A Dolphin's Gift Read Online Free Page A

since I'm committed to completing
the whale study, I have to get up to Johnstone Strait while the salmon are
running and there's a large population of orca around. Even if I could find
another boat, there's no way I could get it ready in time. As it is, this one
still needs lots of work, scraping, sanding, varnishing, painting, having the
cushions reupholstered."
    Nellie saw the
desperate look on Will's face. He was in a bind, just as she was. And she did
owe him over three thousand dollars, money he wasn’t pressing her to pay at the
moment. "I'm sorry this had to happen," she said, in a more
mollifying tone. "I just don't know what to do about it. I don’t have
enough money for temporary housing, and what little money I have will probably
have to go to an expensive repair on my car." A disturbing thought she
didn't even want to consider at the moment. She glanced around at the flaked
and bubbled varnish on the wooden lockers and doors, and as she studied the
shabby surfaces, an idea began to emerge.
    Painting and
varnishing? Of course! She'd spent hours doing just that when she and Richard
bought the old house. "Maybe I could do some of the work in exchange for
paying off part of the rent," she suggested. "I've done lots of
painting and varnishing. That way, you could keep working on whatever you're
working on below, while I work up here." It would also give Mike something
to do, and a little pocket money to keep him enthusiastic about doing it, just
as she'd done with him at home...
    Will gave her a
dubious look. "You couldn’t get much done with a boy to watch."
    "Mike
wouldn't be any trouble. He'd be working too," Nellie assured him, sensing
that Will Edenshaw had little patience with kids, realizing she'd have to keep
Mike out of his way. "The way I see it, since you owed the work to my
uncle for the use of the boat, you really owe it to me now that it's mine. So
if my son and I refinish the woodwork and scrape the outside and paint
it—" she paused and looked at him quizzically, and said, "Who's been
paying for the materials?"
    "Your
uncle set up an account, but it didn't cover all the expenses," Will
explained. "I've had to pick up the slack. But I have everything I need
now."
    "Good.
Then if Mike and I do the work, we should be able to take off at least two
month's back rent," Nellie said quickly, not wanting to give Will a chance
to turn down her proposal. It was a very workable solution to their dilemma.
"I assume I wouldn't have to pay rent as long as we're doing your work,
since technically you'd still have the use of the boat."
    She
contemplated her resourceful idea. If she didn't have to pay rent on the
boathouse while working on the boat, that savings, added to the back rent she'd
be working off, would represent more than she'd make at a job. So in essence,
she'd earn over two thousand dollars for a few weeks work. And possibly some of
the interior work could be completed while they were at sea. More important,
she and Mike would be working together on their new home, which would give Mike
a sense of belonging while developing in him a love for the Isadora . However, while they were
docked, she'd look for a job for when they returned from Will's whale study.
    Will crouched
in front of her. "You say you've painted some?"
    Nellie peered
into a pair of compelling brown eyes. Will Edenshaw's gaze stirred something
inside her, something she hadn't felt since Richard. But as she looked at him, she also saw the face of a man who rarely smiled—the
corners of his mouth turned down, and there were frown lines between his brows
and worry lines at the corners of his eyes. His was a sad face, and she
wondered why...
    Blinking
several times to redirect her thoughts, she replied, "Yes, I've painted
quite a bit. I've also done upholstering. If you rent a heavy-duty sewing
machine I could reupholster all the cushions, including the dinette seats. And
I could also make curtains," she added, unsettled by their nearness.