Red explains

Red became noticeably uneasy as they walked quietly along the beach, after nearly a minute of silence Brenan figured she was just going to ignore the question. In hind sight Brenan realized that Red had needed the time to figure out where to start her explanation.

“My brother-in-law pretty much fell apart when my sister died. He still kept his job as a joiner in a shipyard, but other than that he did little more than drink himself to sleep every night. I’m not blaming him, well I guess I am.” Red corrected herself “Cindy needed as much love and attention as she could get when her mother died.” She took a deep breath before she continued. “By the time I arrived on the scene Cindy was spending nearly every night down by the docks. She had died her hair red...” she pointed at her namesake “…and on the waterfront she was known as the scarlet harlot. It’s a wonder she wasn’t pregnant or diseased.” Brenan scowled as Red described Cindy’s story, but for the life of him he couldn’t understand how he fit in. Red must have noticed his confusion because she held up a hand in a silent request for patience.

"Her father died in an accident a week after I found them. The shipyard foreman told me that he was crushed as a load slipped from the crane and came swinging towards him. All the others got out of the way, by he just watched as the heavy beam crashed into his skull. After that Cindy’s behavior became even more wild. I knew I had to get her out of Freeport before it was too late. Finally I took the rest of my prize money plus the little that her father still had and moved out here.” Gesturing at the beach and the hill above it Red continued “I won this place in a card game about ten years ago. Always thought I’d retire out here, just not so soon; and not with a sullen hellcat like Cindy.” Brenan glanced back at the cottage trying to imagine the bubbly young women as a sullen hellcat.

“I needed a man Brenan. A good man, not like those pigs that took advantage of a lonely fourteen year girl.” Red stopped and turned to face Brenan “so I used you.” Her words were spoken quietly but they hit Brenan like a load of bricks.

“Why me?” He asked bitterly “Of all the role models you could have picked, why a broken deserter who has done so much more harm than good in his life.” Red shook her head at Brenan.

“You’re not nearly as broken as you claim to be Brenan. But to answer your question, I needed to be able to tell Cindy about a man who wasn’t interested only in sinking his harpoon in every woman he met.” Her eyes found his and held them in her gaze. “I’m sorry Brenan, I had no right to use you like this, but Cindy started asking more and more about you. I told her about the things you would do and say when you thought no one was watching.” Red blushed again but did not let her embarrassment deter her. “I told her that you were handsome and smart and good but as brave as a cornered dandercat in a fight. I also told her that you were one of the best officers sailing out of the islands and that you valued a woman for more than the pleasure you could find rutting between her thighs.”

“I guess I overdid it a little because Cindy got the notion that I was in love with you. In her mind she figured you’d come looking for me as soon as you had your life settled." Red kicked at the white sand with her bare toes. "What I did was wrong Brenan, I know that. I needed Cindy to see what a real man could be like after all the scumbags that she met.” Red turned back to the cottage and after a minute or two of silent walking, Red changed the topic.

“She’d be good crew, Brenan, she knows how to sail the skiff as well as me and she works hard. Any captain would want to sign her, just so he could drop an anchor in her harbor if nothing else. May as well be you Brenan, if you’ll sign her." Red turned to him and her finger pointed at his chest. "But I swear, Brenan, you treat her bad and I’ll come find you. I heard what you did to the Carlton brothers, what I’d do to you if you hurt her would make that seem tame.”

With that she turned on her heel and headed back to the small cottage.