"Redemption's Run": Chapter 9 continues

A Star Tribune serialized novel by Jane Fredericksen

Chapter 9

The story so far: All three boats dock at Stockton Island.

Kacie chased after the Pirate along the hiking path. "Great! Just great! How am I supposed to follow them now? I don't have a boat!"

The Pirate stopped short and she bumped into him. He grinned at her. "Ye're with a pirate, Girl! Remember?" He brandished his cutlass. "Follow me."

With an extravagant flourish, he thwacked an overhanging branch and strode down the path.

Kacie followed.

The hike to Julian Bay, on the other side of Stockton Island, usually took about 15 minutes. Petunia, with her high-heels and constant complaining, made it seem like an hour. Kinney and the other crewmembers had tried to persuade — in Kinney's case, almost begged — her to relax on the boat instead. Leo, Hattie and Kinney all offered to stay with her.

But Pet would have none of it. As soon as she touched shore, her nausea had subsided. She now seemed determined to prove she could do anything anyone else could do. She limped along stoically until, of course, the halfway point, when turning back would have taken just as long as pressing forward.

And then the lamentations began. Ronnie's cheery observation of, "Look, a pile of bear scat," did not improve matters in the least.

Again and again, Kinney offered to accompany Pet back to the dock. Again and again, she loudly refused, marking her martyrdom with an exclamation point. He finally gave up. Most of Pet's relatives ignored her, but Kinney's nerves were unraveling.

He gave an immense sigh of relief when the path finally spilled out onto Julian Bay and Pet collapsed in the sand. The beach issued a slight "fweet," and she looked around, horrified.

He gazed out at the long expanse of sugary sand, the crystalline blue bay with its gently breaking waves. He had anchored here before, and it was a popular harbor for pleasure boaters, but today they were the only human visitors.

A large flock of gulls held court farther up the beach. One of the gulls batted its wings and began to scream. Others took up the call and a few fluttered off toward the lake, kiting against the breeze.

The same deep longing that struck Kinney earlier took hold of his heart again. He felt a relentless tug toward the lake that he tried his best to resist.

"God," the words tumbled out. "I forgot how beautiful …"

He was suddenly aware that Ronnie stood beside him. She had the same far-away look in her eyes. "It's one of my favorite places in the whole world," she murmured.

Dr. Sykes, Hattie and Leo were beachcombing, examining the small bits of shell and snail that the gulls had abandoned.

Ronnie still stood beside Kinney. She smiled, and it seemed like a ray of sun burst through the clouds. He took a step toward her. She turned to him …