Mother sulks.She hates anyone seeing her official date of birth.“How about you just check my daughter’s?Can you believe I’m old enough to have a twenty-six-year-old daughter?”
“I’m twenty-eight, Mom,” I remind her.
She frowns me down, reluctantly giving Monty a quick look at her passport after placing her thumb over her DOB.“You don’t share our personal details with anyone on Landslide, do you, Monty?”
Ambling back to the steering wheel, Monty stares ahead as the deep blue waters slosh and slap the side of the boat.“Just need to set a face to the name, Ma’am.Thank you.”Fumbling with one hand, he finds two clipboards with pens tied to the clip with string.“Please fill in the forms and sign them.I’ll be your witness, if that’s okay.Don’t skip the legal mumbo-jumbo.It’s kinda important.”
Scrawling her signature at the bottom of her form, my mom hands it back to Monty.“I trust you,” she tells the ferryman, shooting him a flirty smile.
The only sign he gives that he heard her is when Monty reminds my mom to initial at the bottom of every page.Pouting and heaving a sigh, she does as he asks.
Damn.I would love to enjoy the Lake of the Woods scenery, but I guess one of us should read the waiver form.
“This indemnity applies to all guests and visitors, be they a casual visitor or overnight guest, to wit: any person using the facilities, staying at the inn, or participating in any of the activities…”
“Blah, bloody blah.”I start to skim over the dense legal wording.I can’t help myself; it is so tedious.
“I have been advised of the risk.I am aware of the risks and the implications of taking them.I accept that I will be exposed to considerable?—”
“Er… Mom?I think you should read this.It makes Landslide sound dangerous.”
Holding onto her sunhat to block out the sunset’s piercing rays, Mom doesn’t even look at me.“Just sign the bloody form, Aila.They’re all the same.You’re like those flipping appliance insurance salesmen at the co-op.”
I let the pen fall out of my hand.It swings from the clipboard like a pendulum.
“Monty, can you please tell me a little bit about Landslide before we dock?”And before I sign that waiver.“Is it safe?I mean, after reading that indemnity form…”I have doubts, is what I want to say.You bet your ass I am havingseriousdoubts!
Not taking his eyes off the water, Monty hems and haws.
“Er… I’ve been ferrying these waters for many years, Miss.Never seen any boating accidents of any kind.When we get a storm warning around these parts, we take ‘em to heart.That’s why the chalet inn is only open during the summer.The creek water is lovely and warm.The weather’s calm.”
“Oh, pay her no mind, Monty.She’s just being an old poop.Tell us about the locals.”My mom giggles.“Do they add any particular flavor to the mix?”
Monty seems to be counting off the local population in his head before answering.
“Well, they got the Heiners.They own the general store.Vince Pruitt.He lives at the marina.Then there’s Mikey Farmer.He married one of the visitors who stayed at the inn a few years ago.”
On hearing this, my mom gives me a thumbs-up sign and cheers quietly.Meanwhile, Monty continues.
“Mr.Elliot lives in the woods close by the jetty.His wife passed last year.Very sad.And there’s Jerry Steele.He lives behind the innkeeper’s house.Ben Magoo is the innkeeper’s neighbor.Nice fella.”
“Innkeeper?”What a strange job title to award oneself.So old school.
“Aye, well, the innkeeper is Miz Luna Blackwood.Proper nice lady, she is.Runs the inn with her partner, Shadow Sylva.”
Monty smacks his forehead and grins.“Oh, I forgot!There’s Carson Reagan, the mechanic.He fixes the MC’s motorcycles.Keeps the engines ticking over.”
The lake water tilts the boat suddenly, forcing me to hang onto the bench with both hands.Is this my wake-up call?
“Motorcycle Club?Isn’t that what MC stands for?”
Interrupting me, my mom wrinkles her nose.All her pleasure at hearing how many single men live on the island evaporates.“No, thank you.A bunch of dirty, grease monkey drug dealers?”
The ferryman keeps his face neutral.“The Midnight Riders aren’t that kind of club, ma’am.They operate like Landslide’s law and order.”Seeing my mom’s disgusted face, he chuckles and continues.“And judge, jury, and executioner.”
Crossing her arms, my mom huffs.“I read the online news.I know what Hells Angels are like.And there is no way you can convince me that having a gang of bikers hanging around my hotel is not bad news.”
“They stay separate from the visitors for the most part, ma’am,” Monty explains.“The chances are you will never even know they are there except when it’s sundown at the bar.”
