Is Your Mother Irish?

I pretended not to notice her as she walked down the dock. Who could miss her in her cute little white shorts and bright yellow bikini top? She stopped at the next boat and watched the mate clean fish. She looked at me as I threw a large grouper on the cleaning table. She wandered over and watched me skin and filet the fish. I opened the cooler and put the filets in the cooler. She had copper red hair and sprinkle of freckles over her cute little nose.

I put down my knife washed and wiped my hands and opened another cooler and pulled out a coke, I held it out to her.

She grinned and accepted it. I got one for myself.

I decided to astound her with my sparkling repartee, but what came out of my mouth was, "Boy, it sure is hot." She smiled and said, "I love it like this, I'm used to freezing this time of year."

"Where are you from?"

"Up state New York."

"Nice place to be from."

She grinned, "Yes I know, far, far from."

"What is your name?"

"Erin, Erin McKinney."

"Ah! A good Italian girl."

She laughed, "What is your name? You look as Italian as I do with that red hair."

"I'm Sean Patrick Murphy the tenth, as Italian as they get, darling'. I have to ask you a question my poor darlin' Momma told me to ask any girl I met. 'Is your mother Irish, and can she clean a fish?'"

Erin put her hands over her mouth and laughed. "You are cute."

I grinned at her, "Six foot three and two hundred forty pounds and she calls me cute?"

"Well you are."

"Do you like to go fishing?"

"I love it."

"You can go with us tomorrow if you want. We have room.

My treat. You don't get sea sick do you?"

"No, I have been deep sea fishing before. I would love to go."

"Great, be here at seven forty five, we leave at eight. Wear clothes you can add or subtract when it gets hot and the sun start to cook you. I'll have a lunch for you."

"I'll be here. I better go now and let you finish cleaning fish before you get fired. And the answer is yes to both questions."

She turned and walked up the dock. Wow! Was she ever built.

The next morning the couple who had chartered the boat showed up a little early, I knew them well, they were great fun. I told them I had invited Erin and they said that would be just fine with them. Frank, my mate had everything sparkling like I like it.

I saw her coming down the dock. She had on sneakers, jeans and a huge mans white shirt. She was adorable. I helped her on board and introduced the to Tad and Joan Cotton, the people who chartered the boat. I left her with them and climbed up on the flying bridge and started the engines. Frank went aft and took in the stern lines. He hurried forward and was ready with the bow lines and the spring lines as I moved the boat forward. We cruised down the bay at idle speed through miles of no wake zones. I looked down at Erin. She was talking and smiling with the Cottons. She glanced up and grinned. I beckoned her to come up. She came up and smiled, "I thought you were the mate, not the Captain."

"No, I am Captain Ten, as I am known here abouts. Do you want to steer?"

"Yes, what do I do?"

"Here hold the wheel. It only takes a small movement to turn the boat. Turn just a little to the port or left. That's good, now turn back to starboard or the right and stay in the channel. Do you see the buoys on either side of the channel. The old rule is 'Red Right Returning.' So we are going out, and we keep the green on the right. They are all identified with numbers so you can tell where you are on a chart. Only about five more miles to go before we can get up and run. You are doing good. Do you want a cup of coffee?"

She smiled, "I would love one, cream and a little sweetener or sugar."

"OK, I'll be right back."

"Wait, don't leave me!"

"Hey, you'll be alright."

I slid down the ladder and told Frank to watch her steering and to correct her if she had a problem. Frank stood at the lower controls just in case. I poured us two cups and went back up the ladder to the bridge. She looked really relieved to see me. She said, "Look, here comes a boat the other way. What do I do?"

"Just like you were driving a car. Stay on your side of the road or channel. You are doing fine. Here, just let go of the wheel while you fix your coffee. Here is powdered creamer and sweetener."

She let go and watched the boat for a minute. It stayed right on course. She smiled and fixed her coffee. I told her to move forward a little. I unlatched the seat and moved it forward then latched it in place. I walked behind her and put my hands under her arms and lifted her up on the seat.

She sipped her coffee and said, "That is better I can steer just fine from here. OH, we seem to have a big turn ahead. It goes to the right, STARBOARD, right."

"You are correct, just follow the markers, pass the greenies on the right and you will be in the deep water. See up there the channel bends back to the left. Look at these houses over here, aren't they something. Huge, beautiful, expensive. You are doing perfect. I think I'll take you on every trip so I can relax. She beamed at me. "I love this." she said.

We turned to the right again and she saw the cut leading to sea. I warmed up the GPS and the Autopilot. I entered the waypoint of the first spot I wanted to try. Light rollers about three feet high were coming in the cut. I watched her as we hit them and the bow rose and fell. She was concentrating on keeping us between the boulders that made up the two jetties that protected the cut. I told her she was doing great as I added power and got the boat up on the plane and really moving along. The swells smoothed down as we got further from shore. I told her to steer a course of 240 degrees and showed her how to get the boat on course with the compass then to pick a cloud on the horizon and steer towards it. Then check against the compass. She got the hang of it pretty quick. I showed her how she could look back at our wake and see how good she was doing. Our wake was as straight as an arrow. I told her to lean back and relax. I engaged the Autopilot and slaved it to the GPS. I sat back and put my arm around her on the seat back. I told her how the system worked and showed her where she could tell how far we had to go to reach our first spot. I said we were really just lookouts now, looking for other boats and floating objects in the water. I showed her the depth sounder. We called it a fish finder because that is what we used it for most of the time.

After about an hour the GPS said we were only a half mile from our fishing spot. I pulled back on the throttle and slowed us down to a crawl. I went off the autopilot and carefully watched the fish finder and the GPS. When we were right over the spot the fish finder showed what looked like lots of fish, I immediately turned into the wind and looked at Frank who was up on the bow heady to drop the anchor. He was watching me. I slowed even more then nodded to him and put the engines in idle and let the wind and current drift us back over the fish. I watched the fish finder and nodded to Frank again and he stopped the anchor line from going out and then tied it off. I told Erin to follow me and we hurried down to the cockpit and I grabbed a rod and reel I had set up for her.

I put a half a thread fin shad on each hook and handed her the rod. She knew how to work it and dropped the bait to the bottom.

Joan Cotton got a hook up and squealed as she started reeling it in. It looked like a good fish from the bend in her rod. Erin grunted and I saw her rod bend almost double as she lifted the fish off the bottom.

"Reel girl, reel, get him up off the bottom. Good work, keep him coming. Tad, what are you doing wrong. Reel in and see if you still have bait. He took a couple turns of the reel and his rod was almost jerked from his hand. He howled and reeled like crazy. We had three fish on. From the bend in the rods they all looked good. Frank stood by with a gaff and I grabbed another one.

Erin got her fish up first and I gaffed a nice twenty pounder and opened the fish box and dumped him in. Frank was swinging in Joan's fish and got him in the box too. Tad was having trouble with his fish and we finally saw why. He had two big fish on. Frank gaffed one and I got the other. Tad slumped in a chair and said he was way ahead and he would wait for the girls to catch up.

Frank rebaited Joan's hooks and I baited up Erin's line. Erin swung her line over the side and let it down. As her line went down I saw the line move off to one side. I touched her arm, "Put it in gear and hit it hard right now." She did as I said and the line started screaming off her reel. Her rod was bent way over. She was a strong girl and hung on for dear life. The fish was running away from the boat and not down. The line was getting low on the reel when the fish tired and she started getting line back. Erin was fighting a real good fish. I coached her softly and praised her strength and skill. I had her pump and reel down on the fish. "Pump back with the rod and reel like hell as you lower the rod tip again for the next pump, great, you are doing great." I had Frank get a butt belt and I strapped it on her. It had a leather cup to hold the butt of the rod and made it easier on her, I knew she was going to have a bad bruise on he stomach from the pounding it had already taken. Joan had another hook up and was bringing her fish in. I said, "Erin, Sweetheart, are you alright, can you hang in there? Do you want me to cut the line?"

"Hell no! This is the biggest fist I ever had on. I want him bad. What is he?"

"I don't know. It acts like a big King mackerel but they usually jump. It could be a cobia, or a barracuda or even a shark. It could be anything out here. Look out the line is coming up. It is going to jump. There he is. Look at him tail walk! It's a marlin, Wow! He is big. A couple hundred pounds easy. Maybe three hundred pounds. I've never seen one here. Good girl. You are doing great."

I prayed for her to get him in. She worked the fish like a champ for another twenty minutes. Damn she had guts, her shirt was soaked and I helped her get it off. I wiped sweat from her brow and kissed her cheek as I did it. She worked the fish in to the boat and I took pictures as Frank reached out and grabbed the leader. It was a huge fish.

I asked, "Do you want to kill him or release him. He counts as a catch because Frank touched the leader."

"Oh! No, don't kill him, he is magnificent, let him go."

Frank snipped the leader and the huge fish sank slowly out of sight. I took her rod and put it in a rod holder and pulled her to me and held her rubbing her back gently.

"You were really tough. That was one hell of a fish. Bigger than anything I have ever caught." I kissed her forehead softly. She raised her head and kissed my mouth. Her lips parted and our tongues met. I felt my blood pound and my erection grow. I pulled back and said, "Girl we need to get some fluids in you. You sweated out a gallon, come on in the cabin and rest."

Joan said, "He is right you look a little white in the face now. I'll help her in the cabin, Sean you get her some cool water and a wet towel to cool her down." I got the water and the towel. She drank the water. I pulled the cup away. "Drink it in small sips or it will make you sick." Joan went back out and Frank got the anchor in. Erin sat up, "We aren't going back now are we? I want to fish some more."

"No we are just moving to a new spot a few miles away. You should feel better when we get there." Joan came in with bottle of Gatorade and told Erin to drink it. I sat and held Erin's hand as she lay on the cushioned settee. We talked about all sorts of things. She was very intelligent and a delight to be with. She had just moved here and didn't know many people here. She had been in a bad relationship up north and was reluctant to be involved with anyone. I told her about my divorce a year ago and that I was very hesitant about relationships myself. I found out she was working in a bank and was not too happy with it. She had a degree in business management, but had never been able to find work in that field. I asked her if she would like to work for me.

"You? Doing what?" She grinned, "Cleaning fish?"

"No, you are under qualified for that. I need someone to help me run this business. I am really just a dumb fisherman. We have an old lady who has run the company for forty years. She hates anyone I bring in to help her or to take some of the load off her. I can't fire her, she is my dear Mother. Will you give it a try? She may hate you and kick you out on your ear. Part of the deal is that you have to either clean fish or go fishing with me once a week."

She looked at me, "I might learn to love cleaning fish."

"Ok, the offer still stands. The last part is off the table." I got up with tears in my eyes and went to the GPS readout. I wiped my eyes and saw we were only a mile from the next spot.

"Well we are at the next spot, let me get up on the bridge and get us anchored. The job offer still stands." I got us positioned and told Frank to drop the hook. I shut the engines down and went down to the cockpit and baited hooks for everyone. They dropped down and had a few hits but no takers. I got out a Sabiki rig and dropped it over. I felt it hit bottom and jigged it once and felt hits. I reeled in three small blue runners and two nice snappers. Frank Grabbed the blue runners and put them in the live well. The snappers went in the fish box. I dropped it down again while Frank baited everyone's hooks with a blue runner and threw them over.

I caught a dozen snappers and about twenty blue runners. I saw there was no action there so I told every one to reel in and that we were going to try another spot. I went back on the bridge and motored up to the anchor for Frank to bring it aboard. We cruised to a new spot and as soon as the blue runners went down we had three hook ups. I just stayed on the bridge. When the action died down I moved us again. We tried three more spots and had a fish box full of fish. We headed home. I sat on the bridge by myself all the way home. We pulled in the dock and I gave Erin my card with the office number on it and asked her to please call. She promised she would, she took one small grouper and walked down the dock. I walked back in the cabin while Frank cleaned the fish. I was staring at nothing when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned and it was Joan Cotton. She took my hand and asked how I felt about Erin. I said I was afraid I had fallen in love with her. Unrequited love, I added. She said, "No dear boy you are wrong. She is in love with you. She has been deeply hurt and is not over it yet. Be patient. She will be back. I know exactly how she feels, when she is ready she will let you know. Just be nice and don't push. She is worth it."

"Thank you Joan, thank you with all my heart."

I took a week off and visited some family in Orange Springs. They were very supportive and I felt a little better when I got home. I went to see my Mom and she gave me hell. "What did you do to poor Erin?"

"Mom I didn't do anything to her. I really didn't."

"Well she is the first decent person you have sent over, she is smart as a whip. I hired her and she could run the business by herself already. She has lots of good ideas and is computerizing the business now. Save us lots of money and time. You should be nice to her. She would be a good catch for you."

"Momma, she doesn't like me."

"She doesn't, what did you do to her?"

"Momma!"

I had trips for the next four days. One of the Captains was sick. I didn't feel so good my self. I called in the next morning and told whoever answered I was sick and wouldn't be in. I went to bed and lay there for several days. The phone rang and rang but I couldn't get up to answer it. I was burning up, then I was freezing. All my joints hurt. Then there was a pounding on my door. I got up and opened it and fell flat on my face. I woke up in the hospital. I felt someone was holding my hand. I worked to get my eyes open. I saw an angel. I was dead. I looked again. I knew that angel's name, it was Erin.

"Hi! Where am I?"

She jumped up and ran away. Damn she really hated me.

People came from all over and poked at me and stuck me with sharp things that hurt. I just wanted to sleep, they wouldn't let me. I thought I saw her again but it wasn't her. I know I called her a bunch of times but she never came. I thought she was holding my hand again and it felt like her tears were dropping hot on my hand. I called her name again and told her I loved her and that I would see her in heaven if I ever got there again. I thought I heard her crying but wasn't sure.

Then I woke up. No one was there. I felt weak but not too bad. I tried to sit up. But I was strapped down. I had needles and tubes in my wrists and some damned thing was blowing air up my nose. I yelled "Hey, Somebody help me." Nurses and doctors came and poked me and did all that stuff. I just wanted to go fishing. I thought I saw Erin but there were so many people there I couldn't see good. I got tired and closed my eyes for a bit. I felt someone stroking my hard cock. I looked down. It was Erin. She looked at me and smiled her sweet smile. Her beautiful red hair framed her lovely face. Her mouth closed over the head of my cock. Her mouth felt wonderful. I loved the way she loved me. She licked her way up and down him and then took him deep in her mouth again. She ran her tongue around the glans and then she held him in her mouth while she ran her little hands up and down my shaft with a twisting motion. Wow! I was going to cum. My body stiffened and I tried to tell her I was about to cum. Not a sound left my mouth. I came and came and came. Damn it was wonderful. I raised my head to tell her how much I loved it. She was not there. Could it have been all a dream?

I woke up again and saw my Mother. "Hi! Mom. You look awful, you look tired." She called, "Erin" and there she was. She was beautiful. I cried to see her. I said, "Thanks for bringing Mom. When can I go home?" Erin smiled and said, "In a day or two."

"See that Mom gets some rest, she looks tired."

"She is, she hasn't slept in days."

"Please make her rest. Please. Can she sleep over in that bed?"

"If you will rest some too I will get her a bed."

"Thank you Erin, I wish you didn't have to go. I miss you when you are gone."

"I miss you too, Sean, I really do."

"Have you been here a lot?"

"Yes I have."

"I thought it was you. I thought I was in heaven and you were an angel. You look like one."

I felt much better the next day. Erin had taken Mom home to rest. I was able to sit up and I called Mom's house. Erin answered. She said they were sleeping and would be over to see me later. I said I wasn't going anywhere. They came later and both of them looked better, it was the first time I had seen Erin in a dress, she was really stunning. Damn, I was going to embarrass myself by getting an erection in front of my Mom. I asked Erin to bring the table that fit over the bed. That covered every thing up. She was so beautiful I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She grinned at me and said, " I think you are getting better."

Mom smiled, "I think so too Erin, you gave him a hard on."

"MOM!"

Erin giggled and for the next five minutes every time she looked at me she would giggle.

Finally I said, "It really is not that funny, she just does that to me, I can't help it. I think she is the most sexy and beautiful girl I have ever seen. Sorry, that's how I feel."

Erin leaned over the bed and kissed my lips tenderly.

"Sean, I am proud that I effect you that way. Your Mom showed me pictures of your first wife, she was very pretty."

"You aren't mad at me anymore?"