Gale Force

66

“You disobeyed a direct order,” McKenna said, pacing the wheelhouse. “You did exactly what I told you not to do, Court, and you put yourself, and this job, back in jeopardy.”

Six hours since the Coast Guard’s Dolphin helicopter had returned her and the crew of the Gale Force to the tug, and McKenna was still steaming mad. Could hardly look at Harrington, who sat at the chart table, his laptop in front of him and the ship’s cat on his lap.

The rest of the crew was downstairs, in the galley. Jason Parent had cooked up a delicious salmon steak dinner with roast potatoes and a passable, if slightly limp salad, and McKenna had eaten with the rest of the crew, though she’d barely tasted a bite.

“I know what I saw, McKenna,” Harrington said. He wouldn’t look at her. “Someone made a nest on that ship.”

“I don’t give a damn if you saw my dad himself in that stateroom, Court,” McKenna replied. “I told you to stay topside and keep out of trouble. And you went exploring instead.”

Court said nothing. Stared down at Spike like he was hoping the cat would bail him out of this jam. But the cat only purred, apparently unbothered by the fight.

Traitor, McKenna thought.

“You’re confined to the tug,” she told the architect. “I can’t trust you on that ship anymore. You can radio your instructions from here, but you’re not setting foot on that wreck again. Are we clear?”

Harrington didn’t answer right away. He looked up slowly, looked straight at McKenna. And then he laughed.

The bastard laughed at her.

“You can’t be serious,” he said. “McKenna—”

“Captain Rhodes,” she replied.

“Captain Rhodes,” Harrington said. “Whatever. You need me on that ship if you want me to save it. You can’t just confine me somewhere.”

“I can and I will,” McKenna replied. “In case you forgot, this is my goddamn tug.” She glared at him. “And you’re going to respect that, or I’ll ship your ass back to Dutch Harbor.”

“And do what? Sink that ship over there just to prove a point?”

She wanted to strangle him. “If I have to, I will,” she said slowly. “I’m not going to fight you, Court. This is my boat. You work for me. You’re going to remember that, or you’re not going to last.”

Harrington said nothing. He looked at her, and he wasn’t smiling anymore, and for a long moment, neither of them said anything.

Then Harrington shifted. “This is about your dad, isn’t it?” he said. “This is you trying to make up for what you think you did.” He blew out a breath. “That’s what it is, isn’t it? You—”

McKenna shook her head, cut him off. “This conversation is over,” she said, starting for the wheelhouse stairs. “You have your numbers. Make me a model. I want to start pumping tomorrow.”

She hurried out of the wheelhouse before he could reply. Fairly ran to her stateroom, closed the door tight, leaned against it, and felt her eyes brim with tears, and freaking hated herself for it.

That cocky bastard, she thought. I never should have hired him on for this job.

But she couldn’t raise the Lion without him, she knew, and Harrington knew it, too. And that was the part that pissed her off the most.