A Siren's Wish Read Online Free PDF Page B

his head in acknowledgement, Seth mumbled under his breath, “I’m busy.” He hoped just once his neighbor would get the hint and leave.
    “Thought as much. You know you should have something on your feet. It’s good for traction,” muttered the old man, squatting to the side of Seth as he stuffed tobacco into his pipe. “Not that your kind get hurt often.”
    Seth ignored him. A decade ago, when Jack dared to do the impossible and tried to befriend him, Seth had done everything within his powers to ensure a friendship wouldn’t develop. Now he had to fight against the strain of a smile tugging at his lips as he eyed the old man, daring him to light his well-used clay pipe.
    Instead, from the corner of his eye, he watched as the old geezer puckered his lips to draw on the unlit pipe. “Want some help?”
    Seth shook his head. The fact that Jack had the nerve to check up on him actually touched him, but now was not the time.
    Once a month like the high moon tide, the man hauled his arthritic body up to Seth’s house to saunter straight into his kitchen where he would promptly pour two glasses of whiskey into one of his coffee mugs like they were fast friends. While it was always a one-sided conversation, with Jack doing most of the talking, most of it reminiscing about those great glory fishing days, an hour later his uninvited guest would be gone.
    Not once had Seth touched the offered whiskey after his first taste of it a decade ago. Not that the old man minded. Said he didn’t like to drink alone and it was simply bad manners not to offer up a drink to a friend. Seth left it at that.
    Later when Jack would waddle bow-legged down to the shore and haul his old bones into his beloved dory, Seth would pour the drink down the sink and wash out the cup. If he still followed the old ways, he’d have offered the drink to one of the gods. Not anymore.
    The fact that old Jack was the only one Seth allowed on his property to somewhat befriend him gave the old man something to do. Not that Seth thought he could actually get rid of the old geezer, unless he resorted to his old tricks. No, Seth knew Jack’s days were lonely and for the past ten years that was something he came to understand all too well. That, more than anything, was why he had allowed the old man his customary monthly visit.
    Today, knowing Jack had rowed across the bay to make sure he was okay gave him pause. A gust of wind told Seth that wasn’t wise.
    Forcing his body to move three more steps, he watched as Jack got up to test the wind.
    “She’s gonna be a big one. You remember the last big one we had around here. Felt as if old Poseidon was stirring up the water with one of those fork thingys…”
    Seth choked on that image. Fork thingy isn’t what I’d call it . He tried hard not to give in to a chuckle.
    “We lost some fifteen boats that year. Wait a sec…wasn’t that about the same time you came here?” The not-so-innocent look wasn’t missed by Seth.
    As always, he said nothing. He remembered that night well. His fury had matched the seas, acting like a blanket, comforting him with the knowledge that it too was mad with the decision that had been forced upon him.
    Rolling his shoulders to get a knot out, he strained again under the weight of the rope, thinking he should have built a smaller vessel. Two more feet and she should be safe.
    Seth knew he was in for a long night. It wasn’t the coming hurricane that would keep him awake. It was the pull of the sea he’d have to fight with every ounce of his willpower. It was times like this he cursed himself.
    “You’d think after a decade with us, Seth, you’d learn to communicate a bit more,” said old Jack, standing on shaky legs. “Anyway, just came to see ya. Oh yeah, there’s some rich dude docked at the government wharf asking about you. You know he’s the spittin’ image of you, almost,” said Jack, spitting out a wad of the tobacco he’d stuffed in his mouth.
    Seth knew