Hennessey's Handler (Protect and Serve #4) - Pandora Pine Page 0,30

were the bait bags. Hennessey’s next move was to pull out the bait fish from the red cooler. “You ready to learn how to do this?”

“I am.” I wasn’t, but I slapped on my best smile along with my thinking cap and got ready to learn.

Hennessey started by showing me how to put the salted herring into the bag. Thankfully, the fish wasn’t slimy and didn’t smell. I busied myself with the bait while Hennessey started tying ropes to the traps. Each rope ended with a buoy.

“Okay, all the bags are done. What’s next?” I felt a real sense of accomplishment, like I was Hennessey’s partner.

“Next we load the bait into the trap and then throw it overboard.” Hennessey showed me how to do just that. His hand went in the same hole the lobsters would enter. The only difference was that he knew how to get his arm back out. The lobsters wouldn’t be so lucky.

I hauled the trap to the side of the boat. “Trap overboard!” I shouted when it hit the water. The buoy stayed on the surface of the water, bobbing along with the waves. “You’re right. That was a piece of cake.”

“Get the next trap ready while I move to the second drop zone.” Hennessey was in his element, barking orders and steering the boat.

We spent the next three hours setting the lobster traps. As the morning wore on, I understood why Hennessey wanted me to come out with him. This version of him seemed to be the closest to his actual self. I could feel the joy seeping out of him, which made me want to get as close as I could, hoping some of that feeling would transfer to me via osmosis.

“Are there superstitions when you’re fishing?” I asked tentatively.

Hennessey raised a concerned eyebrow. “You got three hours to listen to them all? Sailors and pirates are hugely superstitious. It would be easier if you just asked about what’s on your mind.”

“You mentioned having a feast tomorrow…” I began before hesitating.

“Ah.” Hennessey relaxed again. “If things go well today, yes, there will be a feast tomorrow.”

“Are we responsible for catching the other parts of the feast?” I’d never been to a real New England lobster bake before, but I knew the feast included more than just lobster. There was usually clams, shrimp, mussels, and sometimes crabs or octopus, depending on that day’s catch. I didn’t have the slightest idea how to catch shellfish.

Hennessey’s eyes lit with recognition. “No. I have a friend who’s a clammer. His partner harvests mussels. Anything else, we’ll grab from the fish market near the marina. Be thankful we don’t have to go digging. It’s back-breaking work and you’re going to be sore enough as it is.”

I rolled my shoulders in reaction. I was in good shape, but I wasn’t in the habit of hauling fifty-pound lobster traps. I knew they were going to be harder to haul out of the water than they were to put in, and that was before I knew if there would be added weight from the crustaceans themselves.

“Here’s a little tip.” Hennessey’s face lit up. “Even if the traps aren’t full, we’ll have a full catch, understood?” He waggled his eyebrows.

I burst out laughing. I assumed we’d grab caught lobsters from the fish market if our little fishing venture went bottoms up.

“We’d love to have you tomorrow.” Hennessey offered me a shy smile. “The girls have been talking about you and Ahab non-stop all week. I know Mom and Dad would be thrilled.”

I was pretty damn happy myself. At least this time Hennessey’s family wouldn’t be out of their minds with worry over Lola. Although, hearing a little bit more about the toddler made me think her family was in a constant state of red alert, wondering what the hell she would do next.

I couldn’t wait to find out.

11

Hennessey

I woke up the next morning with a bit of tightness in my shoulders. It had only been a few weeks since the last time I’d been out on the boat. I couldn’t imagine what this morning had been like for Morrison. If I were a betting man, I would say he was in a world of hurt.

The good thing about today is that all I had to do was show up. Dad would handle grilling the shrimp, corn on the cob, and a few hot dogs for the girls. Kennedy and Oz were famous for their clams and mussels. Kennedy’s secret ingredient was putting