The woman didn’t appear to hear, and Mack had the audacity to waggle his eyebrows.
“Can you please”—Winnie hissed—“do as she asks?”
“Anything for my precious wife,” he said with a wicked grin.
She rolled her eyes, but the absurdity of the conversation was not lost on her, and her lips quirked.
“Sweetheart,” Mack continued loudly. “What would you like for dinner when we arrive?”
“For goodness’ sake.” Her humor dissolving, she rose to her feet. Handling his teasing was one thing but remaining unaffected by terms of endearment was another. She moved to the railing just as the steamboat blew its horn and eased into the harbor.
“Are you certain you don’t want to go inside?” Mack called. “It’s about to get windy out here.”
“I’m certain.”
She leaned her elbows on the railing and observed the bustling docks as they pulled away. Everything enthralled her; the caw of birds circling above, the dockworker shouts, venders hawking their wares, ships and steamers being prepped, emptied, and loaded. This was exactly what she had envisioned when she’d read the newspaper articles extolling the virtues of the western frontier. As the wind picked up and waves broke around the hull, her first real sea adventure began.
At some point, Mack moved to the railing a short distance from her, surveying the cityscape with an intense interest that rivaled her own. She glanced at him, then away. She didn’t want to identify with him, but something about his wistful pose pulled at her, and she found her attention returning to him time and again. It was easier when he wasn’t watching her in return.
They left the harbor and entered open water. A fog bank rolled in, thick as a winter blanket, just as Mack had predicted. Soon, it was impossible to see more than a foot past the wooden railing. Winnie’s rampant imagination turned the fog threatening, and she inched closer to Mack’s barely visible form.
A shrill whistle split the air, and she smothered a shriek. There was a momentary pause before an echo returned to them, along with the faint bark of a lone dog.
“What in the world was that?” She wrapped her arms around her chest in a protective hug.
A low laugh rumbled close to her ear, and she shivered for an entirely different reason. She tilted her head backward, blinking at how close Mack’s mouth was to her ear. How had he gotten so close to her without her noticing? She opened her mouth to voice her indignation when she realized the section of rail in front of her was different than it had been a moment before.Shehad moved closer tohim.
“That’s steamboat navigation at its finest.”
What was her question? It was difficult to concentrate with Mack’s heat warming her side.
“The captains use the echoes to determine their position from land,” Mack continued. “And the dogs chiming in is what led to the term ‘dog and whistle’ navigation.”
Another whistle resounded, and this time, a pack of dogs howled close to the starboard side. A hiss of discomfort escaped Mack, and Winnie realized she had gripped his forearm tightly with both hands. She forced herself to let go but couldn’t move more than a few inches away from his reassuring strength. He didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he lifted a hand as if to reach for her but let it drop to his side.
She needed a distraction, any distraction.
“Please do explain before we are attacked by wild dogs.” Her voice was shrill, but Mack had the good graces not to comment.
“It’s a tried-and-true, if a bit antiquated, method of navigation. The captain also uses the dog barks to understand how close to shore we are.”
“Forgive me if I find the notion unreliable. What if there are no dogs available?”
Mack shrugged. “Things are done differently on the sound.”
“But…is it safe?”
“For the most part.”
“Themostpart?” There was a definite squeak to her words.
“You saw how many steamboats ply the sound every day. If it weren’t safe, there would be sunken ships around every bend.”
She forced her shoulders to relax. “I suppose so. But truly, how common are accidents?”
“TheDixcollided with theJeanieoff Alki Point,” the old woman piped up from behind them.
If Winnie wasn’t so horrified by the information, she’d be mortified the woman had been eavesdropping on their conversation.
