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After eight years, he concluded none of those faraway seaside places—Charleston, the Great Lakes, Maine, or Haas as beautiful as the shores where he’d grown up Tired of distant waters, Reid retired his rescue gear and returned to Harkers Island The close-knit community who’d watch him break all those records in the pool welcomed him home with open arms

He chuckled as he remembered those first few days back home when it seemed like every little old lady stopped by his house to say hello, dropped off a plate of cookies, and told hihter They went on and on about how brave Reid was and how ti up in a s efforts

Reid shook his head No time for memory lane, man He was already late totrip planned It was beautiful out on the water today, and they needed to discuss so for the flounder to bite He tossed his sandpaper aside and climbed down from the boat

This one ht be a basic skiff, but Reid and Justyn had ideas forworld Reid headed toward his Jeep to meet his cousin at the marina

Four

Justyn

Justyn had been called a brooder, and at times much worse He liked his beer, an occasional dip, and every now and then, the coirl At twenty-six, he valued his ti his pillow

He carried his 6’2” fra lot, and threw the six-pack of beer in a cooler Beads of perspiration started a slow trickle down his forehead, and he knew if he didn’t get on the water soon, the fish would be running from the sun just like he was Dammit This Fourth of July was hotter than hell

He guided the truck under the water oaks, keeping the shoreline in sight The road seemed to follow the curvature of the s had crept up on the weathered pavement of the Harkers Island road If you asked him, Justyn couldn’t tell you a spot on the island where you couldn’t see the water As far as he was concerned, if it did exist, it certainly wasn’t worth

He had gone to college three hours away His parents beamed with pride because of his full baseball scholarship, but knew they wouldwas a year-round business, and so was boat building His father counted on Justyn to put in hours with repairs, boat winterization, and filling new construction orders no matter what time of year it was

As soon as the last pitch was tossed for the ACC tournalove and returned hoe There was never a question about traveling across Europe, backpacking out West, or even surfing with the guys His place was on the island

Justyn always did the right thing, and for those four years during college, thatnewly christened boats into the creek He didn’t reme for Godot What he kneas that he couldn’t stand to be off the island

He slowed the truck to turn onto the grassy path leading to his boat Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her He figured she was only a ding-batter, what he and the other islanders called the many tourists who tried to be local for the suo when he saw her loading groceries in the back of a car at Easterd’s He wasn’t sure if it was the legs, the blond hair, or that attitude of hers he wanted to break that made her stick out in his ain The island was too small not to see her He had ht she was too good for the island, only cruised with chah But shehe had ever seen

In thethe boat impatiently and already a few beers ahead They had a full day of fishing ahead of them

Reid sat on the boith a goofy grin and a beer in hand “Let’s go,out here thinkin’ you weren’t going to show”