Mailboat Read online

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Synopsis

  Bella Books Social Media

  Praise for the works of Cade Haddock Strong

  Other Bella Books by Cade Haddock Strong

  About the Author

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Bella Books

  Synopsis

  Wen Apollo dreams of seeing the world beyond the small riverside town where she grew up. But operating the local mailboat keeps her tethered to Coopersville. Islands dot the river, and their residents rely on her to deliver everything from food and medicine to pet food and plumbing supplies.

  On a raw spring day, Wen goes to Owl Island—the summer home of the illustrious Gage family—to deliver a package. It’s addressed to the family’s oldest daughter, Estelle, a woman Wen has long admired from afar.

  Estelle Gage fled to the islands seeking solitude and an escape. With the deadline for her latest novel fast approaching, her sole focus is to write. But when the handsome mailboat captain shows up on her doorstep, writing is no longer the only thing on her mind.

  A steady stream of packages continues to bring Wen back to Owl Island—and to Estelle. But as summer looms, so does the impending arrival of Estelle’s family. The return of the Gages will most certainly spell the end to Estelle and Wen’s idyllic time cloistered together on the island. What will that mean for their budding relationship?

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  Praise for the works of Cade Haddock Strong

  Jackpot

  This is my first time reading a Cade Haddock Strong book, and I must say if they are all as good as this then I shall be looking for more. What I really loved about this book is that it starts at the beginning for both Ty and Karla, it’s not a story of they meet and flash back. It starts at the beginning and you get to read their story as they move along. There are many layers to this sweet story which is well written and kept me keen.

  -Cathy W., NetGalley

  The Schuyler House

  …is a story about learning valuable life lessons from painful circumstances, opening one’s heart to love and making positive changes in one’s life. This story captivated me on so many levels because I was taken on a wild journey with Mattie! The numerous twists and turns in the plot kept me wondering about what was going to happen next. I also entertained insane thoughts of just forgoing sleep so I could continue to read on to satisfy my curiosity. If you enjoy a storyline with unique twists and angst filled situations coupled with a dash of slow burning romance, then this is certainly the story for you!

  -The Lesbian Review

  Fare Game

  The author nails intrigue/thriller and romance in this book…The whistle-blowing storyline is plausible, logical, tense and interesting, the romance believable and sweet, the ending satisfying. With all other elements done well, this one makes a second good book by Haddock Strong. I liked it, and will definitely check out her next offering.

  -Pin’s Reviews, goodreads

  This author is new to me but I’ll be looking for more of her work because I really liked this story. It’s a romantic thriller with two likeable leads, some well-done minor characters and very interesting plot that kept me interested from start to finish.

  -Emma A., NetGalley

  My belief is that when readers pick up this book, they will be enamored by a carefully and skillfully plotted story line that’s also well written and doesn’t sacrifice moral complexity to the demands of a fast-moving narrative. Ms. Haddock Strong does such a great job…

  -Diane W., NetGalley

  The plot has many layers—lust, a whirlwind relationship, intrigue (where is the money going?)—and desperate characters on both sides of the law.

  -Ginger O., NetGalley

  I loved how Haddock Strong gets her readers into the story. Her writing is clear and persuasive, and she manages to explain airline financial irregularities, price-fixing, and whistleblowing without ruffling a single one of my feathers. She introduces them slowly as part of the story, mostly in dialogue, and they become one of the many layers of the story. Likewise, the relationship between Kay and Riley is also layered, their professional and personal lives, their exploration of each other and their difficulties. It is beautifully done. This book is a must for readers like me that need a bit of something on the side of their romance. It gives a good read, good romance as well as some very hot sexy moments. An excellent combination.

  -The Lesbian Review

  Other Bella Books by Cade Haddock Strong

  Jackpot

  The Schuyler House

  Fare Game

  On the Fence

  About the Author

  Cade spent many years working in the airline industry, and she and her wife have traveled all over the world. When not writing, she loves to be outside, especially skiing, hiking, biking, and playing golf. She grew up in Upstate New York but has lived all over the US and abroad, from the mountains of Vermont and Colorado to the bustling cities of DC, Chicago, and Amsterdam.

  Find Cade here:

  Website: cadehaddockstrong.com

  Twitter: @CHaddockStrong

  Email: [email protected]

  Copyright © 2022 by Cade Haddock Strong

  Bella Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 10543

  Tallahassee, FL 32302

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  First Edition - 2022

  Editor: Alissa McGowan

  Cover Designer: Kayla Mancuso

  ISBN: 978-1-64247-374-2

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is ill
egal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized print or electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Acknowledgments

  Although Mailboat is my fifth book, I wrote it over the course of the GCLS Writing Academy—a great place for new and not so new writers alike! My WA teachers, including Finn Burnett, Karelia Stetz-Waters, and Anna Burke, were not only amazing but supportive and generally awesome. Ditto for my WA mentor, Susan Meagher, who painstakingly read my MS more than once.

  My WA classmates made the experience all the more rewarding. We split into small critique groups, and I was paired with fellow authors Rita Potter, Lori G. Matthews, Nan Campbell, and Michele Brower. They all read multiple early chapters of Mailboat, and beta read the completed draft. Two of my tried-and-true beta readers, Tagan Shepard and Celeste Castro, also read Mailboat. I cannot thank you all enough. Because of you, this story is way better. You’re part of what makes the writing community so incredible.

  Mailboat is set in Coopersville, a fictional town on the banks of the St. Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands. For those of you who have never visited the area (or heard of the place) it’s stunningly beautiful and has a rich history. I’ve visited, but I am no expert on life there, especially in the colder months. Lucky for me, my friend Jane’s parents own two islands along the US/Canada border, which runs through the middle of the river. They were kind enough to answer all my questions about the intricacies of life on the islands. Thank you, Ian and Eve Tatlock! I recall you describing the early spring, when you hear the first loon or spot the first oriole and I worked hard to incorporate that kind of detail into Mailboat’s setting.

  Thanks also to my editor, Alissa McGowan. Sorry I’m terrible at grammar and thank you for catching all those inconsistencies and gaffes I let slip through.

  I am so grateful to be part of the Bella Books family. Thank you for nurturing me and for believing in me.

  And! Thank you to my wife, Lisa. You are my sunshine.

  Chapter One

  When she neared the rocky shore of Owl Island, Wen pulled back on the throttle and the boat lowered in the water as it slowed. From her vantage point, only the red metal roof of the main house was visible. A wide wooden dock jutted out into the water, but rather than approach it, she circled the island, searching for any sign of life.

  Owl Island, summer home to the illustrious Gage family, was the largest private island on the US side of the Saint Lawrence River. By Wen’s estimate, it measured almost a half a mile in circumference. Soaring trees fringed its shoreline, and a long rolling lawn—one ready-made for croquet—surrounded the now dormant gardens and a three-bay boathouse. Aside from a small cluster of pine trees, the limbs of the trees were bare, and small patches of snow remained in their shadows. Even from the water, Wen could smell the thawing earth under the afternoon sun.

  When the hulking, white-shingled house came into view, Wen thought she detected movement in the widow’s watch perched atop its roof, but she might have imagined it. It was probably way too early in the season for any member of the Gage family to be up in the islands, and it wouldn’t be the first time her mind had played tricks on her. Being out on the water all alone each day could do that to a person.

  Just as she completed her loop of the island, the boat’s inboard engine sputtered.

  “Dammit.” She patted its fiberglass turtle shell. “Come on, baby, don’t fail me now.”

  The engine ignored her pleas and stalled out, leaving her adrift in the river’s swift current. She turned the key in the ignition. Nothing.

  She let out a low growl. “Why am I stuck running this damn mailboat?”

  No time to dwell on that now. The boat drifted dangerously close to a shoal on her starboard side. She counted to three, held her breath, and turned the key again. The engine choked to life.

  “That’s my girl.”

  But when she nudged the throttle forward, it died again. No matter how many curse words she uttered, it would not restart.

  * * *

  Estelle Gage stood in the widow’s watch and peered out over the water. She’d come up to the islands to focus on her writing, but all she’d succeeded in doing thus far was freeze her ass off. Maybe I should have stayed in New York…

  Commotion on the water pulled her from her thoughts. A woman—it looked like a woman—waved her hands in the air, and even from her perch in the widow’s watch, Estelle could hear her profanity-laced tirade. What in the world? She welcomed the sight of another human being, but this one appeared to be on the verge of a meltdown. And her boat was drifting toward the shoal off Owl Island. Although they weren’t visible until you were right on top of them, rocks loomed inches below the water’s surface. She watched as the woman scurried to the bow and hurled an anchor into the water. Was she in trouble? Estelle got her answer when the woman lifted the engine’s cover and peered inside. She took off down the stairs and snagged a coat from a hook near the back door.

  When she got outside, she hollered across the water, “Do you need help?”

  What a stupid question, of course she needs help…

  “Engine croaked,” the woman replied without looking up.

  Estelle ran toward the boathouse, forgetting that none of her family’s vessels were in the water yet.

  “Fuck.”

  A rubber Zodiac dinghy rested in the hoist above one of the boat slips. It would have to do. She lowered it into the water and grabbed a life preserver from a hook on the wall. The door to the boathouse creaked as it rolled open. She fastened the buckles on the life vest and jumped in the Zodiac. It rocked heavily from side to side, forcing her to grab onto the nearby deck to keep from falling in the water. The small chunks of ice floating in the river were a grim reminder that this was no time to take a swim, unintended or not. She plunked herself on the wooden bench flanking the Zodiac’s stern, pulled the choke on the engine, and tugged the start cord. The little outboard started on the first pull. Estelle reversed out of the boathouse, shifted into forward, and steered toward the woman in her disabled craft.

  “On my way,” she yelled as she closed the distance between them. The large wooden boat engulfed her dinky dinghy in its shadow.

  The woman peeked up from the engine compartment and gave Estelle a broad smile. “Quite a mighty vessel you have there.”

  Heat rose up Estelle’s neck, but not because she was embarrassed. She hadn’t been prepared for the soft blue eyes that stared down at her.

  “Come on around by the stern and I’ll help you aboard,” the woman said. Under the circumstances she was amazingly calm. Her anchor seemed to be holding, at least for the time being, but the current was unrelenting, and if she drifted even a few feet, her boat would be on the rocks.

  Estelle maneuvered the dinghy along the hull of the bigger boat. A large wooden platform jutted off its back, right beneath the name MATHILDE stenciled in thick gold letters. Two strong hands reached out. She latched onto them and slid out of the dinghy and onto the platform.

  The woman tied the Zodiac’s line to a cleat and nodded toward Mathilde’s helm. “The darn thing won’t start for me. Why don’t you give it a shot? Maybe you’ll have better luck.”

  Estelle swung her legs over the back of the boat, stepped inside, and strode toward the helm. The boat rumbled to life on the first turn. The woman pumped her hand in the air and lowered the cover over the engine. Once she’d hoisted the anchor back aboard, Estelle stepped aside to let her take the wheel. They turned toward shore, and the woman flawlessly landed the large boat, bringing it perfectly parallel to the island’s dock on her first try.

  Estelle jumped ashore and wound the bow and stern lines around the big metal cleats. “Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?” she hollered over the hum of the engine.

  The woman nodded
and killed the engine. The raw weather had rendered her round cheeks rosy. When she joined Estelle on the dock, she tugged off her wool cap, sending a cascade of blond hair down her back.

  Estelle stumbled backward. Dear God. The lesbian fairies were shining on her. Thirty minutes earlier, she’d been shivering in the widow’s watch, cursing her decision to come up to the islands alone in the off-season. And now, a tall, handsome mailboat captain stood on her dock. Ooh, la la. Having a deserted island at her disposal might come in handy. She took a deep breath and extended her hand.

  “I’m Estelle Gage, by the way.”

  * * *

  Wen knew who she was. Although they’d never formally met—townies and the summer folk rarely mingled—she’d long admired Estelle from afar, swooning over her on the rare occasions when she ventured into town during the summer season.

  Wen wiped her own hand on her canvas workpants and shook Estelle’s perfectly manicured one. “Wen Apollo. Mailboat captain extraordinaire, except of course when my engine dies. Thanks for coming to my rescue.”

  “You’re welcome,” Estelle said, “although I’m not sure how much I did. You probably would have gotten her started on your own.”

  “I don’t know. The old girl only decided to cooperate when you came aboard.” Wen patted the hull of her boat. “Mathilde and I both appreciate you venturing into these icy waters on our behalf.”

  “Speaking of which, it’s awfully cold out.” Estelle tugged her coat around her lean frame. “How about that tea I promised?”

  “If you’re sure you don’t mind.” Surely, Estelle wasn’t on the island alone. “I don’t want to intrude.”

  “You wouldn’t be intruding at all. I’d love the company.”

  “All right then,” Wen said, “but before I forget, I’ve got a package for you. That’s why I was out this way.”