9
Ronan
After lunch, which consisted of turkey sandwiches and Dramamine, Fitz got everyone to change into their shark t-shirts and loaded up into the bus for the ride to Chatham for the shark tour.
The ride would take half an hour, which gave Ronan plenty of time to get excited about seeing sharks up close and personal.
Before bedtime the night before, Ronan had showed the kids videos of great whites leaping out of the water to catch their prey. Everly and Aurora were excited that the sharks did tricks, while Wolf had wondered if they could get a shark for the new pool Jude had installed in their backyard.
The boat was captained by Mark Greene. Also on board was a marine biologist, Dr. Alan Grant, who worked with the White Shark Conservancy. He was on hand to tag sharks and answer any questions about great whites.
Onboard their Beachcomber tour boat, the reality of what they were about to do hit Ronan hard.
The boat was about thirty feet long, with benches that went the length of the port and starboard sides.
The boat had looked so much larger in the pictures and Ronan couldn’t help but be reminded that the shark in Jaws was about twenty-five feet long, which was only a few feet shorter than their boat.
It was obvious the boat wasn’t big enough.
“Owie, Dada!” Ezra squawked. “My eyes!”
“Sorry, buddy,” Ronan said, wiping Ezra’s eyes with the hem of his shirt.
Ronan, who’d been spraying sunblock on his son, had gotten some in his eye.
His complete focus hadn’t been on Ezzie.
He was also swiveling his head back and forth keeping his eye out for sharks who might want to jump onto their boat and gobble up Ronan for a snack.
Now that Ronan was on the boat and out in the middle of the ocean, great white sharks scared the hell out of him.
It was all fine and good to watch documentaries about great whites, tigers, and bull sharks from the comfort and safety of his living room, but here, on the water, where the sharks lived, Ronan didn’t feel quite so brave.
“Daddy, everything’s gonna be okay,” Everly said, taking a seat beside Ronan.
Ronan knew he was being ridiculous. These shark tours ran several times per day and it would have been all over the Boston news if a tour boat and its passengers had been devoured by hungry sharks.
Plus there were several other ships around them which could come to their aid if there was a problem.
Of course one or possibly two members of their party would probably have been eaten by then.
Maybe Fitz and Jude. Ronan would, of course, take the reins as the new captain of the cold case unit, vowing to run the team in the footsteps of his dearly departed friend, Kevin Fitzgibbon, who sacrificed himself, so the rest of their families could live.
“Daddy!” Everly gasped. “Uncle Fitz is not gonna get eaten out here today. “Sheesh! No one’s gonna get eaten.”
Ronan snickered. “Are you sure? I mean I’d probably make more money as the captain of the unit.”
“We don’t need more money, Daddy.”
“Oh, really, little miss? Care to remind me how much your new Cape Cod wardrobe cost?”
Everly giggled. “Okay, fine, maybe I went a little bit overboard with the hats and shoes, but you were the one who told me to get all four dresses when I couldn’t narrow my choices down to two.”
“So, what you’re saying is that you need a bigger clothes budget without sacrificing Uncle Jude and Fitz to get it, right?”
Everly rolled her eyes. “You’re really freaked out about the sharks, huh?”
“Aren’t you?” Ronan asked. His heart was beating so hard that he thought it might come clear out of his chest.
“Nope, I’m not scared one bit.” Everly looked as brave as she sounded.
“That’s because your gift is telling you that you’ll be the lone survivor of this shark buffet.” Ronan crossed his arms over his chest.
“No, Daddy, not because of my gift. When we watched the shark videos, I listened to what they were saying, that people aren’t shark food.
They said don’t swim at sunrise or sunset and never with seals.
Since we’re not doing any of those things, common sense says we’ll be fine.
Unless, you start being a dumbass and Uncle Jude dumps you over the side. In that case, you’re on your own.”
“Seriously, you won’t try to save me? Me? Your favorite father?”
“Who says you’re my favorite father?” Everly asked with a giggle.
“Well, you’re my favorite daughter, so I figured you’d return the favor.”
“I’m your only daughter.” Everly rested her head on Ronan’s shoulder. “Did Dad tell you what happened on the beach this morning?”
“Yeah, he told me Maria’s story and how she still thinks it’s 1717.” Ronan had felt horrible for the young woman when Ten told the story of how she lost her child, her freedom, then her one true love. “Do you have any idea how to bring them back together?”
“Not yet. We don’t know where Sam’s spirit is. He could be crossed over, living it up in pirate heaven.”
“Pirate heaven?” Ronan asked.
“Yeah, you know, with gorgeous ships and endless treasure, mermaids, and more rum than they could ever drink in a lifetime.”
“That doesn’t sound half bad,” Ronan laughed. “Does pirate heaven have ribeye steaks and lobster?”
“Probably.” Everly shrugged. “If we can’t find Sam I might not be able to reunite them.
You should have seen Maria, Daddy. Wandering the beach, all alone, looking for Sam.
It broke my heart. The only good thing is the time loop.
Three hundred years have passed for all of us, but Maria still feels like the Whydah is due in port any day now. ”
“That sounds like a blessing. I can’t imagine how interminable three hundred years would feel.”
“Me either ,” Everly agreed. “Maria said something that puzzled me.”
“What was that?” Ronan asked. He was really enjoying this moment with Everly. He might not be able to help her with ghosts, but he knew how to help people.
“Maria said that she was glad I was here at long last and that I could help her.”
Ronan nodded. “Dad mentioned that to me. Why does that puzzle you?”
“It’s been three hundred years. I can’t have been the only psychic medium on Marconi Beach in all those years, right?”
“The odds of you being the only one are slim to none. There must have been other people with your gifts on that beach. Maybe Maria knows you’re the one who can help her and Sam.
Maybe she was somehow able to see you in her future or something?
” Ronan was grasping at straws. He didn’t know how else to explain Maria’s words.
“Maybe,” Everly agreed. “I think I know how to find Sam, but I’m not sure if I can make it happen.”
“Shark!” Jude and Fitz shouted at the same time.
Everly ran toward the side of the boat where Jude was standing.
“That’s so cool!” Wolf said.
“Everly, he’s cute! You gotta meet him!” Aurora waved her closer.
“Ronan, come see!” Fitz called out.
Ronan didn’t think that was such a good idea.
He could see the way the boat tilted to the port side, where everyone had gathered.
What if his weight brought the side of the boat down low enough for the shark to take a bite.
“I’m gonna keep my delicious Irish ass over here.
The boat is dipping awfully close to the water on your side of the boat. ”
“Don’t worry, Ronan,” the boat captain said. “We won’t capsize or sink.”
“Are you sure, Jaques Cousteau?” Ronan studied the young man. He was tall, blonde, and looked like he was barely out of high school. He wasn’t going to risk his tasty self on the say-so of a child.
“Daddy, he’s just swimming,” Everly said.
Ronan crept a little closer. He saw a dark grey shape swimming a few feet from the boat. “How do you know it’s a boy? Is he wearing a name tag that says, ‘Hi, my name is Chewy McChewerson?’”
Everly and Aurora laughed.
“No, Uncle Ronan. We know he’s a boy ‘cause he’s got two ding-a-lings!” Wolf shouted.
Fitz and Jude snorted.
“He’s got two what?” Ronan asked.
“Two Richards,” Jude said, tilting his head toward Wolf.
“Oh, Wolf, I didn’t understand what you meant until your Dad used the scientific term.” Ronan rolled his eyes.
“Actually, they’re called claspers,” the captain said.
“Why are there two?” Ronan had a feeling he was going to regret the question.
“Sharks have two pelvic fins, so having two claspers makes it so the male shark can fertilize the female, without tipping over. It’s more efficient this way.”
“Having one is a real pain in the Richard. I can’t imagine having two,” Jude said.
“There’s a second shark here, off the starboard side,” Captain Chris said.
“Please don’t let it be a girl shark. I don’t want to watch the miracle of life play out on vacation.” Ten crossed his fingers.
“You’ll be happy to know mating season is in the fall, Tennyson.”
“She’s so cute!” Everly waved to the female shark.
Ronan sat behind Everly, ready to grab her and yank her out of the jaws of death if the need arose. Just as Ronan was starting to relax, one of the sharks poked its head above the water’s surface, reminding him of the infamous movie poster with the shark and the swimmer.
“Hi, Bianca! Hey, girl!” Everly said.
“Who’s Bianca?” Ronan asked, wondering if Everly read the shark’s name from the little tag on her fin.
“Bianca means white in Italian, Daddy,” Everly said.
“This female shark hasn’t been tagged yet,” Alan said. “Would you like to help me tag her?”
“Yes!” Everly looked more excited than Ronan had ever seen her. “How do we do it?”
“The tag is at the end of this pole. All we have to do is stick it to her back near the dorsal fin. Once that’s done, we’ll be able to follow her movements with the satellite.”
“That sounds super cool, but will the tag hurt Bianca?” Everly asked, worrying her lower lip with her teeth.
“Only for a second. It’s like when you get a shot at the doctor’s office.”
“My Dad takes me for an ice cream after we go to the doctor. I wish Bianca could have a treat too.”
“See all those seals on the beach?” Alan asked. “Those are her treat.” He checked the gear and got in position to tag the shark. “I need you to stand to my left and watch Bianca for me. Tell me when you see her coming back toward us.”
“Stand here like this?” Everly asked.
“Yup, that’s perfect.” He held the pole out over the water, poised for the perfect shot.
“Here she comes,” Everly said softly.
“Here we go,” Alan said, jabbing the shark just behind her dorsal fin. “Tag’s in!”
Bianca swatted her tail, sending up a shower of water. Ronan heard it thump against the side of the boat.
“We did it, Everly!” Alan said, holding up a hand for a high five.
“I want to help name the shark,” Aurora said, coming to stand beside Everly.
Ronan was afraid the little girl would throw a fit if she didn’t get to help.
“Why don’t you pick her middle name, Aurora,” Everly said.
“We could call her Bianca Twinkle Toes!”
“Sharks don’t have toes!” Wolf laughed.
“How about we call her Bianca Aurora?” Ronan asked.
“We can give her my name?” Aurora asked, looking excited.
“I think that’s a great name,” Everly said.
“Me too,” Alan agreed. “Bianca Aurora it is.”
Ten joined Ronan on the starboard side of the boat. “Well, what do you think?”
“As cute as Bianca is, I think she’d take a bite outta me if given half a chance.” Ronan couldn’t help but wonder if Everly would think her new toothy friend would still be cute with Ronan’s flesh dangling from her sharp teeth.
“Ronan, the only bite anyone is taking out of you today is me, if you’re a good boy, that is.”
Ronan barked a laugh. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”
“You better, shark bait.” Ten waggled his eyebrows. He angled his chin toward the kids who were crowded around Alan, asking him questions about sharks. “Looks like we might have a budding marine biologist or two in our midst.”
“Maybe so,” Ronan agreed. “But before that happens, I think we’re gonna spend an absolute fortune at the shark tour gift shop when we get back to the dock.”
“I guarantee it.” Ten laughed and leaned back against Ronan. “This is nice. Being out here on the ocean, with the kids and not a care in the world.”
“It’s been a mostly perfect day.” Ronan sighed. “I just wish Everly could have helped Maria this morning. She mentioned knowing how to reunite her with Sam, but that it might be hard to pull off. Do you have any idea what she could be talking about?”
Ten shook his head. “I have no idea. Sam has already reached out to Everly once. If he does it again, she’ll be ready. Hopefully then she’ll be able to bring him back to the beach so he and Maria can finally have their happy ending.”
“If anyone deserves a happy ending, it’s the two of them.
” Ronan pressed a kiss to the back of Ten’s head.
He knew without a doubt that if his and Ten’s souls managed to somehow become separated in the afterlife, Ronan would do everything he could to find Tennyson.
He was certain Sam Bellamy felt the same way about Maria.