Chapters (75)
- Cover
- Back Cover Text
- Praise
- Booklist
- About the Author
- Dedication
- Quote
- Prologue
- Part One
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- Part Two
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- Part Three
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- Part Four
- ELEVEN
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- Part Five
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- Part Six
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- Part Seven
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- Part Eight
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- Part Nine
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- Part Ten
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- Part Eleven
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- Part Twelve
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- Part Thirteen
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- EPILOGUE
- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
- AUTHOR NOTE
- Reader’s Guide
- Questions for Discussion
- The Heirloom Garden
- Abby
As teens, Scooter and I—along with our friends—would use two tactics to save our arms. The first was rock, paper, scissors to decide who would crank and who would get the easier job of blowing the air horn and sharing the history of the ferry. The other was to solicit manual labor from unsuspecting tourists, by cajoling or embarrassing them.
“Darn it!” one of the teens says after holding out scissors while his friend produced a rock on their third go-round.
As the ferry begins its journey into the river, the winning teen produces an air horn and blows it—to the surprised looks and shocked screams of many on board—to announce to oncoming boat traffic it is in the midst of crossing. He then launches into the history of the ferry. In the midst of his narrative, his friend locks eyes with Scooter.
“Hold on, Tommy! Hold on!” the kid yells, interrupting the same prepared speech I used to give. “We have a celebrity on board.”
The passengers all look around the boat, eyes wide and excitedly murmuring, “Where? Where?”
“Mr. Stevens,” the teen continues as he cranks. “Would you wave to the crowd?”
Scooter’s face immediately turns as red as the chain ferry sign. He gives an embarrassed wave.
“Mr. Stevens is Saugatuck High School’s most famous athlete,” the teen shouts, as he continues to crank. “He led our high school to its last state championship and nearly went pro.”
The passengers clap.
Scooter ducks his head. “This is revisionist history,” he whispers.
“I’m quite enjoying this,” I say.
“He now brings vintage wooden boats back to life,” the teen says, stopping briefly to point at a boat in the middle of the channel. “Like that one.”
Again, the passengers on the ferry applaud.
“Why don’t you show us that arm?” the teen says, a big smile coming over his face. He winks at Scooter like a carnival barker might a stooge. His face is covered in sweat, and he is beginning to gasp for air.
“Great idea!” I say, encouraging the crowd. “Let’s see the famed QB’s famed arm!”
Scooter removes his arm from around me and lifts it part way into the air, a big grimace coming over his face. “Old football injury, unfortunately,” he says as the passengers groan. Scooter gives the cranking teen a wink as if to say, “I know how to play your game way better than you do.”
“But,” Scooter continues, his voice rising in enthusiasm, “we happen to have another celebrity with us today, as well! Adie Lou Kruger not only runs the The Summer Cottage Inn here in town, but she was also the very first woman to work on the chain ferry!”
The passengers break out in applause.
“And her arm is still in perfect cranking shape!” Scooter continues, before chanting, “Adie Lou! Adie Lou!”
“Adie Lou! Adie Lou!” the passengers chant.
“I hate you,” I say.