange nap to it. It was deceptively tough, like a dolphin or a shark. Nothing like the shimmery scales people usually drew on mermen and mermaids.
He was tough, but he wasn’t made of Kevlar.
I swallowed hard as I stared at the whip-like wounds criss-crossing his tail. I couldn’t see any bruises on the emerald and indigo, but I felt sure that they were there.
We had to cover him. Bare minimum, we had to cover his tail. The access road we’d be on once we got him through the dunes was as private as the beach—in other words, aspirational at best. People ignored it when it suited them.
Most of the time, I didn’t care.
Today, I cared. Today, I didn’t want to have to answer questions about the merman we’d be dragging along behind a quad bike.
“Right, where’s the hammock, then?” Jerry said, stuffing his phone into his pocket. “Shed?”
“Uh. Yes.” I hadn’t got it out of winter storage yet. We’d had a cold, wet spring, and since I didn’t want to lounge around in a shower-proof anorak with some thick socks and maybe even a hat on, it hadn’t been worth it.
“What’s the padlock combo?” Jerry asked.
I stared at him.
He stared back expectantly, then sighed and hunkered down beside me. “Come on, Joe,” he said softly. “It’ll be okay. We’re going to take care of him. He’s going to be fine.”
I stroked Dave’s flank and blinked rapidly.
“All right,” Jerry said, reaching out and giving me a firm clap on the shoulder. “Tell me the combination of your shed padlock. I’ll go on up and grab the hammock. Then I’ll drive over to Johnson’s and get the quad bike. Drive the bike to the harbour and get some rope. No nets. I’ll be back here before you know it.”
God, it’d take at least another hour and a half for all that.
“No, I…no, Jerry. He hates rope as much as he hates nets. It’s all the same to him.”
Jerry shifted with impatience. “We’ve got to tie the hammock to the bike somehow. He’ll have to suck it up. With any luck, he’ll stay out of it until we’re back at yours, and he won’t see it.”
“And, um.” I scrubbed my eyes quickly. “Uh. We’re going to have to cover him. It’s not just about hiding him. I’d like to wrap his tail fin.” It was a wider, more gracefully arched version of a dolphin’s fin, and it was edged with gorgeous, gauzy frills that would end up in tatters if we didn’t keep it off the ground.
“Don’t think a spot of road rash is going to make a difference at this point,” Jerry said.
I ignored him. “I’ve got plenty of duvet covers. We can wrap him in those.”
“Okay. Shed for the hammock. House for the duvet covers. Johnson’s for the quad bike. Harbour for the rope. Back here, and haul him up. We’ve got a plan!”
I took a deep breath. “We’ve got a plan.”
“What’s the padlock combo, then?”
“5902.”
Jerry held out a hand. “Key for the house?”
“Why do you need my key?” I said, digging around in my pocket. “You’ve already got the spare.” I used to keep one over the lintel of my front door but it was safer with Jerry.
