"Let's see now," Clancey counted noses. "There's you, darlin'; meself; Doc Cutler and his wife; ah...young Bolt is just comin' aboard and Kate...." he scanned the deck then searched the masts far above them. "No, not here."

     Lottie sighed, "Josh, have you seen Kate? Captain Patterson is ready to sail."

     The young man tilted his head in the direction of the wharf; "She's saying good-bye to someone."

     Kate had been guiding Donald and Captain Wilkerson as they moved six large trunks filled with gowns onto the deck of the ship. When the last trunk was secured, she caught sight of Dan Sullivan trying to look inconspicuous standing behind a mountain of crates on the dock.

      The Irishman had hoped to catch a glimpse of his favorite reporter before she sailed out of San Francisco. He didn't expect her to fly off the gangplank and head straight in his direction.

      "You'd better get back on board, Macready," the reporter warned as she joined him. "You'll miss your boat and have to stay here with me."

     Kate felt the bittersweet twinge of loss; "I hate leaving you behind, Dan. Someday, when you're tired of chasing after criminals, I hope you'll consider moving to Seattle."

     Dan looked past her to see Joshua sneaking glances at them from the ship. The reporter smiled as he took her palm in his once more.

     "Kate Macready, I see a fine future ahead for you in the wilds of the Northwest Territory: Adventure, success, romance, everything I could ever wish for you."

     "Dan..."

     "There's a present for you in the hold."

     "There is?"

     At that moment, Clancey's voice boomed out across the pier.

     "All female reporters named Macready better get themselves aboard this minute."

     Dan laughed, "If you don't hurry your gift is going to arrive in Seattle before you."

     "I'll miss you Daniel Sullivan," Kate whispered as she gave him one last hug.

     "Good luck, Kate Macready."

     Katie returned to the ship but when she faced the dock to wave to him one last time, he was nowhere in sight.

     The Wilkersons shouted their best wishes for a smooth voyage as the ship slid into the bay. The Christine was headed back to Crescent City where Donald and Pamela would return to their practice and Clancey would rejoin his crew. From there the Seattle residents would head home in the mended O'Flynn.

      "Dan said there's a gift for me below," Katie whispered to Lottie.

      "Well, let's go take a look. Come on everyone!"

      The woman led the group down into the hold. There, sitting in the middle of the dimly lit room, was a brand new printing press.

      Kate sat back on the stairs in stunned silence. She had never expected anything like this. Her friends circled the machine admiring every bar and gear without having the faintest idea how anything worked.

      "It's a wonder to be sure." Clancey said.

      "Nice present," Joshua murmured.

      Lottie picked up the envelope that lay on top of the gleaming machine.

      "This is for you, honey."

      Kate's fingers fumbled with the flap. She opened it and read the short message it contained.

               Now you have no excuse for not producing
               a top-notch paper. Make it all come true, partner.
                                      Dan and the Register staff

     Joshua watched Katie closely, trying to interpret the meaning of her expression as she read the note. Did she regret leaving him? Was she having second thoughts about moving back to Seattle?

     Katie slowly grinned from ear to ear as she realized what this gift would mean. "No more working all night. No more missed deliveries. No more cleaning grease out of my hair at two in the morning. And best of all, Seattle's going to have the best paper in the Territory!"

     Kate tossed Dan's note into the air and linked arms with Clancey in a wild square dance.

     "Seattle, here we come!" Josh joined in happily.

     "Home sweet home," Lottie added with a flourish.     

     When the Christine pulled into the harbor at Crescent City, the first thing Joshua noticed was the wealth of gambling halls lining the wharf. As the Cutlers made arrangements for Lottie and Kate to spend the night at their place, Joshua pulled Clancey aside to arrange a few plans of his own.

     "Clancey, after dinner what do you say we bid the ladies goodnight and take in a few sights, just the two of us?"

     The captain cackled with glee, "Ah, ye wicked lad. What are ye after?"

     "Just some fun. All I've seen for fourteen days is the inside of a hospital room and a lot of fancy places." Joshua fixed his friend with a desperate eye. "I need to get out, Clancey!"

      The seaman patted him on the shoulder. "Leave it to me, lad. We'll have a time of it, I promise ye that."

     Dinner at the Cutler home was simple but elegant. Joshua and Clancey tried valiantly not to wolf through their meal or seem too impatient during the after dinner socializing. At eight o'clock, both men rose as one, thanked the doctor and his wife and reminded Kate and Lottie to meet them at the Seamus by seven a.m. The Cutlers walked the men to the front hall where the two all but burst through the door to enjoy their own particular brand of entertainment.

     Kate and Lottie hadn't been fooled in the least. The women rushed up the stairs to the guestroom and flung open the window. Clancey and Joshua were standing before the gate debating over where to go first.

     "Hey, Josh!" Kate called.

     "Fishface!" Lottie added.

     The two jumped like boys caught playing hooky. Kate tossed down a silver dollar to them, which Joshua caught.

     "Bet that for me will you, Squid?"

     The men laughed, bowed to the fair damsels above and continued on to the waterfront marveling all the way over the omniscient powers of women.

     "Did you bring any of that hangover remedy with you, Lottie?" Kate asked as the men disappeared around the corner.

      Lottie pointed to a bottle lying on top of the clothes in her suitcase. "I never travel with Clancey without it!"

      Promptly at seven the next morning, Lottie and Kate boarded the patched and repaired Seamus O'Flynn. Clancey stood on deck issuing orders to his crew in a hushed tone. Well, hushed for Clancey anyway. His hat was pulled so far down over his eyes that he didn't even see the women come aboard.

      "Good morning, Captain!" Kate called out with great good cheer.

      "Great Triton's beard!" Clancy grabbed at his ears. "It'd be a good morning, Missy, if ye'd take your sunshine down into the hold and share it with that devil of a man, Bolt."

     "That I will," Kate kissed Clancey on the cheek which made the old salt smile in spite of the pounding behind his eyes.

     Standing on the third step, Kate spied Josh sitting alone at the table hunched over a mug of very strong black coffee. The girl grinned, backed up a little, then clattered down the remaining steps with as much energy as a locomotive.

     "Good morning, Squid! How much money did my silver dollar attract last night?"

      Joshua sat straight up in his seat, closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against his throbbing temples.

     "You're making all this racket deliberately aren't you?"

     "Sure am."

     He peeped at her with one eye. "You are a brat. D'you know that?"

     "And you're a poet," she laughed, sliding onto the bench across from him. "Where's my money?"

     Joshua reached into his pocket and painfully extracted ten dollars. "Here, take it and go. You do have some place to go don't you?"

     "Oh sure, they're transferring the press, the trunks and all the supplies we bought from the Christine to the Seamus. I'm going to supervise."

      "Good! Now be a nice little Cricket and hop away for a while."

      "You know Joshua," Katie's eyes twinkled, "you really should take better care of yourself. You've got to stop taking such chances with your health," she waved the bills before him, "and your money."

      Joshua tossed a nearby dishrag at her as she stood to leave.

      "Oh, by the way." Kate continued the torture.

      "Yes?" Joshua groaned.

      "How much money did you win last night?"

      "I didn't."

      "Excuse me? I didn't quite hear you."

      "The cards were against me. Your silver dollar was the only thing that paid off." He frowned at her. "Satisfied?"

      "Yes, thank-you. And to think you're the one with the headache and I'm the one with ten dollars. There must be a lesson in there somewhere. Bye-bye, Squid." Kate sang sweetly as she headed for the stairs. "And if by chance we should run into another storm on the way home and you happen to get knocked over board, I promise I'll leave you in the briny deep this time. Drowning would make you feel so much better."

      "Out!" Joshua thundered before grabbing the top of his head.

      Kate's merry laughter filled the empty hold and a smile crept across Joshua's lips. Katie was coming home to stay. He had to find a way to get her all to himself and tell her what he'd been wanting to say for the past month.