Page 5 of A Ferry Merry Christmas
“I thought you were off to see your sister,” Kyle said, and took a huge bite of the donut, washing it down with his coffee.
“I am.” Harrison was looking forward to seeing Kellie more than he’d like to admit. They hadn’t been close in their teens. Older by two years, Kellie was bossy and had always been very competitive. She’d gotten better grades than Harrison and she’d constantly rubbed it in. They’d argued endlessly. But once she left for college, their relationship changed for the better. He’d missed her hassling him, even if she was headstrong and opinionated.
In retrospect, Harrison had to admit Kellie was spot-on about his lack of initiative. He hadn’t applied himself in high school and was more interested in sports and girls than he was in schoolwork. His senior year he’d had to buckle down and was fortunate to accumulate the credits he needed to graduate. Because of his poor grades and bad attitude, his parents weren’t willing to pay for him to attend college, which prompted Harrison to enlist in the Navy.
In contrast to Harrison’s failed teen years, Kellie had graduated from both high school and college with honors. Because of her academic excellence, and with a business degreein hand, she was promptly hired by Microsoft. Harrison was proud of her accomplishments and regretted the years they’d been at odds.
As adults, Harrison and Kellie were closer now than ever. They emailed and texted often. Spending Christmas with her gave him the opportunity to let her know how terrific he thought she was. He looked forward to having time together in person, which was an all-too-rare opportunity. Plus, he knew Kellie needed a bit of cheering up.
“Kellie’s a hotshot executive with Microsoft,” he boasted to his friends.
“Bet she’s loaded.”
“I wouldn’t know. Since I was previously stationed in Maine, I haven’t seen my sister in nearly two years.” Any leave Harrison had, he’d spent visiting his parents and connecting with old friends. It worked out this year with him now stationed in Washington that he could visit Kellie. His parents were on a Christmas cruise with their best friends, sailing somewhere in the Caribbean islands, content that their two children would be together over the holidays.
“Cool,” Dan said, and took another sip of his coffee.
“What are you doing for Christmas?” Dan asked Kyle.
“I have an aunt and uncle in Seattle, and they invited me to spend Christmas with them. My parents are driving over from Spokane and should arrive around the same time as I do. I haven’t seen my two younger sisters in months.”
“I didn’t know you had sisters,” Harrison commented.
“Hey, don’t get any ideas. Sally and Ruth are too young for you.”
“How young is too young?” Harrison asked, egging on his friend.
“Thirteen and fifteen.”
“Yup,” Harrison agreed. “Too young.” However, the woman chatting with the little girl in pigtails with missing front teeth was exactly the right age. He shrugged off his thoughts. His philosophy was if it was meant to be, then it would happen. If they were to run into each other another time, then all the better. Clearly today wasn’t the day.
He took out his phone and sent a text to Kellie.
I made the 11:45 ferry in the nick of time. Once in Seattle I’ll Uber on up to your place.
Her response came back almost immediately.
As it happens, I’m in town, finishing up my Christmas shopping. I’ve got my car parked and will walk down to the ferry terminal and meet you there.
Great.That would save him the hassle of booking an Uber, which he feared might be difficult this close to Christmas. His sister lived in the Kirkland area. She’d mentioned in an earlier text that it could take as long as forty minutes to get from Seattle to Kirkland by car, as the traffic was bound to be heavy.
Christmas shopping?he texted back.Find anything for your handsome younger brother?
You wish. Did you happen to ship me any lobsters from Maine?
You’re out of luck.Harrison chuckled. His sister’s favorite seafood was lobster. He’d had one shipped to her for her birthday last April. She’d been over the moon. He knew it had helped soften the breakup with the guy she’d been dating for the last couple years. Jude—Harrison called him Judas—hadn’t been willing to commit, and Kellie thought it highly unlikely the guy would change his mind. Harrison had the feeling that once Kellie broke off the relationship, Jude would realize his mistake and have a change of heart. Instead, Jude had started dating another woman almost immediately. The last update Kellie sent explained that Jude was now living with his new girlfriend.It’d been an awkward situation, because Kellie and Jude both worked in the same department. Kellie swore she’d never date a man who worked with her again. Harrison didn’t blame her. She seemed wary now, and as far as he knew, she wasn’t dating anyone currently.
That’s what I thought. No lobster for me. See you soon.
Soon,he texted back.
“Hey, guys, you hear that?” Kyle sat up, as if detecting that something wasn’t right.
“Hear what?” Harrison asked.
Kyle had twisted his head to one side, as if intently listening. His friend worked at the sonar station of theirVirginia-class nuclear-powered submarine. Having a keen sense of hearing was only one of the reasons he was great at his job.
“I don’t hear anything,” Dan said. As if to discover what had gotten Kyle’s attention, Dan squinted and appeared to strain to identify any difference in the sound. After a couple moments, he shook his head, letting Kyle know he didn’t have a clue what his friend was talking about.
