"Sure," he said as he raised his eyebrows like he didn't believe me. He was about to say more, but his phone started to ring. He started to dig around in his pockets, cursing under his breath as the ringer stopped before he could get to it.
"I'm going to go windsurfing before I have to get back to work," I said, trying to edge away while he was busy.
"Have fun. Isn't it a little cold for surfing?" He asked, his eyes focusing on the tiny phone screen when he finally found it in his coat pocket.
"Anything to get out on the water." I grinned.
"Why don't you just go in a boat, like normal people?" he asked, pressing buttons on his phone.
"I only sail double-handed. I don't like sailing by myself," I chided him gently.
"Right, and you don't consider windsurfing to be sailing. I remember now." He smiled and replaced his phone back in the original pocket. I wondered if he would lose it again.
"It was great to see you, Sam," he said with a warm smile. "Have fun out there."
"Always do!" I flashed him a bright grin and waved as I turned and headed toward the shack storing my equipment. The ocean was calling my name and I was ready to get out on the water.
Chapter 4
The water slipped silently under my board as I glided out toward the open ocean. A slight breeze tugged gently at the waves, promising a fun afternoon. I couldn't wait to really let loose and speed across the water, but I wanted to get out where I could practice some of my more flamboyant moves without looking like a complete idiot in front of the entire marina.
Seeing Robbie brought back old memories, and I paddled through them as I worked my way out to where I could play in the wind.
"We are going to get through this together, Sam." My older sister's voice echoed through my mind as I was transported back in time.
It was three years after leaving Robbie and I had just had my fifteenth birthday. My sailing lesson was done for the day and I was out on the water by myself. I didn't want to go back in yet, so I sailed further out. There was a storm brewing, but it made the waves more challenging. I thought I could handle it.
The storm caught me by surprise. I had managed to pull the mainsail before the boat flipped, but the mast was broken. The ropes were now wet and slippery. I couldn't handle it on my own. I wasn't ready for a challenge like this. I wished I had someone to help me.
The waves tossed my little boat like a toy. This storm was past what I could handle. I clung to the rigging, praying that my tiny boat wouldn't capsize. I had radioed for help, but I wasn't sure anyone had heard me. Saltwater and tears burned in my eyes. I was going to drown because I had been stupid and gone out too far on my own.
A horn sounded, heavy in the storm. Relief flooded through me as a beautiful white and red Coast Guard ship shined a light on my boat. I could hear sailors yelling as they threw me a line. I was saved.
I tipped the sails on my windsurfing board into the light breeze, making me go faster as I stayed in my memories.
The Valiant brought me home, cutting through the storm as though it were nothing. The sailors deposited me, blanket-wrapped and terrified, at the dock with stern warnings to never to do that again. It was raining at the dock, but the wind was gone. A parked police cruiser was waiting to take me home, only something was wrong. Grace was in the car, her eyes red and her cheeks splotchy. She took me into her arms, holding me close as she told me the news.
When I didn't come home after my lesson, and the reports of the storm came in, my parents had gotten in the car to come look for me. There was a horrible accident. They were gone.
I didn't believe her at first. I pushed her away and ran out into the rain. A police officer chased after me. I tripped and fell into a puddle; I didn't bother to get up. This wasn't how the day was supposed to have gone. I should have just gone home; I should never have gone into the storm. If only someone had been there to help me get the sails down, I would have made it back before they went out to look for me; if only I hadn't gone out into the storm...
The wind sent a spray of water into my face. I returned my focus to the present, letting my memories and the hurt wash away in the ocean. From the corner of my eye, I could see a boat approaching, its sails full out as it glided along. It almost looked like the yacht that I had seen Robbie enter, but I knew it couldn't be Robbie. Robbie wouldn't be sailing drunk.
My board caught a wave, stealing my attention away from the oncoming vessel. I had the right of way, so I focused on my own board instead of the boat, trying to keep from tipping over in the strong breeze. I concentrated on getting control of my sail and moving out of the way, knowing that the approaching ship could easily avoid me. The wind whistled in my ears, the ocean slapping at the board.
I turned, thinking I was clear, but the boat had moved more quickly than I anticipated. The keel of the boat seemed bigger than I thought possible as it hurtled straight for me. Time slowed, and the details burned into my eyes: the white tips on the gray-green water, the yellow in my sail, the tiny barnacle trying to find a foothold on the keel of the oncoming yacht. There was no way to stop the collision now, and I let go of my sail, hearing it splash into the water. Robbie's eyes met mine, full of terror and recognition as his boat crashed into me, and everything went dark.
Chapter 5
A quiet beeping and a steady hiss woke me. The late afternoon sun was shining in through the windows, coating the strange room with a buttery warmth. I blinked hard, trying to clear my vision and make sense of where I was. My nose itched, and as I rubbed at it, my fingers caught the small plastic tubing.
I frowned as I realized I was in the hospital. A large white-board on the adjacent wall proclaimed that my nurse was Jaime and my doctor was Dr. Robins. It took a moment, but I could remember his concerned face above me. He had nice eyes. I groaned and leaned back on the pillow, letting the memories of the ER wash over me. I recalled the kind brown eyes, the calls to the nursing staff and the glorious relief when they pushed some sort of liquid into the IV in my arm. The entire experience was blurry and surreal, but at least I remembered something. Grace would laugh when I told her about this.
Grace. Avery.
I sat up in a panic, adrenaline flooding through my system. I was supposed to pick Avery up from school! I glanced down at my wrist to check what time it was, but my watch was missing. The yellow late afternoon sunshine told me I was already late. Avery was probably standing on the front step of her school, little lunch box in hand, waiting for me to come get her with tears in her eyes. Grace was going to kill me.
I ripped the oxygen tubing out of my nose and threw my legs over the side of the bed. A woozy rush went through me, and my hands tightened on the sheets. I really hoped the nurses' station was close by because I wasn't going to make it far. But I had to get to Avery.